Saturday 30 March 2013

Gunfight at the OK Corral

We arrived at Tombstone mid afternoon, we knew there was an RV park pretty much in the middle of town so with no prior booking we just thought we would roll in and see how we went. We pulled in and we were in luck tso we paid for four nights. To get into our site we had go out of the park and drive into our site from a side street! We did a loop and the manager was waiting to guide us in - Rose and I just looked at each other - short of greasing up the sides of the trailer to get in it was going to be a tight fit!

Where the manager put us our trailer door was positioned so that we could almost step from our trailer to our neighbours, yep it was that small. We backed up a bit so the rear of the trailer was just about on the road behind us. If ever there was a case for getting out our trusty magic string now was it. (Our magic string is a tip given to us early in our travels - it's a length of string marked to the depth of our slides and its used to measure our slide position before we extend them). Some minor jockeying and we were done. We set our levels and slides - this was one cosy site!

As tight as it gets (note trailer passing to our rear)



The advantage of this park was its closeness to the centre of Tombstone and the OK Corrall itself. We knew there had to be a saloon in town and we needed a beer so off we went. Within minutes we were in a saloon called Big Nose Kate's saloon. We found out later that Doc Holiday's girlfriend, Mary Katherine Cummings was nicknamed Big Nose Kate. This saloon was steeped in history and had a great atmosphere and we sat at the bar and ordered a drink.

Our First stop


Big Nose Kate?



As we sat at the bar we started chatting to a couple from Texas. Drinks turned into dinner and before we knew it they were calling last drinks. We looked around and realised we were the only ones left in the saloon! We bid farewell to our new friends and headed back to the campground through the deserted streets.

No trip to Tombstone would be complete without a visit to the OK corral - the actual site of the famous shoot out. For a reasonable entrance fee you get to see a reenactment of the shoot out as well as visiting a blacksmiths shop, (still operational) and a couple of other displays including a fenced off area with manikins showing the actual positions of the gun fight participants.

It was a close quarter shoot out



The Main Street in Tombstone is permanently blocked off to traffic so you can just wander up the street and visit the many shops selling everything from t shirts to western style gun belts.

The Main Street of Tombstone


Next day we decided to walk further a field and see some of the other original buildings around town. We also did a tour of the court house which is now a museum. It was great value at $5 and refreshingly it provided lots of information about the town of Tombstone, not just the shoot out at the OK Corral.

Me a Doubter?


At the end of town we found another little place called Helldorado, a family amusement type place complete with shooting galleries, putt putt golf and of course another gun fighting show. We obviously just missed one of the shows, the stars were just leaving -

Seeing is Believing



The spruker at the entrance to Helldorado was telling us about all the activities available within the gates, when he mentioned the bar with $2 beers we were in! We chatted to the locals for a while and then recognised a few other people from the RV park we were staying at. A couple more beers and we were soon good mates! Wolf was from Germany but had lived in Canada for 40 years. His accent was still very strong even after all those years , that and his wicked sense of humour reminded us very much of Rose's mum. Andy and Jackie are French Canadians and had recently become full time RVers. Drinks done, we agreed to meet later that afternoon back at the park for happy hour.

The Owners of the Helldorado bar



One happy hour led to another and over the course of the next few days we decided that we weren't quite ready to part ways. Our next stop was going to be Tuscon to see the aircraft "boneyard" - the place where all the USA s military aircraft are stored in the desert. This was also a destination that Andy and Jackie had in mind so the next day we packed up camp and headed west, a convoy of two.





Posted by RnR on their IPad

Location:Tombstone Arizona

Saturday 23 March 2013

Rocks, Rocks and more Rocks

The wind died down and made the next day just perfect for travelling. A couple we had met back at El Reno (Lorie and Jeff) were keen to catch up with us so we figured, why not? They were staying at the Rockhound State Park which was booked out completely however Lorie informed us the park had a first come first serve policy and people were coming and leaving all the time so there was a chance of a spot for us. We set off and let Lorie know we were on our way. They put their bikes and a chair on a site and paid one days camping fee for us, it was ours.

