As I headed to Mexico at the end of January to join the Monarch Butterflies of Mexico tour—offered by
longtime NTA member A Closer Look Tours—one thought kept going through my head: Don’t step on the
butterflies, don’t step on the butterflies.
About 15 years ago, my wife and I were in Mackinac Island, Michigan, for a long weekend, and one of our
stops was at the Original Butterfly House and Insect World. Before we entered the enclosure to see the
colorful butterflies, we’d been warned to pay close attention to where they were at all times.
I was fine for the first 15 minutes. Then, after taking a couple of photos, I let my guard down. When I
backed up, I heard a delicate, disturbing crunch.
“You didn’t!” my wife said.
After lifting my shoe, I replied, “Uh, oh.”
Monarchs don't like Mondays, either
A Closer Look’s itinerary started and ended in Mexico City
and featured three days in the high-altitude village of
Tlalpujahua, Michoacán, near the monarch sanctuaries.
Our group of seven included another travel publisher
and her photographer from Michigan, and four people from
Phoenix—a father-son duo and a well-traveled couple. We
were in the very capable hands of tour manager Sergio
Garcia (not the golfer) and he was everything you’d want in
a guide. It was an excellent and adventurous band, and I felt
very fortunate to be traveling with such a hearty and humor-
ous group. We enjoyed some wonderful hospitality and also
got to experience the warmth and generosity of the Mexican
people throughout our journey.
Unsurprising considering the tour’s theme, the time we
spent on the trail of the monarchs was the most memorable
for me. I definitely consider myself a nature-lover, although
admittedly I’m more of a hiking and sunsets guy. But this
experience seemed like a chance to do and see something
totally unique, and that is right in my traveling wheelhouse.
The monarchs journey from all across Canada to one very
specific section of Mexico each winter, a fact that begged a lot
of questions. There are reasons why the beautifu l and delicate
creatures choose the mountainous Michoacán terrain as their
November-to-March home, but I’ll spare you the fairly involved
scientific explanation. The good news is that they do, and if you
journey there to see them, it is spectacular (more in a minute).
Our touring included excursions on Monday and Tuesday
Pat Henderson
makes a new
friend at the
El Rosario Sanctuary.
to two different sanctuaries. Both visits included a horseback
ride from the welcome center up the mountain, followed
by hiking on up to roughly 12,000 feet, to the specific areas
where the monarchs hang out.
The first day was windy and about 43 degrees, and the mon-
archs reacted by huddling together to keep warm. While we
could see large clumps of them high up in the trees, very few
flew close to where we were standing. It was cool to see them
from a distance, but not quite the experience we’d hoped for.
That night, I sent an email to a few of my friends and
family that read, in part, “Apparently the monarchs don’t
like windy, overcast days. Hoping conditions aren’t that way
tomorrow, which is our only other chance to see them, but
guess what’s in the forecast?”
The good news: Tuesday brought sunny skies and temps in
the early 50s, which brought the monarchs out en masse. The
memory of turning the final corner and being welcomed by
monarchs soaring freely through the trees as we arrived at
our viewing spot is one that will stick with me forever. It still
is hard to put into words what we experienced in our 30 to
40 minutes there, but it was awe-inspiring.
I was torn between snapping photo after photo of the
majestic monarchs (occupational hazard) and just sitting
and soaking in the moment. I balanced both, though the
latter offered such a peaceful feeling and served as a great
reminder of the one-of-a-kind experiences travel offers.
Most important, no butterflies were harmed/stepped on—
that I know of—during our visit.
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