Day 57 - March 5th - Los Cruces, NM

Moving Day Today.
On the road by 8:30AM, heading for Los Cruces. Through Tucson without a hitch. Lots of highway construction going on just south of Picacho Peak and also in Tucson. Highway narrowed to 2 lanes each way for about 10 miles, but once by that, no problem. Did come by one big accident with a couple of overturned semis, but was on the opposite side of the highway so did not hold us up at all. Arrived in Los Cruces at 2:30PM and pulled into the KOA just off I -10 on highway 70. John and Brenda had just pulled in minutes before. We had decided not to even try to travel together, and they had left about 1/2 hour ahead of us, so we thought they would have been here quite a while sooner than us. They had stopped for lunch and we had just snacked on junk food as we drove! After we all got settled in, we jumped in John's jeep and went down to Old Los Cruces for a little shopping and to look around. Again lots of neet stuff to buy, but no room to store it in the RV. Bought some stuff anyway ----
Decided that since it was after 4:00PM that we might as well have some Mexican vittles for supper. John and Brenda had been down here before and knew of a good Mexican Restaurant called La Posta right there in Old Town Los Cruces. Old Town was originally Mesilla. Old Town has quite a history.
The village of Mesilla was incorporated in 1848, after the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo moved the U.S.-Mexico border south of the village of Doña Ana, placing it in the United States. A small group of citizens, unhappy at being part of the United States, decided to move south of the border. They settled in Mesilla at this time. By 1850, Mesilla was an established colony. By this time, its people were under constant threat of attack from the Apache. By 1851, the attacks caused the United States to take action to protect its people just to the north of the border, in the Mesilla Valley. They did this by creating Fort Fillmore. As a result of the fort, the United States declared the Mesilla Valley region part of the United States. Mexico also claimed this strip of land, causing it to become known as "No Mans Land."This boundary dispute, which was officially caused by a map error, was resolved in 1853, with the Gadsden Purchase. Mesilla became a part of the United States, as well as the southern part of New Mexico and Arizona.Mesilla served as the capital of the Confederate Territory of Arizona in 1861-1862 during the Civil War, and was known as the "hub", or main city for the entire region. During the "Wild West" era, Mesilla was known for its cantinas and festivals. The area attracted such figures as Pancho Villa, Billy the Kid, and Pat Garrett. The village was also the crossroads of two major stagecoach lines, Butterfield Stagecoach and the Santa Fe Trail. The village of Mesilla was the most important city of the region until 1881.In 1881, the Santa Fe Railway was ready to build through the Gadsden Purchase region of the country. Mesilla was naturally seen as the city the railroad would run through. However, The people of Mesilla asked for too much money for the land rights, and a land owner in nearby Las Cruces, New Mexico, a much smaller village than Mesilla, stepped in and offered free land. The city of Mesilla has not grown since, and the Las Cruces area has grown to a population nearing 200,000 people[1] and is currently the second largest city in New Mexico. Mesilla remains much the same today as it did in 1881, now a protected historical site, but as small as it was the day it froze, when the railroad passed it by.We had a great dinner of Mexican Grub. Don't expect me to tell you what each of us had, or what even was the menu called it, but we all enhjoyed it anyway. The dessert was especially good!! It was some sort of crust filled with either apple or cherry filling. Good !!!Back home and to the end of another great Day!!!

Day 42 - Feb 19th - Ajo

Moving Day - Decided to move back to Ajo to the Shadow Ridge RV Park .. We need to dump and replenish our supply of food and water, wash clothes, etc, etc. Packed up in the morning and broke camp at about noon. I drove ELTORO and Denice the Jeep. Got all set up in the Park, and then Denice went to the Park Laundry and did the wash. While she was doing that, I went and washed the Jeep. It wasn't real dirty, but had a fair amount of desert dust on it. That completed we went and toured the sites of Ajo. Not really a lot to see !! Decided to eat out for supper as we did not stop for lunch so went to the "Ajo in the Wall" restaurant ( Do you get it? Ajo pronounced Ahh ho in the wall) in the Plaza at about 4:00PM. We decided we would have the filet mignon for $19.95. However they only had one left so I chose the Halibut steak instead. Both meals were exceptional, Denice and I exchanged portions of each meal and both were delicious. No spuds, just meat and a great sauce on each, and some Brocolli. My halibut had some capers and artichokes in the sauce - not sure I care for either of them, but they were OK. Returned to ELTORO and read until dark.

Day 37 - Feb 14th - Ajo Desert

Up and on the move today, but not too far, only about 7 miles. Denice just drives the jeep and I ELTORO. Take to Scenic Loop Road - it is just a dirt road - and lots of washboard, so we just drove slow - about 20 to 25 MPH, but arrived at our chosen site by about 10:00AM. Had to do some maneuvering around with the motorhome to get in just the right place, where it was level enough and where we had the right Cacti in our front yard. After a couple of tries and walk arounds we agreed that it was perfect. So we set everything up. Even put out the bird feeders. For the Hummers, and one for the others. No birds showed up for quite a long time but finally some did show up. I don't know what they were. I think Denice said that they were house finches. For me, anything that is big is a crow or a raven, if it's small it's a sparrow. Wondered around the desert for a while. Its really nice desert here. Lots of cactus's, but still room to walk between them without getting snagged on them. There are a couple of real mean ones around - they all are sharp - but some are worse than others. There is one called a "Cats Claw", I believe, and it has spikes just like a cats claw.
They are curved in the opposite direction to the stem, so if you rub against it as you pass, it just snags onto you. OUCH!!! I"ve been digging a few out of my hands! Another thing we have agreed on is, that we both should buy leather hiking boots, if we are spending time here. Running shoes just don't cut it. Those spikes - especially the Cholla - just go right through rubber soles. I should have brought my work boots, but I had no intention of doing anything that might resemble work. Denice wears "Crocks" quite often and they are a definite NO NO. Soft rubber soles are just a invitation to those little suckers. I have pair also and spent an hour the other day with needle nose pliers pulling them out. You know what a porcupine quill is like. Well, these are just the same. Work right through into your foot.
Not a very good sunset tonight. We are in a great place for both sunset and sunrise photos. So will have to wait for another day. Pork Chops for supper ------.

Day 31 - Feb 8th - Twentynine Plams

Up early this AM and decide to get on the road - weather looks good today. We had been holding off for a couple of days as weather was threatening rain and wind so we were "On Hold" but sun shining this morning and calm, so stored everthing and on the road by 8:00AM. Cruised down Highway 62 to I-10 and then through Indio, veered to right onto Highway # 82 and followed south past the Salton Sea. We were quite surprised as we hadn't been on that highway for a couple of years and found a lot more activity along that route. It had always been rather desolete as a result of the salty ground from the below sea level Salton Sea. But now we see housing projects and tourist stuff showing up. Saw one new housing development wth show homes starting at $99,990. Looked like fairly good homes too. They must be trying to attract people to the area. Not sure what you would do here, but don't be surprised if some golf courses don't spring up. Not sure where the water will come from, but we do see the odd Palm tree growing here and there. Arrived at El Centro about noon and turned west for 8 miles on I-8 to Drew Road, then south 1/2 mile to the Rio Bend RV Park. Seems quite nice, and we are parked right on the little lake. Set up, clean house, make supper, take some photos, and end of day.