Where are we going?

Ken has been in Mexico before but I have not. So, when this trip was proposed, he suggested I choose the destinations. He did want to stop in Querétaro, however, so that gave one data point for me. At first my imagination wandered all over, but when I actually asked Google Maps for directions from Tempe to Querétaro, I realized Mexico is much bigger than I thought. It is 1300+ miles and would take us at least three days of hard driving just to get there! And we were allowing only a bit over two weeks. Much of the time would therefore be spent traveling. Ah well, the whole point was to practice our Spanish. It didn’t really matter too much what we saw.

Luckily, there is a whole lot to see in the vicinity of Mexico City (Querétaro is a bit north of Mexico City). Ken didn’t want to venture into the city itself – said it was a nightmare to drive in – but I figured we could just circle around it (as much as the roads allow) and head back home via the coast. With a bit of searching, I was easily able to come up with three other destinations that interested me greatly: the ruins at Teotihuacan and Cacaxtla and the Monarch butterfly wintering grounds. I figured that was enough to keep us busy but not exhausted. A hand waving 2 days per stop comes to 8 days for the “destination” portion of the trip. With another 5-6 days along the coast on the way back home, the trip would end up being 16+ days. Close enough to the original two week time frame. Details to be worked out as we go. (It’s Ken’s job to do the actual logistics, so I’m not getting into that.)

That’s where we stood for much of the fall. Then Ken suggested adding a week of Intensive Spanish at the Universidad Internacional in Cuernavaca – a city on our route between Puebla (our probable night base for Cacaxtla) and Angangueo (butterflies). I was agreeable and so now we are at three weeks. It doesn’t really matter, I just get to evade more snow in Michigan.

Here’s a map for the trip planned so far. The stops down and back are pretty likely, but I only put the scenic sights around Mexico City. I don’t know where we plan on spending the nights as we circle around.

As I said, this is just the current plan. The up-to-the-minute plan and actual route is at Mexico 2012. (The link is also given in the Links tab.)

Why Mexico Now?

I have a friend, Ken, whom I met on my first job out of college in 1974 (GE Aircraft Engine Group, Cincinnati). In the seven years we overlapped there, he instigated a number of jaunts my husband and I probably definitely wouldn’t have thought of: backpacking in the Red River Gorge in KY and rubber rafting on the New River in WV and on the Youghiogheny River in PA. Plus several canoe floats down the Little Miami river – generally featuring beer. I was sorry when he moved away.

Here’s Ken trying to light the fire at our campsite in the Red River Gorge (1976). Not quite the boy scout way.

We had occasional contact through the years and our various life stages. He ended up living in Tempe AZ and I in Arlington MA. Finally, in 2004 I hit the road – becoming a full time RVer with the intent of seeing more of the US and finding warmer winters. I found those winters in the Southwest so it was natural to reconnect and visit every winter. Then I settled back down again – in Michigan. With my sister living with me part time as she commutes a long way to work.

Early this year Ken called and asked “How would you like to go on a road trip to Tierra del Fuego?” My response was “Are you out of your mind?!! NO WAY!!” After several weeks of thinking about Mayan and Incan ruins, zip lining in tropical canopies, Galapagos Islands, winter warmth, when would I ever get there else, etc., (and my sister muttering about “trip of a lifetime” and “I’m here to take care of the house” and “Wow”), I caved. So we’re going from Tempe to Tierra del Fuego and points in between during the winter of 2012/13.

The original plan called for us just diving right in, but we came (a little bit) to our senses and added a trip to Mexico this winter to:

1. test the vehicle we plan on using (his concern),
2. check our long distance travel compatibility (my concern), and
3. work on our Spanish (both our concerns)

Towards the latter, we’ve signed up for a week of Intensive Spanish at the Universidad Internacional in Cuernavaca. I am very glad he suggested the trip.
And that’s why I’m going to Mexico now.

Ken and Mary Lou in Sedona AZ February 2006