Looking across the Rio Grande from the US side to the Mexico side
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March 2024 - Clickable Links
March 2024 - Clickable Links
Brownsville, TX (3 remaining nights)
Brownsville, TX (3 remaining nights)
1 - Palo Alto Battlefield & Historic Brownsville
1 - Palo Alto Battlefield & Historic Brownsville
Just north of Brownsville is the site of the Palo Alto Battlefield...the dispute for land during the US-Mexican War from 1846-1848.
Palo Alto Battlefield, why it started.
National Historic Landmark
The area in the white outline is the land that was disputed and was eventually won by the US with concessions to Mexico. I think I heard the US gave 10 million US dollars to Mexico to end the war.
The US troops had the advantage as they had superior artillery.
The withdrawal of the Rio Grande from the battlefield area...leaving behind one of the resacas.
Mexican cannon? Not labelled but as it was on the Mexican side that is what we are assuming.
US cannon? This was on the US side of the battlefield.
A short 20 minutes away was the Resaca de la Palma Battlefield which was all tied into this same border war.
From the battlefield we ventured into downtown Brownsville. Found a few wall murals along with a brewery where Ken could enjoy a cold one.
Beautiful quinceanera dresses.
It's an old town as noted by the electrical in the alley.
The US Federal Building. Note the chairs in front of the building as they were setting up for the downtown parades to celebrate Charro Days...a festival to celebrate the friendship between Brownsville and Matamoros in Mexico just across the border.
2 - South Padre Island
2 - South Padre Island
We drove about 30 minutes to South Padre Island. As it turns out it is a very typical resort type beach town.
Crossed the Queen Isabella Memorial Bridge to get onto the Island.
Winter Texans...same as Snowbirds in Arizona and Florida. This area is full of them!
One of the few places that we could get onto the beach without having to pay a $12.00 entrance fee (shame on you Cameron County for not having free puble beach access!) was to visit Clayton's...South Padre Island (SPI) Biggest Beach Bar in Texas.
Not sure how many this sits but it is large.
Looking back at Clayton's from the beach access.
This area must get crazy during Spring Break just a few short weeks away! Glad we will not be here in the craziness of it all.
A surprising find was a visit to Sea Turtle Inc., a rescue and rehab center dedicated entirely to sea turtles.
Cowgirl the Atlantic Green
Cowgirl just didn't want to leave!
McAllen, TX (4 nights)
McAllen, TX (4 nights)
4 - Driving Day to McAllen
4 - Driving Day to McAllen
It was another quick drive from Brownsville to McAllen.
As we were driving along the roads, the most amazing thing was to see parts of the "wall" on the US side of the Rio Grande.
Settled into the Alamo Rose RV Resort just outside of McAllen in Alamo. We really enjoyed use of the heated pool after a day of exploration.
The park was fairly empty as most of the Winter Texans left at the end of February. We were able to choose our site it was that empty.
5 - Edinburg Scenic Wetlands/World Birding Center & Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park
5 - Edinburg Scenic Wetlands/World Birding Center & Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park
The RV Resort has lots of daytime activities to keep us busy and everyone we met at the park was really excited to be there and welcome us in. However it was time to explore the area.
First stop was to head north of McAllen to Edinburg.
Edinburg Scenic Wetlands & World Birding Center.
Boardwalk over the pond.
Lots of algae in the water as well as something else!
It was a red-eared turtle on the wood.
Red-eared sliders are a type of turtle that can be found in Texas. They are medium-sized turtles with oval, dark green shells, red stripes behind their eyes, and green legs with yellow stripes. Red-eared sliders are the most common aquatic turtles in Texas, and can be found in most permanent slow-moving water sources with mud bottoms...Generative AI.
Bottoms Up!
A canal on the other side of the lake.
Luckily we were told what to look for...can you see it?
