Day 2… Monday September 22, 2008. After a hardy breakfast we were packed and ready for another day of adventure. Did I say a hardy breakfast… well not bad for a continental breakfast included in the cost of the room. We were a little late going but… well we are on vacation, so we will go on our own pace. After driving for about three hours we decided to take a little side tour or sightseeing detour to The Hot Spring Village, Arkansas as we had seen some great looking homes and history in that town. Little did we know that we wanted Hot Spring National Park area and not the Village? The sign said that it was 30 miles out of the way… but we figure why not we are on vacation… so we started driving and followed the signs to Hot Spring Village… the first sign along the road said 8 Miles to Hot Spring Village and after driving for what seemed like 10 miles or more we came to a second sign that said 8 Miles to Hot Spring Village… what was that all about, only in Arkansas I'm sure. And finally when we got there we started asking about where all the historic buildings were and no one seemed to know what we were talking about. So after looking around for some time and not really finding anything we filled up with gas and decided to get back on our way. But to our pleasant surprise we came across Hot Spring National Park by mistake and found exactly what we are looking for. So we stopped in at The Hot Springs Hotel and Spa in Hot Springs National Park. I will let you know what the place is like after our stay here… In the meantime we are going out for a walk in this historic town and ended up having supper at the Belle Arti Restorante an Italian restaurant on 790 Central Ave in Hot Spring, Arkansan. I had the Alfredo Pasta with Chicken and all I can say is "delicious… I loved it…" Oh wow… I forgot about our lunch break… how I can forget that as we stopped at Hooters of Memphis-Wolfchase on 2838 New Brunswick Road in Memphis, TN 38133 I don't know.

Day 3… Tuesday September 23, 2008. Today was an interesting day in Hot Spring National Park… after breakfast at the Pancake house we started looking around in this very nice and interesting town… One interesting part of the town is the row of Bath Houses, specialty shops and establishments… unfortunately we were not there long enough to find out all places of interest. I did take the Duck Tour which is a tour on land and water around the town… However other than some good views on the water of some of the multi-million dollar houses the tour was very low key and not really all that interesting! After the one hour tour and the girls doing their shopping we met back at the Al Capone bar and enjoyed a beer. This was a rather interesting bar full with wood carving and bullet wholes in the sealing to show that this was the actual place were gangsters like Al Capone would hang out. But now it's time for some more driving to our destination and another night at a local Best Western Hotel, this time in Hillsboro about 200 miles from San Antonia. Best Western Hotel The reason for adding the website address is because I am impressed with the cleanliness of the hotel and room and I am sure you would be too.

Day 4… Wednesday September 24, 2008. It is already day 4 and after breakfast we headed for the Outlets at Hillsboro. Well I think that this was the official kickoff for our vacation as the girls found all kinds of bargains even tough half the stores were empty and out of business. I went for my power walk for about 30 minutes and the girls were still in the first store shopping for tops and so on… like I said that was the beginning of our vacation. After a healthy shopping spree for some two hours or so it was time for breakfast at the Ihop. This was my first visit to the Ihop restaurant and it will not be my last. The breakfast complete with crepes was really good. I had the Black Cherry Crepes whereas the girls had the Blueberry and Strawberry crepes. I must say they are almost as good as the ones I make. Then after a great breakfast at lunch time it was time to get to San Antonio. From Hillsboro it was just over 200 miles and so about 3 hours to get there. Going trough Austin the temperature was 97 F, that is really warm. Even getting to San Antonio it was still over 90 degree and other than a nice breeze it was very humid. We checked into the Howard Johnson but so far we are not impressed with the place. Well the rooms were not too bad but the continental breakfast was anything from impressive with watered down coffee and juice… not my idea of starting the day off right. It still being early we had to go and check out San Antonio and the River Walk of course. And one of the best ways to get around the River Walk is by taking the boat tour from Rio San Antonio Cruise on the jewel of Texas. It is about a good half hour tour and well worth it. The tour guide we had was not only informative but also had a great sense of humour. In any case after a great tour we had worked up an appetite and it was time for supper. Right on the River Walk there are several restaurants serving anything from steaks to Mexican dishes. The restaurant we stopped at was the Zuni Grill. The girls just had a salad with smoked salmon but I had to try the Mexican dish called Blue Corn Chicken Enchiladas. But the best of our dinner were the margaritas with an extra shot of liquor of course… After a wonderful supper and some good drinks we took a walk on the River Walk before heading back to our hotel. Now it being as hot as it was we just had to cool off with a swim in the pool and since the pool open until 11:00 we just had to do it. Well that is it… another day and a day closer to going on our Canyon Train Tour…

