Into Mexico

November 22, 2008

San Carlos El Mirador RV, Mexico. Something hit us as we came in down the hill....what hit us was the thought that this is the same place we stayed with the caravan coming home from the Copper Canyon in March 2007. We recognized it right away and remember it was a wonderful place on a small bay in Guaymas, Sonora Mexico. Check it out at http://www.elmiradorrv.com/

But, wait a minute, let's go back to yesterday still in Tucson....our bus registration came to the office early in the morning the day after Jack and Lee Ann Walstrom put it in the overnite express mail. Thank you both, Jack and Lee Ann, for "beyond the call of duty help" and for making our entry into Mexico all okay today. The Lewis' and Webers decided yesterday that we would stay another day so we could leave really early at 6am , so we stayed another day to explore Tucson. Andy and I chose to go to the Tucson Desert museum, one of the best desert museums in the world. The other two couples went to the Biosphere 2, the other site we had so enjoyed.

The museum was as much Zoo as museum with wonderful desert enviroments for the animals of the desert, including birds and fish and marine life in the rivers. The enviroments for the large animals, like mountain lions, mountain sheep, and wolves were huge red rocks with caves, waterfalls, and shrubs. There were aquariums with all kinds of water animals, snakes, reptiles, and a wonderful aviary of birds that were very tame to walk up close to. The docents showed us many new views of plants and animals. Andy's favorite cactus was the Agave and mine, the Ocotillo, and I wonder if it would grow somewhere at Central park....not very desert like though.

It may be said that the restaurant for lunch at the desert museum was also one of the best in the world and we were served a Prickly Pear Marquerita, Prickly Pear iced tea, and a main course of Ocotillo Pollo Tower, with slices of grilled chicken breast, grilled zuchini, grilled eggplant, grilled Mozarella cheese stacked on a pat of green chile polenta with Prickly Pear marinara sauce over it. The salad had a cactus dressing and dried cherries tossed with the greens. We had started the meal with a Cilantro Pesto spread on bits of french bread....out of this world good!

There was so much to see and do at the desert Museum that we had to break ourselves away at 5pm because they closed. We had been there since 11am and not seen any of the outback.

We had ribs (more food) in our own Montgomery's restaurant in the evening with Lewis' and Webers....We really are enjoying the company of these people. The next day they surrounded us with protection, one driving in front and one in back of us, to lead us through the steps of entering the country of Mexico.

We left shortly after 6 am this morning, driving towards Nogales crossing. The drive was nice and we are glad that it was not so windy as it had been the day before. I did enjoy following my "Mexico On the road travel log" that I downloaded with its stop light, PEMEX, and tope (speed bump) detail. We followed our leaders through the desert and into Mexico with no incidents. However, when getting our travel papers at the Mexican Immigration, we were detained about 2 hours, and shortly after that, Bob and Shirley got a rock missle thrown into their windshield that almost went through. They can see to drive, looking under the place it hit and, at least, the window did not fall out, but it will need to be replaced when they go home.

Sightseeing through our picture window windshields in our comfortable turtle shell houses rolling down the toll road to the coast of Mexico's Sea of Cortes, there were no more incidents other than drivers that came too close for comfort or had trailers a bit out of control. It was a beautiful day and in the 80 degree range all day. This evening we sat outside quite awhile with cool beer after our warm drive until we got up enough energy to go out to dinner at one of their favorite hangouts, Blackies. Whatever you have to eat at Blackies ends with a piece of chocolate cake and a fluffy delicious Brandy Alexander. Tomorrow, we plan to stay here one day and play on our toys tomorrow, the kyaks and four wheelers, etc. It is a really tough life.