The diamondback water snake (Nerodia rhombifer) is a non-venomous snake that is native to the central United States and northern Mexico. The diamondback water snake is 30–48 inches long and has a light grayish-brown body with a dark chain-like pattern on its back. Its belly is yellow with dark spots...Generative AI
Look closely...
...???
Again...look closely...
Well, I guess you don't have to look too close!
Ended the day by also visiting the Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, another World Birding Center.
As we crossed the canal once checking in they have another portion of the "wall".
Thought we may hike the Rio Grande Trail in green at the end, but only made it to Hawk Trail, the small jutout to the right, at the start of the Rio Grande Trail.
Turns out that this is a park that is best accessed via bike after you check in at the visitor center. They do have a tram that goes from the visitor center to the trails at the end but it only runs every hour. As we arrived on the 1/2 hour we decided to start walking toward the Hawk Tower Trail.
We arrived at the tram stop for the Hawk Tower trail which was 200 yards away. It was already 5-10 minutes past the hour and we really wanted to take the tram back to the visitor center as it was a longish and hot walk getting to this point.
We decided to take our chances that we could get to the overlook and back before the tram arrived.
After the walk thru the trees, we came upon this wooden ramp.
The overlook point at the end of the ramp.
A quick photo to prove that we made it and then it was a quick trip back! The tram arrived at the pick up location a few minutes after our return. Yeah!
6 - Estero Llano Grande State Park & Quick Trip to Nuevo Progreso, Mexico
6 - Estero Llano Grande State Park & Quick Trip to Nuevo Progreso, Mexico
Off to see another state park in the area only 30 minutes away.
Finally, we find out what the cement structures are that are in abundance in the area. Turns out they are irrigation standpipes that help to regulate the flow of water from canals that are below ground.
Irrigation standpipe.
Rio Grande giving life to the area for thousands of years.
From 1916-1919, 12,000 National Guard troops were stationed just east of this area.
Most of the ponds were dry as the onsite well was not working and the flow of water from other external irrigation canals was cut off to the park due to the draught that the area is experiencing.
A flower that caught my eye!
Alligator Lake
Look closely...do you see it?
The first of alligators that we found sunning itself.
Hiding in here is a ???
...why it's a turtle with just a little moss growing on its back!
Some of the local birds in the area...we did not see any, not that we were really looking.
??? - Not sure which birds are hanging out here.
Teeming with life in the ponds...
Ken thinks he saw the Black Bellied Whistling Duck when we were at Edinburg.
Alligator home
Just south of the state park is Nuevo Progreso in Mexico. We parked on the US side and walked across, costing us $1.00 each to enter and $0.30 each to exit. Walked the main street and as usual, lots of sales especially for prescription drugs. We are fortunate that our health is good and no prescription are needed. Stopped for lunch at Pancho's as it was recommended from some of the people at the RV resort, next time, we would pass as it is a glorified tourist trap and the food was not even warm when it came to the table. So much so, that we just got the food to go and Ken reheated it for dinner...much better.
International Bridge.
Mexico statue
On the bridge in the middle of the Rio Grande
The Rio Grande as we walked over the bridge, with the "wall" in the background.
7 - Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge
7 - Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge
Just south of Alamo RV Resort is this wildlife refuge...a sanctuary for migratory birds and other wildlife. Ken's hope was to see a Green Jay...spoiler alert...he did not!
Natural Landmark
Santa Ana Land Grant
We hiked the Pintail Lake Trail, the redline on the left side towards the Rio Grande.
Another birding hot spot, with over 400 species of birds spotted.
Resacas of the Rio Grande
Black Bellied Whistling Duck
National Wildlife Refuge System here in the US, lots in North Dakota.
Headquarters for the wildlife refuge from 1943
As close as we came to a Green Jay.
Lots of green, lots of water, lots of birds and lots of mosquitos when the wind was not blowing.
Surprised to see the Spanish Moss in this area.
