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RE: NM Route 152
One could also take US 180 N to Glenwood, to Reserve; NM 12 E to Datail, US 60 E to I-25 near Socorro, Bypassing Cruces, Hatch & Alamogordo.
Been years since I have been on NM 12....it was very good hwy. at the time.
Miles & Time would be less to do US 180 S to Deming then to Hatch, however.
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DesertHawk
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02/09/12 05:26pm |
Roads and Routes
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RE: southwest New Mexico
The Chiricahua National Monument by Wilcox is a neat place. The Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum, just west of Tucson is really great (a zoo mainly without bars mostly) is over on the west side of Tucson by the Saguaro Nat'l Park and Old Tucson (the movie set/theme park). The Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum is a must see for sure. Tucson Mountain Park and Gilbert Ray Campground in near by. I drove into the campground last spring, it wouldn't be a bad place to spend some time. I believe it is first come/first served which I prefer. Kartchner Caverns State Park from what I have read should also be a neat place, we have not gone yet.
My Daughter & family live in Tucson, which has proven to be a neat city, easy to get around in, with many things to see and do around it. Never camped there, however. But visit often. Maybe something in this will help out: :) Clicky.
If going to the Gila Clift Dwellings, do an overnight at City of Rocks.
Southern part of the state:
Carlsbad Cavers, and Guadalupe Mountains National Park ( Guadalupe ), located in far West Texas on US 62/180. The driving distance is 110 miles east of El Paso, Texas. Carlsbad Caverns National Park is worth a see. One can take a back country highway from Van Horn to Guadalupe Mountains National Park; TX route 54 from Van Horn & I-10.
Note: If using TransMountain & the Loop to bypass most of El Paso, be sure to get on the Loop when it crosses US 62/180 or it will take you Montana Street & into El Paso near downtown.
Off US 70 between Las Cruces & Alamogordo, White Sands Nat'l Monument - Alamogordo Area. North of Alamogordo and/or East of San Antonio near Carrizozo, Valley of Fires BLM Campground is a first rate campground with electric & water hookups, good dump station and a fine shower house. Pics & description can be found: Campground and Cloudcrof, Lincoln/Capitan, Carrizozo/White Oaks.
If you make it to the Las Cruces Area - NM Mexican Food plus camping and attractions in the area. At least try a Green Chile Cheese Burger. Video
Taste of NM Pecans: Stahmanns or Salopek
North of Cruces or West of Carrizozo using US 380, off of I-25 in New Mexico by San Antonio, the Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.
Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park Never stayed there, but have read about others staying there to see the Bosque. As a matter of fact you could take US 380 all the way to I-25 at San Antonio & the Bosque del Apache. I-25 to Socorro, take US 60 towards Datil, Passing the VLA before you get to Datil & a very Nice BLM Campground. But would miss White Sands.
One of the most talked about green chile cheese burgers for years, is in San Antonio, NM at the Owl Bar.
Ditto
I have now been hearing about another green chile cheeseburger in San Antonio. The Buckhorn Tavern in San Antonio. A Food Review and Ditto
I believe the chef at Buckhorn beat Bobby Flay on a Throwdown with his.
San Antonio, New Mexico was the birth place & boyhood home of Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton Hotels.
Using I-25: Around the T or C area, three state parks, Elephant Butte SP and Caballo SP with Caballo being closest to the interstate as well as Percha Dam State Park a nice place on Rio Grande, near Caballo Lake. Elephant Butte Lake State Park headquarters are 5 miles north of Truth or Consequences via I-25 exit 83. Caballo Lake State Park is 16 miles south of Truth or Consequences via I-25 exit 59 and NM 187. Percha Dam State Park is 21 miles south of Truth or Consequences via I-25, exit 59.
West of Las Cruces on I-10, Pancho Villa SP is south of Deming right on the Mexican Border. North of Deming towards Silver City is City of Rocks State Park. I've never been to Pancho Villa, but have enjoyed out trips & stays at City of Rocks.
Silver City Area -Videos
New Mexico State Parks Best Camping Prices Around & No Day Fees on top of camping fees. NM Camping Fees
Some more info on the Silver City Area:
:C Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway or NM Rte. 152 - Into Silver City is a neat drive, with a nice viewing area into an open pit copper mine. Road to Emory Pass with great vistias at the top. On the east side of Emory Pass there is Kingston; a neat ghost town, but one which still has people living in it and building new homes as well. Hillsboro is just down the mountain from Kingston as well. It is one of New Mexico's Ghost Towns with people still living there. But Lake Valley is not too far from and south of Hillsboro and it has almost no one living there anymore. On the western side of Emory Pass down at the "bottom" of the decent is a neat distinctive ridge with a very western descriptive metaphor of a name, the Devil's Backbone. A few campgrounds and areas to hike down in the "valley" along with a stream. Such as Lower Gallinas Campground, Upper Gallinas Campground, Wright's Cabin Campground and Iron Creek Campground which is in the middle of this recreational corridor spanning from the Mimbres Valley to Hillsboro, along NM Hwy 152 a great drive, very scenic.
Lake Roberts, NM-- Upper End Campground and Mesa Campground at the Lake Roberts Recreation Area recent upgrades. The upgrades include new picnic tables, grills, and fire rings. In addition, 12 units received water and power hookups with two of those sites upgraded with improvements for people with disabilities which include a sidewalk from the site unit to the restrooms. The Upper End Campground also recently received upgrades to many site pads that will eliminate issues during heavy rain. Both campgrounds also have a full-time campground host on site. Fees at Upper End Campground are proposed to increase from $7 to $10 a site per night. Fees at Mesa Campground are proposed to increase from $7 to $10 a site per night for most sites and $15 per night for sites with both water and electric hookups. A $3 charge for each additional vehicle is also proposed for all sites. Both the Upper End and Mesa Campgrounds are open to camping year-round on a “first come first serve basis” with a self-pay fee station available at each campground. Wilderness Ranger District Office in Mimbres - (575) 536-2250
On State Route 35, are two campgrounds that are a bit more RV-friendly - Mesa and Upper End. These campgrounds contain pleasant, sunny sites for RV, motorhome, car, and tent camping enthusiasts on or overlooking Lake Roberts. Stocked with rainbow trout, the lake also has Brown trout and catfish to challenge the fishing enthusiast.
