South To Baja California With a few friends who came to see me off standing in the street and waiving goodbye, I started up the engine and was on my way. The first few miles were a combination of excitement and mentally running through check lists. Did I remember everything? What about this and that? Of course I forgot the papers of Essential Spanish I had printed out! I should have started seriously learning Spanish a year ago. I've met people who've done similar travel through central and … [Read more...]

Santo Tomas to Bahia de Los Angeles I woke up to realize my back wasn't as healed as I thought. Glad I brought the meds. I don't think I told this story. A day before I was going to leave I was moving things and lifted something that really bothered my back. I joked with friends that I must almost be turning 30. Before I left I was feeling fine but now climbing on the bike told me I wasn't better yet. Once I was on the road and moving I was fine. The road continued south past farms and more … [Read more...]

Bahia de Los Angeles to Santa Rosalia I took my time getting started and spent the morning online checking routes. Everything looked set to take the road south out of Bahia de Los Angeles but when I went to get on the road I couldn't find it. I asked people where the road to San Pedro was but no one seemed to know. My GPS wasn't any help either. I ended up following the road I came in on back to Highway 1. More desert riding today with very few other cars on the road. I rode two hours … [Read more...]

To La Paz or Guaymas I set my alarm early because I had 340 miles ahead of me to ride to La Paz. Before I left I checked my email and saw a message from the person I was going to be Couchsurfing with in Guaymas. She said there was a port of entry over there and I could easily get my Temp Vehicle Import Permit there! So back to my original plan of crossing on the Santa Rosalia ferry. I went back to bed cause the ferry didn't start boarding till 7:30 (or does it?) I packed up my stuff and … [Read more...]

It's 6 AM and the neighborhood roosters are starting their routines. It doesn't phase me as the neighborhood dogs were barking throughout the night. I'm staying with a wonderful Couchsurfing host named Marie. I wish more people couch experience Couchsurfing. After I graduated college my best friend and I packed our bags and went abroad for 5 months. Before we left a friend of ours told us about this new social network for travelers, called Couchsurfing. All over the world there are millions of … [Read more...]

I had big plans for today. I had been debating where to go next, either south to Culiacan or head east into the Sierras and Copper Canyon. The Copper Canyon route was just as long but was mostly through the mountains which would make it a longer ride. I'd heard about how beautiful Copper Canyon was but that it's one of the most remote regions in Mexico and the area is narco central. After talking with a few other ADVRiders who had just traveled through there I decided I'd take the road less … [Read more...]

I woke up to a beautiful crisp sunny day in the mountains of the Mexican Sierras. Then I woke up and realized that was all a dream and that it did in fact rain all night and it was still coming down. I wasn't going to sit around the town of Yecora for a day so I hit the road. I had about 160 miles to go to reach the town of Creel. 160 miles in the rain on this road is enough of a roadtrip for one day. Getting into the zone centro (city center/downtown) of any city is always easy but … [Read more...]

The Road From Creel to Hidalgo del Parral I came to Copper Canyon after hearing about it last year when I was in Chihuahua filming for the documentary tv series I work on, Roadtrip Nation. I heard how beautiful the canyons were and about the people that live there. Copper Canyon is a system of six canyons in the state of Chihuahua. Some parts of the canyon are deeper than the Grand Canyon in Arizona. I was planning on making the trek from Creel to the town of Batopilas, a historic … [Read more...]

The long and not winding road I spent the night in Hidalgo del Parral but other than walk a few blocks to grab a bite to eat, I didn't do much. I was pretty wiped out and crashed early. I'm traveling on a budget so I try to eat for under $10 a day. Luckily there's plenty of great and cheap food available in Mexico. Elote is corn on the cob prepared with chili powder, butter, sour cream, and cheese. It's sold by street vendors and in established shops all over Mexico.(and in many cities … [Read more...]

From the outskirts of the city I could tell Durango would be the biggest city I've been to on the trip so far.  This morning while I had wifi at the hotel I mapped out how to get to where I was staying so I wouldn't get lost. That plan got thrown out the window as soon as I found the road closed and I was sent on a wild detour completely throwing me off track. I tried going down a few streets to find ones I knew from the map but with no luck as streets didn't always (or usually) have street … [Read more...]

I knew only one thing about Zacatecas before I arrived, I was told that I would love it. I should have planned accordingly. Here's the story of my time in the colonial city of Zacatecas. The ride from Durango to Zacatecas was somewhat forgettable. I only remember thinking for the first time that I should download Spanish language audio classes and practice while riding. Arriving into Zacatecas at noon I had planned to meet up in the centro with Cloe, the Couchsurfer I was going to stay … [Read more...]

When I get on the road early  enough I can take my time and enjoy the side roads to get to the next city. Leaving Zacatecas after breakfast with Cloe, I skipped the main autopista and jumped on highway 54 to ride to Guadalajara in the state of Jalisco. I passed by police and military trucks with soldiers in the back, rifles in their hands. This is the governments response to recent attacks from organized crime in the state and city. I'm glad it doesn't seem to have drastically affected the city … [Read more...]

Guadalajara and Zapopan had a lot more to see but I had to get to Mexico City by Sunday night. A few months before I left I saw an email from the band Muse, one of my favorites, announcing their fall tour. In the middle of the tour was a few nights playing in Mexico City the week of my birthday. How could I not go? Tickets were a great price so I picked one up on Ticketmaster and planned to get to Mexico City in time for the show Sunday night. Oskar insisted I have a real breakfast before I … [Read more...]