Day 11 - La Hacienda, MX to Colleyville, TX

For Day 11, we woke up early and made our way towards the US border. Apart from some initial miles, we rode the rest of the way on good roads so we made a great time, so much so that we all decided to make the 700 miles plus route in one day so we could go sleep on our own bed at home.

Since we had enjoyed the sweet pies so much the night before, they prepared us some pie for breakfast together with the ham omelet.

The border crossing was uneventful. Paula and I separated from the group and had lunch in a Subway in Brownsville, TX.

We then got ourselves on the road and arrived in Colleyville, TX at about 10pm. 

The whole group made it to their homes safely and that night and forever we will reminisce another great trip to Mexico.

Carpe Diem !

Safe back in the good old US of A

Map of our trip

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Day 10 - Jalpan de Serra, MX to La Hacienda, MX

For Day 10, we rode from Jalpan de Serra, MX to La Hacienda, MX in the state of Tamaulipas.

On the way we stopped in the small town of Nuevo San Rafael, MX to give away a soccer ball. As we were doing this with the kids, we noticed the parents were eating and selling what looked like a fruit. It turned out to be a fruit from a cactus (Stenocereus queretaroensis). We took the opportunity to taste it. Sweet with a bit of a pleasant after taste.

Our destination for the day, would be the highlight of this day though, The Hacienda Santa Engracia in Tamaulipas.

We left the bikes under cover and then went to see this amazing colonial structure that goes back to the 1940s when the fiestas of the owners son were so popular that they decided to create an hotel. Every Christmas the Hacienda closes its doors to visitors and it is used as a place that the family can come back to and celebrate Christmas and the New Year.

It is now also an orange grove so we had some very sweet orange juice as we gathered as a group around the beautiful pool area.

For the evening we had a beautiful dinner that was cooked just for us. The high highlight were the sweet pies for dessert.

We all went back to our rooms and enjoyed a cool night with the help of air-conditioners.

A Spanish Hacienda in an Orange Grove for our last night in Mexico

Drone video of The Hacienda

Last supper in Mexico in La Hacienda, MX

Relive of day's ride

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Day 9 - San Joaquin, MX to Jalpan de Serra, MX

For Day 9, we did the same route of the day before but in the opposite direction and ended up the ride in Jalpan de Serra, MX.

On the way we stopped in Pinal de Amoles and enjoyed walking a bit this town. Loved its plaza and we were even treated to a special Mexican delicacy in the area, The Pig Stew

We had lunch back in our faithful hotel, La Mision, in Jalpan de Serra, MX and got ready for a boys adventure in the late afternoon.

For a while Bo and Dave had been speaking about taking a RAZR (all wheel drive side by side with amazing suspension) drive through the Sierra Gorda and that is what the 4 (Bo, Colin, Dave and Jim) did. I accompanied them on my faithful GSA. We had a lot of fun visiting different areas that would have been more difficult for all of us to ride the bikes on. Bo took the opportunity to take some video of this experience.

For the evening we had a beautiful dinner at our hotel watching the sunset.

Breakfast team in San Joaquin, MX

The boys on the road leaving San Joaquin, MX

Colin´s favorite dish

Ready to rock and roll

Drone video of the Razor side by side excursion 

The ringing of the bell on the Mision Church in Jalpan de Serra, MX

Selfie in Jalpan de Serra, MX

Some views of the Pueblo Magico Jalpan de Serra, MX

Some of the best photos of the Day

Relive of day's ride

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Day 8 - Jalpan de Serra, MX to San Joaquin, MX

During Day 8, we left Jalpan de Serra, MX and rode to another Pueblo Magico - San Joaquin, MX in the state of Queretaro. 

As we were leaving Jalpan de Serra, MX we started to get rain which got worst and worst as we went up the mountain towards Pinal de Amoles, MX, and the fog was so thick we could not see much. Fortunately for us when we got to the other side of the mountain the sun was out and it became much warmer and we really enjoyed the many twisties as we made our way to Peña Miller, MX.

