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Travel Journal January 2009
Area of operation
Travel Journal January 2009 (begins in Columbus, NM)
- Well, it has been almost five years since we began this vagabond lifestyle. Although we have slowed down a bit in
the past ¾ of a year due to health reasons, we still have a fondness for this lifestyle. We hope that the New Year
will bring us low diesel prices, good traveling weather and good health. If the truck and RV cooperate, we’ll be
switching to full time travel mode again in the spring.
New Year‘s day really started off in the wrong direction. First the black tank (= storage tank from the toilet)
plugged up and we had to move the RV to the dump station and spend 2 ½ hours flushing it until it finally dislodged:
what a bunch of crap! Then the vacuum cleaner quit working, which required a few more hours of work, but in the
evening we had a nice pot luck meal with Sandra, including chicken and black-eyed peas. If the southern tradition
holds true to course, we should have good luck for the rest of the year.
On Jan 5th we had our doctor’s appointments in Columbus (no surprises) and then on Jan 7th we took a trip to
Palomas, Mexico to get refills for Lobo’s thyroid medication, which is considerably cheaper there. We also had lunch
at the Pink Store Restaurant.
The following morning we left Pancho Villa State Park and drove to the City of Rocks State Park (see travel route).
We arrived at the park shortly before dark. With considerable luck, one of the ten electric/water sites was
available. Four of the ten are reserved for volunteer-workers so that reduces the odds even further! The City of
Rocks (see photos) has numerous beautifully-situated sites in the rock formations, but without water and electric.
The one site that we managed to capture was a reservation site which meant that we could have it for one night
since it was not reserved for that day. The following morning someone left from one of the non-reservable sites so
we captured it. While in the process of getting ready to move, a man knocked on the door, said that he saw we were
moving. He was in a van situated in a 50 Amp site and offered his site, since the site that had just become vacant
was only 30 Amp (plenty for him). So, we played musical camp sites for a short while and in the end, we had a nice
50 Amp hookup for the rest of our three weeks there. But our next problem was just around the corner. As we
started to run the slides out, the couch/dining room slide quit with a loud noise and was only half way out. After
spending a few hours under the RV, Chuck managed to manually move the slide all the way out, but the mountings for
the motorized screw system had dislodged, tore the retaining pins loose and severely bent the mounting system. It
appeared that welding the retaining pin and repairing/replacing the mounts were necessary. Renée went to the
park reception building and inquired about where we might locate a welder. The welder (in Silver City) was too busy
and wouldn’t be able to do the repairs until the following day. That evening one of the campground hosts came by,
said that he had heard about our problem and offered to do the repair and weld it in the park maintenance
workshop (the black-eyed peas really do work!). After straightening the mounting brackets and with a little
modification, the welding wasn’t necessary after all. The man refused all offers of compensation for his efforts,
but on the way back from the shop, Chuck found out that he is an avid drinker of carbonated mineral water.
Although mineral water is a common drink in Europe, we have found that it is hard to find in the US, and when found,
it is usually imported, such as Perrier, Gerolsteiner and Pelligrino. We solved this problem several years ago when
we bought a Soda Club carbonator. When we got back to the RV, Chuck offered him a bottle of mineral water,
which he immediately tasted and was delighted. We gave him a few more bottles and kept him supplied for the rest
of the time we were there!
City of Rocks is a beautiful park with a problem in that it does not have a dump station, with the nearest dump point
about 20 miles away. For a short stay of a few days this is not a problem, but it is not possible to stay three weeks
without emptying the black (toilet) tank. There are vault toilets available but imagine walking about a city block at
two in the morning to go to the bathroom! We decided to do a little planning and solve this minor problem so we
could enjoy a full three weeks in the rocks. We have male and female urinals and for the rest, we lined the
commode with large plastic bags lined with newspaper. After each visit the bag was removed, tied shut and placed
in the garbage cans. The campsites do have closed garbage cans lined with plastic bags that are emptied daily.
On the 11th our friend Dick came from Las Cruces to visit with us for a few days. We took a long hike through the
City of Rocks (see photos), then in the evening drove to Pinos Altos, six miles north of Silver City. In 1859, after
returning from the 1849 California gold rush, a group of prospectors found gold there in the “Pinos Altos” (High
Pines). The Buckhorn Saloon still stands and for years has been a rustic place to enjoy a good meal. We were there
with Dick in May 2006 (see earlier travel journals). Next door is the Opera House from 1869 which still has local
productions on a regular basis. This time we reserved a table directly in front of the open fireplace. The
atmosphere was exceptional. But with past experience as a point of reference, the food quality had deteriorated.
