Updated June 1 2010

Traveling To the Village

Is it safe?

I've been in close touch with the Casas Grandes region for 33 years, and in that time, had there been an act of violence against a tourist, Mexican or American, I would have heard of it. People would have told me, “Spencer, such and such happened!” But no one has. Thirty-three years and who knows how many more is a good record. The worst mishap in all that time is that teenagers once or twice took things from an unlocked car, including some checks which they tried to cash. Don’t leave valuables in your vehicle in Mexico any more than you would at home. As always, use discretion.

          Accounts of border violence reported in the American media should be taken with a pinch of salt as far as danger to tourists is concerned. Yes, there is violence, and yes it has reached Casas Grandes, but the media does not report the equal or greater violence in many American cities. Mexico has no drive-by shootings; at risk here are targeted individuals actively involved in money laundering or trafficking for the narcos (see http://newspapertree.com/news/2500), and recent months have seen a rise in extortion attempts within the business community. But no one here thinks visitors are at risk who exercise the same prudence they would at home. Despite violence, life goes on normally. Our advice is not fear, but prudence.

          The State Department advisories against travel in Mexico are the main reason why tourism, already affected by the economic downturn, has slowed dramatically. The advisories do not mention the fact that tourists are not affected. We never hesitate driving to the border to get our mail or to attend a medical appointment. Travelers who are familiar with the situation are still visiting and are finding some wonderful pottery bargains.

For a local update on conditions when planning a trip, we invite calls on our El Paso line (915-261-0502) which rings here in Mexico.

Calling or Writing

From the United States, call anywhere in the Casas Grandes/Mata Ortiz area by direct dialing 011-52 (for international operator and country code) followed by area code 636 and the number. Thus the Hotel Hacienda in Nuevo Casas Grandes is 011-52-636-694-1048. (Note, however, that if you are dialing to a cell phone, it requires a “1” before the area code.) If you are within the local area, however, dial only the last 7 digits unless it’s a cell phone, in which case first dial 044-636. For the information operator in Spanish, dial 040.

Should your party in Mata Ortiz not have a phone, try either of the two casetas. Anyone in Mata Ortiz can be reached through a caseta. Call, ask in Spanish to speak to so-and-so, and someone will take the message and ask you to call back in 20 minutes. If all goes well, the person you want will be at the caseta for your second call. Caseta numbers are: Marta Martínez by the old plaza and Posada de las Ollas, voice/fax 661-7026, and Julio Mora in Porvenir at the south end of the village, voice 661-7027.

The Calendar maintains a Mata Ortiz phone list that we will send out by email on request. It includes the dozen or more artists who have moved to Casas Grandes (“Pueblo Viejo”) and Nuevo Casas Grandes.

When direct-dialing the other way, from Mexico to the United States, dial 00 and then proceed as if you were in the United States, beginning with 1 and the area code. This costs nearly 50 cents/minute. However, a growing number of people in Chihuahua have broadband (voice-over-Internet) service. Spencer and Emi, for example, use Voicepulse.com, which for a small monthly charge gives them unlimited calling in the United States plus a Stateside number that rings in Mexico. So if you are staying with such a person, you can call home at no cost.

Cyber cafes are plentiful, and Casas Grandes (“Pueblo Viejo”) has three, all of which charge $15 pesos/hour. Entering town on the newly one-way street, turn right onto Flores Magón (fifth cross street) and go two blocks to Callejón Lopez Mateos. On the near, right corner (look for a blue Pepsi Cola sign), María Dolores Lara’s Internet Espacio (Voice/Fax 636-692-4143) is open weekdays 9-8pm, closed Sundays. For another, as you head out of town west on Avenida Juárez toward Mata Ortiz, turn left (south) immediately after La Finca de Don Cruz restaurant and look for a new, red brick building in the second block on your right. This is Las Compu’s, open 10-2 and 4-8pm weekdays, Sundays 10-6pm. The smallest, Mundo Papelero, on the northeast corner of the plaza, is open 9-7pm Mon-Fri and 9-5pm Sat.

Postal service in Mexico is slow and not always reliable. Never send checks in the mail. That said, any potter in the village can be addressed at: Domicilio Conocido, Juan Mata Ortiz, Chihuahua 31861, Mexico. Visitors for an extended period of time often receive mail, as we do, by opening an account with Mail Forwarding (575-546-7456, mailbywaldon@zianet.com) at 713 W. Spruce Street, Deming NM 88030. Another option is to open a U.S. Post Office Box in Columbus on the border, 30 miles closer. We use Deming, however, because with a phone call we can authorize friends who are passing through Deming to bring our mail to us, and the U.S. Post Office allows no such option.

Wiring funds to Mexico. Moneygram’s 10-minute service (www.moneygram.com/index.htmover) costs 1% for amounts up to $1,000, 2% for higher amounts. This can be done on-line with a credit card (we’d recommend first calling the credit card company for approval) or from offices in major stores. Give the reference number to the recipient; that and an ID will enable her or him to pick up the funds at the bank called Banorte (694-6426), one of Mexico’s principal banks, on the SE corner of the main plaza in Nuevo Casas Grandes. Banorte receives funds from many different wire companies.

Getting to Nuevo Casas Grandes

          When you don’t have your own car:

Rental Car – It is generally cheaper to rent in the United States and drive into Mexico than to rent in Mexico. Many car-rental companies allow their cars to be driven 250 miles into Mexico. If you ask the national office if their cars can be driven into Mexico, they will often say no. But policy is set by each local office; so call the national 800 number of the rental company only to ask the number of their local office in, say, El Paso or Tucson. To cross the border, you will need (1) a letter from the rental company authorizing you to drive into Mexico, (2) insurance from the car company, which runs about $30 dollars/day for each day in Mexico, and (3) a vehicle permit which you will get at the border. Overlooking the vehicle permit, you'll be stopped at the Customs checkpoint south of Janos and will have to backtrack 85 miles to the border. Alternatively, you can park in secure parking at the checkpoint and catch the next bus through (buses run frequently) or call someone to come for you 30 miles from Casas Grandes.

Bus – Buses operate frequently between Nuevo Casas Grandes and the international crossings at Ciudad Juárez (opposite El Paso TX), Palomas (opposite Columbus NM), and Agua Prieta (opposite Douglas AZ).

          From El Paso/Ciudad Juárez: Van or taxi service is available in either direction between the El Paso Airport and the bus terminal (central autobuses) in Juárez ($55 USD for 1-3 persons). Call a day ahead, if possible, and José Rivera (Chuma’s Tours, 915-859-2455, Cell 915-892-1837 –“Chuma” is José’s nickname) will meet your bus or flight.

Of the two bus lines in Mexico, Estrella Blanca and Omnibus Mexico, we generally use the latter. Omnibus departs every hour or two from 6am to 7pm (and a late-night run) in either direction between Ciudad Juárez and Nuevo Casas Grandes. For departure times, call from El Paso 011-52-656-610-7297 or, from Nuevo Casas Grandes, 694-0502. The trip takes four hours and costs about $15 USD. Estrella Blanca (Ciudad Juárez 656-629-2232, NCG 636-694-0780) offers several runs daily in either direction. Fare is the same.

          When staying over in El Paso, we find the Travelodge Hacienda Airport Motel (915-772-4231) at 6400 Montana Av, convenient. It has a courtesy airport shuttle and is reasonably priced ($55 USD single). Chuma can meet you there or anywhere else in El Paso.

From Columbus/Palomas:  Except on Sundays, when there is no service, a public-transit bus (575-388-3180) called Corre Camino (Roadrunner) runs four times a day between Deming and Columbus, going as far as the Family Dollar Store on the border. Departing the old train station in Deming (1313 N. Country Club Road) at 6:50am, 11:30am, 2:15pm, and 5pm, it picks up passengers on the street outside Walmart two minutes later if flagged. It departs the Dollar Store for the return trip at 8:20am, 12:50pm, 3:50pm, and 6pm. The trip is an hour and costs $2.50 USD.

Walk across into Palomas, where Omnibus operates a shuttle to its bus station at El Entronque (“The Junction”) 20 miles south to connect there with the bus from Ciudad Juárez to Nuevo Casas Grandes. The shuttle departs every hour or so, 6am-7pm, from the southeast corner of the plaza in Palomas (don’t be dismayed that there is no sign). Fare is $25 pesos, and from El Entronque to Nuevo Casas Grandes is another $105 pesos.

From Douglas/Agua Prieta: Cross the border and taxi or bus to the terminal (central autobuses) in Agua Prieta. Omnibus departs for Nuevo Casas Grandes every couple of hours from 8am to 11:25pm and, in the reverse direction, NCG to Agua Prieta, from 5am to 10:30pm. The trip takes 3 ½ hours and costs about $15 USD. From Douglas dial 011-52-633-122-2175, from Nuevo Casas Grandes 694-0502.

Estrella Blanca departs every couple of hours from 5:30am to 10:30pm (and a late-night run) in either direction between Agua Prieta and Nuevo Casas Grandes. The trip takes four hours and costs the same as Omnibus. From Douglas phone 011-52-633-338-8542, from Nuevo Casas Grandes 694-0780. 

