We were ready to go by 9:45 am, we said our goodbyes, some of them emotional for Val especially her friend Joyce, and after receiving some final advise from Gaylord about Penasco, we hit the road by 10 am. We stopped for diesel at a cost of 389 pesos then headed north on Hwy 15 which was excellent (for Mexico) to Hermosillo. The road through the city was very well marked, the detours easy and in no time, we were north of the city where we paid 127 pesos for the toll and we stopped at a Pemex for lunch. From here, the road was good except for about 5 miles when it was quite rough but we stuck to the left lane and all was fine. At Benjamin Hills, we went through a Military check point and were searched by a young and polite soldier then we were on our way. We arrived at our campground in Santa Anna, pulled in, met once again Anna and Edgar, paid our 150 pesos for the night, hooked up and are now relaxing. We were here by 3 pm and it is nearly 90*F (32*C) and NO WIND! The sky was cloudy most of the day and it is still like that now but the temperature has dropped to a nice 80*F
When we got here, there were 2 other rigs but by dinner time, two more came in. Our neighbour LOVES to yak; I will walk away busying myself and as soon as I stop he comes back out and he’s right there again bending my ears. I swear he has been alone too long. When the other two rigs came in, he was right there talking to them before they even got parked!!! I am just NOT used to that!
N 30* 32.156’
W 111* 07.012’
Alt: 2278 feet
I drove 185 miles in 3:45 hrs @ an average 50 MPH.
Wow! What a day! We got up at 7 am and I cooked pancakes for breakfast. After showering and cleaning up, we packed and left around 8:30 am. First the Beast took on fuel then we were on the road on Hwy 2 towards Carborca. The road was really great and we made good time on a wide 4 lanes highway. We paid 132 pesos at the toll in Altar and then were on a two lane highway to Carborca where we turned south then west on Hwy 3 and made our way to Puerto Penasco on the south road. The country side was mainly agriculture land and lots of people working the fields; but there were also plenty of desert sceneries. It was a good drive except for when we got near small towns/villages where the road would become rough for one to two miles then back to good highway. The road had no shoulders but it was wide enough to meet trucks and buses comfortably. We stopped in El Diamante for a break and a bite to eat then continues on.
The highway came close to the Sea of Cortes at one point and we could see the water. We were stopped at a military check point near Estacion Sahuaro where we were once again checked inside but this time, one of the soldiers spoke English and we were able to communicate. They were curious about the inside, how much it cost, where we had been (they saw the map on the outside wall) and where we lived in BC. It was fun talking to them but we were soon on our way. By the way, when I asked what they look for, he said they check for weapons and drugs. We told them Canadians don’t carry weapons and we were too old for marijuana; they laughed at that! One of them told me it was good medicine. They are really neat kids and very curious; a joy to talk to them.
The road became very rough as we neared Penasco and we finally arrived at our destination with no problems; we are staying at PLAYA del ORO and are at site 213, about 100 yards from the water. After setting up, we went into town to the bank to get some cash and I fuelled up at the same time. We came back to Oro and I paid for 6 nights @ 1600 pesos ($138 Cdn) with the seventh night free.
We walked to the beach where there were still quite a few people out in the water, yes in the water! We had a beer by the beach at the local bar. This is a very nice place and very clean. The propane truck came in and I took on one tank.
For dinner, we decided to go to the Malecon and had dinner at the “The Point Restaurant” on the main drag near the harbour. A very nice place built on stilts over the water (see pictures) and we had a marvellous sea food dinner. Temperature when we got here was 30*C and right now at 8:20 pm, it is still over 20*C. AND NO WIND!
N 31* 17.815’
W 113* 32.027’Alt: 22 feet
We travelled 178 miles in 4 hours @ an average 46 MPH
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