City of Rocks

City of Rocks State Park - New Mexico

327 NM-61, Faywood, NM 88034

(Not to be confused with City of Rocks National Reserve in Cassia County, Idaho)

Following our long slow trek across Texas, we stopped for a night in New Mexico at the City of Rocks State Park.

Who could have ever thought that a huge pile of rocks and a desolate dessert basin could be so breathtaking and serene?

Coming into the park we drove down off the flat desert, looking down into what felt like a shallow depression or valley where all the sand had eroded away to a flat dry basin and left an odd mess of rocks spilled in the middle of the valley floor.

Driving into the City or Rocks campgrounds.

The sun was still high in the sky and the lack of shadows disguised the scale of the stones.

As we made it to the bottom of the slope and had to look up at the rocky slabs lining the drive to our campsite, the monumental size of the rocks became apparent and the contrast to the flatness of the surrounding dessert floor now obvious. Some of the stones were as much as 3 or 4 stories high.

 We pulled into our reserved campsite close to the end of the campground, our rig too large to fit in one of the cozy campsites nestled in the rocks. Like all of the campsites in the desert, the views in every direction are pretty much fully exposed to the sun and wind.

Looking down onto an occupied campsite nestled in the towering rocks.

And it is hot outside. Really hot. So hot that sweat evaporates from your skin as soon as it forms. 106 degrees was the last report at about 3pm. In the shade with a 12mph breeze, it is tolerable if you don’t move too much. But we still have to set up camp.

Walking by an empty campsite.

Unfortunately for Tyson, as seems to be the case almost everywhere we have been so far, all the hook ups are sunny side on the camper. Of course, my hero braves the inferno without complaint to get the air conditioners going in the RV. 

Once we were set up, we geared up for a short scouting trip of the campgrounds. The roads and campsites are very well maintained.

Climbing one of the many rock trails.

Dispersed among the sand and gravel, nestled in the wind break of the rocks is a tree, gnarled and old, but no taller than a shrub at 6 or 7 feet. Occasional tufts of grass and a cactus or two are peppered in the open spaces between the roadway and the boulders.

That anything, plant or animal, could live in this harsh environment is mind blowing. Yet, the kids managed to find plaques with information about the local plant life.

Educational plaques outside of the visitor center.

They also managed to find a rattlesnake on the way back to the camper. Shutter – yeah no picture to remember that!

As we made our way back to the campsite, the sun began to set. The array of reds, oranges, and pinks colored the sky like the azaleas of a southern botanical garden in full April bloom. The rocks suddenly come alive as fiery pillars. And in less than 20 minutes, the sky seems to almost instantly turn that deep purple that precedes total darkness.

I am amazed at the briefness of the show. During the heat of the day, the sun seems to creep insufferably slowly across the enormity of the sky. In contrast, darkness is a shutter that falls quickly.

Even as the temperature drops with the disappearance of the sun, it is too hot to cook outside. And yet, as I wonder at the quiet stillness of the shadowy view from my seat on top of the covered picnic table, I consider braving the heat.

Instead, we move inside so as not to disturb the peace. Later in the evening will be more comfortable, when Tyson will inevitably want to stargaze.

Heart shaped rock in City of Rocks State Park.

You can find out more about the City of Rocks New Mexico State Park campground here: Campground Details - City of Rocks, NM

Happy Trails!

The Towering Bluffs of Utah

 Two Hidden Gems Great for Camping With Kids

 Bluff Fort in Bluff, Utah

Traveling with kids is a great way to introduce them to different ways to explore the world, immersing them in history and science in an up close and personal way.

My kids are budding rock hounds. I still haven't figured out how to discretely discard the pile of rocks that is growing on their bunkhouse bookshelves, much of it strangely patterned gravel collected from the parking pads of the may campgrounds we have visited.

My daughter also likes to play with bugs. As in she likes to pick them up and put them in a not so secure bug cage and try to bring them into the camper. She actually managed to sneak in a pair of crickets before I got wise to them.

Rocks, bugs, leaves and flowers. These are things that come easy to kids.

Trying to instill that level of fascination in them about past civilizations and the geology of the Grand Canyon - not so easy. They would rather play with Legos than go on another hike on the rim of the Grand Canyon. Even a scavenger hunt isn't always enough to bestir them unless there is an ice cream or some cookies at the end of the hunt. 