Shuttle Van — A shuttle-van company operates daily between Nuevo Casas Grandes and Phoenix, departing either direction about 7am and crossing at Antelope Wells/Berrendo. Another operates every other day between Nuevo Casas Grandes and Albuquerque, crossing at Columbus/Palomas. Each takes about eight hours, with convenience stops along the way. The first will pick up and deliver door-to-door in downtown Phoenix and the Casas Grandes area, but for a pickup or a delivery in Mata Ortiz there is a $15 USD surcharge. We regularly use this service when flying in or out of Phoenix, overnighting at the “Motel 6 Phoenix Airport” (602-244-1155), 214 S. 24th Street, a mile-and-a-half from the airport (ten-minutes by cab for $12-$15). This is a convenient place to ask the van to pick you up at about 6:30am. Reserve the van a day or two ahead and be prepared for the possibility of having to speak in Spanish:

·         Transportes Quezada & Son.  $55 dollars. In Phoenix, call 623-937-9650. Nuevo Casas Grandes offices are in Villa Hermosa (694-3155) at Carranza y 3 de Junio #906 and, in Dublán (694-0151, Don Tacho), on Seventh Street between Francisco Madero and Libertad. The owner, Adán Quezada, (Cells: USA 623-680-4801, Mex 636-104-0363, no relation to Juan Quezada) and bilingual daughter Jessica are at the Phoenix office, 6225 W. Cavalier, Glendale AZ 85301 (two blocks north of Bethany Home, between 61^st and 63^rd Avenues). Heading south, they pick up passengers in Tucson between 9:30 - 10:30am at the Jack-in-the-Box at Valencia and Interstate 10 (but always arrange for this ahead).

·         Transportes Salcido. $50 dollars ($45 for seniors over 60) departs 7am to and from Albuquerque three days a week. In Nuevo Casas Grandes call 694-3651. In Albuquerque call 505-699-3995/3997. They leave Nuevo Casas Grandes north on Wed, Fri, Sun from Carranza and Lopez Mateos #1100, opposite Tienda Ocas, in Colonia Villa Hermosa. They leave Albuquerque south on Tue, Thu, Sat from the corner of César Chávez and Broadway. They will go on to Farmington, NM if there are two or more passengers (12 hours, $110 USD/person each way) and to Denver, CO when there are 8 or 10 passengers (13 hours, $120/person each way). Owner is Don Tacho Salcido (his mother, Magdalena Rosa, runs the NCG office).

·         Hispanos Chofer.  This service to Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Farmington, NM originates in Ciudad Cuauhtémoc, stopping in Nuevo Casas Grandes at Constantino’s Restaurant at the northeast corner of the plaza between 10 - 10:30am daily except Tuesdays. Albuquerque $55 USD, Santa Fe $67, Farmington $90. They only do Farmington on Fridays, arriving 10pm and returning Saturday, departing 5am. >>In Santa Fe contact the owner, Joaquín Enríquez (505-261-5954, some English), and in Albuquerque Luís Gómez (505-250-4049). In Mexico contact Toño Enríquez (045-659-102-4270) or the driver (659-101-2593). Stops in Santa Fe at Carnicería El Paisano at Cerrillos and Camino Consuelo, opposite Walmart, and in Albuquerque at Carnicería/Tortillería Cuauhtémoc, Fourth and Griego.

·         Transportes Lozoya. This daily service from Chihuahua City passes through Nuevo Casas Grandes about 10:30am en route to Las Vegas, Nevada (12 hours, $100 USD) and Salt Lake City (20 hours, $155), via Phoenix, arriving Phoenix 6:30pm. Phoenix office (602-253-0843 or 800-910-3933) is at 2208 N. 16^th Street, between McDowell and Oak. Stops for 15 minutes in Nuevo Casas Grandes (636-661-3997) at the Centro Naturista Salvit store in the Centro Comercial Aurent shopping center on Tecnológico a few blocks north of the Coca Cola plant, on the right. We haven’t used them for Phoenix because, this being a through stop, they don’t offer door-to-door service, and their Nuevo Casas Grandes phone is only answered around the time of the stop.

**Note: Few are aware that Mexican bus lines operating in the United States are often more comfortable and reliable than Greyhound. Americanos (323-261-5522) offers service between Los Angeles and Phoenix (a stop on its LA-El Paso express run) for $47 USD each way, while Omnibus (555-141-4300 with prefix 011-52 from USA or 01 from Mexico) serves Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, and most of the Southern states.

Private Plane  - Nuevo Casas Grandes has no scheduled air service, but its airport on the northeast edge of the city accommodates private planes. Look for a hill east of the runway with a letter on it, and an old, unused terminal painted green with the letters ACG on the roof.

The runway, at 4,350 feet above sea level (ASL), is about 6,000 feet long and about 100 feet wide. It was recently blacktopped over cement and has good white markings. Runways are 310 (31) and 130 (13). Winds generally favor landing and departure on 31. The only taxiway is the turn off to the terminal.

In front of the terminal is a good plane tie-down. The superintendent charges $20 dollars a night to safeguard the plane. He lives in a home behind the terminal. There is also a large hangar where, if not occupied, he can store the plane.

A dirt runway west of the city is private. Do not confuse it with the Nuevo Casas Grandes airport. 

From Nuevo Casas Grandes to Mata Ortiz

• The Phoenix/Tucson shuttle van offers free door-to-door service in Casas Grandes, and for an additional $15 USD, they will pick up from or deliver to Mata Ortiz.

• **Mata Ortiz now has city bus service twice daily except Wednesdays, to and from Nuevo Casas Grandes via Casas Grandes (Pueblo Viejo) and Colonia Juárez. It leaves NCG at 8:30 (Sundays 9:30) and 4pm, arriving at the old train station in Mata Ortiz 45 minutes later and immediately returning. It will be one of the yellow buses leaving NCG from the general bus departure place on Constitución a block south of Cinco de Mayo, at 16 de Septiembre, facing north along the west side of the tracks. This is about a three-block walk west and north from the Omnibus bus station. Fare is $30 pesos, about $2.50 USD.

• Cars can be rented for $700-$2000 pesos a day, including insurance, from Autos Paquimé (636-694-9300, Cell 044-636-699-1465), Av. Benito Juárez y Matamoros #107, Nuevo Casas Grandes (across the street from and just south of the Ford Agency). This is comparable to renting a car in the USA and driving into Mexico, considering that U.S. rental companies charge $35 a day for insurance and you may save some days rental by not having to drive back and forth from the border.

• Vans with driver can be rented at the following places:
  • The Algremi Restaurant (Cell 636-111-5153, English), located on your right, across from and just south of the Hotel Trébol as you first enter Nuevo Casas Grandes. They can assist (in perfect English) in planning your local visit and, if desired, will arrange for a 14-person van and driver for $150 USD per day. Ask for Paco or Javier Guajardo, owners. paco_guajardo[at]hotmail.com

• Viajes American Tours, Avenida Hidalgo #601-B, Nuevo Casas Grandes (next street west of the Motel Piñon). They offer a tour to Paquimé, Colonia Juárez, and Mata Ortiz for $40 dollars per person (minimum four persons), guided in English by Jorge Muñoz or Norma Piñón. Contact Norma Delia Solis by phone (694-0111 or 694-4888), preferably in Spanish, or by email in English at americantours[at]paquime.com.mx

• CARLOS HERNÁNDEZ (Tours Pac 636-694-8296, Cell 044-636-105-3681) is partly bilingual (his fully bilingual father will often assist in guiding groups) and has a 14-passenger van. A recent tourism graduate from the Nuevo Casas Grandes campus of the University of Juárez, Carlos has systematically studied the region and, as an assist in planning excursions, gives a power-point presentation of a great many points of interest.   infotourspac[at]gmail.com  www.tourspac.mex.tl

• JORGE MUÑOZ (694-5558, 694-1169, Cell 044-636-110-1567) is partly bilingual and will take in his Suburban as many as eight people to Mata Ortiz, Cave of the Olla, Santa Rosa, or other places of interest.

• Taxis (called sitios) will take you to Mata Ortiz for $350 pesos going or $500 pesos round trip, plus a sometimes negotiable $120 pesos an hour for waiting (15 minutes no charge). Three of Nuevo Casas Grandes’ six taxi stands are close by the old plaza and the old train station (which has now been remodeled into a cultural center for classes and exhibits).

Attractions on the Way Down

For arrivals from Texas or New Mexico, the most direct route is to cross at Columbus/Palomas. For those wishing to avoid the mountains, this may also be the preferred route from Arizona and points west.

But an ideal way to enter Mexico if your schedule allows, is to complete all of your paperwork across the border in Palomas in the afternoon or evening, overnight there at the Hotel Karina Fierro (800-292-0981 or Mex 656-666-0895) or, returning to Columbus, at Martha’s Bed & Breakfast (505-531-2467, involves stairs); the Hacienda de Villa Motel (505-531-1000); or the RV facility at Pancho Villa State Park (575-531-2711), and in the morning get an early start west along the American side of the border to Hachita and from there south to the crossing at Antelope Wells. Mexican car permits are not issued here, but you’ll already have it from Palomas. This is 60 miles longer, but absolutely no traffic, great scenery, and good roads (the eight-mile, unpaved stretch on the Mexican side is good in dry weather but becomes muddy with rains). Some who have managed to get on the road by, say, 6:30am report sighting a variety of wildlife. Among the possibilities: eagles and other kinds of birds, several kinds of hawks, javelinas, two kinds of antelope, coyotes, foxes, prairie dogs, badgers.

If your schedule doesn’t allow the diversion to Antelope Wells and you cross at Palomas, you will have an easy two-and-a-half hours to Casas Grandes. The mileages are:

Palomas => El Entronque                  21

El Entronque => Ascensión               36

Ascensión => Janos                           20

Janos => Casas Grandes                   40     Total 117 miles

COLUMBUS, NM  features the Pancho Villa State Park with 65 RV spaces, tenting sites, and a first-rate museum (8-5pm daily, admission $5 dollars per vehicle) filled with vintage vehicles and military artifacts from the 1916 era of Pancho Villa's attack on Camp Furlong and the village of Columbus. Contact John Read (575-531-2711), Heritage Educator, Pancho Villa State Park, Highway 9 and Highway 11, Columbus, NM 88029.