The main fare of steaks and salmon were excellent but the accompanying dishes were disappointing.
The bar in the Buckhorn Saloon
- The following evening we had grilled chicken on the campfire. Renée and Dick played Scrabble every day until he
left on the 15th. The days there were mostly sunny, sometimes windy with the nights below the freezing point.
Lobo was feeling better and took short walks with us through the rocks (see photos). Although, he did have a
“Senior Moment”, where he lost sight of Renée, since he moves so slowly and his other senses are somewhat
diminished. When he couldn’t see her, he rambled off in the wrong direction and disappeared in the rocks. It took
several minutes to find him. Once she saw him in the distance, she began to wave and move around to attract his
attention. His hearing is not what it used to be so shouting would have been useless. Finally he saw her and actually
began to run toward her; something we didn’t know he was still able to do. He was so relieved when he reached her
that he rubbed his whole body against her legs like a cat and wouldn’t leave her side, sticking close to her side all
the way home.
On January 20th we watched the inauguration parade and other events on TV until late. The following day was
Dick’s 76th birthday. We had invited him to Campos in Deming and met him there. We had ordered a birthday cake
for him and delivered it to the restaurant before his arrival. After enjoying a good meal, the waitress and her
daughter brought the cake with burning candles to the table and we all sang Happy Birthday. As appropriate for
the occasion, we all had a “Senior Moment” and forgot to take pictures.
On Sunday the 25th we drove to Deming to visit the Luna Mimbres Museum, stopping by the local flea market on the
way. The flea market had nothing worthwhile but the museum is quite diverse (see photos) and well worth the free
entry price (donations accepted). It has a surprisingly large selection of Mimbres Indian artifacts, nostalgic
pieces from the Indian wars; Mexican expedition of 1916; the World Wars; doll and puppet collections; antique cars
and trucks; chuck wagon used at roundup time; authentic antique dentist office; medical facility with iron lungs;
crystal, china and liquor bottle collections from around the world, etc, etc, etc. After the museum visit we took a
drive to see the historic buildings. Recently, as we passed thru Deming we saw a Chinese Buffet that had just
opened so that evening we tried it out; not the worst but certainly not the best we’ve experienced.
When we arrived back at the City of Rocks it was almost dark. Chuck had developed a sore throat and went to bed
immediately, where he spent most of the time until Wednesday. Colds are something we seldom acquire. The last
one for Chuck was in 2001. On Wednesday we finally got around to seeing the information film about the City of
Rocks; just in time for our departure the following day. Although quite informative, seeing it so late did not hinder
our enjoyment of the three weeks there.
Since we had not used the black tank for the first 2 ½ weeks, and there was no dump station nearby, we wanted to
fill the tank the rest of the way with water so that it would cleanse itself during the road trip (this is the
recommended method). This makes it much easier to empty and quicker to get it rinsed out. So as we were
preparing to leave on Thursday, we turned on the water to fill up the tank. A minute or so later, we were
distracted by a circuit breaker that blew, causing us to forget about the water! A little later as Chuck was outside,
Renée noticed water running out of the bathroom. The water (clear and somewhat clean) was running over the top
of the commode, running into the air duct and down into the “basement” of the RV. Chuck had rearranged and
cleaned out the basement a few days before, so with the exception of a few bits and pieces, none of the stored
items were wet or damaged; just the entire basement area.
After we arrived at Leasburg (see travel route) and had emptied the tanks, we emptied the entire basement and
stored everything in the picnic shelter, leaving the basement doors open so that the desert air and the sun would
dry it out. The following day we had to stay home since everything was out in the open and available for anyone that
might not resist the temptation.
This time our favorite spot (#8) at Leasburg Dam State Park was not open, and the only available water/electric
site was #2. It is probably always the last to be occupied since it can not be accessed by all RVs, requiring a zigzag
maneuver to reach it. A fifth wheel or trailer can not be driven straight in since the road is a dead end and there is
no way to unhook and drive the truck out. Consequently, the RV had to be backed in with it turning left then right
during the backup maneuver and with only a few inches to spare. A few years ago, this would not have been possible
for us. It still took ¾ hour! If we can’t get it out when our three weeks are up, this will be our new home address!
The month of January ended with a shopping trip to El Paso, Texas.
To be continued….
