Are You Safer In Mexico Or America?
by Robert Reid – Lonely Planet
As Lonely Planet’s US Travel Editor, I frequently get asked if it’s safe to go to Mexico. I have always said that, if you’re thoughtful about where you go, The answer is Yes. But, after my most recent trip there, I’m answering the question with another question: Do you think it’s safe to go to Texas?
What you don’t get from reports in the US is statistical evidence Americans are less likely to face violence in Mexico than home,The gateway to Disney World, Orlando, saw 7.5 murders per 100,000 residents in 2010 according to the FBI; higher than Cancun or Puerto Vallarta. Yet in March, the Texas Department of Public Safety advised against “spring break” travel anywhere in Mexico. Why the singular focus?
1. Mexico may be more dangerous than the US overall, but not for Americans.
According to FBI statistics, 4.8 Americans per 100,000 were murdered in the US in 2010. The US State Department reports 120 Americans of the 5.7 million who visited Mexico last year were murdered. less than half the US rate.
2. Texans are twice as safe in Mexico and three times safer than in Houston.
Looking at the numbers, it might be wise for Texans to ignore their Public Safety department’s advice against Mexico. Five per 100,000 Texans were homicide victims in 2010 – three times the rate for Americans in Mexico.
3. And it’s not just Texas.
It’s interesting comparing each of the countries’ most dangerous cities. New Orleans, host city of next year’s Super Bowl, broke its own tourism record last year with 8 million visitors. Yet the Big Easy has ten times the US homicide rate, close to triple Mexico’s national rate
4. Most of Mexico is not on the State Departments Travel Warnings.
The best of Mexico, in terms of travel, isn’t on the warning. The US warns against “non-essential travel” to just four of Mexico’s 31 states (all in the north: Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango and Tamaulipas). The warning goes on to recommend against travel to select parts of other states, but not including many popular destinations
5. Malia Obama ignored the Texas advice.
President Obama and first lady said “OK” to their 13-year-old daughter’s spring break destination this year: Oaxaca. Then Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum made snide remarks over that, perhaps overlooking that Oaxaca state has a smaller body count from the drug war than his home state’s murder rate.
So, can you go to Mexico?
Yes. The US State Department says, “millions of US citizens safely visit Mexico each year.” Mexico makes for some of the world’s greatest travel experiences. go to Mexico, as you go to Texas, New Orleans, Orlando, or the Bahamas.
Robert Reid is Lonely Planet’s US Travel Editor
Por parte de LOS SENDEROS, les invitamos al LXII REUNION DENTAL DE PROVINCIA 2012 SAN MIGUEL para conocer nuestro recinto sofisticado y unico, para que lo consideren para su proxima reunion o conferencia.
Favor de probar el restaurant campestre mas hermoso en todo el pais – Bistro en Los Senderos les espera! Tel 1559594
The amphitheater Lagoon at Los Senderos.
Outdoor enthusiast, architectural fans, and concert fanatics all have their rankings of amphitheater venues, whether ranked by capacity or “coolness” factor. If you’re one of those ranking enthusiasts, you’ll soon rank the bermed Lagoon at Los Senderos among your favorites.
Ever wondered what sort of competition we’re up against? Some of the world’s best known outdoor venues come to mind immediately, like the Hollywood Bowl or Rome’s eternally famous colisuem. The ever resourceful Wikipedia provides an incredible list of contemporary amphitheaters, noting that Ireland’s Slane Castle holds the largest capacity—at 100,000, it has hosted the likes of chart-toppers from The Rolling Stones to U2—down to San Diego’s 1,200-person Humphrey’s by the Bay, where many us of floated up ringside in borrowed boats for those waterfront concerts.
But natural outdoor venues—those formed and nurtured by Mother Nature, sometimes with a guiding hand—are the venues we strive to exceed. Know the ones we mean? My old home towns host a couple of concertgoers’ favorites: San Diego’s (okay, technically it’s Chula Vista) Cricket Wireless Amphitheater—called the Coors back in my day—and Denver’s (okay again, technically it’s Morrison) Red Rock’s Amphitheater, carved straight from the natural sandstone.