Made it to the view of the Rio Grande
As we we looking across the Rio Grande into Mexico, you will see a raft in the top center. Saw one guy carrying it out of the water ..it does not look like he was leisurely gliding down the river.
A couple of guys were following the guy in the raft...what were they up to? Getting ready to transport illegals across the river??
The Rio Grande in the background
This was a beautiful part of the trail.
Came across the Canopy Trail which I really enjoyed. Ken not so much with the heights.
Subtropical woodlands around the tower.
The first set of stairs that overlooks the spiral staircase and the swinging bridge.
I was able to see the Rio Grande from this vantage point.
The spiral staircase leading to the swinging bridge.
Made it safely to the other side! Taking a pic of Ken below.
Couldn't convince him to join me up top...oh well!
The last pond for us today.
Definitely a great place to find birds if you have the patience. Us...not so much just yet.
Falcon Heights, TX (3 nights)
Falcon Heights, TX (3 nights)
8-10 - Driving to Falcon State Park and Hanging Out
8-10 - Driving to Falcon State Park and Hanging Out
Time to just relax, get caught up on the website and get in a few bike rides. Perfect!
Our view from the picnic table (that cannot be moved!) under the shade structure...taken late day after the "Spring Ahead" time change.
A morning visitor...one lonely javelina!
This park has a small butterfly garden that you can walk thru. We did, but wrong time of year to see butterflies.
Rode the bikes down to the reservoir with the dam in the background.
Falcon International Reservoir, commonly called Falcon Lake, is a reservoir on the Rio Grande 40 miles southeast of Laredo, Texas, United States, and Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico...Wikipedia
A view of one part of the lake. Mexico across the water.
Lots of fishermen were at the lake on Sunday.
The very steep boat ramp...
Laredo, TX (4 nights)
Laredo, TX (4 nights)
11 - Driving Day to Lake Casa Blanca SP
11 - Driving Day to Lake Casa Blanca SP
We are really taking advantage of our Texas State Park pass and we are booked into Lake Casa Blanca International State Park here in Laredo.
One of the things we have noticed driving on the roads of Texas is how far apart the dividing lines are placed. They look to be at least 2 feet apart from one another. Ken likes it.
Took a short walk after dinner to the fishing pier close to our spot, lots of fishermen and even saw one of them catch a white crappie which did not put up much of a fight.
Fishing Pier
Lake Casa Blanca
13 - Downtown Laredo
13 - Downtown Laredo
Spent the afternoon exploring downtown Laredo.
As we were leaving, Ken spotted this Roadrunner doing what he does best...moving at a fast speed.
Crossing over the bridge looking into the downtown area, with the church steeple on the left.
The international border crossing into Mexico. Keep those firearms and ammunition at home unless you would like to see the inside of a Mexican jail!
Visited San Agustin de Laredo Church. This was the 3rd location for the church built here in 1872. It was restored in 2021.
Back of the Church
Location of the 2nd church of St. Agustin in the front courtyard of the new church.
OBLATE FATHERS TRAIL.The Oblate Fathers Trail, designated by road markers in 1949 by the Brownsville Historical Association, was the route traveled in 1849 and through the 1850s by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in their parish and missionary work. Bishop Jean Marie Odin of the Diocese of Galveston had called upon this priestly order to assist him in the organization of the Catholic Church in the Rio Grande valley. The trail began at Our Lady Star of the Sea Church at Port Isabel, proceeded to Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Brownsville and to Villa Maria Chapel, and angled up the river to San Pedro, Encantada, Las Rusias, San Benito, Santa Maria, Mercedes, Hidalgo, McAllen, La Lomita, Mission, Habana, Grulla, Rio Grande City, Roma, Zapata, San Ignacio, and Laredo. The octagonal bronze plaques were placed on the property of each early church...https://www.tshaonline.org/
Baptismal Chapel...very ornate.
Blessed Sacrament Chapel...Replica of Michelangelo's Pieta.
From the church right across the street was the central courtyard.
