Teardrop Travel Archives - Page 3 of 4

SW Trip, Stop #13, Arches National Park in Moab

Moab, Utah was the most beautiful stop on this trip. Mere words cannot describe the splendor of Arches National Park!

Arches National Park

Arches National Park in Moab, Utah, is the most amazingly beautiful place I have ever seen. A climate of extreme temperatures coupled with water and ice over an underground salt bed for millions of years created this compelling, otherworldly environment. It continues to change today as erosion creates new arches and destroys others. The park has over 2,000 cataloged arches, but some at the minimum considered an arch, which is three feet. The largest arch is Landscape Arch and it is 306 feet.

Campground

We did not know what to expect for weather in Moab, so we waited for reasonably accurate weather predictions before making reservations. We were very early in the season and were able to stay at Pack Creek Campground. It is just outside the main commerce in Moab. Our site had water and electricity for only $30 a night. The bathhouse was clean and there were laundry facilities as well. https://packcreekcampground.com

T@G Teardrop Camper at campsite — Pack Creek Site

Our Visit to the Park

Arches National Park was not very crowded while we were there in early March and we were able to see it at a pace that was comfortable for us. An added bonus, it was a beautiful, warm, and sunny day. The Welcome Center had a very informative orientation film about the how the arches formed and the environment within the park. Most noteworth, there is a surprising amount of biodiversity in this magical place.

Woman in front of Arches National Park sign — So happy to be here!

Amazing Sights

Most of the photos below were taken from the road or from only a short walk. Park Avenue is a very popular stop and only requires minimal walking to see incredible sandstone formations.

Park Avenue at Arches National Park — Arches National Park

The La Sal Mountains are often in view at the park and add to the gorgeous landscape. There is a place to pull off the road and take photographs.

La Sal Mountains from Arches National Park — La Sal Mountains

I took the short hike to see the North and South Windows. It was a pretty easy hike, which enabled me to photograph the two windows and the Turret Arch. Turret is one of the younger arches. While my husband’s bad knee did to allow him to walk that distance, there was still much for him to see. The park map showed the hike to be .7 mile, but most was uphill. However, is worth the hike though, if you are up to it.

North and South Windows Arches National Park — North and South Windows

Turret Arch at Arches National Park — Turret Arch

Woman waving from Windows at Arches National Park — Hiking to the windows

A special parking area makes it very easy to view Courthouse Towers, a series of spires that extends to almost 5,000 feet from the desert floor. The Three Gossips and Sheep Rock are also easily seen from this spot. To give you an idea of scale, the Three Gossips are 350 feet tall.

Courthouse Towers at Arches National Park — Courthouse Towers

Three Gossips and Sheep Rock at Arches National Park — Three Gossips and Sheep Rock

Garden of Eden at Arches National Park — Garden of Eden

The Moab Fault, pictured below, is about twenty-eight miles long and runs along the west side of the park. Hence, it is a much studied fault.

Balanced Rock at Arches National Park — Balanced Rock

Desert Floor at Arches National Park — Desert Floor has organisms that can survive for years without water

Arches National Park — Beautiful simplicity

Delicate Arch

Delicate Arch is the most famous in the park and can be viewed a number of ways. Especially relevant, the route that provides the best view is three miles on a difficult trail with an elevation gain of 480 feet. If I had made this hike, I would have been by myself and would also have left my husband waiting for a good bit of time. I passed on this option, but later discovered it was the only way to get a really good view of the arch.

However, the other two options are distant views of the arch. The upper viewpoint is a hike of half a mile and is moderately difficult with a rocky uphill route. I made that hike and it was not a walk in the park. The photo below was from the upper view. The lower viewpoint is even further away, so I was glad I was able to made the upper viewpoint.

Below, I centered on the Delicate Arch so you can see it better.

The distinctive shape of Delicate Arch has inspired nicknames of “Cowboy Chaps” and “Old Maid Bloomers”.

