Fort Stockton through camping in Springerville (White Mountains) 9/4 - 9/12/2020

Onward!!  Next day made it to Fort Stockton, a place I always end up when traveling through Texas.  Just nothing to write home about, but it is just the place where a stop is almost required as it is in the middle of nowhere.  I decided to get a room as it was very hot.  Stayed at Hampton Inn which was nice and did include a good breakfast.  I was surprised that we were able to serve ourselves breakfast.  Sure was nice to have a meal and coffee to get the day started.  A/C felt good overnight and I had a good sleep.

Back at it, driving!!!!  Arrived in Deming, NM, amazing to FINALLY be out of Texas.  That state is just so huge.  Again too hot to sleep in Cinnamon so got a room at the La Quinta.  They did not serve breakfast (or even a breakfast bag) which was disappointing.  No discount for no breakfast.  Certainly not the Hampton Inn, but less money too and pretty nice.  Got into room and decided to try to find something to do.  Found a nice winery that was about a ten minute drive, called D.H. Lescombes Winery & Tasting Room.  I got a flight of sweet wine (was surprised they had so many sweeter wines) and the wine was some good stuff.  I didn't finish my last glass because I had to drive back to the hotel.  Stuff hit me pretty hard since I hadn't drank anything since May 15th, when I began my "diet."   I bought two bottles of wine to bring to Arizona to share with Cheryl.  Then had a Hatch chili burger at a hamburger joint and pretty early to bed.

Finally out of Texas.

On the road Sunday morning and I will get to my destination today.  This will be uphill travel with some winding roads.  Stopped at a view point and met some fun guys on their motorcycles for a 3 week trip.  I offered to take a picture of them and they took one of me with them.   Had a good conversation about my old days riding/driving motorcycles and the fun times John and I had.

Nice bikers from Alabama.

Kept driving and didn't stop to eat all day.   Did made a stop in a cute little town Silver City, NM to look around a little.

Another old theater, still open which is nice.

Picnic area pitstop.  Only one here and it was so quiet.

Sometimes we forget what quiet is.

Made some coffee in my little 12 Volt coffee cup.  That worked out great since I do require mass quantities of coffee each day.  About an hour out I texted Cheryl and she said she would meet me at Safeway in Springerville.   So glad to have arrived and need to get to camp and stop driving.  Got there and met a bunch of new people and saw that the camp was pretty sophisticated with a kitchen and dining room area set up.  It was so amazing.

So good to see Cheryl & Mike and their little dog, Missy.  We sat played some dominos, ate dinner (just one of the best meals) and sat around the campfire.  Dessert was s'mores that I haven't had in a long time and that was a perfect camping treat. Had a nice bed in Mike & Cheryl's 5th wheel.  Even had a fireplace that we used every night.  We were up at around 8,000 feet, cool days which was refreshing for us all.  The thin air at the elevation made everything seem to take a little more effort to do.

We camped in the White Mountains at Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests.  Lots of fun roads we got to explore, some nice trails and the most beautiful groves of aspen trees.  Very soon they will turn yellow and we might make a trip up to see them.  There is nothing prettier than a huge grove of aspens surrounded by evergreens.

*not my photo

This show pile of coals is under  a chair.  While sitting at the campfire

our fronts were warm and it was someone's idea to put coals

under our chairs!!!!!  Genius, it was heaven to have warm butts.

Jen and James getting s'mores ready for everyone.

Every sunrise was beautiful - Cheryl the early

riser's photo.  I was up for one sunrise and my

camera battery was dead.

It was so cool to see a beautiful big deer on my backroad ride in the 4x4

The aspens were stunning.  Hope to get

up to see them when they turn yellow.

Mike Henry took me a for nice ride up to Green's Peak,

10,099 feet elevation.  A little bit of a scary ride,

more like a roller coaster than a road.

View from Green's Peak.

Lots of towers for communication and also a fire tower.  Top of the world.

Nice to relax with a rum and Coke.  The

trailer had all the comforts of home that's for sure.

Nice to camp with a fire place.

We were so lucky that we were able to have a campfire, always

the center of a camp.  Now days camping is mostly campfire

free due to fire dangers.  We'd had rain so were allowed fires.

Cheryl in front of the laundry where we did wash.

In Silverton, we stopped at Java & Junk, had a coffee

and snack and looked at all their fun stuff.

John Wayne owned a ranch up in Eager, next town over for

several years.  They still celebrate John Wayne Days there.

Had to get this man's photo (I did ask).  He

just looks so cool and yes, that's a real

gun!!!  He was a Java & Junk working.

Mike drove Cheryl and me over to Greer.  A place they

used to go years ago.  They had a fire in that area and they

wanted to go back and check it out.  Neat and pretty area.

Hummingbird

Yes, we had great food.  Cheryl's new

grill worked great and came in handy.

Our "kitchen" made out of portable garages and

we had two of them.  One we used for eating and when the

rain poured down one night it was perfect.  Had a heater

in there so fun listening to pouring rain and feeling snuffly.

Awesome guy, Michael Henry.  He'd made sausage gravy and I told

him I'd like his recipe since it was so good.  He said you can get up

on Friday and I'll let you make it.  Love the stuff, zero calories, LOL.

He baked biscuits in camp oven and then

with my gravy, great breakfast.  Cheryl made

the eggs and bacon so a camping feast.

The "left overs" from the peach cobbler made with coals.

The bottom was burned into this holdable form.  We all cracked up.

Seem to always find brides when I'm out vacationing.  These folks came

up for some western theme photos, Beautiful bride and a perfect setting.

Cheryl was up for every sunrise.  I saw

one, but my camera battery was dead.  Cheryl's

photo.  Thanks.

We looked like pagan worship group.  A weird

bone (hip? from a steer) found at camp.

Mike took me for a ride to Canero Lake.  On the flat part

he went really fast and it was a little scary, but I just chilled

and enjoyed it.  So fun to drive on those back roads.

Canero Lake, low on water.  Small lake probably used by the cattle that use the range.  

They have to round them up with cowboys when autumn hits before the snow.

Great trip, refreshing cool weather and amazing to feel actually cold.  I met such nice folks  at the camp and, of course, being with Mike and Cheryl was such a treat.  A good time was had by all.  Now back to the hot valley, Tucson, for more adventures.