Day 5… Thursday September 25, 2008. This was a great day, one with great memories and places to see and things to do. We started our day with a visit to the missions of San Antonio. The one we started with was Mission Concepción… This handsome stone church was dedicated in 1755, and appears very much as it did over two centuries ago. It stands proudly as the oldest un-restored stone church in America. In its heyday it would have had one colorful geometric designs covered its surface, but the patterns have long since faded or been worn away. However, original frescos are still visible in several of the rooms. Located at 807 Mission Road, Mission Concepcion was designated a National Historic Landmark on April 15, 1970. San Antonio Missions National Historical Park preserves four of the five Spanish frontier missions in San Antonio, Texas. These outposts were established by Catholic religious orders to spread Christianity. These missions formed part of a colonization system that stretched across the Spanish Southwest in the 17th, 18th, 19th centuries. In 1718 Franciscans and Spanish representatives established the first mission. Within 13 years, five were located along the San Antonio River. The missions' purpose was to acculturate and Christianize the native population but more important to make them Spanish citizens. Today, visitors can retrace the footsteps of the mission Indians and friars. And, possibly, meet descendants of those first inhabitants… of course I am sure we would not know if we did. The second Mission we visited was Mission San José. This mission is known as the "Queen of the Missions"; this is the largest of the missions and was almost fully restored to its original design in the 1930s by the WPA (Works Projects Administration). Visiting the Mission San José shows the visitor how all the missions might have looked over 250 years ago. These Spanish missions were not churches, but communities, with the church as the focus. The Spaniards needed to fill the missions with Spanish citizens but the Spanish people did not want to come to this barren land that either bit you, stung you or stabbed you, so they took the local Indian converts and taught them to cultivate the land and become farmers. In the Mission San José they still have a working water mill that is unique as the waterwheel is horizontal instead of the usual vertical waterwheel. This allows the wheel to work on much less water. A couple of phrases we learned where "Keeping your nose to the Grindstone and Rule of Thumb". The person operating the mill would keep his nose to the grindstone or smell to see if the grain was burning when the wheel was turning to fast, and so the saying "Keeping your nose to the grindstone". The other thing that they would do is run some crust grain between their thumb and fingers to see it the grain was fine enough and so the expression "Rule of Thumb". The next place we visited was The Alamo which in reality is also a Mission. Originally named Misión San Antonio de Valero, the Alamo served as home to missionaries and their Indian converts for nearly seventy years. Construction began on the present site in 1724. In 1793, Spanish officials secularized San Antonio's five missions and distributed their lands to the remaining Indian residents. These men and women continued to farm the fields, once the mission's but now their own, and participated in the growing community of San Antonio. The Alamo - The most famous spot in Texas, is where David Crockett, Colonel William Barrett Travis, Jim Bowie and 186 others died fighting for independence on March 6, 1836, after repeated attacks from Mexican General Santa Anna. Originally established in 1718 as the city's first mission, The Alamo is located in the heart of San Antonio, inside beautifully landscaped grounds. As we stepped inside The Alamo we could see where brave defenders fought and died. We walked through the Long Barracks Museum, home to exhibits that tell the story of Texas, its settlement, revolution, and later efforts to save the Alamo from disuse and disrepair. Visiting the Gift Museum we seen more Alamo artefacts and could purchase souvenirs. As you might see here from the photos we had a great visit to the Alamo and other Missions. Well after a busy day of visiting we headed for the Buckhorn Saloon and Museum for a quick drink. Then back to the River Walk area and just sat and did some people watching and enjoying a Margarita or two at Zuni grill that soon became our favourite watering hole… so to speak. Two of our favourite waiters are Mark and Danny… thanks boys for making us feel at home. And before I forget sometime during the day we also had a wonderful lunch at the Hard Rock Café… but that was just about it for the day other than a quick swim at the hotel pool to cool off a little before retiring for the night.

Day 6… Friday September 26, 2008. Today started off a little slower as we did not get going from the Howard Johnson until way after 10:00. Our first stop for today was the Market Square or El Mercado - We found our visit to historic Market Square a unique and wonderful experience. I did not do a lot of shopping myself as I love to walk around and take photographs and watch people. The girls on the other hand were telling me that we needed to rent a U-Haul so we could take the all stuff home they wanted to buy. The Market offers a 24-hour restaurant and bakery, Mi Tierra, were I sat and enjoyed a Dos XX (Mexican Beer), as well as an outstanding art gallery and century-old pharmacy. And from what the girls are telling me this is a great place to shop for extraordinary gifts and souvenirs or to just relax and enjoy a little "people watching." Visitors can browse the 32 shops at "El Mercado," an area patterned after an authentic Mexican market, as well as the 80 specialty shops in Farmers' Market Plaza. Well after my beer and a little snack it was time to get on the road again, this time to El Paso and about a 7.5 hour drive. Well after several washroom breaks we got as far as Van Horn Texas or about 120 miles from El Paso. We stopped at the Ramada Inn, which offers a complete breakfast included with the stay… I will let you know how that was in tomorrows write up. The cost of the room was $49.00 plus another $10.00 for the extra person and I noticed that is the same price they charge for a pet as I happened to mention to the lady taking care of us at the front desk… now she wanted to know which one of the two ladies was the pet… so I taught that I better keep my mouth shut or I would be the one spending the night in the dog house. We finished off the day by enjoying a good supper at The Cattle Company in Van Horn Texas. You will also find a couple of extra photos from our drive to El Paso, one is the flower with the salamander or at least I think it is and the other is a view of the Guadalupe Mountains… enjoy.

