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Twig's Travelogue

We are traveling with Twig down towards Mazatlan. We just left Guaymas, yesterday, after staying at the Hotel Playa de Cortez. They have about 55 RV spots, but were not busy, at all. We enjoyed two days there, and I was told that most folks only stay a day or two. There is a tennis court there, and I got to play a set with the local pro.....he won. Visited the local Walmart and Home Depot there. Very interesting. Also checked out San Carlos and had a good lunch there at a place called Tacquillas ??. We then traveled south to Huatabampito. Staying at el Mirador Hotel and RV Park, right on the water.  We are the only RV's here....have the place to ourselves. The trip down here, yesterday, was pretty rough. Hit some bad roads, drove through some small towns, and hit about 50 topes......speed bumps. Some of them appeared out of nowhere. Twig hit one so hard his shower door fell off !! Don't think we will be coming back, but it sure is peaceful. Both Guaymas and this place only charge $20/ night with full hookups. We are deciding how long we will stay here. Long walks on the beach......lots of fresh camarones ( shrimp boats are out on the water just out from our view ) and other mariscos ( seafood ). We will decide where our next stop will be, heading down to Mazatlan. BTW....tolls have been FREE...they are on strike. More money for cervessa ( beer ). I will be happy to update this, if anyone is interested. Three months with Twig should provide us with LOTS of stories to tell. We were with him for a month, last year, in Puerto Penasco. Listen to him, when he gives you suggestions...we ALWAYS listen to the Twigster.  Hasta mañana.
Glenn and Amy Beinfest
2001 36' U320
#5812
2014 Honda CRV

No Whining on the YACHT

Re: Twig's Travelogue

Reply #1
Glenn,keep is updated all the time as I know there are many wanting to hear your first impressions etc.
Where are you staying in Maz, the one I gave you is popular and good hook ups. Easy bus ride to the Old Town etc.

Have fun.
JhonH
Coachless, now use aircraft.
1994 Ford E350 ClassC,total renovation inside and out. Now sold.
2000 U295  36' Cummins 350 c/w Banks Stinger, Resonator upgrade,Solar, LED lites.Residential fridge with slide out pantry. Build 5674. Sold
ex 92 GV 022C ored Cummins. Sold
ex 95 GV240 cat 3116. Sold
2017 Mini cooper s & 2016 land Rover LR2 HSE  LUX.
jhaygarth@aol.com    SKP #130098
treat everyone as you would like to be.

Re: Twig's Travelogue

Reply #2
I'll sure be listening.  We traveled (by plane) to Cancun and on to Tulum fo 11 years in a row.  Now I'm sure missing the that first warm step off the plane after leaving Portland in the snow. 

 We'd love to caravan down there next year, just not big on goin alone.
Robert and Susan Moe Sr.
 1995 36' 280 WTBI 8.3 3060r
 1200 watts on the roof, 720 Ah of lithium's
 Build # 4637. Motorcade # 17599
        FMCA  # 451505
        18  Wrangler JLUR
         

Re: Twig's Travelogue

Reply #3
Twig is fun to be with.. Great guide in all things Mexico!!

Count me in for the updates ^.^d

Re: Twig's Travelogue

Reply #4
Nice to hear the replies. John, we are staying at Tres Amigos RV Park. We intend to do a lot of exploring the area. Amy is a " world traveler", so there is always the possibility that we will expand the adventure. You never know where we will end up.  I know enough spanish to ask questions....but have no idea of the responses. Need to practice my high school spanish the next few months. We might very well come back next year, and caravan does have a comforting feeling. Stuff always happens, and there is a sense of " strength in numbers." Just not too big a caravan, though !!  I'll keep in touch. I'd love to hook up with John. He's been doing it for YEARS!!
Glenn and Amy Beinfest
2001 36' U320
#5812
2014 Honda CRV

No Whining on the YACHT

Re: Twig's Travelogue

Reply #5
We decided to stay here until Tuesday
We are the ONLY rv's here
Have the beach to ourselves
Here's some pics
Glenn and Amy Beinfest
2001 36' U320
#5812
2014 Honda CRV

No Whining on the YACHT

Re: Twig's Travelogue

Reply #6
Very cool! Thanks for the posts. UnRally Caravan sounds good, so keep it up. Nos Vemos!
Paul & Kathleen
1995 U320c SE 40'
Build 4681 --Cummins M11 /17511
"That Irish Girl"
Red MINI " 40"

Re: Twig's Travelogue

Reply #7
Please keep us all up to date as the story unfolds...be safe and you all have a great adventure.  We'll miss you in Q this year.
2000 U270 36' build #5595
Cummins 8.3 ISC 350hp
Allison MD3060R
780 Watts Solar
Must go Faster...No Sniveling.

