Friday, May 8, 2015

Oh, Oh, Mexico......Puerto Penasco

Mexico, I love Mexico!!!!!!!!!  So glad Mike drove us down here.  We'd been planning this trip for a long time and it finally got here.  Could not have asked for a better trip or friends to share our experiences with.

Drove down on April 11th and returned on the 18th.  We saw so many new things -- in fact everything there was new to me.  Mike and Cheryl had been there several times before so they were the perfect tour guides.  We didn't miss anything.

Cheryl and I both enjoyed collecting shells - we were truly insane about it.  She would get up every morning early and around 6:30 be out collecting.  We both enjoyed our photography and took hundreds of pictures.  Here, you will see a tiny sampling.  Mike and John had fun joking around, eating Mexican food and drinking beer and margaritas.

Puerto Penasco is a small town that used to be a sleepy fishing village.  Now the tourists from California and Arizona enjoy visiting and it is considered the beach for Southern Arizona.  The people were nice and friendly.  Very different from Cancun in the bargaining as the people are not aggressive.  I enjoyed that and even bargained a little which is something I rarely do.  Mike is a great bargainer and watching him helped me understand that the people do expect and enjoy this.

So here are a few of my pictures.

The ocotillo were in full bloom

Beautiful mural along the way in Why, AZ

The beginning of our trip

This was my first view of the water.  I had it in my mind that
the water would be sort of brown - surprise, it was beautiful
This is in the Sea of Cortez

Looking across the bay, several condos and hotels, but nothing
compared to Cancun.  I hope they don't over develop this area 

At the fish market on El Malecon.
Great seafood straight from the water
fish, scallops, shrimp of every size

The early bird shell gatherer

Eggs - its what's for breakfast

Cheryl and I peeling and deveining several pounds of shrimp

Mayan Palace
We didn't spend much time here

Seagull enjoying the pool

Lucky's Cantina - buy a $5 cocktail, free breakfast of
bacon, 3 eggs, ham, beans, and the drink was not watered down.
We were so surprised to see huge Boise State sign there.

Mike & Cheryl - long time, dear friends

This is the "rocky point" sand.  You can rent ATVs and drive around 
much of the area.  Jeeps, 4-wheelers are for rent.  Looks like a ball

A little shopping at Cholla Mall
A little off the beaten track downtown, but great items with good prices
Very, very nice shop owners who were nice, fun and not aggressive

Nice shops at Cholla Mall

If I lived closer and had a truck I would
buy up almost everything.  I love Mexican art - so bright
and beautiful.  Their work just makes me feel happy.


We probably brought home 85 lbs. of shells between us.  I left mine at Cheryl's house to pick up on
our way back to Florida.   Picture below is low tide.  If you can't find shells here you have a problem

Mayan Palace beach

Cheryl was up every morning and out by 7:00 a.m.
We each had "grabbers" so we didn't have to keep stooping over

The Marina where the shrimp fleet docks.  The Sea of Cortez is
teeming with "pink gold" during the season.  We surely ate our share.

Down at El Malecon
Sculpture to honor shrimp fishermen

 Shopping, having a beer
blue sky, blue water - who could ask for more

Nice statute at a main intersection in town

 Sandy Beach, a bit out of town looking toward Old Port

Flower lady - I bought some beautiful paper flowers from her


We had a wonderful late lunch here
Came back another day for Happy Hour

Amazing high and low tides in Puerto Penasco
This contraption pull boats out of the water and put them on their trailers

You can see how far the tide is out
Seagulls enjoying the catch

Wind generator that was not working
Seems it is sitting there waiting for something from Spain

So many birds to watch and enjoy

Pelicans plunging for dinner

Fun bar - we did not get "wrecked"


Horses for hire on the beach

Visited with the horse owner, a very nice man

Mike & John playing corn hole.  
John won -- at the last possible minute.

I love this picture of Mike & Cheryl


Sunset over the Point

Tide out, look at all these shells

Mike walked the beach on morning and found these huge shells
He brought Cheryl and me back the next day.  We were astounded.  Biggest
shells I've ever seen on a beach and we got so many of them.  Our bags got so heavy.

Met some fisher folks and they showed us a ray
that they found on the beach.  Saw a dead seal and turtle too.

Non venomous snake.  His mate had just been run over.
He is pretty long.


Adorable Merry Margarita, not often
do you see an entire pink boat

Last minute shopping at El Malecon

Mike's seafood platter, served on a pizza tray
This food was so good we ate 3 meals here.  My favorite.

John's chili verde burrito
It was amazing

Our servers were great, excellent service and happy smiles

Our favorite place

Guy working hard - I like that they use their people and give them jobs
In the U.S. they would lay down a stencil and it would be done by 
a paint truck in one second.

RV park we checked out

Perfect on this trailer for Mexico on the beach

Gold from the sea
Our shrimp & scallops

View of downtown area from hill top

Pre-sunset - looks like liquid silver

Great dinner here, Chef Luca's new restaurant
The Fish Seafood Restaurant and Bar
The view is absolutely perfect to see the entire town

Beautiful sunset

Our bell boy was amazing.  Can't even believe
 the amount of stuff he was able to pack onto the cart.
I told him he was the best and probably magical. 

Saturday Market in downtown park
We stopped on our way out of town

They can make art from anything - wonderful ingenuity 
Recycling tires - useful and so cute

Goodbye beautiful Mexico.  I will miss the people, food, colors and beaches.  Puerto Penasco was a "best" trip, made more special with our friends.  We'd been planning this trip for 1 1/2 years and now its over.  Thanks Mike and Cheryl for going with us.