Day 7… Saturday September 27, 2008. The Ramada Inn was not too bad and they had the regular breakfast, you know waffles, scrambled eggs and toast but no bacon or sausages. So after breakfast it was time to hit the road ones again as it was about a 2 hour drive to El Paso. It was a totally different drive as the scenery was almost dessert like with almost no tree so to speak of, just scrubs and small bush. The hills or mountains were interesting as the corrosion from water and wind had carves away some of the faces and there were great looking carvings in the tops of some of them. Plus there were deep ditches in most of the places were it looked like flash floods had created ditches in their way. Also most of the places were there were suppose to be rivers; they were dry at this time of year. We got to El Paso about 12:00 noon but there was an hour different and so we were there about 11:00 am. So we had a little time before our check in and we stopped at a huge blanket and saddle store, but their prises were way to high to buy anything… at least I think that $100.00 for Mexican blankets is way to high. Then we stopped at a very unique furniture store that made some truly amazing Mexican style furniture, both Ann and I would love to have bought some. But I was not up to renting a u-haul to bring it home. By now it was time for lunch at the Olive Gardens; we wish they still had them in Canada. My favourite is spaghetti and meat sauce so that is what I had along with their complimentary salad. Jane had the salmon and Ann enjoyed a great chicken and pasta. Then we stopped at the mall and since I could not find a parking place close by it just dropped the girls off, well once I went inside I did not think that I would ever find them as that was one huge mall. Then it was time to check in to the Travelodge and let me tell you this is not the nicest place we ever stayed at, but you get what you pay for. The walls were paper thin and we could hear everything next door and so it was a while before we got to sleep. Ann and I did go and had supper at the Mexican restaurant at the Travelodge and that was very, very good. I had the beef tacos and Ann enjoyed a mixed Mexican plate.

Day 8… Sunday September 28, 2008. Well it is the start of another beautiful sunny day but the breakfast is far from good… I was looking forward to maybe a little Mexican taste, but with only a few beagles and toast and cereal… well if that was breakfast I had it. I think that I will finish my coffee and see if the girls are up and around yet. This turned out to be a relaxing day and after traveling some 2071 miles or 3262 KM. we needed to just take a day off. So it was sitting around the pool and taking a nap for me. Then to finish off the day Ann and I did another visit to the local Hooters Restaurant. And off course I had to get my picture taken with the Hooters Girls at El Paso Hooters at 1170 Sunmount El Paso, TX 79925. Thank you to Alyssa, our Hooters Girl and the rest of the ladies that had their picture taken with me.

Day 9… Monday September 29, 2008. It is now Monday and the beginning of another sunny day and I finally took the time to read the information that came with Caravan Tours. I must say they have an impressive day-to-day itinerary with all kinds of information. As I started reading I had a few questions that I started to mark down but soon found that all my questions were being answered… and that is a good sign of an organized trip. If you are wondering how come I take the time to write all this down at this time… well it is now 10:00 am and as usual I am waiting for my first wife to get ready… but that is par for the course. But the day turned out not to bad, we got to the Cielo Vista Mall by about 10:30 and while the girls did some more shopping I got my power walk in. We finished our shopping at Victoria's Secret… I guess it's not a secret anymore. By now it was time for lunch and this time we selected a new place called Jaxson's Restaurant and Brewing. The place is located at 1135 Airway in El Paso, TX 79925 and let me tell you it is well worth the visit. We started of our lunch with spinach dip and chips and Mexican sauce and chips and we plan to go back just for the spinach dip alone. But the rest of the meal was excellent… I had a small steak and chicken Enchiladas and they were very good. I tried the beer from their own breweries but was not impressed with it however the margaritas were also the very best. After lunch we were off looking for some cowboy boots for the grandkids and found some good looking ones, I will have to post a couple of photos when we get back. I did try on a goofy hat that I liked but neither Jane or Ann liked it… maybe because it made me look goofy is why I liked it. Next we decided to take a drive to what we taught would be historic downtown El Paso… but all we found were old buildings that were run down… so we were either in the wrong place or it just was not there. Our next stop was at the Mexican Pottery place and now that was impressive but so was the price as most of the pieces we really liked were about $200.00 or more and the Ann really liked was to big to get in the van… maybe we will have to rent that u-haul yet. Then it was time for some more sightseeing and drove to the top of at the hill overlooking the city of El Paso. From there we could see almost all of El Paso, the Rio Grand and into México and they tell me even New México but it was hard to tell where El Paso ended and New México begun. One of my favourite toys I have with me is my GPS it is sure helpful to find just about anything… to bad I can't get it updated as some of the maps are outdated and some of the street exits are changed and so it may tell us to turn of left when the exit has been rerouted to the right… but other than that I just love it. Well by now it is time to relax and get ready for another day.

