Gila National Forest, Silver City, Deming, Caballo Lake State Park, New Mexico

We are starting off this issue with a few pictures from earlier stops.
Above is a picture of the Visitor's Center at Rockhound State Park in Deming, New Mexico. One of the nicest centers at New Mexico state parks.
Below is a link to images of the 1916 Curtis JN 4 (Jenny) biplanes used at Pancho Villa State Park when it was the site for the 1916 chase after Pancho Villa

The Curtis JN 4 at Pancho Villa

The picture above and the one below is from a sign at Pancho Villa State Park museum.  While quite humorous, it was not all that far from the truth. A tongue-in-cheek list of instructions for the 1916 biplane.

Below is a link to a video of a renovated Jenny . 

Still impressed that this was when Grampa was one year old(1916).

These were the first planes of the U.S. military air force. Yet, by the time Uncle Bob was flying as a pilot in WWII and the Korean War, some 45 plus years later(Korean War), jets were invented and flying.

Jenny JN video

From City of Rocks State Park, we head northeast on Route 61 and then north on Route 35 into the Gila National Forest. In Mimbres we take advantage of 3 Questions Coffee House, Living Harvest Bakery.  Great coffee, wonderful home made bread, and perhaps the best coffee roll ever.
We heard from others who had visited that the family owners of the coffeehouse/bakery have Mennonite roots. Hence , the religious references on the following link to the bakery. 
Website for Living Harvest Bakery
If you scroll to the bottom of the web page, you will find an interesting writeup on their scientific approach to flour and baking.
By the way --the three questions are
Where did I come from?
Why am I here?
Where am I going when I die?
 Another 20 miles on a pleasant country road following the river, and we are at Upper End Campground in the Gila National Forest , on Lake Roberts.

Lake Roberts was popular for families fishing. Also seems to be a stopping off point for people heading further up route 35 and 15 to the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. We had seen a few very good cliff dwelling historic sites in previous years. So we skipped Gila this time. If we are back again, we will propbably visit.

We walked up the road to look at Mesa campground. It did not open until April 1st. It also had a number of sites with electric and water. Sites at Upper End were dry camping.

Jan and I head back down Route 35 to Route 152 and 180 towards Silver City.  We always try to check ahead on apps to see what campgrounds we will visit.  In this case Rose Valley Campground received top reviews.  Even better, not only was it a wonderful campground with good privacy and spacing between sites, but it was a Passport America campground (50% off).

Plenty of room for Lady Blue.

The campground was a dairy farm before becoming a campground.  Many items from the farm are used for decoration and privacy fencing.

Even the windmill still stands.

Hey----it gets your attention.

The campground is only a few miles from downtown Silver City. We chose to park at this lot which is part of the Visitor's Center.

The vehicle above is an Earth Roamer.

Note the winch and cow catcher grill on the front.

Also a winch on the back .

The Earth Roamer is a high end , luxury expedition vehicle. It is designed for luxury camping and overland adventure. Think--go anywhere, safari, boondock, whatever. And luxury means just what you think---very expensive.  However, take a look at this website, including the pictures of the interior of some of the models. Impressive!!

Earth Roamer website

Very high clearance. Huge off-road tires. Very clean exterior--nothing to catch on passing brush and trees.

We met someone in Silver City who mentioned that they knew campers(this was at a local RV dealer)who came from Australia. They shipped their camper here and would stay in the camper and travel through various U.S. states. Then they would store the camper, fly back to Australia and come back the next year.

Also a good time to remind our East Coast friends that the west is quite different.  One of the reasons so many retirees come to the western , and especially the southwestern states, is that there is so much open land. First the state parks are much less expensive than eastern campgrounds( in general).Also, many private campgrounds offer monthly rates that are much lower. Beyond that, there are thousands of acres of BLM land where people can stay for free, whether in a small van, or a huge motorhome. Also, the west is home to many National Parks and National Forest Campgrounds that accept an America the Beautiful Senior Pass(half price camping and free admission to all National Parks).  We have stayed overnight at National Forest and Recreation campgrounds for as little as $2.50 per night. Here, in New Mexico, we see many different kinds of campers who have taken advantage of that one full calendar year state camping pass.  Again- that one year is $225 for out of state residents and $180 for New Mexico residents.