After crossing over into Palomas and completing your paperwork (visitor’s permit and vehicle permit), celebrate (if you are not the driver) with a frozen Margarita at The Pink Store. The Pink Store (866-474-4299, pinkstoremexico@gmail.com) offers an exceptional setting and one of the best selections of Mexican crafts in northern Mexico. Noteworthy also, across from the Pink Store, is a dramatic, large bronze statue of Pancho Villa charging on horseback. It is said that the statue first faced north, but Americans objected; then it faced south, but Mexicans objected. So today it faces east.

Twenty miles farther, at El Entronque (The Junction), you will come to a T and turn right onto the highway from Ciudad Juárez to Casas Grandes. El Entronque is a truck stop with many small restaurants. If a bit hungry at this point, all are good for gorditas and burritos. Alternatively, for a clean and graciously served, home-cooked Mexican meal, turn left (east) half a mile to El Trailero Restaurant, where Bertila Madrid will be your hostess.

Another 36 miles brings you to ASCENSIÓN, then 20 more miles to JANOS, once the Spanish-colonial administrative center for the region. On the left before entering town, at Km 200, stop at Rancho La Guadalupana for a tour of the Don Cuco Sotol factory in the geodesic structure next door. Sotol is the drink of Chihuahua, just now becoming popular in the United States. Owner Celso Jaques (Cell 636-111-8807) will welcome you. Hotel Janos (636-693-5180), next on the same side and also Celso’s, is recommended as well. Just visible a little distance off to the right after passing the junction to Agua Prieta and Douglas AZ is the shell of a mission church, Misión de Nuestra Seňora de la Soledad de los Indios Janos, built in 1580, destroyed in 1680 during the Great Pueblo Revolt, and reestablished in 1717. This is a recommended stop. The original Spanish archives containing a trove of as-yet-unanalyzed historical data are preserved nearby in the Salón de Actos.

Soon after clearing the customs (aduana) check point some 12 miles south of Janos, where you will be asked to show your vehicle permit, you can turn east (left) to visit the Mennonite settlement of CAPULÍN along the Casas Grandes River. Mennonite cheese is famous throughout Mexico. See it being made (two queserías are open Mon-Sat 9-2pm, although cheese-making is over by 10am) and buy it by the brick or by the wheel—but note that U.S. Customs limits importation to two bricks or one wheel per person. If wrapped not in plastic but in paper so it can breathe, it keeps for days without refrigeration.

NUEVO CASAS GRANDES — locally called “Nuevo.”

·         Nuevo boasts one good Mata Ortiz pottery gallery, operated by Manuel Hernández Villalobos (694-0795). Manuel offers a good selection at reasonable prices, and many traders buy from him. Immediately on entering the city, look for his sign on the right, across from the Hotel Trébol and before the Algremi Restaurant. Turn right (10th Street) and then into the driveway of the second house on the right.  mata_ortiz_pottery[at]msn.com

·         Farther in town on the right, at the Hotel Hacienda, the jewelry shop El Castillo de los Cuarzos (Quartz Castle) carries tasteful silver jewelry by the Barrera brothers incorporating shards of Mata Ortiz pottery from pots that were lost in firing.

·         Friends (636-107-0057), across from the Chevrolet agency at 1600 Avenida Juárez, the street you are on, is the newest hit in town. It’s the place to be for the younger set, with more than 20 flavors of Italian gelato ice cream prepared on-site, striking décor, and plenty of tables for families to enjoy pizza and visiting while the teens hang out with billiards and other games. The best hamburgers in the area, incidentally, are in the next block south at Mc’s.

·         Also don’t overlook the ice creams, fruit drinks, and fruit-ice-on-a-stick at any of several La Reina de Michoacán stores, one of which is on the south corner of the main plaza. They are clean, safe, and decidedly a treat. One recently opened in Albuquerque, La Michoacana de Paquimé; hopefully there will soon be more north of the border.

·         Some visitors enjoy a peek into the enormous brick oven where pan dulces are baked in the traditional way, put in and retrieved on a long wooden paddle, at the Panadería La Guadalupana one block west of the Motel Piñón and half a block north, at Avenida Hidalgo #813. The oldest bakery in town, it was founded 65 years ago by the father of the present owner, Luís Antonio Rodríguez Salgado. Select your favorite pan dulce to take back to your hotel to enjoy with traditional Mexican hot chocolate or coffee.

·         El Pollo Feliz serves tasty chicken. At the cathedral on the plaza, turn left (east) onto Cinco de Mayo, the town’s main business street. El Pollo will be four blocks on your left, just before the new Alsuper Store and the Pemex station.

·         Birders will want to visit the Laguna Fierro, a lake that often has aquatic birds. Reach the old train station by going east a block on Cinco de May, crossing the tracks, and then two blocks south. From the station, travel 3.7 miles east on Calle 2 de Abril to the lake. In the third week of November, 2008 a flock of 19 white pelicans (Pelecanus Erythrorhynchos) arrived with the annual Canada Geese migration and stayed several weeks. They had not been seen here for more than a quarter century.

·         **A small gallery just starting up and deserving patronage is Piedras de Paquimé, offering stone carvings and sculpture in the regional prehistoric style, crafted using stone tools. Contact Jaime and Raúl Mendoza (694-4792, Cell 636-536-5241) and Lorenzo González behind the pink house at 607 E. Carranza, just east of Avenida Madero. (From the plaza go east three blocks on Cinco de Mayo, Nuevo Casas Grandes’ main business street, to Madero, then south >>___ blocks to Carranza).

·         Continuing south from the main plaza, a curiosidades shop almost at the end of the first block at Avenida Juárez #114, may be worth a look for miscellaneous small craft items intended for a Mexican clientele. Outside it says Cerrajería, because they also make keys.

·         Old-fashioned oilcloth in bright colors, now scarce and expensive when it can be found at all in the United States, is sold at Madrigal de la Luz. At the end of the first block south of the plaza, go one block east. Spanish for oilcloth is “hule” [oó-lay]. Also look at their miniatures of traditional cooking items used in making corsages for bridal showers.

·         **Continuing east, across the tracks, is the old plaza and, on the right along the tracks, the old train station, now become a cultural center. The station has been enlarged and includes Casa de las Artesanías, which exhibits many local crafts and paintings by local artists, and an attractive coffee shop—a good spot for a light lunch.

·         Just past thePemex as you leave town toward Casas Grandes, La Teporaka (Mex 636-694-5558, USA 915-208-3696), marked by a large, standing figure of an Indian, carries a selection of regional crafts including Tarahumara drums. They also conduct tours to area points of interest.  www.chihuahua-online.com/lateporaka

·         For joggers, alongside the highway between Nuevo Casas Grandes and Casas Grandes is a highly popular, tree-lined, 1.2-mile jogging trail.

·         Two open-air markets are held Saturday morning and one on Sunday. Although such markets are weak on arts and crafts in this part of Mexico, they are well recommended for people watching. Vendors start setting up about 5am and are ready for business by 7. On any Saturday, go east from Avenida Tecnológico on Avenida Carranza, which is marked by a planted median. Turn right on Valentín Farías, the fourth street after the median ends, and go two blocks to the Plaza de la Reforma. The other Saturday market is in the southwest part of town. At the Pemex station leaving Nuevo in the direction of Casas Grandes, turn left across the tracks on Chihuahua Street (unpaved) and go about six blocks to the Plaza Obrera. The third market, somewhat larger, is on Sunday morning. Go as if you were going to the Plaza de la Reforma, above. On your right, several blocks before the center divider ends, you will see the Plaza de la Villahermosa. The Reforma and Villahermosa markets, especially, are notable for colorful fruit concoctions, elotes (corn on the cob), and other regional street foods.

CASAS GRANDES — Three miles beyond Nuevo Casas Grandes,               locally called “El Pueblo Viejo”—or just the “El Pueblo.”

·         Casas Grandes is the home of Spencer and Emi MacCallum, who maintain this web site and offer information about the area. All traffic enters the pueblo westward on a one-way street (an innovation that hopefully soon will be reversed). The second stop sign is Avenida Victoria, and the MacCallums are right there, on the far left (southwest) corner of the intersection. Their block juts five feet into the street you are on, narrowing it accordingly; so from the left-hand lane, you can cross directly into their drive. The house is further marked by some large pines (and some loud-mouthed, friendly dogs) behind a long, vine-covered fence. Stop and say hello. Spencer and Emi will give you an orientation to the area.

·         Attractions in El Pueblo include most prominently the prehistoric ruins of Paquimé (1200-1450 AD), once the largest and most complex community in the Puebloan world, and the adjacent Museum of Northern Cultures (636-692-4140), one of the best archaeological-site museums in North America. Designed by Mario Schetinan, the museum has won international prizes for its harmonious integration with the site. It also hosts many art shows, concerts and local cultural events. Turn left on the fourth cross-street as you enter town (the next street after the MacCallums’) and go to the end. Admission to the Museum and the ruins is $49 pesos. Hours 10-5pm, closed Mondays.

·         In the near neighborhood of the Museum is the Galería de las Guacamayas. Salmon colored with a distinctive key-hole-shaped door, it is visible in the distance to the left as you exit the Museum gate. This is a bed-and-breakfast by reservation only, art gallery by appointment, and home of Mayté Luján. Built using the same rammed-earth building technique as the prehistoric ruins, the gallery has the best selection anywhere of high-end Mata Ortiz pottery. Serious collectors contact Mayté Luján at 636-692-4144.  maytelujan[at]msn.com

·         The town plaza features in the portico of the Presidencia a fine mural by Mexican artist Alonso Enríques depicting the life of Paquimé 600 years ago. There are also several shops for local crafts. The largest, Artesanías Pueblo Viejo, is famous for its glass container of sotol (Chihuahua’s famous white lightning) with a large rattlesnake coiled in it. At a dollar a drink, it is said to have curative powers for whatever ails you.