But then we stopped at a little town called Bluff, Utah.

There is a little gem of history in the middle of town that is run by volunteers and operates on donations called simply, Bluff Fort.

Bluff Fort has a visitor center and is full of interactive toys and exhibits that give the kids a feel of what life was like for the Mormon settlers that helped populate Utah. There is a great little gift shop and snack shop where you can get baked goods and soft serve ICE CREAM.

There are also a dozen cabins decorated by descendants of those settlers with artifacts from their family that they have donated or loaned to the museum. Along with the exhibit, each of the tiny homes has a recorded reading from a journal of one of the home's inhabitants by one of the recent descendants. It is all very touching and insightful.

I don't know if the sun and stars were aligned just right or if there was some magical energy or magnetic rays shooting out from the displays but my 6 and 7 year old children visited each of those houses and listened to the recordings at each one. And they actually listened to what was said because they were able to tie together what we heard at previous houses to the activities being described at the one they were listening to.

I was dumbfounded. And excited at their new passion for history. I imagined whipping out text books and biographies for class time and savoring the ease of future history lessons.

Sand Island and the Petroglygph Wall

We went straight to the petroglyph wall at Sand Island the next morning. I just knew they would have all sorts of amazing things to say about what was depicted and questions about how they got there.

Wrong. All I got was "Meh".

We still have a couple months of museums, monuments, and parks to go. Maybe that interest will show itself again. Hopefully sooner than later.

A mother can dream.

Sand Island is a great little beach spot on the San Juan River. We saw several kayakers in the water as we hiked through the short trails along the shoreline.

We were there in June and there was a lot of prickly brush you would have to push through to get to the water if you go off the trails. But like the name implies, there were little sand islands in the middle of the river that you can swim over to and explore. Just be sure to keep a hold of the kids, the currents can be a little fast in the deeper water.

Up next: Valley of the Gods and Goosenecks State Park

While staying at Coral Sand RV Park in Bluff, we ventured out for a day of scenic driving and settled on Valley of the Gods and Goosenecks State Park since they were right next to each other. I will be posting about each of those separately.

Until then, travel safely!

The RV Resort vs Just a Hook Up

A World of Conveniences

There are hookups (How you doin'? ~😘). And then there are hook ups (do I hear AC and shower music?).

Even being fully contained, there is something to be said about being able to hook up and use water and power without having to consciously monitor and measure everything we are doing. Showering with abandon. Doing Laundry. Turning on the microwave while both AC units are running. And having a pool to cool off in when the temperature is 106 °F and you are in the middle of the desert.

Photo by Dewi Karuniasih on Unsplash

But of course, such conveniences, such "amenities" come with trade offs. Usually it is in the form of cost, space, privacy, views, and/or peace and quiet.

Speaking from the perspective of a mom in a traveling family of four (two of which are kids who still think the dinette seat is a napkin and refuse to wear the same pajamas two nights in a row, but refuse to change their shirt after three days despite the Nutella and ketchup stains) and two rambunctious (and often smelly) dogs - no matter how much I love boondocking and state parks, sometimes we just have to stop off somewhere we can hook up and plug everything in - like the vacuum.

Resorting to Amenities

Every RV "Resort" we have stayed at has a pretty standard list of amenities that they offer. Water. Electricity. Sewer or Dump Station. Bathrooms and/or Showers. Sometimes there are laundry facilities. Sometimes there is a pool and/or a clubhouse. To me, the last two are the difference between an RV 'park' or campground and a 'resort'. Apparently not every 'resort' would agree with me.

Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash

And there are so many degrees of quality in those amenities that I make sure to do enough research so that I am not surprised or disappointed. I try to read the reviews from more than just one website.

Location - Action vs. Relaxation

We have also noticed that location can often trump any of the other amenities when comparing value of said amenities. The closer that an RV park or resort is to a popular destination or attraction, the less they have to do to fill up their park versus a park even a couple blocks down the road. Being able to be right in the middle of what is going on, being in town, or being able to walk to venues and nightlife is a big deal.