We arrived and got out of the truck to survey the site, mmm lots of rocks and a bit of a gradient but no big deal - or so we thought! I started to reverse up the rise and within 5 metres the tyres began to spin. Down the hill I went and tried again, and again and again. No luck - each and every time I got close to the level site we lost traction and the truck fish tailed. As the dodge is only 2WD the solution was to drive down the hill and back up at a reasonable speed hoping to get enough momentum to make it up the top. It took three attempts, and probably not the best positioning on the site, but we had made it. The elevation and slope made It feel like the front of the 5th wheeler, our bedroom, was on the first floor of a building.




Landing gear was at full extension

Within minutes of pulling up our new neighbour, Bob, came out to congratulate us on our persistence, he was very impressed indeed. It's a favourite pastime in RV parks to watch the "new blood" pull in and their attempts to park their RV. In this instance we passed the test.

As we travel around the United States we always hope to come across some kind of event or festival. We had succeeded this time, oh joy, there was a "rock show" on in the area! We were so excited - not! Each to their own - many campers returned home each night to chip their rocks, they obviously knew what they were looking for, a rock is a rock to us!

During one of my many 'chats' with the other campers we were told of our close proximity to Mexico. We had heard many horror stories and were advised not to venture 'down there'. Bob gave us some more information - should we or should we not?

We had dinner with our site savers, Lorie and Jeff, a great evening eating beautifully cooked food washed down by a few drinks, watching the sunset.


Sunset at Rockhound





After much deliberation we decided we would head across the border to Mexico. We packed our passports, took a dose of dutch courage and drove the 30 odd miles to the border. It is possible to drive your vehicle over the border but without ' Mexican car insurance' and the sticker on the inside of your windscreen we were told that you are a prime target for abduction. So we took the safer option of parking in a car park in the USA. We were not going too far into Mexico, just to the "Pink House" which was 100 metres inside the border. Actually crossing the border was simple - we did not need to show our passports and the Mexican border patrol officers just stood there chatting amongst themselves with their sub machine guns held in their hands. We followed an elderly couple through the gates, if they could do it so could we!!

We briskly walked the short distance to the safety the Pink House. The Pink House is a huge warehouse filled with ever conceivable hand made Mexican craft, art and, of course, Tequila! Within 5 mins we were offered a complimentary margarita while we browsed. Having made a commitment not to accumulate too much junk we kept our purchases to a minimum. As well as merchandise the Pink House also has a restaurant. We had lunch accompanied by a few more margaritas. On the way out we met the owner of the store who gave us a comprehensive lesson regarding the different types of tequila, how they are made and how to mix it. Look out our Aussie friends, margaritas all round on our return!

Buying pharmaceuticals is another reason that Americans head across the border. Prescription medicines are over half price in Mexico. The chemist shop next to the Pink House had a steady stream of people exiting with large bags! We didn't venture that far so back over the border crossing we went with our tequila bottles, trying our hardest to ignore the kids begging and the sunglasses sellers (were we in Bali??)

Lunch at the "Pink Place" and the blue thing is to keep your Tortillas warm



The path back across the border was quite obscure, no line, and not many signs indicating where to go. I am sure we would have been stopped however if we did venture the wrong way! We saw a sign pointing us to the US Border Control people, went though the tinted door, presented our passports and that was it - back in the US of A. We did it!!

Upon our return to the truck we noticed that the front right hand side tyre was flat - still drivable but needing attention pretty quickly. Was this sabotage? We headed to the border town of Columbus and found a pretty shady looking place with a hand painted, faded sign indicating that they did tyre repairs. The place was owned by a big burly Mexican, who, despite appearances, took a quick look and fixed the valve stem for a mere $6. Ten minutes later we were on our way home.

The weather always has a big bearing on what we do - the dust storm the next day held us hostage and the NCIS marathon on satellite TV kept us entertained.

After the dust settled the following day we ventured to the "City of Rocks" state park, 30 miles north of us. We put on our jackets (yes cold again) and proceeded to do the , quite disappointing, 3 mile walk around the park. Chalk this walk up as an exercise only event. As we walked we could see squalls coming across the desert, the next minute we were rained on, followed by hail and then snow! Time to go home!

The City of Rocks State Park



Yep it actually snowed!



Time done at Rockhound State Park, moving on tomorrow.

