Tuesday, May 17, 2022

New Mexico to California

Stopped by Hatch, New Mexico to stock up on all our Chile needs





Overnighted in Gila Bend, Arizona.  
Boy was it HOT!  
This is where we said goodbye to Tom, Donna and Rita.

Yuma, Arizona
So close. We almost made it home without paying over $5.00 a gallon

Road trip #38 comes to an end

We were gone 71 nights

Took 3,110 pictures

We were in 10 different states

Drove 4,544 Motorhome miles

and 1,942 Jeep miles.


We found the

Cheapest gas in Del Rio, Texas for  $3.62 on 04-29-22

Highest priced gas in Florence AZ for $4.49 on 03-10-22 

Cheapest diesel in Lubbock, Texas for $4.54 on 03-19-22

Highest priced diesel in Yuma, AZ for $5.24 on 05-17-22


We are beyond lucky to have a neighbor like Gregg. Thanks for all your help!


Sunday, May 15, 2022

Elephant Butte, New Mexico


Elephant Butte Reservoir is the 84th largest man-made lake in the United States and the largest in New Mexico.  It is the only place in New Mexico that you can find pelicans perched alongside the lake. Elephant Butte Dam is the largest state park in New Mexico.



The CCC built roads, cabins, restaurant, boat house, rock walls, pergola and the fish hatchery in Elephant Butte.


Elephant Butte Lake is only 13.5% full as of  May 2022

Although fossils of a primitive relative of today's elephant have been discovered just west of the reservoir, the area was not named for its former inhabitants, the name "Elephant Butte" was derived from the eroded core of an ancient volcano, now an island in the reservoir, in the shape of an elephant.
















Run Bambi run





Two Birds nests

Yellowjacket Mine #2


Bighorn sheep


Airing up in the shade of a Cottonwood tree next to the Rio Grande river

I don't want to mention any names here.
Wife - Shouldn't we bring in the door awning?
Husband - No, we have left it out before in the wind.
Well guess what was laying on the ground when we returned.


The map had us crossing the Rio Grande River.  I don't think so.  Maybe a different time of year when the water is lower.




I am surprised this is the first antler we have found


Ranch house remains

Interior mud walls

Door frame

Square nails

Burner lid to a cast iron wood burning stove

She doesn't look happy to see us

Tom showing us how it's done

Dave taking the lower route



Getting pulled backwards off the rock

Caballo Lake was created in the 1930's when an earthen dam was built across the Rio Grande. 




Bighorn sheep










Lots of time the cows think we are the food truck and they come running.
We were checking out all the cute little cows and missed our turn.  That cost us some time.

Lunar eclipse