( CNN ) -- With `` Mexico only turns 200 once '' as their motto , iReporter Michael Hilburn and his girlfriend took a five-day bicentennial road trip in September . `` Starting in Guadalajara , our 792 mile trek took us through some of Mexico 's most beautiful and historic cities including Guanajuato , San Miguel de Allende , Dolores Hidalgo and Zacatecas , '' Hilburn , 28 , wrote on iReport.com . Hilburn , of Patterson , California , has been living in central Mexico , where he teaches at a small bilingual Christian school in Guadalajara . The areas visited by Hilburn and his girlfriend , Jensine Pulford , were far removed from the violence making headlines along the U.S. border . `` Even on the highways and among the large crowds of Independence Day celebrators we felt extremely safe , '' Hilburn said . Share your travel stories on iReport.com . CNN asked Hilburn to answer these questions about his experience : . First impression . Prior to our trip , my first impression of a `` Mexican city '' was one dense urban sprawl polluted with noise and smog . However , walking through the enchanting back alleys , or callejones , of Guanajuato and Zacatecas , I quickly remembered that the beauty of these romantic old colonial towns was one of the reasons why I moved to Mexico in the first place . Don't-miss experience . If you are traveling from Zacatecas to Guadalajara like we did , the ruins of La Quemada are not to be missed ! The impressive remains of this giant settlement stretch across the top of a mountain and overlook a breathtaking valley . Adjectives that capture this place . Three adjectives that would describe our experience would be enchanting , intriguing and delicious . Lasting memory . A lasting memory was participating in the `` Grito '' [ a shout of independence ] from the steps of the Alhondiga de Granaditas [ an old grain storage building in Guanajuato City ] , the site of the first major [ victory ] for Mexican Independence . Most delicious food or place to eat . I had one of the best meals of the trip our first night in Zacatecas at a small restaurant called Los Dorados de Villa . My order of enchiladas came drenched in a `` Durango style '' sauce that was sweet , spicy and chocolaty , all at the same time ! Biggest surprise . Our biggest surprise along the way was our `` discovery '' of an abandoned hacienda on the road to San Luis Potosi called Jaral de Berrio . We spent hours roaming through the passageways , courtyards and towers of this football field-sized mansion that was built around the turn of the 20th century . All in all , this trip was one that will not quickly be forgotten .
iReporter marked Mexico 's bicentennial with a road trip . He visited Guanajuato , San Miguel de Allende , Dolores Hidalgo and Zacatecas . The ruins of La Quemada near Zacatecas are not to be missed , he said .