In having been residents of Puerto Peñasco , Sonora (a.k.a Rocky Point) for nearly 11 years – and numerous years in central Mexico prior to that, we have been somewhat accustomed to periodic “Spring” travel alerts about wandering into Mexico…kind of like knowing the tides are coming in and nearly as predictable. As lifelong travelers we can appreciate additional tips or advice when planning one’s trip anywhere in the world, though admittedly have been frustrated throughout the years to see how a certain type of “fear factor” frequently seeps over the US/Mexico border that generalizes an entire region or country. Just like the tides coming in, on Feb. 8th we in Rocky Point were once again saddened to see travel alerts point to Mexico that seemed to paint a broad stroke of various states, including Sonora. [It’s worth noting on Feb. 9th and 10th numerous people from AZ – including AZ Governor Jan Brewer – traveled here to Rocky Point for a successful meeting of the Arizona-Mexico and Arizona-Sonora Commissions.] In looking closer at the initial alert issued by the US State Department, and to what it states about Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point), we were glad to see these remarks were precisely to “exercise caution” and consider driving down to this seaside spot during the day. We agree driving during daylight is recommended, as when driving through the desert in general a flat tire or other setback is also much easier to deal with since there is more traffic – plus in Mexico there are the “Green Angels”, a federal tourist assistance service to help drivers with car problems along many of the country’s highways.
We are pleased to say that this year, following the initial Feb. 8th alert, this was followed up with a clarification on travel to Mexico issued by US General Consul Chad Cummins who we had the opportunity to meet during his January visit to Rocky Point, and again saw at February’s AZ-Mexico Commission Plenary Session. We were delighted to see his clarification remarks were picked up quickly and began popping up on headlines across the internet – getting the name of Puerto Peñasco out there for sure! We invite you to read US General Consul Chad Cummin’s remarks: Consul sheds light on Mexico travel warning