 

Our children are occasionally allowed to pick an adventure. That usually means we end up at a resort adjoining a waterpark or 

However, if you have moved beyond those days of being in the midst of all the action you probably prefer the quiet of the resorts farther from all the hustle and bustle. You can also take advantage of the cheaper prices that usually affords. For us, that means campgrounds 30 minutes outside of Moab or West Yellowstone. Everything we might want to do is there easy enough to access when we want it, but none of the business when we don't.

Location - Availability vs. Schedule

The spots farther away from popular attractions also tend to be more available, particularly on weekends. And if you haven't booked ahead, finding large blocks of time in a single spot, such as one or two weeks at a time, is almost impossible. We have seen families that have to switch sites in the middle of their stay because reservations are site specific and the campers coming in did not want to give up the site they specifically reserved. And I don't blame them - even sites that are supposed to be equivalent don't always turn out equal.

Photo by Florida-Guidebook on Unsplash

Bottom line, if you have a schedule you have to keep - plan ahead and book your sites early.

Location - Cost vs. Convenience

For us, we haven't yet had difficulty in finding a spot to land. But there have been times where we have paid quite a bit more than we would have liked or more than we thought the location was worth just because it was close to someplace heavily trafficked. Paying $85 and $95 a night to be on the shores of Bear Lake can seem pretty steep when you are used to $15 to $35 a night in state parks, especially when you don't really get more for your money.

Convenient locations can also cost you peace and quiet. We have stayed at a few places where convenience was the priority, but the road noise is pronounced because it is right next to a highway or the area is busy. Or because the park is tucked up next to a railroad track and you might experience the occasional midnight train.

Location - Sharing vs. Caring

Some of the resorts we have been to have been quite large. And with that many people around, pressed into close quarters, everyone doesn't always behave in the most thoughtful manner. 

And in some of the bigger or more crowded parks there are all kinds of fun noises from the masses, like the constant packing and parking and unpacking of rigs. Sometimes you are awakened by an early morning pull out (6AM, really?). One park was particularly fun as everyone sitting on a particulalry lovely afternoon watched one couple vocally relieving their stress at each other when the parking and packing was not living up to expectation.

Or your park neighbor might have six kids and you have to listen to their camper door slam 152 time a day (Yeah, I counted. Oye!).

Photo by SCOTT FLEMING on Unsplash

Sometimes being right on top of your neighbors means you can hear them talking about you through the window when they don't realize it's open. It's always fun to cough and smile when that happens.

And lets face it, most RV parks don't have great views. Most of the time you have to keep the shades drawn so that you aren't looking into your neighbor's windows while they are eating their breakfast and drinking their morning cup o' joe. You would actually have to get on top of your rig or stand in the road to see the water or mountains from your campsite.

 

More often than not, you have your neighbor's utilities sharing your outdoor space. Forget cooking or eating dinner outside; those "air tight" sewer rings aren't always as tight as they say they are. There is something to be said about dry camping and not having to worry about smells from those noxious holes in the ground (or worry about someone smelling yours).

Laundry

I usually save up laundry for two or three weeks and do it all in one shot to economize time since you can usually do multiple loads at the same time in a commercial facility. But, I have learned not to count on commercial facilities at an RV park.

I have yet to come across laundry facilities at any RV park with truly commercial machines. Most parks install the modified household machines with coin slots installed which are not really up to the task of the constant use and don't have the capacity of even the smallest actual commercial machines. Especially the dryers. Why is it always the dryers that never really work well?

Photo by Christian Chen on Unsplash

After a harrowing experience with an RV park laundry facility where it took more than 6 hours to get 4 loads done, I have pretty much stopped counting on there being good laundry facilities at any of the RV parks. Whether it is 2 loads or 4, I can usually get all of the laundry done at a laundromat in about 2 hours. A laundry mat just makes more sense for us.

The Conclusion

I suppose, like any place that provides lodging (or parking your lodging), each place is going to do better at some things than others. Hotels are judge differently based what is important to each of the guests. Beds vs pools vs gym, etc.

Having never RV'ed before this summer, it has been a learning experience that has slowly shaped the way we select our stopping locations.

Nowadays we spend more time in dispersed campgrounds and boondocking. But when we do need to go into town, we now lean heavily toward places where the only amenities are hookups (power, water, and sewer). We have moved away from using "Resorts" as a landing place, unless that is the only option available.

