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Headed home from South Padre

12 05 2024

After 3 weeks on SPI, we’ve once again crossed the Queen Isabella causeway bound for Harlingen. We’ll spend 3 days in Harlingen cleaning and resupplying for our trip home. We’re planning a fairly rapid departure from South Texas, it’s gotten way, way too hot and humid! We’ll spend 3 nights on the road across Texas and then 2 nights in New Mexico before arriving back to Colorado

Site #23, Isla Blanca RV Park, SPI

Our first night out is at favorite state park, Lake Casa Blanca in Laredo. Normally we stay on the “100” loop, this year we’ve opted for a new location at site 303. This is a long (over 100’) pull through on the far north end of the campground. Providing 30/50 amp power and water this is a very private site and was perfectly level allowing us to stay connected to the truck.

Lake Casa Blanca, Site 303

Another 3 hours or so takes us to Del Rio at the Sleeping Lady RV park where we spent one night last year. This is a well maintained park, gravel roads and concrete pads on pull through sites provide full hookups and even a bit of shade from the small trees. As we arrive, the temperature tops out at 109 in Del Rio, and about 60% humidity, and we’re anxious to hit the road the next morning.

Sleeping Lady RV Park, Del Rio, TX

Continuing west from Del Rio, we leave the Rio Grande valley at Sanderson and turn north to connect with I-10 at Ft. Stockton. We’ve stayed in Ft. Stockton many time but today decide to continue to Balmorhea State Park, home of San Solomon Springs which creates the largest spring-fed swimming pool in the world. The campground at Balmorhea has been closed for refurbishment for years, and we’re anxious to check things out. The pool is closed for cleaning this week meaning the normal throngs of people won’t be able to access the park. We’re among only about 10 others in the RV new campground and have a very quiet evening.

Balmorhea State Park, Toyahvale, TX

San Solomon Springs at Balmorhea State Park

Our 4^th day on the road takes us out of Texas, and into eastern New Mexico near Carlsbad. We continue to Roswell for a quick overnight at Town & Country RV Park. The original plan was to spend one more night on the road in Santa Fe. But, we get an early start and decided to make the 6 hour run all the way home.

Spanish Peaks, Huerfano, County, CO

It’s been a great trip. 115 nights at 25 different parks and resorts for a total of about 4300 miles. Our next trip is already completely planned, we’re headed to the Pacific Northwest through Oregon to Washington where we’ll spend the 4^th of July holiday with family in Sequim, WA. More from the road to Oregon…

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Tags: del rio, Lake Casa Blanca, laredo, roswell, Sleeping Lady, south padre
Categories : Spring Road Trip 2024

San Angelo Riverwalk

30 04 2017

San Angelo Visitors Center

Who knew there was a Riverwalk outside of San Antonio? At the confluence of the North Concho, the Middle Concho and the South Concho Rivers, San Angelo has constructed a beautiful 4 mile river walk. Along the walk are gardens, parks, exercise areas, golf courses and a river stage. Beginning at the impressive Visitors Center you can stroll all the way along the river to the original “Block One”, the first location of buildings in San Angelo complete with Miss Hattie’s Bordello Museum. Originally a town built to support the Ft. Concho Fort, San Angelo has grown into a city of over 100,000 residents including about 10,000 students at the Angelo State University.

San Angelo Riverwalk

Commemorating San Angelo’s historical importance as a wool marketing center

In addition to the RV sites at the State Park, there is an very nice RV park located on the shores of Lake Nasworthy at the Spring Creek Marina and RV Park. With rates up to $55/night, it’s a bit more pricey than the $28/night that we paid. The Lucas Oil Drag Boat race is held on Lake Nasworthy in late June.

With winter weather beginning to clear to the north, we opt to make a move to Bottomless Lakes State Park just east of Roswell. We spent 6 nights at Bottomless Lakes last year – complete reviews are here. After just a quick overnight this year, we’re back on the road to Las Vegas, NM. More from Las Vegas…

Bottomless Lakes State Park

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Tags: bottomless lakes state park, roswell, san angelo
Categories : Spring Road Trip 2017

Excitement at Bottomless Lakes

29 04 2016

Bottomless Lakes State Park “Overflow Fire”

We’re now on our 5th day at Bottomless Lakes State Park. After arriving on Sunday, we’ve watched several winter storm systems move across our northward path and through the Denver area. With temperatures here in the upper 70 and low 80’s, we’re not anxious to proceed north into snow and cold.

Late yesterday afternoon a brush fire erupted very near the State Park. Fanned by winds gusting to 25MPH, it was a bit too reminiscent of some of the smokey Spring times we’ve had in the foothills of Colorado. After burning over 100 acres and belching smoke into the sky for most of the afternoon, NM state and BLM personal had the blaze under control by dusk.

Campers at northern campgrounds were asked to evacuate, but here at Lea Lake the rangers explained there was not an imminent threat due to wind direction and an expansive wetland area between us and the fire. They also assured us that if it became necessary, we’d have plenty of time to pack up. Fortunately the winds died down just before sunset and we enjoyed a pleasant, calm, evacuation-free evening.

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Tags: bottomless lakes state park, new mexico, roswell
Categories : Texas Roadtrip 2016

Bottomless Lakes State Park, Roswell, NM

25 04 2016

Bottomless Lakes SP Site #11

In a long driving day, we’ve departed Texas and re-entered the Mountain Time Zone. The original plan called for an overnight in Guadalupe Mountains National Park. But, as appears common, winds were expected to be gusting to about 50 MPH through that region, so we opted to detour to the east, away from the mountains. Unfortunately that means a transit of US 285 from Pecos to Carlsbad. After having traveled south along this route last year, we knew this to be one of the roughest sections of road we’ve driven. With heavy truck traffic rumbling through, even on a Sunday, the road is heaving and crumbling everywhere. It’s 85 miles of truck bouncing, cupboard jarring, teeth gritting travel. And, combined with about a 20 MPH side wind, the day wasn’t a pleasant journey – making it all that much nicer when we arrived at Bottomless Lakes State Park outside of Roswell, NM.

Turning east at Roswell it’s tough to imagine anything with trees and water across the seemingly endless plains stretching to the east. But, just 5 miles off the main road is Bottomless Lakes State Park – a natural oasis around a handful of small lakes in the Pecos River valley. Not truly bottomless, the lakes were formed similarly to Carlsbad Caverns when limestone eroded to create massive underground caves. But, here – the cave ceilings eventually collapsed, filled with water and created the nine lakes that vary in depth from 18 to 90 feet.

Bottom Lakes SP, Lea Lake

We’re parked at Lea Lake Campground, 32 campsites at the southern end of the park, near the beach, volleyball and group pavilion. The sites here are spacious, level and most offer water and electric. 6 of the sites also have sewer ports. 12 sites are available for online reservations at reserveamerica and the remaining 17 RV sites (and 3 tent sites) are walk-up only for $14/night. We’re in site #11, a walk-up site at the far end of one of the loops offering nice privacy and even some shade from a few small trees to each side of the RV. There’s a concrete covered patio with a picnic table and clean, graveled pad. For some of the lowest per night costs, New Mexico does a great job with the maintenance of their state parks. We have good T-Mobile access here, and even a fairly good free park WiFi available. And, there are 10 or 12 over-the-air TV channels from Albuquerque.