Do you remember that best seller several decades ago, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, in which author Robert Pirsig details (but gets lost in digressions) a motorcycle trip from Wisconsin to California?

David Bryen's new book, Riding off the Edge of the Map, is a much better book, detailing (and reflecting upon) a far more fascinating motorcycle trip — through Mexico's Copper Canyon.

What began as a pleasure trip metamorphosed into something else: "The highway had deteriorated from asphalt to terror..."

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As you walk toward the main square from the bus terminal in Dolores Hidalgo, it's hard to imagine the impassioned frenzy that heated this Mexican village on September 15, 1810. Here, on the balcony of ... read more

Isla Isabel is located 34 kilometers (21 miles) off Mexico's west coast. It is a National Park and wildlife refuge with a population of some 42,000 birds and, in 2003, was named a World Heritage Site. ... read more

San Felipe is the center of a living museum that has witnessed the passage of a continuum of men, women and children for the past 2- to 3,000 years. Whereas evidence of their existence remains in most ... read more

In July of 1969, Bulgarian born artist-adventurer Dimitar Krustev, almost 50 years old, and his inexperienced young companion named Gary set off, in their folding kayak, to explore, traveling on its waters, the jungles of southern Chiapas, the still largely unknown land of the Lancandon Maya.

In 1969, this culture was already in decline, undermined by the relentless forces of what some still call progress.

Jungle adventures are always challenging. This trip was a very difficult one for Gary, his young companion, and although difficult as well for Krustev, the artist was generally of a calm and philosophically disposed spirit... read more

Cabo Corrientes is one of those vaguely heard of places where nobody ever goes because… well, where is it? And how and why would you go there? Literally, Cabo Corrientes means "cape currents." It's... read more

For anyone planning on spending time in Mexico City, the Xochimilco Canals (pronounced: so-chee-MIL-ko) is an experience not to be missed. After a first glance in any guide book, the traveller would be... read more

We sit crushed together, moist and miserable, in the back of the battered old VW van as we do every day about this time. Interesting odors assail our noses. We would rather not know what it is we are s... read more

City parks were not an important part of my life when I was a child. I was raised in the country on a farm which, for all practical purposes, was a park. Growing older, though, I learned to appreciate ... read more

I adore travelling Mexico by bus. Mexico's bus system offers travelers an economical, efficient and effective means to explore the entire country. The routes are highly organized and the connections a... read more

This news bulletin just in: Mexico considers revising history books. Another holiday proposed. Famous explorer discovers Jocotepec! Okay, maybe not in the way Christopher Columbus did his thing. It ap... read more

50 weeks out of the year Tlacotalpan sits in its torpid tropical slumber, but starting late January and running for two weeks it celebrates the Fiesta de la Candelaria. For most of these two weeks the Feria (fair) is made up of a carnival, bailes tropicales (salsa dances), and a very large tianguis (temporary market). Then – in stark contrast to its normal tranquility — on January 31st through February 2nd the town explodes into a religious and secular frenzy, its streets stuffed with true believers and joyful revelers. read more

Whether it's an exclusive, modern hotel on a beach, a boutique hostelry built into a 17th Century hacienda, or a simple bed-and-breakfast in a beguiling resort town, you're likely to find prices and packages more affordable these days.

Mexico is always less costly for Americans, given its proximity to the U.S., but fits budgets even better today, given the recent publicity it has unfairly endured.

What's true of hotels is also likely to be true of airfare, restaurant meals, tour plans and all-inclusive deals. For a holiday that's truly easy on the wallet, there may never have been a better time to consider Mexico than right now. read more

All of his life, Bayley had listened to the stories told to him by his beloved grandmother, stories that usually were about her father, Bayley's great-grandfather Arturo (Arthur Greenhalgh, born 1874 in Tottington, England) who managed a cotton mill in western Mexico in those challenging years immediately preceding the Mexican Revolution.

Worried about life passing him by, in 1898 Arturo "kissed his sweetheart Mariah goodbye and set off on his Mexican adventures."

Bayley, over one-hundred years later, "was plagued by the same fear about life passing me by." read more

The flash of skate blades against gleaming ice. A cold-edged wind that creeps into your bones. The sharp, metallic smell of snow in the air. Winter. These are the images that most of us connect to our... read more

Come see and taste and smell. Have fun. Soak up some sunshine. Learn something. Visit a historic hacienda or maybe Pueblos Mágicos — or even a wind farm. Enjoy fresh fruit, veggies, flowers and tacos. Sing along with the mariachis in the big city, tour museums and cathedrals, pose beside monuments, dine at famous restaurants, relax and watch the plaza multitude. read more

Start with an endless array of fabulous dishes from the greatest chefs in the Americas. Add a lavish serving of wines born in regions from Napa Valley to the fields of Chile. Sprinkle with warm, sun-splashed days, beckoning beaches and spirited nightlife. The result: The tempting event called the Cancun-Riviera Maya Wine & Food Festival, staged in Quintana Roo, Mexico. read more

While perfect storms have been ravaging parts of America north of the Mexican border, Mexico itself — and especially Mexico City — is currently enjoying idyllic weather, a veritable Indian summer a... read more

Driving up the long rise into Mineral de Pozos, framed by the gray-brown humpbacked mountains once laced with veins of silver and gold, the visitor first sees the stone walls of the cemetery, the pante... read more

October 7 is considered the birthday of Nuestra Señora del Rosario (the Virgin of Talpa). The six o'clock morning mass is dedicated to the Virgin, then she begins to receive her well-wishers. This is a very organized neighborhood-by-neighborhood pilgrimage to the church. Every pilgrim has a gift in hand. By 5 o'clock the holy carpet is ready, church bells begin to chime, and The Lady walks. read more

Beautiful beaches abound all along Mexico's Nayarit Riviera. Here are two more gorgeous hidden gems and a historic beach town. Playa Las Tortugas Playa Los Tortugas is an exquisite five-mile stretch ... read more

An American acquaintance of mine, who believes himself to be quite astute about such things, is in the habit of asking whether San Miguel de Allende is the real Mexico and, if it's not, where can it be... read more

North of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico's Nayarit Riviera coast has a wealth of beaches to discover and enjoy. Their cool blue waters, warm sand and exuberant vegetation invite the explorer to linger a while.... read more

The Mexico City airport is the gateway to Mexico City and Central Mexico. The Mexico City airport is also the airline hub for the entire country. If you are flying to a destination in Mexico not served by direct flights from the USA, you will probably change planes in Mexico City. More than 20 million passengers per year pass through this major airport, making it the busiest in Latin America. read more

Please pardon me. I have neglected Mexico City. It has been years since I have told you how much I love it. No need for me to tell you that Mexico City is the financial and cultural center of the country. Strange mix — then and now are many years apart and yet, in places, they are side by side. Fascinating. read more