Travel in Your Home Country will Establish a Baseline for Comparison Once You Get Abroad

In the scientific method, establishing a baseline using a control group is a critical step in conducting a successful experiment. If you’re unfamiliar with a control group, it’s the group in your experiment where you don’t introduce the independent variable you’re testing. The most well-known recent example of a control group was in the clinical trials of the COVID-19 vaccines. In those trials, participants were either given the vaccine or a placebo. The group that received the placebo was the control group.

Traveling in your home country before setting off abroad establishes the same type of baseline. Without that baseline, you’ll have nothing to compare your adventures abroad to. Your experiences won’t be as authentic or as deep as they would be had you fully experienced your home country first before going abroad.

My adventures throughout the United States have taken me to some pretty amazing places over the years.

Traveling in Your Home Country will Open and Re-Open Your Mind

We’re all creatures of habit. There’s simply no denying that. We all have our routines that we like to follow every day, no matter how monotonous they may seem. Unfortunately it’s easy to become close-minded when all you do is follow the same routine every day. Furthermore, it’s so easy to fall into the trap of only exposing yourself to content and ideas you agree with. It can be difficult for a lot of people, but it’s really beneficial to at least hear what the other side has to say.

Getting out to travel and explore your home country will break that routine, regardless of whether or not you intend to go abroad. I strongly recommend that you travel beyond your home state or region. That will almost force you to open up to other regional cultures throughout your home country. See new sights. Try new foods. Listen to different types of music. The list goes on and on. Some you may agree with, and some you may not.

Opening your mind through travel in your home country is even more important in large diverse countries, such as the United States and Canada. For example, in the United States, which is my home country, you’ll have vastly different experiences in New England vs. the Deep South, the coast vs. the heartland, Alaska vs. Hawaii, and beyond. Is that still not enough to convince you? Getting out of your rut has been proven to boost your mental health, productivity, and efficiency. And domestic travel is one of the best ways to get out of your rut! What are you waiting for?

To fully open my own mind, it has been a long-time goal of mine to visit all 50 U.S. States and all 13 Canadian Provinces and territories. Furthermore, I intend to visit as many Mexican states as I can. Not only will this help me better understand my fellow Americans, it will also open my mind to our neighbors to both the north and south.

You’ll Expand Your Horizons Domestically and Gain a Better Perspective of Your Home Country

Travel allows you to better understand the issues facing fellow citizens in your home country. Even better, you’ll learn about issues that are affecting people across the aisle from you, whether that aisle is political, age, gender, race, or anything else. Because when we can better understand each other, we can better heal the rifts that divide us, as well as strengthen the bonds that unite us. This is especially true for large and diverse countries such as the United States and Canada.

Two Cross-Country Road Trips Across the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic are Eye-Opening

When the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in early 2020, it cut me off from the rest of my family on the other side of the country. The pandemic, plus the complete shitshow that Arizona turned into following the 2020 election pushed me over the edge, as I was receiving threats related to either the pandemic or the election pretty much any time I went out in public. As a result, I drove across the United States at the height of the winter COVID-19 wave in February, 2021 to re-unite with my family on the east coast.

Just a few of the hazards to deal with on my February, 2021 cross-country road trip

Without access to vaccines or much other protection from the pandemic, traveling in the bubble while trying to avoid all contact with the outside world was not particularly comfortable or pleasant. But I made it across without getting sick, and I’m really damn proud of that. Most importantly, that trip was absolutely eye-opening for how different parts of the country viewed the pandemic. The lessons I learned from that trip were heartbreaking. However, they ultimately gave me a much better appreciation for the issues that have bitterly divided the country, and I am eternally grateful for that.

What a Difference a Year Makes

Now fast-forward a year. Vaccines are widely available. But less than a week before I was set to leave to drive back across the country to sell my house, South Africa announced they discovered the omicron variant. On the second day of my road trip, the U.S. confirmed its first case of omicron in California. I vividly remember listening to Dr. Fauci’s press conference that afternoon as I drove across Iowa.

As omicron spiked to nearly four times the peak of the 2020 winter wave, I can only describe the feeling in the western US as eerily normal. I still don’t know whether that was a good thing or a bad thing. But the big thing I noticed was that each side’s animosity towards the other side over COVID-19 restrictions was far less compared to just nine or ten months earlier. The bitter divisions were still clear as I made my way around the United States, but there was a sense of optimism everywhere that didn’t exist earlier in the pandemic. Even better, I was able to enjoy the first “fun” trip since my 2019 road across Mexico, the United States, and Canada. What a difference a year makes!

Scenes from my Winter 2021-2022 Cross Country Road Trip

Get a Fuller and Deeper Perspective of Your Home Country Once You Travel Abroad

As a result, once you go abroad, you’ll have a much deeper understanding and perspective of your home country. Between 2017 and the onset of the pandemic, I routinely traveled to Puerto Peñasco and Los Algodones, Mexico because I wanted to see how “the other side” viewed the border issues that became a central talking point of the Trump presidency.

Interestingly, what hit the hardest was not what the Mexicans thought about the border issues. Instead, it was how much visiting Mexico changed my perspective of the United States. Specifically, it opened my eyes to just how bitter and divided the U.S. had become. More importantly, I realized that I had become rather narrow-minded and needed to be more open and accepting of other views.

You don’t need to go far to realize this deeper perspective. The majority of my trips to Mexico brought me to Los Algodones, where I could make these comparisons less than a block and a half from the border.

You’ll Have a Deeper Connection to Culture and Customs Abroad

You can’t be a global citizen without understanding you own country. A global citizen is someone who is aware of the world and has a sense of their role in it. They are involved as members of the international community and are committed to building on this community in a meaningful and positive way. Becoming a global citizen will broaden your global perspective and allow you to bring fresh, new views back to your own community. As a global citizen, you’ll gain a deeper connection to culture and customs both at home and abroad.

When you travel in your home country, you’ll expose yourself to new culture and history. On my recent trip through the western United States, I not only traveled, but also experienced the entire length of the Oregon Trail. Being able to see the wagon ruts and walk in the exact same spot as so many westbound emigrants nearly 180 years ago transports you back in time. You realize the immense scale of the challenges and hardships these settlers had to endure on what was often a nine or ten month journey west, in a way that history textbooks simply cannot teach. These direct experiences in culture and history in your home country ultimately lead to a much richer experience abroad.

You’ll Learn New Things About Yourself

There’s no better way to learn new things about yourself than to step out of your comfort zone. Get out there and try new things. It will open your mind and you’ll be amazed at how many new things you’ll learn about yourself. Then, once you head abroad, you’ll be able to expand on those lessons and learn even more about yourself.

You’ll Support Local Economies

Here in the United States, greed is pretty much built into the corporate culture. Instead, I prefer to shop local when I travel. You’ll be supporting small businesses and mom and pop shops that can use the revenue a lot more than some mega corporation. Furthermore, your money will stay local and support the local economy instead of lining the pockets of some rich CEO in a big city that’s a long way from where you happen to be. As a small business owner, I encourage you to shop small and shop local. Your local economy will thank you.

Conclusion

Traveling abroad is one of life’s richest experiences. You’ll immerse yourself in new cultures and customs, push yourself beyond your comfort zone, as well as learn an incredible amount about yourself, your home country, as well as the destinations to which you’re traveling.

However, in order to get the fullest experience abroad, you must travel and experience your home country first. Without experiencing your own country first, you won’t have that baseline to compare your adventures abroad. And as a result, you’d miss out on one of the primary reasons we travel in the first place.

Top Photo: Rafting the Colorado River
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona – June, 2015

The post 5 Reasons You Need to Travel Your Home Country Before Setting Off Abroad appeared first on Matthew Gove Blog.

Why Should You Visit Los Algodones?

As one of the top medical tourist destinations in the world, Los Algodones is a truly unique border town experience. With over 400 dentists packed into a four square block area, it has earned its nickname, Molar City. With dental procedures costing about 10-20% what the do in the United States, both Americans and Canadians flock to Los Algodones year round. While it’s most famous for its dentists, Los Algodones also has one of the highest concentrations of eye doctors and optometrists in the world.

