Memoirs of an Adventure Mom…Not!

by Chris Dean

Recently I was on vacation in a beautiful area in Mexico-a little town nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Madre Mountains. My family and I generally take "adventure" vacations, but we decided that, for this vacation, we all needed to just kick back, swim, read, eat wonderful food, and not exert ourselves. Our three children, ages ten, thirteen and twenty-five, all agreed that we would rent a place to use as a "home base" from which we would take adventure day trips, when we felt like it. The town itself was "touristy" and it was spring break, so there were an unusual number of kids in party mode. The streets of the little town had a carnival atmosphere, but, once we got out of the town, to our condo on the beach, the landscape was beautiful and the mountains beckoned. We met with the concierge in the resort where we were staying and she told us about the many trips into the mountains that were available. We selected a trip that looked like it would be fun, educational, a little adventurous, and, overall, just what we wanted. In the brochure we studied, it said that a group, accompanied by a guide, would be taken into the mountains in open trucks. From there, we would hike in the mountains, observing the flora and fauna, head to a secluded beach for a cookout and swimming, and then return to town. The brochure said that the level of difficulty for the hiking was moderate and that anyone with a bad back should avoid the trip altogether, because the truck ride was over very rough terrain through the mountains. When we called the provider to review what the trip offered, he assured us that the mountain hiking would be beautiful and the kids could easily handle the level of difficulty, the beach absolutely breathtaking, and our guide quite knowledgeable. Sounded like it would be perfect… a little adventure, a little education, and we would finally get into those beautiful mountains. We were up early the next day dressed in hiking boots, carrying water, snacks and cameras, loaded and ready to go. After all, this was a family that had camped in the deepest mountains in the Amazon rainforest, white-water rafted in Costa Rica, and canoed the rough waters of the St. Croix River in Maine. We were ready for the Sierra Madres of Mexico. We arrived at the designated spot for our departure and saw what looked like a mass of tourists dressed in everything from short shorts and platform sandals, to serious hiking shorts and boots. Perhaps we were all going on different tours. We were all herded into rows of chairs set up next to a table offering coffee and pastries. The guides came out, and in a theater-like performance, were introduced to us one by one. After the "show", Stephanie, our guide, took our group of twelve and we headed to our assigned open air truck to begin our adventure into the Sierra Madres. We introduced ourselves to our traveling companions and headed up into the mountains. We rode for two hours on a major six lane highway, before we finally turned off the road and found ourselves on a well traveled side road, bumping past emaciated cattle and small shacks that passed for farm houses. One of our traveling companions had to stop and be sick because of the exhaust fumes that filled the back of the truck. We came upon a clearing in the sparse woods and stopped. There, to our surprise, were ten other trucks, discharging their passengers, one by one. A small "lunch" had been set up, but the main attraction was the beer and tequila that the guides offered up to accompany the tomato and cheese sandwiches. No one was in a hurry to get on with the hike! Was I the only one worried about the women in platform sandals? Maybe they had different trails for different groups. I must be a relentless optimist, because alas this was not the case. Not the case. They sent us into the mountains--one group every five minutes--and we could hear and see the group behind us and in front of us, as their guides gave the same "talk" about the flora and fauna (almost scripted) and used the same visual aids from the landscape--it had a Disney World quality about it. The woods were barren and dry and a few pathetic looking cows were just lolling around. Some of our travel companions actually took pictures of these poor animals with the same enthusiasm of someone on a safari who has spotted an exotic lion. God bless tequila! After doing a prescribed loop through the well-worn woods trail, which took about 45 minutes (with much waiting for the group ahead of us to move on), we arrived back at the clearing. Then there was another time out for more tequila and beer. Finally, back on the trucks and out of the woods, we headed to the beach. After another 30 minutes on a major highway, we arrived at the beach. There was a huge buffet style cook-out for all the participants (about 150), and, of course, an open bar. I began to suspect that the real adventure would be for most of these people to try to find their way back to their hotels when the trip was over! The beach was closed due to rough water and soon we packed it up and all the vans traveled caravan style back to our point of origin. All the way back, our guide poured shots of tequila and other assorted drinks, (stored in a cooler), for our traveling companions. She generated a real party atmosphere by encouraging different combinations of shots and beer, and shots and soda, and on and on. My two boys just watched these antics with absolute fascination. What an adventure! Finally, after yet another two hours on the road, we arrived home and sat tight while our companions struggled to get off the truck amidst much hooting and laughing. They were going to recommend this trip to all their friends. I just hoped that they were all walking and not driving to their hotels... I was tempted to say something to the manager of the company, but instead, realized that the error was mine and not his. I hadn't fully explored the trip enough and was "taken in" by the phrases… "adventure," "hiking," "guides," and even, "mountains." Live and learn. Next time, I will fully explore the specifics of the trip-even a day trip--and ask more detailed questions. (See side bar.) All in all, it was an adventure, of sorts, just not the one I had bargained for.

SIDE BAR: QUESTIONS TO ASK A PROVIDER OF A DAY TRIP

As you talk with the provider, try to get a feel for the population that they are targeting with the trip.

1. How many people in total will be going on the trip?

2. If everyone is heading for the same destination, how does the provider handle the large numbers of people?

3. How many people will be traveling with our party?

4. How long is the ride to reach our destination?

5. What type of roadway will we be using to reach our destination? Major highway? Side roads?

6. Will there be alcohol served, at any time, on the trip? Explore this in detail if the provider answers, "yes."

7. Describe, in detail, the trails that we will be hiking. If provider classifies the trails as "moderate" or "difficult," ask for specifics.

8. If there is a beach as part of the trip, is there a life guard on duty? What do you do in the case of inclement or rough weather?

9. What is the level of risk on this trip and is it appropriate for children?

Chris Dean is the mother of Taylor, Andrew, and Heather, and an avid adventure traveler.