Content including photographs are Copyright © 2009 - Don & Linda Gilmore
This was a Mexico bus tour we took to the Copper Canyon in Mexico. Day trips along the way were outstanding, like this side trip to Magdalena and this old Mission that was full of gold. Every where you looked was gold plating, and figurines of gold. Father Kino, the Spanish explorer is rumored to be buried here in the desert next to the old mission.
Another one of the side day trips was to this old mission. The Mainland of Mexico has a lot of old Missions, some made famous by Spanish explorers like Father Kino. Father Kino spent his life exploring in the desert of Mexico and USA.
Another mission we stopped at for one of the day trips was the Alamos Mission. This town has friendly shops, a factory that makes tortillas, and much more.
Our day trips in the bus ended here in El Fuerte, Mexico. We stayed in a motel in the desert here and had a fantastic meal complete with Tarahumara Indian Dancers putting on a show for us.
See the bottom of the page for the
the Wikimapia Mexico, Map
The Copper Canyon train arrived the next morning and so we were off for an exciting trip up the Copper Canyon in a passenger train. The train hauls people back and forth from their homes in mountain villages to towns down below and tourists wanting to see the Copper Canyon in Mexico.
The train crosses 39 Bridges and goes through 86 Tunnels on the trip to the top of the Copper Canyon. One of the Tunnels is miles long and some of the bridges are over a 1,000 ft high.
Here's your first of many overlooks for the Copper Canyon. It's hard to believe that down in Mexico there's a canyon that's 4 times larger than the Grand Canyon in the USA.
Our stop at the top of the Copper Canyon terminated at the Hotel Tarahumara. This is an old Hotel with new modern motel rooms and cabins for guests. Also a very good restaurant.
The Tarahumara Indians are everywhere here. The women make and sell the neatest baskets you've ever seen. Made from sliced and peeled Yucca plants and pine needles and interwoven to make these colorfull baskets that can only be found here in the Copper Canyon, Mexico.
The inside of the Indian houses are not very modern. This one was built in the side of a cliff under an overhanging rock. The men don't work except to grow corn in the Summer. They are without a doubt the worlds best runners. They proved it in a race in the Colorado Rockies. Fascinating people!
One of our many day trips once we got to the top of the Copper Canyon, was to a lake (looked like we were in the high Sierras of California) and then to this old mission now used by the Tarahumara Indians. Being at this elevation with all the huge conifers it was hard to imagine your in central Mexico.
On another one of the day trips we got to the town of Creel at an elevation of 8,000 ft. Did I mention that you need to bring warm clothes as it gets cold here at night, single digits some nights! This was a fascinating town and was not the end of the day trips. You still have the train trip down the mountains and then on the way back to the US border we stopped at several other towns. One, Guymas was a fun stop with the best seafood dinner you could expect anywhere.
Have fun.......
Wikimapia Mexico, Copper Canyon
This is an inter-active Wikimapia Mexico Map. You can zoom in / out and drag the map to scroll. Mouse over the map. Try it!
Shown here -- Copper Canyon, Mexico.
