Where Next from here?

[DonTom]

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).

I have a phobia of getting too close to large cities such as Phoenix, AZ, but you are temping me with some of your photos.

-Don- White Rock, NM

 

[Ray-IN]

We liked Tyler TX when we visited. The city has the largest rose garden in the U.S.A., or did back then.
If you see a post by Kirk, he lived near Tyler until about 3 years ago and probably has lots of good information.

 

[DonTom]

We liked Tyler TX when we visited.

Do you remember where you stayed at in Tyler, TX?

-Don- White Rock, NM

 

[Ray-IN]

No; all I remember was it was on the West side of the city, about 12 years ago.

 

[CharlesinGA]

If you are wanting to stay in the south west (Tyler is in east Texas) consider the Lincoln Nat Forest just East of Alamogordo NM. Several Forest Service Campgrounds there. Of course you are close to White Sands.

From my previous research, the places Jackie mentioned would be good choices.

Come on, you gotta check out some of these places so I know whether to add them to my list or not

Charles

 

[DonTom]

Several Forest Service Campgrounds there.

Many of those are better suited for my Y2K RV. This one has very little ground clearance and many forest campgrounds are on somewhat rough unpaved roads.

-Don- White Rock, NM

 

[ziplock]

Have you been to Carlsbad NM?

Carlsbad is a city in southeast New Mexico. It’s known as a gateway to the vast, bat-filled caves of Carlsbad Caverns National Park. North of the park, trails surround towering Sitting Bull Falls. Downtown, Lake Carlsbad Beach Park has picnic and swimming areas, plus an adjacent water park. Living Desert Zoo & Gardens has mountain lions, bison and native plants. Northwest, Brantley Lake is full of catfish and bass.

Odessa Texas?

Odessa is a city in western Texas. Downtown, Jack Ben Rabbit is an 8-foot-tall statue of a jackrabbit. Another 37 Jamboree Jackrabbits dot the city. The Presidential Archives and Leadership Library exhibits presidential memorabilia. The University of Texas of the Permian Basin's Stonehenge is a replica of the famous English site. To the southwest, meteorite fragments are on display at the Odessa Meteor Crater.

 

[Ex-Calif]

If you are wanting to stay in the south west (Tyler is in east Texas) consider the Lincoln Nat Forest just East of Alamogordo NM. Several Forest Service Campgrounds there. Of course you are close to White Sands.

Alamagordo has a cool little rocket museum I visited an eon ago.

What do you think about the south end of Salton Sea? With your exploring curiosity even a relatively small geographic area has plenty of opportunity to explore. Should be warm...

In my teens I towed a glider trailer all over the California southwest. Crystalaire-Blythe return was a long and popular goal. If it was a good day, I'd drive 400 miles and never see the glider - LOL...

 

[Larry N.]

If it was a good day, I'd drive 400 miles and never see the glider - LOL...

The lift was that good, huh? I did see some afternoons in Albuquerque ('70s) when I could stay up all afternoon, especially above 10,000 MSL.

 

[Tulecreeper]

Alamagordo has a cool little rocket museum I visited an eon ago.

What do you think about the south end of Salton Sea? With your exploring curiosity even a relatively small geographic area has plenty of opportunity to explore. Should be warm...

In my teens I towed a glider trailer all over the California southwest. Crystalaire-Blythe return was a long and popular goal. If it was a good day, I'd drive 400 miles and never see the glider - LOL...

View attachment 168537

I'd stay far away from the Salton Sea, especially the south end where the New River dumps in. The sewage is so raw you can see the human-processed burritos floating by.

When I worked for F&W I was sent there one summer for a couple weeks to run an airboat picking up dead and dying birds (mostly pelicans) that had contracted avian botulism. Before I went, I had to get vaccinated. And the smell is still sticking to me 20 years later.

 

[Skookum]

I haven't heard anyone mention "Show Low" in a long time. I visited about 20 years ago when I was helping an outreach organization based in Cibecue. It wasn't a particularly exciting town, however, the White Mountains are interesting.

 

[Skookum]

@DonTom since we are here in the CA desert, we've visited Outdoor Resort Indio where our friends just bought an RV lot. It's a lovely place and the people are wonderful. Any interest in going to a place like that where you could be in good company with "family" and people to talk to and visit?

