Steve and I are on our way to Mexico. When we left Bend, rain was in the forecast and we experienced temperatures of the low 20’s and saw freezing fog south of Chemult. We stayed with Karen and Dan in Mt View, muchas gracias you two. While in the Bay Area, we visited Paula and Dad at Leslie’s house where I made dinner and we all watched the ball game. There was a little bit of betting going on! The annual Terzian/The Point meeting was on Friday, also at Leslie’s. On Sunday, Karen and Dan treated Kay to a birthday (late) dinner at an Indian restaurant, whooooo, hot but good. Then on Monday, we drove south to Jacques’ place in Palm Springs. The temperature in Palm Springs was in the high 80’s. We stayed just 2 nights and completed a couple of household projects. Again we packed up the car again and on Wednesday drove east to Tucson to stay at Rancho Vistoso, the Worldmark Resort just north of Tucson. So far, each leg of our drive has been about 8 hours and very manageable. Especially for Kay, since Steve did most of the driving and we listened to a book on CD.
It was so nice in Tucson, we stayed an extra day just to relax, read and soak up the sun and to watch the World Series. Yea SLT Cardinals! I think someone might have lost her bet! In Tucson we went to the Mexican Consulatado to obtain our Visas but although we picked up the forms we were told that we had to pay and get them stamped at the border. We took our time on Saturday did laundry and had the brakes on the car checked out before we headed south. We stopped in the historic town of Tubac for a picnic lunch and a little exploration. It is a huge artist community since the 1920’s, but was first established in about 1751 by the Spanish. We intend to return and explore the town more thoroughly in the spring.
It was a breeze going through the border and immigration, taking only about 20 minutes, passing through at about 14:30. Steve estimated that it would take us about 4 hours to get to San Carlos and he was right on. The sun set around 18:00 and boy was it dark. I kept remembering the cautions we received last year about traveling on Mexican roads, “where the cows are white in the daytime and black at night”. No, we did not see any cows or owls on the road. Highway 15 is two-lane all the way with fast moving traffic traveling at about 110 kl/hr. (We are now in a metric country, Steve reminds me).
South of Nogales, we passed the stand with the big copper pots on display where we bought the big pot for Karen and Dan last April, and promised ourselves that we would stop again on our way north to get a pot for Richard.
Arriving in the dark in San Carlos, it took us a little while to find the little hotel, La Posada del Desierto where I called and reserved a room for two nights. I read about the little, very economical hotel in the Lonely Planet’s Mexico book and called while on the road. Hey! Our phones work in Mexico this year. We couldn’t be happier, except it cost $1.49 per minute for all calls, including voice mail. Oh well. Email is still the best and preferred method to communicate with us. Each of the 7 rooms has a little kitchenette, air conditioning, a TV (though we haven’t turned it on) with showers and overlooks Marina San Carlos. It’s neat and clean, painted brick red with turquoise trim (even inside) and lush vegetation gracing the patio. The only downside is that it is wide open to the bar music and noise of the Marina.
We walked down for coffee and breakfast at Baracuda Bob’s and hooked up for free wifi. We are rich! For as the Tarahumara Indians say, we have everything we need. Hasta luego.- Kay
It was so nice in Tucson, we stayed an extra day just to relax, read and soak up the sun and to watch the World Series. Yea SLT Cardinals! I think someone might have lost her bet! In Tucson we went to the Mexican Consulatado to obtain our Visas but although we picked up the forms we were told that we had to pay and get them stamped at the border. We took our time on Saturday did laundry and had the brakes on the car checked out before we headed south. We stopped in the historic town of Tubac for a picnic lunch and a little exploration. It is a huge artist community since the 1920’s, but was first established in about 1751 by the Spanish. We intend to return and explore the town more thoroughly in the spring.
It was a breeze going through the border and immigration, taking only about 20 minutes, passing through at about 14:30. Steve estimated that it would take us about 4 hours to get to San Carlos and he was right on. The sun set around 18:00 and boy was it dark. I kept remembering the cautions we received last year about traveling on Mexican roads, “where the cows are white in the daytime and black at night”. No, we did not see any cows or owls on the road. Highway 15 is two-lane all the way with fast moving traffic traveling at about 110 kl/hr. (We are now in a metric country, Steve reminds me).
South of Nogales, we passed the stand with the big copper pots on display where we bought the big pot for Karen and Dan last April, and promised ourselves that we would stop again on our way north to get a pot for Richard.
Arriving in the dark in San Carlos, it took us a little while to find the little hotel, La Posada del Desierto where I called and reserved a room for two nights. I read about the little, very economical hotel in the Lonely Planet’s Mexico book and called while on the road. Hey! Our phones work in Mexico this year. We couldn’t be happier, except it cost $1.49 per minute for all calls, including voice mail. Oh well. Email is still the best and preferred method to communicate with us. Each of the 7 rooms has a little kitchenette, air conditioning, a TV (though we haven’t turned it on) with showers and overlooks Marina San Carlos. It’s neat and clean, painted brick red with turquoise trim (even inside) and lush vegetation gracing the patio. The only downside is that it is wide open to the bar music and noise of the Marina.
We walked down for coffee and breakfast at Baracuda Bob’s and hooked up for free wifi. We are rich! For as the Tarahumara Indians say, we have everything we need. Hasta luego.- Kay
