Happy November! When I started writing this the weather hadn’t quite turned yet, but now it is absolutely delightful. The air conditioner is off, and the doors are wide open! The mornings and nights are cool, and things are getting busy. Woohoo! The back end of Someone turned the spigot on toward the end of October and just let the events flow and November will be the same. The weather is going to be beautiful so pack those shorts and swimsuits and buy a hoodie from your favorite haunt when you get here.
The Sea of Cortez is still at a perfect temperature for water sports, sunset cruises, fishing and trips to Bird Island where you can snorkel with the sealions. If you have been to Rocky Point more than a handful of times and have not been out to Bird Island, you really, really need to go! Trips are fun for the whole family and very affordable. If you don’t want to snorkel with the sealions you can stay on the boat and take some great video or get on a paddleboard or in a kayak and cruise around (depending on which charter you take, some have boards and kayaks and some don’t). Remember to check the times for sunset cruises of your preferred charter as the sun is setting very early now. And for those of you used to turning the clocks forward and back – we do not – so when daylight savings time ends, our time stays the same (same as Arizona).
Hard to believe Christmas is just around the corner so remember you are always welcome to drop off donations at our office Monday through Friday. We accept anything for any local organization and will make sure they get it. If you don’t have a designated charity, we’ll make sure it goes to someone in need. Jackets, warm clothing for children and adults, blankets, school supplies, food staples – stuff like that is always needed and welcomed. There are lots of charitable organizations holding fundraising events these next two months so be sure to check our Events Page, read all of the articles in every edition and check our Facebook Page for the latest.
The ginormous potholes on Hwy. 8 between Sonoyta and Peñasco were repaired again last month, and I imagine they’ll do it again before the Bike Rally since some of the patches are torn up and there are still some good-sized holes going north. But the road was definitely 95% better than it has been most of this past year. I’m no highway paver, but my guess is they need to completely resurface the highway instead of just patching it, but I’ll take the patching for now so thank you very much!!! Hopefully our new administration will come up with a long-term solution. Remember to check your spare tire and make sure it’s in good shape before you come down (only one spare per vehicle allowed), drive safely and if you need assistance just pull over and pop your hood open (our sign of one needing help) as the Green Angels and the State Police are patrolling the highway constantly helping people out. I’ve seen more policemen changing tires these past six months than I ever have. The officers are very friendly and super helpful, and the Green Angels offer basic mechanical services and roadside assistance at no charge.
All month is going to be very busy traffic-wise so please just be patient and allow a little extra time. Remember, in Mexico, when you see a Mexican plated vehicle, mostly semi-trucks and delivery trucks, with their left turn signal on that means it is clear for you to pass them (for the most part lol definitely peek first). I did see where Mexico and Arizona were teaming up to get traffic updates (Hwy. 8 to Peñasco) on the AZ511 app and website starting this Thanksgiving Holiday, so we’ll see how that works out. The WhyNot Travel Store in Why does a stellar job of keeping us informed of traffic situations and everyone seems to report to them so be sure to check their Facebook Page. And you can always put your Google Maps on traffic mode and get a pretty good idea of the lineup on both sides of the border. Remember, the border is now open 7 days a week from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM.
The Puerto Peñasco Rotary Chapter had a beautiful venue this year for their annual Polio Plus fundraising dinner at the Coral Event Venue in Las Conchas. Mare Blu catered, and it was a great turnout even though the humidity was still high. They had some great auction prizes from some very generous donors and lots of funds were raised. This year, the funds raised from the dinner are not only going to be used to eradicate polio, but they are also being used to help more local charities and organizations. This is in addition to all the good works they already do. Everyone is welcome to go and check out the Rotary and get involved – see the Club and Organizations Page and Dr. Sally’s Rotary News.
Last month we also had the Charunga Derby, the Balloon Fest and Funkalicious Volleyball Tournament. The Balloon Fest had a beautiful Sea of Cortez balloon with all kinds of marine life. Hopefully they will make this an annual event (with more notice). This year they advertised live music, food trucks, vendors and ballon rides. This would be an awesome annual event where people could set up beach chairs and shade and hang out on the beach for the day. I snitched this phto from Mary Snyder. We also had the annual Charunga Derby, a fun event you should see at least once in your lifetime.
