More of Hot Well Dunes and the Surrounding Area

For our next adventure, we drove into Willcox, Arizona, to visit the Rex Allen Museum.Unfortunately, the museum was closed, even though it was Saturday and the small downtown area was busy. We were able to see the small park dedicated to Rex Allen and his horse Ko Ko.

 Fortunately for Connie and I, the wine tasting room next door was open! The building was originally a bank. The ceiling still has the tin tiles and the floor was the original wood.

 Connie and I enjoyed tasting the wine while the guys waited.

 After our wine tasting, we decided it was time for lunch. We decided on Big Tex's Barbecue. Bob and Larry both got barbecue, Connie got a burger, and I had a chicken sandwich. No one left the table hungry!

 Across the street, was a mural for Willcox. Bob and I have found that many small towns have murals to celebrate their founding.

Before we traveled back to Hot Well Dunes, we stopped at the local Safeway to replenish some supplies. Bob and I also went in Beall's Outlet to look for warm slippers. Nights in the desert tend to be cold in February and March so we needed warmer footwear! 


The next day was a down day for Larry and Connie. They had work to do to prepare for their summer job. Bob and I decided to go geocaching on Mt. Graham near Safford. Instead of taking Haekel Road north to US 70, we drove Tanque Road, which Larry and Connie drove their rig in on! Yes, it is a dirt road.

Once we were on the highway to Mt. Graham, we picked up a couple of geocaches. Bob has an interesting story to tell about a prickly pear cactus attacking him when he replaced a cache.

When we reached the entrance to Coronado National Forest, we snapped a picture of the map for Mt. Graham. Mt. Graham is the snowcapped mountain we see from our campsite.

As we drove up the mountain, we collected a few caches and I have to say we really worked for them as they were above 6000 feet elevation.

We found one near Wet Canyon Bridge which was constructed by the CCC in the 1930s.

The views as we drove up the mountain were amazing! I think we saw our Sol in the distance on the desert floor!

When we reached a trailhead that was over 9000 feet elevation, we decided to turn around and head down the mountain--no way were we getting the cache 200 feet down this trail.

We had a great time caching, but when we returned to Sol, it was too cloudy and cold to go in the hot tubs--the solar run pump had turned off. It was a group decision to visit the hot tubs the next morning before we departed for Whitewater Draw Wildlife Management Area.  The tubs were just warming up, but we had a good soak!

 After showering and packing up camp we moved on to the RV park in Bowie to dump our tanks and fill our freshwater. Time to do some more boondocking at Whitewater Draw Wildlife Management Area.

On to Arizona!

From the rest area in Anthony, New Mexico, we got an early start. Our plan was to stop in Deming, New Mexico, at Wal-Mart to pick up what we would need for boondocking in the middle of no where for several days. We also needed to find a lumber store so we could get a 2 x 4 to brace our closet rod. It was only a matter of time before the center support pulled out of the ceiling and it did just that on our way from  Stockton to El Paso. The rod goes most of the width of Sol in the back and the center support was held up with just four small screws in the ceiling, nothing was used to reinforce the ceiling where the support was attached.

We found our way to the Deming Wal-Mart and realized that there was a home improvement store just a few blocks away. We accomplished our mission and then we were on the road again. Our next stop was for lunch and to fix the closet rod. We pulled off the rest area near Gage, New Mexico. It was a nice area with picnic ramadas set around a loop. Bob found a place where we could put the jacks down and put out the bedroom slides so he could measure the length he needed to cut the 2 x 4. After he got it cut, he notched the top to fit the rod and we were once again hanging clothes in the closet!

We were not far from Arizona so I texted our friends Larry and Connie to find the best way to get to the campground where they were staying. Of the three ways in, we chose the paved road which meant we had to get off the interstate at Lordsburg and head northwest on US 70. Just short of Safford, Arizona, we turned south on a local road that took us out into the desert 25 miles. Our destination was Hot Well Dunes BLM area.

 Site number 3 was open next to Larry and Connie so we were set for the next five days!

After getting set up it was time to go to the hot tubs! In the 1920's someone was drilling for oil and hit a hot spring in the middle of the desert. Today, the spring feeds two cement tubs during daylight hours. Over the years, the level of the spring has diminished so now solar panels power the pump which fills the tubs with hot water.  The solar panels are on the slanted roof of the brick building behind this tub.

It was our plan to enjoy the tubs at least once each day as long as the weather permitted during our stay.

Connie and Larry waited to visit Fort Bowie until we arrived. Bob and I visited it on a previous trip west, but we really enjoyed the hike to get to the fort. If you have physical limitations, you can get special permission to drive to the fort, otherwise, it is a 1.5 mile hike to get to the fort and another 1.5 mile hike back to the parking area. When you add all the side trips to see exhibits along the way, the hike is closer to 5 miles.

