GOING HOME? YES!

MONDAY, OCTOBER 21

Today is my Mom’s birthday.  Had she lived she’d be 98.  I’ve observed both parents’ birthdays during this 3-month trip.  I arrived in Iowa on August 1, Dad’s birthday, and today I’m in Arizona.  When I started traveling in the truck camper in 2006 both Mom and Dad had already passed on.  I often wonder what they would think, how they would react, if they were reading my blogs.  They might worry, as parents are prone to do, even when their children are middle-age adults.  But I think, since we were a “nomadic” family, Dad being in the Navy, they would reminisce about their own road travels as we moved around and went on family vacations.  Anyways, here’s to you, Mom!

Last night (Sunday) was my second night at the Sonora Rancho RV Park and Inn, near Florence, AZ.  After posting Blog #13 around 3:30 p.m. I decided to check out the swimming pool.  Although I knew the pool wasn’t heated I was not prepared for how cold the water was – 68 degrees, according to the pool thermostat!  The jump-in-quick-and-get-it-over-with strategy doesn’t work with me so I immersed myself in the water v-e-r-y slowly until I finally was ready to dunk my head.  Ah, nice!  Then I went to the hot tub – 15 minutes in that 100 degree water, directly from the pool was blissful.  There was nobody else around.  The folks who stayed at the inn had left and the RV snowbirds haven’t arrived in droves yet.

So, this morning, with my next destination about an hour’s drive away, I simply relaxed and took my time getting ready to leave.  On my way at noon I got back on Rt. 79 and drove north to Florence, got fuel, and then from there the highway took me through the desert to Florence Junction where I then got on Rt. 60W.  This four-lane highway became a bit more congested as I approached and took an exit towards Apache Junction.  Following the signs I got on Rt. 88E and soon arrived at the Lost Dutchman State Park, located at the base of the Superstition Mountains.  From Wikipedia - 

“The Superstition Mountains (Yavapai: Wi:kchsawa), popularly called ‘The Superstitions’ is a range of mountains in Arizona located to the east of the Phoenix metropolitan area. They are anchored by Superstition Mountain, a large mountain that is a popular recreation destination for residents of the Phoenix, Arizona area.”

“The Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine (also known by similar names) is, according to legend, a rich gold mine hidden in the southwestern United States. The location is generally believed to be in the Superstition Mountains, near Apache Junction, east of Phoenix, Arizona. There have been many stories about how to find the mine, and each year people search for the mine. Some have died on the search.”

“The mine is named after German immigrant Jacob Waltz (c. 1810–1891), who purportedly discovered it in the 19th century and kept its location a secret. Before the unification of Germany, the demonym "Dutch" was used for people from the Netherlands and Germans alike."  

From my reserved pull-through loop campsite, and through my dinette slide-out windows, I have a great view of the picturesque rugged cliff of Superstition Mountain.  Around late afternoon I took a walk and marveled at the colors the setting sun cast on the cliff.  The bright orange sun slowly dipped behind saguaro and other desert plants while I was still on my walk.  Soon as I made it back to the camper I kept the rear door open and stood there watching the band of sky at the western horizon gradually change color from orange to dark orange to red to a darker red and finally fading out to a darkened sky.

From my loop site this is the view of the rugged cliff of

Superstition Mountain.

I noticed this clearing as I was walking around the campground just before the sun set. 

The colors caught my eye, the two trees framing the cliff in the background, and the way

the yellow strands of grass intermingled with the rocks.  Fortunately, I was able to get my

shadow out of the way!

Superstition Mountain just before sunset.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22

The sun had already risen when I woke up but I couldn’t tell because the sun was blocked by the commanding height of the Superstition Mountain.  I stepped outside and, looking up at this majestic and revered cliff, I waited…I waited for the sun to rise a little higher and make its appearance between the jagged rocks at the top of the mountain.  It took millions of years for this mountain to form and the sun, for eons, has risen at that same jagged edge.  Keeps me humble…

This being an unexpected extra week of travel, I decided I would just spend my time in relaxation mode.  Right outside the driver side of my camper (no slideout) is a sandy clearing with scattered rocks, some small cacti, and other dense shrubbery.  It was shady on that side so I sat out there with my book and observed the Gambel’s Quails and other desert birds going about their morning activites.  The Gambel’s, with the plumes on their heads, are entertaining to watch.  They can fly but they prefer to run…and they sure do run fast on those little legs.  Movement of other critters that caught my eye included lizards, a chipmunk, and a couple of rabbits.

