A lovely way to go! To: Tues, 3/19/19

This post is a wrap-up of our seven-week trip, all 6,431 miles -- from Nevada City CA to Sarasota FL, and back.  Yes, you read it correctly:  Seven weeks, 6,431 miles.  We might have stayed out longer, but we had to return home to take care of income tax preparation and other appointments.  We've been known to be gone for six or seven months at a time, but that was before owning a bricks/mortar home.  With all the rain/snow Nevada City experienced while we were away, heaven knows what we'd find.  Yard work will no doubt be a challenge!

Above is an early morning shot from our campsite at Rock Hound St Pk in New Mexico (near Deming), and we saw that yesterday's (Saturday) snow stuck to the peaks across the valley.  A dusting, perhaps, and it might be melted by afternoon, but only if the temps rise.  Our outside gauge recorded 37 degrees, and we're far below the elevation on yonder peaks -- brrr, a cold morning!  Jimmy disconnected our water line last evening, as a precaution against below-freezing temps, so all he had to do was disconnect power.  After using the dump station, we were on our way, westward bound, of course.  We had miles to go before we slept tonight.

We didn't exactly plan to drive all the way to Yuma.  I figured we'd stop at Gila Bend or even Casa Grande in Arizona, but we were up for the long drive.  It's doable when you change drivers every couple of hours.  But, there you have it, we put 450 miles in today (Sunday).  Traffic is always lighter on Sundays, the pace not so hectic.  You know when you're done ... and we were done.  Why linger?  Home it was, and we'd do it in double time. 

The drive wasn't all strain or pressure.  While we fiddled in the eastern section of the country, the west was preparing an eye-popping bloom that gladdened my heart as we rolled along the freeway.  Great stretches of color appeared -- oranges, violets, yellows, whites.  I couldn't get enough of the dazzling display!  At 60 mph, it wasn't always easy to capture the wide image we could see, but I'll show you some of our best.  Truly, it was a lovely way to go! 

The mountains provided a wonderful backdrop for the lupines or bluebonnets, mixed with canary yellow wildflowers.  I couldn't tell what they were.  Not at 60 miles per hour!

From New Mexico, into Arizona, along the roadsides and into the desert, our drive was aglow with colorful wildflowers. 

Into California, along I-10 toward the low desert, in the Palm Springs/Indio area, vast swaths of brilliant color kept us company.  Around a curve, over a hill, right side, left side, a new surprise would draw an "ooh" or an "oh, look!"  If I was driving, Jimmy valiantly took over camera duty; if he drove, I went from window to window to catch what I could.  We took a lot of pictures!  But, even without photos, I'll remember this drive.  I've never seen so much beauty beside an interstate before.

This snow-covered mountain is in the Wrightwood area,

near the Cajon Pass on I-15.

We didn't go to the "super bloom" area near Lake Elsinore (it wasn't in the cards), but we did all right!  Golden California poppies mixed with violet lupines decorated the hills near Tehachapi along with hundreds of wind turbines of all sizes.  We call this "short cut" the Tehachapi Wind Tunnel, 'cause it's consistently windy.

This pic was so far away, I had to zoom in and enhance it to let the color gleam like we saw it.  This also was near Tehachapi.  Just outstanding.

Closer to Bakersfield, the mountains retreated, and the terrain grew softer.  Here, orange trees mixed with clusters of a purple flower were inescapable, and -- woohoo! -- thank goodness! 

Monday's drive from Yuma to Wasco (near Bakersfield, CA in the central valley) was another long one, approx 400 miles, but again, it wasn't unbearable ... quite the opposite, thanks to flower-power!  Jimmy asked me if I wanted to eat out after we were set up at the Wasco Elks, and he didn't have to ask me twice.  We unhooked Smartie for the short trip to "downtown" Wasco.  We cruised the main street on foot, and chose La Imperial out of the three eateries we saw.  Best Mexican food we've had in a long while ... authentic and delicious.

One more fairly long day from Wasco would get us home, roughly 325 miles.  Tuesday morning's sunrise (above) was a deep red -- sailor take warning! -- and rain was predicted for Nevada City Tuesday evening.  We hoped to be in and have a good head start on unpacking before the rains began.

North to South, I-5 is known for it's millions of Almond trees and vineyards, not its color.  We were lucky to catch the last of the pink Almond bloom, but didn't get a decent photo.  Instead,  I don't know what this vivid orange blanket of blossoms is, but it stretched for miles ...

... as did this yellow carpet!

We were curious about the reason for netting this orchard ...?

All these pictures are from Tergel's windows (sorry, that's not ideal).  The hills along I-5, especially near Kettlemen Hills were such a velvety green that it would make an Irishman weep.  Amazing what a little rain will do ....

Jimmy washed Tergel's BIG windshield three times during Tuesday's drive; in fact, every time we stopped.  Not only were we privy to a "super bloom," the bugs knew it was spring and were also Out and About, and apparently suicidal!  What a mess they made!

