The state I would avoid the most is Tamaulipas but there is no reason why you should pass from there as it is north-east, the opposite of your entry points from California. Veracruz is not as bad although getting worst, if on your route be aware of the roads you are taking and the towns you stop. Acapulco was once one of the main tourist destinations and now is one of the most dangerous cities in the country so that is an area you should probably avoid as it could be on your way down the coast.

I haven't done any northern parts yet but in your situation I would love riding down Baja! from the bottom of Baja you can take a ferry to cross into Sinaloa to start descending along the coast. Sinaloa and Nayarit are two states where you should exercise caution. Once you get into Jalisco at Puerto Vallarta take the toll highway direction Guadalajara. The free highway has been known for issues in certain towns, with watchers informing their colleagues of who is passing by so they can be "stopped" later on. Guadalajara is Mexico second largest city worth stopping by. In the region there are many other places worth going like the town of Tequila, overall Jalisco has a lot to offer.

Ride into Guanajuato stopping at least in Guanajuato and San Miguel de Allende.

From there you could head back north a bit into the south-estern part of State of San Luis Potosi, Xilitla. Then through Hidalgo direction Mexico City.
Or leave SLP and from Guanajuato head to Mexico City directly through Queretaro.

Before getting to the capital stop at the ruins of Teotihuacan. Mexico City is a nice city with plenty of things to do and see, most parts of the city are actually very safe compared to any big city around the world. There are some dodgy areas so especially when riding in and out I would make sure to avoid passing from there.

Head South into Puebla and Oaxaca. Oaxaca has a state also has a lot to offer in both culture and nature, research a bit where to go, if you want to head to the coast again Oaxaca has plenty of famous beaches. Continue into Chiapas to Cañon del Sumidero the up to San Cristobal de las Casas.

From that part of Chiapas you could head to Guatamela... or head west into the Yucatan Peninsula. The ride to Palenque (some of the best mayan ruins) is a pain, with road bumpers in every single corner! Often there are road blocks with people for hours, sometimes they will ask money to pass, sometimes you will be "forced" to buy things from random kids and people blocking the passage... I drove this starting early morning and had none of the above.

The ruins of Calakmul in Southern state of Campeche are in my opinion the best ones in Mexico, they are not known as they are out of the way of any other tourist spot. You will be in the best ruins the country has to offer with limited tourists and literally in the middle of the jungle. From the top in every direction you look you will only see jungle, no roads...nothing! Head to Campeche city then into Yucatan to Merida. Yucatan has plenty of other ruins you could visit, I would go for any besides Chitchen Itza which is an overrated tourist spot, nothing compared to Palenque and Calakmul!

Head into the Caribbean, quick ride through Cancun hotel zone with no need to stop, continue south to Playa del Carmen and Tulum which are both good places to relax for a couple of days. There are several places in the region with nice dirt roads between jungle and beach, if you are coming to this region let me know and I will give you more tips, or maybe if I have the time we could go for a ride together. Before entering Belize stop on the way in Mahahual and Bacalar, beautiful relaxed and cheap beach destinations...

Hope this helps!

Wow! Thanks for the detailed trip suggestion. Especially the spots to avoid, that is really helpful. Why would you avoid Tamaulipas? I'm considering meeting up with another rider from this forum and he wants to cross the border in McAllen. It's a long way for me into TX but I might go that route.

Otherwise I really like your suggestions and think I might go into the Yucatan and spend a bit more time there instead of heading into Guatemala as I had originally planned. Hearing about all these great places I'm starting to get excited. Once I have a more concrete route I would like to run that by you to see if you have any suggestions for things that I should see (or maybe avoid).

Cheers,
Thomas

Tamaulipas is one of the states with the highest rate of homicides, kidnappings,... Recently they have been killing innocent common citizens (including foreigners from US) just to prove a point to the government. Mexicans jokingly call the state Mataulipas: matar means killing. As anywhere you could maybe pass through with nothing happening, but why take the chance of passing exactly to one of the highest risk zones, when there are much nicer and safer options?

You could still cross from other borders in Texas, also in case it is that far east head direction Monterrey, then continue he into San Luis Potosi. Between Monterrey and the city of San Luis, stop at Real de Catorce.

Yucatan is indeed a nice state to spend some time, it is one of the safest regions in Mexico, plenty of smaller roads and towns, places, lots of ruins,...also together with Quintana Roo lots of beaches, cenotes,....

Sure let me know if you have questions on your way
Tamaulipas is one of the states with the highest rate of homicides, kidnappings,... Recently they have been killing innocent common citizens (including foreigners from US) just to prove a point to the government. Mexicans jokingly call the state Mataulipas: matar means killing. As anywhere you could maybe pass through with nothing happening, but why take the chance of passing exactly to one of the highest risk zones, when there are much nicer and safer options?

You could still cross from other borders in Texas, also in case it is that far east head direction Monterrey, then continue he into San Luis Potosi. Between Monterrey and the city of San Luis, stop at Real de Catorce.

Yucatan is indeed a nice state to spend some time, it is one of the safest regions in Mexico, plenty of smaller roads and towns, places, lots of ruins,...also together with Quintana Roo lots of beaches, cenotes,....

Sure let me know if you have questions on your way

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

Hi have you decided where you are crossing into mexico I will be in el paso nov 14 would like to ride copper canyon would like other riders

Yes, I'll be crossing in Laredo or Eagle Pass on Nov 18. We are probably not head back that far west and will stay in the Monterrey area the first few days.

I'm a little on the fence about going into Mexico given the election outcome yesterday.
Anybody has any input on this? Especially our friends south of the border?

Cheers,
Thomas