Finding Fernway on The Pan American Highway

[oakleymiller]

My name is Oakley Miller and I'd like to think I'm an adventurer. In February 2024, after a couple of years of local weekend outings to remote Utah locations with friends and a global shutdown that had eliminated all international travel in my itinerary, I felt stifled and bored. I felt the pull to do something bigger. So I called my closest friends over to my house and proposed and idea. We would take two 2004 Tacomas to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska where we would turn around and by the way of 10 day stints once a quarter, shuffle the vehicles south to Ushuaia Argentina. Obviously this is a popular route and at any given moment hundreds, perhaps thousands are driving it. But for us, the idea of international logistics and managing them ourselves was new and exciting.

We already had one truck. A Radiant Red, Double Cab Tacoma that I had purchased from Kurt Williams my sophomore year of high school then sold in 2019. In 2023 I was able to track it down and buy it back in Bountiful, Utah. The search for an identical truck didn't take us long or far. We were able to find a Sunfire Red Pearl, Double Cab also in Bountiful Utah that had the same bumpers, a lift/suspension and only 100,000 miles. With the help of a sponsor and some skin in the game from the expedition participants we bought it. This puts us in April with the trucks leaving for Alaska in late July. Truck one we call Stacey and truck two we call Bountiful. Both trucks have a TRD supercharger and factory rear locker.

Stacey needed the following

• Supercharger rebuild
• The entire frame lasered and coated to prevent rust
• New suspension
• New roof top tent
• New batteries
• New winch
• Ham + GMRS radio and antennas
• Wheels
• Tires

Bountiful needed the following:

• A new winch
• Ham + GMRS radio and Antennas
• Bed rack
• Roof top tent
• Wheels
• Tires

Besides that, regular maintenance and stickers were all we did to the trucks for the first leg.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On July 28, 2024 Talon Patten, myself and our fathers loaded into the trucks and left Salt Lake City for Fairbanks, Alaska where the rest of the team for leg 1 would fly in to join us. Over the next 6 days we drove through Glacier, Alberta, Yukon, British Columbia and Alaska having incredible experiences mixed into our long, heavy mile days. We helped people get their Jeeps unstuck, saw bears and rode boats through the fjords of the Kenai Peninsula. This transit stage came to an end on August 2nd and on the morning of the3rd we dropped out dads off at the same time we picked up our friends. On the way up, on the Alcan highway we experienced heavy rubbing from the front end of Stacey. We had too much weight for the OME springs with the bumper, supercharger, winch, skid-plate, and antennas. Cruiser Outfitters was able to get us heavy springs for a 3rd gen 4Runner and Nelson Brian was able to pick them up, pack them in his carry on and bring them with him. When the team landed in Fairbanks the first item of business was getting them installed which took place in a NAPA parking lot with a spring compressor that barely worked and some Walmart ratchet straps. We used a dog bed to catch the hardware as it ejected from the top hat of the spring assembly.

We took two days to drive up the Dalton Highway and one day to drive down after taking the tour and a dip in the Arctic Ocean. 100 miles north of Fairbanks, Bountiful developed a check engine code that we diagnosed as a faulty engine knock sensor. This was not something we had the capacity to fix but it also wouldn't harm the truck to drive on it as long as we obeyed the limp mode it had put the truck into. This means that we would (and did) drive home from Alaska to Utah with no boost and a max of 55 MPH (which on Canadian highways is not too bad).

Through Alaska and into Canada we traced the route that Expeditions 7 had taken a decade prior with My father leading the way. It was an exceptionally neat experience stopping at the Sign Forest in Watson Lake and putting a Finding Fernway sticker on the Expeditions 7 sign.

We took 9 days to get from Prudhoe Bay to the Expedition Overland Ranch in Montana where we were welcomed by Clay Croft and his son Cyrus. It would be difficult to document everything that we saw, did and encountered on the way. Talon has done a good job of that on our instagram. My favorite moments were those we were able to give someone fuel, or change a tire or help them get their Jeep out of a bog.

We all arrived home around midnight on August 12th, 2024 tired and ready to not step foot in the trucks for a few months.

I would encourage anyone who has thought about driving to Alaska to just get in their car and go. The valleys and landscapes you will drive through have the ability to transport you to a mindset so far removed from the hustle and bustle of the everyday world. You will never regret the decision to Just Go.

 

[YukonMontanaTannerTrapper]

Why not recreate your story here ? Post up a trip report with lots of pictures ? Some of us only come here to read the trip reports and unfortunately they've pretty much died out. It sounds like an awesome trip and I'm sure a bunch of us would enjoy reading it. Your post leaves us wanting more.....