·         **Casas Grandes has several outstanding restaurants, all within an easy walk from the plaza. El Mesón del Kiote (636-692-4037), temporarily closed for remodeling, specializes in a fine blend of Chinese and Chihuahua cuisine. Look for it on Avenida Juárez across from and before reaching the Pemex station as you exit town back toward Nuevo Casas Grandes (Avenida Juárez was formerly two-way through the pueblo but now is one-way east beginning at Avenida Victoria a block west of the plaza). La Finca de Don Cruz (636-692-4343), yellow and surrounded by green pines, is on the left side of Avenida Juárez four blocks west of the plaza in the direction of Mata Ortiz. Besides good cuisine, La Finca has an outstanding private meeting room. La Rinconada (636-692-8008) opened recently on Flores Magón, three blocks west of the plaza and a half-block north. Here you can be served in a garden under enormous old trees. All of these restaurants offer fine cuisine. Formerly on the plaza but now moved two blocks west in the direction of Mata Ortiz, Nuestra Casa (692-4062) offers good regional food (roast chicken, tacos de barbacoa, etc) and will open for breakfast at 7am if asked the day before. A new Italian restaurant, Trattoria Ducale, has opened on the church plaza. Finally, Mar y Sol on the main plaza offers ice creams, hamburgers, tacos, and burritos (try their chile-relleno burrito!).

·         Near the plaza, the MacCallums have several historic adobes they’ve restored and furnished with local antiques as part of a conservation effort to preserve some of the old aspect of the town. To help carry the project, they offer extended-stay rentals and sometimes can accommodate shorter-term guests. One house, La Casa del Nopal, resembles a small hacienda. With wireless Internet, library-lecture room, and overflow space nearby, it lends itself to small business retreats, workshops, or academic conferences. Another of the houses has a large, semi-subterranean, secret room from the mid-nineteenth century, built to hide women and children when the Apaches attacked. Each place gives the feeling of walking into the nineteenth century, and someone is usually on hand to give a free, informal tour. Call Spencer and Emi on their El Paso line (915-261-0502) which rings in Mexico or their local line (636-692-4402), or email them at sm[at]look.net.

·         Three miles north of the pueblo is the Ojo Vareleño. This is an attractively landscaped, private park, French in feeling, with picnic facilities and a series of four swimming pools and wading pool set among hundreds of shade trees. The source of water is a warm, artesian spring that in prehistoric times supplied Paquimé and later the Franciscan mission, and today irrigates the plaza and gardens (such as that of La Rinconada Restaurant) in the older part of the pueblo. The park is open from 9 to dark daily except Monday, from Easter week (Semana Santa) through mid-to-late September, and is highly recommended. Family oriented, beer only. $30 pesos per person admission. Some RV dry-camping is available. To reach it, entering the Pueblo from Nuevo Casas Grandes, turn right at the second stop sign onto Victoria for 1.4 miles, then left on an unpaved road 1.5 miles to the end. Contact Antonio Varela (636-694-5608, Cell 044-636-699-5948, Spanish), proprietor. [Note that this property is for sale and offers unique development possibilities. See under “Classifieds.”]

·         **Also north of the pueblo are the ruins of the Convento San Antonio de Padua, a Franciscan mission built in 1663 and destroyed in the Pueblo revolt of 1680. (But see four paragraphs below for a contemporary replica of its church that is well worth visiting). Turn right at the second stop when entering the pueblo (the MacCallums’ intersection) and drive north 1.9 miles on Victoria.

·         Back in town at the old church plaza, take Calle Libertad south from the fountain three miles to the renovated Hacienda El Refugio. The Hacienda is owned by Robert Whetten (636-695-0099), who usually gives permission to visit. If unable to reach him, the caretaker may be able to show you through (be sure to tip him for his trouble). The entrance gate alone is worth the trip; built in authentic Spanish Colonial style, it is remarkable for its massive walls and a bell reached by stairs inside the wall.

Note that a few blocks after turning at the fountain, Calle Libertad angles into Calle Ojinaga—which was part of the historic inland Camino Real system from Mexico City to what is now Taos, New Mexico. To bring into the system Casas Grandes, the Franciscan mission of San Antonio de Padua, and the Spanish administrative center of Janos, the Camino Real split at Chihuahua City and rejoined at El Paso.

·         Returning to the fountain by the church plaza, go east down the short hill toward Nuevo Casas Grandes. Immediately on your left you will see a mural by local artist Jackie Jeffers and, across the street on the right, the popular restaurant El Mesón del Kiote (currently closed for remodeling), which offers a fine blend of Chinese and Chihuahua cuisine.

·         **West of the plaza in the direction of Mata Ortiz, turn right (north) two blocks past La Finca de Don Cruz restaurant. The new building set back a hundred feet from the highway is the jewelry and lapidary workshop of Armando Designs (694-9970), where the Barrera brothers cut and polish semi-precious stones of the region and sell jewelry of Mata Ortiz pottery shards mounted in silver. Visitors are welcome to tour the workshop Mon-Fri 8-5pm and Saturday 8-noon. Groups of ten or more can call a day ahead for a special set-up and demonstration. Recommended.

·         **Crossing the highway from Armando Designs and going several blocks south, you will see to your right, across a large expanse slated to become a plaza, a new Catholic church, La Iglesia del Señor de la Divina Misericordia (Church of Our Lord of Divine Mercy). This replicates the 17^th-century church of the ruined Convento San Antonio de Padua north of the pueblo and shows Chihuahua’s original style of church architecture in the tradition of the adobe churches of New Mexico with their long, narrow nave. (The reason for the narrow nave, incidentally, is that the builders were limited by the trees they could get to span it.) Covering all the interior walls of the church is a remarkable, wrap-around mural by local artist Grisel Ortiz, who trained in Italy and painted chapels there. This church is an easy walk three blocks west and one north from the Galería Las Guacamayas and is highly recommended. Call the MacCallums on their El Paso line (915-261-0502) which rings in Mexico or locally (692-4402). They have a key from the padre and are glad to show the artwork to visitors.

·         Returning to the highway and continuing west, two galleries are worth visiting before leaving town. Both offer pottery-making classes and free demonstrations by appointment. Look on the left (south) side of the highway for the Domínguez Gallery (692-4609), painted with Paquimé designs and marked by tall pencil cedars along a white fence. Here master potters César and Gaby Domínguez show their work and that of other Mata Ortiz artists. A block farther on the left, the last structure as you leave town and unmistakable marked by a pylon and paintings in blue, is Casa de Ollas (692-4042), home of the Manuel Olivas family of potters. This gallery features lower-cost and often quite attractive pottery of a more archaeological style, reminiscent of Paquimé.

Numerous highly accomplished Mata Ortiz artists have moved into Casas Grandes. These include César and Gaby Domínguez (692-4609) mentioned just above; Nicolás Quezada and sons José and Leonel (692-4483), whose turquoise colored house is reached by turning left (south) before the Domínguez’ Gallery and going all the way to the end of the street; Antonio Núñez and daughter Lourdes (692-4331) nearby, two blocks west of the church with the surround mural and then half a block north (marked by a spherical water tank ingeniously painted like a Mata Ortiz pot); and Elí and César Navarrete (Cell 044-636-104-0851), on the right side of Avenida Victoria opposite the Abarrotes Mayra grocery store, one mile north of the intersection of Victoria with the one-way street entering town.

·         Local industries: See people of the area making sun-dried adobes or kiln-fired, soft brick; farming trout; ranching turkeys (largest operation in North America); making cheese; growing and packing apples and peaches; raising hydroponic tomatoes; growing 70% of the chilis sold in Hatch, New Mexico, touted as the chili capital of the world; making boots and saddles; working semi-precious stone and crafting silver jewelry; building furniture; etc. For information, call the MacCallums on their El Paso line (915-261-0502, rings in Mexico) or locally at 692-4402.  sm[at]look.net.

·         **Teresita González Batista, a Tarahumara Indian and mother of three, is living and working in Casas Grandes where her children will get a better education. She creates a traditional Tarahumara woman’s outfit for child or adult. Let Teresita take you on a shopping trip to Nuevo Casas Grandes to pick out your flowered material, and she’ll measure you up and produce an outfit in a day or two. Contact the MacCallums on their El Paso line (915-261-0502, rings in Mexico) or locally at 692-4402. sm[at]look.net.

·         Driving beyond Casas Grandes, anyone interested in fine wood art in natural forms in the genre of George Nakashima should not miss a visit to Roberto Hernandez’ workshop (698-9181) in Colonia Cuauhtémoc. Spencer MacCallum has called Roberto (mentored by the late Sam Maloof on several trips to Mata Ortiz) the “Juan Quezada of wood.” From kilometer marker 17 on the Mata Ortiz road, set your odometer and take the paved, angled road a mile back toward Colonia Juárez. There should be a small, yellow sign on the left. Turn right onto a dirt road and go a quarter-mile to the end. The last house on the right is Roberto’s workshop, El Nogal Negro (black walnut). Emi MacCallum assembled two years of his work for a one-man exhibition at the Museo de las Culturas del Norte in Casas Grandes. The MacCallums now display many of these pieces in La Casa del Nopal. A DVD video shows Roberto at work (see listing of videos at the end of the section “Publications”).