If you’re not into the medical tourism, there’s still plenty of things to do in Los Algodones. You can buy handcrafted goods from the street vendors, eat some delicious Mexican food, and take home the obligatory bottle of tequila. While it’s certainly not as picturesque as places like Puerto Peñasco or the coastal destinations of Baja California and Sonora, rest assured that you’ll have a safe, fun, and memorable time in Los Algodones.

Getting to Los Algodones from California, Arizona, and Nevada

Los Algodones sits in the far northeast corner of the State of Baja California, just west of Yuma, Arizona. You can easily get there from the east or west via Interstate 8, or from the north via US-95.

To get to the border crossing into Los Algodones, take Exit 166 in California off of I-8. Turn south onto CA-186. After about a mile (1.6 km), you’ll reach the border. I recommend parking in the Quechan lot on the US side of the border. The Quechan parking lot has remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic, and still costs $6 for the day to park there. You can drive into Mexico if you wish, but the streets of Los Algodones are small and busy, and parking can be very limited there.

Are There COVID-19 Protocols Crossing the Border into Los Algodones, Mexico?

Mexico has had some of the loosest border restrictions in the world since the pandemic began. As a result, crossing into Los Algodones felt eerily like pre-COVID times. You walk from the parking lot through the turnstile gate, and just walk right into Mexico. There were a few members of the Mexican military stationed near the border watching people enter, but they were not stopping anyone.

I did not have to pass through any checkpoints, temperature checks, or anything else related to COVID-19 entering Los Algodones, Mexico on foot. You do not need to show proof of vaccination or negative test. However, both the U.S. Federal Government and the Government of Canada strongly recommend that their citizens be fully vaccinated before traveling to Mexico. You may be subject to additional COVID-19 related screenings if you cross into Mexico in your vehicle.

Stay Safe from COVID-19 While Enjoying Los Algodones

Because nearly all of the Los Algodones experience is outdoors in the open air, you can stay safe from COVID-19 with nothing more than a little common sense. I visited Los Algodones during the explosion of the omicron variant at the end of 2021. Not once did I feel unsafe from COVID-19 during my visit.

Wear a Mask

Unlike much of the United States, the State of Baja California requires that you wear a face mask while inside any building that’s open to the public. Masks are not required outdoors. However, you may find the streets of Algodones to be small, cramped, and crowded. As a result, I recommend that you wear a mask if you’re in a crowded area, even if you’re outside. This is especially true if you’re visiting during the ongoing omicron spike.

So just how strictly are the mask mandates enforced? It depends on exactly where you are. Many of the liquor stores, pharmacies, and indoor restaurants will not let you in without one. On the other hand, the street vendors did not really seem to care whether or not people were masked. But then again, masks are not required outdoors, which is where most of the street vendors operate. I did not go into any of the dental facilities, but my understanding is that they are the strictest at enforcing mask requirements.

Keep Your Distance

While the government mandated social distancing restrictions in Los Algodones have been lifted, you should still use common sense when out in public. If you see somewhere that’s really crowded, circle around to something else and see if the crowds clear out. People are pretty constantly on the move in Algodones, so it usually doesn’t take long for a busy area to thin out a bit.

If you do find yourself in an area that enforces social distancing, Mexico uses the same 6 feet or 2 meters that the United States and Canada use. During my visit to Los Algodones, I saw a couple signs for social distancing. Not surprisingly, they appeared to be leftover from earlier in the pandemic that were never taken down. Nobody was enforcing them.

Sanitize Your Hands

During my visit to Los Algodones during COVID-19, everywhere felt very, very clean. In fact, the town felt cleaner that it did during any of my previous visits prior to the pandemic. Hand sanitizing stations are widely available throughout town, and you can carry your own sanitizer back and forth across the border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection does not put any restrictions on hand sanitizer the way the TSA does.

Support Los Algodones’ Local Economy

As a small business owner, I’m a big proponent of supporting small businesses and your local economy. I’d much rather spend my money at a local store and keep the money locally than have it wind up lining the pockets of a rich CEO on the other side of the country. And that local economy is exactly what makes Los Algodones so special and so unique. Best of all, you can still enjoy all of the same experiences that you would prior to the pandemic. All while keeping your risk level to a minimum. As I mentioned earlier, I did not feel at significant risk of COVID-19 while I was there.

• Eat at restaurants. Nearly all of them are outdoors and open air.
• Shop from the street vendors, liquor stores, and pharmacies. None of them appear to have taken any serious economic hits from the pandemic. In fact, there were more street vendors in December, 2021 than I ever remember.
• Visit the dentist and get your teeth cleaned. Just make sure to do your homework before hand to ensure you’re choosing a reputable practice.

Returning to the United States

While not much has changed entering Mexico, you will notice some changes to the process for re-entering the United States because of the pandemic. You still line up in the same place you always do, but the line no longer snakes around the fence into the customs hall. Instead, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) stops the front of the line right where you step from Mexico into the United States. When you reach the front of the line, a CBP agent will verify you have the proper documents to enter. They will then send you to the customs hall in small groups. There is plenty of shade available while you’re waiting in line. However, you may want to bring a water bottle if it’s a hot day.

Once you reach the customs hall, you must wait outside until it’s your turn to go through. Once inside, the process to clear customs goes quick. I was in and out in less than two minutes.

Federal Mask Requirements in the United States

Because the customs hall is a federal facility, you are required to wear a mask while inside it. Ironically, the U.S. Government has started taking pictures of everyone entering the country to verify their identity. As a result, the first thing the CBP agent will ask you to do is take off your mask. If you’re a U.S. citizen, they will delete your photo as soon as they verify your identity. You can always request an alternative method to verify your identity if you’re uncomfortable having your picture taken.

Proof of COVID-19 Vaccination or Negative Test

As far as COVID-19 related documentation goes, you do not need much to cross the land border. In fact, U.S. citizens do not need any documentation. You do not need to present proof of a negative test to enter the United States at a land border, as the testing requirement only applies if you’re arriving by air.

However, if you are not a U.S. citizen, you will need to show proof of full vaccination. The U.S. currently accepts any vaccine that either the CDC or the World Health Organization has approved. At the time I’m writing this, the U.S. does not include booster shots in their definition of fully vaccinated, but that will likely change at some point in the next several months.

Don’t Forget to Declare Everything You’re Bringing Back from Mexico

Finally, you still need to declare everything you’re bringing back from Mexico. Failing to declare an item can lead to hefty fines, penalties, and even jail time. Don’t even think about doing it.

Conclusion

Despite the explosion in COVID-19 cases due to the omicron variant, you can still have a fun, safe, and enjoyable time in Los Algodones. We know so much more about the virus now that we did even just a year ago. With medical tourism rendering a lot of its services essential, Los Algodones seems to be thriving better now than ever before. Be smart, know the limits for your comfort and risk levels for being around others in a pandemic, and you’re bound to have a great time.

I’ll be producing a video of this guide soon, and it will be posted here once it’s done. Have you visited Los Algodones since the pandemic began? Leave your story in the comments below. Don’t let the pandemic be an excuse not to go experience one of the most unique border destinations in the world.

The post How To Have A Safe And Successful Visit To Los Algodones, Mexico During The COVID-19 Pandemic appeared first on Matthew Gove Blog.

El Pinacate: A Brief History

Before we set off, let’s back up about 32,000 years. That may sound like a long time, but it’s a drop in the bucket on the geologic timeline that spans billions of years.

At the time, what is now the northwestern part of the Mexican State of Sonora was an explosive hotbed of volcanic activity. Unlike traditional volcanoes, the activity at El Pinacate all occurred underground. This distinction lead to the unusual landscapes you see dotted across the reserve.

Underground, molten lava tries to force itself to the surface due to extreme pressures in the earth’s core. As the lava approaches the surface, it comes into contact with moisture in the sediments. That moisture instantly vaporizes when it comes into contact with the lava, creating enormous bubbles of pressure. When the earth’s surface can no longer hold in that pressure, a violent explosion occurs as the volcano erupts.