- Posted by RnR on their IPad

Location:Rockhound State Park, New Mexico

Sunday 10 March 2013

White Sands National Monument

While at Rusidio we were told of the White Sands National Monument -
( definition of 'Monument': a notable building or site, especially one preserved as public property) which was about 60 miles further west from where we were staying.

We had two options, make a day trip of it or pack up and move closer to it. As the monument was in the direction we were going we packed up and made the short journey to a nearby town called Alamogordo. Our intention was to stay at a state park about 15 miles south of the town but when we rang we were advised that the park was booked out. We try to stay at the state or national parks as much as possible as they are reasonably priced and in great locations.

We chose another park in town and booked in for 2 nights.

The beauty of moving further south is that it is also getting warmer - finally! We set up our chairs enjoyed the sunshine!




The White Sands Monument is part of the White Sands Missile Range. The Air Force base that surrounds the park is home to the F 22 Raptor fighter plane and the Stealth bomber. As you drive to the park there are signs advising that the highway will be closed if and when they fire their missiles. Luckily it wasn't missile firing day.

As we drove down from the mountains yesterday we could see a white line in the distance across the middle of the desert - this was the White Sands National Monument




This white 'sand' is in fact gypsum crystals . Normally rain dissolves gypsum however as the park has no outlet to the sea the rain that dissolves gypsum from the surrounding San Andres and Sacramento Mountains is trapped and breaks down into crystals. Obviously this happens over many thousands of years. The park covers an area of 275 square miles and has a number of walking tracks, some primitive camping spots and a loop road through the dunes.

We walked the 1 1/2 mile wildlife trail into the "sand" / "gypsum" dunes along a well defined track.

Sunglasses were a must!







And surprisingly plants do grow there.



The dunes constantly change shape and slowly move downwind encroaching on more and more land as the years go by.




There were quite a few people with sand discs sliding down the dunes, we weren't that organised but did attempt to climb a gypsum hill. We didn't get too far as the gypsum is so slippery.


Sand in My Shoes - good name for a Song (Dido)



As we drove along we could not resist the temptation to bring a little bit of Australia to New Mexico so we let our Mascot out for a walk.



There is even an "Outback" Dunnie!



Day done, back to the trailer to watch the sunset over the mountain ranges. A quick check of the weather channel ( a daily must do) and once again we were in a severe weather warning area - strong winds of up to 50 mph and dust storms predicted. If it's not snow and cold it's wind and dust. There was no way we were going to attempt to tow our 13 foot high trailer in that sort of wind so booked another nights stay and let it pass us by.

A great sunset, before the dust


And then the dust blew in. Within an hour the mountains were not visible at all



Twenty four hours later the dust storm had passed, the wind speed reduced so we headed off to meet up with a couple we had met at El Reno.

Posted by RnR on their IPad

Location:Alamogordo New Mexico

Friday 8 March 2013

The Truth is Out There?

We headed in a south westerly direction away from Amarillo not on an Interstate but a smaller highway, that said it was a two lane divided road which was a great drive. In fact it was good to be off the Interstate as there was less traffic and not everyone wants to do 70 miles an hour. I say this often but you just don't realise how vast this country is, I just can't imagine clip clopping across it on a horse day in day out.

A vast plains



We arrived in Roswell mid afternoon and for the last 30 miles we were driving against strong headwinds and some cross winds which is always a challenge towing such a large trailer but you just adjust your speed and keep both hands on the wheel. In addition to the wind we also drove straight into a dust storm! The park we chose was basic but it had full hookup and the owners were nice. When we were checking in the owner of the park I formed us that Roswell was in line for some snow that night! We couldn't believe it, had that weather system we escaped from in Amarillo really followed us down the highway? Roses brother told us at the beginning of our journey that we needed to be heading south, well here we were, any further south and we would have been in Mexico! Not much we could do now except bunker down and prepare for another cold one! Thankfully the prediction was wrong, we ended up with a very slight dusting of snow which obviously turned the dust from the previous days storm to mud! Nice!

Next day we headed out to visit the Alien museum, after all, that was what we were here for - to discover the truth! As you would expect the whole town rides on the coat tails of the 'supposed landing' with green aliens in every shop window and down the streets. The museum obviously has lots of information on the alleged crashing of an alien spaceship in 1947. We went with an open mind and did a lot of reading and to be honest I still don't know what to believe. There are a number of affidavits from people who saw something including one from a retired high ranking military officer who at the time of the crash was just a junior officer. Just prior to his death he informed his wife and daughter that the story was true. The military is sticking with the story it was a weather ballon with crash test dummies in it.

