Easin' Along

Helen, Mortimer, and I drove out of White Sands, NM, looking forward to our next home on the road less traveled. This would be our first opportunity on this trip to spend more than three nights in one location. In addition, we would spend seven nights at the Voyager RV Resort in Tucson, AZ, for some real “glamping.”

We have stayed here a couple of times previously, usually in a pull-through site in the middle of the resort. This time, however, we were escorted to one of two campsites located in one of the neighborhoods containing homes for permanent residents and part-time “snowbirds.” We were a little concerned at first, thinking we would prefer a pull-through site, but we soon learned how convenient our new home proved to be. We were across the street from the swimming pool, the pickleball courts, showers, and the laundry room. We were set up for a great week! Even grumpy ol’ Mortimer approved!

Campsite 01-243 was a tight one to back into while avoiding a huge Palm. It required several attempts, but I eventually got straightened out, and we settled in. For our first night in Tucson, we enjoyed a meal of Costco footlong hot dogs—a fave of mine!

Helen planned to join the pickleballers on the first morning, but arrived on the courts just as everyone was leaving. She soon learned that pickleball matches begin around 7 a.m and end at 9 a.m when the temperatures approach 90° and continue rising. We experienced temperatures above 100° while there. Helen played pickleball the next morning and for several days thereafter, making new friends in the process.

Adjacent to the pickleball courts was the swimming pool and aquatics area. I wanted a break from the heat, so I walked to the pool. A spirited game of water volleyball was underway in the exercise pool. I was not noticed. The pool felt great, but the sun felt fierce on the delicate skin of this Southern Snowflake. I covered up when lounging. The pool became my daily activity.

Helen’s new pickleball friends insisted that she join them for an aquarobics class one afternoon. She suited up, donned her cap, and hopped right in. According to Helen, Janice, the class instructor, was a pro. She brought music and a long list of exercises, which she led without a break. I walked over to see what was going on and made it in time to capture the action. I received a robust welcome.

During our stay, a Blue Moon came over the resort, and I did my best to record it. Below are photographs of our street in daylight and one of it during the Blue Moon. We only get these once in a Blue Moon (chuckle).

In addition to the Blue Moon, the Tucson sky offered up some awesome sunsets for our viewing pleasure. The second one shown here was taken on our last night, and I did not spend one second editing it. What you see is what I shot.

We really enjoyed our time at the Voyager Resort. We left relaxed and ready for another adventure. Next stop—Lost Dutchman State Park in Apache Junction, AZ. It holds beautiful surroundings, so please join us. We’re Easin’ Along.

Helen, Mortimer, and I drove northwest from Carlsbad to spend three days in White Sands, NM, at the Army’s White Sands Missile Range campground. We’ve been here before, and I’m not sure why we don’t camp here more on our trips to the West Coast. There are only eight campsites, but at $20 a night, White Sands is a bargain and rarely filled. Our home for the next three days would be campsite number three.

To the front of our campsite sits the towering Organ Mountain Range. We arrived in mid-afternoon, set up, and stared at the scenery. At dusk, the clouds hovered over the mountains, offering a very picturesque display to wrap up the day (pictured below.

White Sands National Monument is about 30 miles east of the Missile Range. Our second day was cloudy and somewhat windy, but Helen and I decided to visit anyway. The parking lot and Visitor Center were surprisingly crowded with tourists. After a short visit to the gift shop to stamp our National Park Passport, we drove through the gate, flashing our National Park Senior Pass.

The White Sand is actually gypsum, a component of drywall, that washes down from the mountains and is reduced to tiny grains by water and wind. A basin collects the gypsum and retains it in an area that resembles a huge beach or the result of a blizzard.

Helen and I drove the Loop Rd, which takes visitors through the National Monument. The wind picked up during the drive, blowing the sand around — now it really did look like we were in a snowstorm. I felt for the folks in the picnic area.