Around 3:00 p.m. I took a 25-minute walk on a nearby interpretative trail.  Turning around to head back to my campground I encountered a middle-aged husband/wife couple who were the exact replica of each other -- long pants, light blue long-sleeved shirts, wide brimmed hats, and carrying long-lens digital cameras.  When I realized they were speaking to me I let them know I was Deaf.  The lady, bless her heart, started to flap her arms to tell me they were looking for birds to photograph.  I asked them if they were at site #45, directly across from me, because I had noticed earlier that the fellow at that site had a long-lens camera.  No, they’re at a different campground.  I admired their cameras and cracked a little joke about doing my best with my little iPhone.

Sitting outside again, observing, again, the colors of the setting sun on the cliff, I saw this same couple – no mistaking their identical outfits - walking towards me.  I did the two-arm wave and they waved back.  I think they actually looked for me at my site to show me the incredible pictures they had taken today.  The lady showed me other pictures she took elsewhere, including a series of continuous auto shots of a hawk, in Florida, snatching a water bird from the water and flying off with it in its talons.  I was amazed at the details in her photos, not to mention the look on that poor bird’s face.  They said they easily take hundreds of pictures in one day, go through hours of a deletion process, and save and identify/record the pictures they keep.  I wanted to learn more but the sun had set and they needed to walk back to their campground.  Gosh, RV folks, no matter how fleeting the encounter, are the most fascinating and the best people we can hope to meet!

The morning sun, working its way up and above Superstition Mountain…

…and shining upon my truck camper.

The scene from my walk on the trail. 

Another sunset scene on this, my second evening at Lost

Dutchman State Park – my last state park of the trip.

Good night!

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23

Whether or not there’s gold here in the vicinity of the Superstition Mountains, I found myself $11.00 richer early this morning when I spotted a $10 and a $1 on the ground near the restroom facility.  Seeing nobody around who might have lost those bills I put them in my pocket, returned to the camper, and got ready to leave.

Inasmuch as I’ve been looking forward to going home I am so very glad I spent two days at this state park.  Totally unexpected because of the extra travel week, this is now definitely the last state park of my journey.  I got back on Rt. 60W, drove through a part of Phoenix on Rt. 87S, connected to I-10E and arrived at the Las Colinas RV Park near Eloy/Casa Grande, AZ.  Moving on tomorrow…

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24

The drive to my next destination, Salome, AZ, took less than three hours.  To bypass the I-10 that goes through Phoenix I took I-8W and then connected to I-10W by way of Rt. 85N.  Taking Exit 81 I turned northwest on Salome Rd., a 30-mile two-lane road through the desert that turned out to be, because of the many dips on the road, quite fun to drive on.  There were many posted caution signs along the road with two messages: to not drive on the road when it is flooded, especially at those dips; and, since it was “open range” at my right, to watch for cattle.  They even painted on the pavement, in large block letters, “Watch for Cattle” (and “Watch for Cows” when I crossed into the next county).

Salome, a small unincorporated community, is located within the Sonoran Desert “…in the beautiful Mc Mullen Valley, between the Harquahala and Harcuvar Mountain Ranges on Hwy 60 between Wickenburg and Quartzsite.”  There are several RV Resorts, including a KOA, in this area and the KOA is my home for today and tomorrow.  This KOA has over 100 RV sites but most of those sites are empty.  Won’t be long, though, before the place is bustling with snowbirds and winter RV travelers.

After setting up the camper at my reserved site I went inside the clubhouse to look around.  The manager, when I registered, told me that they have a TV in the clubhouse and another one in the nearby game room and both buildings are open 24 hours for KOA guests.  That information prompted me to inquire about the closed captions and he said I was welcome to use the remote and turn them on.  There were two people in the clubhouse when I went in and as I greeted them I looked up at the TV and was surprised to see the captions already on.  The lady told me that the manager had just stopped in and activated the captions “…for you,” she said.  I checked later and found the captions were also activated on the other TV.  I made sure to go back to the office and thanked the manager for doing that for me.