·         Regaining the road to Mata Ortiz and continuing another mile, turn left onto a paved road to the Hacienda de San Diego, just visible in the distance. If you arrange ahead (Cells 044-636-103-6004, 044-636-117-2291), the bilingual Acosta family occupying and stabilizing this historic hacienda will serve groups a meal for $10 USD per person in the ballroom or large kitchen (Sara Acosta is a great cook and offers cooking classes at the Hacienda). Add a dollar per person and enjoy a tour of this historic Hacienda in English. Diana, the eldest daughter and a recent graduate in tourism from the University of Juárez, guides groups throughout the area. The hacienda, one of 23 in Chihuahua once owned by Luís Terrazas, has interesting architectural features and history. Francisco I. Madero was proclaimed president of Mexico here, and Pancho Villa for a time made it his headquarters. Contact Sara Ramírez de Acosta (Cells 636-117-2291 or 636-100-0631) at the Hacienda or Diana Acosta (Cell 636-103-6004), Agave Lindo Tours, La Casa del Nopal, Casas Grandes.  diane_hsd[at]hotmail.com 

·         Finally, Mata Ortiz!  People often make their first trip to Mata Ortiz for the art pottery—then return as often as possible for the friends they have made. For the pottery, an excellent strategy on your first trip is just to walk around the village and let things happen. People will offer you pottery in the streets and invite you into their homes to see other pieces or perhaps to see their methods of forming, painting, or firing pottery. Most potters show their own work in their home, but several galleries display a variety of potters’ work. A good way to start is by visiting the galleries, say, of Jorge Quintana or Mauro Quezada. Take time to study the styles, make note of a pot that particularly appeals, ask someone where that person lives, and you’re on your way. The rest of the day will just happen. Here are some of the main galleries:

Jorge Quintana’s store and gallery has fine pottery, Oaxaca weavings and other Mexican crafts—and bathrooms. Make the last left turn before the end of the paved highway on entering town, and it will be about two blocks on your right.

Juan Quezada’s home and gallery across from and slightly south of the station is identified by a large sign.

Mauro Quezada’s home and gallery: From Juan’s house, take the street toward the river as far as it goes and turn right. Mauro and Martha’s is the second house on the left, with an attractive iron fence, right after the house with two tall pines. They always have a good variety of artists’ work moderately priced.

Trevizo gallery is the attractive gallery with large, glass windows facing the old train station.

The old train station shows a variety of people’s work.

The Women’s Co-op, the bright orange building by the rodeo ring, offers a selection of low-end pottery, some of it good.

Galería Lila Silveira in Porvenir, the southernmost barrio of Mata Ortiz across the arroyo, is worth a visit. The Silveiras, who studied with Juan Quezada, carry pots by others without mark-up, as a help to the neighborhood. Find them by taking the slant road to the right beyond Macario Ortiz’ two-story house.

·         Returning from Mata Ortiz, drive through the historic Mormon colony of Colonia Juárez, birthplace of George Romney, governor of Michigan and 1968 United States presidential candidate. If hungry at this point, Puestocito de Elmer (Elmer’s Stand) west of the one-way bridge is unpretentious but immaculate and offers the best food in town. Besides the beautifully sited new Mormon temple, one of 12 in Mexico, points of interest include the Academia Juárez, a church-owned, bilingual prep school founded in 1897 whose reputation draws students from as far away as Mexico City and Salt Lake City; a restored meeting house north of the one-way bridge, containing a Museum of Mormon history soon to open to the public; and the Club de Golf Moctezuma, a golf course with two water traps and perfectly kept greens. The Club is open to visitors year-round for $10 dollars green fee (call John Hatch, 636-695-0111). Philip Taylor (636-695-0149) and John Hatch give informative talks to tour groups on the Mormon colonies in Mexico. Contact John on his USA line (480-704-4596, rings in Mexico) or locally at 695-0111. 

Other Places to Visit

          La Cueva de la Olla, a cliff-dwelling  site named for its large, wattle-and-daub granary in the shape of a pot, is a popular, full-day excursion into the Sierras west of Mata Ortiz. Though only some 30 miles away, it requires a couple of hours each way, and time should be allowed to visit other sites in the immediate vicinity. Recommended not only for its archaeology but for the natural beauty of the area. Not recommended without a guide. Capable guides include Carlos Hernández (Cell 636-116-0158, kt0340[at]hotmail.com) and fully bilingual Diana Acosta (Cell 636-103-6004, diane_hsd[at]hotmail.com).

          **Temazcal just before the town of Madero, about eight miles from Casas Grandes, is an attractive complex of Aztec steam baths (capacity 10-15 persons), mud baths, massage, and swimming pools, with camping facilities consisting of a large tipi ($300 pesos/night) and a cabaña ($400 pesos/night). The entire complex is available for $2000 pesos/day. Open 9am-7pm daily. To reach Madero, turn left, crossing the tracks, at the big curve between Nuevo Casas Grandes and Casas Grandes and continue straight. Look for a small sign on the right half-a-mile before rounding the curve into Madero. Contact Francisco Javier Soto (Cell 636-100-7027), owner, fjavier_98@yahoo.com.  

          Also near Madero is the most important rock-art site in this region, Arroyo de los Monos. This is a half-day excursion from Casas Grandes and involves an easy hike. A high-clearance vehicle is advisable. Because private land must be crossed that may have locked gates, you will want to find the owners. They’ll guide you to the site or find someone who will. Contact Claudia García (Cell 636-102-7041) at Calle Principal #410, a green house in the third block of the main street, on the left side.

Staying Over in the Area

Nuevo Casas Grandes

Besides many hotels in Nuevo Casas Grandes, a city of some 70,000 population, good accommodations are available in Casas Grandes (“Pueblo Viejo”), Colonia Juárez, and Mata Ortiz. Listed in order upon entering Nuevo Casas Grandes are:

Hotel Trébol Inn  694-7889, first on the left and the newest in town

Motel Casas Grandes  694-4844, a bit farther on the right

Hotel Hacienda 694-1048, the city’s most luxurious digs

Hotel Villa Colonial 694-3520; turn left (east) two blocks before the        Motel Piñón and cross the tracks

Hotel Piñón 694-0655, on the right a few blocks before the plaza,   traditionally the archaeologists’ digs

Hotel Paquimé 694-4620, on your right a block short of the plaza

Hotel California 694-1110, a block east of the plaza, fronting the tracks, a traditional Mexican commercial hotel

Crossing some dozen blocks over to the east side of the city on Cinco de Mayo, the main business street running east and west from the plaza, brings you to Avenida Tecnológico, the truck bypass and north-south route to Chihuahua City. Several hotels are located on Tecnológico (named after a technological institute south of the City). They are:

Suites Adrianas 661-2055, one block north of Cinco de Mayo. We haven’t stayed there, but it looks attractive.

Motel Las Fuentes 694-5410, on the left six blocks or so south of Cinco de Mayo

Motel Cabañas 694-0624, a block farther on your right, is a good

budget motel unless you’ve come to Nuevo Casas Grandes by bus,

in which case taxi fare to get across town will offset the saving.

RV parks include:

          RV Park de Dublán los Metates, with 26 spaces, can accommodate up to 36’, but 30’ or less are preferable. Grass, shade trees, all utilities. $150 pesos/day small to medium, $220 large. As you enter Nuevo Casas Grandes (you’ll be in Dublán, one of the Mormon colonies, now grown together with NCG) turn left (east) on Fourth Street a block after the Pemex station. The Park abuts the Manzana Verde grocery store. Contact Señor Cuauhtémoc, owner (694-1203, English).

          Pistoleros Restaurant is not an RV park but a restaurant with a large parking yard (walled and with a night security guard) that can accommodate up to 30 or 40 caravanning RVs. RVers are welcome to use this facility without charge for dry camping. Just beyond the Pemex station as you exit Nuevo Casas Grandes going south, look for the Pistoleros sign and turn right (west) a quarter mile on an unpaved road. Good steaks, interesting Old-West decor, and many of their greens are organic, raised hydroponically on the site. Contact David Baca (694-2964), owner.

          Ojo Vareleño in the old pueblo of Casas Grandes (see description above) is an attractive RV option for dry camping from Semana Santa (Easter Week) through late September. Contact Antonio Varela (636-694-5608, Cell 044-636-699-5948, Spanish), proprietor.

RETAURANTS IN NUEVO: Among the many good places to eat in Nuevo Casas Grandes are, in order on entering town:

Algremi  On your right, just beyond and across from the Hotel Trébol.

                   Attractive décor and garden, a good place to refresh from

                   your trip and start your visit to the area. They offer visitor

information and    arrange tours (694-9565)

Málmedy Belgian cuisine. Look for a brick Victorian house with                         gingerbread porch and garden, across from and just

                   beyond the Pemex station. Best to call ahead, and they'll

                   prepare something delightful (694-1056).

El Rincón Oriental, a popular sushi cafe across from the                                   Motel Casas Grandes (1-10pm, closed Mondays).

Constantino’s, a landmark blending Mexican and Greek cuisine,

on the northeast corner of the plaza (694-1005).

Nutrivida  Behind the Motel Piñón at Hidalgo #607, for light

vegetarian fare (694-8750)

El Pollo Feliz  on Cinco de Mayo, a half-block west of the Pemex

                   station at Avenida Madero, for good roast chicken.

Dinno’s  nearby at Av. Obregón and Jesús Urueta. Excellent food                      and service, popular with Mennonites (694-3554).

**Cristian’s Pizzas  at 302 Avenida Juarez, a block south of the

main plaza on the left, far corner, serves Uruguayan

pizzas and a few other items of Uruguayan cuisine.

The best pizzas in town, and they deliver (a small

charge for delivering to Casas Grandes). Call 694-8822.

English spoken.

Los Pistoleros  Look for their sign on the right beyond the Pemex

                   as you exit Nuevo Casas Grandes south. Old-Western

décor, steaks, and some of their vegetables are organic, raised hydroponically on the site. They also accommodate RV overnighters as a courtesy. (694-2964)

On the other side of town are:

Motel Fuentes’ dining room at 1312 Tecnológico, the north-south           street bounding the east side of the City, the route to

 Chihuahua City.