You can make up your own mind, Rose has?


This cracked me up


There are plenty of theories but I suppose until they come up with some real hard evidence, i.e. one of the 3 alien bodies or the actual ship they crashed in you have to remain sceptical. Of course if such items do exist they would be well guarded by the US Government. So the truth is out there we just can't find it right now.

Naked Aliens!



The next stop was the old military airfield on the outskirts of the town of Roswell. We had read that to bring business into the town they are now using the disused military airfield as a "boneyard" for old aircraft awaiting dismantling. It's not as big as the one in Arizona but it was worth a look.
Enough sight seeing for today we headed back to our trailer via a restaurant called Peppers which just happened to have a happy hour on. $3 for a margarita, 3 for me, 1 for Rose as she offered to drive the 2 miles home.

Aircraft awaiting dismantling


The next day we went to another museum/gallery in Roswell, it was recommend and it was free so we had nothing to loose. I walked in and lost interest straight away. One of the first pictures I looked as was a scrap of material stuck on a board and given a name like "weeping willows". I am sure you get the idea - WTF why would anyone create such a thing let alone buy it - it looked like something a 4 year old would do. I was able to get a laugh out of it if nothing else. It did have other exhibits which was a large display with hundreds of items in it with a small number next to it. To get the information on the item you then had to walk to the other side of the room, open a binder, look up the number of the item you wanted to know about. All too hard, I know a bow and arrow when I see one! I rated this place a one out of ten.

We returned to the trailer and we had new neighbours. Of course I had to strike up a conversation, Martin and Sandra were from an island off Scotland with a population of about 5000. They had hired an RV and were travelling from LA to Dallas. One of Martins comments was "is there a place in the US where you don't hear train blowing their horns" I burst out laughing, Rose and I had commented on the same. When we travelled from Amarillo to Roswell we passed a goods train every 15 minutes and they were at least a mile long with four engines pulling it. Each carriage had two 40 foot containers on it, one on top of the other. Another unique thing is they put a 40 foot prime mover trailer on the carriage.

The trains just kept on coming



We got up the next morning and made the decision to move on. We were packed up within the hour and ready to go. Where to? West - we can figure out where as we go!

- Posted by RnR on their IPad

Location:Roswell New Mexico

Billy the Kid Lived Here

As we left the RV park at Roswell the owner mentioned that the town of Lincoln was well worth a visit, full of history and undoubtably a museum or two! Lincoln county is the area in which Billy the Kid became famous and where the "Lincoln County War" occurred.

The turnoff to "Billy the Kid" Byway




Lincoln here we come




There are a number of small townships in Lincoln county and based on our trusty ipad app we headed for a town named Capitan. The RV park we were considering was nothing more than a car park with power so collectively agreed to continue on to Ruidoso which is hailed as being the southern most ski resort in the USA. Being a ski resort the road to Ruidoso climbed steeply up the mountain ranges. This really put our 5.9 litre cummins Diesel engine to the test as it hauled our trailer. Once again the Dodge came into its own however we certainly left a bigger carbon footprint along the way!

The view was fantastic as we headed to Ruidoso




The Lincoln County War was an Old West range war between rival factions in 1878 in New Mexico Territory. The feud became famous because of the participation of a number of notable figures of the Old West, including Billy the Kid, sheriffs William Brady and Pat Garrett, cattle rancher John Chisum, lawyer and businessman Alexander McSween, and the organized crime boss Lawrence Murphy. Having heard of Billy the Kid we could not miss a visit to the town where it all happened so spent an afternoon wandering the streets checking out a number of buildings that have been heritage listed. And yes a visit to couple more museums completed our tour of this historic town.

Lincoln township is much the same as it was at the turn of the century, apart from a crumbling footpath and a sealed road Billy would not know the difference.

Legend has it this is the original bullet hole from Billy's escape.




The building Billy made his escape from has been a store, courthouse and school




The next day we ventured about 50 miles to the mining ghost town of White Oaks. Although noted as a ghost town there are still a few people living there and wherever there are people there has to be a bar of some kind. White Oaks is no different, they have a saloon in the Main Street which unfortunately was closed that day. The sign above the door says 'no scum allowed' ! It appears they only trade three days a week, Friday, Saturday and Sunday and even have a shuttle bus.