This lady in the clubroom, in her mid-70s maybe, had helped spot me as I backed the truck camper into my site.  She knew already at that point I was Deaf (because of the captions) so here in the clubhouse we introduced ourselves.  Jan then, catching me by surprise, asked if I liked spaghetti.  To make sure I got that right I repeated “Spaghetti?”  She accompanied her smile with a nod of her head.  Kinda figuring out the purpose of her question I replied “Um, now and then.”  And then it came.  She was making spaghetti for dinner and invited me to join her and James (the other person in the room) and several other people, here in the clubroom at 6:30.  Feeling a little awkward now, but wanting to be as honest and gracious as I could, I told her communication would be problematic for me.  She surprised me again when she said “But, you still have to eat.”  I smiled at that, thanked her for the kind invitation, shook my head a little bit, and left it at that.  She did ask again later in the day and when I again declined we then changed the subject and I learned that she lives in Alaska and will spend the winter months here at the KOA.  The social life of snowbirds!  No doubt this KOA will see lots of spaghetti dinners, potlucks, pancake breakfasts, pool parties, and the like until spring!

Before going to bed I went back to the game room, which is also a library, to check out the TV there.  The TV was on but nobody was in the room.  The remote was on the table and the list of channels (gosh, they have a lot of channels!) was posted on the wall.  I found and changed the channel to CNN and watched for a little while.  From there I went to the now empty clubhouse and changed the channel on that TV to CNN.  Come morning, let’s see what’s airing on both TVs.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25

After watching the sun rise from the cabover window, I got up and took a walk around the perimeter of this very nice and spacious KOA.  I went inside the game room and saw that CNN was still on.  Oh, the funeral service for the Honorable Rep. Elijah Cummings was happening - I sat down to watch that for a short while.  At the clubhouse the channel had been changed to Fox News.  Alrighty, since I think the game room isn’t used much by the folks currently here, it will be my go-to “TV space.”

Today was a nice day, nothing but a cloudless blue sky and warm temps.  In full “relaxation mode” I did some updating on the laptop, then spent some time with my book at the pool/spa, then went to my unoccupied “go-to” for an hour, then sat outside checking stuff on my iPad, then had a salad for supper.  Moving on tomorrow…

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26

Seeing me prepare the camper for departure Jan came by to say good-bye.  She reached out to give me a hug and I took this opportunity to thank her again for the dinner invitation and to wish her a pleasant winter’s stay.  Such a nice lady!

On my way just before 11:00 a.m. I took Rt. 60W to Quartzsite [AZ], connected to I-10W, crossed the Colorado River into California, and made my way to the Hidden Beaches River Resort in Blythe.  This RV Park is situated on a slight rise above the Colorado River and, from my windows, I can see a portion of the river.  I walked down to the small beach section and thought to myself – “Well, MAPPIE, you didn’t plan this but you’ve come full circle.”  My first night in the camper, on July 21^st, was at the Cattail Cove State Park in Arizona, situated right at the Colorado River.  And here, on the California side of the Colorado River, I’m spending my last two nights in the camper.

Tomorrow, Sunday, I will be bagging up everything that has sustained me inside and around the camper throughout this three month journey.

Monday morning I will dump the black, grey, and water tanks – the final essential camper task of all – and go home.

Tuesday morning I will take the camper back to Galaxy Campers, in Ontario, CA, for storage.  There it will remain until……..

JOURNEY TO THE MIDWEST - IOWA & KANSAS (July 21-October 28, 2019)

From Palm Springs to Iowa (via CA-AZ-UT-CO-NE) -

July 21-31 (11 days)

Total miles: 1,775 (approx.)

Travel around Iowa -

Aug 1-Sept 3 (34 days)

Total miles: 2,000 (approx.)

Driving through Missouri to Kansas -

Sept 4 (1 overnight)

Total miles: 350 (approx.)

Travel around Kansas -

Sept 5-Oct 6 (32 days)

Total miles: 1,750 (approx.)

Travel to Palm Springs through the Southwest (via OK-TX-NM-AZ-CA) -

Oct 7-28 (22 days)

Total miles: 1,686 (approx.)

Total Days of Travel: 100

Total Miles of Travel: 7,561 (based on start/end odometer readings)

GOING HOME? NOT JUST YET…

MONDAY, OCTOBER 14
Having arrived here at the KOA in Lordsburg, NM yesterday (Sunday) I paid in advance for today as well.  I posted Blog #12, checked emails and watched the news on TV.  I then sat outside with my book and watched the clouds change colors as the setting sun did its magic.

