INTRODUCTION
This was our seventh trip driving our motorhome into Mexico, but it was, by far, our longest and the first one to the eastern side and southern half. When we came back, we felt that we had seen so much that was new and different, had taken so many pictures, that we were inspired to a lot of writing and to create a sizable webpage. We've tried to organize it so a person could easily find any items that interest them, without having to plow through it all.
We'll try to deal here with answers to some questions folks raise.
WHY?
Some say to us: there is plenty to see in the US (or in Canada), why go to Mexico? Most of our travels are in the US, but we also like variety and the somewhat exotic. Some indulge their wanderlust with trips to Europe, Asia or other places but we like to be able to travel in the comfort and familiarity of our own motorhome.
People may be drawn to Mexico for a variety of reasons. Some like to scuba or snorkel in the reefs; we didn't, so that is not covered here. We are fascinated by ruins and artifacts of ancient civilizations; we have spent a lot of time communing with the Anasazis and others in the American Southwest, so it was time for us to experience Mexico's and there is a lot of amateur archaeology in our website. Cosmopolitan city attractions can be very attractive, and we saw some in Mexico but we are generally more interested in beaches (the portion of Mexico's west coast that we traveled is actually a bit longer than the entire American west coast). And we are fascinated by birds and wildlife and hoped to see many that are new to us.
WHO WITH?
Some RV travelers participate in large, professionally led caravans. We imagine these to be unduly organized and perhaps insulated from folks outside their group, as well as a large and unnecessary expense. Going completely alone can generate some anxiety about vehicle problems; we prefer to travel with one or two other couples each in their own rig. We were fortunate in sharing this trip with some very compatible friends: Jeanne Nordgaard and Larry Zeimet (from St. Paul, MN) had accompanied us on several previous trips, and Tory and Al Bohn (from Alberta, Canada) joined us on the first half of the trip until they were called home by business concerns.
Our website is a collaborative production. If a story is headed "by Anne Kiehl & Dave Krieg" Anne did the first draft. Dave designed the Picture Albums and general organization. But both of us joined in rewriting and editing each portion. We use a "Homestead" program which allows us to prepare material off-line, then "publish" it when we have a chance to go "on-line."
Dave took most of the pictures on our Olympus C-2100 digital camera. Unfortunately, (see "Mishaps" chapter) we lost those we took on the first half of the trip but, fortunately, were able to use some pictures taken by Jeanne.
SOME REFERENCE MATERIAL FOR THOSE THINKING OF SUCH A TRIP:
Travelers Guide to Mexican Camping, by Mike & Terri Church. This excellent book can be found in many bookstores, or online. Their website is www.rollinghomes.com and it is worth consulting for updated info since facilities change a lot.
Archeological Mexico, by Andrew Coe. We found this an outstanding and quite readable guide to our explorations.
Moon's Mexico Handbook, by Cummings & Mallan. This or a Lonely Planet guide-book can be useful as a general guide.
Guia Roji Road Atlas. Good maps are essential, and the ones you might find in the US (even from AAA) are simply too small and limited. Guia Roji publish three or four editions of atlases, updated each year. They are in Spanish but are nevertheless readily usable by the linguistically challenged. Available in many Mexican bookstores or newsstands and in some large Pemex gas stations. Look them over before you buy; different editions have slightly different features; some have "strip maps" of major routes and others have (nearly useless) city maps. For city maps, we rely on those in the Moon or Lonely Planet guide-books.
A mapping program for your computer. We found our MS Streets and Trips program very useful for large-scale planning and distance calculation. Be aware, however, that even though it has block-to-block details of American towns, it does not have any such detail for Mexico, and does not give info on Mexican accommodations. Other mapping programs exist but we have no experience or info about their utility.
We also used a compact Spanish-English dictionary and a guide to Mexican Birds.
That's it. We hope you will enjoy bits of a Mexico trip, even if only vicariously.
