In the 1970s, Tom spent a few of his summer vacations visiting his grandmother in San Miguel de Allende. Back then the roads were not as convenient as they are today, nor was the bus transportation. Roads were not always paved and potholes could swallow a small car easily. The bus was what you…
Tequisquiapan is the perfect escape from city life. Surrounded by dairy farms and vineyards, Tequisquiapan is an oasis for relaxation with its spas, boutique hotels and countryside activities. Spend the morning hot-air ballooning over the agricultural fields, soak in the special mineral waters at numerous spas in the afternoon, shop at the Mercado de Artisanas…
Queretaro’s landscape and climate might not seem like ideal growing conditions with its summer hail storms, but if you look around the world, some of the best wines come from semi-arid climates and high elevations. Queretaro wineries plant their vineyards between 6200-7000 ft elevation which leads to hot days and cool nights. This drastic swing…
Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a favorite holiday of the Mexican people. While death is a somber experience in many parts of the world, the Mexicans have created a 3-day celebration filled with music, laughter, and of course, food. If you are planning a trip to Mexico in the future,…
Vendimias have been celebrated for thousands of years marking the end of the grape harvest and all the dedication to the vines for the past year. These huge parties were a way to make work fun with food, laughter and music. Today, instead of grape stomping with our feet, we use machines to separate and…
Amealco de Bonfil is one of the oldest towns in the state of Queretaro and is one of the newest on the list of pueblos magicos. Founded in 1538, Amealco de Bonfil is a place of history and tradition, agriculture and waterfalls. Amealco de Bonfil is located a few minutes from the state border of…
The historical area of Queretaro is a UNESCO World Heritage site studded with beautiful architecture and monuments. Queretaro has grown from an agricultural region to the birthplace of the Independence movement, and helped shape Mexico into what it is today. The museums of Quertaro are an easy way to learn about the history and…
Santa Rosa Jauregui is known for the best carnitas in the country, but there’s so much more to this little town. While Queretaro caters to tourists and big businesses, Santa Rosa Jauregui is where we get our real Mexican experience. This is a real working town with all the Mexican charm you’ve read about in…
It’s one thing to SEE a tradition in another culture, it’s a whole other world to be a part of it. Living in Mexico has allowed us to get to know our neighbors and learn about Mexican traditions and culture. One of those traditions is Las Posadas. Posadas is Spanish for lodging or accommodation. This…
Experiencing Christmas in another country is always exhilarating. What will be similar? What will be different? This is our first Christmas in Queretaro, Mexico. Lights shaped as Christmas trees and stars hang from the lamp posts. Stores are draped in garlands of poinsettias and sparkling lights, and Christmas music blares out of every doorway and…
We did quite a bit of research before selecting the greater Queretaro area to relocate to. One thing we did not look into was what are the local food specialties? Call it dumb luck but we were fortunate enough to stumble onto some fairly remarkable local delicacies, most notably carnitas and barbacoa. Carnitas Santa Rosa…
Did you know that Mexico produces and supplies 45% of the world’s avocados? And did you know that Mexico grows 14 varieties of mangoes? One of the highlights of traveling around the world is visiting local markets. Now that we live in Queretaro, the Mercado La Cruz isn’t a tourist attraction for us. It truly…