Wild west adventures. LA to Big Bend and back.
We recently set off on our 5th western adventure from the UK and as usual, we had a fantastic time.
We will cover over 3700 miles, visit 5 States (California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas), 6 National parks, plus National Monuments and State Parks while discovering some history of the 'Wild west'.
Here follows our Trip report.
We had always travelled to the USA sometime between mid September and early November in the past, but due to circumstance we missed out on our 2018 tour and was determined to make it during 2019. I kept browsing and 'Day dreaming' about our next trip throughout 2018 and then during an Internet search, right there in front of me was a great value flight from Heathrow to LA departing in February. Sometimes you click on these 'Too good to be true ' flight deals only to discover they are too good to be true and you are directed to an updated page with 'fresh' prices. On this occasion I went to the booking page, filled out all the details and there it was staring me in the face ! What could I do ? I clicked 'Buy now' and that was that. Big Bend was on our 'To do' list and it seemed an ideal time to visit, before Spring break starts and before it heats up too much, so that was the focus of the trip and the full planning begun. I waited for a while for a decent deal to appear on Cruise America's website and then there it was, a mileage reduction charge of 9 cents a mile and a good rental deal of $850 for 17 nights. ( A 9 cent per mile saving doesn't sound much, but the kind of mileage we cover it was a saving of almost $350 !) We decided on a 25ft RV as there was just the 2 of us travelling this time and some of the upcoming roads and campgrounds had length limits starting from 24 feet.
Day 1. 17th February 2019.
We had a 10:30am flight departing from London Heathrow, which I think is an ideal time for an International flight. We didn't have to get up too early and with the time difference it gets us into LA around 2:30pm (local time) and by the time you have cleared customs and got to your Hotel it's normally close to 5pm. As beat as we were, we always resist having a lay down and instead have a coffee, freshen up and walk around the block and find something to eat around 6pm. Our Hotel was the Baymont in Lawndale CA which hasn't a great deal to offer in the neighbourhood, but it did offer the furthest free shuttle bus service from LAX that put us the closest to the Cruise America pick up site and offered good value. I had found a nice little Burger bar just a couple of blocks away called 'Corner Burger' that had good reviews and seemed ideal for a couple of tired travellers who had been awake for over 20 hours and who wouldn't really appreciate a 'full on' slap up meal. We ordered our food and sat at a counter, while we were waiting the local fire crew turned up in their fire truck to pick up their food order. Promising sign ! Yep, the Burger and fries were great, so after we walked it off for a few blocks and returned to the Hotel we were ready for a good nights sleep.
Day 2. 18th Feb.
The hotel offered a free Continental breakfast which turned out to be pretty good, by the time we had showered our pre-booked taxi arrived at 11am sharp to take us to the RV centre. We hadn't arranged an early pick up with Cruise America (which is normally from 1pm) but I thought we would show up early and hope for the best. They were really good and we had sorted the paper work, loaded up the RV and was ready to hit the road shortly before 1pm. First it was a 400 yard drive to the gas station, the RV was low on fuel and $145 later we were topped up and heading north on I-405. The traffic (as expected) was busy but flowing OK with a few snarl up's close to LAX and where the I-405 joins I-5. The congestion gradually eased and we made reasonable progress before taking CA14 through Palmdale towards Mojave where we stopped to shop for supplies. Snow capped mountains had come into view and the excitement and realisation hit home. We're back !
Click here for this RTA Library Map
North through Antelope Valley Lancaster CA.
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We drove through Red rock canyon. It was our intention to stop for a break, but the parking area sign appeared rather quickly, to quick to slow the RV for the turn in. As the time was getting on we decided to keep going rather than turn back. It was good to be driving among Red rocks once more though!
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Highway 14 then merged with US395 and we were on the home straight to our overnight stop, the Olancha RV park. First of all we needed to top up with fuel ready to tackle Death valley in the morning, so we stopped at Pearsonville as scheduled and payed the 'Hubcap Lady' a visit. Pearsonville came into being when the Pearson family started a wreckers yard and grew as a business rescuing stranded motorists in this remote area and clearing wrecks from the road. Lucy Pearson started collecting Hubcaps and was said to have collected something like 80,000 of them and after a couple of TV appearances was dubbed the Hubcap lady and Pearsonvile became known as the 'Hubcap capital of the world'. There isn't much sign of the wreckers yard there these days and it's a bit of a ghost town, but the 'Hubcap girl' still watches the Highway. Another $72 for the thirsty RV and it's on our way.