Want some stats?  6,431 miles in seven weeks.  $2,000 for gas, with an average price of $2.33/gal.  The price jumped (leaped!) between our coming and going.  In Lordsburg NM, the price went from a divine $1.88/gal to $2.34/gal -- up close to 50 cents in a few weeks!  That makes a big difference when filling a 75-gallon tank.  Our average overnight cost was $11/night, not bad, but it could have been lower if we'd had more favorable weather.

Now we settle in.  Hope to see a certain young miss who celebrated her 2nd birthday on March 15th, but she's sick with a sinus/ear infection, so we'll have to wait.  Spring may have sprung, but where we live at 3,200' in the Sierra Nevada foothills, it's still cold, with leafless trees ... but I see buds ready to pop!  Daffodils are up an inch, the deer ate my camellia and an azalea.  More rain is on our menu, and we'll be truly happy to see the sun and feel it's warmth.  Good trip?  You betcha!

City of Rocks, Sat, 3/16/19

Cowboy country!  That's what we thought when we saw it.  Wild places where horse and rider roam. Or a great outdoor movie set.  Kind of reminded us of Texas Canyon in Arizona or Alabama Hills in California (um, who names these places?).  City of Rocks is a fantastical jumble of rocks north of Deming, New Mexico, a photographer's dream and a kid's idea of heaven!  Yup, we saw kids having a field day clambering all over these rocks!

City of Rocks gets its name from the incredible volcanic rock formations found right here. The park encompasses a one sq mile area in the Chihuahuan desert region of southwestern New Mexico at an elevation of 5,200 feet.  Without prior knowledge, you'd never spot these rocks ... from the highway or even if hiking the hills.  They're an oddity, sitting by themselves on the high plains. 

This park gets a thumbs-up from us!

The park offers 52 campsites with varying utilities or none at all.  Spaced among the rocks, many appear to be in their own world apart from each other.  Perfect.  We'd love to camp here.  Silver City is roughly 30 miles distant, a gem of a town we've not been to yet, but I imagine it's full of possibilities ... things to do and see.

After the snow quit falling and the sky cleared at our Rock Hound campground (3pm/ish), Jimmy and I decided to go explore the area.  When we'd checked in at our campground, we were given the usual park map, but this one was different inasmuch as it showed three NM parks:  Pancho Villa 30 miles to the south, Rock Hound in the middle, and City of Rocks 30 miles to the north.  We had a choice, so we picked the northern one.  Next time we'll head to the border and check out Pancho Villa.  Maybe even bring our passports and "drop in" at Puerto Palomas in Mexico.  The large building in the foreground (above) is the City of Rocks VC.

The “city” is a geologic formation made up of large, sculptured rock columns, or pinnacles, rising as high as 40 ft and separated by paths or lanes. These rocks were formed about 34.9 million years ago from a volcanic eruption 1,000 times greater than Mount St Helens! Erosion over millions of years slowly formed the sculptured columns seen today, creating a stunning, otherworldly landscape.

I'm not as agile as I used to be, but I can still climb boulders when I feel daring.  Rock hopping like a mountain goat has always been fun for me, though I try to be a tad more careful these days!

A pair of hikers heads toward Table Mountain at elevation 5726'.

After a slow drive thru the campground, Smartie took us to Observation Point.  We parked and proceeded to enjoy the heck out of being amongst the rocks.  Smartie is tiny, but she looks dwarfed!

We felt energized climbing all around these massive rocks.  Plus, it felt grand being Out and About after being stuck inside while watching snow/rain fall all morning.  We were itching to stretch our legs!  Looks like Jimmy is a marvel -- balancing that big ol' rock on his head!

With 7.5 miles of hiking and biking trails,

there seems to be enough room for everyone.

Now, wouldn't I be stunned if I really did topple that giant?

Yes, we're wearing our down parkas.

At least the sun shone part of the time, but it was cold.

Has someone been stripping yucca fibers to make cordage?

Certainly appears so.

Driving back to our campsite at Rock Hound St Pk, clearing was happening around us, with only one area in the sky still choked by a fuzzy gray blanket, which was -- as you see -- out of Tergel's front window!  We turned on the heaters to warm our motor home again, fixed dinner, and then, by gollies ... then this we saw this:

A shaft of sunlight ignited the peaks, followed by ...

... this stellar sunset!  Oh my!  What a day.

Well, we'd made it this far.  This was our last play day; tomorrow, we decided, we'd pull toward home.  Deming to Nevada City is over 1,100 miles, but our intent was to do this distance in three days.  Once the horse sees the barn, it's Katie, bar the door, they're comin' home!

