More later
NOGALES, ARIZONA
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2004
Promptly at 7AM, we and our caravan buddies (18 rigs in all) "rallied around" the wagon master for our Mexico briefing. With a united b-a-a-a-r-r-u-u-u-m "on cue" from our wagon master's CB, we were "outa' there". (A senior's version of an Indy or Nascar competition featuring 30-40 foot motor homes, freightliner designed cabs or "souped up" pickups pulling 5th wheels.)
Our Wagon Masters are Cliff and Ruth Ann Fremstad. Our Tale Gunners are Bill and Carol Plaut. Cliff is retired military and after retirement, he and Ruth Ann purchased "The Constellation" a 100 foot staysail schooner, that they operated for charter out of Key West Florida. Bill is retired from the Washington DC Dept. of Corrections, and a licensed Captain who, for many years, chartered his own fishing vessel. Carol, is a retired school teacher and former Mary Kay consultant. The two couples are super organized, excellent hosts and hard working. We feel privileged to have had them as our hosts on this our "maiden" caravan.
As indicated above, this was our first "outing" caravan fashion. As most of you know, Ken likes to be "captain" of his own ship. His parents never taught him how to "follow the leader". In this instance, it was the only way he could get me to agree to his Mexican "foley". After reading about and hearing of many instances of what seemed to me an "abuse" of American citizens unfortunate enough to become involved in an accident while traveling in Mexico, I invoked my own personal embargo. In a "black is black and white is white" demeanor, my atittude is "when Mexico cleans up their act and provide Americans with the same respect that we provide their citizens in our country, maybe I'll go to Mexico!" Of course, the Mexican government are most assuredly distressed about my independent embargo. Nevertheless, one has to draw a line in the sand someplace. This is mine of one! Ken, seeking a compromise between his "yearning" to travel to Mexico and my principles, suggested the caravan and convinced me that there is "safety in numbers". In my "sweet and loving" wifely way, I agreed. (He owes me one!)
Our Saturday excursion to the border to complete our paperwork in advance of our crossing the next morning proved to be a wise decision by our Wagon Master. Our caravan was waved through the border crossing with a happy and welcome smile from Mexico's "border cops" and we were on our way. With the exception of the inconvenient "topeas" (Mexican road bumps) our entry was without incident .
As part of their assistance in preparing us for the trip, the wagon master"s staff arranged for representatives from a Mexican bank to come to the hotel and exchange our American money into Mexican pesos the day before. Thus, we were "moneyed" and ready for our first "toll repository".
As we "tope-ed" up to the toll booth, Cliff announced via CB the amount of his charge, which prepared the rest of us for what we might expect to pay. The amount varied by motor home size, "towed" or not, pick ups with 5thwheels and for the Freightliner cabs, number of axles. There were a total of three collection booths en route to our first stop, San Carlos, which amounted to a total of 300+ pesos or approximately $30.+ dollars. Our exchange rate was in the neighborhood of 10.75 pesos to the dollar.
The road was four lane all the way, with the exception of a few places where road work was in progress. In those places, two way traffic shared the opposite side of the road. There were some "rough" spots in the road but all in all to Mexico's credit, the toll roads are not much worse than California 's, which of course, is no great recommendation as those of you who have traveled California's roads recently can attest.
We stopped for our first "animal" break shortly after 8 AM. This also provided the "humans" with a welcome "potty break" as a result of the excess coffee required to get us "motivated" at 6 AM. We had a second morning rest stop, lunch at noon and an afternoon rest stop before arriving at our first stop, San Carlos.
From our coach, the trip went smoothly with only two incidents of "dispute" by way of a blaring horn s from our native hosts. One, a bus driver who apparently thought Ken was intruding on his "line" in the road and another from a "mere" car who did not choose to permit Kens merge into his lane. When I asked what happened to create these exhibitions of "outrage", Ken assured me of his innocence and suggested that the other drivers were greedy.
The Mexican countryside from Nogales into Guaymas and San Carlos is more beautiful than that of the Baja where we have previously traveled. The homes and ranches seemed well kept, moderately affluent and in some cases "downright" bountiful. An occasional callabero (sp -Mexican cowboy) on horseback was noted as well as one on a mule with hay strapped alongside. A photo opp missed!
