Activity Note
Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 240 miles, approximately 4 hours riding time. Walking about 1/2 mile throughout the day. Standing and walking at a slow pace for up to 1 hour per activity. Must carry all belongings across the border and walk 200 feet. Keep passports on hand for border crossing. No fruits, vegetables, cheese, meats, nor plants are permitted into Mexico.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
We’ll check out of the hotel, board the motorcoach, and drive to Santa Teresa, a convenient port of entry for easy border crossing into Mexico. Together with the Group Leader, we must walk across the border (approximately 200 feet) carrying our all our belongings as we go through Mexican immigration and customs. You will need to present your passport and complete a form on site to receive the required personal permit. The Group Leader will be on hand to assist as needed. Keep this permit with you; you may be asked to present it when leaving Mexico. We’ll board our Mexican motorcoach and continue the drive to Ciudad Chihuahua. The State of Chihuahua is Mexico’s largest, known for its wide-open deserts, rugged forested mountains and deep canyons. We’ll cross scenic desert landscapes and drive through Chihuahua’s famous cattle grazing lands. As we ride, the Group Leader will lecture on the state of Chihuahua providing an overview of its natural and cultural wonders. A lunch stop is in Villa Ahumada to taste the local specialties.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant in Villa Ahumada.
Afternoon:
We’ll move on to Chihuahua City, the state capital, while the Group Leader continues the introductory lecture focusing on the historical events that shaped Northern Mexico as well as the state’s economic activities. As we arrive in the city, we’ll visit the former home – now a museum – of famed Pancho Villa, the colorful controversial hero of the Mexican Revolution. We’ll settle into the centrally located hotel then regroup for a walking exploration of the city’s historical center led by our Group Leader. The Plaza de Armas is dominated by the imposing baroque Cathedral constructed from the profits of the rich silver mines exploited in the past throughout the state. The Cathedral boasts marble brought from Carrara and Murano glass chandeliers. In the center of the plaza, the wrought iron gazebo was brought over from France. We will continue the walk through a market, lively and colorful, ending at an elegant restaurant located in a mansion for our dinner.
Dinner:
In an ex-colonial mansion restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure. The city offers a true Mexican atmosphere. You may stroll through the plaza or along the shopping streets displaying western wear before returning to the hotel. Prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.