Re: Twig's Travelogue

Reply #8
Where are you staying in Mazatlan? Mazatlan RV Parks: Mazatlan RV Parks: recommended trailer parks, GPS info, descriptions, websites . After a few days, check out Pariso Miramar just south of San Blas. About four hours south of Mazatlan in an RV. Hotel Paraiso Miramar para vivir el contacto con la Naturaleza frente al mar...  On the ocean with WiFi, two pools, restaurant and only $20. Parking is on grass. Tepic is less than an hour away with lots of big stores.

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Twig's Travelogue

Reply #9
We like to check out who makes the best camerones en mojo de ajo. Yesterday, we had fresh, breaded and deep fried. Mama hand dipped each shrimp and perfectly fried them golden brown. Coming from Charleston, and working on my buddy's shrimp boat, we prefer our shrimp broiled. Anyway, they were terrific. Today, we biked down the beach. We placed our order, and then the owner walked to the water, where he strung a net. He came back with three blue crab. I asked if he would cook 'em up for Amy. She hasn't had 'em in a long time.
He steamed them for us. They were the highlight of the meal. Twig didn't like them.
Tomorrow, we'll keep lookin'.....
Glenn and Amy Beinfest
2001 36' U320
#5812
2014 Honda CRV

No Whining on the YACHT

Re: Twig's Travelogue

Reply #10
We stayed at Huatabampito in 2015 and really enjoyed it. (I sent some of this info to Twig via Facebook.) We also stayed in Mazatlán at Mar Rosa in the gold zone, on the beach; and at Punta Cerritos on the north end of Mazatlán. Both had excellent access to buses and taxis and pulmonias (you'll see them everywhere along the malecon).


We stayed in San Blas and if you continue on to Puerto Vallarta and beyond, there is a great little town, Punta Perula; I can't remember the name of the rv park, but it's on the beach, beautiful bay, great people. Check out the Scuba Jazz Cafe.

1st pic is Huatabampito. 2nd is San Blas. 3rd is Punta Perula.


Enjoy the trip.

Roger
1993 U225 36'
Build #4295
1979 Int'l Scout II
2005 BMW R1200RT

Re: Twig's Travelogue

Reply #11
Is that an International Scout toad?
Tim Fiedler    2000  Foretravel U-320 4010
2000 Chevy Tracker 2 Door Convertible 4WD Now lifted 4.5"
1985 Citroen 2CV6 Charleston
Murphy Rebel on wheels with 175HP Titan
Cessna 185 on Aerocet 3500 straight floats. (1/4 share)
1980 48' Westport MY (!/4 Share)

Re: Twig's Travelogue

Reply #12
I hear rumor that it is mosquito city down near San Blas.  Should we invest in lots of Deet??
Glenn and Amy Beinfest
2001 36' U320
#5812
2014 Honda CRV

No Whining on the YACHT

Re: Twig's Travelogue

Reply #13
Tim, that is a '79 Scout II toad. I am the 2nd owner; I bought it in Oct '84.

Glen & Amy, we used a lot of Off in San Blas. We stepped out of the rv and the mosquitos came out of the grass by the millions!

roger
1993 U225 36'
Build #4295
1979 Int'l Scout II
2005 BMW R1200RT

Re: Twig's Travelogue

Reply #14
Deet/Off are good to have on board in San Blas. Take swimming gear for the big natural pool at the end of the jungle trip. The old fort is worth a hike. This is where a lot of trade ships sailed from during Spain's time in power.

Puerto Vallarta is a great international destination with only the time shares sales people and cruise ship T shirt tourists to take away from the picturesque location. It was our sister city and we use to take a lot of emergency gear including a couple of fire trucks down to them. Competition has kept the price of hotels and restaurants low.

The twin cites of Barra de Navidad and Melaque (San Patricio) are some of our favorite places. Easy walk on the beach between the two towns with a croc usually visible in the lagoon right next to the beach. A couple of nice RV parks too.

We had a huge female iguana like the one in the photo here. Very tame and would rush across the living room to the kitchen for grapes when the fridge was open.  Google Maps: Report Inappropriate Image

Zihuatanejo is further south but has one of the prettiest harbors in the world. It's sister city of Ixtapa is to be avoided at all costs.

Could go on forever about Mexico's west coast but will contain myself.