I made the decision to stay here today because I’ve been wanting to focus on my trip stats – the arithmetic involved to add up “to date” miles, gallons, and fuel and RV costs.  I’d like to be able to do a quick update of this data soon as I get home.  So, I got started and the project took me - as I thought it would, even with a calculator - a couple of hours.  Following that I reviewed my maps and planned my route home.  I’ll be home a week from today!

Reading my Stephen King book and watching the sun set. 

Points to you if you spot the “Apple!”

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 15

Leaving Lordsburg, via I-10W, at 10:15 a.m., Mountain Time, I crossed into Arizona at 9:45 a.m., Pacific Time.  It was another beautiful morning to drive through the deserts of New Mexico and Arizona.  Both states, along this interstate, have large signs alerting drivers to the potential of dust storms…and with visibility compromised, what to do if you’re in one.  Fortunately, the winds were calm today.

At the town of Benson I exited I-10 and drove south, via Rt. 80, to Tombstone.  Stopping first at the Tombstone RV Park to pay for my reserved site I then went to the historic “Town Too Tough to Die.”

Founded in 1879 by Ed Schieffelin, a prospector, Tombstone “… grew significantly into the mid-1880s as the local mines produced $40 to $85 million in silver bullion, the largest productive silver district in Arizona. Its population grew from 100 to around 14,000 in less than seven years. It is best known as the site of the ‘Gunfight at the O.K. Corral’ and presently draws most of its revenue from tourism.”

Tombstone, wild in its day with saloons, gambling, brothels, and shootings, is also famous for Doc Holliday and the Earp Brothers.  “On October 26, 1881, Tombstone gained national notoriety with the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral that involved the brothers Wyatt, Morgan and Virgil Earp and Doc Holiday against Ike Clanton, Billy Clanton, Frank McLowry, Tom McLowry and Billy Claibourne, members of the ‘Cowboys’.”  A good number of original structures still stand in Tombstone, mostly within the historic district.  They’ve been restored, designated as historic, and currently house museums, memorabilia, shops, bars, and restaurants.  I walked around the closed-off dirt streets of the historic district, observed the antics of strolling actors in their cowboy attire, and had lunch at Big Nose Kate’s Saloon and Restaurant.  Even the female servers in the restaurant were dressed as “saloon girls” of that era. Tombstone, the movie was playing (with captions) while I munched on my burger.  I’ll have to see it again in its entirety.

Tombstone, Arizona.

It was during my visit in Tombstone that I received a text message -- not bad news but information that has made it necessary for me to make changes for my return home.  I had planned to return to my condo in Palm Springs on October 21^st - this coming Monday - and take my camper back to my usual storage facility on Tuesday, the next day.  The message I got today advised me to bring the camper back on the 29^th, not on the 22^nd.  The reason, according to David, the guy I bought my camper from, has to do with lack of space on his lot at this time.  David’s company, Galaxy Campers, sells Lance campers and trailers and they participated in the recent week-long California RV Show in Fontana, which concluded just last Sunday (13^th).  He has to move stock around and won’t be ready to make space available for my camper until the 29^th.

With the “return camper” date now scheduled for a week later, I will extend my truck camper trip an additional week as well.  Back to my Arizona and California maps!

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16
Soon as the office opened at 9:00 a.m. I said “Hi” to the husband-wife owners and asked if I could remain at my site again today.  Today, yes, my site, #30, is available.  If I want to stay here again tomorrow, I’ll have to move to a different site because #30 isn’t available tomorrow.  That prompted me to ask and, yes, because the weather around here is cooling down, RV and state parks are filling up.  Good info for me to keep in mind as I plan my extra week of travel.

Having already decided to spend my extra week in Arizona I spent the day looking over the Arizona map and checking out state and private RV parks online.  Around 3:00 p.m., decision made, I went back to the office to pay for tomorrow….for site #33.  Back at the camper, having decided to go with Picacho Peak State Park as my next destination, on Friday, I proceeded to make reservations online.  Around 4:30 p.m. before the sun started to set, I called it a day and went to the pool for a refreshingly cool swim.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17
I took a morning walk around the RV Park, mindful of the posted signs to watch for rattlesnakes.  This is a really nice park, clean and spacious.  At one end are corrals for horses…but, dang, ain’t no horses there.  Back at the camper I secured things inside, moved to site #33, had corn flakes for breakfast, checked emails, did some writing for this blog, and then resumed my Arizona research.