We traveled through Guaymas and into San Carlos, arriving at the El Mirador RV Resort around or just before 4 PM. The El Mirador Resort is definitely a "Gwelda Park" (a designation reserved for parks meeting the high standards of our friend, Gwelda, who only travels first class) in its amenities and its beauty. Each space overlooks the marina and bay with a gorgeous view of the Sea of Cortez. It has a first class restaurant, club house, pool, Jacuzzi and all of the amenities are first rate. Gwelda, this one is for you!
At the welcome dinner hosted by the Wagon Master and staff, we learned that the El Mirador was built by a Mexican who immigrated to the U.S. and achieved the American dream. He returned to Mexico and applied his riches and talents as a contractor to build this beautiful RV resort to the American standards with which he was familiar. It is truly a beautiful resort. Unfortunately, he and his wife were killed in a plane accident flying into San Carlos in December. 2003. The resort is now run by his nephew, an American, who seems to be adhering to the same high standards sat by his Uncle. This resort is definitely not a sample of the Mexican lifestyle but for those who prefer it, the "real Mexico" is just a short drive away.
Our first day concluded with dinner at the restaurant on site. It was first rate with a choice of shrimp, steak or fish. The shrimp was said to be heavily spiced with garlic, but very good, the steak "chewy", but tasty and our fish was excellent. My initial reaction to our first day in Mexico by RV was positive. There was little to dislike and much to enjoy with beauty and convenience the rule and only a few ruts and topas in the road sto remind us of home. During the night, we were visited with the bathroom habits of the angels (a good rain) but by mid morning all clouds had cleared and the day basked in sunlight and clear air. Now to the real test, exploring the locale.
SAN CARLOS
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2004
Ken was up and out at 740AM en route to the boat for a ½ day fishing excursion. I slept in, enjoyed a leisurely morning updating THE GAZETTE and relaxed. Ken returned from his outing, sans fish, at 1230 PM. A disappointment but alas, he enjoyed his outing.
In the afternoon we joined Ruth Ann and Carole, for an excursion into town and a view from Bahia Esmeralde and a tour of a Mexican version of Walmart. A visit to a pearl factory had been on the schedule but it was "Mardi Gras" and the factory was closed. After our visit to the "Mall", Ken and I advised Carole that we were going directly to the marina and that we would meet the group there for the sunset cruise. With a few minutes of time on our own, I talked Ken into a "spur of the minute" drive to downtown Guaymas, for a first hand look at the city and its inhabitants. Once on the main street, we discovered that the townspeople were preparing for the Mardi Gras parade. Afraid that we would become hopelessly mired in the reveling about to get under way, we decided it was in our own best interests to conclude our sightseeing and drove toward the marina.
As we drove to the marina, I saw Carol and other members of our group stopped, and fearing a problem, I ordered Ken to stop. We waited as Carol and one of our group approached the car and when they were alongside, I asked innocently if they had a problem. Indeed, they did and it was us. As we are prone to do, we had not made our intentions clear. When they became aware that we were not following them, they stopped and while Carol stayed with Dale and Tammi, Ruth Ann went back to find us. We were very embarrassed. It was not our intention to be inconsiderate. It had not occurred to us that they would be concerned. We tend to be adventurous and independent which in this instance became thoughtless inconsideration. We apologized profusely and our hosts were wonderful in their acceptance of our apology but nevertheless, we learned a good lesson. Of course, our children long ago adapted to our acts of disobedience.
Once back into the fold, we drove to the marina where we "window shopped" and puttered until our group arrived in readiness for the sunset cruise. The sunset cruise overflowed with food, drink and fun. Bill and Carol (our tale gunners) were aboard our boat and Carol's entertained us with her rendition of the macrarine as everyone enjoyed the margueritas, snacks and entertainment provided by Carol and the crew.
