Southwest Sun

Where did January go?  If you have been trying to Keep Up With the Jones’ RV, you better be moving with a purpose.  We finished up our annual doctors’ appointments in Auburn, AL Mid-January and headed west trying to escape the bitter cold front.  We made it as far as Twitley Branch CoE Campground near Meridian, MS before we stopped for three days and rode out the front.  Temperatures dropped to 12 degrees Farenheit (a new record for us in The Bus) and we received about an inch of snow.  Thankfully, we were able to get our AquaHot heating system serviced by Brannon Hutcheson (Custom RV in Vina, AL) the day after Christmas and this weather put it to the test.  The system worked great keeping us warm inside and in the basement.

After three days, the roads ahead to Shreveport, LA were open so we headed to Barksdale AFB, LA.  We stayed two nights then headed to Dyass AFB, TX where we enjoyed a nice TexMex dinner out.  From there we made it to Brantley Lake State Park near Carlsbad, NM.  We stayed four nights allowing us time to hike in the area and see Carlsbad Caverns.

We also took a day trip to Roswell, NM to check out the UFO Museum.  I have seen quite a few UFOs in my day, but none that I thought were from an alien culture (although these guys do look like some politicians I know).

Next stop was Holloman AFB, NM where we visited White Sands National Monument.  It was very interesting to learn about the wildlife that lives there.  We had fun hiking all around trying to identify various tracks in the sand.  Leaves blowing to and fro across the sand make some unique artistic markings as well. We also took a pretty drive up into the mountains to a community called Cloudcroft and had a wonderful BBQ lunch at Crazy Jacks. We arrived 1/2 hr before the restaurant opened and had to wait 45 minutes in line. They still had snow up in the mountains.

One cool thing about this monument, they let you walk as far as you want too.

Critter tracks!

After White Sands, we headed southwest to Fort Huachuca, AZ near Sierra Vista, Arizona and found they have an excellent FAMCAMP.  We visited the Fort's museum and learned its important history in settling the west and its role today in strategic communications.  We made time to wake up early to see the Super Blue Blood moon, what a pretty sight that was! We took a day trip to Tombstone, AZ (location of the famous Shootout at the OK Corral) and were happy the town has closed off and kept the old Main Street as original as possible.  We ate at Big Nose Kate's Saloon for lunch.  The food was awful, but the history was rich.

Men's Room Urinal at Big Nose Kate's
(Where else can you get this level of detail!)

Our basic plan to head west was to make it to Tucson, Arizona for some warm weather.  Apparently many others had the same idea because when we arrived at Davis Monthan, AFB near Tucson, they were full and we were placed in a overflow area with no hook-ups (Boondocking).  No big deal, if it is for a few days until a spot comes open.  Unfortunately since so many desirable southeastern RV locations suffered hurricane damage in 2017, more RVers headed west.  We visited the Pima Air Museum and drove around the outskirts of the USAF Boneyard.  This is truly an amazing place in aviation history. 

B-17 like the one Pattie's father flew in WWII

We took a drive out to the Saguaro National Forest and hiked a trail to an old limestone furnace.  The area was beautiful for us, but I bet the men who mined and worked the limestone back in the late 1800's hated it.

We also took a drive to old town Tucson and visited some artist shops and looked at many of the restored old houses. After five days boon docking at Davis Monthan, AFB, we decided that if we were going to boondock; it should be in a beautiful setting.  We found a nice regional park on Lake Pleasant northwest of Phoenix, AZ and reserved a few days with and without power and water.  This turned out to be an excellent location for hiking, off-roading, and visiting the Phoenix area, but that is another story.

Our Route West 2018

Thanks for keepingupwiththejonesrv!

RV tip:  Don’t jump into the physical stuff too quick when visiting a new location.  Your body is accustomed to certain plant life, temperatures, and altitudes.  Set-up camp and take a day to let your body adjust to a new environment before strenuous activity.