The 20,000-person “The Gorge in George” (that’s George, Washington) is often ranked among the favorite waterfront concert venues in the U.S., nestled along the Columbia River in central Washington. Another world-famous waterside arena, according to OffTrackPlanet, is Sweden’s Dalhalla Amphitheater, nestled down within a limestone quarry, where the entire stage is surrounded by water.
The Lagoon at Los Senderos will be waterside as well, hosting throngs of people among the tiered grassy berms, shown here. We know it will become central Mexico’s favorite outdoor waterfront amphitheater—just tell us who you’d like to see booked there first!
The first day of Spring (it's today!) is always colorful at Los Senderos.
Today is officially the first day of spring in Mexico! Those of us living south of the Tropic of Cancer, however, have felt like it was spring for weeks now. Why? The colors of the landscape begin to turn vibrant!
Many people mistakenly believe that colorful plants and trees only result from heavily watered landscaped gardens, carefully tendered to survive our dry climate in central Mexico. It’s not true!
Low water consumption remains high on our list of sustainability initiatives at Los Senderos, and we partially accomplish that goal with drought tolerant landscaping, often called xeriscaping throughout much of the rest of the developed world. At Los Senderos, we just call it a “natural” landscape!
The xeriscaping found throughout Los Senderos—from huizache trees to barrel cactus—all sport colorful blooms in spring. Huizaches boast branches laden with yellow blooms, visible across a distant landscape, while the barrel cactus sports a more subtle, but equally vibrant, red bloom atop its crown.
Jacaranda trees are already in full color, sporting—and shedding—their bright purple blooms. You’ll also see the white blossoms of soaptree yuccas, orange ocotillo blossoms, a rainbow of prickly pear blossoms, the flowering palo verde, and our Mexican gold poppies. Check here for a colorful viewing of many of these examples.
Or better yet, drop by Los Senderos for a spring jaunt. Bring the kids—you can play “I Spy”—and see how many different blooms are visible while wandering our trails and rolling hills. The new owners of the homes at Los Senderos will enjoy such views daily from every window, and you can too!
Imagine this as your next glass of Cabernet at Los Senderos!
Oenophiles of all nationalities have likely known that the landscape around Queretaro has been well known for wine-grape growing. Mexico boasts three major wine regions, and the central region’s primary grape growing centers are Queretaro, Aguascalientes and Zacatecas.
For Mexico’s 2010 Bicentenario, the Mexican Wine Council created commemorative wines from 21 wineries, including L. A. Cetto, Casa Pedro Domecq, Monte Xanic, Casa Madero, Adobe Guadalupe, La Redonda, Cavas Freixenet—best known grape grower in Queretaro–Tanamá, Roganto, and Santo Tomás y Camou.
Mexican wine historians say that when Spanish conqueror Hernán Cortés depleted his wine stock in celebrating the conquest of the Aztecs in the early 1500s, one of his first acts as governor was to order thousands of grapevines planted throughout New Spain. The earliest vineyards took root in Puebla, Querétaro, Aguascalientes and Coahuila states.
All ships bound for the colonies carried grapevines and eventually wine exports from Spain to the New World—later known as Mexico—plummeted since so much new stock was available here. In 1699, King Charles II reversed this grapevine exportation policy, banning New World wine production except in service to the church; wine historians will say it was because Spain didn’t want such heady competition for their historically successful wine industry. Modern wine oenophiles will say Spain’s decision proved, well, fruitless because Mexico’s wine production and quality stand a good chance at rivaling Spain’s some day soon.
While Queretaro remains dominated by wine producers Cavas Freixenet de Mexico, north of Tequisquiapan, and Compania Vinicola Los Eucaliptos, in Ezequiel Montes, smaller growers are enjoying broader recognition in our central wine region.
Among the smallest—the most intimate, we would say!—is the winery at Los Senderos. While we aren’t yet producing wine for commercial sales—last year saw our first bottling of about 400 bottles—our winery makes a charming backdrop for weddings, events… even picnics for two. Drop by for a tour and let us tell you about the many varietals growing in our quaint vineyard!
Sustainable residential tourism is the lifeblood of Los Senderos.
