Flashback Friday - Our First Winter in the Desert, 2004-05

Blooming white primrose spread over the deserts in Arizona and California where we spent a good deal of time in the winter months of 2004-05. Oranges, yellows and blues of all types of wild desert flowers paved the way along the road from Yuma to Quartzsite. The rains had showered just the right amount for a wild population explosion.  We had a colorful winter welcome to the southwest. Nice of Mother Nature to arrange for the beautiful array.

Besides the desert bouquets, we had several lifestyle discoveries. First, we learned a great deal about boon docking, using our solar panels to the utmost and our storage tanks efficiently.  It was fun practicing around Ogilby and Sidewinder Roads west of Yuma – wide, open space of quiet, sage and brush, surrounded by distant sand dunes and chocolate mountains -  land where RVers migrate each winter to settle intermittently on a piece of the desert.  When we got hitch itch in one spot we would move 20 to 50 miles or so to more Bureau of Land Management areas near Imperial Dam, Quartzsite or Blythe, California.  Learning where to get water and dump tanks wasn’t difficult at all. That’s another revelation we had out in the desert.  RVers are friendly and helpful folk. Most everyone we came across was ready to share; recommendations on parking, dumping, water, trash, restaurants, roads or whatever experiences they had. We found these fellow nomads offering to show us around, do some hiking or geocaching, take a trail to an abandoned mine in the hills or lend a hand with a repair.

After this introduction to desert living, we decided there was one aspect we wanted to take to another level. We were drawn to those trails we’d experienced on a limited basis in our Ford F550 truck.  Yes, we didn’t get too far off road in that monster.  It was super for traveling the highways with the 5th wheel or venturing a limited distance on the desert roads. But that’s all. And we were bitten by the off-roading bug.

The solution: Ole Yeller, our Jeep Wrangler, became a part of our entourage at that point. Of course, it was completely stock. And we also had a lot to learn about our new hobby.  But, some very patient and hospitable RVing friends took us out “4wheeling” anyway.  We snaked through slot canyons, paused for some fantastic mountainous views and enjoyed the camaraderie. That was all it took. We were off to the customizing shop in Phoenix.  And the story goes on from there in many directions and over many obstacles.

The winter of  2004-05 completed one year of the RV lifestyle for us. The season was eye-opening in many ways.

Thanks for stopping in at Hurley Travels. Talk to you later.

Flashback Friday - Del Rio, Texas, March 2004

This story illustrates why occasionally it is better being uninformed.  We often enjoy ourselves more when we cruise along taking things as they come, appreciating the beauty around us. 

In March of 2004 we were traveling west through Texas, enjoying our first trip through the Hill Country. We decided to drop down a little further south and take 90 West, in keeping with our goal to avoid interstates when possible.  We liked what we read about the National Park Service camping area at the Amistad National Recreation Area near Del Rio. So we stopped for a few nights.  The campground where we stayed was outside Del Rio about five miles or so, as memory serves me.  There were only about 50 campsites and we could see that the setting would mean we had those quiet nights with skies lit by zillions of stars.  A camp host was stationed at the entrance, so there wasn’t any concern about the scarcity of occupied spots. We settled into one of the sites on the outside where Jerry could position both our TV and internet satellite dishes. The Direcway Internet system was new to us, only about a week and two setups.  We were prouder each time we successfully found that “golf-ball-sized” satellite out beyond the clouds.  So anyway, we were comfortable. Other than a few partying teenagers at the end of the road late on a Saturday night, we were completely pleased with our home site.  The next two days we explored the town of Del Rio and spent some time at Lake Amistad.  As you can see by the photo below, the scenery is nothing but peaceful and natural. We ventured down the road along Lake Amistad just a few miles and came upon the bridge and border crossing area into Mexico.  Ciudad Acuna, Mexico is just over the bridge.  We turned around, not having prepared to leave the country yet.

One evening as we relaxed on our patio in our chairs, just gazing out over the desert and contemplating our next day, we noticed a van pull off into the desert and stop just outside our campground.  The two people inside seemed to be waiting there for a while.  Then they got out and walked out into the desert until we lost sight of them.  About 30 minutes later they returned, got into the van and left.  This seemed suspicious, but who knows? Perhaps they just needed some exercise.

When we had our next destination plotted, we headed west again agreeing that this would be a campground we would recommend to others.  So we did just that.  The next time we setup the Direcway satellite and fired up the Internet, we emailed friends to let them know about the nice spot in Del Rio.  Before long a response came from a couple we had seen on another stop in Texas.  They wanted to let us know that they had read a report on the Internet that classified Del Rio as the second most dangerous camping area in the country due to the illegal border crossings and drug trafficking through that section near Lake Amistad.  We could only say that our experience was pleasant.

We have good memories of the short time we explored around the Del Rio area.  Chances are that these seven years have made a difference and we would not feel as safe at that same location today. We haven’t returned and would hesitate to do so. But, maybe there are some circumstances when it turns out better not knowing everything.