Taking a Piggyback Ride Through Mexico

By Larry Tolin

Many have heard about putting RVs on flatbed train cars and traveling down the scenic Copper Canyon of Mexico on Adventure Caravans' Twin Piggyback tour. A super feature of this trip is that drivers can relax and enjoy the scenery. The 41-day Twin Piggyback trip is the longest offered, and it includes three segments: Chihuahua and the piggyback, West Coast Beaches of Mexico, and Baja.

The journey into Mexico began in Presidio, Tex., at the confluence of the Rio Grande and Rio Concho Rivers. The first stop at the customs inspection went very quickly and smoothly, then the group was off down a toll-road, so there were no complaints about the quality of Mexican roads. The 176 miles to Chihuahua, Mexico, was made in about five hours.

The next morning, we took a bus tour of Chihuahua, which was founded in 1709. We visited a park where a great statue of a bull overlooks the city. Close-by is a bronze statue of Mexican-born actor Anthony Quinn. Also nearby is the Museum of the Revolution, also known as Pancho Villa's house, which contains his personal belongings. PanchoVilla was "hated by thousands and loved by millions." He is still a folk hero.

In the morning, the caravan moved to Cuauhtémoc, a plain dotted with apple orchards. This part of Mexico grows 80% of the apples produced there and is populated primarily by Mennonites. In 1840, they immigrated from Russia and Holland to Canada. In 1921, the Canadian government imposed laws they felt interfered with their way of life so they purchased 200,000 acres for 50 cents an acre. Over the next seven years, 12,000 Mennonites moved to the area, and today, they total over 40,000.

Following a tour of a Mennonite school, the farming area and a Mennonite church, the group enjoyed a family-style Mennonite dinner.

The next leg was a short 36 miles to La Junta through a winter wonderland. The RVs arrived at the railhead, were directed onto train flatbeds, and safely secured. The following morning's trip by rail was from La Junta to Creel, a climb from 6,500 to 7,500 feet. The first part was through farmland: grain fields, apple orchards and rolling fields with lots of cattle. Wildlife was abundant-coyotes, ravens, black and turkey vultures, great blue herons and various species of ducks. The landscape changed drastically as the train reached higher altitudes, giving way to pine forests and more snow. The train passed through San Juanito, said to be the coldest city in Mexico, and crossed the Continental Divide at Trevino (7,900 feet) and again in the Continental Tunnel (7,750 feet).

Leaving the RVs on the train at Creel, the group took a bus tour to the Tarahumara Indian cave dwellings. These Indian people settled here thousands of years ago, living in caves, along the riverbanks and in small cabins. Also visited were several Tarahumara sites: a 350-year-old Catholic church (still in use), and the "Valley of the Mushrooms," rock formations formed from soft volcanic material and weathering.

Leaving Creel, the train traveled to the top of the Sierra Madres. As it descended, the track loop through a tunnel and passed underneath itself. Arriving at Copper Canyon, which is larger and deeper than the Grand Canyon, a tour bus took the group to view balancing rock and walk down a rock path to a Tarahumara cave.

The next morning's leg was through Cuiteco Village. This was the day of tunnels and bridges. By the time we reached El Fuerte, we'd traveled through 53 tunnels.
On to Los Mochis where the second segment of our tour took us along the West Coast beaches of Mexico. Drivers had to pay attention to the roads and traffic after five days of worry-free sightseeing while atop train cars. A real highlight was when we crossed the Tropic of Cancer. The RV park was right in the heart of Mazatlan, about a block from the Sea of Cortez. From along the beach, we could look out and view mountain islands, one topped by the second highest natural lighthouse in the world. Mazatlan has about a half million residents and is one of Mexico's best billfish sport fishing areas.

The third segment of the trip included crossing the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California) to La Paz by a freighter/ferry. At the terminal, all the RVs were weighed and inspected by the police before loading. The ferry was 450 feet long and 50 feet wide. The top deck was for RVs and fifth wheels, the next deck for 18-wheelers and cars, and another for passengers and crew with their sleeping quarters, a small dining hall and a bar. The overnight trip lasted 15 hours with the motor homes slowly rocking side to side in a calm sea.

By 8:30, we entered the harbor at La Paz. After docking and unloading, the group traveled to Los Barriles and Cabo San Lucas. The highlight of this stop was a catamaran cruise where we saw the Window to the Pacific and the Arch of Los Cabos, naturally eroded formations that the surf rolled through in great swells.

The route from Cabo led closer to the Pacific Ocean for a while before turning back to La Paz, the largest city in Baja California Sur. After a few days of sightseeing, we traveled through the quaint port town of Loreto with Buenaventura as our goal. Across the river and on a hill, you can see the Mission Santa Rosalia de Mulege. Founded by the Jesuits in 1705, the existing structure was built in 1770 after a flood damaged the previous one.

There, the group took a bus from the RV park for a brief half-hour boat ride to a lagoon. It wasn't long before whales appeared, almost close enough for us to touch. Such huge, incredible creatures, they were larger than our boats, and they surfaced alongside us. A mother and her calf both swam close to us and under our boat. After a couple of hours, it was time to leave this fascinating nature show and return to the dock.

The final stop was in Ensenada at Estero Beach in a beautiful RV park. A bus tour included the Cultural Center and the former Riviera Del Pacifico, a gambling casino and hotel - a favored place for Hollywood celebrities.

The Adventure Caravans 41-day piggyback tour was a wonderful adventure, and we all now have new-found friends and great memories to share.

More info about piggyback and other tours can be found at www.adventurecaravans.com.

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