The Center for Responsible Travel—known as CREST, and we’re not talking toothpaste!—recently issued their 2011 report titled Alternative Development Models and Good Practices for Sustainable Coastal Tourism: A Framework for Decision Makers in Mexico. Yes, the title’s a mouthful and the report is 102 pages long, but it provides some excellent insight into sustainable development in Mexico.
Not surprisingly, the report quotes a recent study of the profile of U.S. retirees in Mexico’s coastal communities, noting that the majority are environmentally and socially conscious. The report quotes that 63% are interested in environmentally sustainable housing, and 70% contribute financially to at least one Mexican nonprofit organization.
CREST’s report goes on to suggest sustainable residential tourism development guidelines to maximize benefits to the environment and minimize negative impacts. These included conserving resources (buying environmentally friendly products; limiting purchases of disposable goods; reducing energy and water consumption); reducing pollution (reducing greenhouse gas emissions; reusing gray water; minimizing use of harmful substances, like pesticides; and reducing light & noise pollution, runoff, erosion, and soil containments); and conserving biodiversity, ecosystems, and landscapes.
You’ll note, unfortunately, the word “Coastal” in CREST’s report: they only focused on coastal development within Mexico. We at Los Senderos invite them to look inland a bit next time. Los Senderos proudly supports and endorses such sustainable practices—come on out for a tour and let us show you how!
Ready to look like this champion jumper? Start with lessons at the Los Senderos Equestrian Center.
Everyone loves the Olympics: “the thrill of victory, the agony of defeat.” We love to watch, to dream of participating in the glory. But why not get a little Olympic practice in yourself? You won’t find many local trainers able to teach the clean-and-jerk, or Olympian gymnastics, but you can imagine yourself an Olympian jumper… an equestrian jumper, that is.
For four days this July in London’s Greenwich Park, the Olympic Equestrian Eventing takes place. Riders from 41 nations have qualified to compete this year in the Olympic’s three separate equestrian competitions: dressage, cross-country riding, and “show jumping,” as it’s called in the U.K.
Did you know Equestrian Eventing officially became part of the Olympics in 1912, when only members of the military were allowed to compete? Civilian riders were finally allowed as Olympian contenders at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952.
Just starting out? If you want to learn the event’s jargon—make sure you know your “faults” from your “run-outs!”—start with British Equestrian Federation, or broaden your exposure at the International Equestrian Federation.
Then when you’re ready for the real thing, come on out to the equestrian center at Los Senderos and let Amy Spencer, who runs the T.R.U.E. Horsemanship program at Los Senderos, help you get a horse beneath you. Amy trains in all three disciplines, and has the arena for both dressage and jumping, and the grounds for cross-country. You may not be ready to compete in London come July, but you’ll feel like you’re right there in the saddle with millionaire show jumper Beezie Madden!
Love modernist architecture? You'll enjoy craning your neck at the roof of our new sales office!
Anyone who’s ever visited Palm Springs, California has seen one of my favorite cantilevered roofs and one of the era’s biggest nods to modernism. The Palm Springs Tramway Station—initially designed as an Enco service station in 1965—proved destined to become a landmark and one of local architects Albert Frey and Robson Chambers’ most famous masterpieces.
Frey and Chambers’ cantilevered metal canopy is referred to as a hyperbolic paraboloid, assumingly because of its massive wedge shape, sort of the architectural equivalent of the young Elvis’ famously cantilevered pompadour (Elvis, by the way, owned a Palm Springs home just down the street).
Palm Springs proves a wealth of gorgeous cantilevered roofs, all nods to modernism. Modernist architect Don Wexler was famous for his zig-zag steel panel roofing systems topping school classrooms across the valley. William Cody’s The Springs Restaurant, completed in 1957, boasted dramatic spires and cantilevers, one tip dropping almost to ground level.
Guests arriving beneath the soaring triangulated porte cochere at Hugh Kaptur’s 1962 The Inn at Bermuda Dunes probably suffered neck cramps from craning toward the roof. And William Krisel’s 1962 House of Tomorrow appeared to be a cross between an architectural Darth Vader and a spaceship with roof wings ready for liftoff at any moment.
