I’m so proud of the kids tonight. We had a hellacious day on the road; it took us all day long to travel the 200km from Tepic to Villa Corona (about 1 hour southwest of Guadalajara). We left Tepic this morning, never having found out what the nightly fee was. Dad and I guessed at P100 (probably about 1/2 the rate it really is, but for what we got, it was just) and left it in an envelope under the door of the encargante. The kids and I wanted to go to the volcano (Santa maria del oro) but Jamie didn’t, so we passed the lovely WIDE, double lane, newly paved road to Santa Maria. If absolutely NOTHING else, Mexico sure makes you appreciate nice, smooth, good roads. Whenever you get a shoulder, you REALLY enjoy it, because the norm is no shoulder with a steep dropoff. When you get smooth, pothole-free (today I avoided an open MANHOLE right in the space that your tires would occupy, on a narrow, concrete-flanked lane – I still don’t know how I avoided it) road, you revel in the smoothness and ease of the ride. And when you are lucky enough to find a road with streetlights, you simply must stop, gape-mouthed and stare at the marvelous invention.
We had planned to take the cuota (toll) road to Guadalajara, but thought we might also overnight at the Pemex outside of Santa Maria del Oro, so we started out on the libre road and it kept rolling along. I was feeling quite smug as the Church’s book says that they recommend the cuota road vs the libre road for this stretch (Tepic to Guadalajara). The road surface was good; we were doing about 50mph/80kph (which is our normal speed) and the kilometers were clicking by. Life was good.
About 30km outside Tepic, heading east, we noticed large black rocks on either side of the highway and as we headed into and through the rock field, it was very obvious that they were lava rocks. Looking to the north, you could see the volcano that the lava came from and the flow of lava as it left the volcano. I was dying to stop and let the kids check out the lava, but Jamie wanted to keep going. So, without driving to look at a crater lake, the kids still got to see a volcano and lava!
Around the eastern outskirts of Tepic, we started seeing more and more fields of aguave, the cactus plant that Tequila is made from. These fields were rivaled by the sugar cane fields of yellow green (ripe) to emerald green (newly planted). I really wished I’d had the camera handy; the lush greenness ranging from yellow to light green to emerald green against the brown/grey of the mountains and volcanoes was quite striking. The flat fields of aguave and sugar cane slowly became pure aguave. Tequila is comprised of 50% aguave and only certain Mexican states are allowed to grow the plant to ensure proper growing conditions. Nayarit (the state Tepic is in) and Jalisco (the state Guadalajara is in) are two of the few states allowed to grow aguave for tequila. The fields became rolling hills and the landscape rivaled that of Napa and Sonoma county; exchanging vineyards for aguave fields.
After about 1.5 hours into the trip (we were only going 200km today) we were looking down into a wondrous canyon; deep and wide with an oasis of green at the bottom. Unfortunately, we were also driving behind a loaded truck and Dad’s orders for the day were "no passing" (as Mom gets too frightened/worried when we pass). So we meandered down one wall of the canyon at 10mph; watched wistfully at the cars passing the truck (and us) at the oasis at the bottom and memorized the back of the truck as we spent the next 5km and about 45 minutes (we were doing 5-10mph the entire time we were behind this truck) going up the opposite wall of the canyon. In the distance, on the other side of this hellacious canyon, I knew the cuota road was flat and gradually sloping with NO dangerously loaded trucks to slow the genteel travelers down. It was a long, mountainous, windy drive, but we missed nothing, doing 5-10mph. (did I mention how SLOW we were going?) I finally had had enough and told Mom and Dad via the 2-way radio that I was going to pass the truck and we’d meet them in Tequila (the town). About 30 seconds after I passed the truck, I saw their Lazy Daze in my mirror. Guess they were as sick of the truck as I was. I knew now that it was going to be a long day, so I turned on the AC. It was so comfortable with the cool air and I quickly got used to it.
About 70km from Guadalajara, 4 hours and 130km into our day, we drove through the teeny town of Magdelena. I really would have loved to stay there; they had a beautiful town square and church. The streets were cobblestone and the highway went right around the town square. Normally, in such small towns, the square is protected by the cargo route, but for some reason the road makers decided to subject this darling little town to constant diesel exposure. I was looking left and right for places to boondock; I found baseball fields that looked inviting and one motel looked like it would have been able to fit us in their parking lot. At this point I KNEW it was going to be a long day and kept thinking that the kids were going to mutiny. They were champs. They played; they play-acted; they conversed and were model traveling children. I was really glad that they’d have the treat of a water park at the end of the day. Navigating the town was REALLY tight and slow going; trying to ensure that I didn’t clip anyone or anything. We had hoped to stop in the town of Tequila, some 20km further, for eating and shopping, but when we arrived, I simply wanted to get gas and get going. The day was getting immeasurably long and I was worried we might not get to camp before nightfall. Jamie and mom tasted some of the liquors for sample and Jamie bought some terribly sweet liquor de almendra (not almond). It is disgustingly sweet and nothing like Tequila. Now that I’ve tasted the crap he bought, I’m tempted to drag everyone’s ass back to Tequila so we can get the real thing. But not enough to actually do it. 
The kids were being such champions at traveling, I decided to buy them all popsicles at the Pemex. The attendant was washing the windows when I arrived at the car with the treat and even he smiled at the chorus of exuberance that greeted the popsicles (and me). "THANKS MOM" and "OH MY GOD". They were so appreciative and surprised it was wonderful. By now it was about 4pm and we still had 50km to Guadalajara and 25miles after that to the campground.
Mom and Dad had the book with directions so they relayed directions to us via the 2-way radio (one would ponder why THEY didn’t lead… ) and somehow we made it to the park. The boys about had a coronary when they realized we were staying at a WATER PARK with SLIDES and TOBOGGANS and GOD KNOWS WHAT ELSE. It is not only a water park but a natural spring, so last night, after the day of driving all day, we soaked in lovely mineral springs. I honestly don’t think we could be more pampered.