Rock Hound St Pk, Fri-Sat, 3/15-16/19

We did it!  We made it across Texas on I-10, all 900 miles of it, creeping through its major cities and sailing by its minor burgs, piling up the miles from one overnight stop to another.  We've never been an I-10 fan, but it carries the least offensive weather for winter travelers such as us, so we endure.  On this trip we've stayed in different towns than in years past and that made our I-10 journey more interesting.  West Texas can put a driver to sleep if they're not careful, with its repetitious landscape. However, some of the country appeared nicely changed from our early February eastbound track -- spring flowers were a pleasure to see.

I don't know what this lemony yellow carpet is,

but it was a lovely sight.

West Texas traffic.  Ideal.

In the hill country, we saw a multitude of layered rock, where it had been blasted from the hillsides to make way for the freeway.  Neatly "straight-faced shelves." There has to be a lot of history recorded in the layers.  Some seem more fragile than others and are peeling off in places.

Texas Bluebonnets and red/orange Indian blanket (not shown) added to the roadside wildflowers ... many thanks to Lady Bird Johnson for her tenacity in creating so much colorful beauty.

Nipple Mountain again!

From Fort Stockton, we drove all the way to Deming New Mexico, bypassing El Paso and Las Cruces as possible overnight stops.  We thought we'd like to see/spend time at Rock Hound State Park again, like we did in 2013, and hopefully the temps would be warmer than in 2013!  This park is at approx 4500 ft, so cool is always possible.  Quite a few rigs were already set up in the park, but we managed to get the last W/E site, at a cost of $14/night.  Good price and we were happy to have both water and electric.  Did I mention that Tergel fairly flew from Texas to New Mexico on a strong east (tail) wind?  And that wind cut right through us when we got out of Tergel at the park.

I'd set my alarm to get up at 6am in Fort Stockton, knowing we had a long drive ahead of us, and we were on the road by 7.  Throw in an hour time change from Central to Mountain time, and we arrived at Rock Hound much sooner than we expected.  Why, we had time for a little hike, preferably one we didn't do in 2013.  The volunteer at the VC suggested Lover's Leap Trail at Spring Canyon, which he said was a good one, though he hadn't hiked it himself!  Bundled in warm clothes, off we went.

Spring Canyon is a day-use area a couple of miles south of Rock Hound and higher in elevation at 5175 ft.  Smartie (and Jimmy) had fun with the ups and downs!

If you like looking at rocks and mountains,

you'd love the scenery here at Rock Hound.  We do. 

We missed the words "very steep," and set forth up a mountain.

An arch at the top and a cave near the bottom.

Cool beans.

Sotol spikes are very, very sharp!

We've all seen signs asking us the "share the road" with bicycles, yes?  How about share the path ... with cows?  Seriously, we had to dodge several piles, and we saw the three culprits whodunit!

They weren't kidding about steep.  By the time we reached the summit, my phone's body data app recorded 58 flights (of stairs).  I think the elevation gain for the 1.15 mile ascent is 800 ft.  Well, we aren't quitters, but we thought about stopping before reaching the top!  As we made our way up the canyon, that cold east wind blew stronger and cut deeper. 

We'd heard that Ibex could be seen on the mountains, but which peaks?  We looked and looked (while pausing to breathe), but we saw nothing resembling a mountain goat ...

... just lots of fantastic scenery! 

We lost sight of tiny Smartie parked somewhere far below, near the red X, and she was the only car in the Spring Canyon lot.  Needless to say, we didn't see anyone else on this trail.

We neither saw nor heard any birds, or any wildlife, for that matter, except for the Woolly bear, above.  All we heard was the whistling wind.  This pretty clump of violet flowers was the single spot of color on the trail, but the views were outstanding!

The peaks at the saddle summit.

Eureka!  I have found the end of the trail!  We didn't leap!  Haha, we both lost our caps to the wind at this point, but managed to save them.  Behind me is a long view of southwestern New Mexico.  Wow, what a hike!  So glad we arrived early enough to get on our feet and use them.  Good practice for our summer adventure.

It didn't take us any time at all to descend, hop back in Smartie and return to our nice warm Tergel.  A cuppa coffee and supper fixed us up, followed by a brilliant sunset.  I checked the weather forecast for tomorrow and was shocked to read:  Snow showers in the morning!  Really?  Noooooo ....

Sure enough, after a very cold night, we awoke to an ashy-gray sheet smothering the sky.  By 10am, snow flakes began, big and wet and blown sideways by that east wind.  Seemed like a perfect morning for blueberry pancakes!  (Think on the bright side!)  There was nothing for it but to stay inside and read, edit photos, work on the blog, and gaze out our windows.  Snow fell off and on, but didn't stick, and it didn't quit till around 3pm!  The temp was a chilly 36 degrees.  Wickedly similar to our 2013 experience, but this year snow was added!  Rock Hound has treated us to some true winter weather!  Love the park ... dislike the weather!  Okay, what could we do after the snow quit?

Poor Smartie.