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Nancy Boyd

Apr 23, 2007, 10:24 PM

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Help with where to cross

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We are just north of San Diego in Valley Center and want to drive home to Ajijic. We can cross at San Luis south of Yuma. We'd then take number "2" in Mexico to Hermosillo and pick up "15" down the coast. Or - we can drive to Tucson and cross at Nogales and pick up "15" right away. Either of those would take us down the coast and then to Ajijic. Any opinions of which is the better way?

Many thanks

Ron Pickering W3FJW

Apr 23, 2007, 11:31 PM

Post #2 of 14 (2192 views)

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Re: [Nancy Boyd] Help with where to cross

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It will probably be faster going through Nogales. That seems to be the way most people on the forum seem to feel when asked that question. That's good roads & a lot less traffic all the way from San Diego through Nogales to Mex 15. Don't know how good the Yuma route may be..but I'm sure the road isn't too good and will have more traffic to Hermesillo.
Getting older and still not down here.

(This post was edited by Ron Pickering W3FJW on Apr 23, 2007, 11:34 PM)

Bloviator

Apr 24, 2007, 5:11 AM

Post #3 of 14 (2179 views)

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Re: [Nancy Boyd] Help with where to cross

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As I regularly drive from Valley Center, where my daughter lives and we will be tomorrow, to Ajijic, I have some knowledge of this.

Check out the search string Lukeville and a time frame of 6 months and you will see my regular posting about that crossing, which we always take - though we have taken all the others from TJ to Nogales except Sasabe.

The differences from Nogales are fewer miles, much faster crossing with less traffic, a new cuota for part of the way to Santa Ana/Magdelena, where you join the Nogales road.

It is like a triangle. You can take the one base or take two bases of the triangle. All border crossing facilities are located beside the road about 23 miles south of Sonoyta, Lukeville's Mexican equivalent.

Essentially, you take the Valley Center Grade or Old Castle Road to I-15, I-15 to San Diego, I-8 to Gila Bend and then go 80 miles south over a good state hiway, AZ 85, to the border.

Of course, if you go through Nogales, you get to practice kilometer mileage signage as most from Tucson to the border use kilometers instead of miles.

(This post was edited by dlyman6500 on Apr 24, 2007, 5:14 AM)

sfmacaws

Apr 24, 2007, 11:07 PM

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Re: [dlyman6500] Help with where to cross

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We just came north that route, turned west at Santa Ana and crossed the border near Yuma at San Luis. Highway 2 that runs under the US border is no problem if you are used to Mexican roads, if not it would be better to go to Lukeville or Nogales. It's 2 lane, no shoulder, very isolated and lots of truck traffic. It's in good shape though and we had no problem. It's a lot closer as I8 in the US goes a ways north before Gila Bend and you then have to come back south to the border. Also, gas is cheaper in Mexico.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

Bloviator

Apr 25, 2007, 1:48 AM

Post #5 of 14 (2124 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Help with where to cross

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True. It is somewhat shorter to go through Algadones/Yuma or San Luis Rio Colorado. However, we have decided that we prefer Lukeville. I-8/AZ 85 beats Mex 2 in our book.

The road between Sonoyta and San Luis Rio Colorado on the Mexican side is not so much no shoulders, etc. - which she is right, it is - but it is 120 miles of absolute desolate desert with no help in sight if you have a problem. I have never seen a green angel on that stretch and I sure don't expect the auto club to come and rescue me as they will on the US side.

There is absolutely nothing except for a few closed down Mexican rastaurants and perhaps a llantera or two on the whole stretch.

(This post was edited by dlyman6500 on Apr 25, 2007, 1:57 AM)

sfmacaws

Apr 25, 2007, 7:38 PM

Post #6 of 14 (2079 views)

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Re: [dlyman6500] Help with where to cross

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It's beautiful, desolate country though. There were a few places open, we stopped a couple times to just walk around. There are also a lot of trucks and we've found most trucks have a CB radio and will assist you. You can also watch them build the boondoggle that is our fence along the border.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

drmike

Apr 26, 2007, 3:46 AM

Post #7 of 14 (2065 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Help with where to cross

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"You can also watch them build the boondoggle that is our fence along the border."

What a complete embarassment! I wonder if real reason for the fence is to keep NOB's in rather than keep others out?
Dr. Mike

http://www.smarthealthchoices.blogspot.com

There are hundreds of paths up the mountain,
all leading in the same direction,
so it doesn't matter which path you take.
The only one wasting time is the one
who runs around and around the mountain,
telling everyone that his or her path is wrong.

Hindu teaching

Bloviator

Apr 26, 2007, 7:51 AM

Post #8 of 14 (2053 views)

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Re: [drmike] Help with where to cross

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Good picture of the fence. Been watching them build that fence for two years. It might stop a very light sedan. Anything else no such luck.

You say a couple of places open. Are you talking about restaurants, etc.? I don't remember any restaurants or anything else but some falling down one room huts along the way from SLRC to Sonoyta.

