Taking from our learnings on the first trip, we decided to take it a bit more slowly. So starting just before Christmas 2018, Matt and I headed off from Austin towards Big Bend Ranch State Park. That’s too long for one leg, so we stopped at Seminole State Park along the way for two nights. I’d say a few things about Seminole, but there’s not a lot to say – it has a trail, it’s dry, it has lots of stars at night. As for Beig Bend Ranch State Park… there’s a lot more to say!
In Big Bend Ranch State Park, we found a fabulous spot perched on a hillside, away from the road. You can access a ton of hiking and biking trails in the state park or head to Big Bend National Park for more options. At the time that we were there, the federal government was shut down and, thus, the parks were somewhat shut down. Big Bend is one of the least visited national parks in the country – likely because it’s really far from everything. This means that you don’t find the crowds so prevalent in many national or state parks.
While camping, we met a very nice couple, David and Daniela, who also own an Airstream. David and Daniela travel in their camper around the US for six months out of the year and then head home and manage their motel, Sandy Point Motel, in the Adirondacks six months out of the year. We shared funny stories and lots of wine around the campfire.
When not drinking wine and chatting, Matt found some fabulous mountain biking trails. I’d elaborate on them, but it was about a year and a half ago, and his memory sucks. What I do remember is that you need to watch where you step or land the bike… when the sun comes out, so do the TARANTULAS!
Onward ho… We left Big Bend and headed to the instagram phenomena that is Marfa, TX. Heard of it? It’s a small, windy town in West Texas that is also out in nowhere USA. It has a thriving art scene for a town of 2500 (or so). If you intend to visit, don’t go in winter – it’s COLD. That’s cold with a capital C. The wind cuts right through you. My recommendation – go in the warmer months. On the way out of Marfa towards Truth or Consequences, NM, I almost ran over a group of tourist in the middle of a highway out in nowhere. My first thought was there was an accident, but as I got closer, it was quite apparent that they were instagramming the most notable art installation in Texas, the Marfa Prada Store.
So, you may have never heard of Marfa, but have you heard of Truth or Consequences, NM? That was our next stop. My dad, rest in peace, forever told the story about how this small town in New Mexico changed its name from Hot Springs to Truth or Consequences in 1950 so that a popular tv game show would air its 10th anniversary from that spot. And when I say forever told, I mean he told the story a lot… the same story over and over. I had to visit. So… now that the show is gone, what do you do there? Remember the original name? Hot Springs? The hot springs in that area puts out about 99 liters (3.5 cu ft) per second. You soak, especially when the temperature is about 34 degrees F.
As you guessed, it was cold and we were sick of being cold. We moved on attempting to find warmer weather, but to a place that may have some interesting restaurants and options for outdoor activities. I found it!! We headed to Bisbee, AZ. It’s southern Arizona, and so you would expect some warmer weather. Ahh… how expectations can be squashed in a matter of hours.
We landed in Bisbee, and squeezed into a camping spot at an RV Park. When I say squeezed, I mean it. I thought the neighbors had parked in our spot only to find out that we had to thread the needle into a tight spot. But that’s okay, we were going to spend time at a great restaurant and explore Bisbee’s wonders. That’s what we thought. The bad weather followed us. All the restaurants essentially shut down and it dumped snow.
A few of the campers, along with us, took turns shoveling snow so we could get the campers out the next day. We then headed to Phoenix to finish our camping experience at the Lost Dutchman State Park.
I would say the ride to Phoenix was uneventful except for the flat tire we got five miles from the campground. We limped along after putting some sort of awful sealant into the tire and made it to the campsite, but just barely.
Lost Dutchman is a very clean state park that backs up to the Tonto National Forest. There’s great hiking and some biking to be had. The picture below is on a hike from the campground. Note – it’s not easy getting a spot at this campground in the cooler months. Plan ahead and book online.
Alas, it was a long and educating trip. We left Aristotle and Plato in Phoenix, headed home, and started planning our next trip…
Lessons Learned:
- Plato, our Porsche tow vehicle, is a beast! It pulled our 28″ trailer like a dream through steep grades in Big Bend. Loving the porsche diesel!
- Always carry spare fuses – lots of them. And, if you are just starting with a trailer, nice to have spare sail switch for the furnace.
- Trailers don’t always have the best designs for heating – check out to make sure your pipes don’t just dump into empty space.
- Dometic refrigerators are a pain and have a ton of problems – make sure your unit is installed with appropriate fan location and cooling. We’ve got hours of experience on this.
- Chasing warm weather isn’t easy.