Following the violent explosion and eruption, one of two things happens.

• On shallow explosions close to the surface, lava will flow out, leaving hardened lava flows dotting the landscape.
• In deeper explosions, the underground cavity will collapse under the weight of the sediment above it, creating a maar crater.

It turns out that maar craters are a lot more common than you think. You can find them all over the western parts of Mexico, Canada, and the United States. The most well-known maar crater in North America is Oregon’s Crater Lake. To give you an idea of just how powerful these explosions are, consider this. Crater Lake is 6 miles (10 km) wide and 2,000 feet (600 m) deep.

Before You Set Off for El Pinacate

If you’re visiting El Pinacate from the United States, you need to have the necessary insurance and paperwork to legally drive your car in Mexico. These are very simple steps, but can land you in a world of trouble if you skip out on them.

Mexican Car Insurance

You must purchase a Mexican insurance policy for your vehicle. Both US and Canadian auto insurance policies are not valid in Mexico. If you’re caught in Mexico without insurance, your vehicle will be impounded.

Many American insurance companies sell Mexican Auto Insurance. You can buy insurance by the day, by the month, or by the year. The most recent time I drove into Mexico was in August, 2019. I paid a little over $20 for insurance from AAA for the one day I was there.

I recommend purchasing Mexican insurance online prior to your departure. If that’s not your style, you can stop at any of the several agencies along Highway 85 in southern Arizona. You can even pick it up at the border as you enter Mexico.

Permission for Rental Cars and Cars with Liens

If you have a rented or leased vehicle, or own a vehicle with a lien on it, listen up. Bringing a vehicle into Mexico without prior permission is in violation of just about every rental, lease, or loan contract. Thankfully, all you need is a written letter of permission from your rental company, lessor, or bank. Do note that many rental car companies in Arizona will not grant you permission to drive their rental cars into Mexico.

Check the language of your contract for what you need to bring the vehicle into Mexico. I own my vehicles outright and have never had to deal with this step. However, the consequences can be severe if you skip it. In some instances, people have been criminally prosecuted for stealing a vehicle they brought into Mexico without permission.

A Quick Word About the Hassle-Free Border Zone

Every country has some version of a hassle-free border zone. It means as long as you stay within a certain distance of the border, you don’t need to fill out the paperwork to temporarily import yourself or your vehicle. In Mexico, the hassle-free border zone extends 20 kilometers (about 12.5 miles) from the border.

Thankfully, the state governments of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur have extended the hassle-free zone to encourage tourism. If you’re going to a popular tourist location in those three states, you’ll still be in the hassle-free zone. Baja California and Baja California Sur have extended the hassle-free zone the entire length of the Baja peninsula.

Sonora uses Federal Highway 15 to define the hassle free zone. Highway 15 runs from Nogales, Sonora to Los Mochis, Sinaloa. If you’re east of Highway 15, the hassle-free zone remains at 20 km. West of highway 15, the hassle-free zone is extended from 20 km to 450 km (the Sinaloa state line). Both El Pinacate and Puerto Peñasco are well west of highway 15, so you remain comfortably within the hassle-free zone.

Bring Your Passport

While you don’t need a passport to enter Mexico, you will need it to re-enter the United States.

How Do I Get to the El Pinacate Biosphere Reserve?

From Phoenix, it’s dirt simple.

1. Take Interstate 10 West to Buckeye, Arizona.
2. Take Exit 112 onto Arizona State Route 85 South.
3. Follow Highway 85 South to the International Border. Cross the border at the Lukeville/Sonoyta Port of Entry.
4. Once you’re in Mexico, follow the signs for Puerto Peñasco. You’ll be on Mexican Federal Highway 8 as you leave Sonoyta.
5. The turnoff for El Pinacate is on the right at Kilometer 52 on Highway 8, about half way between Puerto Peñasco and the border.

What to Expect Entering Mexico

Crossing the border for the first time can be intimidating. Entering Mexico is surprisingly simple, and the Lukeville-Sonoyta border crossing is small, so you won’t feel overwhelmed.

As you exit the United States, you’ll drive through a covered tunnel. During popular travel times, there is sometimes a quick US Customs checkpoint in that tunnel. They are there just to ensure you’re not crossing the border with anything that’s illegal in Mexico. More often than not, they’re not there and you can just drive right through.

You’ll pass through a large gate with a big yellow stripe running across the road. That yellow stripe is the border.

If you’re bringing anything to sell into Mexico or anything over your personal exemption, you must declare it to Mexican Customs. Look for the signs for the declaration lane, which will say “Autodeclaración” or “Carril para Declarar”. For a day trip to El Pinacate, I recommend leaving anything you would need to declare at home. It’s more hassle than it’s worth.

If you’re not declaring anything, look for the “Nada que Declarar” (Nothing to Declare) lane. As you approach the customs agent, you’ll get either a red light or a green light. The lights are assigned at random.

If you get a green light, they’ll wave you right through and you can continue on your merry way. A red light means you’ll need to stop for a quick inspection. If it’s really quiet at the port of entry, you may be stopped for inspection regardless of what color the light is.

The inspections are quick and painless. Mexican customs agents are welcoming, friendly, and speak English. They will have a quick look through your car and send you on your way. The longest I’ve spent at one of those inspections was about 3 minutes.

Obey the Speed Limits in Sonoyta

Just a heads up. Speed limits in the border town of Sonoyta, Sonora are very strictly enforced. The speed limit is 40 km/h (25 mph) through most of the town, but it drops down to 20 km/h (12 mph) in one spot. If you’re going even the tiniest bit over the speed limit, they will pull you over. To avoid an expensive ticket, I recommend driving 5 km/h under the speed limit.

While the local police can set up speed traps anywhere, they are most often set up on the south edge of town near the “Welcome to Sonoyta” sign. On your return trip, this is also where the speed limit abruptly drops from 90 km/h (55 mph) to 40 km/h (25 mph). If you’re not paying attention, they’ll nail you every single time.

Register at El Pinacate’s Estación Biológica

Before you begin your adventure at El Pinacate, you need to register and pay the entry fee. The easiest place to do that is at the Estación Biológica. It’s a ranger station located at Kilometer 52 of Highway 8, which is the main highway from Sonoyta to Puerto Peñasco. There’s a big sign on the highway, so you shouldn’t miss it.

The process is a bit different than at National Parks in the US. You may be confused when you arrive to find a closed gate across the road.

To pay the fee, you have to go into the Estación Biológica, which is located just off camera to the right of the gate in the above picture. When you walk in you’ll be asked whether you prefer English or Spanish. They’ll go over popular places in the park with you and provide you with some tour guides. You’ll also pay the entry fee of 50 pesos (about $2.60) there. Once you’re all registered, they’ll open the gate and let you in.

The ranger will also ask you where in the park you plan to go. Please give them this information honestly. The reason they ask is so that if you get lost or stranded, they know where to find you.

El Pinacate experiences some of the harshest conditions in the Sonoran Desert. There’s a reason they call it the Sonoran Desert’s Death Valley. Summer temperatures routinely hit 115 to 120°F, and the park averages less than an inch of rain per year. If you get lost, you won’t survive for very long.

Explore Maar Craters on the Ruta Cráteres

The Ruta Cráteres (Craters Route) is the crowned jewel of the entire El Pinacate Biosphere Reserve. Starting and finishing at the Estactión Biológica, the 76 km (45 mi) loop brings you through an incredibly diverse display of cacti, desert plants, cinder cones, and craters.

In addition to the natural highlights, you’ll also find interpretive stations every few kilometers. Stop and learn about the park’s history, geology, ecosystem, and much more. Information is available in both English and Spanish.

As you leave the Estación Biológica, the desert sand quickly transitions from its classic beige color to black volcanic soil. Because the volcanic soil is so rich in nutrients, you’ll find a rich diversity of flora. You’ll see cholla, saguaro, and organ pipe cacti, ocotillo and creosote bushes, tumbleweeds, and much more.

