The Journey

We’ve been dormant.

In 2016 we were off to Brazil for the Olympics. Then in 2018, it was down to Peru for both the Amazon and Incan wonders. We had a rhythm going and were mere weeks from a trip to the pampas of Argentina when the universe put us in our place.

Thank god we were already planning a proper sabbatical. Sarah’s been saving for years. I feel like I’ve been waiting my whole life for it. We miss adventure – what I call ‘proper’ travel, which I know will raise some concerns of who gets to make the definitions.

We actually have left the country since Peru: to Mexico – twice. The first trip was pretty darn proper. A full year before the world decided to fall apart, we drove a rental car down a deeply rutted road, deep into sweltering jungle to see some Indiana Jones-esque ruins because the more easily accessible ones don’t yet you clamber around on them. Then earlier this year, we spent a week at an all-inclusive resort. The trip was much needed. Everything was provided. It was an oasis after much stress. Both options are good, but only one scratched my need to learn more about the world I live in through experience.

It was freeing to have a vehicle and explore beyond the hotel zones, the same gringo clusters you find in almost every country. The more I’ve experienced of Mexico, the grander, more nuanced it becomes. It’s an enchanting place and we’ve decided to explore it, proper. All the better: this time we get to bring our little dog, Gidget!

The Route

Baja

After making way through the US with much haste (every day in the US is a day paying an extra 25% on purchases), we plan to cross at Mexicali into Baja California. The road trip down the Baja peninsula is well-known for being one of the best road trips, anywhere. Too well-know, it might be argued with RVs, off roaders, weekenders, spring breakers, snowbirds, and the mildly curious from the US and Canada having a huge presence up and down both coasts. Even our family made the trip, back when I was young. It was a classic family adventure on the road and remains one of my best memories from my youth.

Despite the popularity, it’s also a sparse, wild place. There are plenty of empty beaches for those who seek them, but it’s the spaces in between the places that really define Baja. Deserts, enormous cacti, and the narrow Highway 1 snaking through the vastness. It is the gateway to adventure.

Pacific

From La Paz on the Baja, we’ll take a 12 hour ferry across the Sea of Cortez to the city of Mazatlán, another place remembered from my youth. This classic ‘northern’ resort town, will ease us into the second phase of the trip, slightly more adventurous perhaps, but still mostly a well-trodden path between beautiful Pacific coastal destinations.

For this portion, we’ll rarely stray too far from the ocean and try to balance more popular destinations (think Puerto Vallarta) with less familiar ones (we have Christmas in Melaque already lined up). Sarah and I have been out this way before, which will give us confidence for what to expect.

The town of Sayulita is indicative of what we can expect along this stretch. Expats have clearly influence things. Prices are higher here than anywhere else in Mexico. There are yoga studios and health food stalls and vacationers like ourselves straying from the resort areas, in search of something more authentic. Because, despite the rising popularity, there are enough stretches of sand for everyone; enough picturesque towns waiting to be the next thing; plenty to uncover for those who remain curious. We’re excited to press on, south of Vallarta, and see what we can discover.

Central

Here’s where things are going to change completely for us.

Away from the coast, the journey take us to a side of Mexico unknown to us. We’re into the mountains and the Mexican heartland. It’s a break from beach life for a time, but not a step back. It will be nice to have a change in scenery and temperature, and get our first taste of what might be called a more ‘authentic’ Mexico. We’ll see.

Our trip playing out in a kind of drunken figure-eight, we end up passing through the heart of the country twice. The first time, we pass through Michoacán, skirt the expanse of the Capital, before descending to the Gulf coast. Then on the return journey, it’s right up the middle, taking more time in the colonial cities in the region known as the Bajío.

This is the time for mountains, history, and some unique outdoor excursions such as the monarch butterfly migration. We’ll also get a taste of one of the largest cities in the world. Due to the complications of driving in the capital, we’ll leave that metropolis for another journey. We can’t see everything, after all.

Gulf

After crossing the crest of central Mexico, we’ll find ourselves in a region few tourists venture to – the Gulf Coast. By now, if all has gone to plan, we’ll be well into January and looking to slow things down a bit. This region is intriguing to us, but not a big destination in its own right. Instead, we’ll pick some stops to break up the long stretch on our way even further east to the Yucatan Peninsula. I expect the region to be hot and steamy, our first real taste of the tropics on the trip. And I know places like Veracruz (an important Mexican city since forever) will imbue us with a culture and sense of place that will make it unlike any other.

Yucatan

At then end of the long crescent sweep of the Mexican Gulf Coast that started back at the US border is the door stopper of the Yucatan Peninsula. We’ve been here before. So has just about everyone else. Given its proximity to eastern US and Canada (they even switched to Eastern Time to make it more convenient for travellers) this is where the bulk of tourists to Mexico will arrive.

For many, their whole experience of the region will be the strip of coast from Cancun to Tulum. Resort after resort, towns like Playa del Carmen that feel like we’re in the US. To the north and south of the peninsula there are beaches free of the effects of mass tourism. We’re actually aiming to stay inland, in the beautiful white city of Mérida – a full month in a rental to unwind, relax, and feel like a bit of a local.

The South

By now, we’ve reached the end of February and the end of the road. A part of me wished to dip into Belize, but there are (I learned) new concerns about rabies that would vastly complicate the return to the US. So here we double back, but before heading north, dip into the far south of the country and the states of Chiapas and Oaxaca.

This region is defined by an interesting mix of lush jungle and rolling highlands. There’s a strong indigenous culture here as well as spirit of independence. Many of the sites here are natural ones. Chiapas is all about waterfalls, mountain lakes and deep chasms.

Moving on to Oaxaca, we plan to return to the Pacific coast (yay!) for a final dose of sand and beach vibes. The coastal towns down here are hot, funky, and although plenty popular, have avoided the touch of mass tourism.

Then it’s inland, over the mountains to the eponymous state capital for the beginning of a long stretch of interior cities, heading north.

North

Eventually, we’ll be required to start making our way home, but we won’t be hurried about it. Up through the middle of Mexico, skirting the megapolis a second time, spending a few days here and there in historic cities such as Guanajuato, Puebla, Zacatecas, and San Louis Potosí.

It won’t be all colonial centers and living museums, the Bajío (region north of Mexico city at the heart of historic silver industry) holds some intriguing natural wonders as well.

In Bernal, an impressive monolith rises above the picturesque town. Not too far away, the Grutas de Tolantongo provide a series of tumbling pools for visitors to splash in and on the lusher side of the mountains lies a strange, art installation/architectural fever-dream at Xilitla.

Finally, after colonial cities and fascinating natural sights, we’ll creep into the desert flatland that distinguishes most of the northern states of Mexico. From there, it’s a dash to the border with Texas and a relaxed couple of weeks, meandering our way home through the rocky mountain states [More on these plans when they become more than merely ideas].

This is the plan. It gets hazier the farther out you look, but I feel better knowing that we have it. According the above, we should be back in the USA in early April and home before the first of May. We’re ready. We’re excited. Follow along and see what the real trip ends up looking like.