The Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch in Gilbert AZ

Vermillion Flycatcher

The Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch is a 110-acre wetland and wildlife sanctuary in Gilbert, Arizona made solely by utilization of recycled effluent water. Seventy acres are part of  the seven water recharge basins which are filled on a rotating basis with most of this water allowed to percolate back into the aquifer for future use.

Coopers Hawk

With over 4.5 miles of trails in this preserve and nearly 300 species of birds which have been identified there, it has become our favorite hiking and birding site. We visit this park at least once a week during our winter stay in the greater Phoenix area.

Spotted Ground Squirrel

You never know what you will see at the preserve. Since we are close to Mexico it is not uncommon to see species of birds known to Mexico who wander across the border to this park.This year we were lucky to see a Streak-backed Oriole. The bird is a rare stray into the desert Southwest and has been historically spotted  in Arizona and southern California.

Lesser Goldfinch

With the preserve being close to the cool little incorporated town of Gilbert AZ we often finish up the day with a visit to the entertainment district in its downtown area. There is a big selection of fun happy hours to choose from.

Verdin

Our favorite still is Joyride Taco House. Their 3-5 happy hour offers $6 32oz beers as well as $6 margaritas and house wines (until 6pm). Even better a basket of hot chips and salsa is served to everyone for free. Finishing the evening with 2 or 3 of the street tacos at $2.50 apiece makes for not only an inexpensive dinner but a great night out on the town. Joyride is always an energetic, happy place to be.

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…

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.

San Angelo State Park in San Angelo TX

After spending some time in the panhandle of Texas we moved on down to a spot we've spent time at before. San Angelo State Park is a favorite stop of ours because we like the solitude of the campground and we also enjoy the town of San Angelo.

We love that the park has lots of trails to hike on and there is also a wildlife/bird blind near the campground loop we stay at .We have seen a lot of different birds there and have seen javalina on several occasions as well. While we did see a lot of birds, we didn't see any javalina this time around,

Temperatures are unseasonably hot this year with highs in the mid-100’s so we hike much shorter distances than normal. One trail we took this year was new to us. We learned that the gate code given to us at check-in opens all the gates in the park, including those in parts of the park labeled closed.

  

There is a 2.7-mile hike where visitors can see dinosaur footprints in a creek bed. Wanting to do this hike we drove up to the north part of the lake using the gate code to get to the trailhead. It was over a hundred degrees, but we did the hike anyway.

Yes, it was hot and there wasn’t a lot of shade, but it was a nice hike. There were still plenty of wildflowers in bloom making it as enjoyable despite sweltering temperatures.

We did a few short hikes in the park to see the lake and the buffalo herd in the park. The lake is the fullest we have ever seen it, and it still is only 2.9% full.

There were grand plans when the COE built this lake including a privately developed airstrip and community. But alas, the lake was last full in 1959 and since the lake is fed by the North Concho River which has been dry for several months and even stopped running over a year ago there is little chance the lake will ever be full again.

We also hiked around the downtown area and re-visited the Lilly Gardens in town.  It’s always great to see the varieties of lilies in bloom and always fun to re-visit San Angelo Texas.

Socorro, New Mexico–Touring, Hiking and Birding…

Moving on, our next stop was Socorro, New Mexico for a short stay. We stayed at the City of Socorro Rodeo & Sports Complex – RV Park & Horse Stall which we found to be a very nice campground.

Socorro, New Mexico was founded in 1598 by Juan de Oñate, who named it after the Spanish word for "help or relieve”. Socorro was an important stop on the Camino Real, the Spanish trade route which connected Mexico City to Santa Fe and is home to the San Miguel Mission, which is one of the oldest churches in the United States.

It was built in the 17th century by Spanish missionaries and was founded in 1627 by Franciscan missionaries. The church was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970 and is a beautiful example of Spanish colonial architecture. It was unfortunately closed while we were there.

Also nearby was New Mexico Tech, a public research university in Socorro.It was founded in 1889 as the New Mexico School of Mines, and it is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the state. We enjoyed a nice stroll around the campus.

One afternoon we went to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. It is a 57,331-acre wetland and  is home to a variety of wildlife. Established in 1939 to provide a critical stopover site for migrating waterfowl it is a popular destination for birdwatchers and photographers

We drove the nature loop in the park. We saw lots of birds and a nice mix of  grasslands, shrublands, and woodlands. There was even a lone snow goose and a family of Canadian Geese still hanging out at the refuge. We were about halfway through the loop when it began to rain and then hail on us. Yikes!

Socorro, New Mexico is a great place to go hiking. There are many different trails to choose from, ranging from easy to challenging. The trails offer stunning views of the surrounding mountains, valleys, and rivers.

Another day we went hiking on the Box Canyon Trail. This moderate trail is located in the Cibola National Forest. The trail follows a creek through a canyon and offers beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. Box Canyon is also very popular with rock climbers in the area.

We even found a nice brewery in town called Box Canyon Brewery where we would often end our day on a good note…