Wrap-up

In conclusion, our stop in Moab was everything we hoped and Arches National Park is our favorite National Park of this trip. It seemed the stars aligned and everything was fun and easy. My only regret is that we did not make this visit many years ago so we both could have hiked the more difficult trails.

Lastly, after a delicious breakfast at the Moab Diner, we left Moab and were headed in the direction of home for the rest of our trip. Next stop is Albuquerque, New Mexico. If you are interested in how we planned this trip, the following link has that information. Planning That First Long Trip

Safe Travels!

SWTrip, Stop # 12, Zion National Park

Zion National Park is a national treasure! We loved our stop in Hurricane, Utah, which is very near Zion National Park.

Zion National Park was high on our list of “must sees”. However, just driving into Utah was also an amazing sight. I expected it to be beautiful and it did not disappoint. Everywhere you look, there are amazing views.

The Campground

We stayed in Hurricane at our first KOA and it offered everything we needed. There was a large day room and we spent an evening in it watching a movie. It was good to have a place to sit comfortably for a couple of hours as it was too cold to be outside once the sun was down.

We liked the KOA. The cable and WiFi were weak, but everything was else was great.

KOA campsite at Hurricane UT — Hurricane Utah KOA

KOA Dayroom and Laundry — View from our campground

Zion National Park

Zion National Park was indeed gorgeous, but not exactly what I expected. There was no Visitor Center or restrooms inside the Park. However, there were a couple of porta potties at one spot. We did not go into the campground, so don’t know what it was like.

We discovered the Visitor Center is in Springdale, just outside the park. They were widening the road in Springdale and construction was everywhere with delays in being able to continue on the road. Interestingly, the website for Zion National Park showed lodging information with an average cost for a three star hotel room of $283. The hotels did not look impressive. Our campground site was $51 a night and quite close to the park. We certainly didn’t have the amenities of a hotel, but I am feeling that we are being quite economical!

Zion offers camping, canoeing, and hiking. My husband’s bad knee makes any significant walking a problem; so for us, it was the scenic drive through the park. There are many amazing sites that cannot be seen from the drive, but we waited too long to make this trip. Nonetheless, it was a gorgeous drive. Lastly, a link to the park follows. https://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm

Amazing Sights

Zion National Park — Blue skies and gorgeous mountains

Lady Mountain at Zion National Park — Lady Mountain

Colorful mountain in Zion National Park — Amazing colors

There is a tunnel on the scenic drive that is 1.1 mile straight through the mountain. It was dark and a little creepy. I was happy when we made it to the other side. The photo below is not very good, but will give you an idea of how it was inside.

The tunnel at Zion National Park — Tunnel over 1 mile through mountain

Inside tunnel at Zion National Park — Inside the tunnel

An interesting fact, as you look down from higher elevations, the road does not contrast with the surrounding canyons because of its unique color.

Colored road at Zion National Park — My big guy in an amazing spot

View from Zion National Park — Great colors in this landscape

Woman standing in Zion National Park — A stop along the way

It would have been great to do some strategic hiking in Zion, but absent that, it was wonderful just to be able to see it. My photos turned out well, but to actually be there was so much more beautiful.

Pipe Spring National Monument

We actually just stumbled upon Pipe Spring after visiting Zion and did not want to go back through the park and all the construction in Springdale, so we went through Kanab. We had been driving through the Kaibab-Palute Reservation for awhile and when we saw the monument, were curious.

It turned out to be very interesting. In the late 1800s, the Mormons were settling the area and the fort was an outpost. The fortified ranch house was called Windsor Castle after Anson Windsor, the first ranch manager. There was two-story housing was on both sides of the fort and Ranger Bennjamin Pikyavit gave a guided tour. He showed everyone the rooms in the fort and explained how they were used.