We stopped in the main plaza and had lunch with the locals. Some of us had chicken, other tacos. We also took the opportunity to see the beautiful main plaza and church.

It is not easy to get to San Joaquin as it is in the middle of many mountains and when one gets there we feel that we are away from rest of civilization. For me it was this rural feeling that impressed me the most as I felt deep in Mexican culture. 

Our hotel, Hotel Meson Dona Lupe was up in the mountain and from it we could see the town below. Because of the mountainous terrain, the town has many viewpoints and we braved the hill climbing and visited the La Crucia (The Cross) Lookout.

We then made our way down the hill to the main plaza and had dinner in the city centre. On the way we stopped in a bakery to get some Mexican delicacies that were baked right there.

We were also treated to a Huasteca Dance, the Huapango.

As the sun was setting we made our way back up the hill towards our hotel for the night.

Having lunch in Peña Miller, MX; Take 2

Bathrooms on Peña Miller, MX 

Hunting for the Hotel Meson Dona Lupe in San Joaquin, MX

The Mirador La Crucia (The Cross Lookout) in San Joaquin, MX; Take 2

Mexican delicacies in San Joaquin, MX

Walking through the streets of Pueblo Magico San Joaquin, MX; Take 2; Take 3

The Huapango, a Huasteca Dance

Some of the best photos of the Day

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Day 7 - Molango, MX to Jalpan de Serra, MX

On Day 7, we woke up to a very rainy day and decided to change the day's ride so we would stay on better roads. We decided to go to Jalpan de Serra, MX in the north of the state of Querataro.

It turned out to be a great decision as the rain was accompanied by dense fog and we were happy we were on main roads rather than secondary, and in much worst conditions, roads.

We even had the opportunity to go off-road.

We stopped in the town of Tamazunchale, MX where we struggled a bit with traffic. Eventually we made it to the very centre (where we had stayed the night in April 2021), stopped the bikes and had lunch on a restaurant where we would be right on the pavement where lots of people were crossing. It was quite interesting to see the hustle and bustle of this city.

We then made our way to Jalpan de Serra, MX, the heart of the Sierra Gorda and went to our hotel, Hotel Mision, one of our favorites in this trip.

In the afternoon we relaxed in this beautiful town and went to see the Franciscan church in the town, one of the Five Franciscan Missions of the Sierra Gorda. They were built during the last phase of the conversion to Christianity of the interior of Mexico in the mid-18th century and became an important reference for the continuation of the evangelization of California, Arizona and Texas. The richly decorated church façades are of special interest as they represent an example of the joint creative efforts of the missionaries and the Indios.

For dinner, we had it in the beautiful colonial courtyard of The Mision Hotel.

Small town shopping in Molango, MX

Lots of rain and fog

Lunch time traffic in Tamazunchale, MX

Views on the road

Roadside break

Country cruising off-road

The first selfie

Selfie in Jalpan de Serra, MX

Some more magic in Jalpan de Serra, MX

Amazing drone photo of Jalpan de Serra, MX

Some of the best photos of the Day

Relive of day's ride

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Day 6 - Aquismon, MX to Molango, MX

For Day 6, we rode from Aquismon, MX to Molango, MX in the state of Hidalgo.

The vegetation was changing to much more green and luscious as compared to the day before (mainly fields that were farmed).

We also went past one of my favorite roads close to Xilitla, MX.

After doing a lot of really nice roads up and down mountains, we stopped in a small restaurant in Tepehuacan de Guerrero for lunch.

We then continued south towards Molango, MX enjoying the many twisties of the Sierra Gorda.

Our hotel in Molango, Hotel El Dios Mola was the cheapest one we stayed at and had lots of character.

Before dinner, which we had in a restaurant overlooking the main square, we visited the beautiful gardens and church and learned about the history of the town of Molango, word that  comes from nahuatl name that means place of the god mola a pre-Columbian deity that represents the surrounding mountains and was worshipped within the territory by Nahua and Otomi People, who still live within this municipality to this day.

