Planning to revisit South-Western USA

[Des Nolan]

Hello fellow travelers,

We intend to cut the tail end off of our winter and head for the desert for a month or so, leaving here the fourth week in March. We're looking for warmth and modest hiking trails; and love the scenery in old cowboy movies. Electricity would be nice, but it's not essential.

Roughly, we'll go west on US 20/10, see if anyone is still at Quartzsite, turn at Las Vegas, and come back east on US 40. But we'll do long detours and side trips at the slightest incentive.

We picked up great advice on keeping warm from Harry's (Prescott, AZ) post (stay below 5,500 feet elevation, etc.). We have previously enjoyed Palo Duro Canyon, TX; Rock Hound, NM; Picacho and Grand Canyon, AZ; Valley of Fire, NV; Zion & Arches, UT, many of these on FGRV recommendations. Thanks.

Where are other "must see and do" destinations? Any insight on hidden treasures would be appreciated.

Des & Diane

[Adrian W]

Be prepared for some days with lots of wind and perhaps some dust at that time of the year at least in some parts of AZ, NM and TX. But it just last a day or so normally, but then another Pacific Front will come through, it gets into a cycle at times. But other than those days it should be very nice weather.

Here are some sites and posts which might be useful:

Nat'l Parks West ** American Southwest Places ** ShakeDown **

NM & AZ

SnowBirding AZ, CA, NM *** I-10 TX to CA Plus

Northern New Mexico Campgrounds ** New Mexico Public Camping **

White Sands Nat'l Monument - Alamogordo

San Juans' Attractions - Campgrounds ** Santa Fe's Attractions **

New Mexico Campgrounds & Attractions ** Albuquerque

Reviews Campgrounds near Tierra Amarilla-Chama ** Traveling NM & AZ **

Aguirre Spring BLM Campground -LasCruces

Trinity Site ** Arizona Places ** Camping by Lakes New Mexico ** Pancho Villa SP **

Valley of Fires BLM in New Mexico, Lava Flow & Camping ** Datil Well BLM

Misc. Sites NM, AZ, Tx, CA, ND, Iowa ** City of Rocks **

Misc New Mex Camping ** Green Chile ** Fall Colors ** Tucson

Misc Suggestions Camping ** Santa Fe Campgrounds ** COE Campgrounds in New Mexico **

NM & AZ Off Roading ** NewMexFood ** Southern NM to ShowLow AZ

Composite WestTX, NM, SouthAZ

Hope you can find something to your liking in them. Off I-40 in NM Red Rock Area is neat by Gallop, see the Navajo museum there and the rock formations, El Morro Nat'l Mon out from Grants we went from Gallop to El Morro stopping by the Zuna Res as well, on the way to Albq'que area http://realtravel.com/e-193846-acoma_puebl...eblo_in_the_sky , also in the area the Lava Flows, stuff in Albuq'gue as well and Santa Fe. Also Joshua Tree Nat'l Monument in SoCal off I-10 should be nice at this time of year, I have not gone there but would like to. http://www.nps.gov/jotr/index.htm

I-20/I-10 to Picacho and beyond. As for Quartzsite, a good place it seems to camp cheaply with a lot of others in the winter, but IMHO a very bleak place. However, Joshua Tree is not tooo far on over in California.

[Anne Badgley]

We're looking for warmth and modest hiking trails; and love the scenery in old cowboy movies. Electricity would be nice, but it's not essential.

Roughly, we'll go west on US 20/10, see if anyone is still at Quartzsite, turn at Las Vegas, and come back east on US 40. But we'll do long detours and side trips at the slightest incentive.

Try Cochise County Arizona: http://www.explorecochise.com/
I am living here right now and the scenery, hiking and climate is fantastic. Elevation is just under 5000ft so temps are mild (70-80) in April and sunny, sometimes breezy. The mix of grasslands (Little House on the Prairie was filmed near here in Sonoita/Patagonia), trees (live oaks, juniper and mesquite) and mountains make for a great variety of hiking. For cowboy/old west scenery try Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista, Tombstone, Bisbee, the Cochise stronghold in the Chiricahua mountains, and Sonoita/Patagonia. Kartchner caverns state park has a great campground with electric hookups and showers. The cave tours at the state park are uniques and outstanding. http://azstateparks.com/Parks/KACA/tour_info.html

This part of Arizona (southeast) is not so well known outside of this state. It's kind of out of the way (70 to 90 miles SE of Tucson), but really unique. The mountains are all federal lands, so lots of hiking and camping possibilities. I think you would be enchanted!

[Des Nolan]

Many thanks, Adrian and Anne. We should (if only we could) add another month to our visit, just to sample a few more of those wonderful suggestions that you gave us. D & D

[Adrian W]

Just one added web site, in the Gallup, NM area: http://www.ci.gallup.nm.us/rrp/00182_redrock.html

We always enjoyed the Museum and the park, but it has been many moon since we have been there. The campground was a state park at the time. Not so anymore it seems.