On the Road to Mazatlan!

Well, looks like the Tres Amigos are off once again, this time to Mazatlan, Mexico to hopefully view the 2024 Total eclipse of the sun on Monday, April 8!

Our plan is to drive from Tucson, Arizona to San Diego tomorrow, Wednesday, April 3.  We will overnight there and then on Wednesday make our way to the Tijuana Airport.  There is a special crossing bridge (literally!) there that takes you from a parking lot on the U.S. side of the border, across the border and ends up actually inside of the Tijuana Airport, from which we will fly "domestically" non-stop to Mazatlan.  Of course it is definitely not as easy as it sounds, as I found when I decided a couple of weeks ago that I would investigate where to park ... As our dear friend Anne will tell you, I definitely like to be prepared for any and most eventualities ... so ...

Once you find the website for the parking lot, you have to figure out where in the parking lot you wish to be.  I selected an area close to the bridge, figuring (hopefully wisely!) that would make the walk shorter ... we'll see how it works out!  At any rate, you put your entering time, your leaving day and time, car information, license number, etc. into the website, and of course pay the parking fee.  Step one.  Step two: Buy your tickets to actually cross over the bridge!  Okay ... did that, using our passport information, and paying for that privilege as well.  Step three: The FMM's.  That's the Mexican government form you need to fill out and file in order for you actually proceed across the bridge and enter Mexico by land.  So ... another form, but as we're staying less than a week, no fee!  Yay!!  So ... what I originally though would be a few minutes making the parking reservation turned into almost an hour of filling forms and paying numerous fees!  Oh well!  Rather do it earlier than when we're trying to get to an airline gate!

Turns out Volaris Airlines actually allows their Priority Boarders (of which we are included) to print their boarding passes something like 5 days ahead, so we've got those all lined up ... huh ... in fact, I'll be printing our return passes tonight sometime to take with us before we even leave home!  Whatever, I'm happy to do it and have them with us!

So, the plan is to fly to Mazatlan, pick up a rental car and head to our condo, where we will be for five nights.  Then, the eclipse happening on Monday, we'll pack up and head back to the airport on Tuesday, overnighting once again in San Diego Tuesday night, and home on Wednesday!!

Happy to have you along with us, and hoping to be able to send photos of Debby eating shrimp and other wonderful things along the way!! 

Lots and lots of love to all!

m

xxx






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