 

[oakleymiller]

Since my last post we have driven 4 more legs on our Pan American adventure. The Baja leg, Mainland Mexico, Central America and Colombia/Ecuador. Each leg has been full of adventure, stress, fun, and fernweh. I’ll post updates here for each of the last 4 legs.

Baja 1 of 2

Team members:
Oakley Miller: team leader and driver
Nelson Brian: lead driver - Bountiful
Andrew Wilkinson: translator
Sam Pihl: translator
Dominic King: photographer

November 8, 2024. Nelson and I left Salt Lake City after work and drove our trucks straight to San Diego. We added 40 gallon transfer tanks since the last leg to each truck which gives us a range of 750 miles in our 2004 Tacomas. We utilize these on the drive to minimize time spent at gas stations and to not worry about timing of fillups. In San Diego, our team has flown in and made their way to a buddies house where we rendezvous and spend the night. It’s good to be together with friends and the anticipation for tomorrow’s border crossing and the week ahead is heavy.

On November 9, we cross the border at Tijuana. This is a first for each of us and we are surprised that no one asked for passports, insurance, TIP, title or registration. They want to see inside the GoFast Campers and then they send us on our way. This is it, the first step into the unknown for us. We spend the day meandering south, eating Tacos, sourcing water and looking for beaches to surf at. We find camp 2 hours south of Ensenada and point our campers towards the beach. First impressions: Mexico is magical.

November 10. Upon leaving camp we are passed by a couple Baja trucks and we make a stop at Coyote Cal’s for breakfast.

The exhaust bolts holding the cat back to the cat have disappeared from our truck Bountiful so we are on the hunt for replacements. In San Vicente we find them and make a 30 second repair that will save us from hours of drone induced headaches.

In Valle De La Trinidad we had tacos that all the way to Ecuador would be considered the best tacos we have encountered. Even considering that they keep produce on the restroom floor. In San Felipe we meet up with good friend Kurt Williams and his buddies who are down here to race the Baja with Kanguro Racing. It’s a really cool experience for me to meet up with friends so far from home.

At this point in the night the locals are leaving the beach and a man in a new to him Durango has high centered himself on the beach, burned his transmission up and is just really stuck. Lucky for him, between our two trucks and Kurt’s truck we have enough recovery gear to move mountains. Getting him out is quick work with Kurt orchestrating the equipment and me behind the wheel of his Durango. We make a road out of our maxtrax and pop the truck out and up using the winch of Stacey. The rest of the night we hangout around the fire.

Nov 11. We head for Bahia de Los Angeles today. And on the way we make stops for Taco ingredients including fresh Carne Asada and fresh Tortillas bought by the Kilo. These are now a staple of my diet for this leg of the expedition and a really convenient snack while driving. Too convenient.

Between San Felipe and Bahia De Los Angeles is a Seguaro Cacti forest that is as dense as and conifer forest I have ever seen, perhaps millions of cacti as far as the eye can see. I never could have imagined something like this on the Baja peninsula and am so pleasantly surprised by this sight. We pull off the road and spend about an hour here walking around the cacti and enjoying the scenery. Day four is 214 miles long.

Nov 12. Today I was once again woken by dogs barking. This time however, they were right outside the tent. We camped on the beach and two healers found us and decided to hangout with us while we packed up.


On leaving our camp we stopped at the local bodega and grabbed a junk food breakfast.

On the road. We had to backtrack 50 miles to the main highway. This road is pitted as all hell so it’s a chore to avoid the pot holes.

We stopped after about 80 total miles to run through a group of buzzards. Maybe 13 in total. I have never seen so many vultures in my life. Besides Pelicans they have been the most prolific bird sightings on the peninsula.

Just north of Guerrero Negro we came across some white sand dunes we initially passed but turned around to go play in. 4-low with locker engaged, we tooled around a little before each taking turns getting stuck deep. All it took to get unstuck was breaking out the maxtrax and doing a little digging. Easy outs for both trucks. We spent about an hour at the sand dunes running around and playing and jumping around. After summiting the highest dune we were all surprised to see that it wasn’t just a little cluster of dunes but rather a vast sand dune desert that went for what seemed like miles out to the sea.

We next entered the lower state on the peninsula - Baja California Sur. The first town we encountered here was Guerrero Negro. We stopped after for tacos in a cement building that has not been completed and has been taken over by a man and his daughters. There are no floors, windows, doors or paint. They have used plywood to block off an area for the kitchen where they make what I believe to be the world’s best shrimp tacos.

