Advice / Local Knowledge Needed - NE mexico
 

Hi All
I'm looking for some advice to help me with my route planning. We're riding from Phoenix to Veracruz and back. Once we get to a city we're staying in I don't mind back roads for exploring and day trips but between destinations I like to stay on main roads and/or the autopista as much as possible. We're fully loaded and two-up on a DL650 and the Topes and stop and go of the secondary roads take their toll, especialy on my passanger.

I've bussed all over Mexico and have ridden my bike down the west coast twice so we'd like something different but the insurance rep at Sanbourns suggested we stay on the main west coast highway all the way to Guadalajara and then cross over to Veracruz via Mex City. This seems like a long way to go, plus it'll be boring because we've done it so often.

Here's my tentative plan;
Cross at Douglas AZ and take secondary rds (2 & 10) until they hook up with the main highway leading to Chihuahua. From there follow the autopista to Torreon, where we'll head east to Monterrey and then south on the autopista to San Luis Potosi. We'll dog leg into Doloris Hidalgo and then get back on the main highway/autopista through Mexico City to Veracruz. I know some of the die hard duel sport types will think I'm wimping out but we only have three weeks in total and my passanger is a 58 year old grandmother and if moma's not happy, no one's happy! A smooth safe trip on the autopista might be boring to some but I'm more than willing to compromise if it gets my wife on the bike.

So......after that long and boring preamble, if anyone has recent experience and/or first hand knowledge of this route and area of Mexico I'd really appreciate your feedback.
Cheers
Dale

It seems reasonable. If you are going soon, ie not Summer, you might think if just heading from Montery to Tampico and down the coast. A bit shorter and avoid the Mexico City free for all. Just a thought. No problem zooming to where you want to ride. We only have so much time. The D, toll roads, can get pretty expensive.

--chris

Hello Dale
We met at the Horizon meeting in Nakusp. I have to agree with grumpy just head on over to the coast and then visit Ciudad Victoria, take hyw.81 south then#180 east to Aldama and go over to Barra El Tordo. Barra El Tordo is a small beach town with excellent sea food resturants and there is a few lodging choices ,I stayed about 1 mile from the beach in a modern condo type hotel with a swimming pool, can not remember the name but just ask around.
Also south of C Victoria there is a Reserva de la Biosfera called El Cielo which in my opinon is very much worth going to. Take a guided tour to the top you will talk about it for years!

Hopefully Sjoerd Bakker will see this post and give you some advice

Cal