We motored out for a view of the town from the bay and admired the beautiful homes overlooking the Sea of Cortez and the "yachts" anchored in the harbor while we waited for the "setting of the sun". The cruise was well worth the minimal investment with the boat captain and "ships host" making it a most pleasant and memorable evening although a pesky cloud interfered with a preferred "perfect sunset".
After our sunset cruise, we gathered at a nearby restaurant where we enjoyed a lovely dinner with a choice of entrees including Mexican combination, fish, fettuccine or chicken. Another delightful evening arranged by our erstwhile staff. With a good night to all, Ken and I retired to our home on wheels, in preparation for our early morning departure from San Carlos.
BAHIA DE KINO
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2004
We departed San Carlos 8 AM and made our way through sleepy streets onto the highway bound for the Western Horizons Resort at Kino Bay. We traveled a rural roadway through what appeared to be rather affluent grape vineyards, farms and ranches. We met and /or were passed by many trucks and locals going about their daily business, all seemingly friendly and welcoming to the American tourists who regularly invade their daily lives. These roads were not as well traveled or maintained as those from Nogales to San Carlos and though not so many topeas, there were lots of "rough" spots. These roads could definitely use some TLC and they are definitely worse than California roads. However, the view and the landscape was worth it as children waved and an occasional smile could be seen as we passed by.
We had been warned that the last 14 miles of our trip would be on a dirt road, renown for its "washboards" and dust. This warning was not "ill advised". As we entered the turn off into the road to the Western Horizons resort, we were advised to detach our "toweds" for the drive into the park. I drove our "towed" while Ken followed the other motor homes. The vehicles pulling 5th wheels brought up the rear. Ken and I communicated via two way radios as we crept along at a speed of slightly less than 10 mph. Our trip from San Carlos to Bahia de Kino took 3 and ½ hours and the drive from Bahia de Kino into the Western Horizons RV Resort took another 1 ½ hours. Ken felt that the road was not as bad as he had expected and he did not seem put off by the drive in. However, if one has not driven over rough and bumpy desert roads, these roads could definitely be a "put off". As the driver in the "towed", I was very bored "creeping" along and several times I "radioed" Ken to just wake me up when I needed to make a steering adjustment. He did not think that would be a good idea so I managed to barely stay awake for the "trek" in.
Our site overlooked the Sea of Cortez and, according to Ken, the Island of Tiburon which lies between Kino Bay and the Baja. It is a beautiful location, though rustic with a desert atmosphere and minimal amenities. There are no stores, restaurants, bars or fast food establishments. There is a swimming pool, jacuzzi, laundry and minimal "emergency fare" as in milk, bottled water, beer, sodas, etc should one be caught without the proverbial "staples".
The wagon masters and tale gunners topped off the day with a "welcome margarita party" after which we had hamburgers cooked by Ken on our grill, played scrabble and watched "ABOUT SCHMIDT ". Satellite reception at Kino Bay is marginal at best and our satellite receiver did not meet the margin. Thus, we are without "live" television via satellite. Life is tough! Our parents warned us about days (or nights) like this.
WESTERN HORIZONS KINO BAY
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 25, 2004
This morning the wagon masters and tale gunners hosted a pancake breakfast for our group. I don't know if all tours are treated as good but certainly, Cliff and Ruth Ann and Bill and Carol have worked hard to assure us of a wonderful adventure into Mexico. They have kept us busy, watched over our safety and been absolutely wonderful hosts.
After breakfast Ken went with some of his "fellow fishermen" on the back end of a 4 wheel drive pickup to a fishing place four miles up the beach. He is also anxious to try his luck "clamming" and so far seems to think he has arrived in paradise. I enjoyed the morning "catching up" via this medium as well as just relaxing without my personal 'tour guide" having me out on the beach or bobbing around on wash board roads.
Ken returned from his fishing expedition with two small fish which he cleaned and fileted for a fish taco or hordorve at an appropriate time. In the afternoon I took a nap while Ken played on the computer and napped. In the evening, we were treated to a BBQ, entertainment and a bond fire with "smores". Another lovely day on the Sea of Cortez.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2004
KINO BAY
After our usual breakfast of orange juice, cereal and coffee, I rode with Ken down to the beach where he was ready to try his skill at "clamming". We met some winter residents from Gunnison, Colorado who are spending their third year here at the park. They enjoy it and have been here since before Christmas. They shared their story about the Copper Canyon "piggy back" train trip which seems to be a highly favored adventure as a suggested RV trek. That trip varies in length from 16-38 days with five days spent on a flat car for the trip through the canyon. This sounds like a trip that Ken will want to include in his repertoire of RV travel but so far, he has a full schedule.
