Tour of Texas & New Mexico - Spring 2016
I just finished a 27 day, 5,246 mile trip from Tucson, AZ through New Mexico and all around Texas and back with my husband. We traveled in our Chevy cargo van modified for long trips, camping most of the time. Our daily average cost was $70, for the 2 of us. I'll summarize our costs at the end of all of the posts. The lower gas prices really helped to lower our costs.
For those who have followed our previous trips you know our focus is visiting national park sites (411* NPS sites as of today!), hiking, bird watching, letterboxing, Quest Scouts, and being flexible along the way. I'll explain more about some of the activities in future posts. I have an Instagram account which I posted to frequently throughout the trip - those posts can be found under SrJrRanger on Instagram.
I'll be posting at least once per day, and will double up a few days, as we leave in mid-May for another extended trip. This trip was a fun Spring trip; the roadside flowers throughout Texas were beautiful. The natural and historical sites were all worth visiting. The weather, for the most part, was great - better than expected.
As you read along I hope you find some information that may help your travel plans. Feel free to comment or send me a PM for additonal information.
Travel on,
Pat
*386 NPS sites I have visited to date.
Site # 411 - Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality National Monument (Washington, DC)
Chiricahua National Monument - Day 1
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Start: Tucson, AZ
Finish: Bonita Canyon Campground ( NPS), Chiricahua National Monument, AZ
Back on the road again! Leaving Tucson just as Spring was coming into bloom. This year Parry's Penstemon has taken over our front yard. Ocotillo blooms are close to flaming out and the Palo Verde tree blossoms are starting to show their yellow popcorn flowers out on the edges. When we return in a month the cactus should start blooming.
Parry's Penstemon - front yard
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Before leaving town we went out of our way to fill our gas tank with $1.38/gal gasoline. Gas, in town along our route, was hitting $1.69. We had been as low as $1.25 a couple of weeks ago.
East on I-10 to Willcox where stopped for beverages before heading south along AZ 186. We stopped in Dos Cabezas to take a picture of the historic post office. My husband is creating a web page of photos of historic Arizona post offices, any existing building before 1960.
Dos Cabezas Historic Post Office
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In the past year Chiricahua National Monument has allowed reservations at the campground at reservation.gov. It is highly recommended to get reservations, especially on weekends. This beautiful, secluded campground only has 20 sites which fill up quickly. It was so nice to know we had a campsite waiting for us. We stopped at the Visitor Center for passport stamps and to pick up their 'I Hike for Health' 2016 Centennial program card. We were not planning to hike the 5 miles required to earn the attractive pin during this visit, but we do plan to come back and finish it this year.
Chiricahua NM 'I Hike for Health' pin
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We settled into the campsite and enjoyed birdwatching, sketching and a hike in the area. The campground was full, and it was apparent that it was Spring Break. Families with active kids; we enjoyed watching their energy before retiring for the night.
Wildlife Sightings
Anna's Hummingbird
Red-tailed Hawk
Mexican Jay
Acorn Woodpecker
Fort Bowie NHS & into New Mexico - Day 2
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Start: Chiricahua NM
Finish: Pancho Villa State Park, Columbus, NM
Wonderful morning in camp, enjoyed a short walk back to the visitor center. The campground host came around at 9 and told us the road out of the area would be closed for an hour beginning at 10 to cut a tree down, that got us motivated to pack up and head out.
Chiricahua NM - Morning view
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Chiricahua NM - HooDoos
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Nearby is Ft. Bowie National Historic Site. This is a unique NPS site, the primary access is a 1-1/2 mile trail into the fort. This is a hike we have done many times over the years and never tire of the scenery or history. There are interpretative signs all along the hike. This year as part of the National Park Service (NPS) Centennial they are also offering the 'I Hike for Health' pin. Just by hiking to the visitor center you qualify for their pin, but you have to ask for it. The ranger on duty told us they only got 200 pins for the year, so they were reserving them for those who knew about the program and asked for the pin.
St. Patrick's Day is my husband's birthday, and yes he does have a bit of Irish in his genealogy.
Birthday boy
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Fort Bowie 'I Hike for Health' pin
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Verbena along the trail
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Apache Spring along the trail
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From the parking area for Fort Bowie NHS is a short drive, mostly paved, back to I-10 where we continued east into New Mexico. We stopped in Lordsburg at the McDonalds for my husband's annual Shamrock Shake. From there we continued on I-10 a short distance before heading south on NM 146 to Hachita, then east on NM 9. We had decided to check out Columbus, NM. Pancho Villa State Park in Columbus was our destination for camping. New Mexico State state parks are very reasonable, $14 for sites with electric and water, plus usually free showers.
We had planned to go out to dinner for my husband's birthday, however all four restaurants in town were closed on this Thursday evening. We could find no explanation, most of their signs indicated they would be open. We went back to camp and fixed dinner. Later we saw a notice posted by the bathroom that the American Legion was serving a traditional St. Pat's Dinner, open to the public.
