Mileage: 57,449 Painted Rock Petroglyph Site and Campground BLM Gila Bend, Arizona

We took 10W out of Tuscon and onto 8W across the desert. Saguaro, mesquite trees, flowering yellow brittlebush, scraggly creosote bushes with a backdrop of mountain peaks comprised our panorama. We also passed farm fields full of cotton, cattle farms, and a solar powered farm.

We arrived at the Painted Rock Petroglyph Site and Campground at around noon. 75% of the land in Arizona is public land. This park is part of the Bureau of Land Management. The camping fee with our senior pass was $4.00.

We packed our lunch and headed out with the Jeep to explore. Our first stop was the petroglyph site. Looking at these pictures carved into the rock made me feel like I was looking at something both timeless and sacred. No one can decipher exactly what the pictures mean or what they were used for but they have been there for about 1,400 years. Some of the symbols are recognizable while others are a mystery that scientists are still trying to interpret.

We drove miles into the desert. Desolate and beautiful…we couldn’t get enough!

Our lunch spot.

What lives in these holes? We know there are all sorts of things to be wary of in this environment. These holes were covered by a very fine layer of spider webs.

The dry bed of the Gila River.

We rested for awhile this afternoon and then made dinner. Grilled ahi tuna with a mango lime rub, grilled avocados stuffed with bruschetta and goat cheese and grilled sweet potatoes with brown sugar glaze and pecans…very nice!

As we cooked and ate our meal, the sun went down. The whole world was glowing pink.

The moon is almost full…tomorrow I think.

We went back out with the Jeep after eating to try out Tim’s new off road lights. We were looking for desert critters but we saw nothing. It is very peaceful and quiet and dark. The stars are lovely. Tomorrow we move to Yuma.

Day 3 South Forty RV Ranch Tucson, Arizona

We slept in this morning and it felt wonderful! We spent the morning cleaning the RV, fueling the car and doing other small errands. We packed a picnic lunch and at noon Lee and Claudia were here to lead us on an adventure. We began our tour of southeast Arizona in Madera Canyon. We drove along the highway through scruffy desert. It was a gorgeous day for a drive.

Our first stop was at this neat little gift shop. They feed the birds in their side yard. There were scrub jays, hummingbirds, and lots of other birds I have never seen before…I have some learning to do!

We stopped for lunch…they brought delicious wine and dessert. Food tastes so much better when you eat it outside with friends!

After lunch we drove through Box Canyon. This was a dirt and gravel road with hairpin turns and steep drop offs…very beautiful too!

We traveled to the eastern portion of Saguaro National Park and road through the loop until sunset.

Our last stop for the day was Saguaro Corners where Lee and Claudia treated us to a delicious dinner. It isn’t often that you meet people that you instantly like…Lee and Claudia are that sort of people. So gracious and kind. They went out of their way to make sure that we had a great day! We appreciated it so much. We feel like our new friends are kindred spirits. They get us and the whole RV thing…that is after all how we met them! We look forward to future adventures with the two of them…hopefully in Yuma!!!

Day 2 South Forty RV Ranch Tucson, Arizona

We drove to the Sonora Desert Museum. As we approached, the scenery changed dramatically and the hillsides were covered with saguaro cacti. We have never seen anything like it.

This is the second most frequently visited site in Arizona after the Grand Canyon. It was highly recommended by Lee and Claudia and several other people here in Tucson. It is part zoo, natural history museum, and botanical garden. The exhibits are set in a natural desert landscape. The goal of this place is to inspire people to live in harmony with the environment. For those of us who know nothing about this otherworldly setting, it was a great to be educated by well informed docents about the plants and animals native to this area. The museum was designed in 1952 with the intent to balance the needs of the animals with the ability of the visitor to experience as much as possible the natural habitats. Many of the park’s animals were hiding today. We did catch glimpses of the mountain lion. We were able to see the wolves and coyotes as well as the javelina.

We didn’t get to see the raptors in flight. They had presentations later in the day. They allow the raptors free flight and it is supposed to be an amazing experience…next time!

We took the short ride to the Saguaro National Park.

We took the dirt and gravel loop road and found our lunch spot.

Every Thursday evening in the Freddy’s parking lot there is a cruise-in. Tonight there were about 100 cars…old and new…fancy and plain… There were a lot of older guys there with the love of old cars in common.

Another great day!

Mileage: 57,310 South Forty RV Ranch Tucson, Arizona

We enjoyed our coffee as we watched the sun come up.

Roadrunners can run up to 20 mph and are about 2 feet long. They can fly to escape predators. We have seen a few but haven’t captured a picture yet. They eat rattlesnakes, scorpions, tarantulas, cactus seeds, and almost everything else.

We drove the short distance to Tombstone and set out to explore. This is an old western town. The shootout at the O.K. Corral made this town famous. It was the home of Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp.

It was a neat place to walk around. We were there early in the day. There are reenactments of the shootout later in the afternoon.

