because I can.
After a couple of short trips, using covid precautions, I decided to change my layout in Rosie.
I purchased a Alpincool fridge and a Jackery500 for power. I have 10 gallons of fresh water and 5 gal grey.
Heading out for a few days and see how comfy she is.
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.
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.
October 2018
This place is HUGE.
I have to say I was a little overwhelmed at first so I just went straight to the main entrance. There are 173 developed campsites. 144 with w/e. 8 w/s/e. Primitive, boat in and beach camping.
My site was level and a picturesque.
I woke the first day to the sounds of Gambel Quail covey moving from one level to the next. They sound more like a prairie dog than a bird and I enjoyed their morning wake up calls daily since they don’t start till way after sun up.
I was also fortunate to be there during a full moon.
And a nice rain storm with extras.
On the way to Blanca, Co. back roads, of course, I came across the memorial to the Texas Cattle Drives on RT. 71 plenty of room to pull off and rest.
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I stopped off in Limon at the KOA to do laundry and dump and fill and then on down to LaJunta KOA which is right next to a Walmart Supercenter to stock up on groceries. I know what to expect at KOA when I need to get things done.
The drive from Lajunta to Walsenburg on Rt.10 is scenic, mostly ranch land.
Lathrop State Park on Hwy160 just outside Walsenburg is a great place to stop. E/W hookups and great views.
The mountain pass on Rt.160 is a gradual rise and descent and Matilda, I finally decided on a name for my bounder, had no problems at all.
The Blanca RV Park wound up being my home for a month and I enjoyed every day in this charming little town. My view out my front window was Mt.Blanca.
Be sure to put Blanca RV Park on your list if in the area. Full hookups are $30 a night also weekly and monthly rates available. Great WIFI and helpful managers. The owner is hands-on and is working on an expansion of 50/30 amp sites. Convenience store, propane and gas on site. Noisy during the day from Rt160 and a railroad track in the back but quiet at night.
July 2018
I had to leave Cheyenne; there is no room at the inn during Frontier Days if you haven’t booked it a year in advance.
I also received word that my toad is a total loss, so I have decided to not replace it for now. That means a lot more planning ahead than I had wanted to but this to I shall survive.
The Pawnee National Grasslands has a nice camping area Crow Valley Recreation area has level mostly shaded sites. Very quiet. No hookups, potable water, and a dump station.
Also a farm museum and interpretive center.
I took advantage of it and got some pictures of my newest Crocheted Shawl and Pin. Prairie Autumn.
I enjoyed my stay and now it’s time to move on.