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So it was a short run to Olancha in the dark. There was no sign of life in the office as we pulled up but there were lights on in the Cafe. The folks that run it were inside but there were no customers. It looked cosy with the log fire burning on this cold night so we asked what time they were closing. They said soon, but if we wanted to eat they would stay open. We said yes please ! We were shown to our site and walked back over to the cafe. They were very welcoming and put more logs on the fire and we didn't feel rushed at all. They brought us drinks while we studied the menu, I decided on steak (no surprise!) and Lezli had Quesadilla with a chicken filling. The food was delicious in this place in the middle of nowhere. Great find !
Olancha RV park. You can rent a Wig Wam to !
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Olancha Cafe. Great food !
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We returned to the RV as the temps dropped well below freezing (it did get down to -7C) and made the bed up, unpacked our cases, had a hot drink, turned the Furnace on low and got tucked in for the night. I did not connect to the water mains due to the low temperatures which turned out to be a good call, the outside pipes froze overnight but having the furnace on protected the RV lines.
Todays mileage: 206 miles.
More good stuff on-the-roll
Looking forward to reading this field report!
Mark
To Darwin and Death valley.
Day 3. 19th February.
Our bed was pretty comfy but it was a bit of a restless night as the furnace kicked in noisily through the night. It was time to get up, put the kettle on and turn the furnace up to take the cold chill off the RV. It looked as though the RV park was working on a new shower block but the existing one was cold and bit shabby so we washed in the RV. Although it was cold it was a beautiful bright morning so we wandered off to the cafe for breakfast, only to find it closed so we went back to the RV and had some cereal. I checked the oil in the RV and had a walk around checking tyres etc and it was about time to hit the road.
The RV seems bigger inside, but like I said we got a good price !!
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Oops, wrong photo. Haha. This was the beautiful view we woke up to.
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Click here for this RTA Library Map
We left the campground and headed a short way up US395 before right turning onto CA190 towards Death valley. The winds were ripping through Owens Valley and buffeting the RV all the way to the junction with CA136, resulting in me having to wrestle the steering wheel a few times just to keep it straight. The views of the snow capped Inyo mountains ahead were wonderful and in contrast to the desert sand blowing across the road.
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Our first stop of the day meant a short detour to the old mining town of Darwin, it's part ghost town but has a population of somewhere between 35 to 50 residents who still choose to live in this remote place. They seem to be made up of artists and people who want to get away from the everyday 'normal'. There were some Internet murmurings that some are none too friendly and they do nothing to encourage visitors to the town which is fair enough, if you choose such a tough life to get away from people why would you encourage them to visit ? I respect that but my curiosity got the better of me and I just had to have a look at this small but historic town. At it's peak Darwin had a number of residents (some reports suggest 'more than 700' while others say up to 3,500) starting out as a tent canvas town and then building permanent structures as the mining boomed, including bars, Hotels and stores. It was also a pretty lawless, rough place to live with regular hold ups and murders regarded as normal during it's Hey days of the 1870's. There is no church and no school and residents drive into Lone Pine for supplies.
On the way down the road there was a spur road that went up the hill towards some cabins which made up the old mining camp. A warning sign was the only welcome and it was unclear as to whether it meant the whole area, or just the mine road.
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So we cruised on down the road that we thought led to town and it came into sight tucked away down in the valley. Lezli was a little concerned but I reassured her everything was OK, by pointing out that if we can see them, they can see us and no one is shooting at us. (Yeah, I'm not so good at this reassuring thing !) We stopped at the main crossroads in town which must be 'Downtown Darwin' as there is a music hall, post office and a parking lot.
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I turned to the street after taking a few photos and there was a big black dog right there staring at me, poker faced and offering no clue as to what he was thinking. No smiley face, no wagging tail just a cold stare. I have learnt that if a dog isn't barking at you, it's either friendly but needs no petting, or it wants to rip your leg off without warning. So I put the camera down by my side and stepped onto the dusty road with my trigger finger ready to shoot (A photo) and gave him my best Clint Eastwood ice cold stare and nodded my head to acknowledge Black dog. Your move ! He tilted his head, turned and strutted off. Phew ! There was not a sign of anyone around the town and it was time to head off as quietly as we had arrived and leave the locals to their solitude. For those that live there I salute you for having the courage and conviction to do what your heart tells you to.
We returned to Highway 190 and continued across the Panamint mountains to Panamint Springs. The road climbed and twisted it's way through rock cuts and the views were wonderful. We stopped at Father Crowley overlook which had lovely views over Rainbow canyon, I presume so called for the multi coloured layers of rock. Apparently it's a popular spot for jet fighter pilots to practice and hone their low level flying skills through the valley beneath but no luck for us on that front. There was an icy cold wind that was howling and frozen puddles along the dirt road had ice over an inch thick in them, had we not known differently we would of thought Death valley was so named as people froze to death !
