The Fun Facts

Here are some of the interesting numbers from this year's trip:

• Number of miles traveled: 2,200
• Number of days on the road: 8
• Number of motorcycles: 8
• Number of travelers: 13
• Number of flat tires: 1
• Number of bike drops: 1 (at 0 mph)
• Number of bent rims: 1
• Number for shocks busted: 1
• Number of issues with police or military: 0
• Highest altitude: 11,000ft (Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary)
• Lowest altitude: 280ft (Ciudad Valles)
• Best road: San Miguel de Allende to Xilitla
• Worst road: Back exit from Real de Catorce
• Best food: Michoacan
• Wildest food eaten:  Escamoles (ant eggs) 

• Number of States visited: 10

1. Tamaulipas
2. Nuevo Leon
3. Coahuila
4. San Luis Potosi 
5. Zacatecas
6. Aguascalientes
7. Guanajuato
8. Michoacan
9. Estado de Mexico
10. Querétaro

• Number of "Pueblos Magicos" visited:  4

1. Real de Catorce
2. Cuitzeo
3. Tzintzuntzan
4. Patzcuaro

• Number of UNESCO World Heritage Cities Visited: 4

1. Zacatecas
2. Guanajuato
3. Morelia
4. San Miguel de Allende

The Long Way Home

Today was a long long day.  We left Ciudad Valles at 8am and arrived in Nuevo Laredo at 6pm.  All in all a good ride ... great roads ... great scenery ... sugar cane and orange fields everywhere ... a nice stop for a quick lunch at a very authentic taco joint ... and a stop at a roadside artisanal sugar cane operation.

Arrived in Nuevo Laredo ... checked our motorcycles out with customs ... checked in at the hotel ... loaded bikes on trucks ... all set for departure to Dallas at 6am tomorrow when the bridge opens.

Another one of our annual trips to Mexico has come to an end ... a new area of Mexico explored ... new sights, new friends, new places to come back to ... and the best part ... everybody is healthy, no accidents, and with lots of fun memories.

Leaving the hotel this morning - just like last year, Lety was there to say goodbye

Stop in the middle of sugar cane country and found this juice extractor

The cooking process - piloncillo comes out of there

The final product for sale - molasses, candy, honey, sugar cane juice, etc.

At a roadside taco joint in Linares 

At the border in Nuevo Laredo checking out our bikes

From The High Plains to Sea Level

Today, we rode the route of the million curves towards Jalpan and Xilitla.  We left San Miguel early, said goodbye to Pam and Cindy who were in the "princess package" and had to make their way to the airport to head back to Dallas.

Also, Richard, Sagy, and Joe decided to head straight north to visit San Luis Potosi and avoid 8 hours of never ending, nasty, tight, curves, up and down the mountains : )

The road of the million curves did not disappoint.  Wow!  Relentless, non-stop, turns up and down the mountains as we made our way from 9000ft to sea level.  The mountains in this part of Mexico are spectacular.  Very steep, towns hanging on the cliffs, clouds, mist, fog, valleys ... just beautiful.  The sheerness of the cliffs reminded me of Austria at times.

We made it to Xilitla and had a quick visit to the surreal house of Edward James, a Scottish immigrant that set out to build a crazy, surreal, house in the jungle without logic or a plan.  Very interesting.  We had a great lunch there and headed to Ciudad Valles.

We checked in at the same hotel we stayed the year before and had dinner at the same spot from last year also.  Maria Ruth, the owner, and her husband were also there.  All in all, a very enjoyable riding day.

Tomorrow, we head to Nuevo Laredo ... a long long ride.

Taking a break in the middle of the route of the 1 million curves 

In Xilitla visiting the surreal house of Edward James in the jungle

A nice lunch in the lush surroundings at 100ft altitude

Revisiting our old dinner hangout in Ciudad Valles

The Monarch Butterflies

Today, we rode to the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary deep in the mountains of Mexico.  Uneventful ride except towards the end when we had to do some steep climbing to get to the parking area.

