I left Mesa Sunday morning after loading my final items, getting Minnie and the Fit out and hitched together, and filling the gas tank. I drove straight down I-10, stopping in Tucson to make a sandwich for lunch, and continuing on to Chiracahua National Monument. When I arrived the sign at the entrance said “Campground Full”. There was no place to loop around, so I drove 3 miles to the Visitor’s Center, arriving just as they were closing (4:30). There were two rangers there, and one held the door keys and said, “we’re closing,” while the other one asked, “may I help you?” I asked from the doorway if the campground was indeed full and she said it was. I explained I couldn’t turn around at the gate and was using their parking lot loop and that I would go find another campground, when the second ranger helpfully pulled out a map and pointed out where there was free dispersed camping in the nearby forest, all while ranger #1 was jingling the keys. I thanked her and quickly made my exit.
It turned out there were quite a lot of camp spots in the woods and I selected the first one that would get me away from the road and settled in for the night. Hanna and I walked up the road before dark and found another family about a half mile away.
Monday
It took a lot of maneuvering to get turned around and out of the site the next morning, but I made it without mishap and we were on our way east on I-10 again. I stopped in Demming for lunch and hit El Paso at rush hour. I headed toward a Walmart in Horizon I had found on my AllStays camping app, as it said they were friendly to overnighters. The manager was very nice, simply requesting I park out away from the store. I spent a nice night without incident and pulled out the next morning to continue east on I-10.
Tuesday (my 66th birthday!)
I took a chance and left the freeway to drive 14 miles northeast to the town of Irann, seeking a space in one of three city RV parks there. I found an open spot in the third one, and it was a very nice little RV campground adjacent to a large city park. Hanna and I walked before dinner and again just before dark. On that second walk, I saw something out in the park grass and started to walk toward it to investigate when the little black creature with a big white stripe down its back got up and waddled away. Hanna went crazy, but I made a HASTY retreat, dragging her all the way.
Wednesday
I spent a quiet night until 5:45 a.m. when someone started up a noisy pickup and let it idle. After about 20-30 minutes, I heard a door slam and transmission shift and it drove away. By then of course, I was awake and couldn’t get back to sleep, so I got up and got on the road.
I hit the interstate by 9:30 and made it to Kerrville around 1:00. There I finally said goodbye to I-10 and headed southeast toward Hondo and another set of small RV parks. I found open spaces in the first one I drove to and pulled in. After getting set up and hooked up, I walked Hanna, read, made dinner and walked again. We are not getting our full 10,000 steps a day, but we are working at it.
Thursday plans
I expect to get to the National Seashores National Park on Padre Island tomorrow. I’m headed toward Malaquite Campground, where Mom and Dad stayed in 1989 and 1990. The first year, they stayed over a week, relaxing, walking on the beach and watching the waves. They drove into Corpus Christi and did some other touristy things, but mostly stayed low key.
Yes, I’ve driven a lot of miles and a lot of hours these last four days, but this is a destination trip, not a leisurely lifestyle this time. And besides, I don’t like Texas much, at least the southern area I’m driving through. Some suggested I swing through Big Bend, but I honestly have no desire to go there. Even Mom wrote in her journal that she and Dad were terribly disappointed in it, describing it as nothing but desert and rocks. I’m headed for the ocean beach, and then on to visit friends.