Big news if you haven’t heard – Walmart is in Puerto Peñasco and will be opening soon. It’s on Fremont and Blvd. Josefa (more or less) out toward Las Conchas. I know Walmart is great for a lot of people, but please don’t forget about our little neighborhood abbarotes and fruiteries, etc. I imagine it will be a mad house for quite some time after opening and will be a welcome addition to the town. Now a Costco, please 😊 Another, if you haven’t heard, Encantame Resorts opened a Wingman Restaurant which is getting rave reviews. So many places I have to go and check out now that the weather is nice again.
If you’ve been coming to Puerto Peñasco for a long time, then you know how the border crossing in Sonoyta changes from time to time as personnel changes – things seem to go in waves. One day you’ll be waved through without a glance and the next they’ll want every piece of paperwork under the sun. One day you can import an item you’ve always imported the same way and the next day they send you back because your receipt looks funky. One day you can cross pulling your trailer and the next you can’t because your vehicle is deemed “commercial” or the registration expires that same month – I could list 1,000 more. There are so many things that can, and do, happen and for several reasons whether it be inexperience or impatience or no one knowing the exact law. I keep a bookmark (and screenshot) on my phone of the Mexico website where they list the food items (including dog food) that I can bring in as well as the number of bottles of wine (it’s 8 btw) because I have been challenged numerous times over the years. Oops, went off into the weeds there for a minute.
It seems that since the National Guard has taken over there have been a lot of changes – or rather things are coming up that we haven’t had to deal with before. It seems they are enforcing the law a bit more, but it is still very hit or miss depending on the day and officer, so it’s very confusing when one day it’s yes and the next it’s no. It is the job of The Rocky Point Times Newspaper to bring this stuff to your attention so that you’re informed, know the actual law(s), and can make your own decisions.
Last month a tourist tried to cross in his Ford F-350 (flatbed) towing his camper trailer (pictured) and was not allowed to cross into Mexico because his vehicle was deemed “commercial” and they needed to get a temporary permit. According to our attorney, Arturo Lepe, they should’ve let him cross the border because it was for recreational use. After we went down the commercial vehicle rabbit hole, we handed it off to Arturo Lepe (great attorney btw) to make sure we got the correct information. He contacted Martina Marcela Gonzalez from Sonoyta Customs (651) 512-3013 who gave him all the below info. The Lukeville/Sonoyta POE is a tourism port and NOT a commercial port so there are size/dimension restrictions for the vehicles to be able to fit through the lanes without damage (yes, they have had accidents on both sides). If your activity is commerce, you will need to enter through San Luis Rio Colorado or Nogales. But we’re not talking commercial, this was just a truck pulling a camp trailer that the officer deemed commercial for whatever reason. Had the driver returned the next day he most likely wouldn’t have been given a second glance. It’s always a crapshoot and gets confusing and frustrating so remember to keep smiling, be polite and ask to speak with a superior if you think you are in the right.
Here is the condensed 411 for large (recreational) vehicles crossing at our Sonoyta border:
Max. height: 4.11 meters (13.5 ft.)
Max. width: 2.6 meters (8.5 ft.)
Max. length: 12.5 meters (41 ft.) for a single vehicle and up to 20 meters (65 ft.) for combinations of vehicles.
Max. weight: Gross vehicle weight capacity must not exceed 80,000 lbs. (36,287 kg) for commercial vehicles
Safety inspection: Large vehicles may be subject to more rigorous safety inspections at crossing points.
Documentation: Make sure that you have all necessary documents, including your vehicle registration, valid insurance in Mexico and any cargo or import permits.
Thanks again to Attorney, Arturo Lepe for getting to the bottom of this for us. We’ll get this info. added into our Travel Information Section soon.
Have a Happy Thanksgiving, be safe and hope to see you at the beach!