 

[DonTom]

I'd stay far away from the Salton Sea, especially the south end where the New River dumps in. The sewage is so raw you can see the human-processed burritos floating by.

The Salton Sea SRA is a nice place these days in the winter, no smell at all.

I have been there a few times in the last few years.

-Don- White Rock, NM

 

[CharlesinGA]

Many of those are better suited for my Y2K RV. This one has very little ground clearance and many forest campgrounds are on somewhat rough unpaved roads.

-Don- White Rock, NM

You might be right.

These look to be paved (Saddle Campground street view image)

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.

maps.app.goo.gl

Brochure - PDF
Within approximately 2-3 miles from Cloudcroft, NM you can find 7 hosted Campgrounds, with an amphitheater near one of them, 5 Group Campgrounds, 2 picnic areas, as well as many hiking trails.

 

[DonTom]

Have you been to Carlsbad NM?

Yes. Just a few years ago, I stayed in the RV park at White's City.

Texas has some of the worse roads I have seen anywhere. The very worse was the road I took from the Big Bend of Texas to Carlsbad Caverns (385/285), NM around six years ago. The countless potholes were impossible to miss and it bent several rods for the wheel alignment in my Y2K RV. I was lucky to be able to drive it back home.

Most of the parts for the wheel alignment needed to be replaced when I got back home. A bunch of bent rods. I have no idea why, but that road had a lot of traffic even when many miles from any town.

-Don- 87547

 

[DonTom]

Odessa Texas

No, and I think you just picked my next destination!

It will be perfect weather there by the time I get there.

I will be looking more into that idea. I don't even need to go back into ABQ to get there.

EDIT: I just now noticed that was on hwy 285. The road that tore apart my Y2K RV. Does anybody here know if that road is now all fixed? If not, I doubt it would even be drivable on by now. In fact, it wasn't drivable on then even when I used it.

2nd Edit. I just remembered even back then Hwy 285 was fine in NM. It was only full of potholes in TX. And by the time I am in Texas, I will be on a different road. So that is where I am headed next.

-Don- 87547

 

[Tulecreeper]

No, and I think you just picked my next destination!

It will be perfect weather there by the time I get there.

I will be looking more into that idea. I don't even need to go back into ABQ to get there.

EDIT: I just now noticed that was on hwy 285. The road that tore apart my Y2K RV. Does anybody here know if that road is now all fixed? If not, I doubt it would even be drivable on by now. In fact, it wasn't drivable on then even when I used it.

-Don- 87547

Stopped in Odessa once, in 2016 on my way from CA. Bought lunch at Taco Belch, then got a soft-sided cooler at WM. The cooler leaked all over the front carpet.

 

[Compadre]

We spent a few months each winter in west Texas. Aside from the Big Bend to Fort Davis area which we loved, also liked the area around Del Rio. Great State Park is Seminole Canyon, can usually stay for a week to 10 days if you're willing to move a few times. Found a real funky place called Fort Clark in Bracketville, between Del Rio and Uvalde. Old Army base now privately owned with barracks, some housing and a campground with winter texans. Has a large pool that's springfed and is tolerably warm

The roads from Carlsbad down through Odessa are miserable. That's real oil country and I'd rather stay away and leave it to the hardworking people trying to make a living. People in big rigs on my tail on hard roads is not enjoyable for me, less so for them.

 

[Tulecreeper]

If you're going to be heading back into CA on the I-10, there's an RV park between Buckeye and Quartzsite just north of I-10 on Hwy 60 called Ramblin' Roads. I've been in contact with the manager, Joyce, about using them as a home base when we eventually get out there in the next few months. She seems very personable.

Welcome! | https://ramblinroads.com

 

[jackiemac]

Yes. Just a few years ago, I stayed in the RV park at White's City.

Texas has some of the worse roads I have seen anywhere. The very worse was the road I took from the Big Bend of Texas to Carlsbad Caverns (385/285), NM around six years ago. The countless potholes were impossible to miss and it bent several rods for the wheel alignment in my Y2K RV. I was lucky to be able to drive it back home.

Most of the parts for the wheel alignment needed to be replaced when I got back home. A bunch of bent rods. I have no idea why, but that road had a lot of traffic even when many miles from any town.

-Don- 87547

We took 285 then 17 from Carlsbad to Big Bend Dec 21. Don't recall the roads being bad. And they were fairly quiet too.