The research I did today took quite a bit of time due to a couple of factors at play.  Firstly, being that it is now mid-October, the nighttime temps in the mountains around Arizona’s northern regions are likely to be too cold for my comfort.  I therefore kept my focus on areas not too far north of Phoenix.  Secondly, mid-October is also the time snowbirds start to trickle back south from their northern homes.  Like the lady in the office confirmed yesterday, RV parks are starting to fill up.

Reservations at State Parks and KOA campgrounds are the easiest to secure because of their online reservation systems.  My tally as of today –
* Two state parks
* One KOA

Private RV Parks are much more challenging to reserve because they require credit card information.  In order to provide that information I have to call them.  My tally as of today, per VRS calls –
* One RV Park said to come on by, plenty of available sites, no reservation necessary.
* One RV Park said they were full on the date I requested.
* One RV Park said they don’t accept truck campers at their “55+ resort.”  Wow, my very first rejection!
* One RV Park reserved.  

It was windy today.  When I finally pushed aside my map and laptop, around 4:30 p.m., I determined it was too cool to go to the pool.  But the breeze sure did feel really nice when I sat outside in my camp chair with my cocktail, my book, and my view of another lovely sunset.  Moving on tomorrow…

The historic Boothill Graveyard is located just before the entrance to

Tombstone.  Clever site markers at the Tombstone RV Park!  

A Tombstone sunset.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18
After dumping the black/grey tanks this morning I left Tombstone, taking Rt. 80 about a mile back north and then connecting to Rt. 82W.  Although it was partly cloudy this morning the antics between sun and clouds made for a nice drive through this flat part of the region.  Far from bland, this desert landscape of grass and shrubbery was blanketed with different hues of green.  The sun, doing its thing among the puffy clouds, created interesting shadows throughout the terrain.  As I admired the vista before me I thought about the scene in the [Tombstone] movie and tried to imagine Doc Holliday and the Earp Brothers chasing after that outlaw “Cowboys” gang.  Did their horses gallop by on this very spot?  Or over there?  How did they know where to go?  How did they track?

At Sonoita I turned north on Rt. 83 and this turned out to be a truly gorgeous drive.  The map indicates that this route is scenic…and it sure was!  Rolling hills, winding turns on the road, green everywhere, bright yellow flowers carpeting the shoulders along the road.  There was a Border Patrol checkpoint – on my lane because I’m going north from the USA-Mexico border.  The agent asked me if anybody was up there, pointing to the camper, and when I said no he waved me through.

The road ended at I-10 and I got on that, going west towards Tucson.  Since I’d lived in Tucson some years ago, I looked for the Ina Road exit and swung by the house I lived in with Lisa.  From there I went to the nearby Albertsons to buy the essentials I now need for my extra week of travel.  Just before 2:00 p.m. I arrived at the Picacho Peak State Park, located off of I-10 between Tucson and Phoenix and got settled at my reserved site.  With saguaro cacti everywhere here – on the level ground and on the sides and tops of the rocky bluffs – this is a peaceful place to be.  So I did have to go to the grocery store one more time, I will have to dump my tanks one more time, I will have to do my daily camper routine for one more week, I will write and post one extra blog.  So what?  What can beat this beauty that is all around me?  The “going home” delay is giving me an opportunity to appreciate what Arizona has to offer.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19
I woke up just before the sun rose.  I stepped outside and, noticing the striking beauty of the saguaros in silhouette, I stood there and watched the sun rise.  “The saguaro is an arborescent cactus species in the monotypic genus Carnegiea, which can grow to be over 40 feet tall. It is native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, the Mexican State of Sonora, and the Whipple Mountains and Imperial County areas of California. The saguaro blossom is the state wildflower of Arizona.” (Wikipedia)

In no hurry to move on to my next destination I sat outside in the warming sun and read my 5^th book of the trip…Genocide of One.  Keeping me company were birds – several Cactus Wrens and at least one Curve-billed Thrasher (I verified identification via online pictures).  Observing them was entertaining because they went under my truck, hopped up on the tires, the mirrors, and the windshield.  They scooted around hither and thither and paid me absolutely no mind.  I think they were going after bugs and I don’t doubt there were quite a few, live or dead, on and under my truck.