We returned to the relative warmth of the RV and continued to the Panamint Springs resort where we enjoyed an overpriced hot dog and fries with a hot mug of coffee outside on the veranda enjoying the views. (It was warmer and less windy) We couldn't complain though, a place out in the sticks like this brings different challenges and we were happy of the welcome break and to pay the price it takes to keep it open.
Father Crowley overlook.
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Panamint Springs.
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Once we have finished lunch we head through Death valley to Las Vegas for a bit of a reunion!
..and on to 'Bright lights City' !
Day 3 Cont.....
As we walked back to the RV I noticed the gas prices in the Panamint gas station and was glad I had filled up at Pearsonville. It was $5:49 per gallon and is known to be the dearest place to get fuel in Death valley, perhaps the country !?!
Click here for this RTA Library Map
We stopped at Stovepipe Wells at the Ranger station to purchase our National parks Annual pass only to find the Station closed for lunch. There was a ticket machine outside so we followed the instructions only to discover it had no option for the Annual pass, only visits to Death valley, so we cancelled it and decided to get one later on. (The annual pass offers great value and starts to save you money after you have visited 3 major parks and as the name suggests, it's valid for 1 year and you can visit as many parks as many times as you like.)
Back on the road and heading towards Las Vegas for our reunion with Mark and Megan we still had a few stops to make. First up was the Mesquite sand dunes. They looked fantastic with the afternoon sun lighting them up, it's so difficult to appreciate the size of them, that is until you realise that it's people walking across them in the distance.
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We continued to Furnace Creek and onto Badwater basin. On our previous visit to Death valley we hadn't time to see this highlight 'low' point of Death valley. Neither had we driven Artists drive as last time we were in a 30ft RV and there is a length restriction of 25ft, so firstly it was a detour onto this one way drive. It's a 9 mile work of art as you make your way past many multi coloured hills with dips and turns in the road, revealling new shapes and colours around each corner. The highlight being the colours of the Artists Palette, it's hard to believe that it's natural.
Artists Drive.
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Artists Palette.
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You soon understand why the length restriction is in place. There are some tight sections through rock cut that would be tricky in a longer vehicle, especially with the width of a Class 'C' RV.
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We returned to Badwater road and headed south to the basin, this is the lowest point in the USA at 282 feet below sea level. The further we had headed into Death valley the warmer it had become and now as we walk out onto the salt flat, things start to heat up. I would estimate it to be in the high 60's (F) and quite a contrast to this mornings 19F. I can only imagine what it must be like in the summer when temperatures soar and the heat reflects back up off the floor.
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Hard to imagine standing 282 feet below sea level, but eagle eyed Lezli spotted the sea level sign up the rock face opposite.
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Once again the clock was ticking and we were keen to to see Mark and Megan who had kindly invited us to stay at their pad, so it was back on the road. We continued to Shoshone and through Tecopa Hot Springs to Tecopa and headed east on the Old Spanish Trail Hwy and across the Nevada State line near Charleston view. As we climbed up the hill on 160 we caught a glimpse of Vegas through the hills. We had to slow for road construction and the road had become a bit slick with snow on either side, which was a bit of a surprise to us so near Vegas !
Just outside of Tecopa Hot springs.
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We eventually rolled into Vegas and met up with Mark and Megan at their 'Pad'. As always we received a lovely warm welcome, it really was great to see them again. Soon after arriving we were off to the 'M' bar, located on the top floor of the 'M' resort and casino for pre-dinner cocktails ! We all had a different cocktail and played 'pass the parcel', having a taste of each. (Mine was the best !!) Looking out of the glass frontage from the comfort of our chairs you could see Vegas lit up like a Christmas tree. As it had been cold and windy the outside balcony was closed, but after Mark had a word they opened it so we could step outside and soak up the view. It certainly was cold but well worth it ! It was time to head back to the Pad where Mark and Megan served a wonderful meal and we shared a few more drinks and good conversation. Us Brits must have brought a little bit of England with us, for there were light snow flurries as Mark was cooking on the BBQ out on the patio. A few drinks later we were ready to call it a night ready for our day out tomorrow.
The Gang !
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Todays mileage: 280 miles. Total mileage: 486.
Been looking forward to this report like everyone else.
Loving the report Dave. Do you think Lezli could take a picture of your Clint Eastwood look? Loved to have seen the standoff. Great to see you both caught up with Mark and Megan. Awesome couple.
Keith
Who is the devil on the left?
Hmmmm.
I look slightly demented or maybe "possessed" in that photo.
But very cute of the other three models!
Mark
Plan 'B' and 'C' and working on 'D'.
Day 5. February 21st.