Day 9…& Day 1 of our Copper Canyon Trip… Tuesday September 30, 2008. This was officially the first day of our copper canyon tour so all we did was get ready for it… like getting bug spray for the mosquitoes as the itinerary told us that in El Fuerte there can be mosquitoes. We checked into the Wyndham El Paso Airport Hotel since our official kickoff meeting was there at 8:00 o'clock that evening. I must tell you… we are very impressed by Caravan Tours so far… this hotel is first class and the day-to-day itinerary is also one of the best I seen. The hotel room here is a suite complete with sitting area, two TV's, bathrobes and all the extras. So far our trip has been memorable and we are looking forward to another week or so. I don't know if we will have internet connection in México but if we do I will be in touch. Well as it turned out there was some wireless internet in some places but we were so busy on the tour I did not have the time to sit in the lobby's and use it.

Day 10…& Day 2 of our Copper Canyon Trip… Wednesday October 1, 2008. This will be the longest day of our trip as we had to be out of our room with bags in front of the door at 5:45 am. That means we got up at 4:30 to get the three of us ready in time. Breakfast was at 6:00 am and the bus left at 6:45 so we would be one of the first busses at the border and trough customs. As planned we crossed the border from El Paso into Juárez México at 7:05 am. At this time we don't know if they will just come onboard and check our passports or if we will have to get off the bus. Well as one would have guessed we ended up getting off the bus and taking our luggage trough customs at about 7:15… now customs as anywhere else in México means that you push the button and if the light turns green you just go trough, however if it turn red you get checked. Jane, Ann and I all got green lights and just went trough. Next it was off to immigration and that meant standing in line to get a tourist card; filling it out and standing in line again to get it stamped and out the door back on the bus. It really was not all that bad as 46 of us got the paper work done and back on the bus by 7:37 and on our way by 7:47 am. Now here is an interesting bid of information… if one crosses the border just into Juárez México you don't need anything… no tourist card or special permit vehicular card. But you are limited to a 21 mile area after that there is another check point. Now since we were going beyond the 21 miles limit we needed and got the tourist card plus got our passport checked and so on… so when we got to the 21 mile point we just went trough because the bus was sealed by a sticker that was pasted on the door of the bus and we were on our way to meet the second bus… just outside the 21 mile limit we stopped to get on another bus to take us all the way to Creel México. Our first stop was at 10:00 am at Villa Ahmada for the toll booth and a washroom break. Our next stop was for lunch at El Quintal in Chihuahua for a Mexican lunch and a good lunch it was. We had one more stop for washroom break at about 2:30 and then it was all the way to Creel. The drive was a long drive as we were on the bus including breaks about 10 hours from El Paso to Creel. But it was an interesting drive as we went trough all kinds of areas from dessert to great looking farmland, and villages to some great cities. The other thing that I noticed was the change in scenery from trees to cactus and also the further we went south the bigger and larger the cactus were. Some of first things we seen were the expansive pristine Samalayuca Sand Dunes. As we continue we drove through huge expanses of rangeland and occasional pecan tree orchards. Also impressive was what they were able to grow just about anything there from wheat to cotton, apples and tomatoes and just about anything else. One of the reasons are the hard-working Mennonites who have transformed the desert into fertile farmland. The state of Chihuahua is also one of the coldest states in México and they even get a little snow in the higher altitudes… of course it does not last long. Next, we passed by vast apple orchards en route to the Creel area. Creel, at 7700 feet, is the highest overnight on the tour. The apples had nets over them as they will get on the average about two hail storms each year and the nets protect the apples from being ruined. Our overnight hotel at the Villa Mexicana is a little different as the rooms are all individual cabins or cottages. I must say they are very unique and different but at the same time very warm and comfortable not to mention very becoming for a place like Creel. We got there about 6:00 pm and the welcoming drink was at 6:30 with a margarita and dinner at 7:00 with either your choice of chicken or a Mexican plate. Ann and I had the Mexican whereas Jane got the chicken, but both were very good. Then after a couple more margaritas and a few other drinks it was off to bed as we were all tired out from the long day on the bus…. Here again I must say that Caravan Tours were very organized not only on getting us there on time but also with selecting our rooms. Usually on other tours we ended up standing in line to get our room and keys and then get our own luggage either to the room or get the bellboy to get them there. Before we got to our destination we were given a room number and the keys were in the cottages so all we had to do was go to our cottage ones we got there. So no standing in line, our luggage had our room number on them and delivered to our room and we were ready for supper right away. Way to go Caravan Tours. Also our tour guide was top notch but then after 45 years and dozen of tour each year one would become very knowledgeable. Thank you Guilermo Adame or better known to us who took the tour as Memo.