Picacho Peak State Park, AZ.

Saguaro Cacti triplets…

…and one perfect specimen!

Facing west...

…sunset…

…my camper in the blackness of the night…

…dawn…

…the triplets, silhouetted in the sunrise.

On my way by 11:00 a.m. I got back on I-10W for several miles and connected to Rt. 87N which eventually overlapped with Rt. 287.  At the town of Florence I took Rt. 79S to the Rancho Sonora RV Park & Inn - the place that said for me to “come on over.”  The guy who registered me suggested a shady site that was fairly close to the clubhouse and the pool.  So, I’m here for today and tomorrow.  It’s now a little after 5:00 p.m. as I write this.  The sun is starting to set and I just saw some Gambel’s Quails scamper by.  That’s my cue to call it a day and go sit outside!

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20
Wide awake before the sun rose, I decided to put on my shoes, grab my LED flashlight, and stroll over, in the briskly cool morning air, to the restroom in the nearby clubhouse.  This place, described as “…a refreshing oasis found in the Sonoran Arizona desert…” is both an RV Park and Inn, with guest rooms, full-sized casitas, and a “gracious Southwestern suite.”  The RV Park section is beautifully well maintained and the individual sites are surrounded by various desert trees and cacti.

I’ll be moving on tomorrow for two nights at the Lost Dutchman State Park, located near Arizona’s Superstition Mountains.  Since I won’t have Wi-Fi there I’m posting this Blog #13 from here today.  After which I’ll go to the pool, read my book, and, in a word – relax!

THE LAST LEG OF MY JOURNEY

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8

This is the last leg of my three-month truck camper trip.  Since leaving Kansas yesterday I’ve pointed the truck camper towards the Southwest, driving through the Oklahoma Panhandle to reach Texas.  My stay here last night, at the Corral RV Park in Dalhart, TX, was my one and only overnight stay in Texas.  Tucumcari, New Mexico is on today’s itinerary.

Fueling up first at a “food and fuel” filling station I went inside to use the restroom.  Noticing the “searching” look on my face when I entered the store, the first employee I encountered started to sign “Restroom?”  Turns out she’s Deaf and I told her “Me too!”  I had a nice 10-minute chat with Angelita before I went on my way, getting back on Rt. 54W.

This being Texas, “The Beef Industry is the third largest economic generator in Texas and has a huge economic impact on the state. It is the largest livestock industry in Texas as well.”  I mention this because not long after leaving Dalhart I passed several feedlots on both sides of the road.  It was quite a sight -- thousands upon thousands of cattle in those feedlots.  They may not be living and grazing on beautiful privately owned ranch grass but they are, according to an online search, well fed and well monitored on these feedlots.

The railroad tracks were still there, parallel to Rt. 54, but I saw no more grain silos after leaving Dalhart.  The terrain along this drive was mostly flat and mostly wild grass.  I soon crossed into New Mexico – Mountain Time.  It was a sunny day…and windy.

Check-in at the Tucumcari KOA is 1:00 p.m.  I was early, as were a couple of other RVers, so we all waited inside our RVs.  I don’t know if somebody complained but the staff apparently gave in and opened the office at 12:30 p.m. – which was, to me, from whence I came, 1:30 p.m. Central Time.  I’d already made reservations for two nights here, but when I realized that my assigned site didn’t include cable for the TV, I upgraded to a full hook-up site.  I’ll be here tonight and tomorrow and I want to be able to check weather forecasts on local and national news.

Setting up the camper I noticed this insect hanging on to the interior metal frame of my rear camper door.  How’d that grasshopper get in here? -- I wondered.  Using my fly swatter to coax it out the door I saw that it wasn’t a grasshopper…it was a wasp!  Jeez, how did that wasp get in here – and how long had it been hanging there?!