Having kept an eye on the weather forecasts and road conditions it was obvious I was going to have to come up with a plan 'B'. I knew there was a risk of snow in Sedona during February, (I was actually looking forward to some as the snow would of made great photos among the red rock country)but the town was facing record amounts of the white stuff and all warnings were to avoid the area unless absolutely necessary, with a possible 3-4 feet of snow laying over the next 2 days. (Even I wasn't that foolish) After Sedona we had planned to visit Roosevelt lake and overnight there, but that to was experiencing bad weather so the idea was to give the whole area a wide berth. The edge of the storm front to the southwest was forecast as mainly grey sky's producing drizzle and occasional rain so I thought it would be cool to drive through the Mojave Preserve and settle down in Lake Havasu for the night and continue from there towards Tucson where we had a dinner date with Buck (AZBuck) and Debby on Saturday, giving us one more overnight stop should we need it. So we had another wonderful breakfast at the Pad and then I needed to top the RV up with fuel before getting out of town. Mark offered to ride 'Shotgun' with me to the local Costco as his card would save money, Megan and Lezli followed in the car. That was welcome as it probably saved me around $50 to top it up, although that was short lived as the ladies disappeared into the store while we were filling up ! (In truth I benefited as Lezli had found me a nice fleece for a good price)
It was a bitter sweet moment as we had the excitement of the road ahead, but we were sad to say goodbye to Mark and Megan who had been wonderful hosts and great company. We also knew it was likely to be at least 2 years before we saw them again. Back on the road we headed down I-15 towards the Mojave, the road was quiet and clear but it wasn't long before the weather closed in and the drizzle turned to slushy snow.
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A few minutes later we saw a flashing board declaring the Interstate closed at Primm. At this point I didn't know what that meant for us, but we had no choice but to continue south anyway. It wasn't long before we got onto the back of a traffic queue almost at a standstill. All the traffic was being sent off the Interstate into Primm, so I headed for a large car park and parked up to look at the map. Primm is a border town offering a first (or last) chance to gamble in Nevada for those leaving (or entering) California and other than unmade roads there was no way out except for the Interstate. Basically we were stuck here along with the big rigs around us. Some cars started pouring out along the dirt road past Ivanpah lake towards the Nipton road. We decided to make a cup of tea and wait a while as I watched cars cutting the dirt road up more and more, turning it into a mud bath, and more and more were turning back after travelling a few hundred yards. I put my coat on and went and spoke to a couple of truckers to see if I could get any further info, but they were no wiser than me. I started to think about heading back to Vegas and across to US95 to head south, but I didn't want to add those miles if the Interstate were to open in the next hour or so. With no Internet, I contacted my buddy Mark back at the Pad to see if he could gather some info, he got back to me in no time at all to tell us the Interstate is unlikely to open any time soon and with ice and snow having caused many vehicles to spin out, they had closed it right the way through to Baker, or Barstow was it ? Whatever it was, we weren't heading south anytime soon ! Mark automatically invited us back to the Pad for another night and after a slight hesitation (as we didn't want to be a pain) I gratefully accepted his offer. (It turned out to be a blessing as US95 had now shut down unbeknown to me !)
So plan 'C' was in operation and we headed back to the Pad where we were made welcome once more. We chilled out for a little while and I started thinking about plan 'D'. I also emailed Rancho Sedona RV site as soon as I could to say that we wouldn't make it there as planned, so that anyone stranded in Sedona will be able to take advantage of the available site. (I had no reply but on returning home I discovered they had given us a full refund.) The evening came and we headed out to the Tuscany and watched a young 'Crooner' called Jonathan Karrant perform some good old time songs with his band in the Piazza lounge while enjoying some nibbles and yep, some more beer ! (quite a few actually) The disappointment of putting Sedona back on the 'to do' list (again) was long gone and we were grateful of this 'Bonus' night with Mark and Megan. We went back to the Pad and out came the 'Quiddler' game once more for a 'Bonus' round and a cracking night.
(Mark and Megan must work tirelessly trying and testing out these amazing bars ! I guess someone has to do it !) Haha
Today's mileage. 80 miles. Total :566.
All part of Road tripping adventures.
Hey Rick.
Yep, you know it's a special event when the Locals are surprised by the conditions ! The winter weather left behind a few more surprises for us along the way, even after days of blue sky's and warm sun in parts.
Dave.
Cowboys, Indians and Mexican bandits !
Day 9. February 25th.
After our relatively relaxed day yesterday we are up at 7am this morning looking forward to the day ahead. After a coffee we get showered and walk around the corner to the O.K. Cafe and have a fabulous breakfast and a laugh and joke with the Locals. We then head into town to look around a couple of stores and buy a couple of T shirts. We had enjoyed Tombstone and it's interesting buildings, the Old Courthouse, the Birdcage Theatre, Big Nose Kates saloon and the Fallen Angel sweet sin Parlour. which isn't what you might think !! The Sin Parlour sells naughty delights such as ice cream and fudge. (Yes Keithg we sampled them, lots of lovely flavours !) Although it's touristy it is still a working, living town with much to offer.
