Making it work

Idle Spurs Steakhouse

We utilize a lot of info from fellow RVers when planning camp spots along our journey. There are many on-line guides with good info. Today we headed toward Barstow, CA with the plan to camp on BLM land just outside of town. The road described as good in the guide must have been washed out recently, and we found ourselves in another "pickle". As I am backing Biggie Moms up over a small ridge I notice Annette and Lynn flinging boulders out of the way. Ha ha!!! We were able to g...et out unscathed. Once turned around Annette started looking up info on a new spot. Using the Trails End guide available through the Escapees RV club we found a great spot at the Idle Spurs Steakhouse. They offer one free night in a little gravel parking lot next to the restaurant. Unfortunately, the restaurant is closed on Mondays or we could have had steak with that " pickle". He he!!

Anza Borrego



Rock House Road Camp Spot

After spending two weeks at Annette’s sister’s house in Banning, CA installing solar panels, we headed down to the Anza Borrego Desert. We found a great boondocking spot off Rockhouse Road and ended up staying in the area for a month. This is the desert and the camping area sits in full sun so the solar panels worked great keeping us charged even given the low arc of the winter sun across the sky, falling to about 95% by evening and then back up to 100% after just a few hours of sunlight in the morning. Solar power and boondocking have a relationship similar to soup and sandwich—better when enjoyed together. Another housekeeping item, we learned that if we conserve like crazy we can go about two weeks before having to dump the tanks. In Anza Borrego area, one hitches up and drives to Anza Borrego State Park and pays $8 fee to use the dump and fresh water fill station. While inside the state park, it makes sense to take advantage of the pay showers which make us happy.


Filling up bike bags with fresh citrus

Finding good ways to exercise is easy in the Anza Borrego Desert area. From camp every morning we walked down a dirt road to the mud flats dry lake where Shug would run her joy loops and we would admire the sunrise and get in a good 2 hour hike before the day warmed up.  Outings on the bikes from camp into town or along the backroads made for a not too strenuous afternoon. We rode past citrus groves and toured the outdoor art displays on lightly trafficked roads. We stopped at the fruit stands and sampled juicy grapefruit and sweet tangerines. On the way back to camp we bought bags of fruit and lugged them home in our bike bags. Some days we explored slot canyons and others we hiked to a beautiful oasis or shady fern cave. Our day trips included birding at the Salton Sea, hanging out at Dog Beach in San Diego, and hiking a small segment of the Pacific Crest Trail.  


Kristy and Linda planking in the slot canyon

The layout of the Rockhouse site lends itself to meeting new people. We met a lovely, joyful couple from Saskatchewan, Canada and we sat around the fire sharing bits and pieces of our collective travels. They decided to watch the Super Bowl with us at Carlees, a little restaurant/bar in town, and they cheered for the Broncos right alongside us. Some of the other boondockers included a giant class A roundup of an RV club, some Airstreamers, and several solo women campers. Weekenders flowed in on Friday afternoons, but it never really got too crowded and quiet returned onSunday evenings.


Annette and Lynn, Christmas Circle Park

It would be hard not to love the little town of Borrego Springs. We visited the Friday farmer’s market, buying fresh hummus and bread and picking fresh vegetables from the produce displays. The green-grassed Christmas Circle Park in the middle of town has free Wi-Fi as well as picnic tables and electrical outlets at the base of the shade trees for relaxing and recharging phones and laptops.  Green grass is an exotic treat after days out in the dry desert so we loved hanging out and playing some do or die smash ball. During our town visits we tried out several of the other restaurants (all good), both grocery stores, the thrift shop, and the sweet Borrego Springs Library that offers free Wi-Fi, a $5 library card so one can check stuff out, and a comfortable, shady place to sit.

Dragon art

Workouts on the Road

Workouts on the Road

Kristy Working out/Gilbert Ray Campground

When we decided to fulltime RV we knew that leaving behind the Y and our exercise routines would be hard. After being YMCA members for 25 years, working out is part of our daily life. For years, we arrived at the Y at 5 a.m. to lift weights, join a spin class or put in miles on the stair stepper. We created an early morning community of fellow early birds and built some great relationships. Saying goodbye to Y friends and ending our membership was sad, but something we had to do to be fulltime RVers.

Working out at Gilbert Ray campgroung/ Tucson

 

 We knew we needed to create a way to integrate our workouts into our daily life on the road. Cardio workouts are easy as we love to walk, hike, kayak and bike, but a portable strength training routine is a bit more difficult. We decided to bring along some exercise mats, an exercise ball, a half dome, assorted dumbbells and a kettlebell set. So far, we have been pretty faithful at sticking with our workout routines. We cycle through three basic routines, chest and triceps, back and biceps, and shoulders and legs. When it’s possible we enjoy being able to set up our equipment outside, but we also make it work inside when the weather is not favorable. Our physical fitness goal is to stay strong, stay flexible, and keep moving for the rest of our lives.      

Annette and Shug working out/ Pueblo Reservoir, CO





Rockhound State Park, Deming New Mexico

Rockhound State Park December 22-26

Camp site Rockhound State Park, NM

As we roll out of Texas we set our sights on California with a few stops along the way.  Our first stop is Rockhound State Park which is just south of Deming, NM. Rockhound is a small park with approximately 30 camp sites. We arrive on a Sunday afternoon and claim the last open site, #5 in the undeveloped loop. Even though this site does not have water or electric hook-ups it is still a great spot with plenty of room and a good view.



Kristy Rockhounding/ Rockhound State Park, NM

Rockhound campground sits on the western slope of the Little Florida Mountains and has very unique geology.  It is one of the few parks in the U.S. that encourages rock hounding and allows you to keep what you find. Rocks and minerals found here include: several colors of jasper, agate, common opal, geodes, and thunder eggs.

