Tucson AZ, a hiking and birding paradise…

After our short stay in Benson AZ we headed west to Tucson AZ, a town we have always enjoyed. Once again, we opted to stay at Rincon Country West RV Resort. Why? Well, it is a Passport America park and even at $37.00 per night it is the least expensive option in Tucson.

Tucson has quite a bit of traffic congestion so staying closer to town was important so as to spend less time in the car and more doing ”things.” The weather during our stay was perfect with highs in the 70’s nearly everyday.

Tucson has several breweries that we love and is close to many hiking and birding opportunities. Our favorite spot to bird near Tucson is at the Sweetwater Wetlands Preserve. Sweetwater Wetlands Park is a popular destination for birdwatching and nature enthusiasts.

The park features a series of constructed wetlands designed to treat reclaimed water while providing habitat for a diverse range of wildlife, including numerous bird species. Habitats include ponds, marshes, and riparian areas. We visited this park many times during our stay.

This park along with Christopher Columbus Park are great for an urban hike around water. Ducks and birds associated with wetlands are abundant at these parks during the winter migration period. We were able to see many species including a close encounter with a Cooper’s hawk that landed in a tree right beside us.

There are also great places outside of town we visited as well. Saguaro National Park is a favorite. The park was originally designated as Saguaro National Monument in 1933 and later redesignated as a national park in 1994 to better protect its resources. The area called the Rincon Mountain District (east) has a great loop drive with access to many trailheads.

A new hike we found near Madera Canyon called the Florida Canyon Trail. Florida Canyon is a picturesque area located in the Santa Rita Mountains in southern Arizona, near the town of Green Valley, AZ. Florida Canyon is a moderate to challenging hike providing opportunities for birdwatching and enjoying the flora. The hike is steady and steep with lots of loose rock. It was one we would normally not do except the mountain views were exceptional.

We loved our stay in Tucson so much we stayed 5 days at one park (the limit for half priced camping) and 4 more days at another Passport America park Rincon Country East RV Resort. We were able to do more hikes and more birding while the weather was good.

Hola Mexico y Nuevo Mexico…

Heading west from El Paso our journey took us to the historic Pancho Villa State Park. This is a place we have visited before close to the Pink Store which we wanted to visit again.

Pancho Villa State Park is located in the border town of Columbus, and this state park is a historical gem. They have a nice on-site museum, where exhibits tell the story of the infamous 1916 raid by Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa. The park's natural setting, dotted with artifacts and memorials, offers a cool glimpse into a bygone era.The RV sites are spacious and nicely landscaped. It was also entertaining to see an occasional roadrunner scurry around as well as hundreds of Sandhill Cranes nearby.

The Pink Store is a renowned establishment located in Palomas, Chihuahua, Mexico, just across the border from Columbus, New Mexico, in the United States. This distinctive store has become a popular destination for tourists, drawing visitors from both sides of the border.

We visited years ago and were looking forward to shopping there once again. We noticed right away that things had changed. It wasn’t as clearly marked in how to get across the border but were finally able to figure it out.

One of the most distinctive features of The Pink Store is its vibrant exterior. The entire building is painted in shades of pink, making it easily recognizable and a unique landmark in the region thus becoming an integral part of its identity.

Like last time the Pink Store offered a wide range of items for sale, including Mexican handicrafts, pottery, textiles, clothing, jewelry, and home décor. However, we noticed that the wares were significantly more upscale with less “trinkets” (and had none of baskets Sharon wanted).

Prices were definitely higher at the Pink Store. We can certainly see why people still visit as the store actively collaborates with local artisans and vendors offering up some unique Mexican art pieces and pottery.

Not seeing anything that we wanted to purchase (or could afford if we did want it) we visited the bar/restaurant, Known for serving traditional Mexican cuisine we weren’t planning on eating as we were unimpressed the last time we ate there. However, we did enjoy some chips and salsas along with a couple of Mexican beers.

When leaving Las Palomas we found even less signage describing how to return to the USA. However, unlike past trips across the border we found the border agents on both sides very friendly and helpful.

After a few days hiking and birding in and around Pancho Villa State Park we moved further west to Benson AZ to escape a cold front. We didn’t do much in Benson other than short hikes in the area but we did make a trip down to Tombstone for a walk around and to reconnect with RV friends Dan and Merlene over a cold craft beer at Tombstone Brewing Company.

One of the things we love about our lifestyle is visiting with all the great people we have met all over the USA. Reconnecting with them is like seeing old friends once again.

Out in the west Texas town of El Paso…

Our next stop on our westward trek was for an overnight stop in Van Horn, Texas. We don’t often stay for just one night but we have been to Van Horn many times and there really is much worth revisiting in this area, so we didn’t even disconnect the CRV.

