Compilation of mostly Northern Mexico trips
Dec 14th, 2020, 06:07 AM
#21
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I hope there are others 'lurking' who are reading your excellent posts, baldone. Zacatecas is truly an overlooked gem and I'm glad I decided to split the journey between Monterrey and Queretaro in Zacatecas two years ago. My travelling companion still raves about the city to all who will listen. I enjoyed your comparison of the difference between Guanajuato and Zacatecas and agree. I very much loved the colourful colonial beauty and topography of Guanajuato, almost like a magical secret world when you enter via the rocky tunnels that cut through the mountain. Yet I equally appreciated the beauty of Zacatecas funny enough not despite of but *because of* its more subdued colours.
I'm not especially worried about letting the secret out and the city getting overrun by tourists. Even with my best efforts, I've only convinced one friend to travel with me in colonial Mexico over the years, and even that was not a great accomplishment as he was already a huge Mexico City fan.
I'm not especially worried about letting the secret out and the city getting overrun by tourists. Even with my best efforts, I've only convinced one friend to travel with me in colonial Mexico over the years, and even that was not a great accomplishment as he was already a huge Mexico City fan.
Dec 14th, 2020, 06:43 AM
#22
Dec 22nd, 2020, 08:02 PM
#24
Original Poster
Next stop, Ojuelos De Jalisco, Jal
This stop was on a trip from San Miguel on our first visit to Zacatecas a few years back. I have this thing for Mexican towns with quirky names that might pop up along potential routes, so I did a little research about the place. Ojuelos’ claim to fame is it has the last existing fort built along the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the trade route between Mexico City and Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico, formerly known as San Juan Pueblo. The town (Ojuelos) was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010. I tried to find the exact location of the fort using Bing maps on my Edge browser, but was unsuccessful. Google maps did the trick. Bing I think is better for terrain and such, but Google is superior for landmarks and the like. Anyway, the fort, right in the center of town, is now used to house municipal offices, and there is small tourist kiosk as you walk in and the attendant was quite proud of the town’s history and attractions. The fort is smaller than I thought it would be, and just by driving by you’d never even know it was there. There is an artist’s rendering of the region on display that lets you visualize how the area might have looked back in the day. I tried to take a photo, but my worthless Windows Phone kept freezing up. Another ‘attraction’ is the Plaza El Parian, which is nice, but the vendors in the portales take away from it’s visual appeal. I was lucky enough to snap a couple of pics before the vendors got set up. If you’re into somewhat obscure Mexican history, the town is a pleasant, if not spectacular, place to pass a couple of hours on the way to/from SLP to either Aguascalientes or Zacatecas.
Speaking of Aguascalientes, we spent a couple nights there a few years back. One of the few trips we’ve done by bus as our car was in the shop. So it seemed like a good opportunity to visit. I didn’t find the city particularly interesting compared to Zacatecas, San Luis, etc. I think the San Marcos fair is the city’s main attraction. The fairgrounds cover several acres that remain unused most of the year, and it’s buildings as well remain vacant and locked up except for just a couple. Which makes that part of town look pretty forlorn. Obviously it’s bustling with activity while the fair is going on. Not having a car didn’t let us do much exploring, so maybe another trip to the area might be worthwhile.
Well, this update brings an end to this trip report, which essentially (for me) was a loop starting from San Luis Potosí. While most of the loop could be done by public transportation, it’s also quite easy to do if one were to rent a car, whether starting from Monterrey or San Luis Potosí. It’s a part of Mexico well worth exploring.
A few more shorter reports to follow, if y’all will bear with me.
Inside the fort
More of the fort
1 more of the fort
Plaza El Parian
This stop was on a trip from San Miguel on our first visit to Zacatecas a few years back. I have this thing for Mexican towns with quirky names that might pop up along potential routes, so I did a little research about the place. Ojuelos’ claim to fame is it has the last existing fort built along the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, the trade route between Mexico City and Ohkay Owingeh, New Mexico, formerly known as San Juan Pueblo. The town (Ojuelos) was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010. I tried to find the exact location of the fort using Bing maps on my Edge browser, but was unsuccessful. Google maps did the trick. Bing I think is better for terrain and such, but Google is superior for landmarks and the like. Anyway, the fort, right in the center of town, is now used to house municipal offices, and there is small tourist kiosk as you walk in and the attendant was quite proud of the town’s history and attractions. The fort is smaller than I thought it would be, and just by driving by you’d never even know it was there. There is an artist’s rendering of the region on display that lets you visualize how the area might have looked back in the day. I tried to take a photo, but my worthless Windows Phone kept freezing up. Another ‘attraction’ is the Plaza El Parian, which is nice, but the vendors in the portales take away from it’s visual appeal. I was lucky enough to snap a couple of pics before the vendors got set up. If you’re into somewhat obscure Mexican history, the town is a pleasant, if not spectacular, place to pass a couple of hours on the way to/from SLP to either Aguascalientes or Zacatecas.
Speaking of Aguascalientes, we spent a couple nights there a few years back. One of the few trips we’ve done by bus as our car was in the shop. So it seemed like a good opportunity to visit. I didn’t find the city particularly interesting compared to Zacatecas, San Luis, etc. I think the San Marcos fair is the city’s main attraction. The fairgrounds cover several acres that remain unused most of the year, and it’s buildings as well remain vacant and locked up except for just a couple. Which makes that part of town look pretty forlorn. Obviously it’s bustling with activity while the fair is going on. Not having a car didn’t let us do much exploring, so maybe another trip to the area might be worthwhile.
Well, this update brings an end to this trip report, which essentially (for me) was a loop starting from San Luis Potosí. While most of the loop could be done by public transportation, it’s also quite easy to do if one were to rent a car, whether starting from Monterrey or San Luis Potosí. It’s a part of Mexico well worth exploring.
A few more shorter reports to follow, if y’all will bear with me.
Inside the fort
More of the fort
1 more of the fort
Plaza El Parian
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