Day 11…& Day 3 of our Copper Canyon Trip… Thursday October 2, 2008. What a day full of adventure and excitement on the train ride though Copper Canyon, but first let me start with breakfast. Actually the day started early as I was dreaming that my wife got up in the middle of the night and took a shower and that I looked out the window and it was raining. But when I got up I found out that my wife had actually gotten up at 4:00 am and took a shower thinking that it was much later… but the good news was that it was not raining. Breakfast was a buffet style breakfast at the Creel Mountain Lodge. With a choice of scrambled eggs or Mexican eggs, sausage, beacon, fruit, yogurt and pancakes and off course refry beans, Yum… it was delicious. Then about 9:00 we got on the bus and off to the train station in Creel. Now the train was not scheduled to come until 11:15 so we had plenty of time to look around and shop in the town of Creel. The girls did the shopping and I did the picture taking as usual and let me tell you there were plenty of things to take photos off. The town has all kinds of interesting colourful storefronts painted in brilliant colours. The town has all kinds of interesting colourful storefronts painted in brilliant colours. But they sell mainly the same stuff that the Tarahumara Indians sell so if you are looking for a big shopping spree this not the place. Then there were the Tarahumara Indians who wear their colourful dress both the ladies and their children so there is plenty of picture opportunities. The Tarahumara Indians make mainly baskets and shawls and some other local things. So if you were purchasing their wares or give them a $1.00 you can get all kinds of great photos of the Tarahumara Indians. The train got there right on Mexicana time or about 11:30 and it was “All Aboard”. The first part was not that interesting but once we got to the Canyon then there were some great picture opportunities. The book said that it is considered one of the top scenic rail trips in the world, now I have nothing to compare it to but I do 100% agree that it is one of the top rail rides. Shortly after Creel the train circles back over itself as it decent from 8000 feet down and it is know as El Lazo. Both lunch and dinner were served on the train and even tough they were not elaborate they were filling and tasty. Lunch was a ham and cheese sandwich or sub whereas dinner was a nice Mexican meal. I must tell you that the train was very accommodating with the meals and everything else. My wife is allergic to cheese and of course most of the Mexican meals have cheese in them but right away they went and made something without the cheese. Thank you to the Ferrocarril Mexicano railway company. Some of the highlights for pictures were at the Loop at El Lazo and when the train makes a brief 10-15 minute stop at Divisadero were there is both a great lookout point of the Canyon and a small market setup mainly by the Tarahumara Indians. I did not have time to shop but the view of the Canyon was breathtaking as I am sure any photographer will tell you that 10-15 minutes is not very long. As the train was descending from the top of the Sierra Madres Mountain we see several Cascading waterfalls and amazing sheer canyon walls as well as rolling hills and tropical farmlands. Many that I was able to capture on my digital camera in very good quality as we are allowed to photograph from the vestibule of the train. We arrived in El Fuerte after sunset about 8:30 pm were we are able to spend a relaxing and enjoyable two nights. But ones again thanks to Caravan Tours all we had to do was go to our room as we were assigned our room and we had our keys in hand. At first we thought it a little strange that all were given a room number and we were assigned the letter “S” until we got there and found out the letter “S” was for suite. Off course since three of us traveling and sharing a room it was sweet of them to assign us a suite with four… yes 4 beds. Way to impress us Caravan Tours… but we will keep this to ourselves.

Day 12…& Day 4 of our Copper Canyon Trip… Friday October 3, 2008. El Fuerte or in English “The Fort” was founded alongside the El Fuerte River in 1564 so to it is a very picturesque colonial town and of course as a photographer I loved it there but so did Jane and Ann. The place we stayed at was a restored colonial mansion in el Fuerte called the Posada Del Hidalgo. The Posada del Hidalgo was build for 100,000 gold pesos by Senor Rafael Almada, a mayor in 1890's. I am sure that from the photographs here you can tell that the place was very unique and special from the building right down to the furniture. Of course our suite with four beds in it was nothing to complain about either… yes we loved it there. This day started with breakfast at 8:00 and again a buffet style breakfast that was very tasty and delicious. Then at 9:00 we had a brief walking tour of the town including a visit to the 17th century Cathedral and the government palace. At 10:00 there was a River Float Trip on the El Fuerte River. This river float trip was fine but not really that exciting as first of all it was very hot and second we did not really see all that many birds that we do not see at home… I'm sure there is a change of seeing parrots and other birds in their natural habitat but we did not see any. Maybe it was just too late in the day as some at the hotel were saying that we really should have taking this trip earlier in the day. Before I forget it was recommended that we use insect repellent during our stay in El Fuerte and I wish I would have applied it right away as before I noticed it I must have had 30-40 bites on my legs and so did my wife. But they were not mosquitoes but some sort of black flies and they took a bite right out of us. Lunch was wonderful at the restaurant & Café El Meson Del General. The El Meson del General is a popular restaurant known for its lake bass and seafood and that is what we enjoyed. A surprise came after lunch as Memo had arranged a fashion show of the costumes of the area. Each model had a different representation of either history or the local costumes. The afternoon was on your own and I did take the time to take a few more photos of this historic town. Our first stop was at the Fort… El Fuerte was founded by the Spaniards in 1564 with the name of San Juan Bautista de Carapoa, and later destroyed by the Indians. In 1610 the Viceroy of Montesclaros ordered the construction of El Fuerte (the fort), which nowadays is one the attraction in this town. As the light changes from morning to afternoon I also went back to photograph Cathedral and the government palace along with many other buildings as I love the Spanish architecture. Then came a dinner at the Posada Del Hidalgo starting with happy hour and happy hour it was as it included Mexican music along with the comical Zorro. Of course its one of those occasions that are very funny when one is there and just cannot be put to words. Apparently Don Diego de la Vega or better knows as Zorro was born in 1793 to Senora de la Vega in a room on the northeast corner of the mansion of the Hotel Posada Hidalgo now called the Casa Vieja. We also had a young boy perform some magic for us. Dinner was a delicious black trout fish with all the fixings and that again was followed by some local dancers dressed in the local costume from the states of Sonora and perhaps some others. After the dance was done then they got some of us involved in a dance including myself, and I did enjoy that. What a beautiful day full of memories that will last a lifetime… we finished off our day by relaxing in the hot tub and watching the stars.