Inside fort at Pipe Spring Monument — Pipe Spring Fort

Pipe Spring Monument upper level — Upper level of fort

Ranger Ben was an impressive man and he made the times come alive for me. He is a Vietnam veteran who has worked tirelessly to preserve the culture of his people. His tour and the film in the museum highlighted the culture clash that occurred between the Mormons, the United States Government, and the Native Americans in the area. There were also lots of exhibits and artifacts from earlier times.

Man and Park Ranger at Pipe Spring Monument — Ranger Ben

The Fort was very interesting. It covered the main spring in the area and was the site of significant butter and cheese production. There were bi-monthly deliveries to St. George for the workers who were building the new Mormon temple. The Mormons also had large amounts of cattle. Unfortunately, the land became overgrazed.

Painting of ranger in regalia — Ranger Ben in regalia

The visit to Pipe Spring was a vivid history lesson about this part of the country, how it was settled, and the impact on the Native Americans. It was well worth the visit. If you are old like me, it can be totally free with the National Parks Senior Pass.

In Closing

Hurricane was a great leg of our journey. The town was very close to Zion National Park with a good assortment of restaurants and shopping. We took the opportunity to get our oil changed while there. We have put so many miles on our SUV that it was needed.

Next stop, my most anticipated place, Moab! If you are interested in how we planned our trip, this link explains our process. Planning That First Long Trip

SW Trip Stop #11, Las Vegas—A Frustrating Stop

I share our good times, but want to also share our challenges. This is a stop we wish we had not made. Things were just not going our way.

It was surprising just how frustrating our stop in Las Vegas was for us. We planned to go to Laughlin, Nevada, but changed our mind after experiencing a prior night without electricity and having concerns about the availability of hookups in Laughlin. Instead, we made reservations at the Oasis RV Resort in Las Vegas.

The Resort was huge and inside the city. Our site was #909, if that gives you any idea of its size. We setup our site and headed to a nearby casino for dinner.

To understand my account of our experience at this stop, there are a few
things it would be helpful to know about us. Neither of us has a good sense of direction, nor do we see well at night. Lastly, we have been to Vegas before, but are not gamblers, so the city did not have a special appeal to us. We just wanted a good meal and the opportunity to do some laundry before getting back on the road the next morning.

First Frustrating Occurrence

Three negative things occurred during this stay. The first was great difficulty navigating the area.

Dinner was okay, nothing special. We used our GPS to get there and it was not particularly difficult. It was still daylight then.

Upon leaving the casino, it was quite dark. We did not program the GPS to get back because it seemed it would be a couple of right turns. That did not work and we found ourselves on the network of roads directly above the big casinos on the strip. We did a turnaround as soon as we could and were headed back in the direction of the campground.

I had GPS going then and there were a series of close interstate maneuvers needed for the return. At one point you were to go right and then a very quick left. I was not able to communicate the left in time and we found ourselves back at the casino.

Though we had GPS going, we did not make it back to the campground from the casino. I have no idea what went wrong, but we both were very frustrated. Again, we were at the big casinos. I was wondering if we were in a permanent loop, never to see our little camper again.

I am happy to say that we made it the next time back to the campground. We did our laundry and turned in early, just grateful to be back.

Second Frustrating Occurance

The second negative about this stop was that most of the guests at this campground were quite unfriendly. We would speak or wave and many would just look at you. We have stayed at other RV Resorts where most of the people were friendly, but at this one, the opposite was true. Most of them were in enormous motorhomes. I don’t think the unfriendliness was just our tiny trailer because it was often not around for the encounters.

Third Frustrating Occurance

The third negative was minor damage to our SUV. We were driving down one of the roads in the campground when we encountered a couple working to install a big fifth wheel into a site. It looked like it would be a good while before the road would be cleared and my husband tried to turn around in an open site. He could not see a big round garbage can and it dinged the side of the car. He is an excellent driver and this really upset him.

