4-16 to 4-19-2019 Lake Amistad National Recreation Area

On our way home, we decided to spend a few days at Lake Amistad, just west of Del Rio, Tx. It is another National Area where our Senior Passes served us well. Admission was free, camping was only $3 a night.

The place we chose was the farthest south, all to our selves.. for a day. Some local folks came in and set up next to us, arriving & bringing in their tents & gear days early, in order to be there for the coming Easter week-end. Very nice family, even brought us some local Mexican bread treats for our last night there. Thanks Manny & family.

We opted to stay here, 1. because we'd never explored Amistad, 2. there was a front line expected to move thru, which would have hit us as we were moving into the Houston area. We're glad we delayed here. That front line produced some spectacular storm, complete with heavy rain & golf ball sized hail. No damage to the travel trailer, but the noise of the hail on the trailer and the adjacent metal roof of the picnic area was LOUD!

The hard rocky ground gave no place for the rain to collect, so we woke the next morning to a dry campsite. Time to load up, and head home.

Of course, pics of the area:

4-11 to 4-15-2019 Haystack Mtn OHV Park

Since it was still too cold (for us, anyway) to head on higher up into the mountains, we opted to instead just move a short ways past Roswell to Haystack Mtn Offroad Vehicle area and campsite.

As the name says, we were right on top of the highest point around. Dirt bikers and 4-wheelers off load here and head off into the lower area playground set up for them by the BLM. Nearly 2000 acres of off-road fun. And it is all relatively cheap, only $3 a person, $5 for a carload, per 24 hrs, and NP/Senior Pass holders get 1/2 off.  Our four day stay here cost $10. It is dry camping, but there is a vault toilet so you don't have to fill up your black tank.

The entrance:

And no matter which cell carrier you use, it works, and works well, here.

We chose a spot on the NE corner of the mountain, on a spur of rock overlooking part of the trails

 Views of the bottom land play area

But time to head back to home, and more doctor's tests.

As always, click on a picture to get them all in a list, comment below should the urge strike.

4-9 to 4-10-19 Bottomless Lakes State Park

We decided to head a little bit farther north, since the weather forecast was calling for gale force winds tomorrow, sustained 45-50 mph, gusts to 65 mph.

So we decided on The Bottomless Lakes State Park, as it sits among some hills, hopefully providing some protection. We really like our small travel trailer for it's light weight and maneuverability, but I wondered how it would take the wind. It did just fine, tho there was some rocking, the little plastic door latch (holds the door open) broke... already ordered a steel one from Amazon.

Fees at the park were reasonable, and the park host even insisted we take a handicap spot (I told her I wasn't that bad... yet) but the spot included a level concrete slab. I figured that would be better for the jacks.  It was.

Only two days here, one so windy we didn't leave the trailer spot to take pictures until late evening. I forgot how much I dislike dust storms. Anyway, a few pics of the area.

a really nice pad and covered picnic area.

Above... I dunno. Lea Lake is just the other side. Too windy to go up into the tower. If you look close, you can see the dust in the background.

The park was laid out like most of them are, pretty much side x side, and close.

Lea Lake, no swimming, fishing, or kayaking this day. Dust in the wind...

We wanted to head up into the mountains/higher elevations from here, but, all this wind comes from a cold front line dropping temps into the 20's, and snow, so we've picked a spot only a few miles north. 

We'll show you in the next post.

4/4/19 thru 4/8/19

During our stay at Chosa Campground, we checked out the area attractions. Of course, the main attraction as Carlsbad Caverns. It was worth a look simply for the entrance road. When here two years ago on the Goldwing, this road was a blast. Not so much in the truck, but still a great road.

And then Guadalupe National Park in Texas. Of all the National Parks we've seen (many during our NP tour) I guess this would be my least favorite. Very small public area, small tent camping area, and the travel trailer camping was just an asphalt parking lot, camp spots lined out with painted stripes, so close & short there wasn't even any room to park a tow vehicle in many of them.

Several hiking/walking trails into the mountains, that uncle arther prevents me from doing. So just a few shots from the VC parking area.

Just north of the GMNP entrance is the Frijole Ranch History Museum and horseback trailhead. But the museum had just closed when we got there.

We also checked out Rattlesnake Springs, and the Cottonwood Day Use Area. Pretty places.

A large rock quarry we passed on a back road to the springs.

Saw lots of turkey, in the fields and in the trees, while on the way to the springs.

And finally, Rattlesnake Springs. It's reportedly still in use today, supplying water for the Caverns.

The Pumphouse

Our last full day we spent going west into the mountains, and the Lincoln National Forest. First National Forest I've seen with only a few trees, but the drive there, to Sitting Bull Springs was great.

Large craggy peaks

Looking at the road below

and the Sitting Bull Falls. There were folks enjoying a swim. Too cold for me.

Our time here is coming to an end, gonna pack up and move on up north a little.

4-3-19 New Mexico

We arrived at our camping spot on Wednesday. Chosa campground was chosen because it's about central to all the sites we want to see in the area.

Plus, it's a free 20 acre spot furnished and maintained by the BLM. Not much to look at, but the price is right.

The above pic shows the arid environment beyond the gravel/kaliche parking lot.  Below was our closest neighbor, about 75 yards away, and the rest, as you can see...  pretty bare.

The place ain't much, but it's located about halfway between Carlsbad Caverns, and Guadalupe Mtns National Park.

We've seen both places, back in March 2017, while doing the IBA National Parks Tour. We may make a quick run thru... just for the heck of it. But there's much more here that we've missed, so tomorrow, on to the more obscure sites.

March/April 2019

The year is getting away, it's still wet & cooler than normal for us... or perhaps we're just getting older, and feeling it more. Anyway, we needed to attend the funeral of a nephew in Corsicana (RIP, Willie) so we decided to make this a good reason to use the camper, and a jump off spot for a little traveling out west. 

We went up a day early, and secured a camp spot at Navarro Mills Lake, Liberty Hill CampGround. The lake and camp was constructed by the Army Corp Of Engineers many years ago, completed in 1963.  it is truly a beautiful place in the rolling Texas hills. 

We set up the trailer at site# 8, only 200' from the water. And were surrounded by spring flowers

We stayed here thru 4/2/19  then headed on west, towards New Mexico.

.....  more later .....