2021-1
17 Years on the Road To A New Beginning
 |
| Enjoying my last couple of Days at Desert Trails Rv Park Tucson Az |
Campground: Desert Trails Rv Park, Tucson. Winter campground
Campground: Veterans Campground. Lordsburg NM. Ramada with picnic table. Free. 20 plus sites, basic, not crowded. Good Verizon cell service. 3 PBS tv stations.
Campground: Walmart, Silver City. Opted for paved parking lots with high winds expected afternoon and evening. Less dust and sand in camper. Good Verizon cell service, lots of over-the-air tv stations.
Campground: Gila national forest. Forks Campground. Designated sites with fire ring. Free. Nice views, canyon overlooking a small river below. Appox. 15 miles from Gila Cliff Dwellings. No cell service, no Tv, no radio. Surrounded by thousands of acres of National Wilderness land.
Campground: RJ Rv Park, Truth or Consequences NM. $17 per night full hookups. PPA discount. $125 for 7 nights. Close to town.
I’m getting ready to head out in a few days after wintering in Tucson, probably for the last time staying in the Tucson area as a seasonal snowbird on this wonderful journey. I’m sure I’ll be passing through to visit with friends along the way in coming years. But before I begin with all the NEW BEGINNINGS, let’s recap the winter stay here in Tucson.
…… after my laptop crashed while writing this report…. Re-typing everything
……. and a couple of complete reboots due to Microsoft’s automatic updates
This past year has been quite the challenge what with all the political hoohah and the pandemic going on. But I hardly need to tell you that. During my stay at Desert Trails this past winter, all activities were shut down, laundromats, rec hall, and other buildings were restricted to mask requirements at all times and minimal people. The few activities that did continue were mainly held outside.
The anticipation of getting a vaccine shot has been heightened for everyone. After a number of attempts to sign up online, I finally drove over to Kino Sports Complex where a mass vaccination site had been set up hoping to get a vaccination at the end of the day if any left over shots were available.
Driving through the line where they answered questions etc, I was able to describe my situation, medical concerns etc. and was grateful when told I could go into the first drive thru line and get a shot.
With that taken care of I was able to have a couple medical procedures taken care of without the concern of getting Covid in a hospital. Note: I had my colonoscopy and a polyp was thankfully removed. So I’m once again good for another 5 years. This is my 4th or 5th time and it has saved my life. Don’t put it off. They have new prep solutions that are quite easy to take. So get er done. The hernia is on hold at this point.
Along with all those issues of course Zippy and my truck needed some preventative maintenance done as well. Can we say $$$. But it is the price to pay if one wants to play. :) I’d say I’m ready to get out Dodge and enjoy the coming travel season. This being my 17th year on the road. And it could be a challenge finding campground sites as so many new Rv-ers are now on the road, filling up established campgrounds. Reservations needed months in advance. Something I rarely do.
Fortunately, I’ll be able to do lots of dispersed camping and boondocking on BLM and Forest sites especially while still out west.
Big News, almost
But I haven’t gotten to the Big, Big news. I’ve been working on purchasing a 4th piece of property back in Florida at Shelter Cove, St Cloud. it’s a “Park Model” with a large Florida Room. The mini mobile home sits on a canal with views to Lake Common. It has a 70 ft dock as well. So, while dealing with covid, health issues, taxes, selling my 5th wheel camper, and making arrangements to have my truck transported to Florida, I have been working on purchasing this sweet little piece of property for when I get older and might want a permanent location.
It’s been on hold for a couple weeks after filling out and signing my life away. A low ball Appraisal came in and we are currently disputing it. With help from the Realtor, banks etc.
Update, April 13. Bank is paying for a second appraisal. They agree the 1st appraisal was way off. Expect update in 3 to 5 days.
April 6th.
Ben K arrived from Florida to transport Big Blue, my Chevy Truck back to Florida. Still no word on the purchasing of the property.
April 7th.
The Beginning of Year 17 on the Road has begun.