Original site of Villa de Laredo, founded in May 1755
Visited a small museum across the street from the central courtyard...The Republic of the Rio Grande. Independent from both Mexico and Texas..its own Republic for 248 days in 1940.
Original header boards above the doors, looking to the front of the building.
Rooms from within the original Capitol Building, now converted to show what household rooms looked like at that time.
Ranching Office
The original header boards above the doors.
Bedroom
Kitchen (Cocina)
More header boards...not sure why I was so fascinated by them?!
We also walked around more of the downtown area to get a feel for what it is like. As it turns out this is not a properous area. Lots of closed up shops and those that were open looked pretty rough. Lots of Mexicans shopping in the area as they look to be buying here and then crossing the border back to Mexico (we saw numerous Mexicans with bags and even one with a 75" TV crossing over the bridge.
La Posada Hotel, across the street from the central courtyard.
Laredo Telephone Exchange
Looking into Mexico and the walking bridge over the Rio Grande.
Old City Hall.
Laredo's Washington's Birthday Celebration...one of the many festivals that they hold here.
Ken stopped for lunch at Taquitos RAVI and enjoyed an assortment of tacos that they are known for.
Ended our touring by visiting the one and only brewery ... The Laredo Brewing Co., which is outside of downtown in a much more upscale area.
14 - Hanging Out
14 - Hanging Out
Our last bike ride around the campground. Came across this abandoned building that is closed to the public. Nevertheless, it was kind of neat.
A view of Lake Casa Blanca from the building.
Lake Casa Blanca with part of the campground in front.
San Antonio, TX Area (7 nights)
San Antonio, TX Area (7 nights)
15 - Driving Day to Hondo, TX & Alamo Area SKP Co-op (Lone Star Corral)
15 - Driving Day to Hondo, TX & Alamo Area SKP Co-op (Lone Star Corral)
An easy 2.5 hr drive to the Escapees Co-op park about an hour outside of San Antonio. We will use this as our home base for the next week.
The weather is not supposed to be the best but we'll make do.
16 - Bandera, TX - Cowboy Capital of the World
16 - Bandera, TX - Cowboy Capital of the World
Who knew we were so close to the Cowboy Capital of the World. We really enjoyed our visit to Bandera...made even more special as the lady in the visitor center had a wealth of knowledge for things to see and do in the area. Every February they put on a Cowboy Mardi Gras that looks to be a lot of fun. Need to plan to come back for this event.
Bandera is also known for being the birthplace of the Great Western Cattle Trail which started in 1874 herding millions of cattle from Texas to Nebraska and even into Canada. Rotary plays a role in helping to keep the Great Western Trail alive.
Rotarians from three countries resurrect the forgotten Great Western Trail
By Frank Bures Photos by Scott Slusher At Doan’s Crossing, in a remote corner of Texas near the southeastern tip of the Panhandle, the local folks hold a picnic every May. It has all the things you would expect from a small-town picnic: A few hundred people from the nearby town of Vernon and the surrounding area gather to eat barbecue and socialize. Riders on horseback cross the river from Oklahoma to attend. A Picnic King and Queen are crowned. But the event, which claims to be the “oldest pioneer festival” in Texas, also marks a piece of American history that was nearly lost: Doan’s Crossing was a key point along the Great Western Trail, a major cattle trail that, during its 20 years of existence, was more heavily used than the better-remembered Chisholm Trail. While it was in use, some 6 million to 7 million cattle and a million horses made their way up various parts of the route...continued reading at https://www.rotary.org/en/rotarians-resurrect-forgotten-great-western-trail.
Ken with one of the Rotary Trail Markers.
Bandera Water Works Tower
100 foot tall "Tin Man"
It was a quick stop into the Antique Marketplace before we went to see the Bandera Gunfighters just outside of the Visitor Center. They had a pretty good show, gotta love the local talent as they enjoyed what they were doing.