Wildlife Sightings
Mexican Jay
Acorn Woodpecker
Montezuma Quail
Bridled Titmouse
Common Raven
Red-tailed Hawk
Verdin
Scaled Quail
Black-throated Sparrow
Bendire's Thrasher
Northern Cardinal
House Sparrow
House Finch
Dove
-White-winged
-Mourning
Rock Pigeon
Great-tailed Grackle
Gamble's Quail
Rock Squirrel
Cottontail Rabbit
Lizards
Big Bend National Park - Day 6
Monday, March 21, 2016
Start: Davis Mountains SP, Fort Davis, TX
Finish: Rio Grande Village, Big Bend NP, TX
Another cold night, but not as cold. We went into town for breakfast, a very tasty chorizo, egg burrito at Lupita's Place. We continued south on TX 17 into Alpine for groceries and gas before continuing to Big Bend National Park. We entered outside Study Butte and took the 13 mile dirt road from Maverick Junction down to Santa Elena Canyon. This road is suitable for most 2-WD, mainly washboard and few places with some rough rocks, clearance was not a problem.
Santa Elena Canyon
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The road is paved as you head east along the Rio Grande into Castolon, an old cotton farming compound. Now there is an NPS visitor center and store, plus some old buildings and equipment. Besides getting the passport stamps I picked up the Junior Ranger booklet and a sheet for The Centennial Challenge; 3 patches for 3 different hikes in the park.
Castolon Compound
Store
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Farm Equipment
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Cactus flowers
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We followed the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive north, to the main park road and then east to turn back south to Chisos Basin area. This is an area we have hiked in the past. Today was a stop at the visitor center for the passport stamps. Black Bear had left the Big Bend area in the 1940s, recently they have returned from Mexico. In the Chisos visitor center there is a map of the hiking trails with numerous small yellow sticky notes indicating recent bear and mountain lion sightings. Within the past week a sow with 2 cubs was seen close to the group campground.
One of the Centennial Challenge hikes was a 3 mile hike along Hot Springs Canyon. Today the temperature was in the mid-70s, it was expected to be much warmer tomorrow. My husband dropped me off at the Hot Springs trailhead and I hiked the 3 miles over to the Rio Grande Village picnic area where he picked me up and we settled into camp.
Hot Springs pictographs
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One of the questions to answer for the challenge was which way is the turtle rock facing in the river.
Turtle rock
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Cactus flowers
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Leaving the picnic area and heading towards camp we saw a bobcat along the side of the road. We had made reservation for these 2 nights, concerned that Spring Break could fill the campsites in Big Bend that week. Rio Grande Village is the only one that accepts reservations, Chisos Basin and Cottonwood are first come-first served. Neither were full when we went by them earlier in the day. The key is to settle in, probably before 4 PM, and avoid weekends. Our campsite was in the no generator section and we were totally surrounded by mesquite trees, blocking nearby campsites.
Wildlife Sightings
Turkey Vulture
House Sparrow
Mourning Dove
White-winged Dove
Vermilion Flycatcher
Northern Cardinal
Greater Roadrunner
Bobcat
Squirrel, Eastern Grey
Bat
Cottontail Rabbit
Big Bend - Rio Grande Village Day 7
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Start & Finish: Rio Grande Village, Big Bend NP
Very slow start to the day. Enjoyed most of the morning in camp, warming up nicely. Before noon we stopped at the visitor center for this area. The Rio Grande Village consists of the NPS campground, Visitor center and the following concession services; store, laundry & showers and RV park with hookups. After lunch we were enjoying some ice cream at the store when I looked up and spotted this Greater Roadrunner up on the roof, probably looking for a handout.
Rooftop Roadrunner
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Nearby is the Boquillas Canyon Overlook and crossing. The Rio Grande flows below the cliff and overlooks the crossing into Mexico. The canoe (pictured below) will come ferry you across. You can walk or take a burro into town for lunch at one of several restaurants. This crossing was made legal in the past year. The park service literature has information if you are interested to make the crossing.
Boquillas Crossing
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Flower - mallow
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After dinner and closer to sunset we walked out on the Nature Trail that starts from the campground. It was a full moon night and lots of people were out in the area to get pictures. Ocotillo is one of my favorite desert plants, they are tall, spindly sticks with bog thorns that are bare most of the year. With a very little rain leaves will sprout along the stalks and every Spring, with or without rain, they bloom as bright orange flame-shaped flowers. To me they represent the harshness and beauty of the desert - all in one plant.
Ocotillo blossom
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Full Moon over Boquillas Canyon
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Wildlife Sightings
Verdin
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Turkey Vulture
Vermilion Flycatcher
Chipping Sparrow
Western Screech Owl (heard)
Common Poorwill (heard)
Northern Cardinal
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
Lizard
Bat
Cottontail Rabbit
Langtry to Amistad - Day 8
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Start: Rio Grande Village, Big Bend NP, TX
Finish: San Pedro campground (NPS), Amistad NRA, Del Rio, TX
Throughout the night we heard the Common Poorwill calling throughout the campground. Never loud enough to wake us, but heard when awake. Packed up after breakfast and drove back up to Panther Junction.
View towards Chisos Mountains
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I had a plant walk to complete before checking with the ranger at the information desk. I turned in my completed Centennial Challenge sheet for 2 of the 3 patches and my Junior Ranger booklet.
Centennial Challenge patches.
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One final stop at Persimmon Gap visitor center for park passport stamps. We stopped in Marathon for tasty pizza before turning east on US 90, enjoying a tailwind. Along the route we took the short side road into Langtry, TX. The state has a well-developed tourism office which includes the typical services, but also has historical buildings behind the office for visitors to tour. This area is known for the western personality of Judge Roy Bean who was considered the Law West of the Pecos [river]. He was a fan of the actress Lily Langtry, hence the town's name.