Lessons Learned

This was such a frustrating stop, I did not take a single photo. It likely would have been much better if we had went to Laughlin. If we had brought solar panels and perhaps sleeping bags to keep warm, this stop would have been Laughlin instead of Las Vegas.

In the big picture, this was not a major problem. Under better circumstances and only daytime driving, this stop could have been okay.

At least we did not lose a boatload of money.

Next stop is Hurricane, Utah. We are so happy that the weather is allowing us to make Utah a part of our trip. If you are interested in how we planned this trip, this link outlines the process. Planning That First Long Trip

We are so ready for Utah!

Retired couple

SW Trip Stop #10, Agua Caliente Regional Park

Agua Caliente State Park is in a very remote desert area about 30 miles from the town of Julian, which is at a much higher elevation. The area surrounding the campground was desolate, but beautiful.

Agua Caliente County Park

Agua Caliente is a very special campground and we were very fortunate to get a spot. The weather prediction for the time of our visit was for colder and more wet conditions than what actually occurred. This probably worked to our advantage in obtaining our site because we only booked a couple of days ahead. Below is a link to Agua Caliente.

http://www.sdparks.org/content/sdparks/en/park-pages/AguaCaliente.html

Agua Caliente State ParkSite 47 — Site # 47

Site #47 had electricity and water. Most of all, it was just across the street from the very nice bathhouse. The campground also offers fullhookups.

Water conservation is a big deal there and you must have quarters for the showers. I believe 50 cents gets you three minutes. It is not a big deal, but if going there, quarters should be a part of your plan.

The campground area is beautiful and the sunsets were a sight to behold.

In addition to jaw-dropping views, the park offers three heated pools. Agua Caliente, which means “hot water”, has natural hot springs. One of the pools is a large indoor spa. It is 3-4 feet deep and the water is 101 degrees. But, children under 14 are not allowed in the large pool.

The spa is a very relaxing place and we spent several hours there. I have been having shoulder issues that were getting progressively worse. After a couple of days in the spa, my shoulder was noticeably better.

The Town of Julian

We drove up the mountain to the town of Julian. The road was quite steep and winding. Julian is at a much higher elevation than the State Park below. It must’ve been at least fifteen degrees cooler, plus it was raining. This was the coldest we had been during our entire trip.

We were surprised by all the people who had come to see the snow in Julian from a few days ago. They were in line at several restaurants.

Julian is known for its apples and its pies. Hence, the line for The Julian Pie Company was especially long. So, we were in that line for an hour.

Most noteworthy, my husband says the pie was worth the wait. I had the Dutch Apple and he had the Apple Peach. We also had ice cream. If you wait that long, you must indulge!

Man at door of Julian Pie Company — My big guy is getting some pie!

A Couple of Issues

First of all, there was a rowdy group of young people about 300 yards from us. Drinking, cursing, and arguing. In the middle of the night, they woke up pretty much everyone near them. Someone told me the next day, the rangers asked them to leave. We have been in at least twenty campgrounds and this is the first time we have been aware of something like this. I am sure that it could happen anywhere. All the other people in the campground were great!

Also, a sudden gust of very high wind damaged our awning. One of the poles at the back was bent and I am hoping we can find a replacement for it. We took it down and secured our campsite for what was becoming a very windy night. In addition, the wind that night actually shook our camper. My husband did not feel secure and suggested we hook up the car, so it could be an anchor. After that, it was pretty rocky, but we felt fairly safe.

However, the next morning, the winds were calm. I spoke with a ranger and she said that the winds were about 40-45 mph. A little drama for our first California camping!

In conclusion, this was a very good stop for us, except for the damage to our awning. If you are interested in how we planned this trip covering over 5,000 miles with seventeen stops, it is covered in the following link. Planning That First Long Trip

Next, we will be heading to Nevada and in the general direction of home.

SW Trip Stop #9, Yuma, Arizona

Yuma was wonderful! Perfect weather, great campground, interesting sights, and delicious food.