For some hard drives:
There are some nice boondocking/dispersed sites by two of the forks of the Gila River (after desending down into the Gila canyon with a nice bridge over the River) a few miles before you get to Dr. Campbell's store at Gila Hot Springs. There is a road down to the river by the bridge to the East Fork of the Gila with trees and shaded sites. After crossing the bridge, there is a mesa-like area with another road down to the Middle/West Fork joined Gila River with dispersed sites by the river, large cottonwoods, etc. These were very nice places to camp (I have not been there in years). It is a fairly long drive back into this area from Lake Roberts. Some very steep roads to desend and climb out of, but paved. It is up into the Wilderness area, just off the road. There was camping near the Gila Cliff Dwellings, mainly just a parking lot & tables. To camp by the Gila River, one must desend from the paved road down steepish hills, but there is some dispersed sites on the upper "mesa" above the River. This is near the site of two forks of the Gila meeting/joining to form the Gila River. There are 3 forks, the MIDDLE FORK AND the WEST FORK join closer to the Cliff Dwellings, near the vistor center. It seems the stream becomes the Gila River when they join up. At the Bridge where the camping sites are near the EAST FORK joins up. There are hot springs up the Middle/East Fork Gila just off the river, but if you walk up to them, DO NOT get the water up the noise. There can be deadly amoebae in them (a killer water-borne amoeba known as naegleria fowleria). Video
Gila CliffDwellings
More Gila
Camping
FAQs
Over by the Lake Roberts area, there is a forest road which skirts or borders both the Gila Wilderness and the Aldo Leopold Wilderness with many despersed sites along the road. Take North Star Road off NM 35 which will later turn into NM 61 with leads to Wall Lake and Beaverhead area and a paved hwy NM 59 which leads one to the Winston and Chloride Area with many more despersed sites. Or angle to the west and one can go to Snow Lake & Willow Creek area and over to Mogollon and to Glenwood.
An easy/good highway: Up at the top/north of the Gila on US 60 towards Datil, there is the VLA before you get to Datil & a very Datil Well BLM Campground. From Silver Cityl go to Glenwood; then to Reserve. At Glenwood there is the Catwalk (Clicky) as well as a short side trip to Mogollon an old gold mining Ghost Town.
Reserve's Hero
Since first seeing the Organs in 1968 after waking up after an overnight on a trip to SoCal, we have never gotten tired of seeing them change with the time of day & the seasons (moved here in '71):
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/aOrgansfromFR.jpg
Organ Mountains from the NM Farm & Ranch Museum 10 Jan. '12.
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/2008%20Yamaha%20XT250/DSC00068.jpg
Organs in the Pink...nearing sundown.
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/2008%20Yamaha%20XT250/DSC00065.jpghttp://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/2008%20Yamaha%20XT250/DSC02271.jpg
Road to Dripping Springs & Baylor Canyon Rd.
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/CAR%20IN%20TREES/DSC02211.jpg
Windmill off Baylor Canyon Rd.
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/2008%20Yamaha%20XT250/DSC00050.jpg
At the Trail Head Soledad Canyon BLM Day Use Area East of Las Cruces in Organ Mts.
For some Sights & Sites in Northern NM: Flagstaff - Gallup - Grants- to Santa Fe Plus. Albuquerque has many neat and cool things to see there. As does Santa Fe both on I-25.
A recent similar Post for Northern NM.
More 4Corners Plus Clicky.
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DesertHawk
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02/09/12 11:12am |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: What are States known for?
If you plan on going to TX by way of AZ, you will be crossing New Mexico as well. New Mexico would be noted for two foodstuffs, I would believe: Red/Green Chile & Pecans.
Yes, Texas also has pecans as do some of the southern states, but none are as tasty as those from New Mexico. AZ may be as good as well.
Taste of Red/Green Chile in Southern NM: Southern NM style Mexican Food is the best you will find anywhere. IMHO. Because of the use of red/green chile.
Las Cruces area NM Mexican Food plus camping and attractions in the area. At least try a Green Chile Cheese Burger. Video
Taste of NM Pecans: Stahmanns or Salopek
After reading a recent post of facebook from a cousin, I just found out that Bakersfield, CA is home to the largest collection of Basque restaurants in the United States. Never knew this. Wow. Might try one of them if passing by that area. Basque in Bakersfield
Most states will have steaks. Texas might also be know for Texas Chili or CHILI CON CARNE. Also Texas should be know for Bar B Que. Might try a few of them as you pass through Texas. Research to Find some good Texas Barbeque something like this place maybe Texas Pride Barbecue, which was featured on the Food Network. TX Pride ?? I can not recommend a place. We had some just off I-10 in Kerrville, but it was years ago. Not sure if it still good. The barbeque sauce is the key.
In 1895 Lyman T. Davis of Corsicana developed the original recipe for Wolf Brand Chili, which he sold for five cents a bowl from the back of a wagon parked on the streets in downtown Corsicana, Texas. He later opened a meat market in Corsicana where he sold his chili in brick form, using the brand name of Lyman's Famous Home Made Chili. In 1921, using the simplest machinery, he began canning his chili and marketing it in the immediate area. It was about that time that he adopted the brand name "Wolf Brand," in honor of his pet wolf, Kaiser Bill. By 1923, with improved equipment, Davis had increased production to 2,000 cans of chili per day. Because of the discovery of oil on his farm, he had neither the time nor the interest to devote to his chili business, and in 1924 he sold his operations to J. C. West and Fred Slauson, two Corsicana businessmen.
Better than Texas Chili, I would think Fajitas were 'invented' in Texas as well. You can try them in New Mexico of course as well as AZ & perhaps in CA. But for really good ones in El Paso (as well as San Antonio) try Taco Cabana just off I-10 on Mesa (west). (We eat at one in El Paso whenever we have to go there, see Mexican Nationals eating at it, must be good) Great Salsa, try some of each, very good eating.
Being a Native South Texan, Texas citrus is the best in the world, but a little out of the way on your trip. Texas Sea Food, shrimp & such, is so good if you happen to be by the Gulf Coast.
My wife & I are retired teachers, always enjoyed & looked forward to traveling in the summers, mainly in the west camping, but a couple of car trips to DC area.