We arrived in Tucson around lunchtime. We are staying at the South Forty RV Ranch.

We took our bikes out for a short ride and then got ready to meet our friends Lee and Claudia for dinner. We met them in Alaska and we were eager to get together and share stories about our adventures. We had Mexican dinner at La Hacienda and then visited in their home with coffee and dessert…Nanaimo bars from Vancouver Island/British Columbia. They are such lovely people and very gracious hosts.

Mileage: 57,205 Queen Mine RV Park Bisbee, Arizona

Once we were disentangled from El Paso we headed west into New Mexico.

The landscape along Route 10W was unremarkable; flat and desolate grass studded with yucca. There were more trucks on the highway and lots of trains.

I drove for more than an hour today, though Tim says I haven’t done anything hard yet. I thought that driving with tractor trailers and passing slow moving vehicles as well as driving through border control inspection stations was enough challenge for today.

There were frequent signs abut driving through possible dust storms, where visibility could potentially be zero.

Thankfully no dust storms today…but good to know!

We exited 10W at MM5 in New Mexico to travel south. This is a scenic route through Douglas, Bisbee, and Tombstone. We had heard this was a drive worth taking.

Mountains flanked the road and in the distance we could see snow capped peaks.

We were listening to Latin American music as we traveled. It really made me crave margaritas!

We passed through the border town of Douglas. The Border Patrol presence here is high. There are inspection stations and trucks highly outfitted with surveillance equipment.

The road to Bisbee was beautiful.

Back in the day, this was a copper mining town. Our campground sits right on the edge of a mining pit.

Bisbee far below.

We settled in our campsite and headed to town to explore. This a quirky, happy, artsy little town. The houses are painted all manner of outrageous colors and there is art everywhere. There is even poetry stapled to the telephone posts.

We found Santiago’s Mexican Restaurant for dinner…food and drinks…oh so delicious.

Bisbee at night.

Mileage: 56,901 Walmart El Paso, Texas

As we left it was 40 degrees. The mountains and cliffs were pretty in the morning light.

We entered Big Bend Ranch State Park and traveled along Route 170. This park is a “dark sky park.” It is far away from all city ambient light and there is limited artificial light in the area. It is the darkest sky in Texas. The stargazing here is said to be phenomenal. 80% of the population of the United States is not able to see the Milky Way. the first time we ever saw it in the Outer Banks in North Carolina, we were not sure what we were seeing.

We were told that people come from all over the place to make this drive…it doesn’t disappoint. This park road writhes and twists along the Rio Grand. There are steep sections and tight curves. As we rounded each bend and climbed each incline, we were treated to outstanding views of the river, mountains, buttes, mesas, cliffs, bluffs and hoodoos. The pictures absolutely do NO justice to this beautiful drive.

Too soon we were through this area and on our way to Route 90 and then Route 10. I did a brief stint in the driver’s seat today…trying to get more practice.

Here is a random blimp along the road…it was a tethered radar system of some sort.

Lots of trains.

We drove to El Paso where we decided to stay at a Walmart. We need supplies and groceries and since Walmart is a free place to stay…here we are. Tomorrow we will drive further west into New Mexico.

Mileage: 56,540 Rio Grand Village RV Park Big Bend National Park

At first glance, Big Bend appears to be a barren desert. It is actually more ecologically diverse than any of the other national parks with “more species of birds, plants, butterflies, bats, reptiles, and ants.”

We parked the RV and disconnected the Jeep. Because of the government shutdown, the park is much less crowded than it would usually be at this time of year. The Boquillas Crossing was closed.

The Boquillas Crossing is a pedestrian crossing into “old Mexico.” When the park is fully functioning, you can take your passport, get in a rowboat, and cross the Rio Grand into Boquillas. The small town has a restaurant. It subsists on earnings from the tourist who cross the river. The residents of Boquillas sell trinkets…beaded wire sculptures of scorpions and roadrunners, decorated walking sticks and embroidered bags. The border is closed as long as the park is closed. The Mexican people of Boquillas tried to meet with the park authorities to no avail. The craftsmen are being allowed to set up small trinket stands in the park that operate on the honor system. We took an easy hike to the Boquillas Canyon with overlooks of the Rio Grand and a path down to the river plain.

This is where we met Eduardo. He was using his rowboat to cross the river with a bag full of crafts that his wife had made. He explained that they were desperate to sell things in order for his family to survive. Tim bought a bag with a burro on it. Eduardo appeared uneasy and quickly rowed back to the other side of the river. Other craftsmen had traveled across the river on horseback to sell their wares.

Old Ore Road was an isolated spot for our picnic lunch.

Exploring the park with the Jeep on 4WD dirt and gravel roads allows us to be immersed in the desert. Truly off the beaten path or the main park road…we are seeing things that others who just pass through do not get to experience.

At the hot springs, there was a short walk along the canyon walls to the water where people were soaking in the 104 degree springs.

We took the River Road East for more than 10 miles and never actually found the river. As we traveled through here, I cannot help but wonder what force and how much time has passed to create this rugged landscape.