We know we will be in BFE tonight so we stop for groceries to make a tin foil dinner. Once we’ve gathered these we head to the tortilleria for some fresh flour tortillas. Across the street from the tortilleria is a turf soccer field that’s beautiful. A nine year old boy named Michael is playing and we ask to join. Before long his friends Brian and Edwin have joined. They all have soccer practice in a few minutes but we play 4-4 with Sam on their team. It was so fun to have a moment like this with these kids we will never see again. I know I will be thinking of them long after we part ways.

A two hour drive south and east has us on the beach tonight. We name this beach Tortuga Muerta due to the dead Sea Turtle we pass on the way in. There are more seashells than I have ever seen anywhere. 5-10 to a square foot. We each prepare our own tin foil dinner and sit by the fire sharing stories and enjoying the company.

For the 4th night in a row we are camping on the beach. Baja is earning a special place in my heart and I find myself spending a lot of my time thinking about my wife and how my experience would differ with her here. I know she would love it. There are so many different ways to explore this planet and I’m not sure there are any wrong ways to do it but there are some that are better than others. The best way, I am learning, is to go with the people you care deeply about.

Half way through our Baja Leg I feel a huge sense of adventure. Things are going well and we have been able to resolve any issues we have encountered. There is a huge hill to climb still in terms of mileage till we get to Argentina but if it goes like the first 4 days in Mexico have gone it will be smooth sailing.

 

[Spencer for Hire]

Funny, At first glance I thought it said finding Fenway as in Boston's Fenway Park which I have visited on many an occasion.

 

[ThundahBeagle]

Funny, At first glance I thought it said finding Fenway as in Boston's Fenway Park which I have visited on many an occasion.

Yep. That's what caught my eye.

I was about to say that "Finding Fenway" was an ample title to the story any time I stumbled out of the ol' Cask and Flagon.

But this is far more epic!

 

[oakleymiller]

Baja 2 of 2

11.13.2024 - Day five.

We wake up on Tortuga Muerta to no waves, at least no rideable waves so no surfing here. There is a little fishing resort down the road that is closed, but has operating bathrooms that we take advantage of and use to clean ourselves up. It takes 60 miles of backtracking this morning to reach the main road where we turn south again. We aren't on this road for long before we come across an older American couple who are in a well loved RV with boat trailer in tow. The boat trailer has an axle that is actively breaking in half. We have no welder, but we do have a couple spare ratchet straps and a scrap of 2x4 that we use to pull the axle back into shape and send them *slowly* on their way into the last town where I know there was a welding shop who could get them sorted. I still don't know if they ever made it back to town but I hope that they did.

We soon pull through Heroica Mulege which is now one of my favorite towns on the Baja Peninsula. The name Heroica was given to the town when the citizens repelled American forces looking to occupy the town during the Mexican-American war in 1847. It is an oasis (literally) on the Sea of Cortez with a population of 3800 people. In the middle of the town is a mission that was founded in 1705 by the Jesuits looking to convert the natives to Catholicism. You get a wonderful view of the palm trees, river and town from the mission. I know there is a lot to do here including swimming in more remote pools and some hikes but we unfortunately do not have time for these.

Before we leave town, we stop at the tortilleria and buy a kilo of tortillas.

The destination for night five is Concepcion Bay. The tailgates of the trucks are six feet from the water tonight. Concepcion bay is shallow for quite a ways out. The moon is bright, the water is warm and all conditions make for a great night swim. We light the camp fire before heading into the water and after 30 minutes in the water it is a welcome way to dry off.

In my journal for the day I write "I had a great day today. It’s hard to internalize and memorialize these events that seem so insignificant but are so beautiful. I really believe that these are what make life worth living though" and I still hold that sentiment to be true. When you spend days or weeks in a row having incredible experiences it is really hard to internalize any of them. As a result I believe that journaling when on once-in-a-lifetime adventures is so paramount.

11.14.2024 - Day 6.

When we leave on these expeditions we do so having flights home booked which means there is a deadline for us to arrive in the towns that we will fly out of. We fly out of San Jose del Cabo on the 17th. This leads to mileage minimums each day. These minimums are flexible in that if we drive less one day then we need to add those miles to the next or vice-versa where if we drive more one day we can slow down the next. Today started as a petal down rally day. We woke up to blue water literally off the bumpers of the trucks and had packed camp last night so that we could get out quickly this morning. By the town of Loretto we have to stop at the Doctor. Nelson has developed an ear infection that is crippling him. The Doctor in Loretto has an office attached to the pharmacy and lets the stray dogs around his building to share the air conditioning in his office. Things here aren't as sanitized as they would be in the U.S.A but they work and we get the medicine that Nelson needs.

