The nice folks at Charly’s recommended a trip into the nearby city of Atotonilco El Alto (not to be confused with the Atotonilco just outside of San Miguel de Allende).
We knew things got busy around the RV park on the weekends, so Saturday seemed like a good day to head into town.
And this particular Saturday had the added benefit of a classic car show going on at one of the parks, which we thought might be fun for the boys.
Our Mexico-USA RV Journey 2024-25
There’s no mistaking it, we’re in tequila country now. Literally every bus stand is sponsored by at least one area distillery. Siete Leguas seems to be one of the more well-known distillers in these parts.
It’s a 30-minute bus ride into the city from the village of Santa Elena.
Along the way, we spot a billboard for the car show. Usually a promising sign. Judging by the sign, looks like we may even be treated to some classic ships as well…?
It’s been a couple of weeks since we’ve been out for brunch. Atotonilco had some good-looking options, so we thought we’d give it a try. If you’re in the area and have a hankering for a hearty breakfast burrito or bagel sandwich, Lola is a very good bet.
Most of Atotonilco is your typical nondescript mid-sized highlands city. But I will admit, parts of it were much more charming than I expected. Particularly the area around the central plaza.
There are a handful of distilleries in town as well, but we couldn’t figure out how to get inside any of them. I hear that there are distillery tours. Lori tried calling a bunch of phone numbers, and we asked around, but no luck.
When we arrived at the classic car show, it was very obvious things were still getting started. Most of the booths weren’t yet functional, but there were enough interesting cars to keep the boys’ attention for an hour or so.
This being Mexico, the show may be fully functional by tomorrow afternoon (the final day of the show).
The boys were very excited to spin a wheel and take home these battery banks (the money variety).
Los Sabinos Park is surprising nice. It’s a wooded recreation area with a stream that cuts through the center. Today, there’s lots of people here for the show, but also dozens enjoying the park with family.
We saw a number of people sipping craft beer on the river and decided to follow suit. Until the heat showed up.
Not to worry, just a show car. Who am I kidding, this is Mexico. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway. The cops probably would have grabbed their own beers and joined in with the rest of us.
We failed miserably in our attempts to sample the local tequila (Siete Leguas), both at the actually distillery and at the car show. When we returned, we sort of felt obligated to order up a glass.
…and a giant Bavarian beer, just in case it’s nothing but firewater.
As it turns out, both are pretty tasty.
Sunday morning brunch at home.
Someone just finished first grade!
The following weekend was Mother Day(s): Mexican Mother’s Day landed on the 10th, and U.S. Mother’s Day, on Sunday the 11th (for five years straight, Lori’s gotten TWO mothers days, while I get just one special day (but of course, she’s worth it…and I’m not bitter at all…)).
What to do in Santa Elena on Mother’s Day? Head back to Atotonilco for brunch, of course!
Afterwards, we went on a walk exploring another park in town. Usually we do a big hike on Mother’s Day, but that wasn’t in the cards this year. Still, we all had fun celebrating Mom.
Mas tequila. This time, sponsored by none other than Don Julio.
The boys’ highlight of every Mother’s Day is watching mommy open their gifts. It’s always fun to see what they come up with. This year, given the small space, they had to get extra creative.
We’ve really been enjoying the dry climate and abundant sunshine lately. So much, in fact, it’s made us question our route and timeline headed north.
For months, the plan has been to hang out at Charly’s in Santa Elena for a while, then spend a few weeks at Roca Azul on the western banks of Lake Chapala. From there, we’d sort of drag our feet in Lo de Marcos and along the Sea of Cortez into the rainy season until our temporary residency was ready to convert into permanent residency (end of July).
Then, we’d hightail it to Oregon, arriving around mid-August.
In Tepotzotlan, it was clear that Lori and I both weren’t as attached to this plan as we had been. And at Charly’s, we ultimately decided to nix the timeline along with Mexico permanent residency.
There are some downsides to becoming permanente here, which we’re not sure we’re ready for. Particularly given that we have no plans to stay in Mexico past July or return any time soon.
It’s been an awesome five years, but as we head north it’s becoming clearer with each mile that we’re ready to move on to something else.
With no immigration appointment keeping us in Mexico, we’re free to leave whenever we want. We’re thinking now that we’d like to head back to Lo de Marcos for a couple of weeks, then head for the border just before the rains start in earnest.
Then, maybe a month exploring some national parks in Arizona and Utah before making our way back to Oregon a month ahead of schedule to enjoy the PacNW summer. The boys are at a perfect age for the Grand Canyon, etc. and tooling around the Southwest, and we have an ideal rig for that.
So, that’s the new plan—a beeline back to Lo de Marcos, the north to the U.S.
But not before one quick and non-negotiable stop along the way…
