Hi Joseph, I took my first trip to los pueblos de Zacatecas and Jalisco this summer...all I can say is: be prepared to fall in love.

I did a whirlwind two-weeks by flying into Zacatecas City, drove down to Guadalajara-- stopping by at Villanueva ( after tour of the ruins at la Quemada), Tabasco, Jalpa, Apozol, Juchipila, Moyahua, etc. and detoured through into the sierras Nochistlan/Morrones, which were beautiful. I made way and stopped into the other pueblos on both the east and west sides of the main road #54, visiting Mezquital del Oro, Teul, Tepechitlan, Tlaltenango, back down through to Tepatitlan, Jalostotitlan, Nochistlan, Teocaltiche and Yahulica.

I know that I took a huge risk by going alone, but I am glad that I did it. I rented a car in Zacatecas airport and drove four hours to meet up with some relatives, but drove back the four hours again to catch my flight back home. You will be just fine; I found the roads and pueblos to be safe and for the most part--everyone there is helpful and courteous. If you don't speak Spanish--I suggest you take a phrase book with you, as you will be hard-pressed to find English-speaking people in the smaller towns.

Here are my recommendations:

GENERAL:
Take a map, I didn't use GPS and found that my Guia Roji was just fine for the trip. The roads down there aren't as numerous as what we have in US. You'll find that there is usually one main road that leads from town-to-town, so getting lost is not that easy.

ELECTRICAL:
If you bring anything with a three-prong cable plug, such as a battery charger or other, bring an electrical adapter. Most small hotels only use the two-prong outlets (this was my experience in the city, so more than likely, your relatives homes aren't fitted with three-prongs).

DRIVING:
Be prepared to deal with aggressive drivers. People there drive fast - and in my two weeks there, I didn't see one highway patrolman. Police is usually found only inside the towns. I found that just getting out of their way and letting the impatient drivers pass is safest. I wouldn't drive at night because there are many animals (cows, goats, etc.) that wander onto the road and most accidents occur at night. It is pitch black at night as there are no street lights on the roads outside the pueblos.

MONEY:
No need to change money at the airport (except for transportation to hotel). Just visit a bank or "casa de cambio" in the city or main town - you'll get better rates. I used the ATM in the city at a Santander bank, and in Los Altos, there are exchange houses in almost every other block in the larger towns. Better to have MEX pesos when you arrive into the smaller pueblos, though, as many are not equipped to exchange USD. Don't carry large bills--even if they are MEX. Smaller change will be easier and you will avoid the "no tengo cambio" trick. Some stores or restaurants will say they don't have change for your larger bill in hopes that you will leave the large sum as payment. I carried denominations no larger than 50MEX.

BEGGARS:
The people in these towns are very hard-working, and upright. I found that most of the citizens are willing to work for their money. You will find many poorer folks selling their crafts or foodstuffs to earn a living, a very small number of them beg for free money. That being said, it's good to plan ahead and carry change for the ones you want to help. In my experience, 95% of the beggars were elderly women sitting outside the churches with their hands out for something; too old or sick to work. Of course, if you are in a high-tourist area, you'll see the kids begging as well. But in the pueblos/ranchos--I saw nothing but hard-working folk.

JEREZ, ZACATECAS:
In JEREZ- which is LOVELY, your first stop should be the tourism kiosk in the main garden plaza. They have maps in English and Spanish that point out the historical buildings and places of interest. Many are within about a 5 block radius so walking is best for taking in the sights. No need for taxi either, I took the public transportation (camiones) for a few cents per ride. Take the green or blue line which drives throughout the downtown area and see the town. This is the best way to see the central as well as the residential neighborhoods. The cemetery is only about three blocks from the main church, just ask anyone for directions; there is a museum next door to the cemetery also. For a good meal, I recommend the restaurant JUANA GALLO, which has the best regional dish, the "guizado de boda," I guarantee you will enjoy it.

If you are in Zacatecas City first, I would suggest you take the camion (bus) to Jerez. It costs only about $4.00USD and you'll get to ride with the locals. You can take a taxi from main city to the "central camionera" (bus depot) and pay at the desk. Buses run about every 20-30 minutes. The ride into Jerez is about 90 minutes. From the main bus depot in Jerez, you can take the blue or green line bus which goes to the plaza. Do the same for the return into the city; this is what I did. You should be able to take in all the sights in one day or less.

Feel free to PM me if you want more pointers.

You say you are going for Easter? I hear Jerez has the largest "charreadas" on Easter week. Have a great time!