Mexico, Season 2: We Can Hardly Wait!

We had been waiting to go back since we arrived from our vacation of all vacations, a three-month all-inclusive stay in Mexico last April. The morning after the New Year’s Eve Ball in Viewpoint, we began our drive down to Mazatlan, Mexico. The four-day drive through southern Arizona, the border, and the states of Sonora and Sinaloa will get us there on January 4.

That should scare a lot of us. Sonora is where, on Nov. 4, nine members of a Mormon family, three mothers with their six children, were massacred near the town of Bavispe, Sonora, 70 miles south of the US border. It is five and a half hours from where we will stay on our second night, after crossing the border. n fact, where we are eventually headed, Mazatlan, is where El Chapo was arrested. Sinaloa, the state the city is in, is Level 4 in the US Travel Advisory, meaning “Do Not Travel” while Sonora, the state we first go through, is Level 3, “Reconsider Travel.” So I researched to find out the truth before we put ourselves in great harm’s way.

I found the list of 50 Most Dangerous Cities of the World of 2019 (murder rates of 35-111 per 100,000 people) compiled by World Population Review. The following countries have many cities that made it to the list: Brazil, 17, Mexico, 12, Venezuela, 5, USA, 4, South Africa, 3, Honduras, 2, Colombia, 2, Jamaica, 1, El Salvador, 1, Guatemala, 1, and Puerto Rico, 1. Yes, the American cities of St. Louis (#13), Baltimore (#21), New Orleans (#44), and Detroit (#45) are all higher than Mazatlan (#46). That was some source of comfort.

Holiday Inn Lobby in Nogales, Arizona with Mexican Insurance room

As I have explained before, Bill truly wants to retire in Mazatlan and Arizona is a compromise for us. But I have grown to like the city a lot, too (please see this post). So we could hardly wait to be back for Mexico, Season 2. We took the necessary precautions, informed the US State Department (STEP, Smart Traveler Enrollment Program) of our itinerary, travel only during midday, 10 am-3 pm, stay only at US hotel chains (Holiday Inn and Best Western), and have urinals in the car. At the time of this publication, we have crossed the border and are in Los Mochis, Sinaloa, just one more day to Mazatlan. 

Nogales, Arizona

Nogales is a good-sized city of about 20,000 and is part of the larger Tucson-Nogales combined statistical area, with a total population of 1 M. It borders the city of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico and is Arizona's largest international border community. Interstate 19 continues south into Mexico as Mexico Federal Highway 15. These two highways are a major part of the CANAMEX Corridor, connecting Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

Km 21 in Nogales, Sonora

There are four international ports of entry in Nogales: the Morley Pedestrian Port of Entry, Dennis Deconcini Pedestrian and Passenger Vehicle Port of Entry, Nogales International Airport, and the Mariposa Port of Entry. Last year, we made a mistake and took the second one. It led us straight into downtown Nogales, Sonora which isn't recommended. We should have taken Mariposa which is much bigger with twelve passenger vehicle inspection lanes and eight commercial inspection lanes and bypasses the city. We, therefore, missed Km 21 which is where the entry permits are given. We had to return to the border from Hermosillo, a six-hour drive, two-way.

Nogales drives about US$30 B worth of fresh produce and manufactured goods from Mexico into the US. This trade helps to support tens of thousands of jobs and the overall economies throughout Arizona and Sonora. Pretty interesting but it wasn’t a tourist town. So, after buying a few groceries from a Safeway near our Holiday Inn Hotel, we just relaxed in our spacious room.

Hermosillo, Sonora

Cerro de la Campana in Hermosillo

Hermosillo is the capital, the largest city, and the main economic center for the state of Sonora. With a population of 830,000, it is the 16th largest city in Mexico. The impressive population growth comes from strong industrialization, especially in the automotive industry, which began in the 1980s. Such is the perk of being close to the US border.

It was also our first Mexican stop on our first drive down to Mazatlan. At the back of our hotel then, I saw an interesting and rocky landform. This time, we found out it is the Cerro de la Campana, an excellent viewpoint for tourists since you can see a great view of the City of the Sun from the hilltop. At an elevation of over 1,000 feet, it was inaugurated in 1909 as a symbol of the city.

Los Mochis, Sinaloa

the new Los Mochis signage inaugurated May, 2019

Los Mochis is a coastal city in northern Sinaloa with a population of over 360,000. It is the end of the Chihuahua-Pacific Railroad which passes through the scenic Copper Canyon, a major tourist attraction of Mexico. This railway was constructed under President Porfirio Díaz as a trade route linking the cattle markets in Kansas City with the nearest port on the Pacific Ocean, Topolobampo, the second-largest deepwater port in the world.