Tourism Office - Langtry, TX
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As I stepped out of the car at the tourism office I spied a very old saguaro across the street. Saguaros are native to Arizona, northern Mexico along the Arizona border and a few in eastern California. Someone, a very long time ago, planted and nurtured this cactus. Based on it's size and arms I would guess this was at least 125 years old.
Saguaro in Langtry
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We continued east on US 90 and crossed the Amistad Reservoir just west of Del Rio, TX. This is one of the 411 (as of 4/12/16) NPS sites. It is a National Recreation Area which has campgrounds, one right along the highway and another one a few miles off the highway. We chose the one a few miles off the highway for quiet, both campgrounds charged $4 ($2 discounted). The unique feature of this site is the reservoir spans the United States and Mexico borders along the Rio Grande.
Wildlife Sightings
Verdin
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Turkey Vulture
Common Raven
Northern Mockingbird
Greater Roadrunner
Northern Cardinal
Phainopepla
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
American Coot
Cottontail Rabbit
Texas Hill Country - Day 9
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Start: San Pedro Campground (NPS), Amistad NRA, Del Rio, TX
Finish: Perdenales Falls State Park, Johnson City, TX
Our day began at midnight when a severe thunderstorm rolled over us, pelting us with hail. Inside the metal shell of our cargo van it was LOUD! No damage and it passed quickly allowing us to get back to sleep.
We stopped at the office/ visitor center for Amistad for the passport stamps and to fill water containers. The campground did not have water, but did have vault toilets and nice ramadas and picnic tables. We travel with at least 5 gallons of water and make sure to refill as soon as possible.
Our next destination was north towards Texas Hill Country and we stopped in Fredricksburg for lunch. We had an excellent lunch at City Cafe on the west edge of town. This quaint, German heritage town is the hometown of Admiral Nimitiz and the National Museum of the Pacific War.
Just down the road, heading east to Stonewall, is the Lyndon B. Johnson State Park & Historic Site which was the site of his boyhood home and ranch. This site is co-managed by the state of Texas and NPS. You first stop in the state section to receive a free auto tour pass of the ranch area. I really enjoy the drive across the creek, past his boyhood home, gravesite and back through the fields with cattle and ranch buildings before arriving at the hangar where Air Force One landed (and is on display) during his frequent visits to the ranch. At the hangar you can purchase ($3) tickets to tour his office in the ranch house. The displays within the hangar are filled with pictures and daily logs of his schedule during his stays. The people in the pictures, famous and not so famous, plus family are a window into history.
LBJ National Historic Park- Johnson City unit
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We also stopped in Johnson City, a bit further east, at an NPS visitor center. This is the small town where Lyndon and Lady Bird grew up, and it is still a small town. Again the displays do an excellent job of detailing the 1960s.
We ended the day at Perdenales Falls SP, which is east of Johnson City. After setting up camp we did short hike along the rim of the falls, it was a gorgeous Spring afternoon, temperature was in the low 70s. This campground was great, the campsites were large and well-spaced. Northern Cardinals were again the predominate birds, and a loud group of Mourning Doves.
Perdenales Falls State Park
Campsite
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Falls area
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Wildflowers
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Wildlife Sightings
Turkey Vulture
Northern Cardinal
Northern Mockingbird
Crested Caracara
Black Vulture
Greater Roadrunner
Wild Turkey
Brewer's Blackbird
Common Raven
White-tailed Deer
San Antonio Missions NHP - Day 10
Friday, March 25, 2016
Start: Perdenales Falls SP
Finish: M6 Floresville, TX
Quiet night and lazy morning in camp. We were heading back south into San Antonio today, Good Friday. This worked very well because downtown was quiet. Our first stop was San Jose Mission, the primary visitor center for San Antonio Mission National Historical Park.
Mission San Jose
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Besides visiting this site and getting the passport and Centennial stamps we did a 5 Km walk from the mission to walk along the San Antonio River. In the past we have been active with the American Volkssport Association. We have slowed down doing 5 & 10 Km walks after completing walks in all 50 states plus DC in 1998. We are still active with our local club. This year a club from Seattle is sponsoring a National Parks Centenntial Challenge, completing 15 sanctioned volkswalks in a NPS sites during the next 3 years which we are working to complete as we visit parks which also have sanctioned walks. We have completed this walk in the past and enjoyed walking along the river, the temperature and humidity was comfortable.
San Antonio River
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Driving around Texas this time of year has been a treat, the roadside wildflowers have been spectacular. I have heard a lot about the bluebonnets (lupine), but I was surprised with the diversity, especially the prevalence of paintbrush. Often the best displays of roadside flowers has been on back roads, with no shoulders, so getting a great picture eluded me. The best I could do was this display as we walked back towards the mission.
Wildflowers
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We did drive downtown for a quick visit to Casa Navarro, a state historic site, and another location for the El Camino Real de los Tejas. We had hoped to stop somewhere downtown for an afternoon treat, but street parking was not available. We headed south and stopped in the suburbs for pie and tea. With heading into the Easter weekend we had planned to motel it outside the San Antonio area. We drove to the southeast and ended up in Floresville, TX.