That is one of the reasons we now go through Lukeville. It is so embarrassing to see your tax dollars at work. It makes me almost want to cancel my appointment with our tax person tomorrow and just forget to file.

sfmacaws

Apr 26, 2007, 12:43 PM

Post #9 of 14 (2036 views)

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Re: [dlyman6500] Help with where to cross

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Not any places I'd stop to eat in, some small trucker stands and as you said, tire places. It is desolate and there aren't any good options for lunch but it's only 120 miles and of course, we carry our kitchen with us. I find it beautiful and I was interested in where the border actually was, we've driven I-8 across AZ numerous times and I would look at those mountains and wonder which side of them the border is on. Now I know, the southern side.

As to the fence, it is a joke. There are so many other ways that money could be spent to improve the security of the border but this has that visual punch that politicians love.

No, I am not one of those paranoids that thinks it is to keep people in. You'd be firing short of a few cylinders to really believe that. I do think it is a salve and a political sop that plays well to the fearful. I have no problem with any country defending its borders, I see it as the same as me defending my house. I don't have to let anyone in that I don't want to. The rules though need to be improved, there needs to be a worker program that acknowledges the benefits to both countries and once that is in place then as far as I'm concerned they could shoot the drug runners and people smugglers and I would have no complaint.

Jonna - Mérida, Yucatán

boz

Apr 26, 2007, 10:19 PM

Post #10 of 14 (2006 views)

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Re: [sfmacaws] Help with where to cross

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For a real thrill, skip Mexico 2, enter at Nogales through the OLD arched entry anytime between 8am and 5pm. The city has it's own beauty, but the jazz is 5 lanes of kamikaze traffic with the 2 rightmost lanes turning left across the fastlanes when the light turns green. We pulled a 35' trailer through this tap dance and still enjoy talking about the adrenaline rush.

Never let your sense of morals prevent you from doing what's right. Isaac Asimov

esperanza

Apr 27, 2007, 6:23 AM

Post #11 of 14 (1992 views)

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Re: [boz] Help with where to cross

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Hey, till I looked at the rest of the thread, I thought you were posting about driving around the Glorieta Minerva in Guadalajara. I do it at least once a day for some aerobic exercise--it really keeps my heart rate up.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

JohnnyBoy

May 9, 2007, 10:02 AM

Post #12 of 14 (1902 views)

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Re: [boz] Help with where to cross

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I enjoyed this response. The description of the downtown Nogales crossing. Pretty accurate.

I entered Mexico on the ground for the first time a couple of weeks ago. I did not do the menaje de casa on the recommendation of the official at the SF Mexican consulate who thought it would be a waste of time and money for me. So, I took everything to a storage unit in Tucson and have been making trips back and forth between Tucson and Hermosillo, Sonora.

The first time I used the Nogales truck crossing, called Mariposa. Wrong!!! Mistake!!! Major hassles with the officials there. We have since used the downtown Nogales crossing, both entering and leaving. Always got a green light (at Mariposa we never saw a light, green or red. Just nasty, uncooperative Mexican border officials.)

jb

bournemouth

May 9, 2007, 10:33 AM

Post #13 of 14 (1899 views)

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Re: [JohnBleazard] Help with where to cross

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John - I certainly understand your feelings about the border officials - but - No red/green light? What can you mean.

There is a red/green light setup just past the toll station on the truck route pereferico, some kilometers south of the crossing point and then another one at Kl. 21 - you didn't see them??

Did you stop right at the crossing point, which is where people going to Nogales stop, or did you drive on towards Hermosillo? Enquiring minds want to know.

JohnnyBoy

May 9, 2007, 11:07 AM

Post #14 of 14 (1894 views)

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Re: [bournemouth] Help with where to cross

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I have gotten so used to the downtown Nogales crossing now that I can barely remember the crossing at Mariposa. I just know I will never use it again.

As I recall, we approached the crossing and the signs confused us. We were the only small vehicle in the area. There were some large trucks a considerable distance from us. We saw a uniformed official standing along side one of the lanes and we drove in there. (At the downtown crossing all the lanes are clearly marked and have metal bumps on the ground. Apparently when the wheels of the vehicle touch them it is like pressing the button on that gizmo in an airport, and we have always got a green "Pase" light.) But at Mariposa there was no light at all, that I can remember. We talked to the guard. He said we would have to pay taxes.

We did the U-turn and ended up in a lot full of cars that were apparently waiting to get nationalized/legalized, with a lot of guys hanging around. My Mexican partner would not even get out of the car. He said they looked suspicious. We drove out of there and saw a little white building just in front of where the guard was standing. I parked and went it. There was a large empty waiting room except one man sitting there with some papers in his hands. There was another smaller room, with a large glass window looking into the waiting room, and a sign that said "Espere su turno." I don't think there was a sign in English to wait my turn.

Behind the glass window was a young lady talking on a cell phone, smiling and laughing.

I sat there a while. The man left. I approached the door into the office behind the glass window. The young lady motioned me in and to sit down. In a moment she finished her amusing call and said something. I did not understand. I spoke to her in English as I understand no Spanish, although I can read it pretty well and can say a few things. She said "No Ingles. Espanol." So I went to fetch my Mexican companion. He explained that the stuff in the truck was all my personal, used household crap. She told us to go ahead. My partner spoke to the guard and told him what the young lady had said, and he motioned us on through there.

We did hit the second area a few kilometers south, where we stopped and got my FM-3 stamped, then we passed through one of the lanes with bumps, and there was a light there, but neither the red light nor the green light came on. We sat there for a while and one of the guards motioned us through.

But downtown Nogales, everything is normal and as we expected.

jb