Near the end of the Loop, we parked in front of a large sandhill to watch kids and adults alike ride down the hill on sleds. It was slow sledding. Our visit didn’t take long, but we found it both interesting and enjoyable.

Our next stop is Tucson, AZ. We will step up our game there because we booked eight nights at an upscale RV Resort. Helen will meet you on the Pickleball court.

Please join us. We’re Easin’ Along.

From our campground at Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, LA, we drove into Texas. When we are driving to the West Coast, we usually take either I-40 or I-10 across this huge state, and that was our plan for this trip. In mid-route, we decided to change things up. We had never been to Carlsbad Caverns, so we took I-20 and headed for New Mexico.

We still had to cross Texas and make a few new reservations. After looking up campgrounds along I-20. We decided on two that were adjacent to the Interstate, with very sexy names, I might add. The first was Cowtown RV Park near Fort Worth. It was a nice campground; well-run and well-maintained. The second, Whip In RV Park in Big Spring, TX, was just a dirt-and-gravel parking lot. We gave it one night and moved on.

Helen and I were unable to make a reservation in the town of Carlsbad—probably because of Memorial Day travelers —but one very helpful campground manager suggested we try White City RV Park at the entrance to Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Space was available, and we booked it for three nights. It was another dirt-and-gravel parking lot next to a souvenir shop, grocery store, and a laundry room that was as affordable as any we’ve encountered. We would go exploring the next day and make a reservation for an 11:30 entry.

The National Park was short on Park Rangers, and no tour guide was available; we decided to go it alone and walked to the entrance—a massive opening. The journey to the bottom of the Cavern is a hike along a steep trail that descends 750 feet, the equivalent of 75 stories. There are innumerable switchbacks on the path that winds around the various formations. It wasn’t long before I became immeasurably impressed with Carlsbad Caverns.

The dummy that I am failed to bring a flash attachment for my Canon camera, so I put it in Auto ISO mode and snapped away. I was very pleased with most of the pictures. The crowd was light, and Helen and I walked slowly down the path, eventually reaching the bottom after a mile-and-a-half hike and an hour-and-a-half on the trail. My hips were screaming after all of the downhill walking. We took the elevator back to the top and decided to visit the Big Ballroom, the featured part of the Cavern, the next day.  Here are a few shots from day one.

My hips were still rebelling on day two, so we rode the elevator down to the bottom and walked to the trailhead at the Big Room entrance. It is another mile-and-a-half hike, covering an area the size of six football fields. Within the first few steps, I encountered the “WOW” factor. The enormity of the Big Room is stunning. There are beautiful and interesting structures at every turn. Stalagmites rising from the cavern floor meet up with stalagtites growing (very slowly) from the ceiling to form amazing columns of various sizes and textures. I couldn’t keep my mouth closed.

Carlsbad Caverns started as an underwater reef about 265 million years ago. Shifting tectonic plates around 15 million years ago continued the formation. About 4 million years ago, the Guadalupe Mountains uplifted, forming the cavern. The stalagtites and stalagmites began forming around 500,000 years ago. The result is a massive space filled with incredible natural art. I have often said that our National Parks are the greatest gifts we have given ourselves.

I took enough pictures to fill nearly an entire memory card, and have posted a few of the most unusual formations above. I have added a gallery of additional pictures below, and I hope readers will browse through them.

When we returned to our camper, I noticed a lone sheep at the top of the canyon overlooking our campground. About an hour later, I left the camper to take Mortimer for a walk. Across from our camper, a herd of about 50 Barbary sheep was grazing in what little green grass was there. Fearful that they would run away, Mortimer and I raced back to the camper, where I traded him for my camera. My fears were unfounded. The sheep paid little attention to me and came close enough for great shots. I love traveling through the West because the wildlife is so unique, and this experience is another example.

Up next for Helen, Mortimer, and me is White Sands National Park. We’ll be there for three days. Please join us. We’re Easin’ Along.