COPPER CANYON in DEPTH
10 DAYS (12 Meals) $1,115 PER PERSON*
More time to enjoy the canyon and less time on the road with two nights right on the rim and two nights at El Fuerte, the most colonial town in northwest Mexico. Also stay in Creel the “gateway to the CopperCanyon”. Visit Los Mochis, today’s Western terminus of the rail line. Ride the Chihuahua al Pacifico, a “train ride in the sky”, through 86 tunnels and over 39 bridges. This huge area, in the middle of the Sierra Madres of Northern Mexico has towering pine trees, red-barked madrone trees, apple orchards and tremendous views of a canyon four times larger than the Grand Canyon. The building of the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad was approved in 1872 but due to money and engineering problems was not opened until 1961. By then the dreamed of routing from Kansas City to Topolobampo with continued commerce to the Orient had found a more accessible and more economical shipping route. Currently, the Chihuahua al Pacifico rail is one of the few remaining passenger lines in the Republic of Mexico.
DAY 1 - Depart from the Rio Grande Valley for an easy ride over divided highways to Monterrey and Saltillo, a mile high city that once served as the capital of Texas. Watch a master weaver in Saltillo as he weaves colorful sarapes on his loom. Nearby the majestic Santiago Cathedral holds treasures that were displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art traveling exhibit, Mexico Splendors of 30 Centuries. Time permitting, visit the newest museum in town loaded with treasures of the desert. Then relax as you stroll through the exquisitely manicured gardens of our hotel for our first overnight at the beautiful Camino Real in Saltillo.
DAY 2 - After an included continental breakfast, sit back and listen to the exploits of Pancho Villa as we head for the city of Chihuahua, where Villa and his men often headquartered during the Revolutionary War of 1910. Overnight at the Hotel San Francisco in Chihuahua. CB
DAY 3 - Included city tour visiting the Palacio de Gobierno (state capital building) and the baroque cathedral before departing for Creel, considered the “gateway to the Copper Canyon”. En route stop at Cuatemoc for lunch before continuing to Creel, a John Wayne type of town. After check in, included visit to the Valley of the Mushrooms, so called because of the monumental rocks in this shape. During this tour you may see Tarahumara men producing hand made violins, one of the musical instruments used in this culture. Also visit San Ignacio Mission and enchanting Lake Arareco, surrounded by pine forests that emanate peace and calm. Return to the hotel back in Creel where you may want to explore the town. Overnight at The Lodge in Creel. D
DAY 4 - Board the train this morning for an exciting ride on the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad, an incredible masterpiece of civil engineering, connecting Chihuahua through the Sierra Madre with the west coast. Awesome vistas plus 86 tunnels and 39 bridges make this the most spectacular train ride in the Western Hemisphere. Train buffs will be especially fascinated when the track makes a 360 degree turn around itself in order to get through the mountains. Sometime after lunch, you will have a short break at Divisadero, the mid point on the train ride. Here you will pass the train that left Mochis early this morning en route for Chihuahua. Continue through the most beautiful part of the trip as we head for El Fuerte arriving there in time for dinner. Overnight at the Posada Hidalgo in El Fuerte. L, D
DAY 5 - This morning, take a walking tour of this beautiful colonial town founded in 1564. El Fuerte, which means “Fort”, was built to protect soldiers and settlers from fierce Indian raids and as a last frontier for further penetration north to California. Board a charter coach for a tour of nearby Los Mochis founded by an American who introduced the sugar cane industry to this area. Your included city tour takes you for a cruise around the natural Bay of Cortes, the second deepest and the third largest in the world. Cruise departs from Topolobambo, the original terminus of the Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad. Return to El Fuerte for your second night in this beautiful setting. Overnight at the Posada Hidalgo in El Fuerte.
DAY 6 - Back on the train, affectionately called “El Chepe” by the locals, you will view again the western slopes of the Canyon, by far the prettiest part. What an opportunity to view the canyon in the morning light! You will arrive at Divisadero in time for a late lunch. After a brief rest and time to acclimate to the altitude, join your fellow travelers for a short hike. You are in the middle of the ancient Tarahumara Indian territory where the Indians of today live in caves and log cabins, much as their ancestors did for thousands of years. Later, watch the changing hues on the canyon walls as the sun begins its descent. You will have a privileged location on the very rim of the Canyon where you can enjoy this breath-taking natural wonder. Overnight at the Hotel Divisadero Barrancas. L, D
DAY 7 - After an included breakfast, explore with your guide visiting the original homesite of the settlers in this area. Brave ones might want to experience the balancing rock. Watch the Indian women and children weave intricate baskets from pine needles, wonderful gifts for back home friends. Perhaps one of the Indian men will play us a tune on his home made violin. After lunch, some may wish to take a very rugged hike further into the mountains to visit a Mission school. Overnight at the Hotel Divisadero Barrancas. B, L, D
DAY 8 - After your included breakfast, your charter coach is ready to take you back to Chihuahua. You will travel over a recently opened highway through Creel and on through the Mennonite Country enjoying a light lunch with a local Mennonite family. As we arrive into Chihuahua you may see a lone Tarahumara dressed in native costume. Before checking into your downtown hotel, visit the former home of Pancho Villa. Overnight at the Hotel San Francisco in Chihuahua. B, L
DAY 9 - Leave the city traveling along a new divided highway to Parras, an oasis in the dessert, for our last night in Mexico. Overnight at Rincon del Montero in Parras. D
DAY 10 - You will see why Parras is considered an “oasis” when you view the large tanks where water is stored for irrigating the orchards of pecans and figs as well as the fields of corn. Parras, home to Francisco Madero who started the 1910 Revolution and to whom Pancho Villa pledged his loyalty, is also famous for the Casa Madero Winery, the oldest winery in the Northern Hemisphere, and for the production of delicious home made candies. As you travel through Saltillo, stop to purchase pan de pulque, a bread leavened with the alcoholic beverage called pulque. Your charter coach now glides over the divided highway to Monterrey and on to the Rio Grande Valley. What a trip! You can truthfully say, “I’ve seen the Copper Canyon!!”
PRICE PER PERSON* DEPARTURE DATE
Single - $1,485 February 15, 2004
Double - $1,115
Triple - $1,049
Departs from Brownsville at 6:00 a.m.; from Harlingen at 6:30 a.m.; from Weslaco at 7:00 a.m.; from McAllen at 7:30 a.m.; and from Mission at 8:00a.m.
*PLUS the Mexican visa fee. We will help you obtain your visa!
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