Texas Buffalo Ranches
Getting local foods, we have at times lucked out by finding Farmer's Markets when traveling. NM Farmer's Markets --- TX FM
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DesertHawk
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02/08/12 06:34pm |
Camp Cooks and Connoisseurs
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RE: Alaska and Yukon pictures....
Thanks for the link. Talked with my son last night, he & his family had spent part of the day to watch the Start watching them get started as they did last year. They live in the Fairbanks area now. Not at sure if by the Start Line or not.
With kids aged 5, 3 & 1, they did not spend a lot of time watching, but did get to see a few go by..
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DesertHawk
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02/05/12 01:38pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Your favorite Arizona attractions
The Chiricahua National Monument by Wilcox is a neat place. The Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum, just west of Tucson is really great (a zoo mainly without bars mostly) is over on the west side of Tucson by the Saguaro Nat'l Park and Old Tucson (the movie set/theme park). The Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum is a must see for sure. Tucson Mountain Park and Gilbert Ray Campground in near by. I drove into the campground last spring, it wouldn't be a bad place to spend some time. I believe it is first come/first served which I prefer. Kartchner Caverns State Park from what I have read should also be a neat place, we have not gone yet.
My Daughter & family live in Tucson, which has proven to be a neat city, easy to get around in, with many things to see and do around it. Never camped there, however. But visit often. Maybe something in this will help out: :) Clicky.
Both East & West Sections of Saguaro National Park were neat to see, we enjoyed the Tucson Botanical Gardens & the Sabino Canyon with hikes there. Reid Park Zoo is a nice small zoo as well.
As for Roy & Gene, they did their movies in SoCal. No Old Tucson Studios in their day I would hazard a guess.
:) Clicky for Sites & Sights Flagstaff to Grants, NM- with some in or near the 4Corners area Plus on to Santa Fe. Mainly, Canyon de Chelly by Chinle is great with a free campground. Been there want to go again. Nat'l Park and Hubbell Trading Post NHS could be on the way to it.
Navajo National Monument is located at the end of State Highway 564 off of US Highway 160. We have not been to this one, but sounds very interesting. Two campgrounds, one open all year, somewhat isolated but no fees are charged. NPS Site - Visit
Navajo
Navajo NMon is on the way to Monument Valley, which is mostly in Arizona (always remembered it to be mostly in UT, but not so - Thanks for the corrections-DH).
Big Lake was a neat area in the past as well as the Alpine area. Clicky The Show Low area has some nice places as well. I have read good reports about Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area Clicky , but have not been there. We stayed at Lakeside CG south of ShowLow in 2010:
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/Travels%202010/DSC02006.jpg
Lakeside CG
The Show Low Lake Community CG would be a nice place as well to camp.
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DesertHawk
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02/01/12 12:29am |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Trip report: South side of Sequoia National Park
:C Yep! Another Cool Report & Neat Pics! Thanks for sharing. Nice looking rig as well.
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DesertHawk
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02/01/12 12:06am |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: New Mexico attractions
Yep, Tony Hillerman is a good read for sure. I've also found Michael McGarrity to be one as well. I especially like Aimée & David Thurlo's Ella Clah novels.
For a good read with a Cochise County setting in Southeastern Arizona, the Joanna Brady mysteries by J.A. Jance are very good.
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DesertHawk
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01/26/12 06:30pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Weapon Storage
Perhaps at a bus or train station they have lock boxes one can rent:
Amtrak Train & Bus Stations
After checking a couple of stations, seems they are small & no lockers. On a second check, were it said "no lockers" a pop up said "Passenger can use self-service lockers for baggage storage". Might work.....? Baggage - No Lockers
Maybe The Many Glacier Hotel has lock boxes?
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DesertHawk
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01/24/12 02:27pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: New Mexico attractions
Must See in New Mexico
Albuquerque & Santa Fe will have the most attractions, but New Mexico has attractions scattered all over the state.
Southern part of the state:
Carlsbad Cavers, and Guadalupe Mountains National Park ( Guadalupe ), located in far West Texas on US 62/180. The driving distance is 110 miles east of El Paso, Texas. Carlsbad Caverns National Park is worth a see. One can take a back country highway from Van Horn to Guadalupe Mountains National Park; TX route 54 from Van Horn & I-10.
Note: If using TransMountain & the Loop to bypass most of El Paso, be sure to get on the Loop when it crosses US 62/180 or it will take you Montana Street & into El Paso near downtown.
Off US 70 between Las Cruces & Alamogordo, White Sands Nat'l Monument - Alamogordo Area. North of Alamogordo and/or East of San Antonio near Carrizozo, Valley of Fires BLM Campground is a first rate campground with electric & water hookups, good dump station and a fine shower house. Pics & description can be found: Campground and Cloudcrof, Lincoln/Capitan, Carrizozo/White Oaks.
From Roswell, US 380 follow it to Carrizozo, you will be passing Billy the Kid Country & Lincoln (off the route some but connected to the Lincoln County War Fort Stanton) & Smokey Bear in Capitan, & the neat Valley of Fire BLM Campground, then take US 54 south to Alamogordo.
In case you are hungry if you are in Las Cruces, Southern NM style Mexican Food is the best you will find anywhere. IMHO.
Las Cruces area NM Mexican food plus camping and attractions in the area. Leasburg Dam State Park near Las Cruces, nice desert camping above the Rio Grande if needing a different place to stay in the area. Fort Selden State Monument is just next door as well. Ft. Selden was the boyhood home of Gen. Douglas McArthur.
If you are looking for things New Mexican, just to the west of Las Cruces is Historic Old Mesilla. If you will be looking for Indian jewelry or other crafts, Mesilla may have better buys than up north, mostly the same stuff. Shopping in Mesilla
North of Cruces or West of Carrizozo using US 380, off of I-25 in New Mexico by San Antonio, the Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge.
Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park Never stayed there, but have read about others staying there to see the Bosque. As a matter of fact you could take US 380 all the way to I-25 at San Antonio & the Bosque del Apache. I-25 to Socorro, take US 60 towards Datil, Passing the VLA before you get to Datil & a very Nice BLM Campground. But would miss White Sands.
One of the most talked about green chile cheese burgers for years, is in San Antonio, NM at the Owl Bar.
