FRIENDLY WELCOME AWAITS TOURISTS IN BORDER TOWN.

Byline: Linda DuVal Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph

The haunting notes of a small wooden flute float on the cool evening air above the plaza in this tiny Mexican town. As the sun sets, vendors set up displays of glossy ironwood carvings, molded quince jellies and dangling silver earrings.

Children tug at my jacket, wanting me to take their picture. They gaze into the camera, seriously, breaking into smiles only after the flash goes off.

There's a profound sense of welcome at the XIII Fiesta de Alamos, dedicated to Dr. Alfonso Ortiz Tirado, a famous opera singer who grew up here. It's 10 days of music, food and celebration, where visitors are as comfortable as locals.

And it's symbolic of this trip into Sonora, Mexico - easy, laid back and rich in new experiences.

The journey to Alamos began in Tucson, Ariz., and meandered south through the town of Nogales, where crossing the border is easier than ever, thanks to the Arizona-Sonora Project. The project is a new joint effort between the two states to blur the borders and boost tourism.

Under the new procedure, a process that once took at least an hour now takes about 15 minutes; you fill out the proper forms, show your papers, buy insurance, answer a few questions and get your Sonoro-Only sticker that allows you to travel anywhere in that Mexican state without much ado.

If you're planning to drive beyond the Sonora state line, however, the process takes a bit longer, and you'll have to buy more expensive insurance.

Head south from the border crossing, past stands of organ pipe cactus, to Magdalena, where the remains of Padre Eusebio Francisco Kino, who established missions here and in Arizona, are on view. Yes, his actual skeleton is visible through the glass windows of the dome over his grave. The domed crypt is in the plaza of the Mission San Francisco Xavier, a lovely church with a traditional, pristine interior. You're likely to find locals at prayer any time of the day.

Farther south is Hermosillo, the sprawling, modern, clean capital of Sonora. There are American fast-food franchises here, and dollars are not only accepted, but given as change. This city of 700,000 feels smaller, but it boasts many good restaurants, hotels and night clubs - not to mention a Sam's Club and a Blockbuster Video. Modern government buildings stand shoulder-to-shoulder with old adobe buildings.

Be sure to visit the lovely Church of Our Lady of the Assumption and, across the street, view the fantastic murals in the Governor's Palace.

Hermosillo also has a new private golf resort, Los Lagos, where many of Mexico's wealthier retirees - and some Americans - are building homes.

Its manager is Roberto Obregon, grandson of the former president of Mexico, who was assassinated in 1928.

Obregon's family has lived in Sonora for many generations, and like many of his generation, he pushes for closer Mexican-American ties.

``We share too much not to be connected,'' he says.

South and west of Hermosillo lies the sleepy little coastal town of San Carlos.

The only two large properties are a Club Med and the Plaza San Carlos.

San Carlos, said to have one of the finest beaches in Mexico, nestles among rocky hills, cardon and saguaro cactus, where the desert meets the Sea of Cortez. Many American and Canadian retirees have found a haven in San Carlos, where the sun shines in winter and breezes cool the summer heat.

Dolphins, sea lions, pelicans and occasionally whales call these waters home. Hundreds of boats bob in the small, neat harbor. For those who don't own a boat, tour boats offer cruises to see those creatures in their natural habitats.

There are a few dozen shops and local restaurants, but San Carlos mostly is a place to kick back and do nothing.

Much of Sonora is like that. Laid back. Like the fiesta in Alamos.

Though the people were obviously happy and in a party mood, there was no rowdiness. Young couples wandered, arms about each other's waists. Children played without crying, and adults caught up on the local gossip and swayed to the music of the bands or boom boxes.

The town's center of activity usually is the Plaza de Armas, circled by shops, a museum and, of course, the town church. There's a beautiful wrought iron gazebo in the center. But for real shade, locals seek the Plaza de Alamos (alamos is Spanish for cottonwoods), where trees provide shelter from the heat.

Alamos, a pretty, colonial town once visited by Coronado, got its first real boost when silver was discovered in 1683. Its population once boomed to 30,000, but today is closer to 6,000. Several hundred of those are American expatriates who live here much of the year, speak passable Spanish and have been absorbed into the local community. Some of them own hotels, bed-and-breakfasts or restaurants.

But there are no billboards, no neon. It's a well-kept treasure.

``There will come a time when Alamos may live on tourism, but its colonial feeling will never disappear,'' says Diego Padilla Ramos of the Sonora Office of Tourism.

Americans who have only visited Mexico's border towns, like Nogales or Tijuana, or hot resort spots may be surprised at the people and attitudes in Sonora.

There's little begging and no haggling over prices in shops. Nor do you get charged for taking a photo of someone (but ask first, por favor). Many of the local residents speak some English, and are always willing to learn more.

Sonorans tend to be attractive - tall, slender, with bright eyes and beautiful teeth. But their most appealing characteristic is their genuine friendliness.

Nowhere was that more apparent than at the fiesta in Alamos, where a woman could wander safely alone at night in the marketplace.

A rudimentary attempt at speaking Spanish brings appreciative smiles to the vendors' faces. They're not pushy or rude, perhaps because the tourists who come to Sonora aren't, either.

They're the kind of tourists who come to share the culture, the food and the landscape. They're tourists who comfortably join the marching promenade that follows the Mexican band around the square. They're tourists who want to experience Mexico at its best.

Just across the border, in Sonora.

On Location

To enter Mexico, and to return to the United States, you will need a passport or a driver's license (or picture ID) and birth certificate. If driving, also have your car registration.

Many hotels and restaurants in Sonora, accustomed to American travelers, have purified water available for drinking and brushing teeth. Many have signs to this effect. If there's no sign, ask.

Information: For two guidebooks, ``From the Grand Canyon to the Sea of Cortez'' and ``Sonora, Mexico: You Can Have It All,'' call [phone]. Most operators speak both Spanish and English.

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Photo, Box

Photo: (Color) No caption (Sonora, Mexico)

Box: On Location (See text)