After two get-togethers in one evening to wish everyone well on their journeys I started my own travels. A quick washing of the camper before heading out, a flip of the coin to decided which direction to begin my journeys and I headed to Lordsburg NM for my first stop.
 |
| First Day on the road to adventure Texas Canyon Rest Stop |
New Mexico
Lordsburg
I stayed overnight at a Veterans park which had about twenty ramadas with picnic tables. I was the only one in the park until after dark. Then a Mercedes Van camper pulling a stg trailer pulled in, turned around and pointed their headlights right at my camper. Parking their vehicle next door to mine. Really. With over 20 empty sites, they park next to me. The next morning I got up and went outside to gather up my security lights that I place around the camper. They come on automatically if a critter or human comes near. Ekk! The couple have three dogs, two of which are your aggressive police type dogs. Yup, they started barking and in short order, with their owners gently saying no, no come back, stop barking. The dogs started to run towards me with intent to do bodily harm. Fortunately, I was close to my entry door and fumbled my way quickly into the camper out of harms way.
 |
| 1st stop, Veterans Park, free |
 |
| one of the older shelters on edge of campground/park |
 |
| these folks arrived after dark bright lights shining into my camper 2 aggressive dogs |
Bottom line, they got to enjoy making breakfast under their ramada, while I packed up and exited. Unable to enjoy the campsite. Lesson learned. Next time: Yell at neighbors to chain up their dogs before coming out of my own camper. By the way, I’m sure they parked next to mine with the intent that they would be safer closer to another camper. Unfortunately, they had no consideration for my safety.
 |
| Silver City NM Great small town America |
Next stop would be Silver City and onto Gila Cliff Dwellings. Hwy 90 from Lordsburg to Silver City is a perfect two lane secondary road. Gradually increasing in elevation to 6,000 feet. Desert becomes scrub land, turns into pinion pines and other scrub pine trees along the changing mountain elevation.
Signs throughout town state wear a mask, indoors and outdoors when around other people. Those constant reminders did a good job keeping folks properly covered. Most shops, numerous art galleries and lots of coffee shops are all open. This being a college town as well, it has a cool, hip vibe and nice mix of artists, new age, retirees and workers alike. Lots of wall murals with many being composed of ceramic tile creations in shapes of flowers, people, etc.
The visitor center isn’t currently open, but they have really nice packets of visitor brochures for the taking. A worker even came out and handed me a special brochure on the murals around town since I was admiring the ones around the visitor ctr buildings.
 |
| mural at visitor center info on hiking trail along the Continental Divide |
 |
| Even the backside of building are getting murals |
 |
| lots of local artists in town great thrift shops as well coffee shops galore |
 |
| mural composed of all handmade ceramic tiles! |
 |
| a few historic hotels and three theaters |
 |
| mural showing roads leading to and from the sun lots of symbolism in this one |
 |
| young, old, hippies and University town great mixture |
Although their were options to stay at a couple of Passport America campgrounds in the area, one right in town. I opted for overnighting it at Walmarts. I basically wanted pavement underfoot since the afternoon and evening expected very high winds. It was a good choice and saved me from having tons of blowing sand getting into the camper.
You know having plenty of solar backup power, a generator, etc. I rarely realize that I’m not connected to shore power. Even had good cell signal and lots of over-the-air tv stations to choose from.
Gila Cliff Dwellings.
 |
| a mile and a half hike along a canyon to the cliff dwellings |
 |
| no guided tours, or access into the Gila Cliff dwellings but rangers available at entrance for questions/answers brochures |
Hwy 15 from Silver City to Gila Cliff National Monument it quite the thrill ride. Talk about your two lane country road. No shoulders, but well paved. The center line disappeared as the road narrowed as lots and lots of twists and turns continued unabated. I kept expecting to see those S curve yellow signs all bunched together by the dozen in an attempt to let you know, the whole darn road was a curve to the left, right, sharp really sharp turns and lots of mountain climbing and steep grades. No wonder a 45 mile drive takes all of two hours.
Now to be fare, there is another route that’s considerably better and that's hwy 35, which I might add, I’ll be taking out on the return trip. The Gila Cliff Dwellings besides being a great destination, it’s free to enter and they have two parking lot style campgrounds with picnic tables etc in the surrounding forest setting. I’ve opted for a National Forest Campground called Forks Campground. outside of the park. It too is free and has designated sites with fire rings, pinon pines, wonderful smelling cedar trees and great overlooks into a canyon with a river running through it.
 |
| Gila National Forest, Forks Campground, free |
 |
| early spring |
 |
| Gila River |
But with forested campsites up in the higher elevations also come cooler temps at night. 38 degrees was the overnight temperatures and you can be assured I had the furnace on. Used approx. 2 lbs of propane. About $5. Well worth the cost for a free campsite.
Ps: lots of deer and a half a dozen javelina.
next stop: Truth or Consequences New Mexico
More photos available:
Gila Cliff Dwellings and the Gila National Forest
Love following your adventures. I hope our paths will cross somewhere on the road. Keep us posted on your park model purchase.
ReplyDeleteTracy and Cooper