As the tide went out and Ken began to get more serious about "clamming", I decided to return to the coach to catch up on some chores. Ken returned with a few clams which he prepared for his lunch along with the fish filets from his fishing trip of the day before. The afternoon was spent relaxing, checking out the pool and in "quality time" with each other. Our wagon masters and tale gunners again hosted a margarita party with hordorves and an ample supply of steamed clams from the morning outing.
Ken was anxious to hear more about the experiences of Cliff and Ruth Ann, their sail boats and their stint in the charter business in Key West, Florida. We invited them over to share a grilled tri tip roast hot off the BBQ and they graciously accepted our invitation to "break bread" and share their many travel adventures with us. They brought with them a five minute "promotional" video of their boat which was a vision of beauty under sail. We spent a delightful evening hearing about their adventures bare boating in Florida, their sail to Spain where they sold the boat and their travels through Europe, to Australia and New Zealand and their many RV explorations. Cliff did two tours of duty in Viet Nam, and after retiring from the military, he and Ruth Ann spent three years in Alaska where Cliff worked for Continental Telephone. They have lived an interesting and varied life. We enjoyed their company and we hope that we will see them again as we travel the roads and by ways of "Fantasy". .
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2004
KINO BAY
Our last day here and we chose to "sleep in", have a leisurely breakfast, enjoy the view from our coach and relax. Those more ambitious joined in a nature walk and later, a group met to do some crafts with sea shells. I updated the GAZETTE while Ken worked on taxes (a real downer amid all this beauty). In the evening our stay in Mexico was topped off with a "potluck" to get rid of any fresh food items that we cannot take back across the border. We have two bottles of wine which we will "donate" as well as Ken cooked some spaghetti to go with the meat balls that I brought along in the event a "potluck" was convened.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2004
KINO BAY - NOGALES
Saturday, departure time was 7AM and, as usual, Ken was up and "raring to go". We went by caravan from Kino Bay to Nogales. There, we stopped briefly to bid goodbye to our "fellow travelers" and once again we were on our own. I drove the "towed" for the return trip over the 14 mile dirt road to the pavement where we connect the towed. By 830A, we were at our "real" embarkation point and ready for our drive home. There seemed a lot more activity in the little towns and villages along the way than when we arrived, undoubtedly because it was market day for many. It was a beautiful drive through the countryside that seems to lack only sufficient water to be as productive as our own agriculturally rich country. As we drove along the by ways of Mexico, we wondered to ourselves whether or not Mexico's high level of poverty may be because of their "laid back" work ethic. Though I think that our society hates to acknowledge it, personal productivity does determine our level of financial independence. Certainly, opportunity must exist as well. Brains are a plus but good old hard work can raise a persons perspective. We wondered aloud whether a poor country is the result of a poor work ethic by its citizenry. Is an individual's productivity gaged by "minimal" needs a factor in poverty? This was one of many scenarios over which we bickered as we traveled through the Mexican countryside from Nogales to Kino Bay and return. We saw many luxury homes at the beach but few lavish appearing haciendas in the countryside. How many of those luxury homes at the beach belonged to wealthy Mexicans and how many belonged to wealthy Americans or other foreigners was undetermined. At any rate, this part of Mexico showed well. I didn't see it as too much different in appearance to the small farms in Southern Indiana where I grew up. Perhaps a closer look would change my mind. However, I acknowledge that the view from the road does not present a clear picture of the "hard life" that may exist within.
Just outside of Hermosillo, we encountered a bad accident which required us to detour from our planned route. A local policeman graciously escorted us around the town, and did his best to provide our caravan with an easy route with minimum inconvenience. We were deeply appreciative of his effort and it reflected the other side of the Mexican hospitality that is often lost in the stories of incidents created by a few "bad guys" who take advantage of the American tourists.
