2DogsTravel

Howdy!

Hope all is well with you and yours. It’s been a while. Summer was a blessing and a curse: We received a wonderfully productive monsoon that blessed us with much needed rain, but the humidity! Oh my! The wind! Good grief! Our little Q Town got hammered with damage; trees down, trailers blown over, washes impassable. Tyson Wash on our end of town was closed four different times. They’d just get the mess cleaned up and holes patched and in would roll another storm …

But another summer is gone. Fall is here! Cool nights perfect for good sleep. Warm days perfect for getting caught up on all the things left undone during the heat of summer. THIS weather is why we desert rats stay.

I never did get those promised posts/photos on Mesa Verde National Park and the Aztec Ruins accomplished. The heat saps me of all ambition and I’ll just leave it at that. While the cost of everything has gone up, up, up The Chiweenie Brothers and I have resigned ourselves to the very real possibility that we may have to spend ANOTHER summer here on the homestead in 2023, but we’ll manage if that does happen. It’ll be ugly, but we are learning how to deal with it.

In the meantime, we’re hoping some very local mini adventures may be on our agenda and worthy of sharing with you, and it might be fun to relive some of our past travels and also share those with you. Not every one, of course, but those that were special in one way or another. Before we do that, though, here’s a run down on what’s been happening in our little piece of Arizona.

. One especially viscious monsoon thunder storm threw a bolt of lightning that must have been cloud to cloud and right above our kool cover. Close enough that the strike and the thunder were at the same instant and loud enough that it broke the ear drum of my left ear. It’s healed and no damage done, thankfully, but I think in future I’ll pass sitting out in the Arizona Room watching the storms.

It took four years, but I finally saved up enough moola to get the front of our lot fenced. It’s not completely finished yet, and I’ll spare you the details, but it will get done at some point and The Chiweenie Brothers will have more room, a safe area, to get in some good exercise.
The cacti and shrubs are looking fantastic after all the monsoon rain. 4 1/2 inches in total—the average is 4—and I have several big tubs filled with rainwater that was caught from roof runoff with which to pamper my potted plants and hopefully grow a few greens this winter.
I took and passed the ham radio test so now have a small handheld unit and am getting involved in the local ham club. We’ll be able to communicate if the grid ever goes down, and it will come in handy while traveling.
Fries had some trouble last year with a lump on his back and one under his right eyelid. The vet said they should go away after a round of antibiotics given when Fries’ foot became infected after stepping on a thorn from a fallen mesquite tree branch, but that both lumps would probably return. They did and Fries had surgery to remove both. Dr. Montgomery said the challazion under Fries’ eyelid was the biggest one he’d ever seen. Glad that’s gone. He was such a good patient. He didn’t paw at this eye much and couldn’t quite reach the stitches on his back so he wasn’t “coned” but for just one day. We’re both grateful for that! As you can see, not much happened this past summer. Too hot and humid and the littliest movement caused drenching sweat (YUCK!!), but we’re busy now that the weather is cool playing catchup. Best part was the visit from my oldest son and his lady the first part of November!

Happy trails and keep those tails wagging,

Shawna

Hello Again

July 2, 2022. Greetings from hot and humid Q! I imagine you have figured out that there will be no summer travel this year. Here we DON’T go again. Like many, gas prices are keeping our wheels from turning, and honestly it’s a bit depressing, but it is what it is so we’re making the best of it. Lots of hours spent by the cooler working on office-type stuff for me, lots of naps for The Chiweenie Brothers. They are already the most bored doggies in town.

The routine has become to be up very early before Mr. Sunshine even appears and get chores done. Once that sun is up and the day gets hotter (mid-80s and above are the night time lows) it’s impossible to do anything physical without becoming drenched in sweat. Icky!!

After the chores I have a cup or two of coffee then get by the cooler for the rest of the day. I’m not working on just one thing; going back and forth with a couple hours here, a couple hours there, then on to something else has worked out best. I tend to keep my head down and elbows up until something is finished, but these projects are too large and I think I will actually enjoy the process if I don’t work on each individual job straight through from start to finish. That’s the reasoning anyway.

