Mexico Traveling

[read & learn]

The Recreation or Travel Bureau of Puerto Penasco has a booth here at the Quartzsite RV Show for the sole purpose that it is still safe to travel to Puerto Penasco or Rocky Point.
They are willing to take as many RVers to Rocky Point after the show.
He admits there has been problems in area of Mexico, but these problems do not affect Rocky Point.
Yes, a lot of the RV resorts has closed, but that was because the owners sold out to developers, who shut the Resorts down.
If anyone would like more information call Russ & Naomi Black US cell# 1-928-821-1680
I will be going to Puerto Penasco a few days after they leave for 2 months. We stay at Playa Bonita.

[TXiceman]

One of my co-workers lives in Monterrey, Mexico and is on temporary assignment in Texas. He travels home every other weekend to see family. He basically does not feel safe in Monterrey and is trying to get his wife and son to move to Houston. There is too much corruption within the police and the drug leaders are pretty bad according to him.

He says to be very cautions traveling in Mexico and near the border. Based on his reports and the news, I will keep my US dollars on this side of the border until the Mexican government can get things under control there.

Ken

[bobofthenorth]

Rocky Point has about as much to do with Mexico as Disneyland has to do with the USA. There are a few places in Mexico where I am somewhat nervous about travelling and Rocky Point is near the top of that short list. Border towns and tourist traps are where you need to be particularly on your guard. Rocky Point is both.

[vegascouple]

February 12, 2009

"According to ABC News, the use of kidnapping by Mexican drug cartels for ransom and revenge has spread beyond the Rio Grande and into Arizona — and the federal government has done nothing to stop it. Phoenix has become the second-worst city in the world for kidnappings, right behind Mexico City, with brutal dismemberments for those abductees who do not get ransomed quickly enough"

"The 10 Most Dangerous Cities (source About.com)

• 1-Detroit, MI
  2-Washington, DC
  3-Baltimore, MD
  4-Memphis, TN
  5-Dallas, TX
  6-Philadelphia, PA
  7-Columbus, OH
  8-Nashville, TN
  9-Houston, TX
  10-Phoenix, AZ"

We were just in Cabo the week before Christmas and spoke with several RV folks traveling there no problem at all. We have been to Puerto Penasco many times and will be there again in March at Playa Bonito, never heard of anyone ever having a problem.

However, there is no doubt that some cities in Mexico are very dangerous, Mexico City, Monterey, and Tijuana for example. It's kind of like all things don't do stupid things like drive alone at night on long stretches of deserted highway or boondock in Mexico and you'll be fine. Having said that I don't want to encourage too many people to go to Mexico it will only make it harder for me to get a beach front space!

Michael

2005 Dutch Star 40'

[Ceratto's Grotto]

If you want to know what is really happening on the U.S.-Mexican border read Lee Morgan's memoir style book The Reapers Line (Life And Death On The Mexican Border). While Mr. Morgan's book doesn't relate directly the activities of RVers and their travels across the border, it will give one an idea on just how corrupt things are on both sides of the border; how desperate and down right dangerous things are; how this area amounts to one of the most violent places on earth; and how some classify what is going on as a 'low-level border war between U.S. lawmen on one side and Mexican narco-trafficers and illegal aliens on the other side'.

[read & learn]

I reported to this forum how Rocky Point has someone at the Quartzsite RV Show. The reason is so people who have heard about all the problems in Mexico would know that Mexico has areas that are safe and that Rocky Point is one of them.
Rocky Point is located approx. 65 miles south of Lukeville, AZ just south of Organ Pipe NP.
Rocky Point is located at the top of the Sea of Cortz or Gulf of California. The RV Resort we stay at is Playa Bonita which has about 50 beach front sites and about 250 other sites. We leave the same stuff out at night that we leave out in the USA.
Now everyone that I know who have been going there have never or had friends lose anything to thief.
If I had to believe everything I have heard about how bad it is to go to places in the USA, I would not own a RV. The first time we went to Rocky Point we went with another couple to be safe. Now I would go by ourselfves.
Are there areas I would not cross the border, yes El Paso, TX and San Diego, CA.
2 other spots that we have crossed are Laredo and Del Rio, TX 3 yrs ago Air Force told their people not to travel to these areas last year they said OK.
The last 2 Presidents of Mexico have made big inroads with the drug dealers. The have remove 3 of the 4 brothers who control a large cartel in Mazatian and just last week caught another cartel head in La Paz.
This is my opinon and I respect your concern about Mexican Travel.

[hamguy]

Originally Posted by vegascouple

February 12, 2009

"According to ABC News, the use of kidnapping by Mexican drug cartels for ransom and revenge has spread beyond the Rio Grande and into Arizona — and the federal government has done nothing to stop it. Phoenix has become the second-worst city in the world for kidnappings, right behind Mexico City, with brutal dismemberments for those abductees who do not get ransomed quickly enough"


"The 10 Most Dangerous Cities (source About.com)

• 1-Detroit, MI
  2-Washington, DC
  3-Baltimore, MD
  4-Memphis, TN
  5-Dallas, TX
  6-Philadelphia, PA
  7-Columbus, OH
  8-Nashville, TN
  9-Houston, TX
  10-Phoenix, AZ"

We were just in Cabo the week before Christmas and spoke with several RV folks traveling there no problem at all. We have been to Puerto Penasco many times and will be there again in March at Playa Bonito, never heard of anyone ever having a problem.

