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.

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…

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 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.

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. 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.

Enjoying the Sandia Mountains and Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, NM

One of the great things about Coronado Campground is the view of the Sandia Mountains. The Sandia Mountains are one of the mountain ranges in the central part of New Mexico, just northeast of the city of Albuquerque. The range located in Bernalillo and Sandoval counties has as its tallest peak in the range, the Sandia Crest which is 10,679  feet in elevation.

When we visit this area we always pick one of the warmest days to drive up to the Sandia Crest. A road winds all the way to the top and it is a very scenic drive. The day we picked had high temperatures in the mid-80’s and when we arrived at the crest the temperatures were in the low 60’s making for quite a contrast.

When making the drive up the mountain we often stop at many of the pullouts. This allows us the opportunity to do a little hiking and a little birding. It is also fun to see the gradual changes in what plants and birds we see as we gained elevation.

When we returned we visited one of the many great breweries in Albuquerque. One of our favorites is the Alien Brewery which was conveniently on our way home.

Another day we visited the Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge. It is a 570-acre protected area in New Mexico just 7 miles south of Albuquerque, New Mexico. The refuge is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as part of the National Wildlife Refuge System.

When we pulled into the refuge the first thing we noticed was that it looked brand new and didn’t look to be open. I later read that on September 27, 2012 the establishment of Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge occurred with a Grand opening planned for 2022. The website had conflicting information  with one page stating it was open and another page said the grand opening was to be determined. In any event it wasn’t open when we visited.

Even though the refuge looked a bit barren we elected to walk the 2.5 mile Bosque Loop Trail which was open providing a walking access to the Rio Grande Bosque. The trail didn’t have a lot to see except for a few art pieces and even the trail near the Rio Grande didn’t get close enough to the river in our opinion. We still enjoyed the walk nonetheless.

This park is a designated Urban National Wildlife Refuge and was a former dairy farm. Most of it is still currently in agricultural fields however, long-term plans are to transform it into a mosaic of native Middle Rio Grande Valley habitats. We will certainly have to revisit it someday in the future…

Our only regret during our stay this year in Albuquerque was not being able to spend more time with friends but that too can be remedied with a future visit.