PIerce


Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Twig's Travelogue

Reply #15
I agree Pierce and Gaylie,

All those places are great. We enjoyed Melaque except for the road in to the rv park; can't remember the name. We were backed up against a fence looking out at the beach; very pretty. But, that last 1/2 mile or so to get there was horrible.

And you are correct about Zihuatanejo; beautiful beach and downtown area. We looked at the rv park in Ixtapa; couldn't pay us to stay there; no charm of the old city.

We really enjoyed our trip south. But, we found the rv parks to be harder to get to the further south we went. But, I guess that was just part of the aventura.


roger
1993 U225 36'
Build #4295
1979 Int'l Scout II
2005 BMW R1200RT

Re: Twig's Travelogue

Reply #16
RV'in in Mexico is in my future so thanks for the posts. I will be reading each one.
'99 U320 40 WTFE
Build #5462,
1500 Watts Solar 600 amp Victron lithium
2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Hemi
Instagram bobfnbw
Retired

Re: Twig's Travelogue

Reply #17
OK, the scout toad is the best.  Crude as hell, but off the charts cool factor - my first "car" was an ex USPS right hand drive 2WD Scout.  Bought for $100, sold four years later for $100.  OK, sorry for the Hijack

Am planning to go south to MX in Jan for a couple of months - Puerto Penasco was OK, loved the beach and resort, the town not a bit.  Have been in Cabo and Puerto Vallarta via cruise ship in last two months.  Thinking of going down to Puerto Vallarta and back over course of about 6 - 8 weeks

Will be following closely and probably checking in with Pierce and Twig
Tim Fiedler    2000  Foretravel U-320 4010
2000 Chevy Tracker 2 Door Convertible 4WD Now lifted 4.5"
1985 Citroen 2CV6 Charleston
Murphy Rebel on wheels with 175HP Titan
Cessna 185 on Aerocet 3500 straight floats. (1/4 share)
1980 48' Westport MY (!/4 Share)

Re: Twig's Travelogue

Reply #18
We have close to 50,000 coach miles south of the border.  Down the east coast, out the Yucatan, over to Chipas, southern west coast and a lot of time in our favorite area, the colonial central highlands.

Sadly, many of our favorite CG's are no longer-- land is too valuable to be used for the few months a year U.S. RV'ers use them.  And, very few  Mexicans camp.  Only money related to a small degree.  Most wealthier Mexicans would rather fly to Houston and spend time/money in the Galleria!
Brett Wolfe
EX: 1993 U240
Moderator, ForeForum 2001-
Moderator Diesel RV Club 2002-
Moderator, FMCA Forum 2009-2020
Chairman FMCA Technical Advisory Committee 2011-2020

Re: Twig's Travelogue

Reply #19
We love it down there! Have driven down the west coast, across Guatemala through Belize and up the east coast. Mayan country is our favorite. Great seafood on the east coast. Here's a pic I got in Guatemala, used in a record album cover:
1993 U-240 "La Villa Grande"..CAT 3116 w/ Pacbrake PRXB...Allison 3060 6-speed..
Previous: 1983 Airstream 310 turbo diesel, 1979 Airstream 280 turbo diesel
                                      Build # 4297
                                      PNW natives
                      Home base:  'Cactus Hug' (Ajo, Arizona)
                        DW Judy & Chet the wonder dog
                        Full-Timers 'Sailing the asphalt sea'

Re: Twig's Travelogue

Reply #20
I headed to Mazatlan as soon as I got my driver's license when I was 14. Been down for fun or business over 100 times without any major problems. Drove a Fiat 850 Sport Coupe without a starter motor from Santa Barbara down the Pacific Coast of Mexico to Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara/Mexico City, back to Acapulco to Palenque, Belize, Cancun then across the Yucatan, up to Veracruz, Tampico then Texas and home in five weeks.

There was a great ferry across from Puerto Vallarta to Cabo San Lucas every couple of days. We took our first van conversion, a Mercedes 406D from Lake Tahoe to Puerto Vallarta put it on the big German ferry and sailed to Cabo. My son took his first steps in the Hotel Rosita (Burton and Taylor in Night of the Iguana) . The ferry was cheap, only $1 for a deck chair or airline seat inside and the Mercedes cost with a stateroom for us was only about $40. A real sea cruise for $40. It left PV at 2PM and arrived in Cabo at 11AM the next day. This was 39 years ago.

Quite a few of the old campgrounds have gone out of business but I found some new ones with great facilities right on the beach on the way down the Pacific Coast. You do have to do your research ahead of time to find them as most are either in a small town or pretty isolated. Internet is everywhere now as are phone plans with major carriers like Verizon/ATT&T.