On a clear day, you can see 242 miles…not any further because of the curvature of the earth. Unfortunately, most days there is a haze due to pollutants that corrupts the view.

We were lucky to get a camping spot at Rio Grand Village RV Park…really just a big parking lot, but good enough for tonight….the only place to camp within 60 miles.

Mileage: 56,488 Stillwell RV Park Alpine, Texas

We journeyed across southern Texas under clear blue skies. This truly is the wild west. It is big and open with scrubby brush, mesquite trees, thorny bushes, agave, yucca, prickly pear, and lots of other stuff we have never seen before. The soil is sandy and gravelly. We saw a deer, a lizard, and lots of unfamiliar birds. There were many goat, sheep, and cattle ranches. We traveled parallel to the Rio Grand all day. Often, we could see Mexico across the river.

The road was relatively straight and had little traffic. Tim thought this was an ideal place for my first driving lesson. Several months ago I decided that it was important for me to learn how to drive the RV and so today was the day. It was both easier and harder than I thought it might be. The RV handles really well and drives very smoothly but the steering is really touchy and I had to work to stay in the lines. As I grew more confident in where I was on the road, it became easier. I did 2 short sections. I would like to get more comfortable and I definitely need more practice.

Our lunch spot.

We stopped at the Judge Roy Bean Museum and Visitor Information Center in Langtry, Texas. The host there had lots of good information about Big Bend National and State Parks.

The Judge Roy Bean Museum showcased the life of this eccentric man. He lived much of his life as an outlaw before serving as the justice of the peace. He was quite a character and ran his court in his own style of law. He once found a dead man with an illegal revolver. The man had 41.00 dollars in his pocket and so Judge Roy Bean fined the dead man 41.00 for carrying the gun.

Because of the government shutdown, all campgrounds in the Big Bend National Park are closed. We decided to stay at Stillwell RV Park about 6 miles away. We were able to get laundry done and fill the fresh water tank as well.

This afternoon we took the road to the end. The bridge used to cross the Rio Grand into Mexico but it has been closed since 9/11.

After dinner we stood outside stargazing. The night sky here is amazing. There was ambient light from the campground and so we got into the Jeep and drove away into the inky blackness. There the view of the stars was spectacular. This drive gave Tim a chance to use his brand new halogen off-road lights. He spotted a glimpse of a coyote crossing the road. Tomorrow we are looking forward to exploring Big Bend.

Mileage: 56,271 Amistad National Recreation Area Del Rio, Texas

We were up early and after a quick Walmart run, we were on our way west. It was gray and overcast all morning. We stopped for a break at a safety rest area and I walked the short nature trail.

As the morning wore on it began to rain…this is the southern edge of the storm that might bring you all snow later this weekend. It is amazing what the weather can do…I am sure this is a gorgeous ride in sunshine! They say that if you tour a college campus on a rainy day, you are less likely to want to go to school there…makes sense to me!

We learned from the host at the Texas Welcome Center that the drive was much more scenic if you left 10W at San Antonio and headed west on 90. From there she outlined several cool places to see. We decided to take the even longer way across Texas. We arrived at Amistad National Recreation Area at about 4:00. Amistad means friendship. This park sits right along the Rio Grand on the Texas/Mexico border. We saw Border Patrol trucks as we got closer. One truck was on a gravel/dirt frontage road. He was pulling 3 large tires on chains, dragging the road and erasing any earlier tracks…we think in an effort to watch for disturbances later today.

We stayed at the San Pedro Campground.

Mileage: 55,964 Walmart Sealy, Texas

As we left Grand Isle this morning, I saw this sign for Port Fourchon. This area really is the “Gulf’s Energy Connection!”

It took us about 3 hours to reach Route 90 again. We could have gone more quickly if we had been in a hurry but we stayed along the canal. There were fishing boats and ships and houseboats and trawlers to look at. It was a nice ride.

Once we were on the highway, we were surprised by the amount of industry there is in southern Louisiana. Lots of energy companies, trucking companies, ship builders, and trains. We also saw sugarcane being harvested and sugarcane fields burning. There were rice fields as well.

We reached the Texas border at about 3:00. The welcome center was very nice with a boardwalk into a cypress swamp. There is a warning by the front door to watch for snakes…welcome to Texas!!

We spoke to one of the welcome center hosts. She had lots of good information for us. She advised us to stop before Houston to avoid the “very ugly” rush hour. She told us about the free safety rest areas along 10W. Anyone can stay for free for 24 hours. We decided to nap and wait for traffic to calm down before driving through the city.

The rest area was very active with trucks moving in and out and many idling as they sat and rested. We left as the sky darkened. We did encounter some Houston traffic but it wasn’t too awful!

We were going to stay at the second safety area overnight but because it was so noisy, we opted for a Walmart instead.

Tomorrow…more Texas. It is 880 miles on 10W from the Louisiana border to the New Mexico border! Of course we have different ideas…stay tuned!