In Yuma, we had reservations at Desert Paradise RV Resort. It was perfect for this juncture because in addition to full hookups, it had showers and a large laundry room we were very ready to use. We liked our site, #100, which was right across the street from the facilities. There was also a pool and hot tub. The residents were very friendly and curious about our teardrop. A link to the website for the RV Resort is below.

https://rvonthego.com/arizona/desert-paradise-rv-resort/

Man standing on road at Desert Paradise RV Resort — Desert Paradise RV Resort

Yuma Territorial Prison

One of the main attractions in the area is the Yuma Territorial Prison. We decided to check it out, but I was not very excited about it. However, we found the prision very interesting!

Yuma succeeded in getting the territorial prison in 1876 because the mayor of Yuma at the time changed the city name on the bill to Yuma while everyone was at lunch. The legislators came back and signed it without noticing the change. He sneaked that by them and likely changed Yuma forever.

The prison housed approximately 300 prisoners at a time and about 3,000 over the 33 years it was in operation. Twenty-seven women were prisoners there and one had a baby during her stay. She was eventually pardoned and everyone hated to see the baby leave, but were happy to see her go. She was evidently not well-liked.

Exterior of Yuma Territorial Prison — Yuma Territorial Prison

The grounds and area around the prison are attractive today. In the photo below, you can see the Colorado River that separates Arizona and California. The land beyond the river is Winterhaven, California.

View of river from Yuma prison — View from the prison

The Prison housed most prisoners in the main cell block, pictured below.

Main cell block at Yuma Territorial Prison — Main cell block

The next photo shows one of the cells, which housed six prisoners. It was very close quarters.

Cell inside Yuma Territorial Prison — Cells

The wife of one of the wardens was very progressive. She set up a library and arranged for the prisoners to be taught to read and write. The townspeople came to the prison to access books as the town did not have a library. There was some resentment about that. There was also a doctor/barber at the prison.

Barber and physician Stair in Yuma Territorial Prison — Barber and physician chair

There was a guided tour, a short film, and a great little museum. Mug shots were also provided.

Woman wearing Prison shirt holding an I am innocent sign — I am innocent!

Other Activities

Sanguinetti House was another stop. It was the home of a successful Yuma businessman. A docent provided nice information about river boat captains and how life was during the time the house was occupied. That attraction was nice too, but the prison was the best—hands down!

There was an antique car event, Midnight at the Oasis, while we were there and we spent some time checking them out. My husband really enjoyed it. The ‘57 Chevy below was his favorite.

Antique car from Midnight at the Oasis — Midnight at the Oasis car

Best Meal

A family member who formerly lived in Yuma recommended Tacos El Cositas and we absolutely loved it. It is basically a food truck with a permanent location with shaded seating provided.

Tacos El Cositas Food Stand — Great food to be found here

In Conclusion

Yuma was fantastic in all respects. We would love to return. This stop was one of seventeen stops on a 5,000 mile trip. If you are interested in how we planned for such a long trip in a teardrop, the following link describes our process.

Planning That First Long Trip

Our most westerly stop is next—Julian, California.

SW Trip Stop #8, Tucson, Arizona

We had a bit of a problem getting a campsite, but it worked out okay. There is so much to see in Tucson!

We actually stayed at two different campgrounds in Tucson, which was definitely not planned. We booked our early stops well in advance, but none past Big Bend. However, Tuscon was quite booked by the time we were looking for a spot.

Campground 1, Desert Trails RV Park

First, we stayed at Desert Trails. I preferred it because of many great reviews. However, they did not have a spot for us anywhere except overflow, which did not have electric or water. We took it because it offered an opportunity if a spot opened up. It has a day room, TV room, laundry and a nice bathhouse. The big thing we were missing was electricity, but it was not supposed to be very cold that night. We decided to give it a try without our electric blanket for heat.

The campground was nice and the guests were the friendliest we have ever encountered. We would have loved to stay there—with electricity.