One thing that has been sorely needed is time spent going through my files on the laptop and doing some housecleaning and organizing. I’ve ignored that mess for far too long.

Another project in progress is removing the blog posts from 2DogsTravel. Nope, not giving up the blog—we’ll eventually get back out there I hope–but it was getting too large and was going to cost me several hundred dollars to buy additional space. I still refuse to monitize it, so I figured by removing old posts I could basically just start all over with the amount of space and continue on.

The search feature on the blog doesn’t appear to have been used much, and with the ease of pulling up information on the internet kind of makes my search feature redundant. Of course, if you do have questions that are on a more personal experience basis, just give us a shout. I’d be happy to give you my opinions, experience, views on any place The Chiweenie Brothers and I have visited.

Our individual blog posts will be printed out, the coordinating photos found and prints made, and I will eventually have a nice printed record of our travels. I do have to say, the ones that have been completed have been so much fun to do. I am currently working on 2019, our New Mexico State Park circuit and it’s been like living it all over again. It has sure shown me how numerous the grammatical mistakes were when trying to get those posts on the blog when tired or whatever —- Editing one’s own work is not a good thing!

The other big project, or I should say a continuing project, is my family genealogy. I bought a six month subscription to Ancestry when they had a sale, and hit the jackpot after the first couple of days. One little piece of info got me past a brick wall, and I ended up being able to take my paternal grandmother’s line back six more generations. I’m going through printer ink like’s it a margarita printing out all those citations! LOL.

Back to the old blog posts. As I pull each post off the blog and place it in a word document I read it, of course, and fix all the errors. Then I go into my photo program and find the corresponding pictures to go with that particular blog post. The blog post is then printed, the photos needed to go with it are placed in a folder so I can order prints all at once when I get a half or the full year finished. The blog post and copies of the photos are then removed from my laptop and stored on a thumb drive. The only reason I am telling you all this boring stuff is that during this process I found the lost photos of the Aztec Ruins, Dawson Cemetery, Mesa Verde National Park, and our stay at El Vado and Navajo Lakes. They were tucked in a folder with the name El Vado and Black Eared Jack Rabbit. I can’t tell you how excited I was to find those photos. All this time I thought I had accidentally put them in the “trash” and they were gone forever. Soooooo…….

I am thinking this summer I am going to do re-posts of those trips that will include the photos and leave them on the blog until we get back to traveling then we’ll start anew.

Hope you have a fun, safe and sane Fourth of July. Let freedom ring!! Woof, woof from The Chiweenie Brothers and hugs from me.

Hippy Hole

New Years 2022 It’s back to the Cibola NWR area and a couple days with a friend, Jayne, and her giant sweet black dog, Rio, down from Canada for the winter.

Jayne has been to Hippy Hole before, but it’s new to me and The Chiweenie Brothers. Located a bit north of the refuge, Hippy Hole is a small BLM camping area with a few covered tables, a fire ring, and vault toilets. It sits on a small lagoon alongside the Colorado River and is so peaceful. An occasional vehicle rumbles by, but it’s not constant and not a bother.

We spend our days walking the dogs, playing card games, relearning how to play Mexican Train … and eating. Jayne fixed a scrumptious dish called Mission Shrimpossible, starring jumbo shrimp in a tomato sauce with zucchini and feta cheese served over rice. I made a salad and brought snacks and fixings for hot toddies when night descends and the wind blows. Yeah, it was pretty cold on New Year’s Eve. Just another reason to have another toddy! Cheers!

Birds are plentiful and a joy to watch from our respective vehicles in the cold mornings. Egrets, a great blue heron, many coots, a pair of grebes that were too quick to photograph, and two pair of American white pelicans. The pelicans flew off at one point, but one pair came back soaring low, extending their ‘landing gear’ and gliding silently onto the water. Of course, I didn’t have my camera ready. A Flock of sandhill cranes flew over in the early morning on New Year’s Day.

