From Hueco Tanks, we drove over to Las Cruces, NM. We had done part of this drive a few spring breaks ago, so it felt familiar (a rare feeling on this trip!).
We stayed at the KOA so we could get some laundry done and take legit showers. They also had coffee and baked goods available every morning! We were planning on just staying 2 nights, but because of predicted high winds, we decided to stay an extra night.
The first day we were there we did some organization and laundry in the morning before heading down into Las Cruces. We also tried not to get blown away with the crazy winds that were happening. The amount of dust obscured our view of the Organ Mountains to the east. The wind was a little less crazy down in town (the campground is up on a hill outside of town) and eventually died down while we were there.
First, we stopped for groceries and a new camper tire (pre-emptive, no disaster). Next, we stopped at the National Chile Pepper Institute of New Mexico State University where they study and propagate many chile peppers. Then, we visited the Zuhl Museum on New Mexico State University’s campus. It was a super impressive collection of petrified wood, minerals, gems, dinosaur bones, etc. Definitely worth the stop! Finally we went to La Posta de Mesilla, now an historic and famous restaurant, whose location is where Billy the Kid and others were known to hang out at. We enjoyed good Mexican food – especially their fried ice cream! (Thanks for the recommendation, Chris!)
The next day was school and more ‘repacking of the boats’ (our term from the Lewis and Clark expedition signs in Chamberlain, SD for getting ready for the next section), and trying not to get blown away again.
We got up early the following day in hopes of getting most of our driving in before it got too windy. Luckily, we were only driving about 3 hours to Willcox, AZ. And even with many signs along the way that said, “Dust storms may exist” and “What to do in a dust storm”, we made it safely there without any dust storms. There was some wind, so our gas mileage was not great, but at least we didn’t get swept away!
In Willcox we stayed at another Harvest Host location – the Cattlerest Saloon and RV Park! After we got set up, we all went to the saloon for drinks – Claire and Reece had Sprite and root beer and were told explicitly that they could NOT sit at the bar. We had nice conversation with the several locals that were there, played some shuffleboard, and the kids practiced some pool.
We decided to boondock for a second night at the saloon, so we left the camper in the parking lot and headed to our intended destination – Cochise Stronghold. It’s a rock formation known for its climbing. It’s also a natural formation where a Native American chief (and his tribe?) holed up for 12 years. It’s like a natural fortress with high rock walls surrounding an area of springs and trees, etc.
The drive there took us through several large pecan(?) orchards – they were expansive! We arrived and discovered the approach was a short, flat walk to the outside of the formation. We did a couple climbs and were joined by a couple from the UK. It was a pretty perfect day to be there. Then, after lunch we hiked into the stronghold itself. Really amazing.
Before we returned to our camper for the night, we stopped by the sandhill crane overlook in town. It’s one of the migration spots for the sandhill cranes! There were SO many cranes. We’re assuming the same sandhill cranes that also frequent San Luis Valley in CO and Kearney, NE?!
The next day we enjoyed sweet beverages from a local coffee shop and breakfast burritos from a local food truck. A tasty way to start the day!
From there we drove over to the Titan Missile Museum just south of Tucson. It is the last remaining missile silo from the Cold War Era. We did a tour underground and they walked us through the 58 seconds that would have launched the missile (one of many missiles and other strikes that would have meant mutually assured destruction). Reece actually got to volunteer and was the commander that turned one of the two keys to launch the missile. He seemed unphased by it, but all the adults in the room were silent – a sobering moment for sure.
After the museum we drove to our Harvest Host location on the NE side of Tucson. It was a welcoming couple who have opened up their few acres to RV travelers. She was an artist with a nice studio – I got some cute earrings!
The next morning we left our camper at their house and went to Saguaro National Park. We stopped by the visitor center, took a scenic drive, and did a short hike. There were so many Saguaro cactuses, is was pretty impressive. Definitely not a landscape that we have spent much time in!
After Saguaro N.P. we stopped for Sonoran hot dogs (thanks for the recommendation, TJ!) before going back to pick up our camper and head towards Phoenix.
We stayed on the east side of Phoenix that night and even enjoyed a late night swim and hot tub at the campground. Our short time there was used for preparing for our trip to the Grand Canyon!
The next morning, we drove to the west side of Phoenix and dropped our camper off at a storage facility so we didn’t need to haul it up to the Grand Canyon (next post!).
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