Where Next from here?

[DonTom]

I am trying to decide where to go next from here, when I leave on Nov 2nd.

I am thinking about making Show Low, AZ my next stop. If I have been there before, it was so many years ago, I do not even remember the place. So I do not even know if I have been there before and if so, it was so long ago, it will not even count.

But I have not made up my mind. Any suggestions of a decent place to go to from here in Northern NM? I am about 100 miles south of Colorado, but I assume it will be colder up there, so I think I will head more south. OTOH, Show Low is at an elevation of 6,349 feet (1,935 meters) so it could be cool there too.

Any suggestions?

-Don- White Rock, NM

 

[Isaac-1]

It depends do you want to head back in the general direction of home, or not. There are plenty of potentially warmer places if you want to head towards Texas and stay ahead of the cooler weather, with some potential stops along the way, Possibly White Sands, NP Carlsbad NP, NM, then Marfa, and Fort Davis TX (Fort Davis is the highest elevation town on Texas, Marfa is 21 miles away and a few hundred feet lower (there are a few popular motorcycle loops around Fort Davis, the main scenic loop is 75 miles). There is also Big Bend NP, but I think you have been there, then of course there is the RGV at the southern tip of Texas where all the snowbirders go for the winter months.

 

[LarsMac]

New Mexico hasn't the drastically cold weather of Colorado, but it can get pretty chilly in the winter time, thanks to the dry Clime, Sub-freezing nights are not unusual.
But it is, IMHO, the most beautiful of the 50.
Left to my own devices, there are few places that I'd rather be for a winter. Most of those places, I'd not be able to take my rig. - Barbados, Guadalupe, Dominica, come to mind.

 

[Mountain high]

Mills Canyon, NM is where we would escape to in order to stay warmer than being in Colorado during November. There's an upper rim campground and one within the canyon near the river. I've always towed our TT down to the lower one although there
is a warning sign posted, "2 miles narrow steep winding road".

 

[Tulecreeper]

Mills Canyon, NM is where we would escape to in order to stay warmer than being in Colorado during November. There's an upper rim campground and one within the canyon near the river. I've always towed our TT down to the lower one although there
is a warning sign posted, "2 miles narrow steep winding road".

Old Mexico is warmer still. I mean, you know, if the sound of random gunfire and screams in the night don't keep you awake.

 

[DonTom]

Mills Canyon, NM

Thanks, but not in this RV because it says here:

"High clearance vehicles are suggested."

This Class A has very little ground clearance.

Mills Canyon would be better suited for my Y2K Class C RV.

-Don- White Rock, NM

 

[Mountain high]

Old Mexico is warmer still. I mean, you know, if the sound of random gunfire and screams in the night don't keep you awake.

One of the reviews is about no one will hear your scream. Creepy.

 

[Tulecreeper]

One of the reviews is about no one will hear your scream. Creepy.

View attachment 168528

I guess on the plus side, no one can hear the bodies hit the floor, either. On the other hand, if you get on the Canadian River there and follow it far enough I can pick you up at the ramp here and buy you dinner and a beer.

 

[DonTom]

It depends do you want to head back in the general direction of home, or not. There are plenty of potentially warmer places if you want to head towards Texas and stay ahead of the cooler weather, with some potential stops along the way, Possibly White Sands, NP Carlsbad NP, NM, then Marfa, and Fort Davis TX (Fort Davis is the highest elevation town on Texas, Marfa is 21 miles away and a few hundred feet lower (there are a few popular motorcycle loops around Fort Davis, the main scenic loop is 75 miles). There is also Big Bend NP, but I think you have been there, then of course there is the RGV at the southern tip of Texas where all the snowbirders go for the winter months.

What is "RGV" ? The southern tip of Texas has been an area I have never been in before and have been curious about. I have been in all the other places you mentioned. But southern Texas is a thousand miles from here. I don't think I want to go that far on this trip.

-Don- White Rock, NM

 

[Mountain high]

When we camped at Mills Canyon we drove out to Clayton Lake State Park in Northeastern NM. It's a nice place. There's water and electrical hookups. Paved roads. Saw the Dinosaur tracks there, then stopped in Clayton to eat and get some groceries.

I believe that we have camped at the lake once since 2017 on our way to Texas. Several pull through spots. Just a quick overnighter during the winter. Don't even remember seeing daylight.

There's really not much camping in Northwestern NM unless you want to travel to or through a very large Ute, Navajo, or Apache reservation. In Central Northern NM it's the Rockies and I don't recommend it during November. We're much further north within the Colorado Rockies and right now in the late afternoon it's 37F with snow on the ground.

 

[Isaac-1]

RGV is the Rio Grande Valley is the very southern tip of Texas, depending on whose definition you use, it generally the 4 southernmost counties in Texas (Texas has 254 counties)

 

[jackiemac]

Have you had a chance to have a look at Valles Caldera?

Show Low from my memory wasn't particularly exciting. I think it's a small ski town.

 

[jackiemac]

Have you been to Lost Dutchman State Park or Usery Mountain State Park in AZ. Probably hard to get in as always busy. There is boondocking close by though.

 

[DonTom]

Lost Dutchman State Park

I have heard that is a great place to visit, and I never have, but seems a bit too close to Phoenix and that makes me think the place will be packed with people.

-Don- White Rock, NM

 

[jackiemac]

I have heard that is a great place to visit, and I never have, but seems a bit too close to Phoenix and that makes me think the place will be packed with people.

-Don- White Rock, NM

It will be busy but sites well spaced out and it's on the East of Phoenix near Mesa.

 

[DonTom]

Show Low from my memory wasn't particularly exciting. I think it's a small ski town.

That sounds cold. Probably better to visit that area in the middle of the summer.

Now I have no clue where to go next. Perhaps I will just head southwest and see where I end up at.

-Don- White Rock, NM

 

[jackiemac]

Campground and boondocking spot. Taken Dec 21.

The Desert Botanical Gardens were nice. Arizona Trail is a nice drive. There are several birding sites a lake, wild horses and hikes in the Superstition Mountains (in photos).

 

[DonTom]

(Texas has 254 counties)

Coming back from DeRidder, LA, I found eastern Texas to be a beautiful area. It there any decent places out there for RVs?

Perhaps not for this trip, but on another trip.

-Don- White Rock, NM

 

[jackiemac]

And Usery Mountain SP. You can hike to a cave up there. View from our site.

 

[jackiemac]

We liked Guadalupe National Monument and the town of Marfa might be nice. Lots of art galleries if you like that. We saw some nice places on the way to big bend too.