I had another unexpected visitor of sorts around 4:00 p.m.  This is, after all, New Mexico and this KOA is located a few miles outside the more populated town of Tucumcari.  Looking out my dinette window I watched the bearded KOA guy, who had registered me earlier, lead an RV into the [dirt] site next to me.  He stopped short of that site, got out of his golf cart and, using a garden tool, tried to pick something up from the dirt.  That something was moving so I knew it was live but I couldn’t see what it was.  Seemingly unable to pick it up, the guy just scooted it forward onto the grass.  I just had to go see what that was so I put on my flip-flops and went outside.  It took me a few seconds to spot it – a tarantula!  It crawled under my truck to the grass on the other side and kept moving.  Per a google search: “During this time, thousands of tarantulas migrate through the area during their mating season. Generally, this peaks sometime mid-October. If you happen to spot a spider on the move, it's most likely a male, marked with a blonde spot on the top of its back.”  That tarantula certainly did crawl its way forward like it was on a mission!

Wasp!  Inside the camper!

Tarantula! Crawling out from under my truck towards the grass…

…moving briskly like he means business!

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9

There was an orange glow towards the east when I decided to get out of bed and take a walk around the KOA’s loop road.  Then I stopped at a spot to watch the sun rise at that eastern horizon.  Back inside the camper I turned on the TV to catch up on the weather and, at the same time, watched most of yesterday’s RV arrivals leave…one by one.  As soon as the place emptied of people, except for the staff, a bunch of large birds came flying around, looking for stuff on the ground.  Having some stale bread on hand I tossed out crumbs near the dinette window and watched the birds snatch pieces from the ground…and from each other.

Since I didn’t plan my driving route beyond this location – Tucumcari - mainly because of uncertainty about the weather, I’m doing that today.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10

The weather reports for the last several days have been chiefly about the winter storms in the Northeast, the Northwest, and the cold front extending down from the north to the Midwest.  Planning my homeward routes yesterday I decided to go south to Roswell, NM today and then turn west from there.

It was a beautiful morning when I left the Tucumcari KOA – sunny and around 55 degrees.  To make my connection back on Rt. 54 I had to drive on I-40W for about 60 miles to Santa Rosa.  Going south on Rt. 54 I eventually connected to Rt. 285S to Roswell.

This 3½ drive was a nice drive (windy again though) through wide-open territory – no towns, no ranches within sight, and hardly any cattle.  To my right, in the near distance, was a mountain range. Glancing to my left at one point I spotted a group of 5-6 pronghorn walking southward.

Arriving in Roswell I headed for the Town and Country RV Park and got a site for tonight.  After registering me the manager walked me over to my site to show me the connections, including the cable box.  Noticing her “Marine Corps” t-shirt I asked if she had served in the Marines.  When she said yes I immediately shook her hand and thanked her for her service.  I told her my Dad served in the Navy and I just have this deep respect for those who wear the [service] uniform, including our police, fire fighters, paramedics, etc. She said she was based in Orange County California and, yes, she did serve overseas – Desert Storm.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11

The “weather playbook” this morning was a repeat of yesterday – clear, sunny, 50s – but the winds were calm.  Leaving Roswell I got on the four-lane Rt. 70W and embarked on a gorgeous drive from the flat terrain of the Roswell region to the rocky hills and bluffs of the Sacramento Mountains.  Noticing a few cacti among the rocks and shrubs on those hills I thought to myself – “Yup, ‘tis the Southwest.”  I was, therefore, surprised to see, as I gained elevation and entered the Lincoln National Forest, a grove of trees along the flat valley floor between the hills.  Those were big trees, their leaves a rich green color, and they shared that grassy lime-green valley floor with cows and horses.

At the resort town of Ruidoso – located on the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation - I counted three casinos and several RV Parks.  Might be fun to stay here in the truck camper one night.  But not in October…a posted elevation sign not far from Ruidoso said “7,591 feet” – sure to guarantee cold nights up there this time of year.  Soon after I drove through Ruidoso, another pleasant surprise…pine trees – tall and beautiful and stately.  According to a later Wikipedia search, “…the district is primarily composed of Douglas Fir, Ponderosa pine, aspen, and oak…”

Going down the mountain, on the approach to Tularosa, I saw on the horizon directly ahead a long band of white separating land from sky. Ah, the wondrous White Sands of New Mexico.  But first, get a site at the Boot Hill RV Resort in Alamogordo.  It’s a good thing I stopped there when I did (around noon) because they had one site left, electric only.  I took it, for tonight and tomorrow, and then left to visit the White Sands National Monument.

