I recently found information that my birth father Charles F Bruce was buried in Biloxi National Cemetary in Biloxi MS.
So off I went back to the land of humidity.
I found a death notice and where he lived and what I thought was his grave but, someone else was buried there. He had been moved six years after he was buried, as of now I still haven’t found out who moved him or where he is buried.
What makes this strange is my adopted Dad was also moved. A psychiatrist would probably tell me that I married 5 times looking for my daddy, I don’t plan to marry again but I am still looking for my daddy.
So I headed home with a freezer full of Cajun seafood.
Most of the rest of my trip was uneventful till I hit Junction TX and the Junction City Park. I planned on a nap and wound up spending the night.
Llano River
If you can get a spot near this dam sleep is easy.
And it’s free, no hook ups.
To get off I-10 I took the Sheffield Loop exit to Hwy 90 which took me through Marathon, Alpine and Marfa to Van Horn. It is a good highway and very scenic.
Sheffield Loop picnic areaValentine Texas
From Van Horn to home
Gualdalupe Peak
And more heritage. My grandmother taught school in the late 1920’s on a ranch in Orange NM and would often go down to Salt Flat Cafe and motel for entertainment. My mother had some neat pics of her in front of the motel in her flapper dress, most of the motel part is gone and the cafe is now closed.
Salt Flat Cafe and motel.
One more side trip. Hueco Tanks is a must see archological site. These pics are just a tease till I go back.
There was so much destructive graffiti that they now limit the amount of people in the park. You can make reservations at the Texas State Parks website.
Just a short trip to test out my new Jackery 500 power station and Alpicool fridge. Which I recommend highly. I kept the jackery plugged into a 12v plug that is only powered when the engine is running and then the fridge (which I set to eco/save) to the jackery. Running overnight the Jackery never went below 85%, the night was cool, so the next trip will tell if it works harder.
Night one free at Whitewater Draw in McNeal AZ. I have lived in places with a lot of birds my whole life but this blew me away and most of them had already left.
Sand Hill CranesIt’s a party.
No need for an alarm, the noise builds as the sun comes up and then they are off for breakfast.
Day and Night 2.
In 1999 I had a cerebral aneurysm while doing a show in Phoenix AZ and upon waking up my late husband Ron and I made a pledge that we would never put off seeing something along the way again. So we went to Tombstone on the way to our next show, I was kind of out of it on medication so it went on a bucket list to do again. Before he passed away he told me to finish the bucket list. I already ticked off Quartzite so Tombstone was next.
There are two lots for overnight parking behind the courthouse, cars, and vans in the second lot for $5 the first lot is car day use and RVs in the lot at the bottom of the street for $10.
Fremont Street
This shot was taken early in the morning before the crowds.
Day 3 Bisbee and Cochise Stronghold.
What a neat town and I can’t wait to return. The museum and other venues I wanted to see were not open till the weekend so I have to go back.
This is what greeted me outside the museum.
Malachite/AzuriteDowntown
The sign along I-10 for the Cochise Stronghold has always stirred the imagination.
First and foremost do not follow Google maps follow the road sign.
I had intended to stay the night at the stronghold, but a recent fire due to camper negligence reduced the camping area and I got there late so it goes back on the list and I get back on the Interstate heading home to get my jab..
Next trip next month to find my fathers grave in Mississippi.
Leasburg Dam State Park just north of Las Cruces NM sits above the Rio Grande with great views of the Organ Mts. and surrounding hills.
The trails are easy and plentiful through the whole park.
A word of advice e/w spaces 25-29 is right next to a railroad track that is busy. As in 4:00 AM busy. It doesn’t show on the map of the park.
Percha Dam State Park
Another nice park on the Rio Grande River with easy access.
Rio Grande River
Right after taking this photo a huge Bass jumped, I sat with camera ready till it got dark but he must have been camera shy, never jumped again.
Both parks have a lot of Humming birds.
Hummer nest in Mulberry Tree.
The Rio Grande River Trail goes from north of Elephant Butte to Las Cruces and beyond. I took the picture of the nest along the trail north of the dam, I would probably not have seen it if I hadn’t been noshing on Mulberries, took me back to my childhood. The trail was blocked by debris just north of the area.
I spent 10 days at Percha Dam and except for the weekend, the park is quiet with a really nice bird alarm clock in the morning.
Pancho Villa State Park has a great museum on the history of the area and 63 camping sites. 30 and 50 amp, E/W and water only and tent sites are available.
If you plan on spending time in New Mexico the state park pass is a bargain, out of state visitors pay $225 for a year and only $4 for e/w, $8 for full hook ups and $0 for boon-docking sites. You can stay up to 14 days. I have stayed at 2 parks so far this year and my pass is half paid for.
Campground
Coote’s Hill looking towards Columbus
The pioneer museum in the old depot admission is by donation and worth it.
Make sure you stop by the Patio Cafe for breakfast or lunch homemade food at its best.
This is what I found exploring.
highway art
forgotten shrine
I was anxious about going into Mexico by myself , so I reread a book that everyone, woman or man, who travels alone should read.
Fear Less vs Fearless The Journey of a Lifetime by Malia Miles Lane. Available on Amazon.
Palomas Mexico is 3 miles south of Columbus and the only 24hr border crossing in New Mexico. If you don’t want to drive in to Mexico there is a pay lot $5 or you can park at the Family Dollar like the locals do for free, a purchase would be a nice thing to do.
Pancho Villabehind the Pink Storemore behind the Pink Storein front of the Pink Store
I got a free eye exam and got new glasses ( no line Varilux) for under$150.
I walked around town and had lunch at the Pink Store and 2 hours later picked up my glasses.
a beautiful parkcolorful stores
art in Dr.Garcia’s office.
I had a wonderful day in Mexico and plan on returning to Columbus.
Sunrise through my windsheildPalomas from the campground at night.
I stayed during the “Bomb Cyclone”, don’t you just love all the new words for bad weather.
I bought an Annual Camping Pass $225 for out of state which allows me to stay for free if I don’t want hook ups or $4 for w/e and $8 for full h/u where available. So this 10 day stay was free.
Oliver Lee Memorial State Park is 12 miles south of Alamogordo NM and is a beautiful place on the edge of Dog Canyon. Plenty of hiking and history.
Dog Canyon
The story of Oliver Lee depends on who is telling it. He was a rancher and maybe a bit of an outlaw. He did have a really cool ranch house, which you can tour. The restored home is full of period pieces from the area and the self-guided tour of the grounds will show you ranch life in the desert.
All of the campsites are on the hillside and mostly level with picnic tables and fire rings. Every site has a great view.
Out of the 10 days, most were windy and overcast. The day of the bomb produced a full 24hrs of wind and a little hail.
It is almost always windy in the valley so keep that in mind when parking on a hillside, orient your rig facing north or south, out of 10 days I only had 1 day of winds from the west that really rocked me.
This was also my first time using my solar more than just a day or two, everything worked perfectly and considering the amount of time it was overcast I had no problems.
