Morelia and Monarchs: A Journey into Mexico’s Rose-Colored Colonial Heartland

Looking up at the twin towers of the Morelia Cathedral.

Mexico’s allure for many visitors begins at the beach where white sand and turquoise water meet. But inland, a different kind of magic unfolds in the country’s Spanish colonial cities.   One colonial beauty often overlooked is Morelia, the capital of Michoacán in north-central Mexico. Built largely of rose-colored Cantera stone, the city of about 750,000 is more visually unified than many colonial cities. That architectural cohesion isn’t boring; it gives the city a sense of refined elegance.   I arrived in Morelia on a small-group...

Chasing Monarchs to Mexico: Visiting the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve

Monarch butterflies flood a meadow in mountains of Mexico.

Every autumn, monarch butterflies drift through my backyard in Austin, Texas. Their luminous orange-and-black wings spurred me to trace their migratory trail to the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in the volcanic mountains of central Mexico.   With two girlfriends, I gazed in awe at millions of butterflies clustering in trees in their winter home in the monarch butterfly reserve.   Our small-group journey with Camiba Cultural Tours paired a monarch encounter with time in the colonial city of Morelia and visits to artisan towns in...

Wine, Cheese and Chill in ‘magical’ Tequis, Mexico

El Geiser hot springs pool near Tequis. @Diane Gierisch

The charms of traditional Mexico abound in Tequisquiapan, a small city in the arid highlands of Central Mexico.   Indigenous people named it for the steaming hot springs and minerals discovered there in the 1600s. Today, the city is better known as Tequis. It’s also a popular stop on the Querétaro Wine and Cheese Route.   To learn more about this pueblo mágico, or magical town, please read my Tequis story in Rovology.  For more travel stories, visit the Rovology website–a wonderful resource for anyone who...

San Miguel Enjoys Worldwide Acclaim for Art and Architecture in Central Mexico

San Miguel de Allende’s colorful colonial buildings and narrow cobblestone streets make this Central Mexico city an enchanting place to visit any time of year. But during Day of the Dead festivities, visitors can join locals in honoring loved ones who have passed and in celebrating life. To learn more about my visit and my stay at a colorful casita called Casa Carly, please read my story about San Miguel de Allende. My article is available on the Rovology travel website, which is a wonderful...

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