Chihuahua, Mexico, is pleasant in February. In fact, October through March is the perfect time to visit and ride what in railroad lingo is called the "high iron." This particular adventure involves a train ride that begins in La Junta (in the Sierra Madre Mountains), goes through Mexico's Copper Canyon, and ends up on the Sea of Cortez. However, this doesn't simply involve boarding a railroad passenger car and watching the world go by. Here, you drive your own sleeper car, SUV, camper, or towable RV onto a flatbed railroad car. Then, for the next five days and nights the flatbed railcar becomes not only your home but a viewing platform from which to watch an exotic world. Traveling about four hours a day, diesel locomotives tow these flatbed cars along at 20 mph.
For 30 years, this unique mode of travel (called caravaning) has offered vacation opportunities for those enthusiasts who enjoy campers, travel trailers, and fifth wheels. Today, more truck and SUV enthusiasts than ever before are discovering what motorhome aficionados have long known but have kept a closely guarded secret. When driving through Mexico, even to Central America and now to places as far away as South America, traveling with others in a caravan offers the best of all worlds.