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!

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.