However, there is no doubt that some cities in Mexico are very dangerous, Mexico City, Monterey, and Tijuana for example. It's kind of like all things don't do stupid things like drive alone at night on long stretches of deserted highway or boondock in Mexico and you'll be fine. Having said that I don't want to encourage too many people to go to Mexico it will only make it harder for me to get a beach front space!

Michael

2005 Dutch Star 40'

The ranking for Phoenix is misleading. We are called the kidnapping capital. BUT, they forget to mention the the people doing the crime are Hispanic Coyotes (those hauling inn illegals) and those being kidnapped are illegals that don't pay the extra $$ demanded by the Coyotes.

It is rare that Gringos are affected. You are far more likely to be in an accident caused by an illegal. My car was totalled by an illegal in Dodge City, KS last July.

We had a friend detained in Sonora for 6 months. Of course, he had a very small amount of pot in his back pocket (< 1 cigarret's worth (0.1 gm.). He was charged with possession for sale but on appeal, the judge laughed at the prosecutor and reamed him out for such a charge. The Judge apologised.

[BaldOldBob]

Funny how these threads always bring out the "I read it in a book", or "I heard it from somebody" comments. We had followed that line for a long time ourselves, then a few ago we became friends with some people who had spent time in Puerto Penasco.

They were going again, and said if we wanted to come along, fine,we'd have some fun together. And if we didn't want to come along, fine, it would be less crowded for the people who do go. The low key approach appealed to me, and that year found us spending 2 weeks on the beach overlooking the Sea of Cortez.

Since then we have been back every year, spending over six weeks there last winter. This coming weekend we and another couple, it will be there first time, are going down, planning to stay for at least a month.

After spending almost 5 1/2 months over the past several years traveling outside the country including Eastern Europe and parts of the Middle East, we are not sure what all the hysteria about traveling to Mexico is about. Hey, there were many cities or neighborhoods in our overseas travels that we would have fools to travel to.

To me, smart travelers are safe travelers, but they are also the travelers that get to visit the places that many only dream of, and others only make negative comments about.

[JohnLori]

We're spending our second winter RVing the mainland of Mexico. I feel so badly for the Mexican people as tourism is so low and their economy depends so much on tourism. The violence is between the cops/military and the bad guys, and some of the bad guys are cops. Tourists are not being targeted and unless you are truly in the wrong place at the wrong time (which can happen anywhere) Mexico is a fabulous place to travel! The American media has scared the American public who just eat it up...makes me sick. Canandians still flock down here in their RVs. The RV parks are full of them and they're having the time of their life...

I agree with VegasCouple and want to defend Mexico's good name but really don't want to lose our space here in paradise!

In our opinion, the further south and away from fly-in tourists places you go, the better it gets! The inland colonial cities are wonderful too, not just the beaches!

[Chuck 1935]

Play Bonita sounds like a great place to stay and learn about the area. I have two questions, 1, where do you cross the Arizona border coming from Gila Bend, AZ. 2, What about drinking the water and re filling your water tanks.

[Bigwheel]

We have not taken our MH to Mexico. Yet. But we have sailed the Sea of Cortez since 2000. There were always rumors about pirates, drug dealers, dangerous anchorages etc. In 9 years I personally knew of only one incident and it was so out of character for Mexico I didn't believe it till I spoke directly with the guy involved (I knew him personally before the incident.) We have driven to La Paz many, many times and to San Carlos four times. It's always a good idea to be alert by the border but a few miles in there aren't many problems. I worry more driving in Oakland and Richmond.

[bobofthenorth]

Originally Posted by Rocky Point

@bobofthenorth
That is a very distaisful thing to say about my city. If you want some real facts go to Sonora Is Safe Home and if your here in Rocky Point (Puerto

I didn't say it to offend - I said it to inform. In over 15 years of travelling in Mexico there are very few places we have visited that I wouldn't happily go back to. Rocky Point and Kino Bay are two places that I never care to see again. Rocky Point embodies the worst of a tourist trap and a border town.

[Chuck 1935]

Thanks for the help Rocky Point.

[Bill2]

My wife and I spend 9 days at Rocky Point last Feb. with the HR club and really had a great time. There was no danger that we seen. Everyone in the park I was in used the water with a filter of course. As far as we seen there was no danger using the water there. The electric was a little high on voltage but we used the voltage regulator and no problems except waiting for the electric to come back on after the regulator shut it down for being too high. The people were great and I even seen some people write checks to the beach vendors. (I would not do that) If you decide to go down there to visit I think you would have a great time.
Bill