The weather is delightful! I’m sure tons of you will be heading down for the Memorial Day Holiday Weekend at the end of the month so please remember that our Lukeville/Sonoyta Port of Entry hours are extended until 10:00PM every Friday, but they still close at 8:00PM on every other day of the week (yes, meaning Sunday and that holiday Monday). The border opens at 6:00AM every day. Plan accordingly and allow yourself extra traveling time as there will be lots of vehicles on the road and lots of eager people heading down for the holiday. Pretty much the same goes for every weekend now throughout the summer. Google Maps works great down here and if you put it on traffic view, you’ll be able to see how long the border lines are going south and coming north. Make sure that your gas tank is full, and you have snacks and plenty of water (for people and pets) because all the highways coming south are only two lanes, with no shoulders, and unfortunately accidents happen, which can have you waiting for hours in the hot sun. Make sure your tires are in good condition as well as your spare. (I feel like your Mother!) I always make sure to carry cases of bottled water in my truck during the summer months. Lots of times you’ll see people pulled off on the side of the highway with their hood up, holding up a gallon jug – this usually means that they need water – either for their radiator or for the occupants. (It can also mean they need gas.) Again, the raised hood is our universal signal for needing help. Locals almost always stop to help a vehicle in distress (Gringos, eh, not so much) and the highway is patrolled by the Green Angels, who offer free basic mechanical service and the State Police patrol it as well and are always helping someone change their tire(s). The potholes seem to come and go so please allow a lot of distance between you and the vehicle ahead of you. And definitely try to avoid the 15-car chains where, for some reason, people like to drive as fast as they can and then panic brake when they see a pothole and then speed when they’ve cleared the hazard only to do it over and over again. Drives me nuts! (Reminds me of my Southern Cali rush-hour days when I used to drive from Huntington Beach to downtown Los Angeles every day for work. UGH!) I’ve pulled off Hwy. 8 many times to get out of the middle of the madness – it’s just not worth my sanity or my life…and you will many times arrive at the same time due to their inability to pass, checkpoints or other obstacles. Just be safe. We want everyone to arrive safely, have fun and get home safely! Lecture over.
Check the events calendar for May because there are lots of events going on every weekend. Heck, there are events going on all the time now including tons of live music every day of the week. Lots of events are announced or organized at the last minute so you may run into something fun while you’re here and you can check out our Facebook page to see if there was anything organized after we went to print.
Not a whole lot to say this month. Things seem to be plugging along. May is always a great month with beautiful weather, perfect water temperature and lots to do. The nights are perfect for patio dining, outdoor bars and sunset cruises and the days are perfect for beach bars, pool bars and anything having to do with the Sea of Cortez or 4x4ing…pretty much perfect for everything. Can you tell my preferences are bars, food, water and off-roading?
If you’re a Mother, Mom, Grandmother, Dog Mom, etc. and are in Peñasco for Mother’s Day, you officially get 2 special days since Mother’s Day in Mexico is always on the 10th! It’s the law!! So be sure to make reservations at your favorite restaurant because everyone will be busy on both days.
Have a super May, be safe and see you at the beach!
