Just the Facts Maam, back for a short 6 week trip!

[SargeW]

After a lay off for handling some "life issues" the travel blog is back. I will try to inform and describe the parks we stay at in case you are heading out, and looking for a place to go. You are welcome to tag along and comment if you desire.

 

[SargeW]

Kartchner Caverns State Park

Benson, AZ

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Kartchner Caverns is a great Arizona state park on Highway 90, which is about 8 miles from Interstate 10. Getting to the park is easy, and contains the wonderful “Kartchner Caverns” that were discovered there in 1974 by a pair of amateur “spelunkers” (cave explorers) while exploring the base of the Whetstone Mountains. The cave was kept a secret for about 10 years until the Arizona State park system got involved and eventually opened to the public. The cave is open for tours daily and is amazing to experience.

The RV park next door is 62 sites, both pull through and back in. Sites have 50/30/20 amp hook up and water. A double sided dump station is available at the park free of charge. The RV parking sites are large and the roads are all freshly paved asphalt, the roads are easy to navigate and the park well maintained by Rangers and volunteers. The water pressure at our site was low, 20# psi on the water gauge, so if you like a steady pressure shower you may need to fill your water tank and use the on board water pump.

The grasses have been cut down, but this time of year it is starting to die off so there are some stickers to get caught in doggy paws. The park is surrounded by rocky vistas that are stunning, and various hiking trails wind throughout the hills.

The restrooms on site are basic and clean, but a little older. The shower rooms are wide and handicapped accessible. We paid $30 a night, and we paid $3.20 for an “on line reservation fee”. There is also an on site Interpretive center that’s free to see. We didn’t do the cave tour this time as the tours were sold out during our stay. We have done the tour in the past, and it is well worth the time and money.

There several nearby towns that are worth visiting either for supplies, or just to explore. The closest is the town of Benson about 10 minutes away, Sierra Vista where Fort Hauchuca is located, the old west mining town of Tombstone, (Wyatt Earp and the OK Corral) and Bisbee (now an artist hang out). So there is lots to do in the area, and the temps right now are terrific. Benson is at an elevation of 2500’ so it gets a break from the Phoenix heat in the summer.

If you don’t want to take your RV, there are cabins for rent in the park as well. Cabins rent for $99 a night and can sleep up to 6 people. A few of them will allow pets.

We used Starlink for internet and streaming, so I didn’t use the local cell service provider. Over the air had few channels to choose from.

 

[SargeW]

Davis Mountains State Park
Fort Davis, Texas

Fort Davis is the reason for the State Park. The fort was established in 1854 and many of the buildings have been restored for their historical value and can be toured. A few are fully restored complete with furnishings from the time period, and others are just the foundation from the original building. All are marked as to what they originally were.​

The Fort Davis campground is a great destination for spring and summer visits as it has the distinction of having the highest elevation of any county seat in the state of Texas (4900 feet).

We stayed in site #24 which is a crescent shaped pull through which was plenty long enough for the RV and tow vehicle. There is a lot of space between sites so neighbors are not on top of you. We paid $25 a night for the site, plus there is normally an entrance fee of $6 per adult, per day. But we chose to buy a Texas State Parks card, which was $70, as we will be staying in other Texas State parks. This waived the entrance fee, and took $12.50 off of the camp site fee. If you will be staying in other Texas parks, it is well worth the getting the card.

The RV site surface was asphalt, but was starting to degrade significantly in places. The utilities were up to date and worked well, and the water pressure was good. The sewer connection was on a bit of a raised platform and not too close to the RV pad, so bring extra sewer hose to make sure you have enough to reach. Many sites are sloped up or down hill, so blocks may be necessary depending on your site. There are bath houses for each loop, and were handicapped accessible.

Most sites have a built in metal shade structure on a raised cement pad. But forget moving the metal picnic table as it is cemented to the ground. We pulled up close enough to allow our patio awning to just about touch the shade structure, which was nice in the afternoon sun. The Fort Davis facility is a National Historic Site, so bring your National Parks pass to waive a $20 entrance fee.




One thing you won’t get much of there is cell or OTA TV signals. I used a Starlink satellite system so 100 meg download speeds were easy. My T-Mobile phone would not connect on LTE, but the VOIP worked well.

Fort Davis city is about 5 miles away and although small, has most supplies you will need. Skyline Drive is right out of the entrance of the campground, and is a steep winding road to the top of one of the surrounding hills. It provides a great 360 degree view of the surrounding area. There was cell signal at the top of Skyline Drive however.

 

[Laura & Charles]

Very cool, Marty! Thanks!

 

[Vanbrat]

Thank you for the info this is the next spring trip....