Trip to Mexico
Trip to the Valley
Peggy and I departed Bridgeport on the
morning of 25 February 2000. We got on to Hwy 281(Hwy 281
goes all the way to McAllen) in Mineral Wells and drove to George
West, Texas and spent the night in a Best Western Motel. On
Saturday morning we drove on to San Juan, Texas and checked into
a Days Inn Motel. That evening we met Dorothy Hale and her friend
Robert in Progresso, Mexico for dinner and visitation.
First Day-- 27 Feb 00
We met our Sanborn tour group at the Tropic
Star MH & RV Resort in Pharr, Texas. Our group was made
up of Winter Texans and friends plus Peggy and I. We were
the only native Texans in the group. There were folks from
Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Arkansas, Colorado, North
Carolina, and Florida. There were a total of 26 passengers on the
Halcon Bus, David the driver, Mike the Tour Conductor and 24
eager tourists. The bus was a 42-passenger vehicle with
very comfortable seats.
The bus departed Pharr clearing Mexican
customs in Reynosa. We cruised over to Monterrey, Mexico, capital
of the state of Nuevo Leon. After lunch we continued on to a
resort close to Saltillo, Mexico. The name of the resort is
Rincon Del Montero. The resort was built by a Mexican Wine Baron
and was very comfortable for a bunch of wild first day tourists.
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Second Day-- 28 Feb 00
This morning we motored over to
Durango. Checked into Hotel Plaza Vizcaya. Took a tour of
Durango seeing zocalo, state capital, and the cathedral. We also
visited a Western Movie Set on the outskirts of Durango. The
western town was used in several John Wayne movies.
Third Day-- 29 Feb 00
Got up early, picked up a box lunch
and drove to Mazatlan. The drive was through outstanding
mountain scenery which included 2843 curves. The road was
new and passed over the Sierra Madre mountain range. We stopped
in El Salto for refreshments and a visit to the water closet. At
lunchtime, we stopped at a pullout and consumed our box lunch. In
my opinion the box would have tasted better. However, the scenery
was outstanding. Upon arriving in Mazatlan we checked into the
Playa Mazatlan Hotel.
Fourth Day--1 Mar 00
We spent the day in Mazatlan. Toured
the zocalo, municipal palace, art center, and "Ice Box Hill"
which served as a lookout for pirate ships during the 16th
and 17th centuries. Mazatlan was a delightful ocean
city. The beaches were nice and the fishing is supposed to be
some of the best in the world. I would like to return someday to
go fishing. Attended a Mexican Fiesta in the evening. The fiesta
included dinner and all the drinks you could consume. The
margaritas weren't very good but a lot of them went down the
hatch. It was a fun evening.
Fifth Day-- 2 Mar 00
Drove from Mazatlan to Las Mochis.
On the way we drove through the agricultural area of Culiacan,
capital of the state of Sinaloa. We checked into the Las Colinas
Hotel. The hotel was old and sort of dirty. It was by far the
worst place we stayed while on the trip. Of course this is the
writers opinion.
Sixth Day-- 3 Mar 00
This morning we boarded the train
"Chihuahua al Pacifico" at 6 AM. The train
departed Los Mochis 45 minutes late due to the engineer being
late. This was the beginning of the Copper Canyon excursion.
The ride brought breathtaking views along the way. Down below,
rivers churn through deep green gorges, white waterfalls and
vivid blossoms. The land falls away as the train rolls across
high bridges and casts a shadow on the waters below. We traveled
through 86 tunnels and over 4 miles of bridges. The longest
tunnel was 5966 feet long. The highest bridge on the line was 340
feet above the river.
The railroad was built to provide a shorter
route to the Far East. The railroad was to run from Kansas
City, Kansas to Topolobampo, Mexico and would cut off 500 miles
and provide a year round port. The railroad was started in
1870 and completed in 1961. The track was laid with a maximum
grade of 2.5%.
We departed the train in Divisadero, Mexico
and checked into the Cabanas Divisadero Hotel located on the rim
of the Copper Canyon.
Seventh Day-- 4 Mar 00
We toured around the hotel area until
noon. We boarded the bus and drove to Chihuahua. On the way
we drove through rich farmland and orchards of a Mennonite colony.
We spent the night at the Hotel San Francisco.
Eight Day-- 5 Mar 00
Sightseeing in Chihuahua included the
Pancho Villa House, the main Plaza, cathedral, city hall, the
aqueduct built by the Spanish in 1754 and the colonial districts.
After the tour we drove to Torreon and spent the night at Hotel
Parafso.
Ninth Day-- 6 Mar 00
Got up early and toured Torreon.
Drove to Saltillo and toured the town. Visited a shop that makes
scrapes. Drove to Monterrey and stopped for lunch. Drove
on to Reynosa, went through customs and on to McAllen, arriving
about 6 PM.
Peggy and I hope you enjoyed our trip report.
We certainly had a good time. My only regret is I didn't get to
go fishing while in Mazatlan.