The next morning we drove into El Paso and over to the Sunalnd Casino. The casino has 8 first-come first-served RV sites with water and 30/50 amp service and we were hoping to snag one for an extended stay in El Paso. Lucky for us there were several available so we hooked up and went into the casino to pay. Wow, only $15 per night to stay here!

It was nice to be in civilization once again after several remote stays in a row. We even found a nice disc golf course called Nations Tobin  we played. Also it was nice to be able to shop in real grocery stores and go out for happy hour. The Union Draft House and Aurellias Brewery were our favorites.

Also nearby was a TruFit fitness center, the same company we became members of in College Station Texas. We are really glad we took advantage of becoming members for FREE via the Silver Sneakers program giving us access to such a nice gym.

While here we took a drive through the Franklin Mountains, the largest urban park in the U.S. There are a few pullouts that provide some scenic panoramic views of the city and surrounding landscape. We didn’t stay until sunset, but we imagine it's especially picturesque during sunset or sunrise.

Lucky for us not too far from Sunland Casino we found a few places to hike and to birdwatch. One was a heritage park and another was a hike along the Rio Grande. Both places were fun and were quite scenic for hiking with views of the Franklin Mts.

Our next planned stop was in Las Cruces NM but the reviews of the park we normally stay at were scathingly bad as it appears the homeless and druggies have discovered the nearby hotel. We decided to drive to Las Cruces in our CRV and see if the reviews had any merit.

When we arrived at the RV park, we saw that the reviews were spot on. The only other park in our budget really wasn’t our cup of tea so we decided we would add a few more days in El Paso and skip staying In Las Cruces. However, while there we went to our favorite New Mexican restaurant, Andeles,  for some green and red chili!

We also went for a hike in Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park while in Las Cruces. So even though we weren’t going to stay we did find things we wanted to do had we gone there.

Back in El Paso we were treated to a beautiful rainbow before leaving. With the weather getting colder in the forecast it was time to move on…

Art in Marfa Texas…

Ballroom Marfa is a contemporary art museum located in Marfa, a town of less than 2,000 people. Free and open to the public it gives artists and musicians the opportunity to engage with the public. On display while we were there was an art piece by Guadalupe Maravilla who proclaims to be a transdisciplinary visual artist, choreographer, and healer.

The massive piece on display is called Mariposa Relámpago. We stopped by to check it out and it is indeed a “WOW” art piece. This is the ultimate bus conversion, and this piece has a story to it as well. Go to this link to hear what the artist has to say.

Maravilla, the artist, grounds his art in activism and healing and reflects his personal journey of migration, illness, and recovery. At the age of eight, Maravilla fled El Salvador’s civil war immigrated alone to join family in the United States. Recently Maravilla was diagnosed with colon cancer. It was during the recovery process that became interested in ancient methods of healing, including the use of sound.

This art piece, Mariposa Relámpago (translates to Lightning Butterfly) is the artist’s largest sculpture. Each sculpture he creates includes metal gongs intended to create the powers of vibrational sound as a form of healing.

“Maravilla’s artworks also contain a cosmology of potent symbols and objects that connect the artist’s personal journey with ancient practices of the Indigenous Mayan peoples; diverse spiritual and folk beliefs; and contemporary crises of disease, ecology, and war. Mariposa Relámpago functions as a sculpture, shrine and healing instrument.”

“Mariposa Relámpago opened at Ballroom Marfa on November 4, 2023. The installation will be presented at The Contemporary Austin’s Betty and Edward Marcus Sculpture Park at Laguna Gloria in April 2024 and will commence at the Blaffer Art Museum at the University of Houston in November 2024.”

Marathon Texas and a Hike in Big Bend NP

Marathon, Texas, our next stop, is a place we have been before. Marathon is a small town located in the Chihuahuan Desert, about 40 miles from the north entrance to Big Bend National Park. It's is a perfect stop for exploring the breathtaking natural expanse of Big Bend National Park.

Marathon is best known for the iconic Gage Hotel; a historic hotel built in 1927. The hotel has a beautiful lobby with a large fireplace and the White Buffalo bar near its lobby is a great spot to end any day visiting Big Bend.

Also nearby is the Big Bend Brewing Company, which brews a variety of craft beers. The brewery has a taproom, and they also have a restaurant that serves BBQ. They are only open on the extended weekends, so visitors need to plan wisely. .

Our goal for this stop was to hike the Chisos Basin Loop Trail in Big Bend National Park. Nearing the entrance of Big Bend National Park, the majestic Chisos Mountains stand tall on the horizon. The Chisos Basin Loop Trail is a 2.4-mile trail that starts near the Chisos Mountains Lodge and ends at the Window Trail.