The saloon was shut




The shuttle bus




Alot of history about an area can be gained by stopping at the local cemetery. We stopped at the old cemetery on the outskirts of White Oaks and were surprised to come across the grave of James Bell the deputy sheriff killed by Billy the Kid. This whole experience has me wanting to see the movie "Young Guns" again. Walmart DVD section here we come.

James W Bell's Headstone



Other unmarked graves




No trip to Ruidoso would be complete without a trip up to the Apache Ski resort. The road up to the slopes is12 miles long and climbs to an elevation of 12,000 feet. Not being skiers we took the scenic, easier alternative and rode the gondola ski lift up to the peak and watched the very accomplished snow boarders and skiers throw themselves down the slopes.

The views were fantastic




Far below the desert lies




Desert and snow side by side




What better way to finish a great day on the 'slopes' but with a home cooked roast meal. The oven in the 5th wheeler isn't big enough to accommodate more than a pizza so everything else has to be done outside in the weber bbq (grill).

Cooking a roast chicken in sub zero temperatures - how else can you get to watch the Military channel?




Forty miles south of Ruidoso is the Three Rivers Petroglyph Site. A petroglyph is a carving or a fine drawing on rock made by prehistoric people. There are over 21,000 of these petroglyphs in the Three Rivers Site with many of them viewable between the rocks along a mile long trail. It is amazing how well preserved they are however we were really disappointed to see that some simple minded people had graffitied parts of the area, signing their own names on the rocks.


An example of the art.






Posted by RnR on their IPad

Location:Lincoln County New Mexico

Monday 4 March 2013

When will it end - Winter Storm Rocky!

Amarillo was our destination. I think I had the song "Take me back to Amarillo" going through my head the whole journey. I must learn all the words one day, not just the chorus!

We picked a park just off the interstate. We have learnt to be careful with parks close to the interstate, the noise of trucks roaring past at all hours of the night is not good. We pulled up, listened for the road noise, not too bad, so booked 3 nights. The extra bonus was free coffee and doughnuts in the morning. Always a good opportunity to talk to the locals and other travellers.

We checked out the local attractions, and as usual there was a museum. This one had been recommended to us as a 'must see' so even though we were a little hesitant we headed off to check it out. We also heard that there was a local ice hockey match on, the Amarillo Bulls against Corpus Christi so we penciled that in.

On the way to the museum we saw the signs for the Palo Duro Canyon State Park. It is hailed as being the Grand Canyon of Texas and as we were considering to make this our next stop we ditched the museum idea and headed for the canyon. Pulling such a big 5th wheeler sometimes makes it difficult to get to some places and we had read that the entrance to the park included a very steep gradient down to the camping grounds so this gave us the opportunity of checking it out.

The famous Texas Longhorn at the Park entrance


There is an entry fee payable at all Texas State Parks. Thanks to the good advice of our friends Chuck and Ceil, we purchased an annual pass in Galveston (seems so long ago) . We have well and truly recovered the initial outlay of $70. The drive into the canyon begins on a high plain and then descends quite quickly - once again just beautiful country! There are a number of camping grounds within the canyon, some primitive and some with full hook ups. We checked out all of the campgrounds, spoke to Shirley (the campground host) and picked out 'our site' which had great views down into the canyon. We checked with the rangers office and said we would be back tomorrow.

We headed back to Amarillo , (too late for the museum now!!) , via the Big Texan Steak Ranch, another Route 66 icon, which advertises "free steak" . Nothing in this world is free, we all know that - the catch was that you had to eat a 72 ounce (2 kilograms to our Aussie and Canadian friends!) within an hour! Bit too much of a challenge for us but there were quite a number of names on the 'honour board'. The restaurant was fitted out just like an old time saloon including a massive gift store filled to capacity with Route 66 souvenirs.

Another Route 66 Icon



Not the 2kg steak but the smaller 500g one for us



Dinner done, off to the hockey - a mere 10 minutes drive away. Unlike our Dallas ice hockey experience there was free parking right out front of the stadium. When purchasing our tickets we were, as is quite normal and usual here in the USA, welcomed and thanked for coming to America. The cashier then proceeded to tell us that there was a big storm coming (now known as Rocky) and that there would be a snow dump of about 8 inches in the Amarillo region. Oh no, here we go again!