Tai Wah, a Chinese buffet at the Motel Cabañas across from and just                south of the Motel Fuentes.

There are many other restaurants in Nuevo Casas Grandes. Please let us know your dining experiences and suggestions for listing here.

Casas Grandes (“Pueblo Viejo”)

·          LAS GUACAMAYAS ("The Macaws") near the Museo de las Culturas del Norte (Museum of Northern Cultures), a bed-and-breakfast and fine-arts gallery, offers eleven units for $50 dollars single, $60 double, and $20 each additional person. Owner Mayté Luján's dining room, La Tertulia (the word means a gathering of friends for conversation and recreation), is open to guests for breakfast from 8am. Wireless DSL Internet connection is available to guests. Mayté offers in her gallery a premier selection of high-end Mata Ortiz pottery. This is an artsy place to stay. Make arrangements directly with Mayté in English at voice/fax 011-52-636-692-4144 or by email maytelujan[at]msn.com  www.MataOrtizOllas.com

·         PUEBLO VIEJO COURTYARDS offers “the adobe experience”—accommodations in several restored, historic adobes near the plaza, furnished with local antiques. Guests here find respite from telephone and TV but enjoy wireless Internet access. So bring your laptop. Extended-stay rentals from $200/week and $300/month. Units are equipped for light cooking and some have full kitchens. Grocery stores and good restaurants are within easy walking distance. Suitable site for small company retreats, workshops, and academic conferences. The owners, Spencer and Emalie Macallum, are knowledgeable about attractions in the area and will assist in planning your visit. Call them on their USA line (915-261-0502) which rings in Mexico or locally (692-4402), or email them at sm[at]look.net. On entering the pueblo, their home is at the second stop sign on the far left corner (Avenida Victoria #420). Because at that point the block juts out five feet, narrowing the street you are on, you can cross from your left lane directly into their driveway.

• HOTEL ESTANCIA UNIVERSAL (“Universal Sojourn”) on Calle Constitución immediately behind La Casa del Nopal, a block-and-a-half from the plaza in the direction of the Museum (Constitución is the street bounding the west side of the main plaza). Budget accommodations, all new construction. Three rooms, each with refrigerator, bath, secure parking. One person to a room $200 pesos, two persons $300 pesos, three persons $350, discounts for additional days. Winter rates are slightly higher. Contact José Luís Méndez (636-692-4118), owner, Hotel Estancia Universal, Calle Constitution #45, Casas Grandes, Chihuahua.

Colonia Juárez

·          MOTEL RINCÓN PARAÍSO (“Corner of Heaven”) on this side of the old, one-way bridge in Colonia Juárez. Eight rooms, restaurant, $30 dollars a night. Also, the little Puestocito de Elmer (Elmer’s Stand) next door offers the best food in town. Adjacent mechanic garage is open 24 hours. Contact Ramiro and Amadita Ordaz (695-0171), Motel Rincón Paraíso, Calle Anahuac #42, Col. Juárez, Casas Grandes, Chihuahua.

Mata Ortiz

• THE ADOBE INN in Mata Ortiz is known locally as "the hotel." Turn left exactly at the speed bump on entering town. Continue several blocks, cross a gulley, then left again. It has a garden courtyard and 15 rooms, each with two queen-size beds, private bath, and shower. $50 USD single, $75 double, includes three meals. Owned and operated by master potter Jorge Quintana and veteran trader Jerry Boyd. Make reservations in Spanish with Jorge Quintana at his food market/art gallery (661-7135), in English with Jerry Boyd (562-431-9856), or by email at reservations[at]mataortiz-adobeinn.com

• CASA DE MARTA. Marta Veloz is loved by visitors for herself and for her cooking. Her inn is close to the old plaza in downtown Mata Ortiz and is noted for the personal attention she gives her guests. A visitor writes: "she is a most gracious hostess, the beds are firm, the bathrooms state-of-the-art, the whole place spotless, and the food is the best in town." Marta can accommodate up to 12 guests. $35 USD per person includes three meals. For reservations, phone (636-661-7132, Spanish) or fax (636-661-7026). Faxes can be in English, as they can be translated readily at that end. Specify number of people, date, arrival time, and return fax number. If language is a problem or further information is desired, Sue Ann Hanning (575-521-9180, finaletrading[at]zianet.com), Las Cruces NM, will assist as a courtesy.

• LA KASITA. Five studio units just west of and facing the old rodeo ring, each unit with two double beds, hot water, shower, stove, refrigerator. Single occupancy $25 USD daily, $75 weekly. Double occupancy $35 daily, $100 weekly. Contact Amelia Martínez de Tena (636-661-7007, Spanish), owner, Farmacia Paquimé, Mata Ortiz. [Note: Due to advanced age and recent widowhood, the owner is offering this property for sale; see under “Classifieds”.] If language assistance or information is desired, Spencer MacCallum (915-261-0502, rings in Mexico, or locally 636-692-4402) will assist as a courtesy.

• POSADA DE LAS OLLAS, a block north of the old plaza. Five newly renovated rooms, each with its private bath, and two casitas of two bedrooms and a bath each. Centrally located near the old plaza for comfortable walking in the village. Owned and operated by Lalo and Rosa Heras, La Posada was the first inn established in Mata Ortiz after pottery-making began. $41.50 USD single, $64 double, three meals included. For reservations, phone the Heras family (636-698-6410, Spanish) or Diana Acosta (636-103-6004, English). If more information is desired, Ron and Sue Bridgemon (520-744-2243, sbridgemon[at]q.com), Tucson AZ, will assist as a courtesy.

• **LA VISTA CABAÑAS are the three newly-constructed log cabins above the secondary school with a view of Mata Ortiz and the mountains. Completely furnished with two bedrooms, bath, living room and kitchen, ideal for weekends or extended-stay (cleaning and/or cooking can be arranged) in Mata Ortiz. $60 USD a night, $250 a week, $500 a month. Contact Taurina Baca (Cell 636-101-8931) on the river street, Mata Ortiz. Go to the river from Juan Quezada’s house and turn right; Taurina’s house is immediately on the right.

And Where to Eat

Immediately on leaving the paving as you come into Mata Ortiz and slightly to the right is Tortas de Nena, immaculately clean, where Elva Mendoza serves breakfasts and, throughout the day, tortas, tacos, burritos, soft drinks, and hamburgers. On advance notice of as little as an hour, the Adobe Inn Hotel will prepare meals throughout the day for three or more persons (call on Jorge Quintana at his store/gallery 661-7135). Also, given advance notice, Marta Veloz at her B&B, Casa de Marta, by the old plaza will prepare a good lunch (we find Marta to be one of the best cooks in Mata Ortiz).

English-Speaking Guides

The following are available locally to guide and translate and are recommended. Please let us hear of your experience with anyone who has helped you in this way. The going rate is $30-$50 dollars/day or $10/hour.

·         DIANA ACOSTA (Cell 044-636-103-6004, diane_hsd[at]hotmail.com), at the historic Hacienda de San Diego, is a graduate in tourism from the University of Juárez. Bilingual and knowledgeable, she recently formed Agave Lindo Tours, located at La Casa del Nopal in Casas Grandes, and arranges and/or guides trips to points of interest throughout the region.

·         CÉSAR DOMÍNGUEZ JR. (636-692-4609), college graduate and bilingual, son of master potters César and Gaby Domínguez in Casas Grandes (‘Pueblo Viejo’). As you leave Casas Grandes toward Mata Ortiz, look for their gallery and home on the left, almost at the end of the pueblo, marked by painted Paquimé designs and tall cedars against a white iron fence.

·         DEBI FLANIGAN (698-9159), across the arroyo in the Barrio Porvenir (southernmost) section of Mata Ortiz, is sometimes free to guide and translate. She also serves lunch at $7 dollars/person (reservations required for groups).

• LEROY FLORES (694-2083, losflores[at]gmail.com), Calle Francisco I. Madero # 3805, Col. Dublán, Nuevo Casas Grandes is bilingual and experienced in guiding large bus tours anywhere in the area for $200 USD for one or two days, or small groups for $40-50 per day. 

·         CARLOS HERNÁNDEZ (Cell 044-636-105-3681) is working on his English and has a 13-passenger minivan. A recent tourism graduate from the Nuevo Casas Grandes campus of the University of Juárez, he systematically studies the region and, as an assist in planning excursions, offers a power-point presentation of its many interesting features.   

• BILLY MARTINEAU (Cell 636-110-5931), at the corner of Anchita and Coahuila in Colonia Juárez, while not a guide for Mata Ortiz, is an experienced mule handler available for outdoor camping, horseback expeditions, mountaineering in the Sierras. Bilingual and knowledgeable about rock art, birding sites, and old and current mines from Copper Canyon northward.

·         JORGE MUÑOZ (694-5558, Cell 044-636-699-2226) speaks some English and is graduating in tourism from the Nuevo Casas Grandes campus of the University of Juárez. His Suburban will carry up to eight people to Mata Ortiz, Cave of the Olla, Santa Rosa, or other places of interest. He is based at La Teporaka, Avenida Benito Juárez #2906, Nuevo Casas Grandes, just past the Pemex station on exiting Nuevo Casas Grandes to the south toward Pueblo Viejo.

DIEGO AND CARLA VALLES (661-7137, Cell 104-9983,

diego_valles@yahoo.com) are bilingual, recent college graduates and

among the best of the younger generation of potters. Crossing the

arroyo into Barrio Porvenir, his home and studio are on the near

corner of the second left turn.

