2016 Road Trip - MEX-CAN

A 56-day adventure by Valerie Read more

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Trip start
May 7, 2016
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Day 1
Saturday, May 7, 2016 at 2:36 PM
⛅ 29 °C
Altitude: 1,844 m
Mexico Granja San José 21.88457, -102.3208321°53’4” N 102°19’15” W
Home in Aguascalientes
May 7, 2016 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C
TravelerTwo sleeps left. Today is hot - over 30 degrees and only 12% humidity. Packing has started, but I don't think the house will get cleaned - hopefully tidied a bit! We've got a place to sleep in the car and some of the luggage is already out there too.
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Day 2
Sunday, May 8, 2016 at 2:24 PM
🌬 29 °C
Altitude: 1,844 m
Mexico Granja San José 21.88458, -102.3208821°53’4” N 102°19’15” W
Still home
May 8, 2016 in Mexico ⋅ 🌬 29 °C
One sleep left. Car is almost loaded
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Day 3
Monday, May 9, 2016 at 6:51 PM
⛅ 27 °C
Altitude: 1,169 m
Mexico Las Delicias 28.20004, -105.4523728°12’0” N 105°27’9” W
Delicias, Chihuahua
May 9, 2016 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
Day 1 Monday

Well, I'm still new at this so I guess I have to redo my comment. I'll leave the "comment" as entered and learn for next time that when I leave a footprint that's where I put the description....

There's lots of irrigation of orchards who which remind us of mango trees but we see no advertising of mangoes but we see lots of advertising for pistachio nuts so maybe they're pistachio nut trees

Parts of the toll highway were completely full of potholes.

Hotel Los Cedros Delicias
Nice hotel. Booked through Despegar. Paid them 75 pesos, no booking when we arrived so wasted that money. But they had a king room available. 750 pesos. Very nice, Mexican, clean, shower enclosure looked newly renovated. A/C. Ok WiFi. TV crummy video like most Mexican hotels. Breakfast included and OK. A la carte for dinner good hamburger and fries for 75 pesos. Burger quite good, fries not quite cooked and limp. Not licensed but we walked across Street to OXXO and got a beer that they let us drink with our meal.Read more
TravelerArrived safely. We were an hour longer on the journey because we did not realize I have that there was a time change. Countryside was very interesting on the drive. Ended up in flat land but we went through some beautiful mountains. So many places where we go remind us of the Kamloops area. There was rich Red Dirt about halfway, but where we are now is back to normal brown dirt. We had dinner at the hotel restaurant and met Martha. A single mom with 3 children who when she got divorced moved back to Mexico from Minnesota. Speaks very good English and works with another girl that is currently studying. We had a nice discussion talking about kids Jehovah's name God's government and ended up by placing the Watchtower. Time to wind things down, get an early night, and then head to the Copper Canyon tomorrow.
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Day 4
Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at 9:29 AM
☀️ 22 °C
Altitude: 1,462 m
Mexico Ávalos 28.59765, -106.0262928°35’52” N 106°1’35” W
Chihuahua
May 10, 2016 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C
Day 2

We're hoping we're in the right place we just saw the first sign to the "Cooper" Canyon
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Day 4
Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at 10:38 AM
⛅ 17 °C
Altitude: 2,060 m
Mexico Cuauhtémoc 28.41012, -106.8584428°24’36” N 106°51’30” W
Cuautemoc
May 10, 2016 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
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Day 4
Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at 4:06 PM
⛅ 17 °C
Altitude: 2,228 m
Mexico Estación El Divisadero 27.53473, -107.8229927°32’5” N 107°49’23” W
El Divisadero, Copper Canyon
May 10, 2016 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
Day 2 Tuesday

Sitting here in the lobby bar watching hummingbirds feeding, looking at the beautiful Copper Canyon and drinking a delicious margarita

We were a little worried that we'd missed the place because it took so long to get here in comparison to what we thought it would be. However if anyone comes and drives from Creel to Divisadero the road sign says 44k and the kilometer markers on the side of the highway count up to 44 then you're here. So it was all good.