Ring side seats at the hockey


We have never really been ice hockey fans until now - what a great game! Before this game started they rolled out the red carpet and swore in a group of local people who had enlisted into the USA Airforce. The whole stadium stood and cheered. As always we are amazed at the patriotism the Americans have.

As we have learned, it is really important to keep your eye on the game - and in particular the puck. It flew into the crowd no less than 10 times, once hitting one of the game commentators in the side of the head. There was no shortage of ice around to put on the place of impact!

It was a great game with quite a number of altercations between the opposing team players. Tempers were hot! Corpus Christi won the game by one goal. Victory had, the team skated off the rink, except for one player who was left to collect the teams equipment from the ice. The Bulls players took this opportunity to revenge their loss and set upon this lone opponent. If it was not for the umpires this lone guy would have been history.

Game done it was now time to get home, get serious and check out the weather channel. The cashier was right - big storm expected to hit Amarillo on Sunday afternoon. Decision time - do we ride it out or do we head south? Local chat over donuts the next morning confirmed our thinking, to stay could mean being stranded here for quite a number of days. This also meant that our plans to visit Palo Duro Canyon would be voided until another time. A quick check of the map and we decided on a place called Roswell, we might even find out if the truth is out there!

Before we hit the road we had just one more quick tourist thing to do - a visit to the Cadillac Ranch.

Not like in the brochures, empty spray cans lay everywhere at Cadillac ranch


That done! Roswell here we come!




- Posted by RnR on their IPad

Location:Amarillo Texas

Sunday 3 March 2013

Another Winter Storm

As we have learnt to keep a bit of an eye on the weather we knew another winter storm was coming our way so we made sure we we were home by the time it started. What was being reported was we were going to get a good one, so we battened down the hatches and waited.

That night we got: strong winds, rain, sleet, ice rain and to top it off snow! It was reported that to get this combination was unusual, yeah we are hearing that wherever we go, we just don't believe it anymore. We ran the two heaters topped up with the furnace to keep warm and to stop our water tanks from freezing. We woke up to a snow covered field that only yesterday was bare. Interestingly enough, although the weather was bad the casino, which is open 24 hours, had a steady flow of punters all night long. Some people are keen to lose their money!

We awoke to snow, again



The next day we just waited it out, did a quick drive into El Reno but basically stayed close because there always seems to be a "second" front behind the first and it was supposed to be worse. During the day the snow pretty much turned to slush and the temperature remained at below zero.

Keeping our beers cold and wine warm, always a challenge


Yes Australian Yellowtail 1.2 litre for $12


So again we prepared not so much for snow but for freezing temperatures. Living in a trailer is one thing but in freezing temperatures it requires even more thought. Frozen pipes usually means busted pipes. So we ensure we have propane (LPG), we insulate our water pipes and leave taps on a slight trickle all night. By the time we went to bed it was minus 3 Celsius.
By 3 am it was minus 7 Celsius



We woke up to slush that had turned to solid ice, puddles that were 2 inches deep had frozen solid.

All our American and Canadian friends not doubt will read this and go "so what" but us Aussies who until Christmas this year had never seen snow fall from the sky it's amazing. We survived the night with no damage but had to seriously start thinking about whether we should move on which obviously depended on the state of the roads. I had to go to town to refill one of our propane tanks so as advised I started the truck up to warm it up after such a cold night. Truck started, went and had a coffee, 20 mins later the temperature gage still had not moved! I headed to town and left Rose with the final decision on whether we move. I returned and she was packed ready to go.

The next problem we encountered, and one we hadn't even considered, was that the snow had turned to ice on top of the slides so they could not be retracted. I had to climb on top of the trailer and chip it away, keeping in mind that the whole roof was covered in ice, so on hands and knees I crawled to each slide and chipped away.

Felt like an ice rink on 13 foot up! (Rose never misses an opportunity to take a photo! )


Scrapping the chipped ice off



Ice removed, slides in, we hitched up and headed west hoping for better weather.

Posted by RnR on their IPad

Location:El Reno Oklahoma