Los Mochis is part of the valley which is the principal agricultural area of Sinaloa. About 70% of all irrigated land produces sugar cane, cotton, rice, flowers, and other vegetables. The valley is also one of the largest producers of mangoes in Mexico. It was good to see the pretty fields and the productive work being done in them.

agricultural field in Los Mochis valley

And, we will be in Mazatlan in less than a day. We had an enjoyable safe drive. Let Mexico, Season 2 begin!

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Looking Forward to Our 2020 Travels

It’s now time to look forward to our travel plans for the coming year. We will go to ten new destinations, return to ten old-time favorites, and visit family and friends. On the road for five months on three separate road trips, we will have seven months of rest at home. I think it is a good way to cruise past 70.

Part 1 Mexico, Season 2

We all read about the recent massacres in Mexico. Indeed, the conditions for safety have deteriorated. But, as we had concluded before, the danger towns of Mexico are no different from the crime-infested towns of America. In fact, they all share spots in the listing of the most dangerous cities in the world. So Bill has decided to drive again to and from Mazatlan. We have found it so convenient to bring as much as we need and to bring home as much as we want. We leave Viewpoint on January 1 and drive down to Mexico going through the towns of Tubac, Arizona, Hermosillo, Sonora (only five and a half hours from a massacre site), and Los Mochis, Sinaloa. 

Concordia, Mexico

On January 4, we reach Mazatlan. For two months, we will have our annual all-inclusive vacation at El Cid Resorts composed of four hotels and a country club complex. Season 1 featured day trips to the towns of El Quelite and El Rosario. During Season 2, we plan to go to the towns of Villa Union and Concordia, famous for their artisanal wooden furniture. We also plan to climb the 325 steps up to the highest lighthouse in America, El Faro Mazatlan. Of the islands around the city, we sailed to Deer Island in Season 1. During Season 2, we intend to go to Stone Island.

Marietas Islands, Mexico

At the end of February, we drive farther down south and spend two weeks (and Bill’s birthday) in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. This is my first time to visit this famous Mexican destination. Aside from its Mercado and Malecon, we hope not only to experience the city’s renowned nightlife scene but also to take a boat tour to the spectacular hidden beach in the Marietas Islands. 

Guaymas, Mexico

Two weeks later, we go back to Mazatlan for a reunion of friends from the Philippines, colleagues from the Institute of Advanced Computer Technology. In our last week, we will shop for what we want to bring back home. Our long drive home will be broken with a short rest at the resort town of Guaymas, Sonora. It’s an upcoming Mexican destination that is close to the border. Our final stop will be the border town of Nogales, Sonora. We get home on April 1.

Part 2 Road Trip, Season 2

We are also continuing the tradition we started last year of escaping from the summer sizzle in the Phoenix desert. We will do another road trip of four to five weeks through Americans states and Canadian provinces, visiting family and friends. We will break the long drives with one-week stops at great resort towns.

Cliff Lodge and Spa

From July 7-12, we will be in St. George, Utah. It is the nearest city to Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. Thus, we will have plenty of opportunities to have outdoor fun with Bill’s son and daughter and their families in our annual reunion with them. Just a four and a half hours north is Salt Lake City. We have often passed through and so we have seen the city in bits and pieces. The week after St. George, we will explore it fully and explore the Great Salt Lake and Temple Square. We will definitely luxuriate at Cliff Lodge & Spa in Snowbird, Utah where our unit has a large hot tub inside.

Lands End, San Francisco

Afterward, we spend a week in Calgary, Alberta, the home of my second daughter and her family. And then we visit our Arizona friends’ mountain cabin for a round of ATV riding in the hills around Essex, Montana. On the way down to my other daughter’s California home, we will pass through Richland, Washington and Klamath Falls, Oregon waiting to be surprised!  Then, from July 29-August 4, we spend a week at the home of my eldest daughter and her family in Livermore, California. The day trips we hope to make while there are to San Francisco’s Land’s End, Point Bonita Lighthouse, and the Cliffside Ruins.

Big Bear Lake, California

Before going home, we will spend our 12^th Wedding Anniversary with a week in Big Bear Lake, California. Summer recreation at the lake includes water fun at the Alpine Slide and a visit to the Big Bear Alpine Zoo, a large rehabilitation place for animals. Hopefully, my eldest grandchild who lives two hours away can join us for a couple of days. We should be glad to be home on Aug. 10.

Part 3 A Short Getaway with Neighbors

Puerto Penasco, Mexico

After these two trips, we will still have two weeks of studio or one week of two bedrooms of timeshare vacations available for the balance of next year. We plan to use this at Puerto Penasco or Rocky Point, Mexico which is just three and a half hours by car from our Viewpoint Home. We have never been there and would like to see if it is a good place to visit regularly, being the nearest Mexican resort town. For a week in September, we plan to party there with our neighbors from Viewpoint Golf Resort.

2020 will take us to ten new destinations, make room for revisiting ten places we have come to love, and allow for visits to family and friends. What's great is that we will even have seven months at home, giving me time to finish my second book. It is the kind of cruising that’s ideal for travelers past 70.


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