The Road to Mazatlan

We left for Mazatlan around 6:40am on January 2nd.  This is the longest drive we have planned in Mexico and our goal was to make Mazatlan between 4-5pm, but with Bill at the helm, we made it there around 3pm.

Sonora Desert

The drive from San Carlos to Mazatlan has begun to show us the diverse regions of this beautiful country.  From the deserts of the state of Sonora (where San Carlos is),

 to the bustling cities of Cuidad de Obregon (stinky and busy city) and Culiacan, to the lush farm lands and beautiful beaches of Sinaloa, the drive was anything but boring!  

Corn, Corn, Corn

Beans or Tomatoes...moving too fast

Farm land is by far what we saw the most of....beans, corn, and tomatoes as far as your eyes could see!!  Culiacan, an interesting area....  Let's start by saying our journey did not take us into the city proper, but along its rural outskirts.  This area is known for its tomatoes and as the headquarters of the Sinaloa cartel....bet you didn't know many of the tomatoes in our US grocery stores came from this region!   We understand the city is filled with cultural interests, but we were advised that it's just not in our best interest to stop and visit right now; maybe another trip.

One can't drive on the federal highway in Mexico without mentioning the tolls....they are plentiful!  The roads were in very good condition, except for the construction areas (toll money hard at work).  It also appears the locals have something on top of or in their vehicles, as they get to go right through most toll booths, so glad they get a break, their wages can't afford tolls!

One of MANY tollbooths on MX15D

Dining & Blogging Table

Our Kitchen
making Mac & Cheese tonight

After arriving in Mazatlan, we only had a short wait for our Airbnb host to meet us; FYI, this is our very first Airbnb.com rental.  Our place in Mazatlan is close to the freeway entrance to the city, in a very residential area.  From best we can guess, it's probably a middle-class, family oriented neighborhood; no tourist zone here, in fact we think we're the only non-Hispanics in the neighborhood!

Our not too scenic patio
with beach stuff drying on the line

To those who we can hear asking....yes, we feel perfectly safe and humbled as the minority!  It's a basic home that will meet our needs for a couple of nights, in spite of no coffee pot and a 20 minute, traffic filled drive to the beaches!

Happy trails and positive vibes!

Bill & Sam