This was one of my favorite days of riding.

Riding in rural Mexico 

Lunch in rural Mexico

Drone video of lunch and sugar cane plant

The beautiful garden and church in Molango, MX

Hotel in Molango, MX

The plaza in Molango, MX

Dinner overlooking the main square in Molango, MX

Some of the best photos of the Day

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Day 5 - Tula, MX to Aquismon, MX

On Day 5, we left Tula, MX and rode to another Pueblo Magico - Aquismon, MX in the state of San Luis Potosi.

The morning ride was very nice as we went up a mountain and enjoyed the many twisties and views always riding in the middle of thick vegetation.

We then came down to the valley and started to notice large plantations of sugar cane.

We started then seeing a lot of trucks carrying sugar cane and eventually came across a large sugar cane plant. 

We stopped for lunch in a very nice restaurant where we sat outside the esplanade and had chicken wings.

On the road we had the opportunity to give the first soccer ball to a local young lady. 

While the rest of the group went to Aquismon, MX we went to visit the Natural Landscape La Morena. As we did not have much time we were not able to take a boat (with others) up the Tampoon River and see the well known Tamul Waterfalls that falls 105 meters through a narrow and deep canyon brownstone.

We stayed at the Hotel Boutique Santa Lucia.

For the end of the day, we walked around and enjoyed this beautiful little town which totally deserves to be called a Pueblo Magico.

Good morning coffee prepared by Colin

Soccer ball give away 

End of the day in the plaza; Take 2

Pueblo Magico of Tula, MX in the morning 

Relive of day's ride

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Day 4 - Galeana, MX to Tula, MX

For Day 4, we rode from Galeana, MX south towards our first Pueblo Magico - Tula, MX in the state of Tamaulipas.

We left the quaint town of Galeana and its Benito Juarez Plaza and made our way south. We would be riding on very sparse populated roads and we really enjoyed this riding in rural Mexico.

For lunch we stopped in the small town of Miquihuana, MX and had some difficulty in finding a restaurant but eventually we found a gem. We were served by a lady that was not very friendly but the food was delicious. On the other hand here husband was very nice and he lent Jim some tools so he could fix a bent wheel on his RT.

After lunch we made our way to Tula, MX where we arrived with plenty of time to visit the plaza and enjoy our first Pueblo Magico.

Pueblo Magico towns are usually much cleaner and everything is well painted. 

Tula, MX is considered the oldest city in the state of Tamaulipas and in 2011 was declared a Pueblo Magico. 

We enjoyed this town and were even lucky to participate in fiesta time and see a show, about the state of Oaxaca, on its main plaza. “El Palomo Miahuateco” is a dance from the town of Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz, located in the southern part of Oaxaca. This dance is inspired by birds and represents courtship and fertility.

We also loved the hotel (Hotel Rombos) where we had a very nice room overlooking the main plaza.

Morning view from hotel room in Galeana, MX 

Lunch in Miquihuana, MX

Drone photo of Miquihuana, MX

Fixing bent wheel rim on the road

Drone photo of Tula, MX

Our hotel for the night in Tula, MX

Tula plaza

Bracelet artistry in Tula, MX

Fiesta time in the Tula Plaza honoring the beautiful state of Oaxaca, with typical dances of that region

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Day 3 - Pharr, TX to Galeana, MX Ruta 20

For Day 3, we left Pharr, TX quite early into morning and made our way south towards the Mexican border. We would end up the day in Galeana, MX in the state of Nuevo Leon.

We had decided that as we already had the documents done from the day before we would cross the closest border to Pharr, Tx, which is in Reynosa, MX. The crossing was totally uneventful although we had to queue a bit to get across the bridge and had the opportunity to see the wall that was built. I was very surprised that the wall in certain parts is indeed very tall and looks the part but in others is very short and can easily be jumped and in other parts there is no wall whatsoever so I left wondering what was the strategy behind its construction.