Wildlife Sightings
Northern Cardinal ( 2 pair)
Turkey Vulture
Northern Vulture
Brewer's Blackbird
Chipping Sparrow
Mallard
Cormorant
American Coot
Black Vulture
Chinese Goose family (wild along San Antonio River)
Centennial Walk challenges
Quote:
Originally Posted by
DonnaR57
Pat, do you happen to know if there is a listing of the parks with the Centennial walk challenge?
Also, when you mentioned "paintbrush", it reminded me of Tomie dePaola's book, "The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush". Love that book - of course, l love dePaola's illustrations.
Donna
Hi Donna,
Unfortunately there is no master list of Centennial awards, of which I know. So far I have had to ask at each site, some are showing it on their websites and others in the newspapers that are handed out when you enter a park. I think supplies are limited and they don't know the demand so each park is promoting it in their own way. No one in our club, National Park Traveler Club, has reported any other hiking challenges around the country.
So far this what I have discovered;
Joshua Tree NP - Hiking Challenge of 5, 10, 25, 50 or 50 miles recorded in a booklet they provided, upon request.
Organ Pipe Cactus NM - I Hike for Health pin for hiking 5 miles.
Coronado National Memorial - I Hike Health pin for hiking 3 miles.
Chiricahua NM - I Hike for Health pin for hiking 5 miles.
Ft. Bowie NHS - I Hike for Health pin for hiking 3 miles, the distance in and out.
Big Bend NP - 3 hikes, specified for 3 patches. Sheet handed out at visitor centers, must be turned in at Panther Junction Visitor Center for patches.
In 3 weeks we will be heading north through AZ, UT, ID, MT, OR and CA to visit a multitude of park sites. I will post the trip report after the fact, but will find a way to post Centennial activities I find along the way.
Just this week, National Park Week, the NPS has released a Junior Ranger booklet which is a nation-wide program and earns you a wooden badge specific to the Centennial. Some parks have been handing it out in advance. I picked up a copy in New Mexico at the El Malpais NM Visitor Center. The ranger told me they didn't get as many visitors as other parks so they felt they could share in advance. The back of the booklet states that it is designed for 4th graders, but all are welcome to complete. So, this Senior/Junior Ranger will be working on the booklet!
Thanks for the book reference. As I have more pictures of Indian Paintbrush, from all over the West, than all other flowers (as my husband can verify based on requests to stop or turn around the car) I think I will pick up this book to share with young visitors at home.
South Texas - Great birding ! - Day 11 & 12
Saturday & Sunday, March 26, 2016
Start: Floresville, TX
Finish: Pharr, TX
We knew that traveling during Easter and Spring Break would affect our plans at some point - today was the day. Our plan was to travel south to Laredo to visit two sites associated with El Camino Real de los Tejas.
We arrived in Laredo just before lunch and found both sites closed for the weekend, Friday and Saturday due to Easter. We had checked their websites before going down there and they mentioned the holidays they were closed, but did not list Easter weekend.
Our plan had been to camp between Laredo and the Brownsville area - again Easter weekend changed our plans. The state park that would have been our destination was expecting 5,000 people plus campground reservations had to be for 2 nights, and were full. Out of the six Motel 6s in the area, 4 were showing No Vacancy, I called one that looked to be in a good location for our Sunday plans and got a room.
Sunday, March 27, 2016
Start: Pharr, TX
Finish: Padre Island National Seashore (NPS)
National Wildlife Refuge day, for us! This was a main objective of our trip, to visit the 2 National Wildlife Refuges at the tip of Texas. Santa Ana NWR is small, but its locale on the Mexican border and so far south brings birds not seen anywhere else in North America. As we got out of the car we noticed the sky was full of large birds, our first thought was vultures, then we realized they were hawks. Refuge staff were also in the parking lot looking up. Turns out the sky was full of Broad-winged Hawks, their first day passing through the refuge on their migration north. We learned later that 5,000 of them passed over the refuge that day.
They have a 90 minute tram tour (cost $4, discounted with Golden Age pass) which takes you through the refuge. We were the only riders, so we had the driver and guide to ourselves. The tour is not conducive to birding as it is noisy, but we visited the family cemetery of this land grant and walked several short trails. The grave sites and fence post edging the area were most interesting. The guides were very helpful in pointing out unique plants and giving the history of the area, plus helping to identify a few birds we did see.
Tram tour
Tram
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Cemetery fence
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While at this refuge we saw the Great Kiskadee, a beautiful yellow bird, the noisy and big Chacalacas (love that name) and a herd of javelinas. None posed for pictures. The flowering shrub shown below, Texas Olive, we had been seeing along the roadside that past couple of days.
Texas Olive (cordia boissieri)
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At a pond we were able to see Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, but did not hear any whistling.
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We stopped by Palo Alto National Battlefield NHS and while out walking the trail we saw a very large (knee high and several feet across) pile of scat. We could not match it to any animal in our experience. Back in the visitor center the ranger told us it was a community pile left by Nilgai, a moose-sized animal imported by ranchers from Pakistan. Glad we didn't see one walking across the open field!
Cactus at Palo Alto
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Close by was another NWR, Laguna Atascosa. The drive in was rough, the main road in is under construction and the detour was long. Their website did a food job of warning and giving directions for the detour. While there we were able to see the Green Jay, another bird unique to the area. The weather was turning, rain forecasted was starting.