Silver City is another place that values artists murals on the side of buildings.

A great find in an old used car lot.

The link below will take you to a video of a restored 1960 Matador.

Quite a difference!

1960 Dodge Matador video

A very New Mexican style store front.

We always give credit to cities and towns that preserve their heritage of buildings.

Jan loved this open face calzone at Revel, which is a Farm to Table Restaurant.

Our waitress explained the local farms that provided the ingredients. When you look at the following link , note that the menu is constantly changing.

Webpage for Revel-a Farm to Table Restaurant

Close by the Visitor's Center is this cabin reproduction --similar to that of Billy The Kid's family when they lived in Silver City.

He was born in New York City, but his stepfather moved the family here, after Indiana and Kansas, to follow the gold and silver mining. Some say he killed 21, others say 27. He was killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett when Billy was 21. Pat Garrett then wrote a book that created the legend of Billy the Kid. Interesting note:

Knockin' On Heaven's Door by Bob Dylan , written for the 1973 movie Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, was about Billy and  Pat.

Bob Dylan's Knockin' on Heaven's Door

And yes, this popular song was recorded by many others you can look up--Eric Clapton, Guns N' Roses, Bruce Springsteen,

The Grateful Dead, and Bob Marley, among others.

Billy's 1870's cabin was donated by the popular actor, director, Ron Howard(first known as Opie-Sheriff Andy Taylor's son -Andy Griffith-on the Andy Griffith Show)
It was used in his 2003 movie "The Missing"
This is the first time we have seen this kind of fireplace in a historic cabin.

Did anyone else have chairs like these?

This is a large-full wall mosaic tile type of historic mural.
The "CDT" is the "Continental Divide Trail"
We keep crossing the Divide as we travel in New Mexico.
The mural shows the trail route from New Mexico through Montana.

These tiles are part of a sidewalk in Silver City.
All made by local school children.

More of the same school children tiles.

Another great restaurant stop in Silver City--on a different day.
This is Tapas Tree Grill.  A very popular stop for 
Crepes, Chompers, and Vietnamese fare.
Jan had a Crepe Tom-Tom with turkey, gouda, béchamel, and tomato .

Tapas Tree Grill Website
Check out the menu

Bruce had the Bahn Mi-a Vietnamese Street Sandwich, with pulled pork, pate, pickled vegetables, cucumber, fresh cilantro, Jalapenos with Sriracho mayo.

Just north of Deming, New Mexico is a fairly new gas station.
But, we noted a sign of the times. Above are 8 charging stations for electric cars.

In Deming, we found this place just before Christmas. It was recommended online as a local meat market.   El Rey Meat market is unassuming on the outside, but the inside display is great.

Our new word for the time.
Carniceria---Butcher Shop

Great steaks on display--so we bought one.
Good looking stew meat--so we bought some.
And some prepared meat and veggies for fajitas.
We had also stopped here back in December for a fantastic Rib Roast. 

From Deming , we head east on Route 26(which avoids Interstate 10), Towards Hatch. From Route 25 , we went south , hoping to find a spot at Leasburg Dam State Park. But, no such luck. Every spot was taken and not likely to have any open for a while. Disappointing but we drive north on Route 25 to Percha Dam and find plenty of open sites -dry camping-no hookups. As a note, though, the electric sites here were mostly full too.
As a reminder, Jan and I like to travel without reservations. That allows us to stay longer in some places, or just change our mind about our direction.  It is getting more difficult though, because there are many more RVers now than when we started in 2005.  

As mentioned above, we came through Hatch, New Mexico which is the chili pepper capital. The Rio Grande flows through this area providing wonderful possibilities for farming. This also includes the pecan grove above.

.

Just past the pecans are fields , just starting some young onion plants.  The host indicated that the local farmers were harvesting corn and cotton in the fall.  Also the area is well noted by photographers for catching pictures of Sand hill Cranes in October.

