Lack of Internet means this one is a catch up blog post.
Doug and I went our opposite directions…he has since made it home. I worked my way west. After a couple of days of dry camping, I treated myself to a KOA in Abilene Texas.
Great service, good hot water and good drinking water. I also was able to fill up the propane tank.
The nights were still chilly and I headed to Carlsbad New Mexico to meet up with our Agawa Bay friends and their new Bigfoot trailer and doggie.
We arrived within minutes of each other.
Thanks to Deb making the booking, we managed to get sites besides each other that were set up so trailers could pull in opposite ways even our doors faced each other so we had dinner together and they are great hosts.
In the morning, we drove to the top of the hill and visited the Carlsbad Caverns doing the walking tour via the Natural Entrance.
Stunning – even my second time. This time though I didn’t take that many photos and I didn’t take the big camera and tripod. That’s for next time.
Deb and Steve and wonderful – they gave me an amazing loaf of bread and a pin as a gift as we parted. Just wonderful to have wonderful friends.
I thought I would go to Oliver Lee just South of Alamogordo New Mexico. When I arrived, all the sites were full; even on a Sunday evening. There were a few sites that were all packed up and covered as if the owners weren’t going to be there in some time… that was annoying. I called the nearest Walmart and they were nicely accommodating. I managed to get some shopping done as well.
It was an early morning getting fuel and heading to Arizona’s Gila Box Riparian Area. I hadn’t quite found everything at the last Walmart and stopped in the Safford one to finish picking up groceries for a week. Then off to the Riverview Campground.
I remembered the drive well but last time we were here, there weren’t these wonderful yellow flowers and the beautiful scent that accompanied them along the way.
Gila Box had a lot of people too but I managed to get site number 1. There are Javelinas in the area and it was their hunting season. That’s why there were so many people, I found out. After setting up I remembered this was the fist site to lose the sunshine in the afternoon and the last to get sun during the day. But there were lots of flowers there so I stayed.
There are water spigots at the campsite and I have a water jug…I have realized that life is easier with a cart.
I love the cactus and Mount Graham in the background.
The river is high and fast this year.
A couple of years ago a few cows had wandered in and one of them didn’t survive the water.
This guy was hanging out as long as the weather was warm.
The Mexican Poppies are spectacular.
I moved to site number 5 as it has better views and more sunshine. The people left in the morning and I was in there an hour later.
This place looks like a castle from Lord of the Rings.
Arizona sunsets can be spectacular.
Good sunshine and a warm sun in the morning.
The cactus are starting to fruit.
I seem to like Ocotillos and this one is getting ready to flower.
I will miss Gila box, but onto Phoenix. I had hoped to get into the Lost Dutchman State Park but there are a lot of events happening and there isn’t any room. I was only able to get a 2 night spot at the KOA. A cosy and tight site…good showers, good laundry, very friendly staff and lots of Canadians. The water wasn’t good to drink and I was glad that I had good water from Gila Box. The WiFi would have been less frustrating if there wasn’t any.
A nice view from Tortilla Flats … time to move on from the KOA.