Cráter El Elegante

Located at kilometer 27 of the Ruta Cráteres, El Elegante is the largest and most well-known crater in the El Pinacate Biosphere Reserve. From the parking area, it’s just a few steps to the edge of the crater. El Elegante is as close to a textbook maar crater as you can get. I hope you can appreciate it as you stand at its edge taking in the landscapes.

Along with El Elegante’s stunning photo opportunities, I encourage you to hike the short 1 km interpretive trail around the edge of the crater. You’ll learn a lot about El Elegante and gain better perspective. Additionally, the parking area at El Elegante offers some of the best views of the lunar landscapes in the entire park.

Cono El Tecolote

If you have a picnic lunch, just want a place to stretch your legs or have a rest, or further explore, head to El Tecolote. At about the half way point of the Ruta Cráteres, the campground at El Tecolote is a great spot to break up your drive.

In addition, El Tecolote has excellent hiking trails. Hike to the summit of Cono Mayo for incredible photo opportunities of lava flows and volcanic ash-covered fields. I have never actually been to El Tecolote, so I unfortunately do not have any photos of it.

Cráter Cerro Colorado

The Cerro Colorado Crater is the final crater on the Ruta Cráteres. Its reddish color and tuff formation material made of clay and volcanic ash distinguish it from the other maar craters in El Pinacate.

Like El Elegante, you can drive right up to the rim of Cerro Colorado. While there are no hiking trails around the rim, the drive up to the rim of the crater offers diverse photo ops and perspectives of the crater. It’s another spectacular spot at El Pinacate to have a picnic as well.

Please also note that it is prohibited to descend into any of the craters in the El Pinacate Biosphere Reserve.

Additional Activities on the Ruta Cráteres

If you want a little more adventure than just a scenic drive, the Ruta Cráteres offers plenty of outdoor activities.

• Hiking
• Mountain Biking
• Camping
• Bird Watching
• Guided Tours
• Much More

Explore Volcanic Flows and Sand Dunes at the Schuk Toak Visitors Center

No trip to the El Pinacate Biosphere Reserve is complete without a stop at the Schuk Toak Visitor’s Center. The Visitor’s Center is located at kilometer 72 on Highway 8, or about 20 km north of Puerto Peñasco. Like the Ruta Cráteres, the area surrounding the Visitor’s Center offers outdoor activities for everyone. The entry fee you paid at the Estación Biológica will get you into the Visitor’s Center as well.

Visit the Museum at the Visitor’s Center

Inside the Visitor’s Center, you’ll find a modern museum where you can learn about the fascinating history, geology, and biology of El Pinacate. The Visitor’s Center is the first self-sustaining public building in Latin America. It is 100% solar and wind powered and operates completely off the grid.

Did you know that millions of years ago, fish once inhabited what is now Sonora and Arizona?

Hike the Geology and Biology Nature Trails

There are two short nature trails located right behind the Visitor’s Center. On one trail, you’ll learn about El Pinacate’s explosive geological history. On the other trail, you’ll learn about the flora and fauna that make up this incredibly unique and diverse desert ecosystem. The trails are short with no elevation change, but are on the lava flows, so footing in some areas can be uneven. Be quiet and you’ll likely see several birds and reptiles. If you’re really lucky, you’ll see some of the mammals that inhabit the park.

Explore the Dunes of El Gran Desierto de Altar

Located 2 kilometers past the Visitor’s Center, the Gran Desierto de Altar is the largest active dune field in North America. Hike up to the top of the dunes and see the unusual and extremely rare star dunes. El Pinacate is one of just a small handful of places in the entire world where you can find star dunes.

Unfortunately, all of my visits to El Pinacate have been during the summer, when access to the dunes is closed. Exploring the dunes is very high on my bucket list right now, and I hope to be able to do so once the pandemic ends and international travel can resume.

What to Expect Re-Entering the United States

While not a simple as entering Mexico, re-entering the United States is still very straightforward. First, pull up to the primary checkpoint, remove your hat and sunglasses, and hand the US Customs officer the passports of everyone in the vehicle. If you have passengers in the back seat, I recommend opening the back window as well.

When talking to any customs officer, always be friendly, honest, and transparent. Customs officers are trained to spot deception, so if you’re trying to hide anything, they’ll know. The officer will ask you any or all of the following questions.

• Where are you coming from?
• What was the purpose of your trip to Mexico?
• Where are you going? If you’re not a US citizen, they will likely ask what the purpose of your trip to the United States is.
• What are you bringing back from Mexico? You must declare everything you bought in Mexico that you are bringing back into the US, no matter how small and insignificant it may seem.

At this point, one of two things will happen. In most cases, they will send you on your way. If not, you will be referred to secondary for additional inspection. You can be sent to secondary for any number of reasons. Most of the time, it’s just because you’ve been flagged for a random inspection. This is no more out-of-the-ordinary than random bag checks at the airport.

If you get sent to secondary, you will again be asked the questions above. Again, be honest and transparent. The secondary officer will double-check your passports, search your car, and send you on your way. The longest a secondary inspection has ever delayed me was about 10 minutes.

Finally, please note that you will also pass through two Border Patrol checkpoints on Arizona Highway 85 between Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and Gila Bend. They are primarily looking for illegal immigrants and drugs. US Citizens do not need to show any documentation at these checkpoints.

Conclusion

The El Pinacate Biosphere Reserve is one of the most unique, diverse, and extreme ecosystems in the Sonoran Desert. It offers outdoor activities for all ages and hobbies. Indulge in one of the most underrated day trips from Phoenix and Tucson. Add some international flair and culture to your life. The world is your oyster. What are you waiting for?

Top Photo: Lunar Volcanic Landscape near El Pinacate’s El Elegante Crater
Los Norteños, Sonora, Mexico – July, 2017

The post How to Maximize One Day at Mexico’s El Pinacate Biosphere appeared first on Matthew Gove Blog.

While we are primarily focusing on maps today, don’t forget that maps are just one tool in a vast toolbox. When used with other tools, they can become even more powerful. Putting that aside, let’s look at why maps are the best tool we have to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

1. See Both the Big Picture and Local-Level Details at the Same Time

Back when I was chasing tornadoes in Oklahoma, we had several golden rules of storm chasing. The most important rule was to always pay attention to the big picture. Know what the storms in your vicinity that you are not chasing are doing. Why do you need to do that? Fair question. Here’s why.

One of the hairiest situations I got myself into storm chasing was the result of “tunnel vision” from not paying attention to the big picture. On 9 April, 2012, I got on a tornadic supercell just outside of Woodward, Oklahoma, which is in the northwest corner of the state. The storm produced the first few tornadoes I saw that season.

Almost all tornadic storms in the Great Plains move from southwest to northeast. Tornadoes typically form on the southwestern flank of a supercell, so the strategy is to set up to the southeast of the tornado and track parallel to it as it moves to the northeast. Because all of the rain and hail is north of the tornado, being south of the storm also gives you an easy escape route should you need it.

Losing Sight of the Big Picture

Unfortunately, I was so excited to see my first tornado of the year that I neglected to pay attention to the large scale system that was triggering the severe weather that day. The upper-level winds were atypical of the southern plains. Instead of going from southwest to northeast, these storms were moving from northwest to southeast. When I set up to the southeast of the storm, I inadvertently put myself right in its path. When the precipitation core inevitably swallowed me up, this was the result.

Unfortunately, in the case of COVID-19, the outcome of tunnel vision is already proving to be far more tragic than a blown-out windshield. People are paying for it with their lives. During the pandemic, I have observed instances of tunnel vision in both our elected officials and the general public.

How to Combat COVID-19 Tunnel Vision

The best way to combat COVID-19 tunnel vision is to coordinate with your neighbors. When Los Angeles County, California recently issued a stay-at-home order, there were immediately concerns that residents would travel to neighboring counties to eat, recreate, and more. Throughout the course of the pandemic, similar concerns have emanated far beyond southern California.

Here are a few examples of leaders getting it right and coordinating to combat the effects of tunnel vision.