Green Jay
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We decided to head north on US 77, public camping was limited in this area of Texas, to Padre Island National Seashore. Along the way we found this marker at a highway rest area.
General Zachary Taylor tree
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Arrived at Padre Island National Seashore, the calmer end of Padre Island. South Padre Island is famous (or infamous) for Spring Break activity. Last night and this morning while near Brownsville we saw a lot of state troopers, even saw their cars parked at a motel near ours. We are guessing they send extra troopers down during Spring Break to keep things under control.
The campground near the visitor center was very nice and only $8 for full price. After 2 nights in a motel we enjoyed sitting beachside and watching the birds, especially the pelicans.
Today was a big day for wildlife sightings - what we had hoped for when we planned to visit this area.
Wildlife Sightings
Northern Mockingbird
Great-tailed Grackle
House Sparrow
Crested Caracara
Egret
Dove
-Mourning
-White-winged
Black Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Rock Pigeon
Great-tailed Grackle
Great Kiskadee
Broad-winged Hawk
Plain Chachalaca
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck
Anhinga
American Kestrel
Great Blue Heron - finally!
Brown Pelican
Laughing Gull
Green Jay
American Coot
Golden-fronted Woodpecker
Red-winged Blackbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Northern Cardinal
Harris' Hawk
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Western Meadowlark
Turkey Vulture
Javelina
Cottontail Rabbit (Easter bunny)
Birds, birds & more birds! Day 13
Monday March 28, 2016
Start: Padre Island NS
Finish: Goliad State Park, Goliad, TX
Woke up to wind, then thunder and eventually saw the lightning - very near camp. We were able to get hot morning beverages brewed before the rain and nearby lightning arrived in camp. The rain stopped and I was able to spend a few hours completing the Junior Ranger program at Padre Island National Seashore. The walk along the beach was great for bird watching and visual beachcombing.
Pelican fly-over
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Using a bag I found on the beach I collected quite a bit of trash, including a woman's shoe. For my efforts I earned a colorful 'Adopt A Beach' patch.
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After we left the park we spotted a small water hole along the highway with some attractive birds.
Roseate Spoonbill
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Reddish Egret
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After a tasty seafood lunch at Scuttlebutt's, just before leaving the island, we continued north of Corpus Christi to Aransas NWR. Besides known as the wintering grounds for Whopping Crane this was our first place to see alligators. Only 2 pair of the cranes were left in the refuge, and they were quite a ways away, but could still be seen from the tall observation tower.
The shorter tower ramp was blocked by an alligator.
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We ended the day at Goliad State Park, which has some great historical buildings in the area. The birding continued to be great in the campground. We added Eastern Bluebird and Black-capped Titmouse (very loud call for a very small bird) and watched hundreds of Cedar Waxwings swarm into the treetops. It was our best day of identifying birds!
Eastern Bluebird
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Wildlife Sightings
Reddish Egret
White Ibis
Roseate Spoonbill
Snowy Egret
Laughing Gull
Great-tailed Grackle
Ring-billed Gull
Marbled Godwit
Least Sandpiper
Brown Pelican
White Pelican
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Common Gallinule
Great Egret
Little Blue Heron
American Wigeon
Short-billed Dowitcher
Greater Yellowlegs
Blue-winged Teal
Black-necked Stilt
Whopping Crane
Northern Mockingbird
Mourning Dove
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
White-tailed Kite
Black Vulture
Cattle Egret
Cedar Waxwing - many!
Eastern Bluebird
Northern Cardinal
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Black-crested Titmouse
Swallows
34!
American Alligator
Bat
Natchitoches or Nack-a-tish - Day 15
Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Start: Mill Creek Park, Brookedale, TX
Finish: Natchitoches, LA
It stayed dry overnight, again there was a light rainfall as we were waking up. We went into a small town for breakfast at a cafe. We worked our way out of eastern Texas into Louisiana. One of the highlights today was entering Louisiana and having the speed limit drop to 55 mph on a 2-lane highway. Driving in Texas is a high-speed experience and at times stressful. Two-lane highways with no shoulders have a 70 mph speed limit, a bit too fast for us.
To begin our northern driving tour of El Camino Real de los Tejas NHT, we were headed to the eastern terminus in Natchitoches (Nack-a-tish). Nearby is Cane River Creole National Historic Park which interprets a couple of plantations. We visited the Oakland Plantation, which has a guided walking tour through the many buildings. The main house has a tour at 1:00 daily.
Oakland Plantation - NPS
Bermuda Store - 1868
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In town we stopped at Fort St. John Baptiste State Historic Site. After getting the passport stamp we walked through their small museum and out to the reconstructed fort of 1732. The fort rooms and outbuildings were furnished in the period. We were warned about snakes while we walked out around the grounds, due to recent flooding this was the first of many warnings about Copperhead and Cottonmouth snakes - none seen today!
Fort St. John Baptiste SHS
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The next stop was at the Grand Ecore Army Corp of Engineers (ACE) Visitor Center, a stop within the Cane River National Heritage Area. This was a new stop for the passport stamp, we were the first to use the passport stamp. The center itself was well worth a stop, the displays of local natural and cultural histories were very well done. And for those interested in the ACE work along the Red River area there were good displays, as well. The volunteer on staff gave us a recommendation for lunch back in town, at Laysone's Meat Pies. We shared a meat pie, fried, and a plate of Red Beans & Rice with Sausage - very tasty.