Ditto
I have now been hearing about another green chile cheeseburger in San Antonio. The Buckhorn Tavern in San Antonio. A Food Review and Ditto
I believe the chef at Buckhorn beat Bobby Flay on a Throwdown with his.
San Antonio, New Mexico was the birth place & boyhood home of Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton Hotels.
Using I-25: Around the T or C area, three state parks, Elephant Butte SP and Caballo SP with Caballo being closest to the interstate as well as Percha Dam State Park a nice place on Rio Grande, near Caballo Lake. Elephant Butte Lake State Park headquarters are 5 miles north of Truth or Consequences via I-25 exit 83. Caballo Lake State Park is 16 miles south of Truth or Consequences via I-25 exit 59 and NM 187. Percha Dam State Park is 21 miles south of Truth or Consequences via I-25, exit 59.
West of Las Cruces on I-10, Pancho Villa SP is south of Deming right on the Mexican Border. North of Deming towards Silver City is City of Rocks State Park. I've never been to Pancho Villa, but have enjoyed out trips & stays at City of Rocks.
Silver City Area -Videos
New Mexico State Parks Best Camping Prices Around & No Day Fees on top of camping fees. NM Camping Fees
Some more info on the Silver City Area:
:C Geronimo Trail Scenic Byway or NM Rte. 152 - Into Silver City is a neat drive, with a nice viewing area into an open pit copper mine. Road to Emory Pass with great vistias at the top. On the east side of Emory Pass there is Kingston; a neat ghost town, but one which still has people living in it and building new homes as well. Hillsboro is just down the mountain from Kingston as well. It is one of New Mexico's Ghost Towns with people still living there. But Lake Valley is not too far from and south of Hillsboro and it has almost no one living there anymore. On the western side of Emory Pass down at the "bottom" of the decent is a neat distinctive ridge with a very western descriptive metaphor of a name, the Devil's Backbone. A few campgrounds and areas to hike down in the "valley" along with a stream. Such as Lower Gallinas Campground, Upper Gallinas Campground, Wright's Cabin Campground and Iron Creek Campground which is in the middle of this recreational corridor spanning from the Mimbres Valley to Hillsboro, along NM Hwy 152 a great drive, very scenic.
Lake Roberts, NM-- Upper End Campground and Mesa Campground at the Lake Roberts Recreation Area recent upgrades. The upgrades include new picnic tables, grills, and fire rings. In addition, 12 units received water and power hookups with two of those sites upgraded with improvements for people with disabilities which include a sidewalk from the site unit to the restrooms. The Upper End Campground also recently received upgrades to many site pads that will eliminate issues during heavy rain. Both campgrounds also have a full-time campground host on site. Fees at Upper End Campground are proposed to increase from $7 to $10 a site per night. Fees at Mesa Campground are proposed to increase from $7 to $10 a site per night for most sites and $15 per night for sites with both water and electric hookups. A $3 charge for each additional vehicle is also proposed for all sites. Both the Upper End and Mesa Campgrounds are open to camping year-round on a “first come first serve basis” with a self-pay fee station available at each campground. Wilderness Ranger District Office in Mimbres - (575) 536-2250
On State Route 35, are two campgrounds that are a bit more RV-friendly - Mesa and Upper End. These campgrounds contain pleasant, sunny sites for RV, motorhome, car, and tent camping enthusiasts on or overlooking Lake Roberts. Stocked with rainbow trout, the lake also has Brown trout and catfish to challenge the fishing enthusiast.
For some hard drives:
There are some nice boondocking/dispersed sites by two of the forks of the Gila River (after desending down into the Gila canyon with a nice bridge over the River) a few miles before you get to Dr. Campbell's store at Gila Hot Springs. There is a road down to the river by the bridge to the East Fork of the Gila with trees and shaded sites. After crossing the bridge, there is a mesa-like area with another road down to the Middle/West Fork joined Gila River with dispersed sites by the river, large cottonwoods, etc. These were very nice places to camp (I have not been there in years). It is a fairly long drive back into this area from Lake Roberts. Some very steep roads to desend and climb out of, but paved. It is up into the Wilderness area, just off the road. There was camping near the Gila Cliff Dwellings, mainly just a parking lot & tables. To camp by the Gila River, one must desend from the paved road down steepish hills, but there is some dispersed sites on the upper "mesa" above the River. This is near the site of two forks of the Gila meeting/joining to form the Gila River. There are 3 forks, the MIDDLE FORK AND the WEST FORK join closer to the Cliff Dwellings, near the vistor center. It seems the stream becomes the Gila River when they join up. At the Bridge where the camping sites are near the EAST FORK joins up. There are hot springs up the Middle/East Fork Gila just off the river, but if you walk up to them, DO NOT get the water up the noise. There can be deadly amoebae in them (a killer water-borne amoeba known as naegleria fowleria). Video
Gila CliffDwellings
More Gila
Camping
FAQs
Over by the Lake Roberts area, there is a forest road which skirts or borders both the Gila Wilderness and the Aldo Leopold Wilderness with many despersed sites along the road. Take North Star Road off NM 35 which will later turn into NM 61 with leads to Wall Lake and Beaverhead area and a paved hwy NM 59 which leads one to the Winston and Chloride Area with many more despersed sites. Or angle to the west and one can go to Snow Lake & Willow Creek area and over to Mogollon and to Glenwood.
An easy/good highway: Up at the top/north of the Gila on US 60 towards Datil, there is the VLA before you get to Datil & a very Datil Well BLM Campground. From Silver Cityl go to Glenwood; then to Reserve. At Glenwood there is the Catwalk (Clicky) as well as a short side trip to Mogollon an old gold mining Ghost Town.
Reserve's Hero
Since first seeing the Organs in 1968 after waking up after an overnight on a trip to SoCal, we have never gotten tired of seeing them change with the time of day & the seasons (moved here in '71):
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/aOrgansfromFR.jpg
Organ Mountains from the NM Farm & Ranch Museum 10 Jan. '12.
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/2008%20Yamaha%20XT250/DSC00068.jpg
Organs in the Pink...nearing sundown.
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/2008%20Yamaha%20XT250/DSC00065.jpghttp://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/2008%20Yamaha%20XT250/DSC02271.jpg
Road to Dripping Springs & Baylor Canyon Rd.
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/CAR%20IN%20TREES/DSC02211.jpg
Windmill off Baylor Canyon Rd.