Day 13…& Day 5 of our Copper Canyon Trip… Saturday October 4, 2008. It is now time to leave El Fuerte and be on our way back to the Canyon but this time we stop overnight at Barrancas and a great hotel called “The Posada Barrancas Mirador” It was an early morning again with baggage out at 6:30 am and departing for the train by 8:15. At this time we did not know what time the train would leave or if the train would be on time. One thing we did know is that we needed to be there before the train leaves. As we got to the train station I noticed another picture opportunity as there was a couple of children there on a horse drawn cart and another boy on a donkey so got several photographs of both of them. I quickly learned that they were there just for that purpose and to see if they could get some tips which they did from me but it was well worth it. The train was finally there after not so long of a wait at least it did not seem so to me and it was “All Aboard” with lunch served onboard the train. At El Fuerte we start at sea level but then we climb all the way to 8,000 feet when we reach the Posada Barrancas Mirador. Now going in the opposite direction there were all kinds of opportunities to get photographs of the Canyon ones again. The entire railroad passes through 86 tunnels and 38 bridges in the 25,000 square mile canyons of the Sierra Madre. The five major canyons are collectively known as the Copper Canyon, which are four times the size of the U.S. Grand Canyon. The Tarahumara Indians live in the Canyon. Stop this morning in Temoris where you can see three ascending levels of the railroad. Enjoy lunch on board in the dining car. This round trip train ride gives us a second chance to view the grandeur of the Canyon. We arrived at the Posada Barrancas Mirador about 4:00 in the afternoon and even tough there was time to walk to some of the lookout points I decided to just take some photographs of the hotel and breathtaking view of the canyon from our room and the balcony of the hotel. We all relaxed and refreshed ourselves to get ready for a great family style dinner at the Posada Barrancas Mirador. At 6:00 o'clock they had happy hour with half price drinks and solo singer that got most of us dancing and enjoying ourselves. After dinner we just sat with friends and enjoyed the view of the canyon and then as it turned dark we looked in amazement to the open sky as millions of stars started to appear. Since there are no city lights blocking our view of the stars the longer you look up into the sky the more stars and as time moved along the sky actually became gray looking from all the millions of stars that became visible. Now it was off to bed as we wanted to get up early to watch the sun rise.

Day 14…& Day 6 of our Copper Canyon Trip… Sunday October 5, 2008. Since I was not to sure what time the sun would rise I set my alarm for 5:40 am. After getting ready and making a cup of coffee the sun finally rose about 6:45 am but the actual sun did not pick over the mountains until 7:15. All of this gave me plenty of time to record the sunrise from a little blue light coming above the mountains to a bright red sky with the sun appearing. By now it was time for breakfast and the rest of the morning is on our own. The first place we went to was a walk to the lookout point over the Canyon. From our hotel we could see much of the canyon but that is only one little section of the canyon as it is some 25,000 square mile area of the Sierra Madre Mountains. Looking to our left from the balcony of our hotel we see a huge part of the mountain cliff where the Tarahumara Indians life in the caves below. On the top of the cliff there is a lookout point overlooking the hotel that is build on the rim of the Copper Canyon plus a whole new area on the other side of the lookout point. It is on this cliff that we did the photograph of the three of us with the canyon in the background. After the first walk the girls went back to the hotel but I continued my walk to the Tarahumara Indians living in the caves of the cliff plus a complete walk to the other side of the hotel. After an early lunch at 11:30 we were on our way to Chihuahua the capital city of the state of Chihuahua. This was done by motor coach or bus as it would take about 4 hours longer to get there by train. The bus road parallels the train tracks so we see much of the same landscapes except that it is hard to get a good photograph trough the glass of the bus because of reflections in the windows. Our washroom break was in Bocoyna where the Jesuits build a mission in 1692 now the only thing that remains of the mission is the church. While most were taking their washroom break I took a few minutes to take some photographs of the old church which happened to be open at the time. Then it was off to Chihuahua were we first went for dinner at La Calefa Restaurant as the traffic at that time can be really heavy in this city of about one million. La Calefa is the name of some type of horse drawn carriage. Then it was off to the Palacio Del Sol for a 2 night stay in the City of Chihuahua.