Back at the RV park we disconnected the electric and water and took a short drive up the road to a 'Circle K' for fuel and supplies. This was close to Boothill Graveyard so I asked for permission to leave the RV parked up there while we walked up the hill to take a look. Outside was a rusting hearse with bones inside it and messages written on it such as' "Why walk around half dead when we can bury you for $49:50" I'll pass on today's special offer I think. At $3 per person entry fee we decided to have a quick walk around the graveyard. The lady at the desk gave us a leaflet and marked the graves of some significance while telling us some stories, she was really pleasant and most helpful. She pointed out one grave for Lester Moore who's grave read '4 slugs from a 44. No Les no more.' It's more famously known for being the final resting place to the victims of the shoot out at the OK Coral.
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Click here for this RTA Library Map
It was time to hit the road and make our way to Chiricahua National Monument, heading south out of town and along Davis road to McNeal and north on US 191 to AZ181 through Sunizona. Before arriving at the Monument we had considered detouring along Turkey creek road to look at the resting place of Johnny Ringo, a notorious figure in, and around Tombstone, but as his grave site is a little way out and on private land we decided to carry on past. We could see snow on top of the Chiricahua mountains and as we got closer there was snow on either side of the road, the scenery was very pretty. We pulled into the visitor centre to have a quick look and to purchase our Annual pass that we still hadn't done. No luck, it's a free park and so doesn't sell passes. With the snow on the ground I thought I would check to see if they may have any information as to the condition of the unmade Apache Pass road that goes to Fort Bowie. They hadn't heard any horror stories but said it's likely to be soft and slick in places due to rain and snow melt and then asked what we were driving. When I replied "an RV" they said perhaps I should give it a miss or go the long way around via Wilcox and the town of Bowie. That would of added 50 miles and an hour or more to our day, time we didn't have to spare. Anyway, we headed up Bonita Canyon to some beautiful and dramatic scenery of rock columns and balanced rocks among the snowy, forested valleys. The fact it is steeped in American west history connected to the Apache wars, where warriors such as Cochise and Geronimo roamed and fought, made it even more fascinating.
The road was fun to drive, it was quite twisty and narrow in places with a length restriction that wouldn't of allowed access had we chosen the larger RV. We stopped at Echo point before continuing to the end of the road and walking around the Massai Point trail.
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One last question I had asked in the visitor centre was "Do you think Apache Pass road would of been OK if we were in a normal sedan?" The answer was "Yes, we think so". That was good enough for me so we headed back down the canyon and towards Fort Bowie.
Apache Pass road to Fort Bowie.
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Going to have to finish this days tale later.
I want to be a cowboy when I grow up !
Thanks Keith. It's nice to go through the photos and notes I made when I get a bit of time. When we got home we 'hit the ground running' so this report gives me some time to reflect. (It seems like a long time ago now !) And yep, the trip was partly to do with my big 'six 0' year and also mine and Lezli's 30th Wedding Anniversary later in the year. (Shame it's only the one trip ! Ha ha)
Dave.
Fort Bowie to Pancho Villa State park.
Day 9 cont..
The Apache pass road to Fort Bowie was a bit slick on top but generally in good shape. As we got nearer the Fort parking area the road got a bit narrower and twisty, with some dips that contained water deeper than you may think, turning the road surface underneath a bit mushy, but not a problem with a bit of commitment driving through.
Click here for this RTA Library Map
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To get to the Fort you have to tackle a 3 mile round hike but it's quite an easy one, at least at this time of year. I would imagine the heat of the summer may make it more challenging. It was 4pm on arrival so we kept up quite a brisk pace hoping to catch the visitor centre open but it was closed by the time we got there. I didn't realise it closes at 4:15pm, or else we could of taken it easier knowing it would of been impossible to make it. (We had wanted to purchase our Annual parks pass and Lezli wanted to collect a National park pin badge for the 3 mile hike.) We sat on the timber porch of the visitor centre and took in the views of the mountains and Fort remains that are spread over a large area. We were the only people there and you could of heard a pin drop !
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Fort Bowie was constructed in 1862 after two conflicts between the US army and the Apaches caused a lot of unrest in the area. The first was known as the Bascom affair, Apache's were accused of raiding a ranch and it's owner demanded the troops take action, which they did. Then there was the infamous battle of Apache Pass when the army retaliated to an ambush on a regiment of soldiers. Apache Spring was an important source of water which made Apache Pass an important passageway on the Butterfield Stage trail so the Fort was established to protect the area. The confrontations continued for over 30 years and eventually resulted in the surrender of Geronimo. Growing up as a child watching old wild west movies I found it all quite fascinating ! (Fort Bowie being subject to one of these old movies)
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The Fort cemetery was actually created before the Fort and has been restored by the National park service having been damaged by time and cattle grazing around the grounds and grave markers. One of the headboards is marked 'Little Robe. Son of Geronimo' who died at the age of 2 years from (suspected) dysentery. The soldiers were said to love the little fella running around the Fort (after part of a tribe including woman and children were captured) and buried him there after his passing.
