Travel Alert--Remember to take passports to any of the Caribbean, Central American, Mexican, and Canadian locations. Even children traveling with their parents need passports.

When planning a trip to Mexico, it is hard to decide where to go in this rugged nation south of the United States . There are the twin volcanic landmarks of Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl , many beautiful beaches with fabulous lodging including, those with powdery sand of Cancun , Mayan ruins , and rolling breakers of the Pacific , mountains, and places like Puerto Vallarta where old and modern Mexico meet. Wherever visitors decide to go in Mexico, they should bring a passport, camera, water, sunscreen, Spanish to-English dictionary, and sturdy walking shoes because there is a lot to see. Because there might be a language barrier if the visitors cannot speak Spanish, they should rely on guides for tours. Throughout Mexico, there is a sense of timeliness or agelessness it is almost as if it is at a crossroads of time between the 21st Century and 17th or 18th Centuries. Visitors can stand in ancient ruins near modern, luxurious hotels and watch donkeys following the lead of a gentle adult or frisky child down a well-traveled trail. It is a mix of the Third World and First World.

Mexico's coastal regions are beautiful, whether on the Gulf of Mexico or Pacific . The Baja Peninsula separates the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortez, Gulf of California and is bathed by the sun. People, who want to relax, go to the popular spas on the Baja Peninsula. Places to visit on the Peninsula are:

• Tijuana for shopping
• Mexicali capital of the State of Baja California market center
• Rosarito popular fly-in vacation spot because of its beaches
• Enscenada extremely attractive beaches and nearby ranches
• San Filipe open desert, commercial shrimp fishing, popular for surf fishing
• Mulege outstanding boating and fishing
• Santa Rosalia mining town with historic monuments, early French culture, Mexican architecture, delicious bread
• Loreto beaches and fishing outfitters, featuring the Tequila and Mariachi Festival in November
• La Paz biggest city on the Peninsula, famous for its rich oysters
• Todos Santos old farming and fishing community south of the Tropic of Cancer, home of the famous Hotel California
• Cabo San Lucas Baja California Sur. On the Pacific Ocean convergence of the Sea of Cortez The southern tip of the Baja. Although 1000 miles from the United States, it is accessible by Highway 1. There are high-rise hotels and condos along the beach; and
• San Jose del Cabo Baja California Sur On the Sea of Cortez and Pacific Ocean convergence. Like Cabo San Lucas, it is a major resort area.

Baja California Sur , which is the tip of the Peninsula, is warm year-round and has lot of water sports including, sports fishing , scuba diving , parasailing , and waterskiing. Species of fish found in this area are marlin , yellow fin tuna, mahi mahi, sailfish , snapper, and many others. Shopping, fine dining on regional seafood cuisine, resorts, spas, and nightlife abound in the Baja California Sur. Sailors enjoy visiting the Baja Peninsula as well as northwestern Mexico and its beautiful coastline with its rugged and rocky terrain. Northwestern Mexico has three states: Chihuahua , Durango , and Sonora . These states have a lot of industries, rich agricultural valleys where peanuts, cotton, sugar cane, tobacco, vegetables, and fruit thrive because of irrigation, and spectacular natural landscapes that include mountains, canyons, plateaus, and buttes that comprise desert landscapes like paintings. The northwestern Mexico has some of the most beautiful deserts in the world. Whitewater canoers can paddle from near Redford, Texas to Lajitas, Texas in about eight days (See Texas) along the Rio Grande River . While canoeing, curious canoeists can pull their canoes on to the Mexican bank, climb over the craggy rocks on the banks and along the washes to the interior, and see some extraordinary scenes that are like pictures out of the National Geographic . For example, in the spring, the desert vistas are dotted with green, flowering cacti and desert wild-flowers. Birding also is very interesting in this area. Taking a train, rather than driving, is a good way to pay attention to the scenery of northwestern Mexico . The Chihuahua/Pacifico Railroad (ChePe) offers visitors perfect views of the Copper Canyon region and Sierra Madre Mountains . Auto-tourists , who want an exciting drive, can access northwestern Mexico by Highway 2 from Mexicali in the west or Juarez in the east. Tourists need to leave the industrial cities of the north and travel south during the daylight hours down Highway 15 along the Gulf of California coast or south on Highway 45 through the interior of Chihuahua and Durango. Places to visit in northwestern Mexico include:

• Juarez, Chihuahua across from the Rio Grande River from
• El Paso, Texas
• Copper Canyon, Chihuahua-six massive gorges covering 25,000 square miles
• Creel, Chihuahua logging area; developing tourist area near Basaseachic Falls National Park
• Durango, Durango founded in 1543, legendary Poncho Villa traded his soul to the devil here; see the museum, cathedral, and mountain ridges
• Guaymas, Sonora mountains almost touch the sea, indigenous culture, natural harbor
• Puerto Penasco, Sonora very hot, almost desolate, arid with commercial shrimping and massive beach
• San Carlos, Sonora quiet city that has a Hollywood past and terrific harbor
• Nogales, Sonora border town with a fence separating it from Nogales Arizona
• Hermosillo, Sonora Capital of Sonora , colonial era architecture, popular stop-off for auto-tourists, and
• Los Mochis , Sonora major terminus for railways and highways with a ferry connection to La Paz , agricultural town.

• Almeda and its Convent de St. Augustin
• Coyoacan and the Diego Rivera Museum which should be of special interest to art enthusiasts from Detroit where the famous Diego Rivera mural don the walls of the Detroit Institute of Art;
• Cuernavaca and its historica summer homes which were owned by an unusual variety of people, Aztec Emperors, Cortes, and Archduje Maximilin to name a few
• Iztaccihuatl Popocatepetl National Park and the twin volcanoes.
• Churubusco and the Museum of Invention

The Pacific Coast of Mexico is often called the Rivera of North America . Each resort community along the coast is unique and provides a vacation destination . Most visitors fly to the coast cities or arrive by boat commercial cruiser, yacht, or sailboat. However, towns to see along the coast are accessible by car along Highways 40, 15, 200, 134, and 185 driving after dark should be avoided in this region. Costal resort communities for vacation destinations are:

• San Blas -historic home of pirates; fishing village; tan beaches;
• Puerto Vallarta -perfect mid-winter vacation destination for visitors from the northern climates, great beaches, wonderful cuisine; great nightlife, guided tours, other activities include watching bull fights, snorkeling, golfing, horseback riding, boating, sport fishing, tennis, waterskiing, windsurfing, swimming, water sports
• Manzanillo historic seaport for the Spanish sailing to the Orient, beach resorts, birding, lagoons for diving;
• Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo -luxurious amenities, fabulous beaches, and ancient stone carvings to explore;
• Acapulco founded in the 16th Century; Mexico's most famous resort area; activities to try out lighthouse viewing, jogging, golfing, tennis, bull fights, windsurfing, horseback riding, watching jai alai, surfing, diving, snorkeling, and parasailing;
• Puerto Escondido the hidden port, draws surfers, reasonable lodging
• Bahias de Huatulco 22 miles of beaches, coves, and inlets are in this master planned tourist area.