At around noon we pulled over to relieve ourselves. Not thinking much of it because this would be normal in the USA. The local police pulled in and were not happy. He started aggressive. They “took photos” of the pee puddles and he pretended to call his supervisor (we could see his phone was not actually making a phone call. He said we could pay $4000 pesos ($200 usd) each or go to jail for 36 hours. We were being extorted. Sam talked him down to $3000 pesos and tried to talk him lower but he wouldn’t budge. We didn’t even have $1200 pesos between the five of us at this point. I was firm that we were not going to pay anything. I messaged some individuals familiar with situations like this on the inreach and was told to not give our licenses to him, and be prepared to wait it out. I had photocopies of our licenses and let him see those, I told Sam to let him know we would be happy to go to La Paz and pay the judge. We asked for his badge number and that is when the mood shifted. He bacame much less aggressive and softer spoken. Ultimately we waited for 45 or so minutes and the four of them told us to takeoff. I gave them each a Finding Fernway sticker and we left.

In La Paz I found a tackle shop that would trade me a new rod and reel set for a deep sea rod that I had brought from home (which I had gotten for free). Our camp for the night was on a beach on the north side of the La Paz Peninsula. The water looks like blue gatorade it is absolutely beautiful. The first thing I did after arriving in camp was to cast a lure in the water. I am not exaggerating when I say I think the fish caught my hook in the air on the first cast. I was able to land a rooster fish. We cleaned him and cooked him in some Dos Equis. This is our last night camping, we will be in an Airbnb tomorrow so we all enjoy sitting around the fire and reflecting on our time in Baja. The next few days before we fly out consist of preparing trucks for storage, organizing documents and exploring Cabo so I will omit them and end this entry here in La Paz.

Honestly, I was very nervous to drive through Mexico. Everyone at home regularly expressed concern over where we were headed. But, I was so pleasantly surprised by all the people we met, the food, the scenery, the roads, the beauty and all that this wonderful part of the world had to offer. At no point, even during the extortion did I feel unsafe. I firmly believe that everyone who considers themselves an "overlander" should take a trip down the Baja Peninsula and that they should do it with the people they hold closest if possible. Scott Brady says that to be an "overlander" you need to cross borders. Not everyone will agree with that sentiment but I generally do and I think Baja is such a great way to get your feet wet in the world of international vehicle based adventure travel. Even now, as we approach the end of our Pan American expedition and begin to plan the next big international adventure for the Finding Fernway trucks, Baja is probably the first place I will return with my wife and children in tow. Viva la Baja!

 

[FrenchieXJ]

Hi Oakley Miller,

First I like your writing ability, I wish I had that talent. I just recently ran across your thread. I had left Expedition Portal for about 3 years and returned around 6 months ago.

Who am I? I have spent since 1972 4 wheeling and making a living a from 4 wheeling. I have finally started slowing down, when I was working averaged 250 days a year on the road (off-road) related to 4 -wheeling / overlanding, though I still get out and led groups of friends. I am under 100 days a year now.

Baja is wonderful and holds many hidden gems. You need to find the local people who know the off of the beaten path to see the special places. I understand not everyone has the time to find these places on their own. If I may suggest that you explore the cave paintings of Baja for a start. The history is limited, of the "First Peoples". With over 50 years of exploring Baja I still have not got tired of traveling to Baja.

From where you left the vehicles you are only a paddle away from getting to "Copper Canyon" (Barrancas del Cobre) in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountains. This is a special place for me. With over 100 overlanding adventures into, around and through the Barrancas, I still have not come close to seeing all of it. If you have not been their or heard about it, I find it is far more interesting to myself. When you get back on the road traveling again you may want to consider this as a general location to explore. I do not think you will be disappointed with Copper Canyon.

You can get a lot of information as well as BS from the internet. From my experience about 50% is written by people who have not been their before or been their only for a day or two.

If you have any questions I am happy to answer them.

May your road have the bumps and your life go smooth!

Frenchie

 

[jdlobb]

I love seeing somebody else using Fernwey in a sentence.

 

[oakleymiller]

Mainland Mexico: La Paz to Cancun

Part 1

Team:
Oakley Miller
Nelson Brian
Talon Patten
Alex Knight
Colin Rich

Flights into Cabo SJD on 2.28.2025
Flights booked out of Cancun on 3.8.2025

2.28.2025 - Day 1

Nelson and I are the only team members now who have been on every leg. Talon was in Alaska with us while Colin and Alex are new. They each bring a lot to the table. Alex is in my opinion a world class photographer and a good-hearted man. Colin is a firefighter/EMT and a fantastic chef which is something we had really been lacking on the past legs. I am thrilled to have them both join and eager to see how the travel affect them. International vehicle-based adventure travel is new to each of them so this could be called their maiden voyage. At the beginning of this leg, I was really hoping they would each be bought in by the end. Turnover on a team like this is tough and you want to be close to the people you are traveling the world with, especially when you are in a vehicle as small as the 2004 Tacoma.