We have not yet invested in solar panels or a generator, so all we had was our battery and I began to worry that the cooler would drain it. I turned the cooler off at around midnight. It was also a bit cold overnight and we were not fully comfortable. We decided to find a campground with power for the next night or leave early. We really need solar panels!

Campground 2, Gilbert Ray County Park

We also stayed at Gilbert Ray County Park. One of our neighbors at Desert Trails told us about Gilbert Ray County Park Campground. It cannot reserved in advance; you just show up. So we got there early that morning and were fortunate to get a spot. It was good we arrived early because it was fully booked later in the day. It offers gorgeous views, electric, water, and restrooms, but no showers.

We dropped our camper early that morning and headed out to see the sights.

Old Tucson

We went to Old Tuscon Studios on our first day in Tuscon. There are live shows with stuntmen and a musical show in the saloon. Countless movies and television shows have used these sets.

It was a relaxing afternoon and pretty inexpensive entertainment.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Most noteworthy was the desert museum. It has desert wildlife in their natural habitat. It is also a botanical garden that features many desert plants. Visitors walk along a large loop to see wolves, cougars, jackrabbits, javalinas and porcupines. There is a large reptile area with snakes and lizards. Hence, the museum is a Tuscon “must see”. A link to the museum follows.

https://www.desertmuseum.org/

Saguaro National Park

First of all, this park is all about the saguaro cactus. My husband has been pretty much indifferent to plants in the many years we have been together. Somehow, this cactus spoke to him and he has become a fan of cacti. I never would have predicted it! So we drove the five mile scenic dirt road and saw many, many cacti. The one below was a little unusual.

Teresa’s Mosaic Cafe

I don’t often post about restaurants, but we had an outstanding meal in Tuscon at Teresa’s Mosaic Cafe. But, the meal was actually breakfast. I had the huevos rancheros, which was featured on one of the food network shows and it was wonderful! It is a cool place with interesting decor and great service.

Overall, Tuscon was an excellent stop for us. Next, we visit Yuma!

SW Trip Stop #7, Kartchner Caverns State Park

We were lucky to get a site for one night at Kartchner Caverns State Park. It is a beautiful park that is less than twenty years old with wet caverns, which are still growing.

Camping At Kartchner Caverns

Kartchner Caverns in Benson, Arizona, is about an hour away from Tucson. Our son lived in Tucson several years ago and suggested we visit. It is the newest, most modern State Park we have seen in our travels and we had a perfect spot just a few feet from the bathhouse. There were sidewalks everywhere with prickly pear and barrel cacti and mesquite trees for landscaping. Very pretty! Below is a link to the park.

https://azstateparks.com/kartchner

While we were there, the weather was pleasant in the daytime and not very cold at night. We really liked having such a modern bathhouse so near. The park has restrooms, showers, and a dump station, but no sewer or laundry. Our site was $35, a little high for a state park, but worth it.

Campsite at Kartchner Caverns — Site # 37

The countryside around Kartchner is very beautiful and the sky was so blue!

Countryside across from Kartchner Caverns — Across the street from the park

We had reservations for a cave tour early the next morning. Reservations are recommended and we had booked them on line the day before.

Path to Discovery Center at Kartchner Caverns — Path to the Discovery Center

Kartchner Caverns Cave Tour

The cave tours begin at the Discovery Center and then a tram takes you up the mountain. The tour was very interesting with cave formations resembling curtains, bacon, and columns. Two young men discovered the caverns in the 1970s but they kept it secret for many years. Consequently, the structure around it is relatively new.

It was cold in the early morning and we wore coats to the Discovery Center, but the cave was 70 degrees with 99% humidity and too warm to keep them on.

The tours last about 90 minutes and photos are not allowed. They are strict about visitors not touching the formations as well because the cave is still growing and touching can cause harm.