Enjoyed lunch at OST (Old Spanish Trail) Restaurant.
OST, in operation since 1921 and the 2nd oldest restaurant in Texas.
Bandera County Courthouse
Cowboy Capital of the World Statue in front of the Courthouse.
Arkey Blue's Silver Dollar. Heard about this bar at the Visitor Center and so glad we did. Turns out Arkey is almost 100 and still comes to the bar to jam some evenings.
Not ADA friendly...down about 15 steps.
Nothing fancy but I bet it can get wild in here in the evenings!
That's one beat up bar top!
Ken tried to play with Dolly Parton...
...but she was not cooperating!
Machine was in a tilt mode.
Cowboy Ken!
17 - Fredericksburg, TX - Trade Days & Luckenbach, TX
17 - Fredericksburg, TX - Trade Days & Luckenbach, TX
Today was the final day for Fredericksburg Trade Days for the month of March. Turns out it is just a large Flea Market (new and old items) held outside of Fredericksburg. Good to see once but unless you are looking for something in particular, one and done is good. We did not snap many pictures today as it was cold and misty rain for most of the day. The Texas Hill Country is very pretty up this way and I'm glad we got to see some of it even though the weather was not the best. Fredericksburg has lots of wineries in the area as well as plenty of unique gift shops in the downtown. You could easily spend 4 or 5 days here.
Fredericksburg is one of the best small towns in Texas. It's known for its strong German influence, delicious peaches, and outstanding local wineries — which makes sense since it's located in the heart of Texas wine country....Pods.com
Downtown Fredericksburg...again not our pics.
Happy to have the overhangs to protect us from the rain.
Trade Days...not our pics as we had a cold & rainy day...but you get the idea.
Just off the main downtown street we found Belly Up Brew Pub for a great lunch. Only opened 2 weeks prior.
We were so close...so it was off to see Luckenbach, TX made famous by Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson.
Luckenbach didn't receive its musical claim to fame until the entire town was bought by John Russell Hondo Crouch in 1971 and — of course — Waylon Jennings made the hit tune “Luckenbach Texas” in 1977.J..TheDayTripper.com
The one "street" in town with the dance hall on the left and bars on the right.
18 - San Antonio, TX - Exploring
18 - San Antonio, TX - Exploring
It is a busy day for us as we explore San Antonio. We had been here before in early 2000's. So had already seen The Alamo and the River Walk but not much else as we were there for a Signarama Convention. So this time around we will explore more of what it has to offer.
Our first stop of the morning was to see the "Giant Boots"...everything is bigger in Texas and this was no exception. Heard about these on a YouTube video but they neglected to mention that they were outside of a mall.
After getting our boots pictures it was off to walk the Japanese Tea Garden. I can only imagine how much more beautiful this garden would be when more flowers are planted & in bloom.
What began as a pit created from its years as a limestone quarry and cement factory, the Japanese Tea Garden is now a beloved jewel in San Antonio’s cultural landscape. In 1916, Park Commissioner Ray Lambert looked out over the rocky void and envisioned something beautiful: a Japanese style garden complete with a waterfall and koi pond. Lambert’s design for a Texas version of a tea garden was sparked by the Japanese art and fashion that were highly popular throughout the American West in the early 20th century...saparks.org
The garden was renamed the Chinese Tea Garden, to prevent the razing and vandalism of the tea garden during World War II, as many other cities' Japanese tea gardens were being vandalized...wikipedia.com
The stonework is beautiful.
Scroll left or right to see more pics...so hard to know which picture should be deleted...so I kept lots!
The Mexican Village just outside the Japanese Tea Garden
Alamo Portland & Roman Cement Company
This cement company created the pit that eventually was used for the Japanese Tea Garden.
It was almost lunch time so we headed to the Pearl District. From what we found, it was a shopping district with restaurants and a small park in the middle. We tried to find the Pearl Brewery but could not. It seemed like it is now an apartment building.