Our trucks have been parked ad San Jose Park ’N Fly for almost 5 months. There is no temporary import permit in Baja so we were able to leave the trucks here for a little longer than we will be able to leave them anywhere else. This allowed us to adjust our travel schedule to better meet events each of us has at home.

Upon arriving at the storage facility, I was told that I wasn’t paid up on my bills. Through the first two legs of this adventure, I have learned that being over prepared is better than being under prepared. This had led to me having printed out copies of all the storage fee receipts and being able to prove that I was in fact current. Being prepared saved me $130.

When we got to the trucks, they were dusty, and each had very dead batteries. SJD Park ’N Fly lent us a jump box so we could get them started and then they sprayed the dust off the trucks for us. While we waited for Alex to arrive at the airport we went straight to AutoZone and by the time we got there Bountiful’s battery was holding charge, however the auxiliary battery in Stacey was truly fried. I anticipate this will be the first of more than a few batteries we will need replace on our way to Argentina. Honestly, leaving the trucks parked for months at a time and not plugged into a charger, I am amazed all three batteries weren’t toast. At this point the battery is replace so Nelson and I in Stacey went back to the airport to pick up Alex while Colin and Talon went to fill up the water jugs which hold approximately 16 gallons. We met at OXXO for snacks, then fueled up and sent towards La Paz where we will take the Ferry to Mazatlan tomorrow evening.

The east side of the peninsula is in my opinion the best side so that’s the way we went from Cabo. 2:20 minutes later we were in La Paz. Our priorities were 1. Food 2. Firewood. While looking for a taco spot we passed a car wash that had some stacks of wood next to their grill and I saved the location in my Gaia. Dinner was a tacos right off the Sea of Cortez and the breaded fish tacos and coconut shrimp tacos were delightful. 9/10 would come back. Stomachs full we went back to the car wash, which also turns out to be a restaurant. We bought a very large stack of wood for $300 (pesos) and drove off into the dark towards camp on the same beach we spent our final camping night in Baja on the last leg of the expedition. The stars are bright, the fire warm and the company great. If tonight is to be any indication of what is to come through Mainland Mexico this will once again be the trip of a lifetime.

3.1.2025 - Day 2

I’m not sure anyone slept soundly last night. I didn’t. Waking early, I was able to watch the sunrise over the water and it’s one of those sights that no photo or worded description will ever be able to really describe. Topaz blue water, white sand, and a sky full of pinks, blues, and purples.

The ferry doesn’t load until about 5:00pm tonight so we have a full day to organize our gear, install new equipment and parts that we learned we needed on the last leg and of course, swim in the ocean. This will be the last time we are by the ocean until we get to The Gulf on the other side of the continent.

We also make stops at Walmart for groceries, sunscreen, soap and Home Depot for machetes, eyebolts for the cargo net in the GFC, a shovel and ratchet straps.

The process at the ferry is quite smooth. An officer checked our TIP (which we did online and not at the Banjercito’s office) and then we were assessed a fee based on the weight of the vehicles that is in addition to the tickets we purchased for each passenger and each vehicle online. We showed our receipt at the ticket office and were given hard copies of the tickets. The drivers were then sent to wait with the cars while the passengers were shuttled to the ferry via buses. We waited, and waited, and ended up being the very last vehicles to board which of course means we will be the first to disembark. No complaints from me.

For anyone wishing to ride Baja Ferries from Baja to the mainland, it is important to set your expectations on the journey early. This is not a luxury voyage. There are bunks that you can purchase with options for 2 or 4 passengers, but you must buy the whole room and those start at around $140 on top of your base ticket price. If you don’t manage to get a bunk room, you will be sleeping in the airplane style main cabin on the boat where they blast Spanish dubbed movies on full volume until about 2:00 am. We were blessed with “Alien Romulus”, “Deadpool vs. Wolverine”, and “Lion King”. You are not allowed to touch your vehicle on the voyage so make sure you bring a blanket, your toiletries or anything you think you may need with you.

3.2.2025 – Day 3

The ferry ride was 14:45 long. I wrote in my journal for the day that it was “a slog and a fever dream” But, we are the first ones off the boat which was convenient. On the ferry there was no WiFi and no cell service so the first thing we did was try and plug in the StarLink. It worked for about 50 seconds before shutting off which was incredibly frustrating for a bunch of guys trying to check in with spouses back home. Somehow the plug for StarLink overheated and melted. StarLink didn’t work again on this leg of the expedition.

