One hears horror story after story about driving in Mexico, and it’s wise to adhere caution to remote mountain roads with switchbacks and potential of cattle and other hazards. But the majority of highways are safe, modern, and with a little research on customs, (such as left turn procedures,) driving in the rural areas is no different than in other countries. Driving in the cities is a different story, In Merida we parked the car and didn’t even consider using it til we left the city. As I did be sure to purchase the Mexican insurance from your car rental company.

I found the Yucatan Peninsula highways to be modern, well maintained, and overall in better condition than some highways I’ve drove back in Michigan, (my home state). Tourism dollars well at work. The only difference was the lack of wide shoulders our interstates have.

Highway 307 runs north and south along the coast, and connects Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and Tulum. Traffic is quite heavy on this highway with tourists and busses. It’s divided highway between Cancun and Playa del Carmen, with frequent lanes for U turns marked “RETORNO”

To get to Merida (on the western side of the Yucatan), we drove Autopista 180, the toll road. The road is well smooth and void of heavy traffic, most likely due to the steep toll, (about $20 USD for the entire length). This is quite cost prohibitive to most residents, who mostly use the old highway a few km south. Driving the old road definitely takes longer, but allows you to experience the small towns along the way.

Autopista 180 is VERY limited access. The only exit points are about midpoint near the city of Valladolid, and 20 km further west at Chichen Itza. There’s a nice full service plaza in the center of the highway near the Chichen Izta exit with a Pemex station and some food stands.

The drive is a bit boring through the jungle, but near Merida it filters out into various roads in the east suburbs. Since we didn’t go to Cancun we used the two lane spur that connects the Cancun airport to 180, about 10km south of the city, (180 continues northeast directly into Cancun).

More Yucatan travels here, and photos of the beautiful city of Merida and ruins of Chichen Itza

Highway 307 between Cancun and Tulum

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Moab, Utah, is about six hours west of Denver, or four hours from Salt Lake City and located 30 miles south of a desolate stretch of Interstate 70, near the Utah and Colorado borders.

We stayed at a small motel in town, the Kokopelli Lodge. A small independent place, it’s a block off highway 191 so it’s very quiet, and they have bike storage and facilities too. http://www.kokopellilodge.com/

I immediately started the first task when visiting a new town: finding a coffee shop. I found the Mondo Cafe around the corner (in the same plaza as McStiff’s bar). Mondo’s has a perfect laid back indy atmosphere, serves good sandwiches, and has plenty of reading material and friendly guests and staff.

The Moab area is know for it’s mountain biking trails, and the town is a combination of the typical tourist shops, local and chain restaurants, and several good adventure stores along the main road which can set up rafting, biking, rock climbing, or other extreme activities. We had a dinner huge burritos and southwestern fair at the Fiesta Mexicana Restaurant, and the next day breakfast before hiking was at the Moab Diner. Utah has the most restrictive liquor laws in the country, and going out for a few drinks at night turned out to be more complicated than my attempts to persuade the city council to reverse the ordinance on dancing. Restaurants only serve beer, and only with food. You can get a cocktail at a club, but only a private club. Some clubs sell temporary memberships, (basically a cover), but others make the membership more difficult, which limits their business to mostly locals. We scrapped plans for a wild night on the town, and instead watched “The Brothers Grimm” at the local Two-Plex.

Hiking Arches National Park was a neat experience, and since it was the early fall the weather was perfect.

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My second trip to the Buenos Aires Pizzeria since returning from it’s namesake in October.

At 22nd and Larimer in Denver, they not only have pizza, but ice creams, desserts, and of course empanadas, my favorite…

And happy hour from 4-6 hooks you up with two empanadas, and a Quilmes beer for $3.50

I’ve driven past it many times, but never realized it was an Argentine owned family business until reading this Westword article.

And while walking my pizza off around Lower Downtown Denver I snapped a few of El Chapultepec a place well known for their music and burritos.

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