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/2008%20Yamaha%20XT250/DSC00050.jpg
At the Trail Head Soledad Canyon BLM Day Use Area East of Las Cruces in Organ Mts.
For some Sights & Sites in Northern NM: Flagstaff - Gallup - Grants- to Santa Fe Plus.
A recent similar Post for Northern NM.
More 4Corners Plus Clicky.
I often hear people say it can be too hot in the Summer to Camp in New Mexico, as for being too hot to visit in the summer, New Mexico and Arizona have some Alpine areas which can be very mild to down right cold in the summer in the higher altitudes. Bring some warm clothes with you for the cool areas as well as the hot. NM will tend to be cooler in most places. Our 110 degrees will not be as bad as your 90 degrees due to the dryness of the heat. One is never too far from some cool elevations in NM. But you are planning a tip in the Spring, even more reason to bring warm clothing.....some of the places in the northern parts (even some in the higher elevations down south) may be very cold depending on how early you are planning on being here. Also in the spring, we get Pacific Front coming through fairly often at times which bring wind and at time the wind bring dust....plan on not traveling on these days.
Have a Pleasant Trip to the Southwest & New Mexico.
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DesertHawk
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01/24/12 12:37pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: travel in Canada
We did a somewhat reverse of your planned trip years ago. Yellowstone/Glacier/Banff/Vancouver Area/Down the Pacific West Coast and then we went up the Coast to Vancouver Area to Jasper/Banff/Watertown/Glacier back to NM some years later.
Pacific NorthWest - WA & OR
North of the Border - Canada - West to Mid-West
Been to WY & MT a few times & CO a few more; A Little of This & a Little of That:
If close to Great Falls, MT: C.M. Russell Museum -Really neat if you like Western Art - HIstory. It was why I wanted to go.
Wyoming, Black Hills, & Montana; Cody, WY is neat as is things in the Wheatland/Douglas Area....Wheatland Area.
Yellowstone & Tetons
Cody and Thermopolis and the free Hot Springs Bathhouse.
Some Colorado sites plus Chama/Heron State Park in New Mexico.
:C Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico Stuff
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DesertHawk
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01/23/12 05:10pm |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Boondocking in Canada
This site seems to have Canadian sites as well: FreeCampSites.Net
My son used a few Wal-Marts on his move up to Alaska in 2009: Allstays.com Wal-Mart Locations However, the UHaul Truck got 'Tagged' (spray painted graffiti) in Dawson Creek as did at least one RV.
They did one overnight at a Provincial "Welcome Center" by Moose Jaw.
Used off roads (remnants of an older Alaskan Highway) to do real boondocking after Dawson Creek. But this was in August.
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DesertHawk
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01/23/12 11:21am |
RVing in Canada and Alaska
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RE: Parks in NorthEast NM - South CO
Never stayed here, but have read reports of people who had & said it was a good place for an overnight (not camping):
Amarillo Texas Welcome Center
To get to Taos, going by Raton over to Cimarron Canyon to Taos would be a longer route, time wise as well as miles I would think. Amarillo to Santa Rosa on I-40 W to Exit 256, US 84 N to I-25 N to Las Vegas NM 94 to Taos (but this would bypass Cimarron Canyon/Eagle Nest. Or to do Cimarron Canyon, take I-25 N to NM 58 (north of Springer) to village of Cimarron & US 64 W to Eagle Nest & on to Taos. US 84 is a good highway, we have used it several times cutting up to Las Vegas, etc. Drove US 64 once, years ago not a bad road then. Never used NM 58, drove NM 94 years ago a very nice drive then.
There are many campgrounds in the Red River & Questa area north of Taos in the Carson National Forest: Campgrounds List.
Once in the Mts. on these roads you will be going slower, some grades, narrow curvy two lane highways. Cimarron Canyon & Eagle Nest is in very Alpine country, high elevations. The highway from Taos to the Chama area also crosses Alpine areas.
New Mexico Fishing Regs. And Colorado's.
Reread your OP, just noticed the May date..... the month of May can still have cold weather in the high elevations, maybe a lot of snow around as well. Depending on weather. Be sure to check weather conditions before getting into to these higher elevations. Heron Lake should be ok, I would believe, not sure about Cimarron Canyon & Eagle Nest.
Angler Guide Heron Lake & may use it to check other NM Lakes & Rivers as well. Can also check other states.
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DesertHawk
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01/22/12 10:24pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Parks in NorthEast NM - South CO
Dallas to Raton: 578 mi, 10 hours 21 mins via US-287 N ---- could be doable.
or
Dallas to Santa Fe: 640 mi, 10 hours 44 mins, US-287 N and I-40 ----- also doable.
:) Clicky for Sites & Sights Flagstaff to Grants, NM- with some in or near the 4Corners area Plus on to Santa Fe & Raton.
Denver to Dallas: 795 mi, 13 hours 52 mins, I-25 S & US-287 S ----- would be hard in one setting.
With one day for the graduation, leaves you 3 days for sightseeing/outings.
So many places possible, but limited with only 7 days to do the trip. Wow!
Could drive to the Texas Panhandle to Palo Duro or Caprock State Parks on way home from Denver.
Might want to check out (Instead of Palo Duro Canyon State Park), Caprock Canyons State Park, from what I have read, it seems like a very neat area to see. Caprock Canyons is home of the official Texas State Bison Herd. Activities: Viewing wildlife, Horseback riding, Hiking, Fishing, Picnicking, Swimming, Rock climbing, Mountain biking.
State Park Site *** More Info *** Some Pics
In NM, I'd go to Herron Lake State Park instead of El Vado as well. Tierra Amarilla & Heron Lake and the Chama Area in New Mexico.
Heron Lake State Park has a nice lake and hiking trails and creek fishing. The state park is about 20 miles from Chama, about 30 minutes. Heron Lake is an anglers delight, stocked with Rainbow Trout and Kokanee Salmon.
We have spent a bit of time at Heron Lake State Park near Chama, NM going back several years in the summers. But have not been there in some time. We did have a canoe and enjoyed canoeing on it. Chama is a neat place with a very nice steam train ride up into Colorado. The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. They fish the Chama River east of the Park to Chama as well as the river below the dam, leading from Heron Lake to El Vado Lake. A nice hike down to the river from the dam site. Heron Lake gets it water via a creek, mostly from Colorado.