HAPPY NEW YEAR from Hippy Hole!
Thanks for stopping by 2DogsTravel. We’re so glad you are here.

The wind blew all night beginning New Year’s Eve and by noon on January 1, 2022 it hadn’t let up. We decided to call it a wrap. Fun while it lasted!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! Stay safe, be happy, and make 2022 one to remember.

Thanks for stopping by 2DogsTravel. Hugs, Shawna

Current Read: Her Perfect Family by Teresa Driscoll. Having trouble getting through this book. It’s a good read, just a lot to do around the ol’ homestead.

Catching Up

Hello Friends! With the COVID-19 lurking around and people being asked to self isolate I thought this would be a good time to get caught up on 2DogsTravel.
Since finding this bugger Snake in my little home this past fall and having it removed by a couple of our wonderful fire department personnel (THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!) things pretty much went down hill.

Thanksgiving and Christmas were uneventfull except for the morning lows in the mid-20s for a week between Christmas and New Years. Another reason to be thankful that I have a warm(er) place to hunker down in the Arizona Winter.
Welcoming in 2020 we were delighted with this fabulous sunset

Sunset, New Year’s Day 2020

Gotta love Arizona sunsets.
Late January brought news that my SIL, Karen, had been hospitalized diagnosed with myeloma. That on top of diabetes and Parkinson’s. To her credit she had agreed to the bone marrow testing; she is not one who can handle much pain so this really surprised me. She had lived with her sister in Oregon for the past two years since my brother passed, and Sharon was her primary care giver. I will be eternally grateful for this.

To make a long agonizing story shorter, she was finally sent home. Weak, discouraged, and with the knowledge that she would be taking chemo for the rest of whatever her life span would be, Karen decided that the treatments, constant doctor’s appointments, and continual tests were too much. She decided to let nature take its course and requested that all her meds to be withheld including her diabetes medications. That, of course, put her into a diabetic coma and in less than two days she was released from her torment and went home to be with her Lord.
Ten days later I got a call from my niece that it was time to come say goodbye to my sister. Edie had been in rehab, again, to try and get her up and walking after yet another hospitalization in December. She came down with pneumonia on top of her CHF, years with COPD, and several bouts with sepsis. She continued to decline in hospital and come to the point of not being able to swallow amongst other various ailments. The doctors said she would never make it out of hospital and she didn’t.
I made the fastest trip ever to California (Hey, I could still be a truck driver if I wanted to . . . at least for a couple of days!).

One of us was with her 24/7 until she took her last breath at 9:30 a.m. February 27th. I stayed for a couple more days to help as I could and to visit with my sons before making a mad dash for Arizona before an incoming storm arrived.

The Chiweenie Brothers and I didn’t quite make it ahead of the storm and it was a snowy drive higher up on Hwy 44 near Lassen Park, but we came out the other side just fine and didn’t hit snow again until near Mammoth Lakes on Hwy 395 where the worst of this section of the highway was starting, but it wasn’t too bad.

Some shots taken with my phone on the trip back.
Mono Lake March 2020 MONO LAKE
The halfway point in our trip is right about Lone Pine, CA Where we spent a very brutal, cold night in the Alabama Hills. The wind coming off Mt. Whitney and surrounding Sierra Nevada made it feel like my hands were going to fall off and permanent grimace left on my face when we got parked for the night and The Boys needed their evening potty walk. I was so glad to have dug through a couple of my storage bins while in Redding and had brought my sleeping bag back with me.

A cold-but-windless morning presented a beautiful dawn creeping over the horizon.

Alabama Hills March 2020 Dawn is Breaking

Sunrise Alabama Hills March 2020
And this interesting little dinosaur, eh?
Alabama Hills Dinosaur Graffiti
A stop at McD’s for coffee and The Chiweenie Brothers and I head for the barn. I was feeling a bit off, but was determined to get back to our little desert hideaway.

Back in Arizona The Boys relax after racing around their tiny back yard trying to get some of that pent up energy burned off.