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We continued our stroll back to the RV where we made ourselves a snack and a cup of tea before getting back on the road. We still had 150 miles to go to our destination, Pancho Villa State park that was named after a Mexican Bandit, or Revolutionary if you prefer. The sun was already going down behind the Dos Cabezas mountains as we continued on Apache Pass towards the town of Bowie, but I was pleased to get off the unmade section of road before dark. The fiery glow of the sunset tried to grab my attention, but it was fully on the road as black cows wandered about the road in the fading light. (That could get messy!)
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We passed acres and acres of Pistachio trees before arriving at Bowie where we got onto I-10 and 'hot tailed' it to Deming, we then exited I-10 and headed south to Columbus NM and Pancho Villa State park. We arrived around 8:30pm to a night sky that was ablaze with stars. We sat outside with a nice bowl of soup and bread and admired the scene, washed it down with a nice smoothing brandy before turning in for the night. Twas a good day !
Today's mileage: 270 miles. Total: 1462 miles.
4-WD would have been a nice plus
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Southwest Dave
[B]...the road got a bit narrower and twisty, with some dips that contained water deeper than you may think, turning the road surface underneath a bit mushy, but not a problem with a bit of commitment driving through.
Yeah, I bet. Not sure I would have been quite so thrilled to cross that dip with the RV Rental..
Great photos and report.
Mark
After careful consideration.
Yeah, 4WD would of been nice! Although the road doesn't look too bad in the pictures it was pulling us about a bit in some parts what with the overhang at the back. We could of done with 'Phoenix one.' I'm still not sure if Lezli would of been too thrilled though, she did have her eyes shut! I didn't go at it 'Gung ho' though, I weighed it all up from experience and felt it was OK to proceed.
Dave.
A great book full of great ideas.
Hey Rick, I'm glad you are enjoying it !
I was going to mention your book in a summary at the end of this report as I was lucky enough to get a copy from Mark while in Vegas. While this trip was already planned out, I have been reading through since our return to the UK and I must say it's excellent with detailed information and wonderful illustrations. Anyone reading this report who has plans to visit Arizona and New Mexico will find a copy of the book a great resource for planning those 'off the beaten track' places.
As for Carlsbad Caverns, it's on our 'Hopeful' list of places to visit and we will have one more 50/50 chance to visit there later in the trip. As you say, there are so many places and so little time, another interesting place we had to pass up on on that day was White sands National Monument. There are certainly enough options 'left to do' that would certainly warrant another trip through the area !
Dave.
Marfa and the great Prado spoof
Yeah, that Prado spoof is pretty funny. I had no idea.
Great road shots!
Mark
A Window of opportunity. (A day off from the road)
Day 12. February 28th.
After a good nights sleep I woke quite early as it was already warming up inside the RV. I made a coffee and stepped outside and sat quietly taking in the views, it wasn't long before I was joined by a 'Road runner' bird who seemed to be chasing his breakfast. We checked each other out and then he returned to pulling at the grass looking for his elusive breakfast while I carried on with my coffee. I had no set plan for today, but prior to arriving here I had thought we would take in some sights around the park this morning and then hike the Windows Trail from the campground this afternoon. I felt so relaxed and realised that this will be the only opportunity to have a day off from driving so I decided the RV would stay where it is for the day and we would do some walking. It wasn't long before Lezli joined me at the table where we enjoyed a very relaxed breakfast. Once ready we walked through the campground to the 'Windows Trail' and set off with plenty of water and some snacks for this 5 mile or so round hike, it was already feeling hot!
The scenery was wonderful !
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In the early stages there was little shelter from the sun but then we started going through some shrubs and a canyon section which gave some shade. We stopped for a break and got chatting to another couple, the eagle eyed chap spotted some movement high up on the mountainside some distance away. They blended in with the rock so well it was easy to lose track of them and were difficult to find through my zoom lens.
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We thought they were a type of mountain goat, but it turned out they are 'Barbary Sheep' or otherwise known as Aoudad on the North African continent which is there natural habitat. Having been imported and introduced to Texas as a species liked for their hunting potential, they soon settled in and the population boomed in this natural environment. They are hardy, agile and very quick as well as territorial which doesn't bode well for the Bighorn that shares the same space looking for food and water.
