Road report from U.S. to Zihuatanejo

A brief travel report for anyone considering driving in Mexico: My wife and I just arrived in Zihua. We drove down from Michigan and crossed the border into Reynosa, Tamp., across the Rio Grande from McAllen, Texas, on Jan. 8th, 2014. The time spent getting tourist visas and papers for our vehicle was less than one hour. By 10:15 a.m., we were on our way south on good roads and no tolls this day. We drove to Ciudad Victoria arriving early afternoon, a drive of 231 miles. On Jan. 9th we drove to San Miguel de Allende, Gto., a trip of 309 miles. Total distance from the border to San Miguel de Allende was 540 miles. There were road tolls of $138 pesos on this section of the drive. We left Ciudad Victoria at 9:35 a.m. and arrived in San Miguel de Allende at 4:10 p.m. We stayed in San Miguel de Allende for 27 days enjoying the culture, food and beauty of this colonial city. On Feb. 5th we drove to Pátzcuaro, a trip of just 153 miles, but a taxing drive through Morelia. This is one big city and traffic was heavy. On Feb. 6th we drove 171 miles to Zihuatanejo, Gro., and our hotel on Playa la Ropa. This section of the road from Pátzcuaro, the toll road,el rápido, was heavily patrolled by the army and federal police. We passed one convoy of some twenty-five military vehicles carrying army troops. We were stopped just once at a check point by the federal police and given a paper with a number to call in the event of trouble. The tolls on this highway totaled $266 pesos. When we called before entering Mexico, we were assured by our friends here in Zihuatanejo (a dentist, a taxi owner/driver, a hotel owner, and a couple from Canada living in Barrio Viejo), that our trip should be uneventful, and it was. We have lived and traveled throughout Mexico over the years. We have a deep affection for this country and its people. We would recommend caution while traveling anywhere, whether in Mexico or the U.S. From our observation and recent driving experience, we would have no reservation regarding driving Mexican roads and visiting the towns and cities of this great country.