A ride to La Cruz

 Last Wedesday at Ladies lunch I had a conversation with Chris from the condos.  She and I had never met so we discussed where I lived here and it turned out she knew people in our complex.  She mentioned that there was a guy in our complex who owned a restaurant in La Cruz which is north of Mazatlan.  I did know that but not who he was or where the restaurant was.  Las Casona is the name of the restaurant.   We were due for a ride and so on Thursday morning we were off to La Cruz. 

After a bunch of monkeying around I finally got Google maps to show the route we took.  

By the way it actually took two hours to get there using the detour.

On the road and heading north on the free road after taking the Marmol detour.  They are still working on the El Quelite bridge and although most of the traffic is crossing the river on a dirt road we do not because we're on the motorcycle.  

I think this might be Ejido Toyhua which runs right along the highway.  

Left turn to La Cruz de Elota.  We've been up this way before and had lunch in Playa Cueta which is west of La Cruz. 

Lots of houses along the road to La Cruz.  

We found the restaurant with no trouble and parked the bike one street over.  

The restaurant is in an old house that has been restored.  

Each room is a private dining room. 

Artfully decorated and spotlessly clean. 

We asked to sit in the back courtyard.  When we came in the man who greeted us spoke perfect English and I asked if he was the owner.  He was and Eric explained that we lived in Marina Gardens Casas where he lived.  He knew our house and Dawn the woman we bought it from as well as Doug and Lynn, who is Dawn's sister.  

He seemed delighted to have us there and perhaps part of it was because he doesn't get much of an opportunity to speak English!  His name is Herman or German in Spanish pronounced ayrrrman with the accent on the last syllable and a rolled R.  We tried!  

We ordered lunch and he started us off with an appetizer of chilaquiles or taco chips with a slightly spicy poblano cream sauce covered in cheese.  I really liked them but Eric not so much.  Lunch was camarones rancheros or shrimp in a spicy tomato sauce for Eric and pescado or fish in a poblano cream sauce for me.  My meal came with a chipotle sauce in error which would have been changed but I didn't mind.  Funny enough I forgot to take any pictures of the food as we were so busy chatting.  Herman talked about the 18 years he and his wife had lived in the USA, their life in general, politics etc. etc.  We shared our life as well and we got to know each other a bit.  He stays in La Cruz and either he goes to Mazatlan on the weekend or his family comes to him.  He did say that they get very few north american tourists in La Cruz as there isn't much to see.  This weekend is a holiday weekend as Constitution Day falls on Monday and just south of La Cruz is Celestino Gazga on the coast where there is Oysterfest this weekend.  It hasn't happened over the past couple of years due to Covid.  

All in all it was a good lunch and a very enjoyable time.             

After lunch he showed us more of the restaurant and chatted about the items they had bought to decorate it.  We were the only ones there but it is busy in the morning for breakfast and in the afternoon as well.  

A very old chest on the left and now it was time to head home.  

The restaurant from the street.  Next time he said we should park behind the restaurant. 

It's a straight shot out of town.

The La Cruz sign. 

La Cruz cross.

Huge agribusiness in this area and Herman said everything is grown here.  Hectares and hectares of covered crops and I think I smelled brassicas or cauliflower / broccoli growing under cover. 

Crops such as corn are bright green and very uniform. Lots of fertilizer, water from the Elota River and good soil.  Agribusiness abounds here. 

Tractors everywhere!

On the road home. 

It was a really nice day and if you feel like a drive in the country and a good lunch drop into La Cruz and visit Herman and his restaurant at La Casona.