In the meantime, one of our rigs was confronted with a flat tire and they had to drop out for repair. Our Handy "tale gunner", Bill, stayed to help them with a "quick fix" while the rest of us followed the wagon master now led by the policeman. Once we were through town, Ruth Ann, the wagon master's first mate, went back to direct the "ailing" rig and tale gunner, through the by pass that we had just followed. While we relaxed and had lunch, Ruth Ann along with the two rigs that had undergone "emergency care" caught up with us and by the time our lunch break was over, we were ready to move ahead caravan fashion with all rigs on board..
Our last stop was a quick "potty break" for the animals as we were now running about two hours later than originally expected. With the animals "pottied" we were ready to head for the border and the usual "customs" check. Ken elected to take the road through town which turned out to be a "not so smart" move but our clearance through customs was quick and easy, once we arrived at the gate. We stopped in Nogales briefly to say goodbye to everyone and headed for Sierra Vista where we expected to spend the night before coming into Saint David this morning.
Unfortunately, we missed our turn off for Highway 82 and made the mistake of pulling into a driveway where we thought we could make a turn around with little problem. This turned out to be a very big mistake because we did not see the drop off with a big rut. The coach hung up with the back end on the top of the rut and the wheels off the ground. Ken disconnected the "towed", dug out the dirt from around the back end of the coach and tried putting some boards under the tires all to no avail. He finally got the idea of using our jacks and putting wood under the wheels in the hope that would provide enough traction to move the coach. That didn't work but a man from a business nearby came over and offered his assistance. Ken again used our jacks to raise the coach and with the extra blocks provided by the very nice man, we were able to get out of our "little mess". Just as we finished and Ken had reconnected the "towed", the road service that we called arrived.
We gave the man who helped us a nice tip (which he wanted to refuse but we insisted) and the owner of the business came out and offered to let us stay for the night in his protected yard. He said he didn't want us trying to find a place to stay when there was plenty of room there and the place was safe and secure. We took him up on it and were glad to have had our little "mishap" handled in a favorable way and especially grateful for the concern and help of the business owner and his employee. I don't know if we are getting old and everyone feels they must take care of these "tottering old fools" or what, but we have been extremely lucky with the many helping hands that come our way. We are deeply appreciative of all those acts of kindness. We hope that somewhere in some way we are able to repay these kindnesses.
So, that was our final day of our Mexican trek.
Jay Gramlich, put our adventures to "rhyme" and graciously granted me permission to publish it on the web. Jay captured the essence of our week and the frivolities that we shared in rhyme and his wife, Billie, seemed very busy with her cameras. I'd love to see the final product of their combined genius of pictures and rhyme.
ON THE WAY TO KINO BAY
February 20th was the date
That we hit the Nogales Super 8
The group arrived from every direction
Mostly from the west, but far away as Michigan
The parkinglot was full of RV's and cars in tow
It soon become obvious that everyone was ready to go
(And the margueritas flowed freely)
Cliff and Ruth Ann led the pack
With Bill and Carol way in the back
The first days travel was long with several stops
The camp ground at San Carlos was the tops
The evening group dinner was peaches and cream
the moonlight cruise was really supreme
(And the margueritas flowed freely)
Boat number one had the most sway
that's why Claudia ended up with J. J.
Boat number two had Chewie and Carol
The maquerena by Carol was really a thrill
(And the margueritas flowed freely)
Then came Tuesday and San Carlos farewell
Then on to Kino Bay on the road from hell
Margueritas flowed freely and the bay was a delight
The camp ground was serenaded with music by fire light
Anniversaries of Kirby and Bobbie, Gary and Pat
Celebrated by cake that made everyone fat
(And the margueritas flowed freely)
The pearl factory was scrubbed and tghe clams hardly showed
But the day was beautiful and the margueritas flowed
Friday dinner ended with everybody's garbage
Saturday too son was the day to portage
On to Nogales and home again
Thanks to our leaders for the great spin
Quips and Comments by #7 (Jay Gramlich)
