Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2001 09:20:21 -0700
Reply-To: Stuart MacMillan <macmillan@HOME.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stuart MacMillan <macmillan@HOME.COM>
Subject: Re: Driving Time to Guadalajara
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Many years ago (1973) in a previous life (and pre-Westy) my wife and I
drove from Seattle to Mexico City and back in three weeks. In a Datsun
510 station wagon. We were insane. I bought my first Westy shortly after
that trip, a '68!
I remember curvy two lane highways clogged with hundreds of slow moving
trucks and little opportunity to pass. (And lots of crosses by the side
of the road on every curve where people tried.) They haven't built any
freeways since then, and NAFTA has put a lot more trucks on the road, so
don't expect to make fast time. But then, you ARE driving an air cooled
Vanagon Westy. You may hold up the trucks! ;-)
I'd figure an average speed of about 30-35 mph. Guadalajara is 1052
miles from Nogales, so allow at least 30 hours of daylight driving time.
You will want to stop in a few places too for fun, so allow five days if
you want to have any relaxation along the way. Stay your first night in
Guaymas, the shrimp shouldn't be missed.
Back then it was inadvisable to drive at night or camp by the side of
the road, and I think that is still good advice. We stayed in "motels"
and private campgrounds on that trip. Back then there was a spectacular
campground on Mazatlan's third beach. Each spot had it's own coconut
palm tree, and it was right on the beach. Long gone...
You will need special auto insurance too, and plenty of coin for the
mandatory "gratuities" you will be prompted for.
It was a great adventure, but I wouldn't do it again. I'm only senile
now, not insane, but I would drive to Guaymas for the shrimp. We were
so sick of driving in Mexico at the end of that trip we drove out from
Mazatlan to Tucson (750 miles) in one day, Easter Sunday, because there
were no trucks on the road!
I'm sure you will get more (and better) advice from those who have been
there in more recent times.
--
Stuart MacMillan
Seattle
'84 Vanagon Westfalia w/2.1
'65 MGB (Daily driver since 1969)
'74 MGB GT (Restoring sloooowly)
Personal mechanic for:
'70 MGB GT (Daughter's)
Assisting on Restoration (and spending OPM):
'72 MGB GT (Was daughter's, now son's)
'64 MGB (Son's)
Stripped and gone but their parts live on:
'68 MGB, '73 MGB, '67 MGB GT