Natchitoches, the original French colony in Louisiana, is the oldest settlement in the Louisiana Purchase. Established in 1714, Natchitoches retains its European flavor through its architecture and heritage. It also the town that was the inspiration and filming set for the movie "Steel Magnolia". I think I spotted the house used in the movie for the wedding scene.
Natchitoches - Steel Magnolias
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The weather was getting worse with a storm moving in during the afternoon. We checked into a motel and used the time for laundry. At dinner we went back into town for dinner at a low-key pub. The rain was intermittent, but predicted to get worse.
Wildlife sightings:
American Crow
Great-blue Heron
Northern Mockingbird
Mourning Dove
Great Egret
House Sparrow
Double-crested Cormorant
Squirrel
White-tailed Deer
Green Anole (lizard)
Eastern Texas along the King's Highway - Day 16
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Start: Natchitoches, LA
Finish: Cagle Campground (USFS), S of Huntsville, TX
It rained pretty steady through the night so a night in a motel was enjoyed. Natcitoches is the eastern end of the El Camino Real de los Tejas NHT. A couple of plaques I saw today explained the importance of this route. For this part of the trip we followed TX 21 which is the historic route for the NHT. It was pretty with Spring green and lots of roadside flowers - still too fast for our comfort.
San Augutine Mission plaque
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Plaque along Highway TX 21
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At our first stop in San Augustine, TX a woman explained the origin of the two towns: Natchitoches and Nacogdoches . She told story of 2 Caddo Indian brothers who were sent to settle 2 towns by the father and told what to name them.
We drove into Nacgdoches and stopped at their visitor center for the passport stamp and for directions to the Stone Fort on the Stephen F Austin University campus. While there we saw a display that showed the Nine Flags Over Nacogdoches; Spain (1519-1685, 1690-1821), France (1685-1690), Magee's Republican Army (1812), Long Expedition (1819), Mexico (1821-1836), Fredonia (1826-1827), Republic of Texas (1836-1845, State 1845-Present), United States of America (1845-1861, 1865-Present) and finally Confederate States of America (1861-1865). Whew - glad I never had to study local history as a student in this town.
Stone Fort
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Our last stop along the trail today was at Tejas Mission State Park. Within the park is a reconstructed mission which was established here in 1690. The building was constructed by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp) in the 1930s. Also in the park is a portion of the original trace of El Camino Real (King's Highway) de los Tejas. This is the only place along the NHT where we saw the original trace.
Tejas Mission SP
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Once we left this park we made our way south towards Houston for our weekend event. We stopped south of Huntsville at an excellent USFS campground - full hookups were $28 or $19 with senior pass and showers on site for no cost. Along I-35, just south of Huntsville, is a statue of Sam Houston - as they say - everything is bigger in Texas!
Sam Houston statue
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Wildlife Sightings
Northern Mockingbird
Great-tailed Grackle
American Crow
Great-blue Heron
Northern Cardinal
Double-crested Cormorant
Turkey Vulture
Woodpecker
Weekend Letterboxing - Day 17 & 18
Friday & Saturday, April 1-2, 2016
Start: Cagle Campground
Finish: Stephen P Austin State Park, San Felipe, TX
A steady rain started about 6 AM and let up by 8:30. We enjoyed a cooler, and refreshing morning in camp before heading south. We were meeting a group of people for lunch in Sealy, TX and then setting up camp for 2 nights nearby at Stephen F Austin State Park in San Felipe, TX. One of our hobbies is letterboxing and we were attending the T.A.L.E. 13 event; 13th Annual Texas Area Letterboxing Event. Almost everyone of the 70 attendees would be new to us, however the letterboxing crowd is very friendly and easy to join in anywhere. Hide a letterbox and we have something to look for, we are happy. An event can have up to a 100 new boxes to find, a bit overwhelming at times.
The weather stayed good, but the bugs descended! Gnats that literally swarmed and flew into our ears, eyes, and mouth - and out on the trails very large mosquitos were present. We spent a lot of time in the screened group shelter meeting lots of delightful Texas letterboxers. We did not find a lot of the boxes for the event, but enjoyed our time there. And then there were the snakes - Copperheads and a Coral snakes were seen by others. Once you stepped off the trail the grass was thigh-high and dense, making it difficult to see what 'lay beneath'. In previous years, at other locations around the state, participants have been bitten by Copperheads. Luckily they aren't deadly, just painful and usually require morphine, not anti-venom.
Screen house & gathering
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Flowers along the trail
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There had been a great deal of rain prior to our arrival, several trails in the park had been closed and some still had substantial mud. A pair of letterboxers came back with their boots in the condition below. When they left them outside someone 'tagged' them.
Boots
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On a more positive nature note - an amazing 'conclave' of Northern Cardinals were present at the campsite next to us. The camper next to us had put out bird feed and the trees and ground were covered with cardinals. At one point we counted 12 cardinals, male and female. I tried for a group photo, but they were camera shy.
Northern Cardinal
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Wildlife Sightings
Northern Cardinal
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Great Egret
Northern Mockingbird
Brewer's Blackbird
Red-headed Woodpecker
Great Blue Heron
Inca Dove
Eastern Fox Squirrel
Green Anole (lizard)
Snakes seen by other attendees;
Copperhead, at least 4
Coral Snake, by 2
Unidentified snake with a frog partially ingested.