From Percha Dam we follow Route 25 north to Caballo Lake. We thought we would be looking for a site in the main section where we had stayed 6 years ago. But , since we have the 4 solar panels this year, we went looking at Riverside Recreation Area.  Great dry camping site.

They call the dry camping spots "Develop Camping" which is a little confusing. But , they are developed sites--just no electric or water hookups. Instead of $10 per night , we have our New Mexico Annual Camping Pass. So, the site is already paid. We are also at the break even point of 22.5 nights, since the cost of the full calendar year pass was $225 for out of state campers. As of this writing, we are now camping free.

Some great views of the Caballo mountains. Behind Lady Blue runs the Rio Grande. To the left is the local dam.

Had a chance to talk to the owner of the above Lazy Daze.
She indicated this was a 1987 22 foot model. 
Looks in great shape.

Another field of onions.  These are a few weeks further along.

Pancho Villa State Park, New Mexico; Palomas, Mexico:, Rockhound State Park, City of Rocks State Park, New Mexico

Jan and I traveled east from Kartchner Caverns campground on Interstate 10 to Lordsburg, New Mexico. We had seen good reviews on Day's End  Directory(an available list to members of Escapees RV Club) about Kranberry's Restaurant.  It turned out to be a very good stop. It was away from the highway, had a large parking lot for overnight parking, and the meal was wonderful.  Very friendly staff inside. 
Trip Advisor look at Kranberry's
From Lordsburg, an uneventful ride on the interstate to Deming and Escapees Dreamcatcher Park for an overnight dry camp. Also a good chance to catch up on laundry.  The next morning is a short drive down to Pancho Villa State park in Columbus, New Mexico.

This park is definitely in the desert. And if you wait long enough, you will see one of the few Roadrunners in the park.  You have to work fast to catch a picture, however. They are superfast.
The park is named for the Mexican military leader whose troops attacked the town of Columbus in 1916 killing 8 U.S. soldiers and 10 civilians.  At Camp Furlong, General John " Black Jack" Pershing of WWI fame lead 10,000 soldiers after Pancho Villa.

Pancho Villa does not disappoint when it comes to sunsets. This one went on for quite a while with everchanging colors and display.

We had been here six years ago.  The history is impressive for a number of reasons.  It was the last invasion of the U.S. by a foreign army.  It happened to give the U.S. forces a chance to engage and improve tactics and equipment --1916--in preparation for WWI under General Pershing.  Also, as seen above , the first military airbase.

Strange, but also the first oil change ramp. 
This was Camp Furlong, and the first use of military mechanized vehicles. It signaled a change from the cavalry to mechanized warfare.

We tried to keep in mind that this was taking place when my father was one year old. This building was very basic with wood and mud bricks.

One of the first tanks ever used. Keep in mind that there were very few roads at this time. Sometimes, fuel for the trucks was delivered by mules.

A 1915 Dodge Touring Car used by the Frost family to escape the raid. The car was riddled with bullets and Mr. Frost was hit twice. But all survived.

One of the first mechanized military trucks.

One of the newer Jennies used in the war. 
The first JN-3 Curtis biplanes--all 8 that comprised the entire U.S. Airforce-were destroyed -not in battle--in the first month.
However , the newer JN-4 were quite successful and lasted much longer . They were used for reconnaissance mostly. Over 6,000 were made and were used for military and classic barnstorming into the 1930's.  There were no fatalities in the airplanes at Pancho Villa. Their mission was from March 15 to August 15, 1916. There were approximately 100 men who flew over 540 missions with no losses.

A 1916 Dodge Touring  car identical to the one used by General John Pershing. The general had spent years as a cavalry general and horses were brought here as well. But, after riding in this car with 3 or 4 other armed men, chasing Villa's men into Mexico, he indicated that the new army forces would be mechanized.

Hard to imagine that the mechanized U.S. WWI army started in a 1916 Dodge Touring Car

While at Pancho Villa, we decided to head into Mexico. The border is only 3 miles south and there is good parking if you decide to walk instead of drive. And so we did.