Along the way you pass the Butterfield Stage Coach stop, a cemetery, the foundation of a miner's house, and several Native American exhibits. This wiki-up is located near Apache Springs.

 This is Apache Spring which was the cause of much fighting in the 1800's. In the desert, everyone wants control of the fresh water.

We walked around the ruins of the fort before heading back on the ridge trail. This picture overlooks the visitor center which is at 5000 feet elevation. The spiky plant is an ocotillo. When it gets a little water, it is covered in green leaves and you cannot see the spikes!

We took advantage of the bench on the overlook trail for photos. The tallest mountain behind us was used as a heliograph station by the army. They used a mirror to send messages to Ft. Huachuca, 90 miles west.

It was a sunny, warm day, just right for a hike before lunch.

Unfortunately, the next day was not as nice. Our tour that day was to Chiricahua National Monument, one of my favorite places. Once we got into the Chiricahua Mountains, it was cold and windy. Larry drove us to Massai Point at the top of the mountain. We were able to hike the short nature trail before the cold got too bad.

Chiricahua is literally an 'island in the sky.' As you drive to Chiricahua the desert looks just like the pictures of Ft. Bowie, but once in the park you see fabulous rock formations!

We didn't stay long in the cold, but we enjoyed the views and snapped a few pictures.

 It was time to head back to Hot Well Dunes and hit the hot tubs! Boy, did they feel good that day.

Westward Ho!

As we continued our journey west, we got off the beaten path (I-10) to explore Fort Lancaster Texas Historical Site.  The fort is located off Texas 290 near Sheffield. Yes, there aren't many roads heading due west in west Texas, but we found the road to Fort Lancaster. This fort is the only one in Texas that was attacked by Native Americans in the 1800s.

 I think we were the only visitors to the site that day. The historian in the visitor center said the site gets between 0 and 25 visitors a day. The total for the year is around 3200.

 As with most old forts, the buildings were torn apart by locals who used the materials to build their own homes. Some buildings still have their foundations, but some are completely gone.

 Behind the visitor center we found a stage coach. The steps were wobbly and it was hard for me to imagine a woman traveling in a long dress getting in and out easily.

After a picnic lunch and grabbing the geocache at the entrance, we continued west. The interstate doesn't offer many good places to stop as you travel west so we decided on Fort Stockton---home of the large roadrunner. There was a Wal-Mart where most travelers spend the night, but we chose Pizza Hut. There was a large lot behind the restaurant where RVers could park. Guess what we had for dinner? Pizza, of course!

The next day we were headed toward El Paso with the intention of stopping at Hueco Tanks State Park. As we traveled, I tried to call to find out if there were sites open and how large a vehicle they could accommodate. I kept getting a recording so we kept driving.

It was time to feed Sol so we had to find a diesel station where Bob could easily maneuver in and out. We didn't find one until we were at the base of the mountain on the east side. When Bob got out to feed Sol, the wind was really strong.

After filling the tank we continued over the mountain pass. The wind was really whipping tumbleweeds across the road and the dust was getting thicker. Sol began to be buffeted by the wind and we knew we wanted to find a safe place to stop. Luckily, as we came down off the mountain the road led directly to the outlet mall which has a huge parking lot. Several semis were already pulled over and we joined them. The wind warning was for gusts up to 65 miles per hour. We decided to stay put and relax until the winds died down.

Later that evening, we decided to leave to drive the short distance to Anthony, New Mexico, where we stopped at the Welcome Center. Our trip across west Texas didn't take as long as expected...

Next stop---Arizona!

Enjoying Hill Country in Texas

Texas Hill Country is a popular destination on the weekends so we decided to visit more state parks to hike and geocache on Friday. Our first stop was Old Tunnel State Park. From May to October this park is home to bats. The tunnel was once used by steam engines to make the climb from southern Texas to Fredericksburg. Now, it is empty during winter months and filled with bats in the summer!

 Here we are on the trail between the upper and lower viewing areas. Only 250 people are allowed in to view the bats on a summer evening.

 One of our geocaching spots had a clue saying the cache was near Texas 'kitsch.' Well, we found it, the cache and the kitsch--a Lone Star Christmas Tree!

 The next stop for hiking and geocaching was Guadalupe River State Park. Due to the rains the weekend before, the trails had been closed to all traffic until the day we arrived and they were open to hikers only.

 We spent most of the late morning and early afternoon hiking and caching. The weather was beautiful and we enjoyed our time at Guadalupe River State Park. We never got close to the river while we were hiking! From Guadalupe, we went to Blanco, Texas, to Real Ale Brewery. Since it was Friday afternoon, the place was packed! Bob and I enjoyed a beer before heading back to the fairgrounds for the evening.