If you’re a modernist fan—or if you just like good architecture—come on out to Los Senderos and crane your neck at the roof of our new sales office. And while you’re there, drop inside and learn more about the modernist lines of our new homes!
Are you living life to the fullest after The Great Reset?
I probably don’t need to explain to you what “the great reset” means, right? Many of us are living it now: the jobs, the income, the safety net… it’s all gone—or only almost gone, if you’re among the lucky—and your life priorities are likely different now.
Author and urbanist Richard Florida—you’ve seen us blog about his prior book, especially The Rise of the Creative Class—posits the economic crash has sped up a process already in motion that has—and will continue to—fundamentally change the way we live.
Florida’s theories have asserted that regions with high concentrations of technology workers, artists, musicians, the LGBT demographic, and a group he describes as “high bohemians”—hey, I think I resemble that remark!—comprise “the creative class” and engender economic growth and stability. He further believes this creative class fosters dynamic personal and professional urban environments.
But in “The Great Reset: How New Ways of Living and Working Drive Post-Crash Prosperity,” Florida argues that the primary focus of post-crash investment ought to be people, not places. Florida still advocates high-density urban areas as the best petri dish for spawning re-growth after the crash, but also advocates the way in which the post-crash class live, regardless of the density of their neighborhood.
This growing creative class increasingly rides bicycles for transportation, eschewing high carbon-footprint modes. They support green initiatives—long term support of the planet—and work together to support such causes. And they cluster together in like-minded enclaves, nurturing their neighbors as much as their environment. My non-Ph.D. mind calls that the “birds-of-a-feather concept, but then that’s why I don’t get paid a quarter mil for my economic forecasting reports!
Are you adjusting to life after The Great Reset? Looking for a like-minded neighborhood to nurture your creative mind? We invite you to visit Los Senderos. We don’t just encourage those concepts, we live them—and here, you can too!
The Creative Community should be designed for your life, all of it, from work to family to fun. That's what we're buidling at Los Senderos.
Architects and land planners—and anyone who has ever visited the Phoenix area even once in their entire lifetime—are familiar with Vern Swaback, now an internationally respected land planner. His 2003 tome, “The Creative Community: Designing for Life” focuses on the perils of haphazard physical development and addresses urban sprawl and decentralization.
Never heard of Vern? You can bet if you’ve visited Phoenix, you know his work. He’s been called a dreamer, philosopher and visionary, but most of all, he has been an agent of change. Back when Phoenix’s Camelback Road boasted more tumbleweeds than auto traffic, Vern planned the 1,000 acre Arizona Biltmore Estates (Lord, I wish I’d bought an estate there back in those days, but I was still in grade school and didn’t yet know how much I’d grow to hate shoveling snow!).
Vern and his firm were involved in the Valley’s largest and most significant master-planned communities, from the town of Fountain Hills and the city of Sedona, to Mountain Park Ranch, Las Sendas, the 5,600-acre Anthem, the 8,300-acre DC Ranch—my personal favorite—and the historic 5,000-acre Village of Kohler, Wisconsin.
And here’s a Two-Degrees-of-Separation link for you (remember, in San Miguel, it’s not Six Degrees that separate us all from Kevin Bacon, it’s only two!): Vern’s client, DMB Realty, was the firm selling the Rosewood Artesana residences here in SMA, until recently. And your blogger’s only separated from Vern by two degrees: his old boss and mentor, Frank Lloyd Wright, was also the boss and mentor of my old architecture professor. Vern and I have witnessed many photos of Wright lunching at Taliesin West with a host of adoring architecture interns scattered at his feet.
But then, we digress. Vern’s biggest influence on Los Senderos is his philosophy: Designing for Life. We follow his same philosophical concepts: centralization—an entire community within walking distance of your front door—and avoiding urban sprawl. The creative community also plans for—and supports—a wide variety of uses for all ages and demographics, from schooling for children, to adult learning—whether it be film school or oenology—to organic markets and sustainable environments.
We invite you to drop by our new sales office at Los Senderos and learn more about our own version of Designing for Life—your new life at Los Senderos.
←Older