Day 15…& Day 7 of our Copper Canyon Trip… Monday October 6, 2008. This was another fun filled day with a city tour of Chihuahua starting with a visit to the Museum of the Revolution and the former home of Pancho Villa hero of the revolution where we learned much about the story of México's fight for freedom. The museum is located at 3014 Décima Street and is known as Quinta Luz, named after Villa's wife, Luz Corral were she lived until 1981. Our next stop was across the street for a demonstration of Paquimé pottery-making made famous by the Indians of Casa and Pottery of the Mata Ortiz village and surrounding areas. Next we were off to the Government Palace of Chihuahua. The Government Palace is home of a series of magnificent murals depicting Mexican history. Our last stop before lunch was Cathedral of Chihuahua where building begun in June 21, 1725 and was completed about 100 years later in 1826. By this time it is time for lunch at the LV Restaurant a very attractive restaurant and a great place to take photos of all the tables with our fellow travelers. Here we enjoyed a Mexican lunch complete with chicken and rice followed with our favourite dessert of a custard type pastry with Jane getting two pieces. The table next to ours has our new friends Jim & Pat and Rogers & Carol. After lunch we had time on our own so we had a look at the many boot stores on the north side of the cathedral. There must have 20 boot and hat stores all on the same street and around the corner. We also visited the local market but there was much to see there. They also have a walking street as they call it, a street where no cars are allowed and they did have some nice stores there plus some older folks playing mariachi music. I took some more time to photograph the cathedral and some of the big century old homes about 5 blocks from our hotel. Then as usual I took time to get my shoes shined at the Zócalo or main plaza next to the church. They were also setting up for a concert that evening so I photographed a little of the singer and musicians getting ready for the evening performance. By now it was time to get ready to go back to the hotel and get ready for our farewell party and last dinner together. Our last farewell dinner was at a steak place called Los Mezquites restaurant and bar at 2809 Ave Cuauhtemoc. This was another one of the best meals on the trip, the steak and baked potato was fabulous. But the highlight came when they announced that the staff of the restaurant select the crowing of a king or queen since Caravan tours has been coming there so much…. And the winner is none other than Me… wow, after a shot of tequila and having my picture taken first by the staff and then by all the other passengers with my bottle of wine it was time to say goodbye. After we got back to the hotel a small group of us went for a walk to the fountain, the angel statue and the church plus the entertainment in front of the church giving us another photo opportunity.

Day 16…& Day 8 of our Copper Canyon Trip… Tuesday October 7, 2008. This was another early day as we needed to be back in El Paso before 1:30 for those who were flying home. So the day started with breakfast at Palacio Del Sol at 6:45 which meant that we had to be up by 4:30 to get ready and have our luggage out in the hallway by 6:45. We had one bathroom break on the way at the tollbooth. The next stop was at the army checkpoint where they check all vehicles going north mainly for drugs. Since we were tourist and our guide was a good talker we were able to just sit in the bus while they decided as to whether to have us get of the bus or not or to check all the luggage and carryon's. We were on our way in very little time but one never knows as it depends on the person in charge. Then came the border into El Paso, USA. Memo was telling us that they do it different every time. I think we were lucky as we only had to take our carryon off with us while they brought out dogs to sniff for drugs. The longest part of crossing the bridge was the line-up of cars ahead of us. But ones we got to the checkpoint it took very little time to clear immigration and we were on our way and ahead of schedule at the airport and our hotel. Ones at the Wyndham El Paso Airport Hotel we had a siesta and then a dinner at the local Steak and Baron restaurant and that was the end of our copper canyon trip… now it was time to get some sleep and make our way home.

Day 17… Wednesday October 8, 2008. We had a late start today… after getting up very early most mornings and staying at the Wyndham El Paso Airport Hotel we just wanted to enjoy the place a little longer so it was 11:00 o'clock by the time we left the Hotel. Then it was off to the Ihop for a great breakfast and a stop at Wal-Mart to get some Hot Sauce for Dani and away we went… at about 1:00 o'clock in the afternoon and we have about 18 hours to get to New Orleans. So this day was spend driving and some more driving with a few washroom and dinner at Chili's we finally stopped at 10:30 the other side of San Antonia at the Holiday Inn. And so the road trip continues…

Day 18… Thursday October 9, 2008. Not much to tell today… we got up early to get on the road after breakfast by 9:00 as we still had another 8 hours of driving to New Orleans. But as luck would have it there was a bad accident on the road that delayed us for over an hour and road construction and heavy traffic got us to New Orleans by a little after 8:00 o'clock instead of about 6:00 pm. We are staying at the Lexington on Canal Street and only about 6 blocks from Bourbon Street and the French Quarter so most of the sightseeing should be done on foot… but for now we will just call it the night.