The 20-minute drive to White Sands took me past Holloman Air Force Base and a portion of the massive White Sands Missile Range.  “Overhead missile tests can close the highway for a few hours; this generally happens once or twice a week, and typically only for an hour at a time.”  There was no closure today, fortunately, and the Visitors Center was my first stop when I arrived at White Sands.  From the website (https://www.nps.gov/whsa/index.htm) - 

“Like No Place Else on Earth

Rising from the heart of the Tularosa Basin is one of the world's great natural wonders - the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert, creating the world's largest gypsum dunefield. White Sands National Monument preserves a major portion of this unique dunefield, along with the plants and animals that live here.”

Also from the website -

“NOTICE: Alcohol consumption and/or the possession of alcoholic beverages or receptacles used to store alcoholic beverages are prohibited within the monument from February 1st through May 31st for the purpose of protecting visitor safety during the busy spring season (WSNM Superintendent’s Compendium §2.35).”

Note to Self: MAPPIE, ole girl, since you’ve got rum in your camper and the camper is likely to be deemed a “receptacle,” don’t plan future visits to the White Sands National Monument, in said “receptacle,” between the months of February 1 – May 31.

After viewing the captioned award-winning orientation film "A Land in Motion," about this extraordinary environment – the geology, the weather patterns, the plants and wildlife – I picked up a brochure and referred to the map for my drive through the park.  The Dunes Drive (16-mile loop) is the only road vehicles are allowed to drive on.  The pavement ends about four miles from the Visitors Center and the rest of the drive is on hard-packed sand, mostly smooth but “washboard” rough in some spots.  There are a good number of pull-outs along the road and many of those pull-outs provide plenty of parking space -- except maybe not between 2/1 and 5/31.  Also available to visitors are wayside exhibits, hiking trails, picnic areas, and vault toilets.  There’s even a designated parking area for horse trailers.  Horses on these dunes…wow!

I parked at a couple of pull-outs and walked up and around the sand dunes, taking in the views with my binoculars…and taking pictures, too.  Everything about this visit today was ideal as far as weather (clear, calm, sunny, seasonably cool) and crowd size.  There were not that many people but those I saw, adults and children both, were having a grand time – sitting on beach chairs under a personal canopy at the top of a dune and sledding down the dunes on plastic snow-saucers (available for purchase at the park gift shop).  As my photos will attest, this was an excellent visit!

Sure does look like snow!  Vehicles are allowed only on Dunes Drive at
White Sands National Monument. 

There are many parking pull-outs along this drive.  I parked here, and

at other spots, to walk around the dunes.

Quote: “Sand verbena survives because it flowers and disperses seeds 

in one growing season.  It also quickly spreads shallow roots.  New plants  

emerge as passing dunes bury older plants.”

 

Wind-blown grooves in the sand…

…soft and fine grains of gypsum sand…

…a sea of white everywhere you look.  That’s my truck camper 

in the background.  

Quote: “As sand buries a soaptree yucca, its stem grows longer to keep new 

 leaves above the sand.  But after the dune moves on, an exposed yucca

 [like the one above (brochure photo)] will soon fall over and die.”

Tracks underneath the yucca.

My first visit to the White Sands National Monument was in summer 1970 with the late 
Nancy Becker, my Gallaudet classmate.  Nice to be back and have that memory with me! 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12

I don’t have a swell view of anything from this, my back-in electric only site at the Boot Hill RV Resort.  Up front is a row of storage units, there’s a fence behind me, a travel van at my left, and at my right is some sort of wooden concession trailer.  The rest of the park, I noticed on a walk, is lovely – some RV sites are covered and they have cabins available for rent.  View or no view, it’s a good day to stay put here…rest, read, write.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13

On my way at 10:15 a.m. I got back on Rt. 70 and started driving west.  I passed the entrance to the White Sands National Monument but that wasn’t the end of it.  There was more white sand to view for a few miles on my side of the road…then it was all cacti and other vegetation.

Shortly after driving through Las Cruces I connected to I-10.  Distant hills and mountain ranges were within view all around but the terrain along this route was predominately desert.  After three hours of driving I arrived at Lordsburg, NM and got a site at the KOA for tonight and tomorrow.

I’ll be crossing into Arizona on Tuesday.  I’m almost home…