• The governors of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut coordinating closings and re-openings.
• California, Oregon, and Washington have coordinated some closings and re-openings as well.
• The United States coordinating with Canada and Mexico to restrict non-essential cross-border traffic.
• Border closures and travel restrictions for citizens and workers throughout the European Union

So how do COVID-19 maps factor into the equation?

On a map, going from the big picture to the local level and vice versa is easy. Just zoom in or out. This is the foundation of how maps are such a powerful tool to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

2. Maps are Easier to Understand for the Average Joe

I consider myself an Average Joe when it comes to a lot of things. I hope you do, too. We all like to be presented with information that is easy to understand. Maps are a great way to do that, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Let’s say you want to look at new case counts for your state and the surrounding states. The following two graphics show new cases counts for US States on 2 December, 2020. Which one do you find it easier to do that on?

The graph?

Or the map?

I rest my case.

3. Easily Detect Geographic Trends

Geographic trends are one of the most important metrics for slowing the spread of COVID-19, especially early in the pandemic. Stopping the virus from freely flowing in and out of your community is a significant step towards containing it. This is why all of the travel bans and restrictions have been issued.

Let’s stick with the graph versus map example we just looked at. Consider the following hypothetical situation. You’re in charge of mitigating the spread of COVID-19 in West Virginia. You need to identify where the biggest COVID-19 threats are.

If you were to look at the graph, you would need to know what states border West Virginia, as well as whether they are located north, south, east, or west of you. Then you have to find those neighboring states on the graph, since they’re listed in alphabetical order. It’s a hassle, and there’s a ton of room for error.

On the other hand, these patterns can be instantly identified using the map. Using the map, it’s clear that the states with the highest new case loads are the ones north of West Virginia. You can easily repeat this exercise to identify additional COVID-19 threats on the map, such as from air travel, as well as threats to the economy and more.

Come on, Matt, I can Identify Neighboring States on a Graph.

Okay, fair point. The geography of the US is familiar. Here’s the counter. Consider another hypothetical situation where you’re brought outside of your familiar local area and repeat the exercise.

Here is the same bar chart as above, except it’s for total COVID-19 cases in Mexico by state. Try to quickly identify the regions surrounding the State of Guanajuato that have the highest confirmed COVID-19 case counts.

Were you able to do it? Unless you’re familiar with the layout of Mexican states, I’m guessing you probably couldn’t. Now, let’s introduce the map containing the same data as the bar chart. Try again to quickly identify the regions surrounding the State of Guanajuato that have the highest COVID-19 case counts. Guanajuato is pretty much smack dab in the middle of the country, just below the “Mexico” label on the map.

A quick look at the map shows that the highest case loads are to the southeast of Guanajuato, in the Mexico City area. Those high case loads are primarily in the State of Mexico (Estado de México) and the Federal District (Distrito Federal).

4. Analyze the Public’s Movement and Mobility Levels on COVID-19 Maps

I’m not talking about tracking people using their cell phone’s location data. That’s a debate I’d rather not get into. I’m talking about much less intrusive ways to monitor the movement of the general public. Depending on what country you’re in, these can include, but are certainly not limited to:

• Customs and Immigration
• Airport Security
• Department of Transportation Cameras
• Voluntary Surveys
• Other types of checkpoints

Analyzing these data on a map allows you to quickly and easily the mobility levels of the population. As a result, leaders can more precisely target any COVID-19 restrictions that need to be implemented or lifted. For example, did you see the map of flights over the United States in the days leading up to Thanksgiving?

5. Maximize the Efficiency and Targeting of Relief Efforts

Getting the proper relief into affected areas as quickly as possible is crucial in any disaster situation. The response to the COVID-19 pandemic is no different. A proper geospatial analysis on a map can facilitate the quick delivery of the following and more, ensuring that nothing goes to waste.

• Extra nurses, staff, and other essential workers
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Equipment required to treat COVID-19 patients, such as ventilators
• Cures, treatments, and vaccines
• Additional resources such as field hospitals and refrigerated trailers
• Economic relief to citizens and businesses

A proper geospatial analysis for expediting COVID-19 relief can be incredibly complex. Start simple with a map of COVID-19 trends.

Next, zoom in and start overlaying data that can help you pinpoint the areas that need relief. These areas can include, but are certainly not limited to the following.

• Low-income areas
• High population densities with multi-generational households
• Areas with few or overwhelmed hospitals
• Areas where the virus is surging
• Any disruptions to supply chains

Conclusion

Maps and geographic information systems are a critical tool in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. They are powerful, versatile, easy-to-use, and provide an enormous amount of information on a single platform. At this point in the pandemic, we can only hope our leaders will make better use of COVID-19 maps.

Top Photo: Quartz Mountain State Park
Lugert, Oklahoma – January, 2012

The post COVID-19 Maps: 5 Reasons They are the Best Tool to Fight the Pandemic appeared first on Matthew Gove Blog.

Similar to the United States, Mexico contains 32 states and a federal district (El Distrito Federal). The vast majority of my international adventures take me to Mexico’s Sonora and Baja California states. Mexico’s unusual shape makes it a prime location for some unexpected geography quirks that are just as fascinating as they are bizarre. Let’s go take a look.

1. At its closest point, Mexico sits less than 400 miles (644 km) from Florida

As the crow flies, it’s 394 miles (634 km) from downtown Key West, Florida to downtown Cancún, Quintana Roo. To put that into perspective, it is about 350 miles (563 km) from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Every year, sailboat races run between Florida and the Yucatán peninsula.

2. Most of the country’s signature liquor is made in the Town of Tequila, Jalisco

The town, which only has about 40,000 residents, sits in the mountains of Jalisco state, about 60 km (37 mi) west-northwest of Guadalajara. The town produces about 1,000 liters of tequila every day. The liquor is distilled from the blue agave plant, which thrives in the fertile hills of west-central Mexico.

Fun Fact: The Mexican government protects the name “tequila” and heavily restricts what can be legally sold as tequila. Only liquor made from a special type of blue agave plant that is grown in a few select municipalities may be sold as tequila. Everything else must be sold as mezcal. Tequila can be legally produced throughout the entire state of Jalisco, as well as in specific municipalities in the following states:

• Guanajuato
• Michoacán
• Nayarit
• Tamaulipas

The closest tequila distillery to the United States is the Tequilera La Gonzaleña in González, Tamaulipas, which is about 350 km (220 mi) south of Brownsville, Texas. It is the only distillery in the State of Tamaulipas that can legally make tequila. Blue agave grown in that part of Tamaulipas is richer in flavor and intensity than blue agave grown in other parts of Mexico.

And speaking of Tamaulipas…

3. Tamaulipas, Mexico’s northeastern-most state, is neither the northernmost nor the easternmost state in the country

Not by a long shot. Mexico’s northernmost state is Baja California, and it’s easternmost state is Quintana Roo. In fact, if you draw a horizontal line of latitude through Ciudad Victoria, the capital of Tamaulipas, parts of 10 other states fall north of that line, and parts of 14 other states would fall east of a vertical line of longitude through the same point.

Do you feel this taking a turn towards the bizarre yet?

4. Contrary to popular belief, Cancún is further north than both Mexico City and Puerto Vallarta

Cancún sits at 21.1619°N latitude. Mexico City sits at 19.4326°N, and Puerto Vallarta sits at 20.6534°N.

5. The southernmost town in Mexico is further south than the majority of both Guatemala and Honduras

La Libertad, Chiapas is a small town on the Suchiate River, which forms the border between Mexico and Guatemala. Most people don’t realize that the part of Central America where Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua sit runs primarily east-west.

6. Mexico’s Copper Canyon is both longer and deeper than the Grand Canyon

However, it is important to note that Copper Canyon is actually a system of 6 canyons, and the Grand Canyon is longer than each individual canyon in Copper Canyon.

Copper Canyon (Barrancas del Cobre in Spanish), runs through the heart of the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains in the State of Chihuahua. To get there, take one of the most spectacular train rides in the world on the Ferrocarril Chihuahua al Pacífico (Chihuahua to Pacific Railroad). The park is also accessible from Federal Highway 16, which connects Chihuahua City to Hermosillo, Sonora.

