editor’s note: When I was in high school, my mom got a job and an apartment so I could go to school in town. Those winters, my dad, Steve Rogers (co-author of People’s Guide to Mexico) went down south on his own for the first time since he and my mom got together. In 1995, my mom gave him a journal to record his travels for us. I know other people out there miss Steve as much as I do, […]
When I was a little girl, I used to draw pictures of graves. Specifically, graves you might find in a Mexican cemetery. Crosses, with Virgin Marys, and candles, and offerings of bougainvillea. For about six months, headstones were my prime artistic focus. I spent so much time drawing graves that my parents were actually weirded out. And it took a lot to weird out my parents. I guess you could say that I’ve always been morbid. But I’m not goth […]
Just returned from celebrating my fifth year wedding anniversary. Rich and I were joined by a passel of friends, including Roberto and Bettina of Tenacatita fame. Bob made a gallon or two of killer salsa, and my friends Rohan and Greg grilled up 25 pounds of skirt steak for tacos. Much to my chagrin, our local tortilleria was out of commission and we were forced to eat this delectable meat on leathery store bought tortillas. Steve was rolling in his […]
“Camping in Mexico is easier after you accept the fact that almost any place can be a campsite, if only for a short time.” The Peoples Guide to Mexico Traveling in Mexico can be an eye opening, even revolutionary experience. If we allow it, the experiences we have in Mexico, and the lessons we learn from the Mexicans, can influence how we live when we’re back home. One of those ways is brought home as Carl and I head east […]
The venerable garage band Dead Moon has a song called “Don’t Speak Ill of the Dead.“The last verse opens strong: “Some of my friends are gone forever/Paled into the light/Things I wish I could have said/As they passed into the night.” But that’s not the part that gets me. What gets me is the next line, almost an aside. The singer’s voice dips lower into speaking tone, and, in a three word phrase, distills the pain of loss: “Oh, I […]
Since reading Churpa’s post on Rivers in Mexico vs. the US, I’ve been thinking about the The Copper Canyon River system. This area not only has dramatic scenery and the fascinating Tarahumaras and their culture, but is a wonderful playground. One of my favorite articles that Carl has written takes place in the Copper Canyon: I was feeling restless this morning, so I decide to explore the mesas and canyons to the _____ of us. It took less than 30 […]
After a hard day on the trail, I’m back at the Sierra Madre Lodge, relaxing in front of a roaring fire. There’s a steaming mug of Darjeeling tea on the table beside me, while outside the last blush of a million-dollar sunset is splashed across the horizon. I was feeling restless this morning, so after seeing off our guests at 9:30 a.m., I decided to take a ‘bus driver’s holiday’ and explore the mesas and canyons to the _____ […]
Listen to the Rick Steves interview with Carl and Lorena. A couple months ago, Carl and I spent the afternoon visiting with an old friend, Rick Steves. Schedules didn’t permit us to be sitting in a beach-side restaurant, eating Camerones al mojo de ajo, but we did get to talk about Mexico. We were in Rick’s recording studio at his Travel Headquarters in Edmonds, Washington, reminiscing about how we first met and discussing traveling in Mexico today. Rick is a master […]
editor’s note: People’s Guide to Mexico contributor Gina Dilello is a Utah-based photographer and filmmaker. This is her fourth trip to Mexico. Atlixco, Puebla Churpa and Rich Oaxaca, Oaxaca Oaxaca Trailer Park Oaxaca, Oaxaca Oaxaca Trailer Park Oaxaca, Oaxaca Mitla, Oaxaca
San Miguel de Allende was a jewel on the map of my childhood. Many times circled, marked with a push-pin. Coming here always felt like coming home. I loved the smell of old stone courtyards, the sound of water splashing onto cobblestones as people cleaned the streets in front of their big-doored colonial houses, and the chorus of blackbirds in the Zocalo as the sun set behind the enormous pink Cathedral, which looked like something made up by a little […]