I am totally exhausted and don’t even bother with unpacking the car.

Thank you for stopping by 2DogsTravel. Hugs, Shawna

DOG PARKS

GENERAL INFORMATION REGARDING DOG PARKS

Dog parks are a wonderful creation! The Chiweenie Brothers LOVE their time at the various parks we run across in our travels.

If you are not familiar with treating your fur babies to some off-leash fun time and socializing with other canines, here are a few tips and “rules”.
Dog parks require that you pick up after your dog. Many even supply the bags so there’s no excuse for not picking up the poop! Most dogs will run around for just a few minutes before they do their duty so watch them closely for the first few minutes and you will have that task out of the way! Poop can transmit diseases, it draws flies, and stinks. Who in the heck wants their dog (or yourself!!) stepping in it or your pal ROLLING in it? PICK IT UP. It’s YOUR responsibility. I am sounding harsh here, but not picking up number two is the NUMBER ONE complaint of visitors to the dog parks and those out boondocking.

Your dog should be leashed entering and exiting the park. Keep in mind a lot of dogs are reactive when leashed, but will settle down once inside the park and off leash. They’re going to sniff the other dogs and the other dogs are going to sniff them. Let them; that’s what dogs do. If the ‘sniff-ee’ doesn’t like it they let the ‘sniffer’ know. This, too, is normal and doesn’t necessarily mean there’s going to be a fight.

If your dog is aggressive please do not take it to a dog park. Dogs can and do get into small skirmishes when getting acquainted and establishing their pecking order. This is normal. Don’t rush in too fast, but do keep an eye on them to make sure it doesn’t escalate, but if you know your dog is aggressive do not take him to the park! If it hurts another dog you will be accountable for the vet bill.
Normally parks do not allow puppies under six months of age, unvaccinated animals, females in heat, and unneutered males. Even if this isn’t posted, please don’t take these animals to the park. These are common sense regulations that may not have occurred to you, but it is in everyone’s best interest to abide by these rules

.
Many—but not all— dog parks have a double entrance/exit gate system to prevent escapees when coming and going. Open the outer gate and close it behind you before unleashing your dog. Open the second gate and let them enter the park. Reverse this order when leaving. Dogs are going to rush over, many barking in happy anticipation, to greet the new arrival. If you are the one already in the park it’s nice if you walk over and help the new arrival get into the park. Some dogs and many owners are a bit fearful when faced with the welcoming committee so it’s nice to lend a helping hand.
No special toys or dog treats should be taken to the park. There’s potential for problems so leave special toys home and only take treats if you can keep them on your person and don’t mind having other dogs wanting you to share or jumping all over you. Tennis balls or similar are usually a good toy, but if you do take a ball or any other toy and it causes a problem please remove it. Don’t be surprised if other dogs who love to chase ball want in on the fun.
Keep in mind the dog park is not a good place for training to take place unless it is socialization. You put your dog at a disadvantage when you try to train in the park where there are so many distractions. The park is a public place and if it’s empty when you get there it won’t be for long. No one is going to give up their dog’s play time for you to train, and you shouldn’t expect them to.
Don’t complain about barking at the park. They’re dogs. They bark. Your dog may not be a barker, but some are. Let dogs be dogs in this place.
Dog parks are great places to meet people and make new friends. Enjoy the company of the other dog owners at the park, but be sure and keep an eye on your fur baby and be aware of what’s happening.
Your dogs are going to love you for giving them the freedom to run and interact with other dogs!

And lastly, LEAVE NO POOP BEHIND!!!
I will be making a list of the dog parks we encounter during our travels and updating as needed. You can find this in the sidebar where I list the meteor shower schedule for the year, books I especially liked, and our bucket list.
THANKS FOR VISITING 2DOGS!!! Guess where we’re going? Yep, the dog park in Q. Bark, woof, wag!