If time allows check out the wool weavers workshop Tierra Wools in Los Ojos near the turn off to Heron Lake SP. Clicky
Two neat stops or side trips south of Heron Lake, north of Abiquiu, worth a see would be the Echo Amphitheater, a Natural rock formation, and the Ghost Ranch Piedra Lumbre Education and Visitor Center, located on U.S. Highway 84 just one mile north of the main Ghost Ranch entrance, has exhibits and a gift shop. A very nice museum in "O´Keefe Country." The Echo Amphitheater is past the visitor center some miles.
Leave out of Chama Area via the Cumbres Pass area at 10,022' in to Colorado would be worth your while. May get to see a train steaming by the area as well, neat to see and to hear it up there. It is real treat to see and hear the train pulling up or going down as well as seeing it crossing meadows up it the high country. Offers nice photo opts. They do a stop & fill the train with water up in the area as well.
The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad was originally constructed in 1880 as part of the Rio Grande's San Juan Extension, which served the silver mining district of the San Juan mountains in southwestern Colorado. Like all of the Rio Grande at the time, it was built to a gauge of 3 feet between the rails, instead of the more common 4 feet, 8-1/2 inches that became standard in the United States. The inability to interchange cars with other railroads led the Rio Grande to begin converting its tracks to standard gauge in 1890.
Eagle Nest is a neat area with a very nice natural lake with a small State Park Campground as well. Cimarron Canyon State Park is three miles east of Eagle Nest along US 64. Not far from Red River area and Taos. Cimarron Canyon would be nice for fishing.
Along I-25 in New Mexico:
By Raton, Sugarite Canyon State Park and between Raton and Las Vegas, Fort Union Nat'l Monument, and out from Raton, Capulin Volcano Nat'l Mon't. State Park Site :::::: Volcano
In and around Las Vegas, NM: Storrie Lake State Park by Las Vegas, Villanueva State Park & the picturesque Spanish-colonial village of Villanueva off I-25 between Las Vegas & Santa Fe, the Pecos National Historical Park Pecos Pueblo and other pueblo ruins & Battle of Glorieta Pass Civil War battle ground area.
More on Las Vegas. Montezuma Hot Springs might be neat. Driving into the Nat'l Forest is very neat & has some campgrounds and hiking trails up there. Clicky .... Camping Pecos (Glorieta Pass) & Las Vegas Areas as well as Hiking Trails.
Santa Fe Trail New Mexico National Scenic Byway might be a help.
Byways Link and more NM Byways.
Near Glorieta Pass, more info on the Civil War Battle of Glorieta.
Located on the Mountain Branch of the Santa Fe Trail, the old town of Cimarron, NM.
Northeast of Santa Fe, Off I-25 Fort Union Nat'l Mon't north of Las Vegas.
:C Santa Fe Sites & Sights
Santa Cruz Lake Recreation Area a BLM site with campgrounds is 30 miles north of Santa Fe. We have stayed there, a nice area. One campground overlooks the Lake, the other is down by it.
Some Colorado sites plus Chama/Heron State Park in New Mexico....... Colorado Springs... Sugarite Canyon State Park near Raton..... More Infomation on the area.
Might consider an overnight at Santa Rosa Lake State Park; Santa Rosa is west of Tucumcari/Amarillo on I-40.
To visit Santa Fe Area, take Exit 218 - US 285 N, off I-40 at Clines Corner, it is a good highway, easy grades which leads to I-25...West to Santa Fe on !-25 S.
Dallas to Santa Rosa: 531 mi, 8 hours 57 mins, US-287 N and I-40 W.
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DesertHawk
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01/22/12 04:39pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Class of 2013
Congrats on your upcoming retirement, we have been retired about 5 years now (loose tract of time now that we are not working), but I was somewhat older than you guys when I retired. However, we were both teachers & had a taste of retirement in the summers & did travel a bit while we were working. I would have taken off earlier with what I know now. Have never did snowbirding, but grew up in the RGV.
Maybe something in this old post will be of interest in your travels: Click :D for A Splattering of Sights & Sites Western US & Canada; Mostly Sites West of the Mississippi River with some Mid-West.
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DesertHawk
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01/21/12 11:14am |
Snowbirds
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RE: passing through bismark
Seems to have two Wal-marts which allow Overnight stays, but wouldn't hurt to call to be sure in June.
www.allstays.com Map
Walmart Supercenter (North of I-94 ; Off US 83 - somewhat in the country, edge of the city)
1400 Skyline Blvd, Bismarck ND 58503
701-323-0530
Walmart Supercenter
2717 Rock Island Place, Bismarck ND 58503
701-223-3066
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DesertHawk
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01/19/12 08:42pm |
Public Lands, Boondocking and Dry Camping
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RE: Headed to Az in a couple weeks for first time..
Never been to the Ajo Area of Arizona myself, but it seems the Bayfield Bunch really like the area. Not sure about gold prospection, but there were mines in the area in the past.
They are back again & talk about neighbors & campgrounds at times. Mostly boondockers, themselves. Bloggers from Canada Plenty of jeep trails it seems.
There are loads of folks camping in & around Quartzsite, which was founded on gold mining....I assume there could be some gold left.
Other links:
AZ Gold Prospecting
Metal Detection
Video
Now if I knew anything about Gold Prospecting & had a place in which I could find Gold....I'd be the last one to pass on the information. :B
In Arizona there are neat things to do & see, the Chiricahua National Monument by Wilcox is a neat place. The Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum, just west of Tucson is really great (a zoo mainly without bars mostly) is over on the west side of Tucson by the Saguaro Nat'l Park and Old Tucson (the movie set/theme park). The Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum is a must see for sure. Tucson Mountain Park and Gilbert Ray Campground in near by. I drove into the campground last spring, it wouldn't be a bad place to spend some time. I believe it is first come/first served which I prefer. Kartchner Caverns State Park from what I have read should also be a neat place, we have not gone yet.
My Daughter & family live in Tucson, which has proven to be a neat city, easy to get around in, with many things to see and do around it. Never camped there, however. But visit often. Maybe something in this will help out: :) Clicky.
