Off we went, driving straight into the unknown and I immediately felt relief. Some of us function in an organized world and the rest of us can’t handle life unless a little chaos is mixed in. I not only function in chaos, but it also calms me. We started to backtrack and head toward the border. If we had to quarantine, why not make it an adventure? The plan was to just head to the next airport and avoid contact with anyone. Fueled by adventure and Adderall we were on our way.

The first lesson when you drive through Mexico, take the toll roads. They are incredibly safe. little traffic and wonderfully maintained. In the second lesson, get ready with that camera. We had no idea how beautiful this drive was going to be. As you drive you enter lush forests that open into rolling mountains.

My girls and I have been on three-month-long road trips and this one stands out. Our first stop was Los de Marcos. A tiny beach village that has all that someone who wants the beach without the tourist traps could desire. We just did a drive around and we knew this was going to be marked down under the category “ Visit here before the others find out”. Next stop Mazatlan. At this point, our home tests were negative so we were desperate for a real bed. Last minute booking landed us in a unique situation. Exhausted and road weary we parked and headed toward the door. Outside sitting on the curb was Lorraine puffing away. As we introduced ourselves she immediately decided that not only could we be trusted with entry we could hear all the juicy Canadian snowbird gossip. Apparently, Phil is always planning potluck nights just so he can put up sign-up sheets and wield his power, Irene is a “ you know what” and complains if she smells any smoke even though she barely leaves her room and plays her T.V. way too loud and avoid Jim and Nancy they don’t have proof but everybody knows they are swingers. All of this while she walked us down the halls of this historic building. My ears wanted to listen but my eyes were enraptured with all the beauty of this building. It felt like we were in a museum of Mexican architecture and design.

We bid Lorraine goodbye and headed to our room. As we left the next morning it felt as if we had broken into a retirement home, all eyes were on us. While Mazatlan seems to be mainly occupied by locals and seniors that spend their days sipping coffee and complaining it is still really beautiful and worth a stop.