Marana Dog Park, Saguaro National Park

November 6, 2017. With mail in hand we grab a block of ice and head out taking 87 south and catching I-10 east to find the dog park in Marana, AZ. I love my GPS! This girl would be lost, literally, without it. I’m a right and left kinda girl; this go north, south, east or west kind of stuff confuses the heck outta me. With the GPS I have to deal with none of that, although I only use it for city/main road driving. I do not rely on it for any of this boondock stuff where you could end up, well, in the boondocks but not in the spot you were expecting.

I easily find the park and the boys have some fun. A lot of fun!!!

Once the boys have worn themselves completely out we head out towards the west side of Saguaro National Park.

We find a boondock* site in The Ironwood Forest to spend the night and then we are off on Hwy 86 toward Ajo. I was not looking forward to this drive as it looked on the map to be pretty desolate, but we were surprised.

Thanks for joining us! Hugs, Shawna

*For those who may be unfamiliar with the term “boondock” (also called, in more genteel terms, dispersed camping) it’s a camp made on BLM public lands or other places that have zero amenities. No water, no toilets, no tables, no nothing. Maybe a rock fire ring, but that would be a luxury site. 🙂

Oak Flat C. G.

October 31, 2017. From Gila Box we head northwest on Hwy 70 to Globe. A planned stop and camp near Pinal Pass is nixed as I can’t find the BLM office and the sign pointing toward the area took me into a residential area. It’s me, not them, but I decided I was too stressed driving through the traffic in Globe (which is a cute little town, by the way) to spend any more time looking. It’s getting a bit late in the afternoon anyway and the decision is made to travel on.

By sheer luck I was looking in the right spot at the right time and spy a campground sign between the little towns of Miami and Superior on Hwy 60. We pull in seeing these brush teepees on the left. This sweet little campground was not on my map, so I am thrilled to have found it. Honestly a lot of these little places aren’t on the map I have!!

It’s a free campground with minimal amenities. We find a suitable site and settle in for the night. Around 2:00 a.m. the boys go nuts and a peek out the door reveals the silhouette of a very large wild pig. I shine the flashlight at him its eyes glow green, and he wanders off.

Being very curious about the area I look up some information. There is an on-going controversy between mining interests who want to privatize Oak Flat and the surrounding area so the copper can be mined, Native Americans who claim it is a sacred site and want it closed to the public, other Native Americans who claim it is not a sacred site, and outdoor enthusiasts who want to keep the area accessible for their activities.

We stay two nights here and leave midmorning, November 3rd, heading toward Florence, AZ. The drive takes us along the Gila-Pinal Scenic Route and it doesn’t disappoint. Devil’s Canyon is gorgeous and the bridge over Queen Creek is high … I did not get a photo of the bridge; no place to stop.

Thanks for coming along on our big adventure. “See you” in a few days! Hugs, Shawna

CAMP AMENITIES
Water: No Garbage: No
Bathrooms: Vault Electricity: No
Tables: Yes Shower: No
Fire Pit: Yes BBQ: No, but there’s a grate over the fire pit
# of Sites: 16 Fee: Free
Other: Elevation is 3900 Ft, open all year, pets need to be kept on leash or restrained. There is an area suitable for group camping. Trailers over 30 feet not recommended.

Riverview Camp Ground, Gila Box

October 30th and 31st
It’s an easy, early trip from Bowie to Safford, AZ where we find a Wally and get supplies, and finally, finally find block ice! Walmart didn’t have it, but there is an “ice house” (that’s what the clerk calls it) next door and she assures me they have it.
Supplies bought and put away, the clean cube ice now in liquid form, is drained out of the water container that I cut the lid off of to hold the bagged ice is poured into a drinking water container. The block ice is put into the now empty ice container and we are off to the Riverview Camp Ground in the Gila Box Reparian Conservation Area.

One small sign obviously wasn’t enough. They added another, bigger one!

It’s quite a drive, not in miles, but in pucker factor. The last few miles are still paved road, but it is winding, one lane, oh-my-gosh-it-looks-like-they-have-had-a-serious washout-can-I-make it, 15% grade in places, praying-no-one-comes-along-in-the-opposite-direction kind of road. We make it, but BOY HOWDY!!!