Before having lunch here in the Pearl District we walked part of the River Walk to "The Grotto"...an art installation.
St. Johns Lutheran Church..."The Rooster Church"
Found a set of wall murals.
Just another old house!
The Halff House.
Tower of the America's. Ken was not interested in going to the top...I wonder why?!
A pretty fountain in front of the tower.
Ken making a new friend!
Finally made it to the River Walk. First stop, Durty Nelly's Irish Pub.
Needed to take the Riverboat Cruise. Ken got all the highlights, I could not hear our pilot very well so I didn't catch much of what he had to say. But it was a pretty float.
The boat just happened to be right across the street from the pub.
Ken took the picture of this group of ladies (a few men also) from a local senior home.
It was a coolish day for the ride.
Scenes along the River Walk...
The Compass Rose Mosaic
Building inspired by the shape of the Titanic
An island in the river!
Padre Damian Massanet's Table Sculpture
Saving the San Antonio River in this area.
Old Mill Crossing
Love Lock Bridge
The weight that this bridge must have to carry! So many locks!
Historic Downtown Area...
San Fernando Cathedral...the historic heart of the city.
Remains of the Alamo Heroes are entombed here in this cathedral.
Looking from the front of the church to the back with the organ in the upper balcony.
John Paul II Visit in 1987
Saint John Paul II
San Antonio De Padua for whom the city is named.
Bexar County Courthouse
The Canary Islanders
The Founders of San Antonio in 1731...Original settlers from the Canary Islands
The Founders were a short people.
The Lady Justice...the 1896 Fountain
City Hall
Local music to end out the day.
Could not see the River Walk but we are just above it.
19 - Spanish Governor's Palace, Historic Market Square & Missions of San Antonio
19 - Spanish Governor's Palace, Historic Market Square & Missions of San Antonio
Our last day to enjoy San Antonio.
We were headed over to the Historic Market Square and came across the Spanish Governor's Palace. A tour worth doing if in the area.
The outdoor courtyard.
From the palace we continued on our walk to the Market and came across the San Pedro Creek area. It look like it is more of an artsy area.
San Pedro Creek Area as we were headed to the market.
That's one big head!
Wall art in front of the Market.
The Historic Market Square...quiet on a Tuesday and lots of Mexican wares for sale.
This ended our downtown tour of San Antonio. We had been to the Alamo years ago (as it turns out, one of the five Missions) so did not do that this time around. However, we did drive to see the other four Missions here in San Antonio.
The first one we saw was Mission Concepcion. Well we tried to see it, however as these missions are still active churches today, there was a funeral going on when we got there. So we went to see all the others had lunch at Nicha's Mexican and then came back to see this Mission. I am still putting the pics here as it was kind of the first one we saw. The exterior wall was not in place at this mission.
Side View
The very information National Park Service employee who gave us the lunch recommendation for Nicha's (very good)!
Short doorways on the side walls as you enter the rooms.
There was a tour group in this chapel so we did not get a pic from the front entrance of the church as they had us enter the church through the side door.
Looking up into the dome at the front of the church.
The second mission was San Jose and by far this was the mission to see if you only have time to see one of them. The exterior walls are still in place so you really get a feel for the overall size.
Our third to be seen was Mission San Juan.
This was a very narrow church and they have shrouded the statues for lent.
Our fourth and final was Mission Espada.
Driving Back to Arizona (4 nights)
Driving Back to Arizona (4 nights)
It was time to head back to Arizona and the Phoenix valley.
22 - West of Fort Stockton, TX
22 - West of Fort Stockton, TX
It was a long 5 hour Google time drive which for us is closer to 7 hours when hauling the trailer.
Stopped in Fort Stockton to snap a picture of Paisana Pete the local roadrunner just on the edge of the historic district. And then 30 minutes west of Fort Stockton was a rest area that we called home for the night. As the evening wore on, the parking lot filled up with semis but at least our spot for the night was not between the trucks. This was the cleanest rest area that we have ever seen and it also had lots of local information for the history of the area. Well done Pecos County!