Day 3 was seven hours of driving with frequent stops for snacks, sights, roadside fruit (mostly Mango’s) and fuel. We filled up the 40-gallon transfer tanks in Mazatlan, so each truck had 59 gallons of fuel. This affords us ultimate flexibility for about 750 miles of driving range and makes fuel stops pretty efficient. I quickly fall in love with the driving style here in western Mexico. All cars basically ride the shoulder of the road so that passing slower vehicles is always possible even on two lane roads. I also spent a lot of time watching locals as we drove past and pondering on what their life must be like. There is a word called sonder that was coined in 2012 by U.S. writer John Koenig that basically boils down to the awareness that all other people have their own complex feelings, social webs, and experiences. That they aren’t just NPC’s in your own world. I have always loved this word, but it hits home when I am traveling. All these individuals I drive past have their own life and it impacts mine for a moment before they are out of sight, but when they are out of sight they continue to exist, to struggle, to succeed and to be who they are. I love this concept.

We make it to the south side of Lago de Chapala tonight. Camp is full of scorpions, and it isn’t long before Colin has cooked a couple over the fire and eaten them. Nelson and Talon take advantage of the WiFi in camp to do homework until after we have all gone to bed. Colin cooked us a great dinner – Carne Asada tacos with fresh and authentic Oaxaca cheese. *Chef’s kiss, Italian hand*

 

[oakleymiller]

Mainland Mexico: La Pzs to Cancun

Part 2

3.3.2025 – Day 4

My journal entry for the day is as follows –

“Today was what it’s all about. It was 411 miles of driving split in half by an amazing experience at lunch.

We broke camp early and left. Parts of the drive were absolutely beautiful and I can confirm that I love romantic Mexico (not the tourist areas because we actively avoid them). We stopped at a little roadside hut in Cumuatillo and bought a watermelon. At the next one we bought mangos, bananas, lemons, oranges, peppers, onions, and tomatoes all for like $3USD.

In Panindícuaro we pulled off to get lunch and stopped at this little taco joint that was only a tin roof and repurposed pallets for a counter. They were so so so good and for five tacos it was 75 pesos which is like $3.50. We gave them Finding Fernway stickers and let them take pictures with the cars then asked them where we should go to get meat. The owner left his shop to take Colin and Talon in his personal truck to the meat market while Nelson and I fueled the Tacomas. While we were doing so, a different man named Daniel came out of the back of his shop and started talking to us, telling us about Incan blood in southern Mexicans and stuff and joking around with us. He was very kind and gave us hugs and told us to go to his aunt Lupita’s tortilleria for the best flour tortillas in Mexico. (He may be right they were incredible). When leaving town we happened by his store again on accident and stopped for Fresh strawberries. We all got out and his buddy pulled out the fried tortillas, spread honey on them and passed them around. The honey was amazing. The food is all amazing and so fresh. Daniel could not have been kinder. Mexico has been so welcoming to us so far.

We got to Malinche National Park 10 minutes after they closed. 10 minutes. The guards really wanted to let us in, but they are on camera and couldn’t risk getting caught so they called a friend down the road that owns a little property she rents cabins on and she was willing to let us rent some space for the night to set up the trucks and our camp. It’s a really comfy little area and we cooked a great dinner here. Colin is putting in great work as our newly appointed chef.

I deeply enjoy making friends with people I’ve never met and will never see again and sharing such intimate little moments with. It is the whole reason I enjoy overlanding. I’m so joyful from the experiences I had today.

We are in the tent and can hear music from the main town miles away. Apparently, they are celebrating a holiday that dates back to the times of the Aztecs where they would make fun of the newly arrived Spanish and how silly and proper, they appeared. I’m going to sleep well tonight.”

I don’t really know what else I could add to that journal entry. It was the kind of day I think overlanders live for. We did make the conscious decision to not make our way into Mexico City and we did want to get east as quickly as possible. In doing so I am sure we missed some pretty incredible sights but that is the price we pay in order to make these legs possible in the first place.

3.4.2025 – Day 5

Some interesting facts for day 5. Our highest elevation was 10,244 feet and our lowest was 49 feet. At one point we dropped 4500 feet in 15 minutes. We averaged a moving speed of 70MPH.

We spent the morning driving up the Volcano and walking around the forest. It was pleasant and refreshing to be able to walk around in the big pine trees on top of Malinche.