We entered Mexico in a not very nice part of town of Reynosa and I was quite happy we were all together as a group. Had we been by ourselves on a single bike, I would have been quite worried. The area was very poor, there was a lot of bad smells in the air and we had to be careful not to go over any liquids on the road as we did not know where they had been what was in them. We eventually made it out and started our travel towards Monterrey, MX. 

We did not get in this large city and went around it towards Santiago, MX which is south-east.

We stopped for lunch in a very nice hotel - Hotel Hacienda Cola del Caballo on the Ruta 20. We walked through its gardens and had lunch with a beautiful view of the valley below. We were even treated to someone doing bungee jumping.

We then rode in one of my very favorite roads in Mexico, the Ruta 20. 

We then rode a bit through the cuota (57) where we saw a massive traffic jam. It went on for miles. We were happy we were going in the other direction.

The approach to Galeana, MX is very beautiful as the town is surrounded by mountains all around.

We stayed in a very nice hotel (Hotel Jardin Colonial) overlooking the main plaza and left our motorcycles just outside it.

For dinner we went to a restaurant within walking distance and we took the opportunity to do a group photo by the Galeana sign. 

I personally enjoyed the town and the people and we had a very good evening to start our visit to Mexico.

Lunch in Santiago, MX at the Hotel Hacienda Cola de Caballo

Bungee jumping

Negotiating to get through to Ruta 20

Riding south of Monterrey, MX

Riding through the mountains on Ruta 20 south of Monterrey, MX

Paula's boots shine in Galeana, MX

Guys enjoying life just outside hotel in Galeana, MX

Group photo in Galeana, MX

Drone photo of Galeana, MX

Dinner in Galeana, MX

Relive of day's ride

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Day 2 - Kingsville,TX to Pharr, TX South Padre Island Nuevo Progreso

For Day 2 of our trip we rode mostly in Texas and also finished the day in Pharr, TX (15 minutes away from the Mexico border).

Although we would only be crossing Mexico the day after, we had also decided to do immigration and customs on this day so we made our way to Nuevo Progreso, MX as there was a smaller and less busy border post there. It turned out to be the right approach and we were able to quickly do our papers. We also enjoyed walking around and seeing a bit of Mexico. It is very popular medical tourism location and reading on the internet there are over 100 dentists and 100 pharmacies in the five-block center of the town. Most tourists cross the border on foot.

We then made our way to South Padre Island which is accessible via the Queen Isabella Causeway from the town of Port Isabel. We went to eat in a restaurant with a view of the sea and had some great seafood. We then made our way towards the northern part of the island to see the dunes and also ride until the end of the road. We had also the opportunity of riding he bike on the beach sand.

At the end of the day we made our way back to the hotel in Pharr, TX to get ready for the next day.

Quick trip to Nuevo Progreso, MX

Lunch in South Padre Island

Having fun by the dunes in South Padre Island

The sea in South Padre Island

Enjoying the sea in South Padre Island

On the beach in South Padre Island

Some of the best photos of day's ride

Relive of day's ride

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Day 1 - Colleyville, TX to Kingsville, TX

For Day 1 of our trip we all left from our different homes and met in Waxahachie, TX so we could ride together in a group until Kingsville, TX. There were 4 bikes and 4 of us (Colin, Dave, Jim, Paula and I) as Bo would meet us only at the end of the day.

For lunch we stopped at the Highway 77 Cafe in Rosebud, TX where everyday is a veteran's day and we can also pin where you come from in a giant map. The food was also very nice.

We then made our way south towards Kingsville, TX where we arrived at the end of the day. On the way we passed the Spoetzl Brewery, makers of Shiner beer in Shiner, TX

Getting ready Jim Grubba

Getting ready Colin Josey

The Batman is with us

Having lunch at Highway 77 Cafe in Rosebud, TX; Great tribute; Great dessert; More

Some of the best photos for day's ride 

Relive of day's ride

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