If that’s not enough, Copper Canyon is also home to Mexico’s second-highest waterfall, Cascada de Basaseachi, which sits at a whopping 246 meters (807 ft) high.

7. The border town of Los Algodones, Baja California sits just west of Yuma, Arizona. From the center of town, you can go any of the 4 cardinal directions and hit the United States.

While Los Algodones is the only place in Mexico from where you can travel any of the four cardinal directions (due north, south, east, or west) and hit the United States, it’s far from the only place where you can look south from Mexico into the United States. There are plenty of places along the Río Grande where you can do that, too.

Los Algodones, which means “The Cotton Fields” in Spanish, is one of the most unique border town experiences in the world. If you visit, you can experience the following:

• Known as “Molar City”, Los Algodones has the highest concentration of dentists per capita in the world (about 600 dentists within just a few square blocks), making it a premier destination for medical tourism. It also has one of the highest concentrations of optometrists per capita in the world.
• Despite being in the middle of the desert, where summer temperatures can exceed 45°C/113°F, the area surrounding Los Algodones is actually one of the top agricultural centers in northwestern Mexico.
• The town’s official name is “Vicente Guerrero”, who was one of the key generals that led Mexico to independence in 1821. The state of Guerrero is also named after Vicente Guerrero.
• There is a monument in town a couple of blocks from the Port of Entry marking the northernmost point in Mexico.

All right, now for a few truly “off-the-wall” facts…

8. Mexico’s southwestern-most state is further east than its northeastern-most state.

Because of Mexico’s unusual shape, the westernmost point in Chiapas sits at approximately 94.1°W longitude. Many people consider Chiapas as the country’s southwestern-most state (though one could quite easily argue otherwise). The eastern most point in Tamaulipas, Mexico’s northeastern-most state, sits at approximately 97.1°W longitude.

If that’s not enough, do you know how many states separate Tamaulipas and Chiapas? Just a single one: the State of Veracruz.

9. The Antelope Hills, which are a cluster of small buttes in western Oklahoma, once marked the US-Mexico Border

In the early 1800’s, the Antelope Hills marked the border between the United States’ Indian Territory, which is currently Oklahoma, and Mexico’s Alta California Territory. Alta California covered what is currently parts of California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and the Texas Panhandle. The Antelope Hills currently sit on the Black Kettle National Grassland in Roger Mills County, Oklahoma, and are on the National Register of Historic Places.

And now for the cherry on top…

10. Mexico City was the administrative capital of the Philippines for almost 300 years.

Yes, you read that right. From 1565 until 1821, Mexico City was in fact the administrative capital of the Philippines. After Spain had settled both Mexico and the Philippines, they designated Mexico, under its then-name of New Spain, to directly govern the Philippines until Mexico’s independence in 1821.

You can still see this influence in the Philippines today. Most states and many cities in the Philippines still have Spanish names. There is even a municipality called Mexico in the Philippines’ Pampanga state. It sits between the towns of Ángeles and San Fernando.

Bonus Fact: The Caesar Salad was invented in Mexico

Okay, this is not a geography fact, but it’s a pretty cool fact nonetheless. Italian-American Caesar Cardini invented the salad at his restaurant in Tijuana in 1924. Supposedly, he originally called it the Aviator’s Salad.

I’m planning to make this “Weird Geography” series a routine occurrence for at least the remainder of the pandemic, and hopefully beyond, so if you have any requests for countries, states, or other entities you want me to feature, please leave them in the comments below.

Top Photo: Mexican Flag Flying at the Visitor’s Center of La Reserva de la Biosfera El Pinacate y Gran Desierto de Altar near Puerto Peñasco, Sonora in July, 2017

The post Weird Geography: 10 Bizarre and Unusual Facts About Mexico appeared first on Matthew Gove Blog.

I need a little time to vegetate my mind, escape from my reality. Just Mexico, tequila, and me.

There’s something truly special about the start of a road trip. The fresh air, the open road, and that sense of freedom. There’s no better feeling in the world. This trip was particularly special for me for reasons I’d rather not go into, so I decided that I would go all out and make this one particularly epic. It will take me through 3 countries, 15 states/provinces, and cover 5,500 kilometers.

A Special Beginning

I couldn’t think of a more appropriate place to start this trip than Puerto Peñasco. The city, which sits at the top of the Gulf of California in the Mexican State of Sonora, is where the desert meets the ocean. Look one way and you’ll see the sparkling azure waters of the Sea of Cortez. Look the other way and you’ll see the stunning mountains and dunes of the Sonoran Desert. It’s about as close to Margaritaville as you can get. And that’s coming from someone who lived in Florida for 6 years.

As I sit on top of the hill overlooking El Malecón, a spectacular sea breeze starts to fill in. It’s instant relief from the 105-degree heat and high humidity. That feeling of freedom and being on vacation finally starts to truly set in. The smell of the salty air coming off the ocean. The smell of the fresh Peñasco shrimp wafting over from the waterfront restaurants and the street taco stands. Then down on the street you start to hear the country and western beach music from north of the border blend with the regional Sonoran music. It puts you in laid back and relaxed vibe. You only need to worry about which taco stand you want to get lunch from.

Jimmy Buffett Would Be Jealous

My favorite part about visiting Puerto Peñasco is indulging myself in the region’s world-famous seafood. The Rocky Point shrimp put the fresh Gulf of Mexico shrimp I would get when I lived in Florida to shame. It’s not even close.

I managed to get a seat on the patio at one of the waterfront restaurants at El Malecón for lunch. It was so hot out everyone was sitting inside in the air conditioning, so the only other person eating on the patio was a local street vendor selling Mexican dulces (candies). While I was waiting for my shrimp tacos to cook, he and I struck up a casual conversation. Like most interactions with the locals, we conversed half in English and half in Spanish.

After a little shopping and a mandatory stop at the local fish market to get a big bag of fresh shrimp to bring home, I made my way back to the truck as excitement started to set in. This is kilometer zero, the official start of my road trip. I can’t wait to see the sights, friends, and new experiences the next 5,500 kilometers bring.

All in all, this was a truly awesome way to kick off the trip and a great way to set the mood and tone for the entire adventure. Puerto Peñasco is a special place, and there is no place more appropriate place at which to start this trip. Let’s hit the road.

View Photo Album

Funny Addendum to this Leg of the Trip

They always say that the funniest things happen when you least expect them. Boy did that ever prove true here. I pulled into the Mexican border town of Sonoyta, Sonora on my way back to Phoenix. I made sure I had my passport easily accessible and went over my mental checklist of everything I had to declare to US Customs as I made my way towards the border.

Shortly before you get to the border, two Mexican federal highways briefly come together. When they fork, one highway runs parallel to the border and eventually brings you to Mexicali and Tijuana. The other highway brings you to the Port of Entry and becomes Arizona State Route 85 once you cross back into the US. Here is a picture of the fork (note the green signs).

Bear Right Towards “Oosah”

As I approached the fork, my GPS said very loudly, “Bear Right towards Oosah”. Apparently acronyms are still a foreign concept to the GPS AI technology. Anyway, I burst out laughing so hard and couldn’t stop. I almost had to pull the truck over to re-compose myself.

Keep in mind the setting here. I’m by myself, laughing my ass off in my truck, less than 500 meters from an international border that’s well known for all kinds of nefarious activity. In the back of my mind, I know I’m going to be driving very slowly – no more than 40 km/h (25 mph) – past the Mexican military, federal police, and customs. They’ll notice.

Thankfully, I was able to play the 40 km/h speed limit to my advantage, and used the extra time to compose myself well before reaching the border. I crossed safely back into the US, and after a brief and friendly stop through US Customs, I was on my way back to Phoenix.

The post Puerto Peñasco, Sonora: A Special Beginning to My 2019 Road Trip appeared first on Matthew Gove Blog.

How to Get to Los Algodones

Los Algodones sits across the border from Winterhaven, California, and is only about 10 miles from downtown Yuma, Arizona. To reach Algodones, exit Interstate 8 a few miles west of the Arizona/California State Line onto CA-186. Turn left at the bottom of the ramp. It’s less than a mile from the freeway down to the border. You can drive into Mexico if you really want to, but it is much less of a hassle to park in the large secure parking lot on the US side of the border. It costs $6 to park for the day.