And most annoying;
Gnats, gnats and more gnats than imaginable.
How about those Love Bugs?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Pmount
Friday & Saturday, April 1-2, 2016...
And most annoying;
Gnats, gnats and more gnats than imaginable.
Yeah, those gnats are a pain, no-see-ums are worse, especially the biting ones. By the way, have you ever been in a "Love-bug" infestation?
I never knew that about Copperhead snakes. I thought they were very poisonous.
Waxo Mammoth NM - new NPS visit - Day 21
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Start: Austin, TX
Finish: Odessa, TX
Traffic in Austin was nasty, and especially this morning when we wanted to head north towards Waco. All 3 main N-S highways had accidents and stopped traffic heading north. Map app had us go east then angle up north of the congestion which worked.
Monday morning Austin traffic
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Along the way we made a stop at a Rest Area along I-35. Besides restrooms this building had storm shelters built into the structure, a small room nestled into the center of the building with benches along the wall. Considering the open landscape this would be a great place to be during a tornado watch/warning.
Storm Shelter
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The drive from I-35 over to Waco Mammoth National Monument was very pretty, it followed the Brazos River to the Bosque River and a series of parks. The Waco Mammoth NM was just designated a NPS site last year and is still being co-managed with the City of Waco and Baylor University. The 45 minute tour cost $5 or less for with discounts. This site is visually different from any other mammoth sites I have visited, the site is heavily forested and sits along an active river. Usually the sites are high and dry. The current site looks like what I have seen depicted as a diorama of an Ice Age ecosystem. This enclosed dig site is actively being excavated by scientists, it was just discovered in 1978.
Waco Mammoth NM & smashed penny
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Along my travels I try to complete activities associated with Quest Scouts. This is a relatively new program, started in the Fall of 2014. A young man in Portland, OR has developed this adult-scout style program. His creativity is amazing. You participate online, and at no-cost, if you chose. One of the activities for a current badge, Breakdown, was to visit a tourist attraction and collect an elongated penny. So getting a smashed penny at Waco Mammoth NM was a perfect fit - NPS site plus one to add to my husband's collection. We found several machines on this trip at Texas State Parks.
Now we needed to make tracks west, cross country to Guadalupe Mountains National Park. The highpoint of the afternoon was the fried chicken meal we had at a Bush's Chicken, a Texas chain. It was the the best fried chicken meal we have ever had, looking forward to our next trip through Texas and a meal at Bush's!
We moteled it in Midland, no decent camping in the area. As we came into town we passed several prairie dog towns, enjoyed seeing them popping up from their mounds.
Wildlife Sightings
Northern Cardinal
Northern Mockingbird
Rock Pigeon
Great-tailed Grackle
Red-tailed Hawk
Turkey Vulture
Common Raven
American Raven
Swallow
Crested Caracara
Black Vulture
Swainson's Hawk
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher
Mourning Dove
White-tailed Deer
Turtle
Black-tailed Prairie Dog
Tribute to Merle - Day 22
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Start: Odessa, TX
Finish: Bottomless Lakes SP, Roswell, NM
Breakfast, gas & groceries before we left Odessa and headed SW to Guadalupe Mountains NP - To the Mountains! I was anxious to see mountains out the windshield. It took a while after we left Midland-Odessa, but after about an hour of driving I could see the Guadalupe Mountains on the horizon.
Our first stop was at the visitor center. While there a couple was wanting to purchase the $80 annual federal pass, the ranger said he was out of the passes and they could buy one at Carlsbad Caverns, their next stop. He did not charge them the entrance fee. We were wondering if the Centennial year was causing a run on the passes.
We drove into McKittrick Canyon, within the park, for a picnic lunch and a short hike. The 1 mile hike along the Nature Trail turned into a fossil hunt for my husband. By training he is an invertebrate paleontologist, in his early career focusing on trilobites. He can spot the small stuff and help determine if it is a fossil or a bump in the rock. The Guadalupe Mountains are a giant reef from the Permian Age, over 250 million years ago.
Fossils along Nature Trail
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Lizard hanging out
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Belly Flowers
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We then drove into Carlsbad Caverns NP. A sign, 7 miles from the visitor center, told us the elevator was not working and last entrance to the caverns was at 2:30. Luckily we had been down in the caverns in July. I recently saw a message that indicates the elevators will be operational on May 31(tentative date). I understand it will be the maintenance elevator, as the primary visitor elevators are being rebuilt and will not be in use for another year. Without an elevator you walk in and out, which we have done in the past. Walking in really gives you a sense of entering the cavern and I prefer that to taking the elevator down. It is a steep 750 ft walk down and then up. We got our passport and Centennial stamps, plus my husband got a set of smashed pennies. The machine had new designs from a previous visit.
North of Carlsbad we stopped at the community college and walked the Ocotillo Nature trail, with the blooms beginning to flower this was a beautiful walk. We continued north and ended up at Bottomless Lakes State Park, east of Roswell. This was unknown to us and a hidden gem. Back in New Mexico with $14 campsites and no entrance fees!
