By David Eidell
If you have been following the series of articles on RVing Mexico you may have encountered information regarding climate that states there is a huge variation in temperature and humidity because of large variations in elevation. A mere three hours travel time means that I no longer need fans and just a sheet at night but a heater and sweat pants and shirt at breakfast.
Except for the Yucatan peninsula, you can use any map of Mexico and then "shade" a half-inch border along the coastlines. This would be the tropical lowlands. Inland from that rapidly rising terrain may be as radical as my three-hour drive and seven thousand feet gain in altitude. In fact, the entire "center" of interior Mexico is well over five thousand feet in altitude. Yucatan on the other hand is as flat as a pool table.
You can use the Internet to get a "feel" for current summertime weather in Mexico. I like "Wunderground.com". Try entering the following list of popular interior cities to get an idea of current weather:
Guadalajara
San Miguel de Allende
Morelia
Cuernavaca
Zacatecas
Don't forget to add "Mexico" after the city name to prevent confusion.
One of the biggest traveler myths about Mexico is that the summer "rainy" season will spoil traveler schedules and fun. Ninety percent of the rain occurs within an hour or two of late afternoon or evening hours. People that have never been to Mexico in the summer "warn" other travelers about the rainy season but in fact the brief but sometimes intense showers will cleanse the air, settle the dust and invigorate an RVer who was intelligent enough to take a siesta while nature dusts herself off. On the tropical coast, occasional thunder cells pass overhead that downdraft frigid air from the stratosphere. Hundred degree humid air may suddenly be replaced by sixty degree dry air leaving residents and tourists alike gasping in shivering wonder.
The entire country turns green and blooms from May to November. How sad that "winter-only" visitors never get to see Mexico in her finest plumage --- the humid coastline highways may deck themselves out in thousands of orchids, and higher altitude pastures rival anything that you would see in summertime Wisconsin.
A good summertime route would be a loop trip of colonial cities (which are all located at high elevations --- those early colonizing bishops and padres were nobody's fool). The start and end of the loop would be the cities of El Paso and Eagle Pass, both in Texas. El Paso to Zacatecas, Guanajuato, San Miguel de Allende, Morelia and Patzcuaro, then back up Mex 45 or 57.
Note: Coastal resort cities are absolutely jammed packed with Mexican tourists during July and August and while RV parks tend to remain unfilled, the same cannot be said for nearby destinations and attractions. Interior destinations undergo the same touristic pressure, so don't expect to find deserted destinations. In Mazatlan in late July for instance it is common to not find rooms available even those that cost several hundred dollars a night.
Remember that you must forget about relying on your roof air conditioner, summer or winter, coastline or mountains. If you are determined to try camping in tropical Mexican coastlines in the summer, it is absolutely vital to search for an "ideal" campsite. An ideal campsite will place you mere yards from the ocean, thoroughly shaded by coconut palms, and juiced up with enough electricity to maintain circulation fans to accentuate afternoon sea breezes.
Here is a recipe for use with a blender when things get too hot for comfort while basking on the coast in the summer:
Peel four bananas and add, add fruit from a can of peaches, or better yet slice up a couple of large mangoes. Add two cups of whole milk, fill the remaining space with ice cubes, cover and blend. Now drink the "licuado" and try not to shiver. Do this after taking a room temperature shower and someone may have to come along and defrost you!