We were on the road at 5:00 am and met up with our friends in Phoenix around 8:00 am. The drive to their house on the Sea of Cortez was uneventful with opportunities for snack and potty stops along the way in Maricopa, Gila Bend, Ajo and Sonoyta, Sonora before reaching Puerto Penasco; all in all about a five hour drive with several stops. Driving south on a Sunday afternoon meant no line at the border crossing although there were lots of motorcycles heading north back into the US after a large weekend rally. Driving through the Sonoran Desert was beautiful on a sunny warm November day but I don’t feel the need to experience it in the heat of summer.
The entire landscape in and around Puerto Penasco is made up of sand and scrub brush which is not my jam but quite appealing to ATV enthusiasts who like to tear through the desert sand dunes like there is no tomorrow. Like all emerging countries there is a lot of poverty, unpaved roads and piles of construction material and rubbish on the sides of the roads which one quickly looks past when the sparkling blue Sea of Cortez meets the eye. Our friend’s vacation home is in an area south of Puerto Penasco called Las Conchas which is a large development of vacation homes mostly owned by Americans and Canadians who rent their shares when not staying there themselves. There are some expats who live there full time although I bet they beat feet north during the hot summer months of July and August. Large balconies overlooking the water provide ample opportunity for gazing at the sea while relaxing with a margarita or reading a book. As an alternative, one can easily and quickly access the sea for a long walk on the pristine sandy beach, especially enjoyable at low tide when sea shells are plentiful and the sand is easy to walk on.
Dolphins can be seen skimming across the water and the whale watch begins in January by which time the pods have made their way into the warm waters of the Sea of Cortez. One day we took a long walk in the sand and waters of a large refuge area and observed all manner of sea birds frolicking in the water and gliding through the air. There were many different varieties of sea and shore birds including gulls, sandpipers, plovers and terns along with falcons, hawks, osprey, herons and egrets. All in all a birdwatcher’s paradise!
The sea is dotted with shrimp trawlers and we stopped at the fish market and enjoyed their catch. The shrimp come in various sizes with the large bluish ones tasting like lobster…yum! Many other varieties of fish were readily available and Paul sautéed some red snapper one evening. I was all for filling up a cooler with fresh fish to take home but it didn’t happen on this visit. My friend is a tequila connoisseur so we enjoyed shots and/or margarita’s along with homemade guacamole and chips for happy hour while watching the sun set over the sea. Finally, I can’t forget the wonderful Mexican food including delicious fish tacos!
I now understand why so many Arizonans make the trip south to enjoy sun, sand and surf in Sonora, Mexico. Anyway, along with our trip to Cabo, that will have to do us for sun, sand, and surf this fall until we get to California to visit family this winter.