Simple Living and Simple Travel

Crossed the Pecos once more, making it number nine for this trip and still no Bill. The park is 16 miles NE of Carlsbad. During the two weeks I stayed here last winter, there were only a half dozen RVs or so each night. Not so this winter, however. Quite a few more rigs but most of the electric sites are nicely spread out. The reservation sites are #1 – 29 and mostly empty except for the two hosts and two or three other rigs each night (kind of a waste). The other electric sites (#30 – 51) have been at least half full most nights. People generally only stay for one to three days. The disperse area, down by the water, does not have designated sites. One just sets up wherever. Sometime I’ll set up the camper where I took the shot of my bike. There are a couple trails for walking, as well as, a shoreline to explore. One can bike on the trails and ride down to the primitive camping area. You can also bike up the road in front of the park (north to the ‘T’, then left) to the old dam. It...

After a run, Tai Chi, and breakfast, we rolled out of Oasis. I stopped in the Do Drop In one more time for coffee and WiFi before heading south to Bottomless. Sure glad it was not windy during the drive. I would imagine that this 90-mile stretch can get gnarly with heavy winds. Passed over the Pecos twice more. That makes eight times so far on this trip. Still no Bill. Roswell has all the stores one would need. ‘Not of This World’ coffee shop at 209 N Main Street has wi-fi, sandwiches, and smoothies. That pretty much covers it. If you already had your morning coffee, go to the city library. It has faster wi-fi and plenty of nice widow nooks with power outlets. The state park is 14 miles east of town. The lakes were formed when underground water dissolved salt and gypsum deposits to form subterranean caverns. The roofs of these caverns eventually collapsed from their own weight forming sinkholes that then filled with water. Mirror Lake is two adjacent sinkholes. What’s strange is that t...

Stayed longer at Sumner Lake than I had intended. Except for the last few days, there was intermittent wireless coming from somewhere and was such a treat, I did not want to leave. Then a class A motorhome pulled into the site next to me even though there were other vacant sites not next to any rig. The gods were telling me to roll-on. Scooted over to Clovis before heading down to Oasis. I wanted to get supplies at a grocery store with more of a selection. Clovis is large enough that one could probably find whatever they need there. This area has a number of dairies. I almost feel guilty with all the non-fat milk I drink. These cows are only milk-machines. Their black and white bodies are packed into large dirt pens with no room to roam let alone have any grass to graze. Not truly living&#151merely existing in perpetual black despair. There is a dairy two miles from the park and if there is no wind, one can easily smell all the cows and their waste early morning or evening. The par...