Conclusion

We came back to the campsite and cooked breakfast before heading out.

Teardrop camper with man seated — Our setup at Kartchner

Kartchner was a leisurely break for us. The park features beautiful views, friendly camp hosts, immaculate facility, and the caverns for entertainment.

If you are interested in how we planned for this trip, a link follows to the post.

Planning That First Long Trip

Next stop Tucson!

SW Trip Stop #6, Las Cruces, New Mexico

Las Cruces, New Mexico is a beautiful part of the country. We just had one night there, but we wish we could have stayed longer.

Beautiful New Mexico

This was our first time to visit New Mexico and the beautiful countryside was amazing. I took the photo below at the Visitor’s Center.

Man standing by cacti — New Mexico Visitor’s Center

Also, the ride along the interstate in New Mexico was very picturesque. For much of the time, train tracks paralleled the road off in the distance. The trains with the mountains behind them was a lovely sight.

We saw something on this leg of our journey we have never seen before, tumbleweeds crossing the road. They were quite large and we tried to avoid them on the road. Interesting!

New Mexico countryside — View from my car window

Seeking a Campsite

Las Cruces was just a one night stopover with no prior reservations. We called that morning and were very lucky to get a spot at Siesta RV. When we arrived, Mike, who checked us in, told us that many people had called after us and could not get a site. The campground was totally full. Lesson learned: call early in the day for a reservation if you do not have one during the high season.

The campground had partial hookups, cable, and a laundry, but the sites were very close together. Mike was great! He even reopened the office to get us change for the laundry.

I neglected to take a photo of our site, but we just put our interior gear on a picnic table.

The campground was just off I-10 and near Target, Wal-mart, Cracker Barrel, and Holiday World, a large RV Dealership. Holiday World had the Little Guy Max and the T@B 400, both of which we had been wanting to check out. They were very nice and we spent some time with another Mike who showed us the campers and gave us lots of info about them.

Mesilla

The small town of Mesilla was within walking distance and is well-known for its shopping and restaurants. Most noteworthy, Mesilla is one of the oldest and frequently visited communities in southern New Mexico. It was voted best vacation getaway in New Mexico for 2013 and 2014. I wish we could have spent more time there, but we had reservations at the next stop.

We chose La Posta for dinner because it was mentioned in reviews of the town. It was incredible! The building is in a former stagecoach station and a favored stop of the Butterfield Stagecoach Line. The restaurant has been in operation since 1939 and has authentic Mexican food that is fantastic. The food is made from centuries old recipes handed down from three families.

It also has beautiful decor. Live tropical birds and aquariums are in the entryway. Additionally, the restaurant has beautifully decorated the individual dining rooms.

La Posta Restaurant — One of La Posta’s dining rooms

After the RV visit and meal at La Posta, we did laundry. It seems we cannot totally escape domestic chores.

In conclusion, Las Cruces and Siesta RV was a great place for us to stop on our way out west.

Next stop, Benson, Arizona.

SW Trip Stop #5, Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park was a major stop on this trip. The park is awe-inspiring. Lots of photos are are included because Big Bend is exquisite eye candy.

Getting to Big Bend

One thing to know about visiting Big Bend is there are miles and miles of road with no commerce and no cell service. Because of this, anyone new to traveling in the area should be sure to get gasoline and take bathroom breaks at every opportunity. Also, it is helpful to have the destination in Google Maps or in a GPS because cell service is not available for many miles. If you are interested in how we planned for this trip, a link follows.

Planning That First Long Trip

Our Campsite

Sadly, no reservations were available inside Big Bend because sites are booked far in advance. However, we were able to find a spot at Stillwell Store, which is a few miles from the entrance to the park. Stillwell offered electricity, water, restrooms, showers, and a shaded picnic table. It also had sporadic WiFi, a bit of a miracle amid all the isolation.

