Talk about riding first-class. Her home is similar to any other except that it is in a cave. Pots and pans hang on clothes lines, mats line the sleeping area, a chicken coop stands outside the entrance and traps used to catch rodents rest on the wall. Creel, at more than 7,000 feet above sea level, is the gateway to the Copper Canyon. The frontier spirit is alive and well as men in cowboy hats and tight jeans saunter casually down the sandy roads.
Creel has a closer affinity to Arizona or Montana than Mexico.
Lodge-style hotels and log houses impart a rustic look and feel to this lively mountain town. Of the more than 20 hotels in the area, the Hotel Cabanas Sierra Bonita located on the top of a hill has large fireplaces in each room and provides the best view. A short ride from Creel are a number of interesting landmarks. The Cusarare Waterfall is about an hour's walk inland. The view from below is well worth the sharp, almost 90-degree climb back up.