Goin' Home again....

It has been cold in Mexico. A second small but very wet front moved through the Lake area before we left, leaving a trail of crisp clear air in behind it. Not that it would be considered "crisp" in more ordinary northern climes, but here it is unpleasant. A last minute decision and we tucked in the two very heavy wool blankets we had bought locally and usually left behind us. A very fortuitous decision as it turned out.

I, the main passenger, get to man the camera on the route. I usually get every power pole, every mark on the windshield, and miss the subject matter. But I did manage to capture a reasonable view of the town of Tequila as we whizzed past in the early hours. Tequila is where you make tequila of course. In Mexico, the making of tequila and the growing of agave is a matter of state regulation. Not just anybody is allowed to do it. And the town of Tequila is the centre of the whole industry. Definitely worth a day trip, which we haven't done so far. Ho hum. Always next year?? 

The Town of Tequila in the distance

The 6-7 hour trip to Mazatlan is all down hill. An easy drive. And as we get lower in elevation, moving off the 5,000 foot level of the central plateau, we can see the effects of all the recent rain with lush stands of corn 4 feet tall and growing, sugar cane and the earliest of spring flowering trees and shrubs.

Unfortunately, when we get to Mazatlan, our expectations of a short period of tropical beach life are somewhat cut short. The afternoon was cooler than expected but nice. 

Our Hotel "Los Arcos"

 People were lying around soaking up the rays and the beach, although fairly quiet, looked alluring. It gave us a beautiful Mazatlan sunset.

And then, it turned nasty cold. Mazatlan is not supposed to turn cold. Hence, there are no blankets on the bed and the mini-splits on the wall do not heat, they just cool. So we brought in the wool blankets from the van, and between them and Molly the foot warmer, and a pair of warm socks, we stayed toasty warm.

Off the next morning early as it was longest day, crossing the endless Sinaloa coastal plain up the toll highway to our next stop at San Carlos. This stretch is very agricultural, fields and fields of corn and vegetables and sacks of new potatoes stacked along the roadway, awaiting pick up. After a full day's drive we made it to the turn off to San Carlos and Guaymas. This is the last spot of the beach, before the highway turns inland and climbs back up to 3,000 off feet in elevation as it crosses into Nogales Arizona, just an hour or so south of Tucson.

We like to stop here, and we had a little project to do before settling in to our hotel room in San Carlos. We  had heard about an interesting spot in Guaymas on the Bay, an old traditional hacienda type hotel built in the 1930s by some very rich investor. It was at the end of the road, and very private, and was described as an aging beauty. We had to see what it looked like
.

Hotel Playa del Cortez

It was more than we expected. A beautiful spot, lovely privacy, and all the atmosphere one could expect. In addition, in behind the hotel they had a nearly deserted, tucked away RV parking area with shade trees, full hook ups, convenient location to the hotel swimming pool and so on. A little gem tucked away, at the end of an upscale Guaymas neighbourhood.

Residential Neighborhood in Guaymas

Mount Tetakawi over San Carlos.

San Carlos is the tourist area, a purpose-built location in a dramatic area, around the corner and about 15 minutes drive from Guaymas. Guaymas is a Mexican port town with a very clean and well-to-do air about it. It sits surrounded by the same craggy mountains as the iconic Mount Tetakawi that looms over San Carlos, which provide both a dramatic back drop and a sense of cosy enclosure.  Maybe you can tell that I REALLY like Guaymas. I keep nagging Rick that this place is just perfect for me and 1000 miles closet to home than Lake Chapala. And only 264 miles fro Nogales, Arizona. A real convenience!  Of the two places, I prefer Mexican Guaymas to American San Carlos. But then, I am kinda weird that way...