Crossing the border into Mexico

Entering Mexico is easy. From the parking lot, simply go down the ramp and follow the sidewalk to the border. You’ll walk through a turnstile door, and you’re in Mexico. There are no official checkpoints to enter Mexico on foot. However, Mexican customs can stop you and search you or question you if they wish.

Do not worry too much about the language barrier. English is the language of choice in Los Algodones. The locals do appreciate it if you can speak a little Spanish, though. The US Dollar is used in all transactions. Just make sure you bring plenty of cash, as most places do not accept credit cards.

Medical Tourism in Los Algodones, Mexico

While I come to Los Algodones to buy shrimp and tequila and browse the shops, I have poked my head into a few of the dental offices, and they are absolutely pristine. Some were much nicer than the dental offices I’ve been to in the US. Los Algodones has around 400 dentists within a 5 or 6 square block radius. I wasn’t going to go see every single one.

If you’re coming for the medical tourism, you obviously need to do your homework beforehand. Some dentists are better than others. The majority of dentists that cater to medical tourism were trained and educated in the US and keep their offices in line with the US standards. A standard teeth cleaning will generally run you around $15 to $20. The town is also well-known for its optometry. A new pair of prescription glasses will generally set you back about $30 to $50.

What to Expect Shopping in Mexico

Shopping in Mexico is a much different experience than shopping in the US. Like most border towns, the majority of the shopping in Los Algodones is done via the open-air street vendors. If you’re buying something from a street vendor, they expect you to haggle over prices. On the other hand, if you’re shopping at a traditional retail establishment such as a pharmacy or liquor store, the price on the sticker is the price you’ll pay. Please be respectful when negotiating prices. The street vendors have families to feed too. You are much more likely to get a good deal if you’re polite and don’t completely low-ball them. You’re already getting a really good deal compared to what you would pay for the same item in the US.

Advice for Buying Tequila in Mexico

My first stop when I visit Los Algodones is always Liqui’s liquor store. It’s the giant purple building on the left side of the street right after you cross the border. They have a great selection of tequila at really good prices. When you buy tequila, always buy the tequila that is 100% blue agave. Look for labels that say either “100% Agave Azul” or “100% de Agave”. Mexico also puts stickers on each bottle of liquor showing its age.

The first time I went there, I bought the most expensive bottle of tequila I could find that did not exceed the duty-free limit (1 liter) to bring back into the US and wasn’t locked up in a case. It cost $25, and while it wasn’t super high-end tequila, it was really good tequila. Over my various visits to Liqui’s, I have bought numerous tequilas, a really good mezcal, and some Mexican rum. One of my friends bought a bottle of Crema de Membrillo, a cousin of tequila that is made from the quince fruit.

Head to Lupita’s for Some Incredible Shrimp Tacos

Now that the tequila is in hand, it’s time to find the next item of the mission: shrimp. I will be procuring shrimp for lunch as well as shrimp to bring home and put in my freezer. My favorite place to get lunch is at Lupita’s Fish and Shrimp Tacos. Lupita’s is a street taco stand located on Avienda A between Calle 2 and Calle Tercera (1 block south of the border). It’s a popular spot that is often crowded during the high season, but it’s well worth the wait. My standard order is 3 shrimp tacos and a Coke, but they also have burritos, quesadillas, tamales, and much more.

Buy Fresh Rocky Point Shrimp on the Street

During the peak tourist and snowbird season in the winter and spring, many fisherman will come up from Rocky Point (Puerto Peñasco) and sell shrimp out of coolers on the streets of Los Algodones. If you’re unfamiliar with Mexican shrimp, Rocky Point is world-famous for its seafood, and especially for its shrimp. I lived in Florida for 6 years and always ate the fresh Gulf shrimp there. The Rocky Point shrimp put the Florida shrimp to shame.

You will get the best prices on the shrimp if you drive to Rocky Point and buy the shrimp there. Depending on the time of year and the market price of the shrimp, I have paid $8 to $12 per pound in Los Algodones during the peak season. Those shrimp would easily cost twice that in the US, so it’s still a pretty good deal. Shrimp is one of the only meat products you can bring across the border into the US. The personal duty-free limit is so high it would be impractical to carry that much shrimp back with you.

What to Expect Re-Entering the US

Well, that just about puts a wrap on another successful adventure south of the border. Coming back into the US is a straight forward process. During the high season, you may have to wait at customs for up to one to two hours. You will need a passport, passport card, or trusted traveler card (Global Entry, Nexus, or Sentri). Be sure to declare everything you bought in Mexico. I have visited Los Algodones at many different times of year. My best advice is to go during the offseason (April to October) or go on the weekends, when the dental offices are closed. On a Saturday in the middle of February this past winter, I went through US Customs around 2:30 PM. I waited in line less than 5 minutes.

If you’re ever in the Yuma area, a visit to Los Algodones is a very unique experience I hope you will take advantage of. Enjoy the shimp and margaritas, and happy adventuring!

Additional Fun Facts About Los Algodones

• Los Algodones is the only place in Mexico where you can go any of the four cardinal directions (due north, due south, due east, or due west) and hit a US border.
• There is a monument just west of the Port of Entry that marks the northernmost point in Mexico, as well as the US-Mexico border.
• Los Algodones actually means “The Cotton Fields” in Spanish. There is a large amount of agriculture south of town, as the Colorado River flows right through there.
• The town’s official name is Vicente Guerrero. It is part of the Mexicali municipality.

The post A Shrimp and Tequila Expedition to Los Algodones, Mexico appeared first on Matthew Gove Blog.

The catch is that the highway is Mexico’s Federal Highway 2. The US-Mexico border runs right between the pond and the highway. You will quickly find that “Feet Away, but Worlds Apart” is a common theme down here.

How to Get to the Quitobaquito Oasis

Access to the pond is off of the South Puerto Blanco Drive. The turnoff is located off of Arizona’s Highway 85, about 1/4 mile north of the Lukeville port-of-entry. Over 70% of the national monument, including the Puerto Blanco drive was closed from 2003 until 2014 due to smuggling and other illegal cross-border activity following a park ranger being shot to death in 2002 by a drug smuggler.

In an incredible reversal of fortunes, the area west of Lukeville has gone from being the most dangerous spot on the border ten to twelve years ago to being one of the safest spots on the border today. Any time you’re near an international border, there are always possible dangers present, but US Customs and Border Protection, the park rangers, and the county sheriff all have a heavy presence inside the national monument.

South of the border, the Mexican Federal Police and the Sonora State Police routinely patrol Highway 2 and Sonoyta, the Mexican border town opposite Lukeville.

You’ll Drive About 15 Miles on a Dirt Road only a Few Feet from the US-Mexico Border

The South Puerto Blanco drive runs about 15 miles right along the border until it turns north to loop back to the visitor’s center. The turn off for Quitobaquito is right where the road turns north. The stretch of road the runs from Highway 85 to Quitobaquito can be passable in a passenger car in dry weather, but I strongly recommend something with high clearance.

A 4×4 is not necessary unless recent heavy rains have washed out parts of the road. Completing the full Puerto Blanco Drive requires a 4×4. Parts of the road have not been maintained since before the park closed in 2003.

At Quitobaquito, See Some of the Rarest Species of Fish in the World

Back at the pond, Quitobaquito is home to some of the rarest species of fish in the world. According to the US National Park Service, the pond is the only place in the world where you can find the Quitobaquito spring snail, the Sonoyta mud turtle, the Sonoyta pup fish, and the desert caper plant. You will also find a wide variety of bird species, especially during the spring and fall migrations, as well as lizards and other mammals. If wildlife isn’t your thing, there are plenty of plant species to look at, too.

Take a Relaxing Stroll Around the Quitobaquito Oasis

If you visit Quitobaquito, I highly recommend you take the short walk around the perimeter of the pond. Even stopping to take lots of pictures, it still only took me about 10 or 15 minutes to make it around. The walk is mostly in the shade. You’ll get to see plenty of wildlife, and you will cross the stream that feeds the pond. It’s only a few inches wide (see the photo below), so you can just step over it. You don’t need to worry about wading through it or anything.