We were there a couple days and there was not much shade. So, we put up our awning. The site was fairly close to the bathhouse, so we did not set up the side tent or the porta potty. We liked everything about staying there except for the facilities, which were old and not well-maintained. However, given the remote nature of Big Bend, we were happy to be there. Next, is a link to Stillwell Store.

https://stillwellstore.com

Stillwell Store Site # 7A — Campsite # 7A

The area was nice in sunlight, but sunset that first evening was especially lovely.

Hallie Stillwell Museum

There is a museum dedicated to Hallie Stillwell, who has been honored by the State of Texas as a Texas hero. She lived almost 100 years in this isolated area and wrote about the artifacts she found there. The museum has many items, articles, and photos from Hallie’s life. It is free and donations are accepted. Hollywood should make a movie about her.

Visiting Big Bend

We just spent one full day at Big Bend, but we saw a lot of incredible sights. There are quite a few photos in this post because we saw so many beautiful views.

Sotol Vista at Big Bend — View from Sotol Vista

The Rio Grande is a natural border and it separates Big Bend National Park and Mexico. However, some of the incredible views are actually in Mexico.

In the photo below, the canyon is in Mexico and the river is unseen below.

Our route for the day was the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive to Castolon and then over to the Santa Elena Canyon Overlook, stopping at most of the exhibits along the way. We returned by the same route and then went to the Chisos Basin and had a late lunch at the restaurant there. Lastly, we drove down to check out Rio Grande Village, the area that has camping with hookups.

The sun was setting as we returned to Stillwell’s.

Sunset near Big Bend — Another gorgeous sunset

Next stop: Las Cruces New Mexico.

SW Trip Stop #4, Camping in Del Rio

Del Rio was a stop along the way to Big Bend. We stayed at Broke Mill RV Park and it was excellent!

Del Rio

First of all, Del Rio was a logical stop along our path to Big Bend. It is a relatively small town, but it offered some entertainment of special interest to my husband and a very nice campground.

Laughlin Heritage Foundation Museum

We try to do something in the local area for each stop on our trip. Before going to our campground, we visited the Laughlin Heritage Foundation Museum because they closed at 4:00. It is one of Del Rio’s highly-rated attractions and has a tremendous amount of information about aviation as it pertains to the Del Rio area. Jim Long, the docent, provided very detailed explanations about the history and artifacts displayed. Jim is very knowledgeable and seems very dedicated to the work of the museum.

Del Rio played a part in aviation going back to the first transatlantic flight. Laughlin Air Force Base is nearby, named for Jack Laughlin, a local hero and B-17 pilot who lost his life in WWII.

We learned that Del Rio was the location for the U-2, the first CIA spy planes. The museum has a lot of recently de-classified documents. My big guy is a huge aviation fan and he was enthralled. Surprisingly, I enjoyed it too. I learned something major that I did not know. While Pearl Harbor was being bombed, the Imperial Japanese Air Force were also bombing Singapore and Hong Kong. I now understand a lot more about the Japanese mindset at the time of the bombings.

The museum is free, but it does accept donations. However, it is not open every day and has limited hours. I recommend checking the website before going.

Broke Mill RV Park

We stayed at Broke Mill RV Park and it offered lots of amenities. We were in need of some creature comforts at that time. It was unseasonably cold and very windy when we arrived for our one night stopover. The facility was very clean with the nicest bathhouse we have seen in a long time. The laundry offered about six each modern washers and dryers. There was a spacious day room with a television we could use while the clothes were laundering.

The campground was nice as well and provided good spacing between sites. Again, we were there one night only and just moved our interior gear outside under a tarp. We only hooked up the electricity and cable.

Campground at Broke Mill RV — Campground

The campground offered very good cable reception and also a fair number of channels. During office hours, the campground sells grass-fed beef, so it would be a great place to get a fresh steak to grill. As a result of the many amenities, I highly recommend this very well-maintained campground.

https://brokemillrvpark.com

Next stop, Big Bend National Forest!