Apparently the el chepe train only stops here for about 20 minutes. Friends suggested we drive here the day ahead to enjoy the view.Read more
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Day 4
Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at 4:23 PM
☀️ 29 °C
Altitude: 2,216 m
Mexico Estación El Divisadero 27.53501, -107.8225727°32’6” N 107°49’21” W
El Divisadero hotel
May 10, 2016 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
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Day 4
Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at 7:55 PM
🌫 12 °C
Altitude: 2,347 m
Mexico Creel 27.75032, -107.6340727°45’1” N 107°38’3” W
Cascada Inn, Creel
May 10, 2016 in Mexico ⋅ 🌫 12 °C
Hotel information

It's OK for the price. $650 pesos for 2, breakfast included. Appears that they have recently put in a new wing. Bed seems comfy, may have more to say about that in the morning as well as more about breakfast. Quaint, the rooms are cool and comfortable.

2 small bottles of water, 2 towels. There's a small coffee pot but nothing to put in it. No coffee cups not even plastic glasses. Free internet that is pretty much non-existent.

Owners (managers?) are very nice, very helpful.

Car is parked in front of the unit and we feel it is secure, we will leave the car here for an extra night while we take El Chepe to El Fuerte tomorrow and back the next day.

Showers.... Nice hot water at the start but don't plan on a proper shower, water turned freezing cold only a couple of minutes in. Troi decided to turn it off and on throughout and got wet, soaped and rinsed before the hot water left. I had the first shower this morning❄

Wow, what a breakfast! Fresh fruit was waiting for us. Then toast, jam and coffee (coffee was good and hot and lots of it). Then scrambled eggs and ham with frijoles. Then pancakes....we are rolling out the door. They just brought orange juice!Read more
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Day 5
Wednesday, May 11, 2016 at 3:00 PM
⛅ 19 °C
Altitude: 1,696 m
Mexico Baquirque 27.43758, -108.0159727°26’15” N 108°0’57” W
El Chepe Train
May 11, 2016 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
Beautiful ride. I was looking forward to seeing more grand vistas like at Divisadero, but I guess when you are in the canyon you cannot get the same view as when you are outside the canyon.

There were 84 tunnels - give or take one or two - that we passed through either the longest being almost 2km....it took two and a half minutes. At one point the train does a 360 degree turn and another 180 curve with a double switchback. One of those switchbacks was done in a 944m long tunnel. The track drops 200m and we went from coniferous forest to subtropical... Saw papayas growing.

Almost 2:30 mins in longest tunnel named Descansar.

We ate lunch in the comedor (dining car). OK, not great, slightly expensive. The best views were from there as you could see almost 360 degrees without being blocked by seats.Read more
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Day 5
Wednesday, May 11, 2016 at 7:52 PM
🌙 25 °C
Altitude: 78 m
Mexico Puentes Cuates 26.42006, -108.6206326°25’12” N 108°37’14” W
El Fuerte
May 11, 2016 in Mexico ⋅ 🌙 25 °C
Day 3 Wednesday

It is hot here now. Had a margarita at the hotel then downtown for supper at La Parrillada Asadero. Troi tried the chicken hamburger - good, Val had a papa a la parilla... Essentially mashed potatoes with cheese and grilled cut up steak and heated on the grill. Served with cucumbers, cooked onions tortillas and guacamole, it was delicious.

Getting bitten by minuscule black bugs of some type.Read more
Susan MutzDid Troi write this?
5/12/16Reply
TravelerParts, good catch Sue!😋
5/12/16Reply
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Day 5
Wednesday, May 11, 2016 at 9:03 PM
🌙 27 °C
Altitude: 85 m
Mexico Puentes Cuates 26.42171, -108.6203326°25’18” N 108°37’13” W
Hotel Posada Hidalgo
May 11, 2016 in Mexico ⋅ 🌙 27 °C
Hotel information

We didn't realize that when we got off the train we wouldn't be in town, we needed to get a taxi to take us in. About 5-10 km, cost us $100 mxn

There were taxis waiting as well as a rep from the hotel. He was recruiting guests. We decided to check the hotel out. He gave us a price of $800 which we think is a good discount for low season.

It's just off the main plaza and quite beautiful. It's an old hacienda.