As we were enjoying our campsite Happy Hour 2 gentleman, with Virginia plates, set up camp across from us. One them stopped by and told us about their one-month cross country trip to many of the National Park sites. In the course of conversation we learned about Merle Haggard's death. We then learned that his travel mate had played with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band for 11 years. He was traveling with his guitar and gave us an incredible concert into the evening. Experiences like this are what road-tripping is all about!
Merle's tribute
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Wildlife Sightings
House Sparrow
Mourning Dove
American Crow
White-winged Dove
Swainson's Hawk
Phainopepla
Turkey Vulture
Northern Harrier
Great-tailed Grackle
American Kestrel
Scaled Quail
Greater Roadrunner
Cottontail Rabbit
Lizard
Crossing New Mexico - Day 23
Thursday, April 7, 2016
Start: Bottomless Lakes SP, Roswell, NM
Finish: Albuquerque, NM
A bit cool (39*) to start, high clouds kept the sun from warming us up. Enjoyed the electric hook-up to fix a hot breakfast. Always fascinated by 4 x 4 campers, this one had US plates. Several campers pondered the m.p.g. of a rig like this.
4 x 4
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Besides low camping fees many of the New Mexico parks have WiFi on site. The post pictured below was right next to our campsite.
Carrier 'WiFi' Pigeon
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On the way out of the park we stopped at the overlook for Lea Lake, one of many of the bottomless lakes which are sinkholes, naturally filled by the nearby Pecos River. The day use area is well-developed for swimming and canoes or kayaks.
Lea Lake overlook
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Across the highway from the state park is Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge, their visitor center is a 20 minute drive off the highway on paved roads. The Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes had left the area a month ago. The displays were interesting and their Nature Shop had an amazing selection of wildlife-themed t-shirts. We saw a few birds to add to the list, nothing out of the ordinary. Besides being wintering grounds for some of the big birds they claim to have 100 species of dragonflies and damselflies, with a Dragonfly Festival held in September.
Back in Roswell we headed north along US 285 and stopped at the rest area, about 50 miles north of Roswell. Roadside sculpture brought some visual relief, except for a few Pronghorn sightings and some distant mountains to the west, to a very bare landscape.
US 285, mm 150 sculpture
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Our destination today was to visit a couple of the missions associated with Salinas Pueblo Missions National Historical Park, in and around Mountainair, NM. These sites interpret 3 of the the 17th century mission and pueblo communities that co-exisited in this area. Ruins remain at all 3 locations. Outside the main visitor center for the missions, in Mountainair, were a couple of Chokecherry trees in full bloom, the fragrant blossoms were a delight.
Salinas Pueblo Missions NM
Mountainaire VC - Chokecherry Trees - Smellivision?
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Quarai Mission
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Abo Mission
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After visiting 2 of the 3 missions we headed towards Albuquerque. We had planned to stay on US 60, but the weather was turning nasty, high winds and rain were predicted.
Wildlife Sightings
Mourning Dove
House Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Great Egret
Greater Roadrunner
Turkey Vulture
Swainson's Hawk
Curve-billed Thrasher
Common Raven
American Crow
Northern Harrier
Cottontail Rabbit
Pronghorn
Cruising Across New Mexico - Day 24
Friday, April 8, 2016
Start: Albuquerque, NM
Finish: Homolovi State Park, Winslow, AZ
As predicted we woke up to rain and cold - 40s. A quick breakfast in town then a stop at Petroglyph National Monument, at the western edge of Albuquerque, for the passport stamps. While there a busload of school kids arrived for their activity with a very enthusiastic park ranger. Without prompting she was telling us how great her job, how refreshing.
We headed west on I-40 into dark clouds arriving at in Grants before lunch, stopping at the El Malpais NM Visitor Center in town. While there I asked about the Centennial Junior Ranger Activity Book that was being reported as available at this time. They had the booklet which I will start working on and turn it in the future at another park site. This is a nation-wide Junior Ranger program with a wooden badge honoring the Centennial. On the back of the book it is stated "This book is geared for 4th graders but all are welcome to enjoy." As I have mentioned before, I have always learned something new when completing a Junior Ranger program, no matter how elementary it is. Continuing south of Grants, on NM 53, we arrived at the visitor center within the monument for more passport stamps. The weather was not improving, but never got too bad for a driving day.
Centennial Junior Ranger
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NM 53 is a beautiful drive, south of I-40, and takes you through El Malpais NM and El Morro NM. El Malpais consists of uneroded lava fields from volcanic landforms still visible. On this overcast day the fields looked even more daunting. Further done the road, but before stopping at El Morro NM we stopped at the Ancient Ways Cafe. This is at El Morro RV Park and Cabins with full hook ups and services and a cafe with very tasty food and treats. We enjoyed fresh made scones.
At El Morro NM we did a quick walk around the loop behind the visitor center, with a new rain shower chasing us back inside. Before leaving we ran across this wooly worm - Winter or Spring? This site preserves a route that early explorers used and left their mark on the sandstone cliffs.
Wooly Worm
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El Morro
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Instead of continuing on NM 53 and into Zuni we headed north on NM 602, up to I-40 and back into Arizona. We stopped at Petrified Forest NP for passport stamps and then ended the day at Homolovi State Park, just east of Winslow, AZ. The weather continued to stay threatening with showers off and on, plus windy and cold. We stayed cozy in the van for dinner and up to bedtime.
Wildlife Sightings
Common Raven
Turkey Vulture
American Kestrel
Cottontail Rabbit