Hard to see, but this is all new construction for the U.S. side. Actually quite large, with multiple lanes, etc.

That is all new to the left and still under construction.
While we were there very few people were crossing. We walked into Mexico with 4 or 5 other people, and on the way back ,just us walking in and only 5 or 6 cars.

As a note, at Pancho Villa , we could see a number of yellow school buses transporting Mexican school children to the Columbus schools and then back over the border at night. All part of a normal schedule. Jan and I watched a news segment that was filmed with the principal in Columbus. He indicated that the program was quite popular with parents and children on both sides of the border and has been so for years.
The building above is one of many dental businesses, just in Palomas. Americans cross over for dental care that is much cheaper than in the U.S. We know many RVers who cross back around Yuma for dental care.  The reviews are generally positive, but a few have reported problems that require return visits.

We were told to stop in at the Pink Store in Palomas for shopping and lunch. Glad we did. Jan enjoyed a free margarita .Bruce had a free Dos Equis beer.

The salsa, pico de gallo, and the chips were fresh and delicious.

Jan had a delicious beef burrito with refried beans and rice.

Bruce had a quesadilla with chicken, guacamole ,and more topped with avocado and a small tomato slice . A delicious and very inexpensive lunch.

We could fill the entire blog with gorgeous sunsets.

Back up to Rockhound for one night. And some of the Spring flowers are now in bloom. As you might notice above these are tiny plants and blooms close to the ground.

Some are like daisies and others like these are like small Poppies .

Tiny flowers

Some single blooms

And some multiple

In a few spots, a whole small field of yellow.

And yes, one more sunset.

Back to Deming and then north on Route 180 and east on Route 61 to City of Rocks State Park.

A beautiful, but small campground.
We looked on the first loop and did not see an empty spot. 
But then, a camp worker was at a spot working on part of the road and indicated a small site that was not even listed on the map in the Pegasus loop

A little work to level and we had a perfect spot.

These huge rocks seem to be haphazard in the middle of nowhere. But the story is that 35 million years ago a large volcano , the Kneeling Nun, erupted about 180 miles away with about 1,000 times the power of Mount St. Helens .  Over the many thousands of years of erosion , cracks showed up in the rock and became separations.  Some have seen the rocks creating what seem to be streets in a city with tall buildings.

We must be in our own neighborhood in the city.

Huge rocks with separations that look to be very unstable---you think?
Bruce said "Jan, why don't you go stand over there".
For perspective, of course!

In the cactus garden, some bird has been working on a new nest.

An example of one kind of RV camper. This is a popup truck camper. We have seen a number of examples of popup owners who set up at a site with the camper removed from the truck. One time , in Idaho, it allowed the wife to sit comfortably at home, in the shade, with a book; while the husband was off fishing.  The popup units are generally shorter in length as well as height(unopened) which works well on back roads with low branches , etc. They are also considerably less weight and are often seen on half ton trucks (F150), but also on larger 4 wheel drives.
The following link goes to an article on Truck Camper Magazine about the adventures of Scott and Lora .
The story is quite interesting--about where they started camping , and then how they met, had a stick house, but decided they really wanted to go full time in a smaller camper after meeting a couple on the road. Note that there are 8 pages in this article with beautiful pictures of Colorado camping and the inside of their popup Hallmark camper.
The pages can be changed at the bottom of each page.
Scott is contest winning photographer, so try to catch all the pictures.
Truck Camping on the Edge with Scott and Lora
This next link is to Hallmark Campers in Colorado.
They made the truck camper for Scott and Lora. The link takes you to the Ute page which gives information on their model camper. There is much more on the rest of the website
Hallmark Truck Camper Website
Check out the "adventure" tab for stories of owners of Hallmark campers.

The spacing in the campground is great with good privacy.

Stand a little taller Bruce. OK?
This is actually part of our site. In the foreground , unseen in the picture, would be our table and fireplace. Protected from the wind by the huge rocks. And there were plenty of very strong winds the days we were there , including a big dust storm!!

And, of course, a sunset at City of Rocks