Both East & West Sections of Saguaro National Park were neat to see, we enjoyed the Tucson Botanical Gardens & the Sabino Canyon with hikes there. Reid Park Zoo is a nice small zoo as well. Can't help on finding gold.
If you happen to drive through Southern New Mexico & Las Cruces on your way to Arizona, perhaps you can find something in this old post on Las Cruces Area for places to eat with camping and attractions in the area. Leasburg Dam State Park near Las Cruces, nice desert camping above the Rio Grande if needing a different place to stay in the area. Fort Selden State Monument is just next door as well. Ft. Selden was the boyhood home of Gen. Douglas McArthur.
If you are looking for things New Mexican, just to the west of Las Cruces is Historic Old Mesilla. If you will be looking for Indian jewelry or other crafts, Mesilla may have better buys than up north, mostly the same stuff. Shopping in Mesilla
Off US 70 between Las Cruces & Alamogordo, White Sands Nat'l Monument - Alamogordo Area. North of Alamogordo and/or East of San Antonio near Carrizozo, Valley of Fires BLM Campground is a first rate campground with electric & water hookups, good dump station and a fine shower house. Pics & description can be found: Campground and Cloudcrof, Lincoln/Capitan, Carrizozo/White Oaks. (No camping in Cloudcroft now, but Valley of Fires would be open for camping.)
West of Las Cruces on I-10, Pancho Villa SP is south of Deming right on the Mexican Border. North of Deming towards Silver City is City of Rocks State Park. I've never been to Pancho Villa, but have enjoyed out trips & stays at City of Rocks.
Silver City Area -Videos
Not sure about prospecting (I know some have done so; there are many old mines in the Organ Mts), there are lots of jeep trails on BLM land which we used to enjoy. Next month they are having a rock crawling event, the 2012 Chile Challenge.
Since first seeing the Organs after waking up after an overnight on a trip to SoCal, we have never gotten tired of seeing them change with the time of day & the seasons:
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/aOrgansfromFR.jpg
Organ Mountains from the NM Farm & Ranch Museum 10 Jan. '12.
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/2008%20Yamaha%20XT250/DSC00068.jpg
Organs in the Pink...nearing sundown.
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/2008%20Yamaha%20XT250/DSC00065.jpghttp://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/2008%20Yamaha%20XT250/DSC02271.jpg
Road to Dripping Springs & Baylor Canyon Rd.
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/CAR%20IN%20TREES/DSC02211.jpg
Windmill off Baylor Canyon Rd.
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/2008%20Yamaha%20XT250/DSC00050.jpg
At the Trail Head Soledad Canyon BLM Day Use Area East of Las Cruces in Organ Mts.
Good Luck!
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DesertHawk
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01/19/12 03:27pm |
Snowbirds
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RE: Las Cruces NM
Maybe you can find something in this old post on Las Cruces area NM Mexican food plus camping and attractions in the area. Leasburg Dam State Park near Las Cruces, nice desert camping above the Rio Grande if needing a different place to stay in the area. Fort Selden State Monument is just next door as well. Ft. Selden was the boyhood home of Gen. Douglas McArthur.
If you are looking for things New Mexican, just to the west of Las Cruces is Historic Old Mesilla. If you will be looking for Indian jewelry or other crafts, Mesilla may have better buys than up north, mostly the same stuff. Shopping in Mesilla
Off US 70 between Las Cruces & Alamogordo, White Sands Nat'l Monument - Alamogordo Area. North of Alamogordo and/or East of San Antonio near Carrizozo, Valley of Fires BLM Campground is a first rate campground with electric & water hookups, good dump station and a fine shower house. Pics & description can be found: Campground and Cloudcrof, Lincoln/Capitan, Carrizozo/White Oaks. (No camping in Cloudcroft now, but Valley of Fires would be open for camping.)
West of Las Cruces on I-10, Pancho Villa SP is south of Deming right on the Mexican Border. North of Deming towards Silver City is City of Rocks State Park. I've never been to Pancho Villa, but have enjoyed out trips & stays at City of Rocks.
Silver City Area -Videos
We have been finding Sites & Sights of interest in the Las Cruces Area for some 40 years, hope you can find something to enjoy. If you have a 4x4 or off road bike, there are many more which I did not list. But you might be here for the 2012 Chile Challenge.
Since first seeing the Organs after waking up after an overnight on a trip to SoCal, we have never gotten tired of seeing them change with the time of day & the seasons:
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/aOrgansfromFR.jpg
Organ Mountains from the NM Farm & Ranch Museum 10 Jan. '12.
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/2008%20Yamaha%20XT250/DSC00068.jpg
Organs in the Pink...nearing sundown.
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/2008%20Yamaha%20XT250/DSC00065.jpghttp://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/2008%20Yamaha%20XT250/DSC02271.jpg
Road to Dripping Springs & Baylor Canyon Rd.
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/CAR%20IN%20TREES/DSC02211.jpg
Windmill off Baylor Canyon Rd.
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/2008%20Yamaha%20XT250/DSC00050.jpg
At the Trail Head Soledad Canyon BLM Day Use Area East of Las Cruces in Organ Mts.
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/2008%20Yamaha%20XT250/DSC00161.jpg
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/2008%20Yamaha%20XT250/DSC00149.jpg http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/2008%20Yamaha%20XT250/DSC001561ax.jpg
East Side of Organs
North of Mesilla Stahmanns & other Pecan Groves
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/CAR%20IN%20TREES/DSC02291.jpg
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/CAR%20IN%20TREES/DSC02288.jpg
Stahmanns Farms Pecan Grove (will not have any leaves on them next month).
Things to Do and Ditto
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DesertHawk
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01/18/12 10:36pm |
RV Parks, National Parks, State Campgrounds & More
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RE: Towing With a Conversion Van
In the mid-1990s, we towed a 20' Komfort Lite Bunkhouse TT with a 1/2 ton Chevy Conversion Van. It worked well for us for several years. The rear seat would fold out into a bed.
Not sure, but perhaps a 3/4 ton van would work. I see many people towing with Vans...a conversion van shouldn't be much different.
Might see if the Chrysler Sprint Van come as a conversion, see them used as tow vehicle as well. Should give a lot of room.
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DesertHawk
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01/18/12 10:29pm |
Tow Vehicles
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RE: Places to stay and things to see????