If we want an amenity, it has just been easier to go where they specialize at that. Pile the laundry up in the truck and go where laundry is the business and I am more likely to find decent machines. Go to a lake or waterpark if we want to spend the day at the water. Go to a proper restaurant. Visit the library for the afternoon.

Basically, we have been less disappointed in our stops and we spend more time exploring. We are less tempted to hang out at subpar pools or at the camper just because we paid so much and want to get our money's worth out of the stop.

For us, we just want the necessities. The adventure is something we prefer to add to the stop ourself.

Traveling Across Texas

Texas is a big state. BIG. Really big. I mean, hard to drive it in a day, fill up your gas tank three times kind of big.

So stopping at a host of Texas state parks and campgrounds is likely to happen if you are moseying your way from the Central region over towards New Mexico and Arizona.

The great news though, is that Texas has a lot of great parks. In less than two years, we have already stayed in quite a few of them. Some of our favorites include Taylor Park Campgrounds at Granger Lake, Jim Hogg Park and Cedar Breaks Park at Lake Georgetown, Live Oak Ridge Park at Belton Lake, Yegua Creek at Lake Somerville, Lake Brownwood State Park, and San Angelo State Park at Fisher Lake.

    

  And boy, were they all different and unique. From Austin through San Angelo to El Paso, we managed to camp in piney woods, cedar stands in the hill country, woodlands lakes, prairie grasslands, and in the outskirts of the Chihuahua desert.

    

And the best thing about all of these places was that all of the sites we visited were very generous and spacious, particularly since they were all reasonably priced and all had at least power and water, most were full hookup.

    

My only advice for making such a trip, though, is don't do it in the heat of summer! We started out in the middle of May and it was already hot. By the time we got into New Mexico, the daytime temperatures were hitting the triple digits by noon.

If we had it to do all over again, I think we probably would have made our move to travel in early April so that we would be able to enjoy the outdoors in Arizona a little more. But, with a little planning, we still managed to have fun in all the spots we stayed anyway. Live and Learn.

Braving the Western Heat Wave

Our summer travels in June took us through the heart of the heat wave in the Western US.

Driving through New Mexico and Arizona we found road temperatures topping at 118 degrees on multiple occasions. I was so sure the tires would melt on the truck if we stopped anywhere too long.

And once we parked the RV, the gravel and sand under our feet as we hooked up all the connections was so hot that the rubber soles on my sandals were really soft and squishy and the heat was burning the exposed sides of my feet. It was like walking on fire. Cooling down the rig took hours, even with two air conditioners running.

Every now and then, standing in the blazing sun, I asked myself if I planned this all wrong. What possessed me to want to cross the desert going into summer. Of course, it wasn't supposed to be this hot, but still I wondered about my sanity. 

The silver lining to all of those hot cloudless days was that as miserable as the heat was, it kept the crowds away. I don't like people very much when it's hot out.

We really enjoyed having places almost all to ourselves. The isolation of City of Rocks State Park in New Mexico, was easily enjoyable by waking early and hiking before the sun climbed too high.

 

Walking the trails at Kartchner Caverns State Park and Campground was also a morning activity. Shade was easily found in the visitor's center, gift shop, cafe, and on the cavern tour, providing plenty of activity to fill the afternoon and stay out of the sun.

 

Lost Dutchman State Park in Arizona was another 115+ degree campsite. The view of Superstition Mountain from the camper was worth every degree and drop of sweat and having to wake up way earlier than I preferred. Being close to Apache Junction and Phoenix gave us plenty of activities out of the heat after our morning walks and on our down days. My favorite was the Goldfield Ghost Town and Hubby really loved the Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum.

 

 

Extreme temperatures definitely give you pause, but we didn't necessarily let them ruin our plans.

Camping typically requires a good bit of planning to be successful anyway. Staying in extreme climates easily doubles that effort. We just made sure to consider the heat and how it will impact each member of our party (including our pets!) in all of our plans.

Additional things we did consider included:

1. Where we were keeping the dogs. Even with full hook ups, should there be a power failure, how fast would we need to get back to the camper in order not to roast them alive. In over 110 degree weather, 30 minutes can be enough to turn even an insulated vehicle into an oven. I certainly did not want to come home to roasted doggie.