23 - Anthony, NM - La Vina Winery
23 - Anthony, NM - La Vina Winery
Just west of El Paso, TX and south of Las Cruces is Anthony, NM. Last time we were in the area we stayed at Public 28 Brewery, this time we stayed at La Vina Winery (the brewery was not taking Harvest Host guests for the night). What a wonderful stay! We really enjoyed getting to know some of the other Harvest Host guests, most especially David & Edith from just outside of Montreal. I especially enjoyed winning our game of Mexican Train Dominoes that we had!
After both Ken & I enjoyed the wine flights we settled upon splitting a dry rose wine...an unexpected choice but delicious...Obsequio. This wine is made from the descendants of the original Mission grapes that were planted in New Mexico from 400 years ago. And as we had just seen the Missions in San Antonio, this was a fitting drink to be enjoyed.
Mar 25 - And here are our new friends (Dave & Edith) who so kindly sent me a couple of pics from their trip to White Sands National Park after La Vina Winery. It looks like they had warmer weather than what we had at City of Rocks! This is definitely on our list of places to see. Looks like no one else is there, how cool is that!
Also at the Harvest Host Location - La Vina Winery - we chatted with YouTube Creators, Mela & Don, from Rehabit8. Looks like they are just getting back to updating their channel and it looks like this video might have something to do with what he was talking about with Ken the night before.
24-25 - Faywood, NM - City of Rocks State Park
24-25 - Faywood, NM - City of Rocks State Park
Started our day from the winery with a wind advisory. Once we got on the road, Ken only drove a max of 55mph as the wind was pretty excessive. Once we got out of the Pecan and farm area the dust in the air finally subsided right around Las Cruces.
We heard about this state park from a YouTube creator - Slim Potatohead. Luckily we were able to get a last minute reservation for a couple of nights. However, it turns out that the weather was not on our side for these nights. Cold...Cold....Cold... highs of mid 40 and windy!
Yes, that was snow that came down as we were driving up to the site.
Luckily we were able to back up enough that we only needed to raise our front up 19 inches from the original 29" that we first had.
Lots of slope at this site.
A beautiful view out our front. We were able to see the storms rolling in!
They have a very nice visitor center and learned that the rocks were created from a volcanic eruption almost 35 million years ago.
City of Rocks gets its name from the incredible volcanic rock formations found here. The park encompasses a one square mile area in the scenic Chihuahuan desert region of southwestern New Mexico at an elevation of 5,200 feet. The “city” is a geologic formation made up of large, sculptured rock columns, or pinnacles, rising as high as 40 feet and separated by paths or lanes resembling city streets. These rocks were formed about 34.9 million years ago when a very large volcano erupted. Then, erosion over millions of years slowly formed the sculptured columns seen today, creating a stunning, otherworldly landscape... https://www.emnrd.nm.gov/spd/find-a-park/city-of-rocks-state-park/
Time to bring out the winter gear to keep warm as we explored the rocks behind our campsite.
Zoomed Out
Zoomed In
A rock held by a pebble? Balancing Rock?
So many great photos to be taken...good thing the weather was not in our favor or I could have stayed out much longer looking for things in the rocks. I did find a bell...can you as you scroll left or right through the photos below?
Behind our campsite we found the Grinding Stones.
Likely these holes are about 1000 years old.
The rangers at the visitor center could not say what these were used for. Any guesses?
We took the 1 mile hike to the Observation Area...the Hydra Trail.
Looking off into the distance to what we thought would be the Observation Area.
Walked right on by these rocks (close up view)
This was at the Observation Area.
From the Observation Area looking back at the campground.
Took the road back to the campground as it looked like a storm was coming in and so we wanted to get back quick. These were the rocks that we saw at the start of the hike.
Trying to stay warm and keep out of the wind.