I know that the proximity of Quitobaquito Springs to the US-Mexico border scares a lot of people off. Understand the possible risks associated with being so close to the international border. Obey the signs and pay attention to your surroundings, and you should have a great time there.

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Before becoming such a popular tourist destination, Puerto Peñasco started as a small fishing village. It sits at the far nothern end of the Gulf of California and the Sea of Cortez in the Mexican State of Sonora. Because of its proximity to the United States, it quickly became a popular tourist destination for people from Phoenix and Tucson looking to escape the Arizona heat. Since the desert comes all the way down to the ocean, there is no shortage of outdoor activities to do both on the water and in the desert.

Go Tequila Tasting

After checking into our hotel, our first stop was at the Tequila Factory for some tequila tasting and to learn about the tequila making process. The tequila is not actually made at the Tequila Factory. Mexican law only allows 4 or 5 states to distill tequila and actually sell it as tequila. The other states must sell it as mezcal. Sonora is not one of those 4 or 5 states. The Tequila Factory makes their tequila in the highlands of the Jalisco near Guadalajara.

A Unique Aging Process

The tequila they sell at the Tequila Factory goes through a very unique aging process. Once it comes out of the distillery, it is placed into wooden barrels that have been soaked in vanilla. The wood absorbs that vanilla. If you’ve never had Mexican vanilla before, it’s absolutely incredible, you don’t know what you’re missing out on.

As the tequila ages in these barrels, the vanilla is pulled out of the wood and gets infused into the liquor. The tequila also takes on some very subtle overtones from the wood. The reposado is aged for three to six months in these barrels. The añejo is aged from one to five years. The Tequila Factory tequila is some of the best tequila I’ve ever had.

I lost count of the number of different tequilas we sampled. After sampling the three “traditional” tequilas (blanco, reposado, and añejo), we sampled several fruit-infused tequilas as well as some liqueurs. The samples I remember most were a citrus tequila served with fresh oranges and topped with sprinkled cinnamon, as well as a tiramisu made from the coffee and chocolate liqueurs. We bought a bottle of the tequila reposado and a bottle of the tequila añejo on the way out.

Go Shopping at El Malecón

From the Tequila Factory, we headed to El Malecón to take a walk, do some shopping, and have dinner. El Malecón means “the boardwalk” in Spanish, and it’s a centralized gathering place where people can relax and socialize. Puerto Peñasco hosts many festivals and celebrations there. You can find El Malecón in many Mexican beach towns. On lazy summer evenings like the night we were there, there were some children there playing while their parents socialized. It always has a very happy, friendly, and almost festive atmosphere to it.

Puerto Peñasco’s El Malecón sits where the original fishing village was. The boardwalk is about half a kilometer long and is easily walkable. Fish markets, shops, and restaurants line the waterfront. There is a large parking lot at the west end of the boardwalk where you can park for free.

Naturally, the first thing my sister sees is two brothers selling piña coladas out of a street cart. We got a couple of them and sat on the boardwalk looking out over the ocean and watched the world go by. They were really good drinks. The brothers made the piña coladas with fresh pineapple (no mixers!) that they cut right in front of us. It tasted so refreshing on a hot evening.

Indulge in Puerto Peñasco’s World-Famous Seafood

After finishing the drinks and browsing the street vendors, we were starting to get hungry for dinner. We went into one of the little restaurants right on the water. It was a warm evening, but it was starting to cool off. We sat outside since we had the whole outdoor seating area to ourselves. It was truly a Mexican seafood feast, with margaritas, guacamole, and shrimp tacos.

Many restaurants in Puerto Peñasco’s El Malecón split themselves into two parts. The upper floor is the restaurant and the bottom floor is a fish market. They quite literally back the boats right up to the restaurants to deliver the day’s catch, so the shrimp is as fresh as you could get. The boardwalk is not too shabby a spot to watch the sunset, either. The sunset cruises are probably the only better spot. After dinner, we stopped at the fish market to buy some shrimp to take home with us.

Relax on the Beach

The next morning, we had a tasty breakfast of eggs and chorizo. We took a nice walk on the beach before beginning the drive back to Phoenix. Unlike the rest of the Pacific Ocean, which is very cold, the water in the Sea of Cortez in the middle of the summer is very refreshing. We were there in mid-July, and the water temperature was around 80°F.

If you like seafood or are just looking for a relaxing beach getaway, it’s hard to wrong with Rocky Point. While it can sometimes get a little rowdy during Spring Break, any other time of the year you will be greeted with warm, open arms. You’ll return home recharged and refreshed.

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When my sister and I traveled to El Pinacate last week, we got really lucky with the weather. The summer monsoon moisture was firmly in place over the northwestern part of Sonora, so the cloud cover kept temperatures right around 100°F. In fact, it even spat rain on us a couple times.

La Ruta Cráteres: A Spectacularly Unique Look at the Sonoran Desert

The Ruta Cráteres is the main loop road through the reserve. It’s a 76 km dirt track that has stops at three of the park’s most famous craters. Other than a some pretty serious washboarding in places, the road was in pretty good shape. It’s probably passable in a passenger car if you knew what you were doing. However, I would recommend something with high clearance and a rugged suspension such as a truck or SUV. Please obey the posted speed limit of 40 km/h or 25 mph.

When you first arrive at the park, you must check in at the Estación Biológica, which is just a ranger station. The park entrance is at kilometer 52 on Federal Highway 8. It’s about 50 km south of the Lukeville/Sonoyta border crossing and about 40 km north of Puerto Peñasco. Pay the entrance fee to the park (60 pesos when we went), and give the rangers your vehicle information. Tell them exactly the route you’re going to take and where you’re stopping. That way, if you have a vehicle breakdown or get stuck, they know exactly where to look for you. The rangers all speak both English and Spanish, and were extremely knowledgeable, warm, and welcoming.

Cráter El Elegante: El Pinacate’s Most Famous Crater

Our first stop was at the reserve’s famous Cráter El Elegante, located at kilometer 27 of the Ruta Cráteres. The craters at El Pinacate are all maar craters. Violent volcanic explosions underground cause the ground to collapse in from the top and fill the void left by the explosion. Crater Lake National Park in Oregon is also a maar crater. The Cráter El Elegante is 1,600 meters (roughly a mile) in diameter, about 250 m (800 ft) deep, and is 32,000 years old. There is a hiking trail around the perimeter of the crater, but you cannot go down inside the crater. We did not hike the perimeter because it was so hot.

Stop at Cráter Cerro Colorado

Our second main stop was at Cráter Cerro Colorado, took on more of a cinder cone appearance. While it wasn’t your classic crater the way El Elegante is, it was unique and beautiful in its own way. It actually looks a lot like Ayer’s Rock in Australia as you approach it from the south.

The drive from Cráter Cerro Colorado back to the Estación Biológica was a spectacular drive out of the volcanoes. As the soil shifts from the black volcanic sand back to the traditional white/tan sand of the desert, you pass through a saguaro and cholla forest, which truly epitomizes an authentic desert experience.

Visit the Schuk Toak Visitor’s Center

After spending the night in Puerto Peñasco, we stopped at the Schuk Toak Visitor’s Center on our way home. The visitors center is quite a ways south of the Ruta Cráteres, sitting just north of Puerto Peñasco. The visitors center runs 100% on solar power, and provides plenty of information about the history of the preserve. Though most of it is in Spanish, there are also a couple of short guided walking trails behind the building. It is also home to the only sand dunes in the Sonoran Desert. However they close the dunes in the summer because of the extreme heat.

If you are ever in the Puerto Peñasco area, I highly recommend a visit to the El Pinacate Biosphere Reserve. If you want in interesting perspective, hop across the border and visit the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona. While El Pinacate focuses on geology, Organ Pipe focuses on biology and botany. Whatever you decide to do, you won’t be disappointed with the sights, sounds, and scenic views.

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