Photo by Shea Rouda on Unsplash

RV parks are notorious for losing power. There are all sorts of devices and apps to help you keep track of whether the power to a rig is dropped. How fast you need to get back depends on the way your AC is set up and whether is has to be manually turned back on or if you can turn it back on remotely. Luckily, we didn't have to test our set up.

2. Access to water, lots of water. We literally could not even feel ourselves sweating because it evaporates so fast. It is not until I showered that I could feel the layer of salt left behind from all the sweat. I was so glad for the full hook ups at the campgrounds so that we could shower as much as we needed to stay cool.

Photo by Sam Goodgame on Unsplash

3. Take a siesta. When it is hot, we do all of our hiking and running around in the morning and the evening. Between 1pm and 4 or 5 pm is reserved for a nap or some other downtime activities that keep us inside or in the shade. Mommy afternoon nap time is usually around 3pm. Some times I am joined by a dog or two. The kids and Daddy take that time to enjoy their Xbox and to do some work on the computer. Once everyone is recharged, we tackle the next adventure for the day with renewed energy.

 

4. Heat not only saps your energy almost as fast as winter cold, but it also drains you of electrolytes. I try to always make sure we are fueling up with snacks that will replace the salt and other electrolytes used when sweating. It is no fun getting a headache or waking up to excruciating muscle cramps because you of a sodium or potassium deficiency. And digging through the snack Mommy packed is usually the kids favorite part of the adventure.

Hopefully the heatwave doesn't eat away the whole summer and the droughts in the north and west soon come to an end. As we make our way north and into the mountains, the heat is not so much an issue and soon I will be able to enjoy sleeping with the windows cracked, breathing in the fresh air. That is, if the seasonal allergies ever calm down. But that is another story.

Lessons Learned: The Picker Uppers and The Poopers

Ever wonder what the worst part of RVing could possibly be? Planning, packing, or driving, maybe? Nope. Okay, I know. The title gave it away. It's poop. 

Yep, poop. No one likes to think about it, but there are usually bathrooms in those big little houses on wheels that have to be dealt with.

And if there isn't one, well then that is a whole 'nother issue. This little recap of my learning experiences is for all those peeps thinking about hauling their potty around with them.
And if that isn't enough to think about, even if you don't have pets with you, you still get to deal with pet poop too.

Lesson Numero Uno.

Poop. After fresh water, it is the biggest concern while you are hauling your home behind your truck and camping in America’s back yards.

Unlike water, you can't just pick up a couple gallons at the truck stop the next time you fill up or on your grocery run. You have to figure out what to do with it, every time you park your rig and camp.

First things first. Be sure you learn which pull is the gray water and which is the sewage. You do not want to be around if someone forgot to close the tank and pulls off the cap or when the wrong one is pulled. Ewww.

While having the convenience of a black water repository is nice, it also starts taking over large parts of your planning conversations. “Are their full hookups,” becomes the predominant measure of an RV park’s worth. And having a dump station means the difference of whether or how long we can stay at any particular campground.

Sometimes it makes me long for those days of tent camping and my little cassette potty that could be dumped in any toilet.

Number Deuce.

The second thing you learn is, people will often (and most disgustingly and unashamedly) leave behind their nastiness instead of disposing of it correctly, particularly if they think no one saw them.
Sometimes this means they spill at the dump station and don’t wash it off the ground into the drain. Gross.

Photo by Bianca Ackermann on Unsplash

A lot of times it is their pet waste that is left. They just can’t be bothered to pick up.

We have come upon some campgrounds that are just littered with little doggie poops all over the sites and roads. It is smells disgusting, attracts pests, and makes the place unsafe for other dogs or for kids to play. Old pet poops are the worst!

And yeah, I said it – small dog owners are the biggest culprits. We have big dogs, and very often are the only one with dogs that size. There is no denying who their big dog pile belongs too, so picking up has to happen.

Photo by Robert Eklund on Unsplash

But little doggie poopsies, while maybe not so visible, attract just as many flies. And are just as unsanitary when you step in it.