This short and fairly easy hike offers views of Casa Grande peak, the Chisos basin and the Window View. It delivers on the promise of breathtaking views steeped in natural splendor. When hiking it is easy to feel a connection with the untamed wilderness.

The trail begins with a gradual ascent, winding through the Chisos Mountains. Through a unique blend of desert and mountainous terrain. Throughout the hike you'll see the breathtaking Window View, a natural opening in the Chisos Mountains which frames a spectacular vista of the desert below.

Hiking in Big Bend National Park is a truly unique and immersive experience. It offers a stunning landscape that includes vast desert expanses, towering mountains, and the Rio Grande River. Each step brings a new visual delight and the remoteness of the landscape creates a feeling of solitude which is both peaceful and awe-inspiring. Hike it!

Birding Fort Clark Springs and Hiking in Seminole Canyon State Park, Tx

We left Canyon Lake mid-morning and headed to Fort Clark Springs in Brackettville, TX. This long drive we took last year would be longer this year due to construction on loop 1604 in San Antonio.

As it turned out the longer drive was a great way around the congestion in San Antonio. The trip through Boerne and Bandera TX via Texas 46 was a very scenic and enjoyable drive. We decided to never drive through San Antonio from Canyon Lake ever again!

We eventually made it to Brackettville which is home to Fort Clark. Once a frontier fort in the mid-1800’s it is now a 2,700-acre unincorporated community and gated resort of mostly retirees. It is a unique place given it is in the middle of nowhere.

The fort was built near the Las Moras Springs. The springs have been dammed to create a massive swimming pool with 68-degree water year-round. The excess flow continues on to create Las Moras Creek.

We love this park because of all the nature trails and fabulous bird watching opportunities. As before we hiked all along Las Moras Creek. The towering live oaks, pecans and other woodland species support a diverse flora and fauna.

Birders also know that water treatment ponds are great for seeing migrating waterfowl. The fort’s water treatment ponds were no exception as waterfowl were abundant. We even startled a nutria on the bank of the pond.

The campground was nothing special, but it does have full hook-ups. However, every evening we were treated to watching lots of white-tail and sika deer. One evening we had more than a dozen wild turkeys stroll right beside our RV. We also discovered that the resort had a gym where RVers were welcome, so we happily used it!

After two nights we moved over to Seminole Canyon State Park near Comstock, TX. We love the hiking there but hate that it doesn’t have reliable cell or wi-fi signal. We could occasionally get wi-fi briefly over the very poor park’s wi-fi network which was very frustrating.

We didn’t take the cave tour this year but did enjoy a hike to Presa Canyon. Hiking along the edge of Seminole Canyon the trail led us to the smaller Presa Canyon. We always will enjoy this hike. During the hike we spotted many different fossils forever enshrined in the limestone. Our leisurely trek westward has been enjoyable and we are hoping the weather will cooperate all the way to Arizona.

Finally, back on the road in Texas…

Well after a very extended stay in College Station (and NC for Sharon) we are together again and finally, back on the road! The RV started up without any issues and the tires were rolling westward bound.

Our next stop would be Potter’s Creek Park on Canyon Lake. We stay there often for its scenic beauty, proximity to to great towns to visit and because it is relatively close to our son’s house in San Antonio.

We aren’t staying as long as we usually do (it’s harder to obtain longer reservations now, like so many other places) so we will cram in as much fun as we can. Our first day trip was to revisit the Old River Road to New Braunfels. With it being autumn, the Bald Cypress and Pecan trees were nearly at peak for their fall colors. This sure made our favorite day trip from Canyon Lake all the more pleasurable.

Another day trip took us on a scenic loop drive through Sisterdale, Tx and over to LBJ National Historical Park. We took the loop drive on the former president’s old ranch and stopped to check his private plane and runway as well.

Next up was a downtown Fredericksburg, Tx. stroll. We love this German heritage town and all the old historic buildings in it. Also on this loop drive was another favorite hill country stop of ours, Luckenbach, Texas. I mean after all we had to check in on Waylon, Willie and the boys!

  

One really neat thing happened while we were at the campground. During our morning walk I noticed two Harris Hawks on perches beside an RV. Obviously someone at this RV was a falconer. A fellow was standing outside the RV and we started chatting with him. He is a falconer from New Jersey. A friend had gifted him the hawks when they were babies and he has had them since. He told us lots of stories about the birds and even offered us the opportunity to hold one of them. Too cool…

Our final day we headed to San Antonio to visit our son and his family. It was a brief stay but gave us time to reconnect with the grandson and of course, the grand dogs!

Like always the time went by fast and it’s once again time to hit the road…

Back to Texas…

Wow, our two weeks stay in North Carolina visiting our daughter and her family flew by! We really had fun with playing with Allie, our 2.5-year-old granddaughter who has acquired a huge vocabulary, is fun, exuberant and always on the go. We also enjoyed snuggles with Emmy our newest granddaughter who is beautiful. Katie and Brooks have made a great life in North Carolina, and it was great sharing it with them. Although it was sad to say our goodbyes, we knew it was time for us to leave.