• NELDA WHETTEN (695-0293) is available to guide to Mata Ortiz, although pottery is not her main area of expertise. She is especially knowledgeable about local Mormon, Apache, and Chihuahua history, being one of the foremost authorities on the Apaches in Mexico, and will speak to groups in Spanish or English. She lives in Colonia Juárez. One block after crossing the old, one-way bridge, turn right and go to the end of the street. Nelda’s house is on the right.

Days of Celebration

While traditional and colorful Matachín dances are held several times during the year, only two dates are certain: May 15 (San Ysidro) and December 12 (Virgin of Guadalupe). Performed throughout Mexico and the American Southwest, these dances date from early Spanish times and are a celebration of the conversion of the Indians to Catholicism, hence contain both Indian and Catholic themes. The costume designs are of European origin. In Mata Ortiz, Eusebio Sandoval and Esperanza Tena are the monarcas de la danza and keep the costumes. In fulfillment of a religious vow, a person may stay awake during an all-night vigil and then dance from dawn to dark, a feat of endurance.

MAR 19 – Day of San José, patron saint of Mata Ortiz. Matachín dancing likely . The church is decorated, and usually there will be a parade with pick-up-truck floats.

APR 6 – Good Friday is generally observed in Mata Ortiz with a parade winding through several barrios of the pueblo and ending at the church.

MAY 5 – Mexican holiday (Cinco de Mayo) celebrating the initial defeat of the French army at the Battle of Pueblo in 1862, although the French later prevailed and in 1864 established Maximilian as Emperor of Mexico, a reign that lasted three years.

MAY 15 – Day of San Ysidro, patron saint of agriculture. Mass in the Capilla de San Ysidro on the hill, Matachín dancing.

JUN 15 – Day of San Antonio, patron saint of Casas Grandes. Matachín dancing likely.

SEP 16 – Dia de Independencia. Parade in the morning to the plaza for coronation of queen and princesses, a jaripeo (bull-riding) in the afternoon, and a public dance to live music in the evening at the salón de bailes, ending at midnight with the reenactment of the Grito (Cry) of Father Hidalgo that launched the 1810 revolution of independence from Spain.

NOV 1-2 – Dias de los Muertos (Days of the Dead). Mata Ortiz along with every community in Mexico celebrates the memory of loved ones with a procession to the cemetery to tend grave sites and reunite with family members, leaving flowers and favorite foods of the deceased, etc.

NOV 20 – Constitución del País. Celebration to honor Gen. Francisco I. Madero and the revolution that overthrew dictator Porfirio Díaz. Gather at the school at 9am to see the making of floats for the parade, which starts an hour later with many horses and beautiful girls and ends at the bandstand in the old plaza with the crowning of the Queen of the Rodeo. By 1 pm, people are heading toward the stadium, around which the Queen parades on horseback, for the rodeo which lasts all afternoon. In the evening, a dance at the Salon de Actos.

DEC 12 – Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico’s patron saint, following nine days of processions. Matachín dancing.

Seasonal Weather

At about 5,200 feet, Mata Ortiz is high desert. Except for occasional chilly days, winter months are good for visiting. Walter Parks has encountered ideal weather in January. Spring can be somewhat less so; March and April bring occasional high winds and dust, whereas in May and early June the landscape is still brown and dry and it tends to be hot (though less so than in much of the American Southwest). Monsoon rains cool things a bit from late June through August and turn the world green, making summer months good for visiting. Many tour companies consider fall optimal, from late September to early November, when the weather is predictable and the landscape still green from summer rains.

Due to the monsoons and elevation, summer has few uncomfortably hot days, rarely exceeding 100 degrees in the daytime and always cooling at night. Ironically, however, travel companies cannot sell summer tours; people think that because it lies to the south, Mexico must be too hot for summer travel. This creates an advantage for summer visitors; off-season travelers often find a better selection of pottery and at good prices.

          Daily weather reports for Nuevo Casas Grandes can be found at:

          http://weather.yahoo.com/forecast/MXCA0350.html

          http://weather.cnn.com/weather/forecast.jsp?locCode=MXCG

          http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/76122.html

Shipping Pottery Home

Because many potters have no way of shipping to the United States or of dealing with the arcane U.S. Customs requirements, a shipping company is needed in the area. Until then, César Domínguez (636-692-4609, doal27[at]prodigy.net.mx) in Casas Grandes and Susana Nava (636-694-2600, susypottery[at]hotmailcom) in Nuevo Casas Grandes will hand carry pottery across the border and arrange with UPS or another specified shipper to double-box and ship to you. Both the Jorge Quintana and Trevizo galleries will ship for their own customers. If driving to the El Paso airport, the Postal Annex owned and managed by Pete Carrasco (915-585-0045) at Crossroads Shopping Center, 8001 N. Mesa, Ste E, may be convenient for shipping a pot rather than carrying it on the plane. They understand proper packing of pottery. On reaching Route I-10 from Columbus or Santa Teresa (Artcraft Road), go a mile toward El Paso and exit east on Mesa.

Last Minute Thoughts:

          Dollars are accepted everywhere. The current exchange rate is around 12 pesos to the dollar. Should you want extra cash, any bank in Nuevo Casas Grandes has an ATM machine (before leaving home, you might ask your banker to raise your daily ATM limit for the duration of your trip). Do not bring travelers’ checks; merchants don’t accept them, and banks don’t cash them. (Banks only accept them for deposit in your account, if you have one, and then after a hassle). However, if you are known to a casa de cambio (money exchange house) or can be introduced by someone known to them, they’ll cash a traveler’s check or any other check for their regular 2.5% fee. If they know you, many artists will accept a personal check. In that case, add the 2.5% that the casa de cambio will charge them for cashing it, and leave the payee line blank, as the casa de cambio must stamp its own name there.

         Tipping is 10% in local restaurants, sometimes more in a restaurant

frequented by tourists. Tip grocery-store sackers 1-2 pesos per bag that they carry out. It is customary to tip bathroom attendants (all Pemex stations have bathrooms) a couple of pesos.

          Electric current in Mexico is the same as in the United States; so all your electrical items are usable. Using several appliances at the same time may risk blowing a fuse, however. Wireless Internet for laptops is available in many places.

          Plumbing - Mexican sewerage drains are smaller than in the United States, and the concrete pipes are rough. This can cause a paper blockage, especially when water pressure is low. For this reason, toilet tissue that is not unsightly is usually placed in the basket provided next to the commode.

          Night driving - Daytime driving is fine, but avoid night driving when possible. Potholes, livestock, and frequent lack of painted striping can be hazardous. Roads are 20 percent narrower than in the United States and often lack a shoulder, which means that a disabled vehicle may not be able to get off the road. If it is night and the problem is electrical, you could meet suddenly with an unlighted truck stopped in your lane.

          Car accident - Contact your insurance adjuster before calling the police. Avoid police involvement if you can. For a fender bender, go with the other party to a body shop (carrocería), get an estimate, and the party at fault will pay for the repairs. Body shops here generally do good work for far less than in the United States. You will also find major car dealers (Chevrolet, Dodge/Chrysler, Ford, Nissan) in Nuevo Casas Grandes.

          Bring any books you might like your favorite artists to sign.

          A flashlight is often handy.

          Packing materials - Bring flattened boxes, plastic bags, bubble-wrap, and packing tape for your pottery. (Click on “General Interest for Collectors and Dealers” section and scroll to “Pot Packing 101.”)

          Drink water!  While tap water in northern Mexico is safe, bottled water is often preferred for taste and is available in most stores. Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration and its possibly serious complications, since this is an arid climate and you will be outdoors more than you are probably accustomed. Dehydration is the most common cause of serious illness for visitors. Carry bottled water with you and drink frequently.

Horses

Horses are still a part of everyday life in Chihuahua. In Mata Ortiz, for $20 dollars per person per day, Jesús and Carmen Veloz will rent horses for solo or group excursions into the mountains (petroglyphs are 2 ½ hours away by horseback) or along the river north toward the Hacienda de San Diego or south toward Santa Rosa. Their teen-age sons Martín and Antonio, though not strong on English, are available to guide. If desired, they will prepare a picnic lunch over an open fire ($5/person, minimum 4). Twelve-year-old Juan offers burro rides. Be advised, however, that Chihuahua horses can have a mind of their own, and in Chihuahua it is assumed you know how to handle them. Not recommended for inexperienced riders. The Veloz live across from and a couple of doors south of the church.

          Mónico Corona and Ana Trillo (neighbor 636-661-7023) also rent horses for riding (two hours for $10 dollars or all day for $20). Ana speaks some English, Mónico none. Mónico guides unforgettable horseback trips and is well recommended. They will invite children to ride their gentle burros. Their home is behind the elementary school on the way to the Adobe Inn Hotel.

Beyond Mata Ortiz — the Sierras

The Sierra country a few hours west of Mata Ortiz is home to an entirely different culture, a mountaineering culture with log-cabin architecture, hunting, fishing, hiking, cliff-dwellings, and birding opportunities. In EL WILLY (Ignacio Zaragoza), look for Casa Rios and El Rio Café in the middle of town, a block north of the sign marking a left turn to Cueva de la Olla. Operated by Guadalupe and Dora Rios, this is a good place from which to explore the area, whether by vehicle, foot, or horseback. Lodging $15 per person per night, breakfast $5, dinner $8.  For reservations, email Guadalupe Rios j.rios99[at]yahoo.com, being sure to include El Willy in the subject line. For information on the area, contact Ron and Sue Bridgemon (520-744-2243, azcaver[at]earthlink.net) in Tucson.