It was quite hectic at the start but once were got the room key it was all fine. The same fellow who met us at the train got changed and put on a Zorro show for us. This is supposedly the house where Zorro was born. We had a margarita at the bar but went some where much cheaper for dinner.

Great shower, a/c seems to be working well and we are looking forward to a comfortable night.Read more
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Day 6
Thursday, May 12, 2016 at 8:10 AM
☀️ 27 °C
Altitude: 232 m
Mexico Palomino 26.6399, -108.4351326°38’24” N 108°26’6” W
Day 4, Thursday May 12
May 12, 2016 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
El Fuerte back to Creel

Notes:

Good breakfast. Only ate half took other to go. Left it at hotel, taxi backtracked waiter met Troi at door.

Got to station and family of dogs knew we had food and wanted it. Too hungry and it cost too much to take pity on them.

Couple from same hotel recommended Aubrey tours out of Boston

On the trip back to Creel we saw a few hare running through the field they look to be about 18 inches long and tall. Blend in beautifully with background when standing still.

I thought I saw a deer, then when I saw big ears I thought it was a burrow, then realized that a burrow did not move so gracefully so knew it WAS a deer. First real wild animal of any size we've seen down here.

Descansar tunnel took 3.5 minutes northbound a full minute longer than southbound

Recommendations for el Chepe:
Left side South right side North. best views from the dining car.

Buy tickets ahead of time.

We had seats 11&12 down left side
43&44 up left side. Best window view
Numbers start back right, groups of 8per window

Train almost empty down, more people up

Maybe due to clase turista

Trip up... View better from right side but the sun spends a lot of time there 3 hours in and they are still in sunshine. Going down we had it only for last part, and there wasn't much to see.

Thought adventure park at Divisadero would be waste of money, but maybe that is where to get more views

Riding in dining car a lot rougher

Monday, Wednesday, Friday South is First Class Only. On Thursday going up we passed the train that has tourist (clase economico), they added 2 passenger carriages and another dining car (I think). Troi said he saw a guard with a machine gun on it - ours did not.

Cannot see scale in photos, rocks huge

If stopping in El Fuerte think about finding some one to share taxi with while on train.Read more
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Day 6
Thursday, May 12, 2016 at 9:16 PM
⛅ 27 °C
Altitude: 1,475 m
Mexico Colonia Granjas 28.66426, -106.1287228°39’51” N 106°7’43” W
City Express Chihuahua
May 12, 2016 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C
Made it in safely tonight just at dark... 10 minutes too late to participate in the free beer and snacks.
😔

We were only driving for a little less than 4 hours but have been going since 6:15 this morning, so we are tired.

Wendy's is across the street so we looked after our tummies and are now enjoying some wine in a paper cup. Gassed up the car as we got into the city so we are ready to hit the border tomorrow as soon as we get there. 4 hour drive.

Hotel was fine, AC worked but there was no control on the speed of the fan and it was on full speed and very noisy all night. Breakfast decent. I appreciated the fact that, while we did not have a reservation, they were willing to give us the internet rate that I showed them online. Saved us about 10 bucks. Internet crummy, could hardly check email definitely could not download a file.Read more
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Day 7
Friday, May 13, 2016 at 1:11 PM
☀️ 29 °C
Altitude: 1,237 m
United States Mastodon 31.78521, -106.6805931°47’7” N 106°40’50” W
Day 5, Friday May 13
May 13, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Santa Teresa Port of Entry

Got through Mexican immigration, returned the sticker for our car, and passed US border control in just under 40 minutes!
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Day 7
Friday, May 13, 2016 at 1:44 PM
☀️ 30 °C
Altitude: 1,177 m
United States Laguna Lateral 32.27415, -106.7885332°16’27” N 106°47’19” W
Las Cruces New Mexico
May 13, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C
La Posta de Mesilla restaurant and cantina
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Day 7
Friday, May 13, 2016 at 7:01 PM
☀️ 29 °C
Altitude: 1,288 m
United States HS-4 Water Well 33.12704, -107.2547233°7’37” N 107°15’17” W
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
May 13, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C
Truth or Consequence is a sleepy little town and we saw very little activity there. Apparently it is growing at the moment because of the hot springs.