BocaBeach RV Park gets excellent reviews. See location and images at: Google Maps

I think Mexico can be divided into three areas, the West Coast/Pacific Coast with side trips to Guadalajara and Mexico City.

The Yucatan Peninsula with a million things to see and do. It has a road system that can get from town to town quickly, either on small roads or highways. Not many Yanks there except for the expensive hotels in Cancun. Lots of Europeans as they really flock there. Probably best to fly in and rent a car as it's a long drive from the U.S. if you are doing it for the first time.

Baja Highway 1 is one of the great drives of the world. The population outside of TJ, La Paz and Cabo is low so you have to plan fuel stops, etc. and check road conditions ahead of time. Springtime is great with flower photo ops everywhere. On the Sea of Cortez side, you can camp on a beach with crystal clear warm water right next to your motorhome. No waves at all so you step from the sand into the water and in summer, the temperature is about the same. The Sea of Cortez traps all the fish headed north so the fishing is the best in the world. Lots of old Franciscan Missions to be explored and the famous whale watching in Scammon's Lagoon. We first made the drive a week after the road had been paved all the way down. That was back in October of 1973. Have been at Don Johnson's Hotel Serenidad for there famous New Year's celebration with a roast pig dinner. The roast pig dinner is actually every Saturday night and costs USD9.00. Mulege is a great laid back town to visit and even has a small dirt airport next to the ocean.

A couple of motorhomes is good just in case someone needs a spare tire, etc. Too many means long stops for fuel and perhaps the tanks will not have enough for everyone.

Almost forgot the wealthy cities in Central Mexico. San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Zacatacas to mention just a few. Not many tourists and well worth the visit. Most at high altitude so mild in summer and never too cold in winter.

No vehicle permit is needed for any part of Baja or the 400Km hassle free zone on the mainland. Just liability insurance and your passport to get home.

Below is our Mercedes 406D. Lake Tahoe to Puerto Vallarta in 48 hours and then back up the Baja and home. 55 HP diesel so it was flat out all the time. We built a bed for the trip and left the sliding door open with a net across so our son didn't fall out in the hot Mexican weather.

Pierce

Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)

Re: Twig's Travelogue

Reply #21
We really liked Huatabampito and considered staying longer, but chose to head south to Mr. Moro RV park in Las Glorias. This was out of the Church 2009 edition. We rarely call ahead. BIG MISTAKE. It is closed, and we are drycamping tonight. The road down was a mixture of great concrete highway and horrible old two lane blacktop. The side roads always have topes.... speedbumps that come out of nowhere. Take heed. We will head down to Mazatlan tomorrow, instead of staying here until Sunday.
Live and learn. Oh yes... the toll operators here are NOT  on strike. First toll of the trip. 132 pesos. More to come.
BTW.... if you ever stay in Guaymas, try dinner at Los Arbol Itos just down from the Home Depot. The shrimp and snapper were wonderful. Don't miss the ice cream for dessert....coconut, mango, corn ( yes...sweet corn) all in their shells. Mmmmm
Glenn and Amy Beinfest
2001 36' U320
#5812
2014 Honda CRV

No Whining on the YACHT

Re: Twig's Travelogue

Reply #22
In 2015 we went to Las Glorias looking for Mr Moro rv park; found it. But, it had been severely damaged by a hurricane a year or so before and had been closed. However, the was a caravan of 12 or 15 rigs had prior reservations and they reopened the rv park enough to accommodate those rigs. They also opened the restaurant and a couple of bath/shower rooms the guests could use. They had one space available next to the old hotel building which they let us have pretty cheap.

roger

p.s. we were there early Feb; pretty foggy the morning we left
1993 U225 36'
Build #4295
1979 Int'l Scout II
2005 BMW R1200RT

Re: Twig's Travelogue

Reply #23
Would anyone that is going to Q this year consider taking a trip down the peninsula to La Paz right after Q?
Rick Barna
St. Petersburg FL.
1998 U270 36'
Build # 5232
1972 CJ 5 Jeep

Re: Twig's Travelogue

Reply #24
Copy/pasted from your other post:


Rick,

Have you been down there before? Great drive if you have your ducks in a row. I've been down at least a dozen times since the early 1070's so know the fuel stops, etc. pretty well. We are headed down but may do the mainland as my dentist and upholstery guy are in PP. Talk to you about it at Q.

Pierce
Pierce and Gaylie Stewart
'93 U300/36 WTBI
Detroit 6V-92TA Jake
1140 watts on the roof
SBFD (ret)