We had to catch our flight back to Texas. Fortunately, we didn't have any problems with our flights, and we arrived on time, retrieved our car which was still in good shape and ready to roll. We drove back over to College Station but on our way, we stopped by to visit Lone Pint Brewery in Magnolia Texas. It’s a pleasant outdoor venue and serves some nice craft beer so we think it is worth a visit if you're in the area.

We made it back home without any ordeals and were glad to see our RV in great shape. It’s always a bit concerning to leave our RV home for long stretches of time. We stayed in College Station for 5 more days before hitting the road.

With Sharon having been gone 3 months, we revisited many of the spots that we love in our former hometown including a nice walk around the campus of Texas A&M University. With one last weekend, we also visited friends to say our goodbyes and to have one last weekend of fun with them. Monday rolled around and it was time to pack up the RV and start our trek westward.

The pictures in today’s blog are from my visit to the Texas Renaissance Festival while Sharon was still in North Carolina. I always enjoy people watching at this particular festival in Plantersville, Texas.

Our future plans are to winter in Mesa Arizona again this year. Before heading there our next stop is at Canyon Lake in Texas. While there we will visit our son and his family one more time in San Antonio before leaving Texas. After that we want to revisit some backroads and stay at some of our favorite places we have stayed at before.

Follow us on the road of retirement...

Off to see our new grandbaby… Priceless!

Sharon flew out to North Carolina several months ago while I stayed in Texas. Now that I have done all I can do with regards to painting our endcap itis time for me to travel to NC to see our new grandbaby.

Our daughter gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and Sharon flew out right away to see  our new granddaughter. Here is her story…

 

Our daughter Katie was due to deliver her second child September 2023. As with her first child I wanted to be with her to help with her recovery and with the care of her newborn. John found a flight for me over a week prior to her due date so I could also help her prepare for the birth. We did this because last time Katie delivered a few days early due to a high blood pressure issue and my flight was after the fact.

Well, no one could predict that Katie would deliver early again due to an emergency situation (this time was an immediate C-section for a placental abruption). Our son in law Brooks was of course with Katie so his parents who were caring for their 2 year old first born, Allie, picked me up at the airport.

 

I am ever thankful for the great care Katie received as we now have a new granddaughter, Emmy Kate. Upon their homecoming Katie was happy to be home but was quite sore. Emmy, who came early was so tiny yet perfect in every way. Brooks parents, Allie and I were so excited to have them home. Allie was absolutely in love with her new little sister. We were off to a great start!

Brooks parents returned home so my role would be to help with the household chores and helping in any way I could with the baby. I also would help with Allie which was pure joy as she is such a happy, energetic and talkative 2-year-old. I immediately volunteered to help with getting Allie up, dressed and ready for the day. How precious were those moments though it did require me setting an alarm for the first time in years. I began a regimen of waking at 6:30 am so I could get myself ready and have my necessary coffee time before the day began.

 

Katie, Brooks and Emmy were struggling with the adjustment of feedings every two or three hours with limited sleep. Emmy sometimes had fussy moments in the middle of the night when both parents were exhausted so I was their 911 to help hold and settle the baby until she would accept being laid back into her bassinet.

I forgot about how newborns cause everyone to have a lack of sleep. This in turn made me realize I needed sometimes to go to bed at 8 or 9 pm rather than my previous night owl habit. We all may have had our cranky or emotional moments, but we all came through it in a combined effort to ensure both Allie and Emmy were happy.

During the week Allie went to her daycare (which she LOVES) and this certainly helped Katie to rest and heal. It also helped all of us tune into Emmy's needs and wants. The weekends were definitely busier but so much fun because Allie includes everyone in her playful exploration of her world. I am in awe of how well she has accepted Emmy although I can tell she can hardly wait until Emmy can run and play with her.

 

My plan was to stay almost three months which was way too long for both John and I to be away from the motorhome, so John elected to join me at the last part of my stay. I really REALLY missed him. Much more than I anticipated so imagine my joy when at last he came to join us. Allie and Emmy, both adore him as I do. They love their Poppy.

Not long after John arrived Katie and Brooks made a big decision to build a new home. It was great fun to see the plans and watch as they made design decisions. Exciting times ahead! John had two solid weeks in the new routine before it became time for us to leave this beautiful new family for life on their own.

With all the challenges (we all, except John, got Covid then RSV), me being overtired at times, missing John terribly and changes to my routine, I wouldn't trade this time for anything. The girls may not remember I was with them their first three months but I sure will. It was priceless.