Expecting trees I am dismayed to find they are along the river, of course, that is down in the canyon where no camping is allowed. It’s a pretty view, though.
I choose a campsite and walk up to the iron ranger and pull out my checkbook, paying for two nights. $5 per night is the fee, but it’s half price with a senior pass.

We may or may not stay additional time. The temps and internet availability will decide that for us. Although they have covered picnic tables, fire rings, BBQs, potable water, and very clean pit toilets, parking in the sun can make for very uncomfortable van temps that take forever to cool down even after dark.

Discovering there is no internet or cell service I get a lot done in the van over our two-day stay: inside blackout inserts removed and replaced with lace curtains, doubled for more privacy. I like this a lot better. I will keep the inserts to use to cover windows from the outside to keep the van cooler. I also shore up the drawer unit where the passenger seat used to be—the boys sit on the top while we are traveling—as it has shifted with all the rough road and steep grades we’ve driven on since driving in the desert southwest.

I also decide to keep the camp chair with its fold-down side table inside and open. A one-drawer plastic storage unit fits perfectly underneath and extra water jugs along the side between chair and bed. It’s easily lifted up to take outside when I want to do that, and the drawer underneath can be pulled out to take out to the table.

I put clear mailing tape on the rare earth magnets that I use to keep the outside window covers in place. They are strong enough to put blood blisters on one’s fingers if you lose your grip while trying to pull them apart, and the tape tabs seem to not only prevent that but also makes them much easier to pull away from the van when it’s time to remove the covers.

Having a place to sit and being able to see out when we are stuck inside due to the wind wreaking havoc with my sinuses or if a storm blows through will make those situations a whole lot nicer to deal with.

The campground is nicely maintained and there are lots of little rock-lined trails kept nice and tidy. I couldn’t find the camp host when I thought about asking who did all the rock work, but I would imagine it was a civic group or perhaps some inmates. In any case it’s looks very, very nice.

On our last evening in this camp we are rewarded with a very nice sunset. And perhaps a little Halloween treat —- can you see the dog in the sky? Or perhaps it’s a hound from the Baskervilles …

Thanks for stopping by 2DogsTravel. Hugs, Shawna

CAMP AMENITIES
Water: Yes Garbage: Yes
Bathrooms: Vault toilets Electricity: No
Tables: Yes, with shade covers Shower: No
Fire Pit: Yes BBQ: Yes
# of Sites: about 15 with lots of space between Fee: $5 per night, half that with senior pass
Other: Nice walking trails, nice view, very steep downhill grade to get to this camp. The camp host had a large trailer, but honestly I would be very cautious if it were me towing that big thing down this road

Indian Bread Rocks

October 27th, 2017. Deciding to move on we leave Lordsburg, NM and cross into Arizona. A search on freecampsites.net showed a BLM recreation site near Bowie and that’s where I point Freedom’s nose; westward on I-10.

Exiting the freeway at Bowie we pass through the north side of town and travel through pistachio orchards heading toward the Ft. Bowie Historical Site.

Following the directions given on Freecampsites.net we take a right onto Happy Camp Road. It’s dirt and a bit rough, washboard style. I drive slow. A small motor home passes us heading in the opposite direction and they wave and smile so I know if they can make it so can we, and we travel on. Seems like a long ways out but in reality it’s only a couple of miles.

There is no one at the picnic area and no signs saying no camping so, liking the idea of a table and shade (only shade around!!) I set up camp: Swing away hitch tray moved to the side, solar panel taken out of the back of the van and plugged in, reflectix window covers set up as it looks like the afternoon sun will shine directly onto us despite the large shade tree.

No sooner am I set up and ready to do a walkabout with the boys than a couple from North Carolina pulling a small camp trailer come up asking if we are staying for the day or …. They want my campsite! When I tell them we are staying the man looks a teeny bit put out, but the woman is chatty and we introduce ourselves, discovering they, like me and the boys, are full-timing. Full-timing meaning we live and travel full-time.

