It seems that lately, choosing to go to places by plane has been somewhat challenging in many aspects. Often flights are delayed, canceled, and packed. Going through security has been taking f-o-r-e-v-e-r, and even though people have the option of signing up for TSA- PreCheck® or CLEAR, it is still a hassle to get through the lines. For these and other reasons, many people have been choosing to travel by car, whenever possible.
When considering where to spend our Fourth of July weekend, my husband and I decided to go on a road trip to Puerto Peñasco, also known as Rocky Point, in Mexico. We rented a beachfront condo on Airbnb at the Sonoran Sun Resort in Sandy Beach, found a reliable pet sitter, packed a cooler with food that we knew would be difficult to find down there, and off we went.
We left our house on Sunday, July 2nd, at 8:45 am. It would be a 7.5-hour journey by going through Phoenix. On the way to the border, we passed through the Organ Pipe Cactus National Park, an International Biosphere Reserve where you can stop for hikes or overnight camping to explore a community of animals and plants that live in the Sonoran Desert. Because we were in a hurry to get to our destination, we did not stop. After a few more hours of driving, we reached our condo in Puerto Peñasco, and it was exactly as described on the Airbnb website. It was colorful and spacious, with a big balcony facing the Sea of Cortez.
We have the habit of renting places on Airbnb when we travel, and because I am a very light sleeper, I am always worried about the quality of the mattress. So, the first thing I did when we got into our condo was lie down on the bed to test the mattress. To my surprise, the mattress was incredibly firm and extremely comfortable. My heart sang, and I knew we would be able to have the much-needed rest and relaxation. (I even sent our host a message inquiring about the mattress because I want to get one for our house here in Vegas!)
After putting our belongings away, we slipped into our swimsuits and headed down to the beach. After dipping in the warm and delicious ocean water, we ordered a few drinks from the resort’s bar and bought a box of Cohibas (Cuban cigars) on the beach from a vendor named Victor. I had never smoked a cigar on the beach; it was so much fun!
Talking to fellow travelers, we discovered a few places to explore. We drove to an oyster farm in a remote area just outside of town, Ostioneria Mujeres. We had two dozen fresh oysters for $9.00 each dozen! We took our own bottle of tequila and had it on ice, which paired beautifully.
After leaving the ostioneria, we went back into town and stopped at El Capitan, a Mexican restaurant on top of a hill, to watch the sunset. We chose to sit out on the balcony so we could enjoy the view, which was absolutely stunning.
On Sandy Beach, a great beachfront dining option is Diego’s Tiki Bar, with phenomenal drinks and excellent food. It’s a bit on the pricier side, but totally worth it. We ordered a couple of margaritas, guacamole, and fresh fish.
On our last night before coming back to the States, we decided to go into town. As we approached our car, we noticed that there was a tear in the back right tire. My husband started to freak out because we had to drive 7.5 hours the next day to get back home. When we got downtown, we stopped at a farmacía and bought a tube of super glue to take care of the tear. I know nothing about tires and mechanics, so in my mind, the issue had been fixed. We then sat down for happy hour at a place on the water called The Point. We had guacamole and shrimp cocktail, and I chose a spicy mango margarita.
After a calm happy hour discussion, we decided we were not satisfied with the super glue solution and went to the only Auto-Zone in town. The agent who helped us said that our tire was in terrible condition, increasing my husband’s panic level. The agent recommended that we drive to Momo’s, a tire shop just a mile away, to see if they could help us fix the tire. We were greeted by Christian, who only spoke Spanish and knew what he was doing. After examining the tire, he assured us that the tear was superficial. We insisted that he put a patch on the inside just so we could have peace of mind the next day and get home safely, which we did. Ultimately, we are so grateful that everyone was so accommodating and helpful. It capped off our road trip nicely.
What an adventure, indeed!
We drove to an oyster farm in a remote area just outside of town, Ostioneria Mujeres. We had two dozen fresh oysters for $9.00 each dozen! We took our own bottle of tequila and had it on ice, which paired beautifully.