As we got closer to the 'Window' we had to navigate over rocks and streams to continue, it was a great 'playground'. Another person we spoke to told us that this was his 3rd or 4th visit and he had never seen water running through here, a benefit of the rains that had swept through a week before.
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We finally reached the Window with only a 4 other people there, while they peaked out the window we sat on a rock and had some Trail mix and water and chatted with the other people. It was our turn to take a look and one of the Gents offered to take a picture of the two of us. Lezli has a fear of heights, especially if there is no guardrail. She done well to look so relaxed, If only you could see her conquering her fear just seconds before you'd know what I mean.
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Just behind us is where the water falls off a sheer drop and into the unknown, so I get Lezli back to a comfortable point and carefully go a bit further to take a look, the view is quite remarkable. (The rocks are wet near the edge so extra precaution !)
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We start making our way back and things have really started to heat up and once we hit open ground it's hot ! It turned out it was touching 90F which is a long way from the 19F we experienced in Olancha at the start of our trip ! There was no sign of the Mountain sheep but there was an abundance of butterflies and we also spotted a few lizards, Dragonfly's, Mexican Jay birds and a Woodpecker.
When we found shade it was very welcome, Lezli struggles in the heat.
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We didn't spot any Bears or Mountain Lions !
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Back at the RV we had a late lunch and rested up for a little while after our 5+ mile walk and then decided to head out and walk some more. We walked through the campground, in the opposite direction to earlier, towards the visitor centre via the Windows view Trail which offered good views of where we had walked to. (It looked easy from here !)
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The visitor centre and lodge was quite busy with people, cars and coaches and a big contrast to the completely quiet and surreal atmosphere of the campground and Trail less than a mile away. We had a look around the visitor centre and store where I purchased a reasonably priced hat to help cover up from the heat. We then strolled back to the RV and settled back in for a relaxing night with a couple of cold ones.
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Today's mileage. 0 (Or 7 miles on foot! )
Up the creek without a paddle !
Day 13. March 1st.
We were up bright and early this morning and outside enjoying the surroundings with a cup of coffee at 7am. It was time to say goodbye to the Chisos mountains and continue on our adventure! Our first visit of the day was to Santa Elena canyon, a place I have been looking forward to visiting for quite some time. So we made our way back up the winding mountain road and headed west through the park towards Maverick Junction. There were two ways in and out of the canyon, one was an 'Improved dirt road' called Maverick road and the other a paved road, the Ross Maxwell scenic drive. What better than to take one in and one out to see different sights ? So I decided to take the Maverick road down to Santa Elena canyon. As we approached the turn off my plan was to pull into the parking lot and ask about conditions along the road at the entry station, but it was full of pickups unloading scramble bikes, there seemed to up to 100 off road bikes and as they made their way up the road there was a dust storm similar to that of a cattle drive ! It was another glorious morning, I couldn't park, so I decided just to make my way up the road. That was my second mistake ! As we continued up the road, which looked in really good shape, we soon discovered it was badly washboarded with ripples that were making the kitchenware rattle and the body of the RV shake. I slowed to a crawl and continued on while enjoying the desert views.
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My gut told me to turn around while I could, but the view of the canyon ahead made me ignore it. It's only another 8 miles or so. My 3rd mistake. The road got narrower and the condition of it worsened, but turning around was no longer an option.
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In all honesty it wasn't that bad, but being 'Off road' I knew a simple puncture out here would be costing me a fortune to get repaired as it would be our responsibility, so extra precaution. We was quite happily going along when we rounded a bend and went down a dip only to be staring at wall of dirt, or as I know now, a river bank ! It looked like the road continued straight ahead, but I checked left and right anyway to discover we were sat in a river bed with nowhere to go. (It was Alamo Creek) I got out to survey my surroundings, but despite some other travellers having stacked some boulders against the bank to climb out, it was apparent I was going nowhere. The only hope I had was at an angle but that came at a risk of rolling the RV on it's side, one that would of been foolish to attempt. As I was looking at how to turn and if it were even possible, a Jeep approached. I thought 'Oh dear I'm going to get a lecture' but a nice chap got out and asked if he could help by assisting me drive up the bank with direction while watching clearance. I declined and told him I was just figuring out how best to turn. He actually drove his Jeep with big 'All terrain tyres' up there at a couple of different angles, so I could see the pitch and angle. That struggled and he agreed I should turn around. We chatted for a while about the places they had been and stories of getting stuck in tricky situations so it was all good and he understood why I was there. Haha ! He then offered to see me back in a tight turning area I had selected in the widest part of the creek, it didn't help that it was on a bendy section and the stones that had been pushed to the side of the creek were deep and soft, so trying to reverse a few inches with the wheels sucked down needed a few revs and then wanted to lurch. I counteracted that by using my left foot on the brake and slowly releasing it. Finally we were out and 'rattling' very slowly back the way we had came, my biggest regret being that I never thought to get any pictures of the situation ! What had happened is those rains from a week or 2 ago had flooded down the creek and washed the road out on the bend just leaving a steep bank behind. Oh yeah, that was my 1st mistake, I hadn't really listened properly at the 'Window Trail' yesterday or else I would of had an alarm bell.
