I chose to end my El Chepe rail journey in El Fuerte, another of Mexico’s “Pueblo Magico” towns, rather than continue on to the big city of Los Mochis. It was the day before Christmas Eve, and I didn’t want to risk “No room at the Inn” on Christmas. Continue reading
The 400-mile “El Chepe” rail journey makes six stops at small towns or villages along the way where one can exit the train for an overnight stay to explore the canyon. The first of these stops is Creel, one of Mexico’s “Puebla Magicos,” or Magic Towns, a category designated by the Secretariat of Tourism for their natural beauty, cultural or historical significance. Creel is also the main backpacker destination, offering hiking and camping excursions deep into the canyon. Continue reading
Mexico’s Copper Canyon, or “Barrancas del Cobre,” may lack the glorious palate of beautiful colors painted across the Grand Canyon, but it more than makes up for it in size. It is four times bigger than the Grand Canyon and the deepest in North America. Continue reading
As I planned my annual trek down to Mexico for New Years Eve, I decided to take a different route this year. Since Christmas falls in the middle of the week, I begged off from the traditional family Gluttonfest and Gift Card Extravaganza in order to stretch my vacation into two weeks. I am meeting my brother Don in Oaxaca for our annual Mexico New Year’s celebration, so this would give me just enough time for a side trip to parts of Mexico not yet explored on the Bucket List. Continue reading
I got an early Christmas present from my brother Don, who was born with all the “Einstein Smarts” in the family. He is solely responsible for all the hook-ups in my RV which enable me to roam about the USA (and Mexico!) as if I were sitting in a traditional home office. He has hooked me up with everything from Yagi antennas to VOIP portable phones, all enabling me to do my job in the far reaches of Verizon-dom. Continue reading
I have been parked in the driveway of my parents’ home in Central Texas. Having grown up here, I know the old joke about “Don’t like the weather? Just wait 15 minutes!” had to be coined about Texas, as it is common for the temperature to drop from the 80’s to the 40’s in an hour. The weather was pleasant when I arrived, but the forecast predicted the always dreaded “wintery mix” on the way. Continue reading
I am woefully behind on the blog. I am just now getting around to posting about Thanksgiving Day, when it is less than a week before Christmas. But if I skip past Thanksgiving, then next year, I won’t be able to remember where I was this year. Continue reading
I went through a few real cold spells while traveling through Pennsylvania and Virginia….those cold, damp nights that make you chilled to the bone. I even experienced some snow with temperatures down to 28 degrees, (a number which I would scoff at later.) What kept me going through those achy cold spells was the promise of a weekend stop in Hot Springs, Arkansas for a long hot soak on my way back to Texas. Continue reading