We left the alpine and entered the rain forest. I think everyone enjoyed the drive today. We got to see a little bit of everything, and the pace was great. On the way into Comalcalco we had messaged the host of the campground we were planning on staying at to confirm that there would be a spot for both of our trucks. Confirmed. Dinner was a massive tortilla stuffed with meat, beans, and vegetables hot enough to melt most metals. Not really, but it did burn my mouth.

The heat in Comalcalco was absolutely oppressing and the humidity only exacerbated the condition. To make matters worse, after dinner the host of camp messaged us and said something along the lines of “actually my mom died 8 days ago so I don’t have a spot for you tonight”… this left us scrambling in a random Mexican town with nowhere to go and a setting sun. We tried every place we could on iOverlander, all the hostels that google populated and eventually Talon found a place on Airbnb that would host our trucks. Staying at an Airbnb halfway through our adventure is not something we all love doing, but sometimes it is necessary. The shower, AC, and flushing toilet were definitely welcome.

At this point we have basically driven across Mexico, and we have done it at a tear through pace. We were all exhausted. But, we also knew that this is where the fun would really begin for us. From ruins and cenotes to warm water beaches and on the next leg, small countries with so much to share.

3.5.2025 – Day 6
Our Airbnb was less than 3 minutes from the Comalcalco ruins. We learned that this is not a part of the country that gets frequented by tourists. We were the only people at the ruin park this morning. The entire hour and a half that we spent there was shared by only us, the grounds team and the iguanas that call the pyramids and various structures home. A note for anyone considering driving to Comalcalco to visit these ruins – JUST GO.The heat and humidity seemed to slip from our minds as we walked around today. For Nelson, Talon, and Alex this was their first encounter with Mesoamerican ruins.

We only have 165 miles(ish) to drive today. We always know generally where we are headed and where we want to end the day but occasionally the campsite will be closed or no longer operational so there is always a spirit of “C’est la vie” that accompanies international overland travel.

I think that the world’s best tacos (tacos gringas) are cooked in a womans front yard at 18.42202, -93.04539. We happened past her yard and the $5 peso taco sign caught all of our attention, so we turned around and stopped in. We ordered enough tacos that she actually ran out of meat halfway through cooking them and had to hop on her scooter to run into town and buy more. We gorged ourselves and to this day we all reminisce on them. I have seen them in my dreams (or nightmares) knowing I will probably never be back to eat them again.

At this point the Gulf is on our left side as we head east to Cancun. Once again, none of us has ever seen the Gulf from the Mexican side. This is new for us. There is a lot of construction traffic on Ruta 180 that is often one way. At one point we are stopped on the very long bridge that connects Zacatal to Ciudad del Carmen and just off the right shoulder is a pod of dolphins lolly gagging and enjoying what we would learn later in the evening is very, very warm water.

In Ciudad del Carmen we stop at an animal sanctuary where there are crocodiles, monkeys, an ant-eater and all kinds of wild life. We are shown through by an employee who rides a bike in front of the trucks and shows us the way. Honestly, it’s pretty depressing and does not give sanctuary vibes but more of a petting zoo aura. We don’t spend very long here, in fact no one ever got out of the trucks, we completed our lap and opted to just get out of there and head for camp at 18.95268, -91.27375. This camp is amazing. Warm white sand, great facilities including a community kitchen, flushing toilets, and warm showers. The first thing we do here is run to the ocean and the whole team was shocked at how warm the water is. We are all used to the Pacific and this is much warmer. This would go on to be a night and day that I look back on fondly and I think the whole team feels the same way. We swam in the ocean until the sun set, catching fish with our hands and letting the waves rock us. When it got dark, we retired to the beach, started a pit fire and as we stood around it we cut open fresh mangos and watermelon.

After each cleaning ourselves up we picked our spots to sleep. Alex and I each in a GoFast Camper, Talon fell asleep in the community hut and Colin + Nelson opted for hammocks. At around 2 am the wind was brutally strong, to the point where the hammocks were being blown sideways. Talon had either locked the hut he was in or the wind was so strong that they physically could not open the door. Either way they were resigned to the cabs of the truck for the remainder of the night and in the morning had to go looking for clothes and gear bags that the wind had swept away.

One of the all-time greatest days of my life.

 

[oakleymiller]

Mainland Mexico: La Paz to Cancun

Part 3 (final)

3.6.2025 – Day 7

On this morning the water was murky and white capping, so we opted to forego swimming and instead head to the next destination we were all eager for – the Edzna Ruins. Once again, these ruins felt a little bit out of the way for the average tourist. Those that we saw appeared to be Mexican nationals. The facilities at Edzna are very nice and the campus is huge. In total area it dwarfs Comalcalco. We saw close to twenty other patrons and that was it. Having these ruins “to yourself” so to speak is really neat. Getting to experience them in a quiet setting, not being crawled all over and not having vendors trying to sell you their goods like one experiences at Chichen-Itza is remarkable.

