This has been an odd year for our local school district and for various reasons we were given TWO weeks for spring break instead of one. With all that time we opted to take two shorter camping trips with our break. The first week we had four of us and the second week we added our college student to make five. We also had the joy of trying out our “new-to-us” trailer.
Some of you are aware that Dan’s father passed away over three years ago. Dan’s parents were avid RVers. Shortly after his death our oldest and his family needed a short term living option for their nine month schooling in Arizona. Dan’s mom allowed them to take the trailer for that time. Once it came back to her she knew she would never use it again so she gifted it to us this past summer. It took us some time to get it serviced and repair some minor issues. It was ready to travel by spring break.
We decided to take it out for the first time for two quick trips to some state parks in New Mexico. One was about 90 minutes away and the other was about 2.5 hours away. We learned some things about the trailer and discovered some new things we need to have serviced before a longer trip. It takes some time to get used to a new trailer and all the things involved with using one regularly. We are building our system for prepping for travel, meals, packing, docking, setting up, hooking back up, working all the systems with water, gas, electricity, etc.
We have had several discussions over the last few weeks about living in the trailer for longer periods of time once retirement is a more real thing for us. I know my husband “retired” from the public school system but he still works 6 days a week with our church and a part time job at a local Christian school so we are not really retired as a couple, yet.
Here is a quick look at the new place. Pictured is the living space and a section of the kitchen. There are also a bathroom and a sleeping area. It is pretty luxurious for us after that tiny trailer we had before and all the tent camping we did for years with the kids. I feel quite spoiled and very grateful to my MIL!
We visited a “new to us” park for our first outing and a very familiar “scouting” favorite for our second.
Pancho Villa State Park, NM
This is the first park we visited. It was a little over an hour away from home for us. It is an historic park right on the border of NM and Mexico. Yes, you can see the “wall” from the park but it is at a good distance and does not hinder any views or desert enjoyment. It is a great place to explore desert wildlife, flora and fauna and a great place for those who enjoy “birding.” It is a super clean camping facility with hook ups, primitive camping, and boondocking sights. There is a full shower and toilet facility on the property.
It is close to the state park if you like exploring and there is a museum and historical information if you are a history buff. This happens to be the last site in the United States that was breeched by aggressive invaders and is an historic US Air Force site that was built to protect the border from further invasion. There is a little grocery store and community within walking distance and it is now a destination that we have added to our “quick getaway” list.
City of Rocks State Park, NM
The City of Rocks, NM is close to Silver City, NM. It is a fascinating geological phenomena. As you drive in you are moving over flat desert ground and hills and then all of a sudden there is the amazing mile of rock formations in the middle of nowhere. It is a sight to behold. We have made many trips to this area over the years with cub scouts and boy scouts as our children grew up. It is still one they request visiting when we mention camping trips.
The kids took tents for this one and we did a 4.5 mile hike on the Wednesday we were there. This is also a big “birding” and desert wildlife area. We heard coyotes in the middle of the night and happened to be camping there just before the Full Worm Moon (the last full moon of winter). We got some lovely photos while we were there. Emily is an amateur photographer so she got to do some cool experimenting with her camera and newer zoom lens she got for Christmas.
We had a few issues with battery power and will probably need to replace them before our next outing. We also got to talk with a few other campers about their solar power setups and now I am researching some more “green” boondocking and off-grid options.
There is still a lot to learn on this new adventure but I am fully invested in doing the work. I guess this means that we are RVer’s now… glamping is my new passion. LOL Stay tuned for more adventures as we explore this new “hobby.”
Until next time,
Happy Adventuring!
~Leann
Some Days There's Pie 