And then there is the person that bags the pet poo and tosses it off the trail (or hangs it from a tree branch, which we came across once in NC – so weird) for someone else to pick up. Thanks for that.

It also bears mentioning that now there is the danger that some other critter will come by it and ingest the plastic it was wrapped in. Doggie Doo bags (even biodegradable bags) do not digest in an animal’s digestive tract. So not only are these people litterers, they are potentially wildlife killers as well.

Numeral Tres’

Don’t let it be a party pooper.

While all of these things can be quite disgusting and slightly burdensome to plan for… they can be planned for.

As much as I hate disposable wipes, I carry tons of wet wipes. I mean, I have packs in the truck, in my purse, in my hiking gear, in the kid’s backpacks, lunchboxes. If it has a pocket, it has a pack of wipes stuffed in it. When someone has to do the doo, or pick it up, or dispose of it, we always have a way to clean up ourselves too.

And my husband grabs a handful of doggy bags every time he passes a pet station, just out of habit (it’s funny when he does it and we don’t even have the dogs with us). This is another item we keep spares tucked in everywhere. Not every gas station or park has a pet stand with free bags for picking up.

Photo by Keanu K on Unsplash

 

We also have apps and websites we use for planning the next few legs of our trip that can filter for whichever water and waste scenario we need. If we are only going to be in an area for a couple days, we can get by with having a dump station near by. If we are going to spend a lot of time somewhere, being able to take showers and wash dishes becomes a big issue and we prefer a full hook up.

Having to drive any distance with 2 full grays and 2 full blacks can be stressful since the weight and movement of that much liquid makes the rig behave differently.

We are also very specific with the kids about what the water and waste tank situation is and what behaviors we expect for what time period. Learning to control their usage has actually turned them into little conservationists. My son is the king of the speed-flush and darn proud of it.

In Summary

While I wish every campsite had all the conveniences and that everyone would just do right so that we can all enjoy these beautiful spaces that are only ours for a few moments, I have come to expect that is not going to be the case half of the time.

I put a lot of effort into not letting it ruin my time at a spot, to enjoy the things that are great about the space.

And when it does get to me or I do step in it, luckily I am blessed with a wonderful husband, with a pair of rubber gloves and boots, that will handle any stinky situations no matter how pooped he is. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)

The Beginnings of a Great Adventure

 The Beginnings of a Great Adventure

Spending 5 to 6 months on the road, traveling to see the most rugged parts of the United States can seem like a challenging undertaking all on its own.

Now throw in two early elementary kids, two big rambunctious boxers, a husband who wants to help (even when I am yelling I don't need it), and a diagnosis of seropositive RA into that mix. Yeah, I think we must be crazy. Okay, I know at least I am.

But I love my husband all the more for suggesting the idea, because I needed this. Like air. Like a never ending foot rub. 

Photo by Milan De Clercq on Unsplash

Marginally because we have been cooped up for over a year because of COVID and I am positive that even road signage has to be more interesting than the walls of this house.

Partially because I am so seriously bored of this 'quaint' little suburban neighborhood just outside of Austin where everything is lined up in their neat little rows, all with the same color roof and color coordinated paint jobs.

And because I can see the new Amazon distribution center from my backyard and it is almost completed. Traffic will be a nightmare by next year.

Photo by Blake Wheeler on Unsplash

Mostly because... well, we don't know what I will be capable of in ten years and Mommy wants to be remembered for something a little more kick-ass than cupcakes, costumes, fatigue and bad joints and a not so clean house when the kids look back on their life growing up.

Is that selfish? Maybe. But we are going to do it anyway.

And if you are like me and agonize over every little detail for a week long vacation, you will know my pain when I realized that you can only plan so far ahead. Nailing down anything farther than a month ahead of time could risk a nasty cascade of missed dates and cancelled reservations the likes of only someone who spent weeks creating a 10 tabbed Excel spreadsheet has ever seen.

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Who says you have to give up all your OCD habits when you move over into the slow lane? Now you just have time to do a better job color coding and aligning cells.

So now...

The house is packed away. We know where the mail will be going.

We have completed our trial runs in the fifth wheel without incident.

All that is left is to load everyone up and start moving down the bucket list.

At least, the parts that I could fit in the 10 tabs.

Everything else will have to wait until adventure 2.0.