Day 19… Friday October 10, 2008. Another slow start as we were waiting for Jane to get out of bed and ready to go. We started of with a walk of some of the French Quarter starting with Bourbon Street and then past Jackson Square to the Mississippi River and make arrangements to go on the Natchez Steam Boat. The New Orleans Steamboat Natchez would not leave until 2:30 and it was only 12:00 noon. So we had time for lunch and we knew where we wanted to eat and drink and that was at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville in New Orleans. . Naturally we started off with "It's 5 o'clock someplace Hurricane" for Ann and I and Jane had the "Who's to Blame", then had a second as the first tasted real good and we split a "Big Bamboo" drink. Our lunch was Chicken Salads as we needed room for desserts but they were so big we could not finish them either. We had picked up coupons for desserts; Jane had the Key Lime Pie and Ann and I had the Chocolate Hurricane… so delicious and so much of it we could not finish it… Even after all this we had plenty of time to walk back to the steamboat and board. The 2 hour trip was successful with plenty of commentary of what there was to see on both sides of the Mississippi. They offer meals and just about anything you want to drink but after the lunch we had we did not need anything else. However after a couple relaxing hours on the Mississippi it was time for a coffee and some Beignets at the Café Du Monde and again so good we had to take some home with us. After a few more hours of looking around at the many stores and speciality places the girls wanted to go back and change for the evening, but ones we got to the hotel that was it… we all crashed.

Day 20… Saturday October 11, 2008. We had a unusual start this morning as we were ready to check out of our hotel and be on our way home after a stop at a couple of plantations but when we went to check out the manager asked us why we were checking out early. Well since I could not find my paper work we just decided to stay for another day and that turned out great as this way we were able to enjoy our tour of two plantations. The first one was the Oak Alley Plantations and the second one was the Houmas House Plantations. Both are impressive in their own way, the Oak Alley in the row of some 250-300 year old oak trees planted neatly in two rows leading up to the plantation house but in my opinion the Houmas House was my favourite. We toured both the Oak Alley and Houmas House plantations and houses are both beautiful in their own unique way with furniture dating back to the time the houses were build as well as furniture from later times as the plantations changed hands and owners. But the grounds at the Houmas House were so impressive with fountains, water ponds and statues plus some oak trees almost 550 years old. They were setting up for a wedding and what a place to hold a wedding… a photographers and bride and grooms dream place for memories. Maybe another reason why I loved Houmas home more was the fact that we are allowed to take photographs of most of the rooms whereas Oak Alley is more interested in getting more money out of us by selling the photos of the inside of the rooms. It was about 6:00 pm by the time we got back to the hotel and like I said it was a good thing we stayed for the night. After getting changed we took the street car to the waterfront and walked the street while shopping for some souvenirs and stopping at Jimmy Buffets Margaritaville for a few more drinks and again a great meal. After supper we walked slowly back to the hotel while stopping at the store and buying some souvenirs for ourselves. I would have loved to walk Bourbon street as it was packed with jazz players and people having a great time but the girls wanted to get back to the hotel. And that also finished our vacation other than driving home… but what a road trip!

My final rap-up report on Caravan Tours to Copper Canyon Caravan tours to copper canyon are $995.00 for off season and $1195.00 during the busy season plus $129.00 in taxes for double occupancy. That is what we paid and there are no hidden fees other than at time customs into México might charge a departure fee of $25.00… when we traveled they did not charge the fee as we were in México for less than 8 days. The 8 day tour starts in El Paso at the Wyndham El Paso Airport with a orientation meeting at 8:00 pm. One thing we did not know is that the Wyndham hotel also has a water park or we would have checked in a little earlier and enjoyed the water park and large swimming pool. Right from the start we were very impressed with Caravan Tours as the hotel room was upgraded to a suite complete with bathrobes, sitting area with an extra TV and many additional amenities plus a welcome snack bar with fruit and soft drinks. And of course the water park and swimming pool, plus a discount on dinner if one wish to eat there. Our tour guide was one of the best with 45 years of experience and dozen of tours each year. So he was well prepared to make our trip very relaxing and enjoyable. At the orientation meeting Señor Memo have us all a letter and a room number for our first overnight stop in Creel. The next day we found out that by putting that number on our luggage we never had to worry about it, we simply left it out our hotel door and it got picked up and put on the bus… Then we found out that when we got to our first destination all we had to do was go to our room as the key was in the door. That meant no standing in line waiting for our room and luggage but we were able to just go to our cottage and enter and get ready for dinner. The same routine was repeated at every place we stayed at… we were assigned a room number before we got there and just needed to go to our room when and within a few minutes our luggage would show up by the bellboys. We were talking with some who had paid much more for their tour and we seen them having to carry their own luggage. I have been on tours were we needed to take care of our own luggage and then when we got to the hotel stand in line for our rooms, but not with Caravan Tours as everything was taken care of. My wife is allergic to cheese and of course much of the food in México has cheese in their meals but if there was cheese in the meals on train or in the hotel they right away prepared something for her… Senor Memo was very knowledgeable in both the Copper Canyon tour as well as Mexican history and places and this to watch for and when they would come up on our tour. From what I could see we stayed at the best places and other than the train we enjoyed the best meals and places to eat. This was the first time I traveled with Caravan Tours but it will not be the last time. Thank you, Caravan Tours for a great Vacation. Fred