January 15, 2011 Texas! We made it to Texas!

Fort Stockton hasn’t had much good happen to it for a long time, but to its credit many of the older buildings have signs outlining their history. Our campground is rather stark, built in the 50s probably to house oilfield workers. We are beginning to notice an odd pattern to Texas dogs; they are unexpectedly very small. Fort Stockton does have a nice collectibles store, unfortunately (even my view) closed today, Sunday.

January 14, 2011 Mesilla, NM – the better part of Las Cruces

Our next stop is Las Cruces, NM, and the strange Coachlight RV Park, accessible only by driving behind a motel. This park and motel seem to be patronized mainly by local temporary workers and truckers, but it works out fine.

Las Cruces itself has little going for it except some recently constructed government buildings. We did enjoy lunch at the Double Eagle, a Mexican restaurant in the old village of Mesilla. It was a reminder that New Mexican Mexican food can be very seasoned, and very good, and that a lunchtime Margarita can really impact your afternoon.

January 13, 2011 We check out Rock Hound State Park and spot a possible UFO

With a 14-mile detour off I-20 we find ourselves in Rock Hound State Park, New Mexico ($14 W, E). It is on a hillside and very quiet and beautiful and we take a short hike through the cactus. After sunset a black sphere becomes visible, hanging in the distance, beyond a neighboring hill. I pull out the binoculars and to my disappointment it is only some kind of tethered balloon.

January 11, 2011 Marcia discovers a gourd farm near the Casa Grande ruins...

Marcia and I left Indio and drove to Sunscape RV Park near Casa Grande, AZ. This is close to Tucson where a couple days ago six were killed in an attempt to assassinate a congresswoman. The tragedy was 24-hour news on the local stations during our stay, perhaps elsewhere as well.

We drove through rural areas, mostly cotton farms and empty land, small houses and shacks, to Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. This impressive structure was built probably in the 13th century and abandoned in maybe the 15th century. Even today it is the tallest structure for a considerable radius.

By pure coincidence, we also stumbled upon a gourd farm where Marcia was able to buy some raw materials. She plans to decorate them during idle moments, hoping to have them ready for sale at the Florida State Airstream Rally.

January 10, 2011 Maori in Indio?

We left San Diego, driving to Indio in cold weather, remnants of snow in the shadows of the higher hills. In Indio we camped at Shadow Hills surrounded by huge motor homes and another Airstream, a small one. The owner was a cheerful man in tennis shorts and a polo shirt, with an English accent, totally covered in body tattoos, with large white disks in each earlobe. Maori?

We dropped in on NorCal unit members Larry and Kathy at their Indio timeshare, also meeting up with Carlos and Rosemary, who preceded us. They introduced us to Mike and Carol from Indianapolis, and together we discussed Mike’s ideas for a small caravan to Alaska, not as part of the club. Carlos played a prized DVD of his grandfather’s Airstream caravan to Mexico, conducted by club founder and Airstream leader Wally Byam, in the 1950s. Wally and the times were amazing – a caravan might have 100-200 rigs, pulled often by big cars, with travel to places safer then than now.

January 2 – 9, 2011 Carlos and Rosemary learn about Marcia’s San Diego

Ben shows how a hat should be worn.

Grandpa John with the same hat.

We left Pasadena with Carlos and Rosemary and settled at the San Diego De Anza RV Park on Mission Bay.  This was a time to show our guests the sights of San Diego, but they seem to have been more impressed by the view from Marcia’s mom’s back yard.  Marcia and Jeanne put on a cocktail party for all of us, also enjoyed by John and Denise, and Miriam, and Paul.  Carlos and Rosemary moved on to Indio after three days, and we moved to Jeanne’s house to celebrate Christmas a bit late, with our San Diego relatives.  We then celebrated Christmas with John and Denise, and Brian and Gina, and saw their new home.