We chat a bit more, learning they are heading to Q for the winter also. They decide to set up camp a little farther north.

The area has some terrific topography.

As interesting as the area is, being hot and tired and sick of stewing in my own sweat for days on end I consider moving on tomorrow, but the night cools down into the 40s and I sleep like a log. I can deal with the day’s heat if it cools down at night, so we will stay until we are forced to leave when our water runs out.

Saturday, October 28, 2017. The morning is crisp and cool and after the boys are fed and do their potty thing, they want back inside to snuggle under the covers. Too cold for The Chiweenie Brothers! These boys like heat! Charlie sticks his head out every once in a while to check the temperature, but Fries is just a lump under the covers. He DOES NOT like to be cold–ever! When I pull back the covers this is the look I get!

Today I will research where to go next,. I am thinking north instead of west since higher altitude sounds better than still-hot summer on the route I originally planned. I don’t want to arrive in Quartzsite (Q for short) before the lovely winter temps settle in.

I am having a hard time adjusting to the “I-don’t-have-to-be-anywhere-at-a-certain-time” routine now that I am officially retired, but I’ll get there! Learning to slow down has been hard.

The soft light of early morning gives a warm glow to the rocks surrounding the area.

As I sit writing this, Burger, sleeping in the front and The Chiweenie Brothers snug under the covers, these little guys visit camp.

October 30, 2017. A planned hike into the Ft Bowie Historical Site is nixed as it’s farther than I thought and I don’t think Burger could make the three mile round trip. Off we go to the next camp, and on the way out the boys spy these guys along the road. Biggest dogs they’ve ever seen! LOL!

DSC_0057 (1)

Thanks for stopping by 2Dogs! Hugs, Shawna

CAMP AMENITIES
Water: No Garbage: Yes, there’s a can in the picnic area
Bathrooms: Yes, vault toilet Electricity: No
Tables: In picnic area only Shower: No
Fire Pit: Rock rings BBQ: In picnic area
# of Sites: At least 6 close to picnic area, others farther away Fee: None
Other: Small trailers easily fit, larger ones may be hard to turn around. Watch for big holes and dips in some of the camping spots. The road in is very dusty.

Lordsburg, NM

VETERANS PARK
October 24, 2017. I am a bit weary of fighting constant wind while driving, and I am sure the other vehicles on the highway are tired of me creeping along. I decide to stay a few days at the Veterans Park in Lordsburg, NM. It has no amenities other than covered picnic tables, a BBQ , and large garbage bins. There are some water spigots for watering the trees, and I utilize it, but boil it good before using as there are no signs saying it’s potable. I would think they would post that it is not potable, but I don’t want to take a chance.
It’s lovely that they honor the brave men and women who have served our country.

The area could use some cleanup, but I am grateful for a chance to park for a few days and catch up on the blog, do some reading, and to do a little reorganizing inside the van. Reorganizing is an ongoing process!

October 25th. The wind continues to blow and has my sinuses clogged keeping me inside again other than the necessary walks the boys need. Internet is good and we will stay another day before continuing our westward progress.

HAPPY VETERAN’S DAY TO THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN WHO GAVE UP A PART OF THEIR LIVES TO SERVE OUR COUNTRY. As Billy Cyrus said about servicemen: ALL GAVE SOME, SOME GAVE ALL. Thank you for your service!

I am starting a new feature on the blog and please let me know if it is helpful or not. It will be a compilation of the different things offered at campsites we use.

2Dogs thank you for your loyal readership.

CAMP AMENITIES
Water: Yes Garbage: Yes
Bathrooms: No    Electricity: No
Tables: Yes, shaded    Shower: No
Fire Pit: No    BBQ: Yes

Fee: Free
# of Sites: About 15 with the above, and also areas to park that don’t have the tables or BBQs.

Please be courteous and respectful of your neighbors when camping. Pick up your trash and clean up after your dogs. Dogs, as in all group areas anywhere, need to be leashed/restrained at all times. Leave your site better than you found it. Purchase a few things in town. This is especially important when your site is free.