Day: October 25, 2015

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My Route in Mexico

Reader Kim asked:

So I’m curious why you aren’t traveling through El Paso/Ciudad Juarez to Durango and then west to Mazatlán? There’s a new Durango/Mazatlán highway with the Baluarte Bridge which appears to be an engineering marvel, not to mention very beautiful.

Primarily because I have been strongly discouraged to do so.

While Juarez is safer now than it has been in a very, very long time, the stretch of the highway between the city and the Durango highway is apparently quite desolate and there is still lot a lot of bandito activity. A single woman with out of country plates, even with strong language skills, would be a target. The only people who have suggested that route are men who just don’t approach travel security with the same mindset as a woman. This advice to avoid that route comes from Mexicans I met last winter (when I was thinking of taking this route to go north).

The secondary reason is financial. While this route is shorter, there is more travel in Mexico at their crazy gas prices. Doing the longer route to Nogales actually saves me quite a bit in fuel.

A tertiary reason is that I like the drive down MX 15. The stopover in San Carlos is rather like stepping through the wardrobe into Narnia. Taking this route again will mean basically zero stress to Isla, but still some new adventures. For example, I intend to stop in Santa Ana to get my phone set up, instead of waiting to get to Guaymas!

Thanks for your question, Kim. I’ve been getting it a lot and keep forgetting to post an answer to it!  I had hoped to do the drive to Durango last winter, but ended up canceling. I am planning to do it this winter instead! So I will be doing the scenic part of the drive you mention.

 

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Walsenburg, CO, to Deming, NM (with a Stop in Santa Fe)

Another very, very, very long day, but it was the last big one. It’ll be a short haul tomorrow, then three days of sort of rest, then 2.5 reasonable days to my Mexican casita.

I had an okay night of sleep and was on the road by about 6:45 because I had plans to meet John for brunch in Santa Fe, 3.25 hours away. It being the crack of dawn on a Sunday, the espresso bar I’d been hoping to get my coffee at was shut tight, but there was a fresh pot of decent coffee on a the 7-Eleven, where I had to get fuel anyway.

It was still quite dark out when a car passed me honking madly. It wasn’t until the passenger rolled down his window and yelled, “GO RIDERS!” that I realised they were fellow Saskatchewanites!

I paused at a rest area and caught a Colorado sunrise.

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Next rest area, probably in New Mexico at this point, had markedly different vegetation than what I’d been seeing up to that point:

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I’d asked John to choose a place not too far from the interstate and he suggested Cafe Fina, which was right at the on and off ramp to I-25. Very convenient! You order at a counter, get a number to place your on your table, and then your meal is brought to you. John had Tex-Mex brunchy food and I had lunch food. We both had a very delicious coffee. We ate outside and the weather was perfect for it!

Vicki has requested photos of food, so here is the yummy chicken, bacon, caramelized onion, and cheese sandwich (hold the mayo) I had with a really good salad:

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John and I had a quick catchup, then it was time for  me to head off again. I was due for fuel, so I asked him where I should go and he said that if I wasn’t desperate, I should wait to get fuel at a pueblo a short distance down the road. He was right. I paid less than $2 a gallon!!! AND they gave me a free coffee. 😀

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My next stop was Socorro, where I paused to do some hotel research and scored another deal on Priceline. From there, it was a very long 2.5 hours to Deming, where I am hoping to get a good night’s sleep. I’m in no rush tomorrow and probably won’t get going till mid to late morning. There’s a Walmart almost right next door, so I might do my shopping there instead of stopping in Benson. Perhaps I should check the sales tax rates before I decide!

I’ve been seeing Mexico tourism-related signs for a bit now. I can’t believe I’m already essentially at the border!

Off to find a cold beer. It is HOT out!