Saturday we spent walking and sightseeing in Fredericksburg. Admiral Nimitz's birthplace has an historical sign on a prominent street corner and The National Museum of the Pacific War is located across from the visitor's center.  The place was packed with tourists for the weekend and there is so much information that your ticket is good for three days! Outside is a memorial garden and a Japanese Peace Garden.

Sunday was a chore day. We did some grocery shopping and some cleaning of Sol, inside and out. Late in the day we ventured back into Fredericksburg to purchase some fudge to accompany the port we bought at the winery and to have a German pretzel at the brewery.

This was the most time we had spent in Fredericksburg during our travels and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Monday would be a travel day----time to see west Texas!

More of Fredericksburg, Texas and the Surrounding Area

Since we were only changing campsites in the same town, it didn't take us long to travel to our new site, get set up and continue our adventures. Gillespie County Fairgrounds is located near Fredericksburg's airport, south west of town. It is also in close proximity to Lady Bird Johnson's RV Park, Golf Course and Nature Area.

When we first arrived, we had the entire parking area to ourselves. The boondocking area is what would normally be the parking area during large events at the fairground.

 On Thursday we decided to head north to Enchanted Rock State Natural Area to do some hiking and geocaching. We had heard that the park fills quickly on the weekends so we chose a weekday to visit. On the way to the park, we saw signs that could be turned on to indicate the park was closed due to the number of visitors.

 Once we got our bearings and looked at the trails, we decided to hike the loop trail around Enchanted Rock. Enchanted Rock reminded us both of Stone Mountain in Georgia because it is a giant rock towering over the other rocks in the area. Unlike Stone Mountain, the only way to the summit is to walk.

 Behind Enchanted Rock we discovered Moss Lake.

 It was a beautiful, clear day for hiking and geocaching. We found most of the caches, but the Texas State Park Challenge Cache was missing.

 As we were searching for one cache, I had a run-in with a pencil cactus. It gets it name because the segments look like pencils. Well, as I pointed out where I thought a cache was located, I took my eyes off the ground and I walked right through the middle of the cactus. I thought at first that it was just a bush until I looked down and saw the segments attached to both my shins! They didn't hurt until I started pulling them out. Thankfully, Bob had his knife with the tweezers and I was able to get the worst of them out before we moved on.

 We had a great hike, but it was a hot day so we cleaned up and went to Fredericksburg Brewery. We had an early dinner and a couple of beers.

 All in all, it was a perfect day in Fredericksburg.

Heading to Fredericksburg, Texas!

Our next stop for several days would be Fredericksburg, Texas.  On our way to Fredericksburg, we stopped at Inks Lake State Park to do some hiking and geocaching. The park ranger allowed us to park Sol near the entrance station so we could hike Pecan Flats Trail. Yes, the trail was named for the pecan trees growing in the area. I stood on the rocks above Bob while he grabbed one of the caches.

From the top of the rocks I had a great view of the Inks Lake area.

 This trail was rockier than most we have hiked this trip. The trail blazes were painted on the rocks.

 As with any rocky area, there were some interesting formations.

 From the trail overlook we could see Inks Lake and the nearby dam.

After our lunch stop and hike, it was time to travel on to Fredericksburg where we would use our Harvest Host membership to boondock at Messina Hof Winery. There are several Messina Hof Wineries in Texas, this one specializes in port.

We stayed at Messina Hof for two nights. The winery was a good stopping place to visit LBJ's Ranch.
First we walked the area around the living history farm. There were deer everywhere we looked!

On the farm, this ram was resting near the pathway. He was very unconcerned as we approached.

 Near the farm was part of the working ranch which Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird left to the national park system. This photo of a long horn is deceptive. This guy's shoulder was as high as my shoulder and with his head, he was massive compared to other steers we have seen.

We enjoyed our walk around LBJ's ranch before driving to his ranch house to take the tour.

Just outside the ranch house was the hangar for Air Force One-Half, as LBJ nicknamed this plane.

We toured the house which is over 8500 square feet, before finding the geocache in the barbecue grove.

Then it was time to head back to the winery for one last visit to the tasting room. This is the extra bar that the staff use on the weekends when there are large crowds.

 We had a good time at the winery, but didn't want to out stay our welcome. We decided to move to Gillespie County Fairgrounds where we could boondock for several days and check out our solar panels. We have not boondocked more than two days anywhere since our trip to Smoky Mountains last September and it was still pretty hot, even in the mountains.  This would give us a chance to see how the panels would do under our normal boondocking conditions, but wait, the weather forecast says it is going to be 90 degrees! Oh, well, we are boondocking anyway!