Sabino de la Huerta - The Really Big Tree Near San Miguel de Allende

Recently, our friends told us about a huge tree located near the Allende reservoir and asked if we wanted to go check it out. We happily agreed and hopped into their 7-seater along with their two girls and their friend and headed out of town.


Just past the dam on the road to Guanajuato, we took the small road on the left and continued through an old abandoned train tunnel until we reached the little town of la Huerta, located just 12 miles from San Miguel de Allende. We parked the car and headed up a very nicely maintained cobblestone path where we saw a variety of farm animals. The cobblestones gave way to a massive system of knotty roots that seemed to weave in and out of solid rock!

We found ourselves in the shadow of one of the largest trees we had ever seen. We're talking serious girth!


The trunk was huge! It’s so big, in fact, that some say it takes 17 people to form a ring around its base. We tried it with four and didn't get very far.


We can't offer much information about the tree other than it is known as Sabino de la Huerta (the blue sign at the end of the path says so), and it is very big and beautiful. Also, according to the "interwebs," it is a bald cypress.


Continuing on past ol’ Sabino, we trekked up a hill spotting some pretty interesting flora and fauna.


We saw a variety of flowering cacti, the quintessential mother and baby burros and a few dung beetles, among other things.


Check out the following video clip of a dung beetle hard at work!



We continued up the hill until we reached the top of the ridge.


The view from this vantage point was absolutely fantastic!


The tree and the surrounding area was a very nice discovery for us, and the day turned out to be another perfect day in San Miguel de Allende!


View San Miguel de Allende to Sabino de la Huerta in a larger map

“Rare Classic” Car Spotted Heading Towards San Miguel de Allende!

On our way back from a shopping run in Celaya earlier this month we spotted what could very well be the very last surviving AMC Pacer still in operation heading towards San Miguel de Allende. Could other Pacers possibly still be out there? Perhaps, but you have to admit this IS a rare sighting.

Speaking of rare sightings, this rainbow just happened to appear on our right side as we came upon the Pacer. Now, to see one of the most beautiful things on earth opposite one of the ugliest things on earth at once is truly rare!

Guadalajara (GDL) to San Miguel de Allende by Bus

5:15 hours from the Guadalajara Central bus station to Antigua Capilla Bed and Breakfast

We recently took a flight from Oakland to the Guadalajara airport on a newly added route by Volaris Airlines, and then rode the bus back to San Miguel de Allende. Overall, this was a very smooth trip. Here’s our story.

View from the bus of the Mexican Countryside

It’s 9AM, and we’re about to embark on the final leg of our journey back to San Miguel de Allende. The ETN bus has huge comfortable seats, just three across, that recline almost all the way back (think small Lazy Boy.) There’s free WiFi on board too!

The trip so far has been uneventful. It started at 1AM Pacific time with a flight on Volaris Airline from Oakland (OAK) to Guadalajara (GLD). The plane was pretty full, so we couldn’t do our usual routine of moving to an empty row and lying down to get some sleep.

Three and a half hours later (6:30AM central time) we arrive in Guadalajara. Thank goodness the flight was short. Trying to sleep in those tiny seats was next to impossible! We seem to be the only international flight, and getting through customs is a breeze.

After clearing customs (got the green light this time!) we’re ready for our 15 minute taxi ride to the Central de Autobuses bus station. The taxi ticket counter is just a few feet from the customs area (it’s impossible to miss) and the taxis are just outside the doors. The ride to the bus station is $210 pesos (2009 prices), and traffic is light.

We arrive at the bus station at 8:10AM with plenty of time to purchase tickets for the 9AM bus to San Miguel de Allende. The bus ride will take five and a quarter hours, so it’s time to recline our seats and get some shuteye! With only five other people on board, this will be a very peaceful ride home.