In Arizona, the Chiricahua National Monument by Wilcox is a neat place. The Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum, just west of Tucson is really great (a zoo mainly without bars mostly) is over on the west side of Tucson by the Saguaro Nat'l Park and Old Tucson (the movie set/theme park). The Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum is a must see for sure. Tucson Mountain Park and Gilbert Ray Campground in near by. I drove into the campground last spring, it wouldn't be a bad place to spend some time. I believe it is first come/first served which I prefer. Kartchner Caverns State Park from what I have read should also be a neat place, we have not gone yet.
My Daughter & family live in Tucson, which has proven to be a neat city, easy to get around in, with many things to see and do around it. Never camped there, however. But visit often. Maybe something in this will help out: :) Clicky.
Both East & West Sections of Saguaro National Park were neat to see, we enjoyed the Tucson Botanical Gardens & the Sabino Canyon with hikes there. Reid Park Zoo is a nice small zoo as well.
:) Clicky for Sites & Sights Flagstaff to Grants, NM- with some in or near the 4Corners area Plus on to Santa Fe.
More 4Corners:
Navajo Lake/Farmington Area ( http://www.farmingtonnm.org/pages/nm-whattosee.html ). State Park on Navajo Lake
Years ago, we stopped at Aztec Ruins National Monument in the City of Aztec, which is near Bloomfield. Both East of Farmington.
The Salmon Ruins & Heritage Park by Bloomfield is one of the largest outlying colonies built in the Chacoan style during the 11th century. 10 miles east of Farmington on Hwy. 64. We have not been there. Might be neat to see.
:@ Chaco Culture National Historical Park is south of Bloomfield/Farmington off US 550, but can be a bugger to get to in an RV. Very neat if you can make it, however. http://www.farmingtonnm.org/pages/chaco.html
http://www.nps.gov/chcu/index.htm
In Colorado, above the Farmington Area there is Mesa Verde:
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/Travels%202010/DSC01973.jpg
http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll120/DesertHawk46/Travels%202010/DSC01984.jpg
Mesa Verde Nat'l Mon't
Another possible side route & things to check out, US 64 to Tierra Amarilla & Heron Lake and the Chama Area in New Mexico.
Heron Lake State Park has a nice lake and hiking trails and creek fishing. The state park is about 20 miles from Chama, about 30 minutes. Heron Lake is an anglers delight, stocked with Rainbow Trout and Kokanee Salmon.
We have spent a bit of time at Heron Lake State Park near Chama, NM going back several years in the summers. But have not been there in some time. We did have a canoe and enjoyed canoeing on it. Chama is a neat place with a very nice steam train ride up into Colorado. The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. They fish the Chama River east of the Park to Chama as well as the river below the dam, leading from Heron Lake to El Vado Lake. A nice hike down to the river from the dam site. Heron Lake gets it water via a creek, mostly from Colorado.
If time allows check out the wool weavers workshop Tierra Wools in Los Ojos near the turn off to Heron Lake SP. Clicky
Two neat stops or side trips south of Heron Lake, north of Abiquiu, worth a see would be the Echo Amphitheater, a Natural rock formation, and the Ghost Ranch Piedra Lumbre Education and Visitor Center, located on U.S. Highway 84 just one mile north of the main Ghost Ranch entrance, has exhibits and a gift shop. A very nice museum in "O´Keefe Country." The Echo Amphitheater is past the visitor center some miles.
A side trip out of Chama to the Cumbres Pass area at 10,022' in to Colorado would be worth your while. May get to see a train steaming by the area as well, neat to see and to hear it up there. It is real treat to see and hear the train pulling up or going down as well as seeing it crossing meadows up it the high country. Offers nice photo opts. They do a stop & fill the train with water up in the area as well.
The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad was originally constructed in 1880 as part of the Rio Grande's San Juan Extension, which served the silver mining district of the San Juan mountains in southwestern Colorado. Like all of the Rio Grande at the time, it was built to a gauge of 3 feet between the rails, instead of the more common 4 feet, 8-1/2 inches that became standard in the United States. The inability to interchange cars with other railroads led the Rio Grande to begin converting its tracks to standard gauge in 1890.
There's a lots to see in and around Taos, such as art galleries, Kit Carson's Home & Museum, Taos Pueblo, take a trip to Eagle Nest/Angle Fire, Cimarron Canyon, Red River and the Rio Grande Gorge. Also http://taosvacationguide.com/.
Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park was a very moving place when we visited, by Eagle Nest/Angle Fire.
Eagle Nest is a neat area with a very nice natural lake with a small State Park Campground as well. Cimarron Canyon State Park is three miles east of Eagle Nest along US 64. Not far from Red River area and Taos.
Remember: Much of these in higher elevations would be subject to having Weather on your side in March & April.
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DesertHawk
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01/18/12 03:29pm |
Class A Motorhomes
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RE: Best date for trip out west?
A trip in the Spring....Depending on the elevation and how far south you are looking....Spring can happen early in places and later in others. As for being too hot to visit in the summer, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona have some Alpine areas which can be very mild to down right cold in the summer in the higher altitudes. Bring some warm clothes with you for the cool areas as well as shorts for the hot. NM will tend to be cooler in most places than say Arizona. Our 110 degrees will not be as bad as your 90 degrees due to the dryness of the heat.
Southern New Mexico & Arizona will warm up earlier than the Northern areas of these states. However, we normally get wind & often wind & dust in the Spring when Pacific Fronts start to come through (we get wind & dust, Texas, OK and on ward get tornados). When this happens, don't travel for a day, maybe two, until it calms down.
For more northern tiers it will take somewhat long for Spring to arrive. May would be pretty good for the southern areas, June for some of the northern.
We had some cool to cold tempts camping in the Cloudcroft area in July as we did the summer.
Depending on if the areas are in severe drought conditions (like last year---most being closed due to fires or dangers of fire), the national forests might be closed to camping. Praying for snow & rain, still. It was end of Aug before we got to camping close to us.
Our End of August ~ Early September Camping Trip last year: Clicky
Another Spring Time post.
Summer in NM, etc.
Save Colorado & Wyoming for later in the year.....some places there will not be Spring like until June and July. I'd suggest starting in the southern part of the Southwest & work your way up to Wyoming.
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DesertHawk
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01/17/12 03:40pm |
Roads and Routes
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