Hello, all. I'm headed down to Mexico in ten days, for about a week or two. Meeting a friend in San Diego and driving down to Los Mochis, then we're gonna take the train through Copper Canyon.

I just wanted to check and see if anyone has any suggestions for places to stop on the route down to Los Mochis. We're taking 2 to Rt. 15. I'm particularly interested if anyone has any info on Hermosillo or Guaymas, as I think we may be stopping there for a couple of days.

I wish I could take the 8x10, but I don't think my friend is gonna have the patience for that, so it's just going to be medium format.

I'd like to go strictly carry-on for the flight to San Diego, but I don't know if I can carry on a tripod, along with my camera bag and overnight bag. I know I should definitely just check the bag and put the tripod in it, but I'm leaning towards faster film and shooting handheld. Opinions?

Thanks!
Paul

If you have some specific questions about Hermosillo, I have a friend who grew up there and I can ask him.

It's been a very long time since I've been there, but both Guaymas and Bahia San Carlos offer some good landscape photographic opportunities. Although the area is now built up, there are still very good views of arcing shorelines and aquamarine water. It is also the first place in Mexico, as one heads south where coconut palms can be found near the beach - good for tropical vistas. I think the rain season may have started which means there may be some god cumulous cloud formations in the sky instead of blazing sun. It will be hot.

Watch it in Sinaloa, there's some nasty drug-related stuff going on there. The train ride over The Sierra Madre Occidental is nothing short of spectacular. Again, good time of the year to be going, the yellow-brown vegetation will be replaced by green, and some good cloud formations building on the mountains. Maybe some water cascading down the canyons if there has been some heavy rain. I'd take a polarizer. At Divisdero and Creel there may be some good ethnographic shots of Tarahumara people. Be discreet in photography. In 35 mm terms, I'd use 135-200 mm for people.

I'm 35 mm - if I were going, I'd definitely take the tripod, for medium formt a must.

Hope this helps.

Gene, on the Border in Brownsville, Texas

I asked my friend for some recommendations, and he passed along a URL for the tourism board in Sonora -

http://www.sonoraturismo.gob.mx/destinos-sonora.htm

The website is in Spanish - if you need help with translating any of it, let me know.

Thanks very much, guys! I'm really looking forward to this trip. I've decided that the benefits of having the tripod with me outweigh the convenience of carry-on for a 1 hour flight. So I will be taking the tripod.

Gene, I've seen the reports on Sinaloa state. Disconcerting to say the least. But I've traveled in places where a low profile is important, will be carrying a SPOT gps locator, and my friend is much slower than I am. :) Thanks for the tips!

Paul

Paul, do yourself a favor and visit Alamos (Sonora) if you can. It is an easy drive inland from Navajoa. Alamos is a colonial silver mining town with much of the character preserved. You will find plenty to photograph, I guarantee. Hope you have a pleasant journey.

Thanks for the tip, Merg. It looks like Alamos is just a little side trip off the road to Los Mochis so I'm pretty sure I can talk the driver (my friend) into a little detour. :) Thanks for the well wishes, also. I'm sure I'm going to love it. Old churches are a favorite subject of mine and one I've never really had a proper chance to shoot, so this trip is a little bit of a dream come true. I wish I could take the 8x10, but between flying and not wanting to keep my friend standing around for hours, it's just not practical this time.