The place we stayed had a tank/hot tub in the backyard that you filled each time you wanted to have a soak. Water clear and quite hot. First time we waited for the water to cool for an hour before getting in, second time we put in cold water.

It was a mobile home, older but comfortable. The only uncomfortable part was the shower, trailer-sized with a shower head that was in your face...literally.Read more
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Day 8
Saturday, May 14, 2016 at 6:18 PM
⛅ 25 °C
Altitude: 1,471 m
United States Organ 32.41902, -106.618132°25’8” N 106°37’5” W
Space Mural Museum
May 14, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
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Day 8
Saturday, May 14, 2016 at 6:23 PM
☀️ 27 °C
Altitude: 1,200 m
United States Alamogordo 32.79048, -106.3241132°47’26” N 106°19’27” W
Day 6, Saturday May 14
May 14, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
White Sands National Monument

White sands was about 1 hour away almost 2 hours away on Saturday after a relaxing morning we drove to White Sands. Stopped at a museum on the side of the road called myspace murals museum. Nothing much to see but the woman who is working there was quite entertaining. She really liked to talk she told us to ask her questions and she would come to help but it ended up that NE corner we went around she was standing there to tell us what she knew

White sounds was incredible it was like snow. The sand is white because it is made out of gypsum not silica.

The sand is very fine and soft and very clean. The winds apparently always come from one direction. They build picnic tables with a permanent wind break.

As we drove in the dunes were small and there was lots of scrubby plants and grasses. But when we were further in the flora disappeared . The whole Road wasn't actually paved, the pavement stopped about 5 minutes and became a gravel road but you couldn't tell it was gravel - it looks more like a winter Road covered in snow and it was obvious that they had to bring in plows to keep it clear because there were sand banks on the sides of the road.

We went for a walk on the dunes and it was actually quite surprising how cool the sand was for being out in the sunshine. As you stepped down into the sand it was even cooler.

Families go and they bring their sleds and they slide down the sand dunes like you would hills covered in snow. The woman back at the space murals Museum told us that even though the sign say don't take any sand away, she says years later you're still getting sand out of your car.

On the way home we stopped in Las Cruces did a little shopping and had dinner at Olive Garden got home about 9.

Radio Truth or Consequence Las Cruces FM 98.7Read more
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Day 8
Saturday, May 14, 2016 at 6:31 PM
⛅ 25 °C
Altitude: 1,229 m
United States North Fork Las Cruces Arroyo 32.31866, -106.7484532°19’7” N 106°44’54” W
Olive Garden
May 14, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
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Day 9
Sunday, May 15, 2016 at 10:24 AM
☀️ 21 °C
Altitude: 1,414 m
United States 10032 Water Well 34.17551, -106.9204234°10’32” N 106°55’14” W
Day 7, Sunday May 15
May 15, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C
Socorro
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Day 9
Sunday, May 15, 2016 at 11:23 AM
⛅ 21 °C
Altitude: 1,578 m
United States Pino Canyon 35.16132, -106.5867435°9’41” N 106°35’12” W
Albuquerque, New Mexico
May 15, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
We tried to make a left turn....
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Day 9
Sunday, May 15, 2016 at 1:36 PM
🌧 17 °C
Altitude: 1,958 m
United States RG-4982 Water Well 35.61082, -106.0321635°36’39” N 106°1’56” W
Santa Fe factory outlets
May 15, 2016 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 17 °C
Gotta do some window shopping!
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Day 9
Sunday, May 15, 2016 at 2:27 PM
⛅ 20 °C
Altitude: 1,708 m
United States Fairview 36.00705, -106.0650636°0’25” N 106°3’54” W
Española
May 15, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C
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Day 9
Sunday, May 15, 2016 at 3:13 PM
⛅ 17 °C
Altitude: 2,119 m
United States Ranchos de Taos 36.36621, -105.6021636°21’58” N 105°36’8” W
Taos
May 15, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
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Day 9
Sunday, May 15, 2016
⛅ 10 °C
Altitude: 1,627 m
United States Wigwam 38.53006, -104.6469838°31’48” N 104°38’49” W
Day 7, Sunday May 15
May 15, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C
Drive to Colorado Springs
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