I didn’t wake up one morning and decide to launch a newsletter or write a book. This started with a simple thought: I’m turning 70. If I’m lucky, I’ve got about ten good adventurous years left. Time to get moving.
For my 60th, I rode through the Western Balkans. So now I needed to plan something bigger for my 70th. Over a few months, I built a list—Hunza Valley in Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam, parts of Africa and many more destinations. It was a go-big list.
Then one night, lying in bed staring at the ceiling, it hit me. Whammo!
Mexico.
Not just a trip. The whole country. All 32 states. Ride it. Explore it. Photograph it. Write it.
So here we are.
My name is Randy Kremlacek. I’m a photographer, a writer, a lifelong motorcycle rider, and a former San Francisco business owner who had the lucky good sense to sell the business and move to Mexico in 2019. I live in San Miguel de Allende in the high semi-desert of Guanajuato. I’m a damned lucky man.
I’ve fallen hard for Mexico. San Miguel is world-class—maybe even world-beating—but what really grabs me is everything beyond it. The back roads. The small towns. Not the tourist destinations, shopping trips, senior entertainment, or curated “experiences”. I have come to loathe that word “experiences”.
I ride my motorcycle in largely unknown areas that few, other than locals, have seen. With so much to share, I improved my photography and sharpened my writing skills, and am passing on my discoveries of the hidden Mexican treasures.
And now I’m embarking on something that is either a great adventure or a spectacular miscalculation, possibly both: riding my motorcycle, discovering all 32 Mexican states, and writing about every one of them. Geography, history, culture, natural wonders, and most of all, the warm and kind people of Mexico.
Why 32 states?
Because it’s the whole country. Because most people — including most people who live here — have seen maybe a handful of them. Because Mexico is one of the most geographically, culturally, and historically complex countries on the planet, and it gets reduced in the international imagination to beaches and drug cartel headlines.
Because I’ve been living here for years and I still feel like I’m just getting started. And because at 70 years old, I figure if not now, when?
I’ve already visited 14 states, and I know some of them well. Others I’ve barely touched. And the remaining 18 will be totally new to me. I’m cramming in as much reading and research on each state, between my “campaigns”. It’s turning into a full-time endeavor.
This isn’t a bucket list project. I’m not racing the clock; in fact, I’m deliberately slowing down my usual pace. The goal is to actually immerse myself in this country and have enough time to fully absorb and reflect on what I will experience. The plan is to have this grand project complete by May 24th, 2027, the eve of my 71st birthday. And I want to write a book - a collection of my travel stories. That will call for a celebration. Until then, I’m celebrating every day I’m on the road.
What you’ll get here
I have sliced this adventure into five separate trips, each trip from 10 to 18 days. When I’m on these trips, you’ll find a stream of stories in your inbox. What you won’t get: “10 Things You Must See in Oaxaca.” Travel writing as an influencer. What you will get: my impressions about what it’s actually like out there, sprinkled with my own brand of raw humor, and little-known stories of Mexico.
The full photo galleries live on my SmugMug Site. I’ll link to them in every story so you can see the images at full size. Think of what you read here as the voice of the trip, and what’s on SmugMug as the wall of photographs behind it.
One thing I’d ask
If something resonates — a story, a photo, a line — share it with someone who’d appreciate it. This whole thing grows one reader at a time, and the readers who find their way here are exactly the kind of people I want in the room: curious, independent-minded, and not afraid of a lone road.
Welcome to My Stories of Mexico and My Photos of Mexico.
Let’s go see what’s out there.
— Randy
Looking forward to reading all about your adventures amigo. I know how much you love Mexico, its culture, people, and wide open spaces. You’re the perfect guy for this adventure. Ride on amigo and take good care as you roll on the miles. 👍🏍️
Thank you Randy. I can't wait to vicariously travel the with you. I'd like to point out one thing you left out of the bio section, which might merit an edit is your love of great food. Both cooking it and eating it. I'm guessing that part of what we'll get to enjoy is some sense of the culinary diversity you encounter. I hope so.
Buen viaje. Y cuidase.