Hi All - looking for advice.
We'll be starting our Mexican trip by leaving Apache Junction around 8:00am on Jan 26th. I've asked my wife to be ready by 7:00 firm, but it'll be our first day on the road - and her first multi-day trip - so I'm sure there'll be some sorting out on the first morning that will slow us up a bit. It's approx 300klm to Nogales, which I suspect will take us 3 - 4 hours with breaks and one gas stop factord in. I obtained my vehicle permit in advance over the internet so all we have to do is stop for our Toursit Visa's and to get our passport stamped so, knock on wood, we should be through the border and on the road in Mexico by noon. My hope is to make it to Hermosillo the first night. It's another 278 klm from the border, which should put us in at 3:00. That might be a long day for my wifes first trip though, so Santa Anna around 1:00 might be where we call it a day. (I hope not!)

So, I'm looking for advice from anyone that's familiar with the area;
1. Should we stop at the immigration office in Nogales for the Visa or the Aduana 20 klm inland - which do you think will be quicker?
2. Are Santa Anna and/or Hermosillo considered far enough inland to get away from the "border town" issues? If not, should we consider leaving Apache Junction at noon and just going as far as Nogales on the US side and then hitting Mexico first thing in the morning? That way we can go all the way to Guaymas but it seems a waste because it puts us a half-day behind and means it'll be four days to Mazatlan instead of three.

Thanks very much in advance