Quote:
As we got closer to the 'Window' we had to navigate over rocks and streams to continue, it was a great 'playground'. Another person we spoke to told us that this was his 3rd or 4th visit and he had never seen water running through here, a benefit of the rains that had swept through a week before.
Note. I would not recommend anyone go off paved roads in a rental, you could be in breach of your contract and any expenses occurred because of doing so can be charged to you.
Click here for this RTA Library Map
Once we were back on the 'black top' we made our way to the canyon on the Ross Maxwell scenic drive. There were some lovely views along the way.
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We finally arrived at Santa Elena canyon and it was everything we had hoped it would be, absolutely amazing !
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You can walk from the parking lot out to the beach and look into the canyon or with a climb up some stairs you can walk along the Rio Grande and into the canyon. It was a very hot day again but it was worth the effort and once in the canyon the shade was a welcome relief from the sun and even better was a nice paddle in the river.
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We sat in a secluded spot and took in the scene of towering red rocks and the contrasting green waters of the Rio Grande. Not many people had made the effort to walk into the canyon so it was lovely and peaceful within it's towering walls. We started to make our way back and once we exited the canyon we walked across stones in the river (on the US side) to an Island formed of rock in the middle and splitting the river in two. It was time to take the boots off and 'hike into Mexico' a few paces. The border is located down the middle of the river at this spot. Afterwards we bumped into the couple we met out in the creek and chatted some more. They were pleased to see we had made it out and had got here without any further issues. They also informed us that the road had got worse as they continued and that had we got through that section, we would of certainly got stuck further along the road, only with no where to turn around ! In many ways we had got lucky and I appreciated that fact but I wan't sorry I tried.
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We returned to the RV for lunch before moving on towards the Rio Grande campground on the other side of the park. More on that later.........
To the Rio Grande campground.
Day 13 cont...
As we left Santa Elena canyon the temperatures were back into the high 80's, possibly touching 90f. We made our way along the Ross Maxwell scenic drive, stopping at a few viewpoints and at the old Castolon visitor centre. The land here was once used as cotton fields, over 100 acres of them near to the river. There are some old pumps and other machinery that have been left laying around since production ceased in 1942, the only clue that the land had once been worked here.
Click here for this RTA Library Map
The cut in the distant rock is the entry to Santa Elena canyon.
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We made our way to our next stop, the Mules ears viewpoint and then to Sotol Vista. The views were amazing and the plants that welcomed the rain added some colour.
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We headed east from Gano Springs junction towards Panther Junction and beyond. We wanted to visit Boquillas canyon and thought we may have to do so, but as we had made good time we decided to head straight there, in the hope it was enough time before the sunset. We turned off towards the canyon, the road was paved but quite twisty in places, the views were great. We passed the official Boquillas border crossing that was now closed. We had hoped to cross the river and visit the small Mexican town of Boquillas Del Carmen for a Tequila but our timing didn't meet with the border opening times. (There is usually a couple of boatman who will take you across the river where others wait to give you a ride into town. (There are local crafts for sale and a couple of bars.) From the road we could see the colourful small town nestled among the hills on the other side of the Rio Grande, but it was not be !
The view on approach to Boquillas canyon after Panther Junction.
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We arrived at Boquillas canyon trail head and set off on our way. We walked alongside the river for a while and then the canyon started to come into view.
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I had read about Mexicans illegally crossing the river and leaving what is described as 'contraband or illegal goods' for sale along the footpaths by way of an 'Honesty box'. It wasn't long before we stumbled across one example of this practice.
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They were reasonably priced and I had a mixed feeling of sympathy and sudden alertness as we were the only people here at this time of day. The authorities take a dim view of anyone purchasing "smuggled goods", so we continued on our way.
The canyon came into view and we were able to make it a short way into the canyon before the footpath ended and the rocks and river stopped you from going further. I did a bit of scrambling over rock but there was no way through. I think the river level was higher than normal as I thought we could of gone further than this had it not been.
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We started our return walk to the RV just as the sun was setting and as we drove back towards the Rio Grande campground there was fire in the sky. We arrived at last light and settled down for the night. We had a 'cowboy meal' of Hot dogs and beans with bread that we had to eat inside as the heat was still there, and if you opened the door for a second a million moths thought it was an invite to come inside!
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It had been a good, good day !
Today's mileage: 145 miles. Total :2101.