Just behind our campsite we looked for and found a petroglyph. It is unknown what this is but it seems to be well preserved.
The petroglyph is on the right side
Another petroglyph that we found was the Kokopelli. It took a little bit to find even with the directions that we got from the visitor center. It was much smaller than what we had expected to find. There is a rock that covers the indentation and you replace it after you view the image.
One of the last rocks that caught our eye. Amazing to see how much rock material has been weathered away.
Facing east.
Same rock...facing west. Looks like a pointer to me.
This is the rock that you see as you enter the campsite...are they trying to tell us something?!
Tucson & Maricopa, AZ Area (5 nights)
Tucson & Maricopa, AZ Area (5 nights)
26-27 - Benson, AZ - SKP Saguaro Co-op Park
26-27 - Benson, AZ - SKP Saguaro Co-op Park
Wow it was a cold one this morning (35 degrees) as we left City of Rocks to head out for breakfast at Silver City (at an elevation of about 6000ft)! So much cold in fact that we got snow along the drive! We just are not very good at this chasing 70 degrees!
We are hanging our here for a couple of days before we head to Tucson to see Andrew and then onto Maricopa to visit with Leslie & Steve.
It's not much warmer here in Benson (only 51 degrees at 4pm), so not sure if we will do any exploring. Maybe we'll head to Tombstone?
Just coming into Silver City. I'm sure that this town would be a lot more fun in the summer months!
That is Arizona off in the distance, looks like more rain is in our future...
Our first stop for the next couple of nights is at the Escapees Co-op Park - SKP Saguaro Co-op in Benson AZ
From Benson, we took the quick 30 min drive south to visit Tombstone and enjoy lunch and a quick walk-a-bout.
Dirt streets...gotta keep it real!
The bar that we sat at to have lunch
Bird Cage Theatre...they still haven't got our money!
Big Nose Kate's Saloon.
Edward L. Schieffelin...prospector & miner whose discoveries of silver led to the founding of Tombstone.
28 - Tucson, AZ - Catalina State Park
28 - Tucson, AZ - Catalina State Park
It was just a quick overnight trip to Tucson, to restock groceries and visit with Andrew for dinner. This was our 1st visit to Catalina State Park and it is a must do again but for at least a week. Looks to be good for hiking and biking in the area.
Early night pic with Andrew after dinner.
29-30 - Maricopa Moochdocking with Leslie & Steve - Dwarf Car Museum
29-30 - Maricopa Moochdocking with Leslie & Steve - Dwarf Car Museum
We just barely fit on the street in front of Leslie & Steve's place as we needed to leave the truck hooked up to the trailer as all of the neighbors were still home and we could not use one of their driveways to park the truck on. Gotta love them HOA's...not!
Still in Maricopa but a 30 minute drive from Leslie's was the Dwarf Car Museum.
Ernie Adams, originator of the dwarf car, has made a name for himself building Dwarf Race Cars and scaled down replicas of classic cars called Dwarf Car Cruisers. These handmade works of art now have a home in Maricopa, Arizona...www.DwarfCarMuseum.com
Looks like Ernie had a knack for drawing at a young age.
His notebooks for the jigs that he created for the vehicles are meticulous in detail.
Ernie said he did everything exterior and interior except for the painting that was done by others.
These cars look to be factory made.
Ken being taught a thing or two!
Ken has some competition!
Ok...Leslie finally got Ernie to look at the camera!
There is a DVD that plays and Ernie explains how he makes jigs to create the parts of the vehicle.
31-Apr 2 - Peoria, AZ - Pleasant Harbor RV Resort
31-Apr 2 - Peoria, AZ - Pleasant Harbor RV Resort
We had planned on heading straight to the Arizona State Trust Land up by Lake Pleasant after Maricopa, however the rain was coming down and we thought it may be a bit drier to stay at the park. Still on gravel, but it likely was better.
Overlooking the marina at sunset to end our stay!
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