          Hunting is popular in the Sierras, especially for trophy Coues whitetail deer and Gould’s turkey, and several hunting lodges have opened or are under construction. For information, contact Mike Atchison (505-320-8407, rabit_moon[at]msn.com), Rabbit in the Moon, Rt 1 Box 1, San Acacia, NM 87831; Ernesto J. Beall (915-845-3149, 694-5560, Cell 104-8942), Ojo Caliente Outfitters, PO Box 99, Nuevo Casas Grandes, Chih 31700 indiagraves[at]sbcglobal.net, www.ojocalienteoutfitters.com); Luís Gómez Anchondo (Cell [011-52] 636-103-7448, hcg_luis[at]yahoo.com); or Hawkins Family Outfitters & Trail Riders (Bobby Hawkins 623-478-0489 or Alan Hawkins 636-695-0098).

          For exploring the Sierras, WILLIAM “BILLY” MARTINEAU, a bilingual and bi-cultural Mormon from Colonia Juárez, is an authentic old hand in the Sierras, an experienced mule handler available for outdoor camping, horseback expeditions, mountaineering. He knows the old and active mines from Copper Canyon northward, rock art, birding sites, etc. Contact Billy Martineau (Cell [011-52] 636-110-5931), Anchita y Coahuila, Colonia Juárez.

Border Compliance

ENTERING MEXICO

A visitor’s permit from Migración (Immigration) and, if driving, a vehicle permit from Aduana (Customs) are required to travel farther into Mexico than the Customs check point ten miles south of Janos. These permits can be obtained from a Mexican consulate or at the border. Warning: Do not be misled by being waved across the border. The agent assumes you will be visiting locally. At Janos, if you cannot show Customs your vehicle permit, you will be turned back 85 miles to the border to get it!

You can cross back and forth while your permits are in force, but YOU MUST CANCEL BOTH YOUR VISITOR’S PERMIT AND YOUR VEHICLE PERMIT ON LEAVING MEXICO THE FINAL TIME. Keep all canceled permits and receipts to show that you exited before the expiry date. Since the Mexican government computer system is not always reliable, failure to cancel and then keep the receipts could mean lengthy delays and/or fines on a return trip.

Migración (Immigration): >>A special seven-day visitor’s permit will be issued free. A permit for a longer period up to six months costs >>$27 USD (students with ID are exempted from this charge), payable at any bank before returning to the United States. The bank will stamp the permit paid. To obtain a visitor’s permit, you need only show a US passport valid beyond your anticipated date of return. Lacking a passport, you must show a government-issued photo ID plus a birth certificate or letter of naturalization. These latter must be original or a notarized copy. If you haven’t one of these, the photo ID plus a notarized voter registration or a notarized affidavit may suffice, but no guarantee. Anyone under 18 not accompanied by both parents must have a notarized letter of permission from the absent parent. If the officer issuing your visitor’s permit stamps your passport on entering, you MUST be sure to get an exit stamp on leaving. Otherwise on a future visit you will face cumulative daily fines or be denied entry. For general Immigration offices in Palomas, call (011-52) 656-611-7520 or, for the officer on duty, 656-666-0155. The Immigration office in Janos is (011-52) 636-693-5379. El Berrendo has no phone at this time.

Aduana (Customs): Three requisites for the vehicle permit are car registration, driver's license, and a credit card (Visa or Mastercard), and all must be in the same name. Lacking a credit card, you will have to put down a deposit of perhaps $200 USD, based on the year and make of the car. This is refundable at the border when you leave. If the car is not in your name, as for example a rental car, you must have a notarized letter from the registered owner giving you permission to take the car into Mexico.

Import duties on anything other than personal effects are 16 percent, based on purchase receipts or the agent’s estimate. But there is a $75 dollar exemption for each person in the vehicle—and this exemption rises to $300 dollars for each occupant during Holy Week (Easter) and the month of December.

Seguros (Insurance): U.S. car insurance is not valid in Mexico, but Mexican insurance is readily available from your auto club, at the border when you get your vehicle permit, or online or by phone from companies like Adventure Mexican Insurance (800-485-4075) www.mexadventure.com; Mexpro Insurance Professionals (888-467-4639) www.mexpro.com; or Palms Mexico Insurance (800-666-4778) www.palmsmexicoinsurance.com.

Consulates: Call a Mexican consulate if you have questions before your trip or encounter problems at the border and need clarification. Locations of Mexican consulates in the United States are given at: www.mexonline.com/consulate.htm. The four nearest are: Tucson (520-882-5595), Douglas (520-364-3142), Albuquerque (505-247-4177), and El Paso (915-533-3644).

Fair warning: Clean out your vehicle before entering Mexico!

Any weapon or ammunition, even a spent shell, or a single seed of an illegal plant, in your car or the back of your pickup is a federal offense penalized by a prison sentence, and there is no leniency for foreigners.

RETURNING TO THE UNITED STATES

You must show a U.S. passport. Be aware also that, according to an article in www.sovereignsociety.com of 18 January 2010, U.S. Customs officials are authorized to copy all data on your laptop or other electronic device when you cross a U.S. border and may require that you decrypt any encrypted files before allowing you to proceed.

Pets must have a rabies certificate or be subject to quarantine. A Mexican vet will provide this. We go for our veterinary needs to Dr. Arturo Felix N. (694-3308), Jesús Urueta and Constitución, Nuevo Casas Grandes, a block east of the Motel Piñón.

Pottery is duty-free but must be declared. Keep receipts for any large purchases (just any notation of amounts with the potter's initials and Pagado (paid) will suffice). Below $800 dollars per person, no entry paperwork is needed. From $800-$2,000 per person, an informal entry will do, and this may be waived if the agent takes your word that the pots are not for resale. Higher amounts require a formal entry through a customs broker (which, incidentally, requires showing an original Social Security card). Each pot should be labeled "Mexico." Technically, this applies only to pots intended for resale, but Customs advises us that they prefer all pots be so marked. This can be written on 3M Safe-Release Masking Tape #2080, which is the least likely to mark the pot but not guaranteed. Better is to press any kind of sticker (even one cut from a Post-it) onto the bottom inside the pot with the eraser end of a long wooden pencil, wiping out any dust first so that the sticker will stick.

What is an "informal entry?" To expedite your crossing, download ahead of time from http://forms.cbp.gov/pdf/CBP_Form_7523.pdf.. Customs Form No. 7523 (080295), enter on it the District Port Code (e.g. Naco 2603, Douglas 2601, Columbus 2406, Santa Teresa 2408, El Paso 2402), and identify the pottery as "Decorative art pottery from Mata Ortiz" (identified, if the question arises, as TSUS No. MX6913905000). Informal entries, also called "commercial declarations," can be processed at most ports 9-5pm weekdays and 10-2pm Saturdays, but note the limited services and different hours at Naco and Antelope Wells. How much of this is necessary depends on the individual Customs officer.

For information on the various ports of entry, see www.customs.ustreas.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/ports. Phone numbers are: Naco AZ 520-432-5349; Douglas AZ: 520-364-8486; Antelope Wells NM: 575-436-2792 (limited hours 8-4pm daily and no commercial importation over $2000); Columbus NM: 575-531-2686; Santa Teresa NM: 575-589-9354; and El Paso TX: 915-872-3444.

          In the event of a seemingly unfair problem with an agent of either government, our best advice is to keep cool and ask courteously to speak with a supervisor.

Choose Your Crossing Point

Naco southwest of Bisbee, Arizona is a good port of entry, open 24 hours with little or no waiting. However, Naco does not issue vehicle permits; they must be obtained elsewhere in advance. Returning to the States, Customs hours for crossing pottery are Mon-Fri, 9-5pm (see above for paperwork requirements). Customs brokers are available.

Agua Prieta opposite Douglas is a full-service port. After completing your paperwork for entering Mexico (visitor’s and vehicle permits), turn left (east) immediately, go three blocks to the first traffic signal, and turn right at the Hacienda Hotel/Restaurant. Continue south through the city and then left (east) on Highway 2 toward Janos and Nuevo Casas Grandes. This road will take you through a 5,000-foot pass in the San Luís Mountains, a part of the Sierra Madre Occidental that to the north becomes the Rocky Mountains. Once through the mountains, there is a prairie dog town (now somewhat diminished) on the right near kilometer post 70, and you may also see burrowing owls, especially in the afternoon. Note that poor weather can combine with narrow road, curves, and heavy trucks to make driving the pass hazardous, and at such times the road may be closed. Even in good weather, some people prefer traveling the extra distance to cross at Antelope Wells/Berrendo or at Columbus/Palomas. Both of those routes are flat but take about an hour longer.

          El Berrendo opposite Antelope Wells is an ideal crossing point but, like Naco, only if you already have your vehicle permit, since it is small and only issues the visitor’s permit. Hours are 8-4pm. On returning to the United States, commercial entries are limited to $2,000, and there are no customs brokers for larger amounts. Eight miles of unpaved road on the Mexican side become muddy with rains but are good in dry weather.

          Palomas opposite Columbus is a full-service port open 8am to midnight for visitor’s and vehicle permits. After clearing your paperwork for entering Mexico, stop at the Pink Store in Palomas for food and Margaritas (for those in your party not driving), good ambience, and one of the best selections of Mexican crafts in northern Mexico.

Santa Teresa west of El Paso is a good port of entry with the same full-services as Palomas. Reach Santa Teresa by taking Exit 8 (Artcraft Road) from Interstate 10 on the west side of El Paso and driving west 13 miles. Instead of this crossing, however, we prefer turning right on Route 9, a mile before Santa Teresa, and continuing west, paralleling the border 60 miles to Columbus/Palomas. If you cross at Santa Teresa, you will do the same 60 miles on the Mexican side. Neither road has any services.

Ciudad Juárez opposite El Paso is not recommended because of having to navigate the city. Instead, we take Exit 8 (Artcraft Road) from Interstate 10 on the west side of El Paso and cross at Santa Teresa or Columbus/Palomas.

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