During our first night, the temperature drops into the high 20s. We start our morning by hiking the trail around the boundaries of the park. We enjoy the sunrise views and the yipping and singing of coyotes. When we get back to camp, since we don’t run the furnace when we are unplugged, Kristy makes biscuits to warm the RV. We spend a snug morning sipping tea, eating biscuits, and watching birds in the cactus garden next to our site. The daytime temp warms up into the 50s which makes for pleasant rockhounding in the wash near the campground.

Unfortunately, a truck kicked up a rock that chips our windshield on our drive to Rockhound so we spend our second morning in town getting the windshield fixed. Very nice people at Desert Glass make the repair process quick and painless. We capitalize on the trip to town and do some grocery shopping at a nice little grocery store called Peppers. Kristy investigated in advance and found that the Tractor Supply Store in Deming carries Shug’s duck dog food so we swing by there and pick up a couple of bags. Exploring these small towns is fun so we cruise through the downtown area to get a feel for what life is like in Deming.

Spring Canyon Recreation Area/ NM

 After completing our errands we travel a couple of miles south of Rockhound on the road into the mountains (the road grade on one section is 17% !) to hike in Spring Canyon Recreation Area. The Lover’s Leap trail is steep and rocky, but a fun challenge with rewarding views. Fortunately, Rockhound has great shower facilities so it’s easy to get spiffed up and ready for our next adventure.

 

 

Hueco Tanks State Park and Historical Area

Art panel in Comanche Cave/Hueco Tanks

HuecoTanks sneaks up on you and works its way into your heart. At first glance, it’s just another high desert area with small, barren mountains that look black in the distance. The first thing that clues you into the fact that Hueco is different, is that once at the park you have to stop and view an informational video before you can camp or walk around. In fact, if you want to explore, you have to get a pass from the ranger’s office for that day. There is so much history in this park, but unfortunately it has not been well cared for through the years. Many of the pictographs have been defaced and Native American burial sites have been trampled. Several years ago a multi-agency effort to protect this sacred place created a strict game plan for the park’s future use. Park restrictions now require obtaining a pass to climb or hike on North Mountain. A limited number of passes are available at the visitor center when it opens each day. Passes are free for campers and $7 for daily users.

Kristy Bouldering at Hueco Tanks

Hueco Tanks is a world-renowned bouldering area and North Mountain is open for climbers and for people like us who just want to wander the mountain and enjoy the views. Small groups of college students on winter break were in the park bouldering and it’s fun to watch them climb and maneuver on the rocks. They put big square pads on the ground for protection if they fall so you see groups of climbers walking in the park with these large, colorful pads strapped on their backs. We called them Sponge Bob Square Pants, but from the back our camp host pointed out that they also look like giant walking popsicles.

Checking out one of the masks in Kiva Cave/ Hueco Tanks

Several masks in Kiva Cave/ Hueco Tanks

While visiting the park in December, we did not have any problem getting a hiking pass. We hiked and explored North Mountain on our own and played around the rocks which are pock-marked making it easy to find hand holds for climbing. Our camp hosts, Tim and Carol, offered to take us to the famous and well-hidden Kiva Cave to see the Jornada Mogollon paintings of masks. We began by hiking along the trail from the Interpretive Center toward North Mountain scrambling up the flank until we came to a dead tree. From the dead tree, we looked up at the rocks until we located a balanced rock which resembles a duck. At the duck, looking off to our right we spotted a rock formation that kind of looks like an alligator. The head of the alligator points to the cave. To enter the low cave opening, one has to belly crawl. Once inside, the cave opens into a bigger room where eight masks can be found painted on the upper wall and ceiling.  We lay on the floor of the cave talking and telling stories and imagining other people through the centuries doing the same thing.

To see the other two mountains at Hueco Tanks several different tours can be pre-booked. Each tour cost $2 per person. Led by trained volunteers or park staff, tours provide visitors with an opportunity to see more caves and rock art, learn about the history, geology, and biology of the area and to experience the magic of Hueco up close. 

Winter camping: We enjoyed pleasant daytime temperatures in the 50s and 60s while camping here December 17-22, but be ready for night time temps that dip into the teens and low 20s.

Big BendTexas and the Lonesome Dove Novel

Annette, Santa Elena Canyon

I received a gift today. Annette has us reading the Lonesome Dove series as we roll through Texas. It has been fun traveling through some of the places described in the book. Sometimes the story and reality merge. On several occasions while driving I will think that Buffalo Hump will ride out of the Dry Texas landscape looking for scalps. Today we were putting our kayaks into the Rio Grande River, as Annette was parking the truck I was looking across the River at the Mexico b...ank, my thoughts were moving between how cool it is to be seeing the river boundary and the river bank in Mexico and wow hope I don't get kidnapped by a pistolero. Out of the blue a beautiful male voice begins singing across the river, a Spanish ballad. I couldn't see anyone because of the mesquite trees on the bank. After a few minutes I see a Mexican cowboy riding his horse across the plains. I felt for a moment that I was actually in the Lonesome Dove novel with a vaquero. A gift.

In a Pickle

 

Well we got ourselves " in a pickle" last night. We were planning to camp at Amistad NRA in Del Rio, Texas. We began driving down the road to what we believed was the campground and suddenly the road went straight into the water. There was a small area to attempt a turn around but two cars were parked there. To back out was about a mile. So we decided to stay the night and wait until daylight. We spent the night a little stressed and not sleeping much. We began discussing where the saying " in a pickle" originated. (I still need to look that up). Anyway the next morning we were able to back Biggie Moms out of a tight spot. Annette had to use all of her strength to hold branches away from the truck and then a diving lunge at the last minute to bend a metal fence post that was threatening to catch the ladder and rip it off. He he Whew!! What an adventure!!!