From Edzna we explore the Cenote San Ignacio just south of Merida for a couple hours. Not an open air cenote, instead a cave with clear blue water and a resort with a lazy river, restaurant and man made open air “cenote”. The restaurant here is really expensive so instead we leave and flag down some local kids on the street to ask them where they like to eat. Their suggestion is a good one with fresh squeezed (squozen?) lemonade and citrus marinated pork. I wrote in my journal that it was a 7/10.

It is now 5:35pm. We are in Merida and the sun sets at 6:15. We largely to this point have tried to avoid driving in the night but talk it out as a team that if we drive a couple hours further into the night we can camp just outside of Chichen-Itza. It is not a long deliberation and we all agree to it. Driving in Mexico at night is dangerous to various people for various reasons. It really depends on who you ask IMO. I would tell you it is dangerous because there are frequent potholes and because of road debris. I also learned this night that it is dangerous because the Mexican Transit Authority as I am choosing to call it, promptly removes all reflective tape from the big water filled barriers they use to close off lanes AND because they use big rocks on top of traffic drums instead of the tire side walls you would see in the USA. So, if you hit a traffic drum you will have a 10-20 pound rock perfectly positioned at windshield height. We were driving east on the 180, on a 4 lane road when out of nowhere a traffic barrier with no reflective tape on it jumped out of nowhere to close off the lane we were in. Luckily we were both able to quickly get over into the right lane without hitting the car that split our convoy in half. It was a sobering moment for the whole team as to what could happen in a split moment. We got lucky.

Our last camping night of the leg was spent on hotel grounds across the street from the Ik-kil cenote. I have been to this cenote before with my wife and her family for Christmas 2022. I wrote in my journal this night about how strange it is, on that occasion I had flown here but on this one, I drove my car from my house. Somewhere so far away from my home and I drove here.

By the end of day 7 we have hit police or military checkpoints 13 times. They always want some form of your documents and want to know what you are doing so far from home. We have found that being prepared, having all your documents in a binder, and having extra copies usually smooths out any issues that could arise here. I think, the officers seeing you are prepared and know what you are doing usually means you’re probably not worth their time. All 13 stops were uneventful. We usually give them a sticker and are on our way.

The last two days

The last two days are really touristy. We are first in the park at Chichen-Itza, we swim at Ik-kil, we get an Airbnb in Cancun etc. The Airbnb is turning into a little tradition at this point. We have found out that it’s a great way to re-organize ourselves at the end of a leg. We each get to do laundry, offload images and video, we change the oil in the trucks, clean them out and pack them up for storage, etc. When we are able to pack them away it always leads to the next leg starting out smoother. My other favorite tradition we have started at this point is taking the team out to a nice dinner. It is a great way for me to express my gratitude to a group of men who all have busy, complicated lives and not a lot of extra cash for traveling the world. I feel like it may be a small miracle that someone my age has a pool of friends so deep that is also interested in traveling the world in the same manner. I am deeply grateful that I have the opportunity to explore the world. That I have a wife at home who supports me in my endeavors. That I have friends who want to come with me. That we are all healthy enough to be here. That we are able to avoid all accident. We have packed a lot of adventure into ten days of travel and I can only imagine the incredible experiences that would be added to this journey if we were afforded more time from each of our commitments at home to do this the slow way. The world is a beautiful place and so far, I find it is generally full of good people. My advice to anyone wanting to plan a trip of their own is as always – Just Go.

P.S. most of the photos are too large to be attached here so I must SHAMEFULLY direct you to our instagram to see photos from the adventure. @findingfernway

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

Thanks for posting

 

[ITTOG]

I almost left without reading given there were no pictures. LOL. I must say, the story kept me intrigued.

I have been to Comalcalco, probably a decade ago. I loved it. I have also been to Chichen-Itza but so have millions of Americans.

Great journey so far.

 

[oakleymiller]

I almost left without reading given there were no pictures. LOL. I must say, the story kept me intrigued.

I have been to Comalcalco, probably a decade ago. I loved it. I have also been to Chichen-Itza but so have millions of Americans.

Great journey so far.

Well thanks for staying! I’ve learned the best things are usually off the beaten path so to speak. We try to avoid the tourist laden areas.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Thanks for sharing in such detail Oakley! Really enjoying the updates and details of your route and experience. Travel is so infectious, I'm just wrapping up a massive trip and reading your Mexico reports has me anxious to head that way!