After hiring Brian (a 12 year old local boy) and his siblings to take care of our bikes and things, we walked to the entrance of the Sanctuary where the horses are to take us up the mountain where the butterflies are.  Nice steep ride ... then, all of a sudden, butterflies here and there ... then, we walked a bit more into the forest and, wow, millions of them ... everywhere  ... in the tree trunks (keeping warm), in bunches hanging from every tree around, drinking water from small streams, and flying all around.  As soon as the sun starting warming things up more and more began to wake up.  What a sight.  Almost a religious experience : )

After getting down the mountain, we had lunch at the bottom, by our bikes, at a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant for a very real Mexican lunch ... and got ready for the long ride to San Miguel de Allende.

After what seemed like a never ending ride, we arrived to San Miguel just in time as the sun was setting.  Great small hotel ... went to have some tapas on the rooftop of a restaurant that looked over the town ... right next to the famous cathedral.

Tomorrow, we decided to take the Japan, Xilitla, and Ciudad Valles route to experience hours of non-stop twisties as we go from 9,000ft to zero! 

Lunch at our hotel in Morelia

At the entrance of the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary

On our way to see the Monarch butterflies

Almost the same height - getting ready to walk into the woods

Butterflies everywhere - that tree trunk is all butterflies

A Monarch on my back

Richard in complete awe

Our most Mexican lunch to date at the Sanctuary

Our first flat of the trip right outside the Monarch Sanctuary

Made it to San Miguel de Allende

A view of our bikes from our hotel in San Miguel

The Tarascan Empire

Today, we did a day trip from Morelia to a few towns around Lake Patzcuaro.  We started with a great morning ride through curvy backroads to our first stop ... the archaeological site in Tzintzuntzan where we learned about the Tarascan empire (900-1500AD) which flourish around this area.

After a nice walk around the area and a visit to the onsite museum, we headed to Patzcuaro, another Pueblo Magico, to visit its great plazas, markets, murals, crafts, convents, churches, people.  A very alive town and welcoming town.

For lunch we headed to a Swiss Chalet-like restaurant in Erongaricuaro on the far side of the lake for the most amazing smoked trout prepared 10 different ways.  Amazing!

Tomorrow, we will visit the Monarch Butterflies Sanctuary on our way to San Miguel de Allende.

The Yacatas in Tzintzuntzan in Lake Patzcuaro

Another view of the Yacatas - religious pyramid-like platforms

In the plaza in Patzcuaro

Keith bringing his motorcycle boots back to life

A Purepecha woman in Patzcuaro

Charles buying artisanal chocolate - we all got some!

A mural in the "House of the 11 Patios" in Patzcuaro

Another one of the 11 patios 

Market day in Patzcuaro

Buying crafts in Patzcuaro

The mural at the public library in Patzcuaro

Alicia bonding with a young entrepreneur selling key chains

Shitake mushroom red and white wine and tequila in Erongaricuaro

Keith taking a nap after lunch in Erongaricuaro

Mike on a nice afternoon stroll in the back pond at the Swiss Chalet restaurant

Magnificent Morelia

After breakfast at the hotel, we headed down to the tunnels under the city as we headed out towards Cuitzeo ... a "Pueblo Magico" on our way to Morelia.

Cuitzeo is a beautiful town on the shores of Lake Cuitzeo with a nice place, churches, and convent turned art museum.  Had a cup with mango, lime, and salt ... a great wake-me-up snack.

In Morelia, we checked in at our amazing hotel and took the motorcycles to the parking area which was 3 blocks away.  A great day to explore this majestic city ... everything seems bigger and more spectacular here.  It feels like this was a way more important city than others we have visited.

Tomorrow we head to Tzintzuntzan and Patzcuaro (both Pueblos Magicos) and to Erongaricuaro to the Chalet Suizo, a great smoked trout restaurant on the shores of Lake Patzcuaro.

Leaving our hotel in Guanajuato

Visit Cuitzeo - a "Pueblo Magico" on Lake Cuitzeo

The Girls

The gang chilling at the plaza in Cuitzeo

Juan Diego at the alter in Cuitzeo's cathedral

Our room at our amazing hotel in Morelia

Out and about in Morelia flying the drone

Just a normal Tuesday in majestic Morelia

The best cathedral of the trip to so far - wow

At the candy market

Just another beautiful sight

Chuck and Charles bothering the statues

The public library

Dinner in Morelia