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California to San Antonio


dennisvr

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Planning on leaving CA Dec 7th and stopping in Vegas for a few days, Lake Havasu to visit friends and then take I 10 to San Antonio. Wanting to stop to see Carlsbad Caverns and Roswell to see the aliens. Was wondering what else there is to see along the way, so I'm open for suggestions on must see places along that stretch of I 10.

 

PS. I will be pulling a 40' 5th Wheel Toy Hauler with a smart car in the garage.

"It is better to have more truck than you need than to need more truck than you have"

2001 Volvo 660, Cummins 400 ISX, Eaton 3 Peddle Auto Shift    
2014 Fuzion 40' Toyhauler
2015 Smart Car                                                                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                            

 

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When we were in Carlsbad this summer the stretch of 285 from Carlsbad to Pecos was absolutely horrible. Lots of heavy trucks (oil and gas traffic) constantly along with the workers create terrible traffic jams and also have pretty much destroyed the road. It's a convenient short cut but just be aware of the problems. Also if you are planning on staying in Carlsbad be sure and get a space reserved early, many of the parks are full because of the workers in the area. On a positive note the Aliens are definitely on every corner in Roswell and the caverns are beautiful!!!




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Stop at the Escapees park in Benson called Saguaro - one week of full hookups for newbies for $50. It's a beautiful, friendly park with big sites....you would fit. While there you could do Tombstone, Bisbee - the mine tour is great, Kartchner Caverns - altogether different than Carlsbad as Kartchner is a living cave and still growing with lots of 'dripping'. It's a beautiful tour - do the Throne Room tour. Kartchner also has a nice campground for big rigs if you didn't stay at Saguaro. You could also do a day trip to Tucson - about 50 miles. The Desert Museum is nice (outdoors) and there's a Air Museum, Saguaro Nat'l park for a nice hike, etc.

 

After leaving Benson there really isn't much but open flatland until Las Cruces, NM. If ready to send another night there's also an Escapee park in Deming, NM although not nearly as nice as in Benson. Deming has a great museum for 'everything'. It's a hidden gem.

 

On your way to Carlsbad you'll pass by Guadalupe Nat'l Park - a bare bones campground (actually a parking lot) but worth a stop if you want to explore it.

 

Have a good trip!

Full-timed for 16 Years
Traveled 8 yr in a 2004 Newmar Dutch Star 40' Motorhome
and 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th Wheel

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If you are planning on going to Roswell, take I-40 to Clines Corners (about 80 miles E of ABQ) and take US-285 south to Roswell. US-285 is an excellent divided 4 lane hwy from I-40 to Roswell.

 

Of course if there are things along I-10 in AZ & NM, you want to see, take I-10.

 

Be SURE to check the weather for winter storm warnings the day before leaving Lost Wages. You have 3 higher elevation areas along I-40. The first near Flagstaff, the next at Grants, NM and the last a little E of ABQ.

 

Before everyone starts talking about snow and ice closing I-40. This is all desert country along I-40. Yes, 2-5 times, in the 5 month period from Nov to late March (maybe in an exceptional year more than 5 times), there is enough snow and or ice which makes I-40 dangerous. But the vast majority of the time the highway is free of snow and ice.

Al & Sharon
2006 Winnebago Journey 36G 
2020 Chevy Colorado Toad
San Antonio, TX

http://downtheroadaroundthebend.blogspot.com/

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Thanks all for the ideas of what to see and what roads to avoid, it will help out a lot. I was thinking about taking I 10 thinking it was the most southern route and may be the best weather wise in Dec, is that correct?

2gypsies, thanks for the info on the campgrounds and I will definitely look into Kartchner Caverns. I wont have time to spend a week at the Escapees park in Benson on the way out, because I'm wanting to get to San Antonio by Dec 21, but will check it out on the way back if we come back that way.

Thanks again

"It is better to have more truck than you need than to need more truck than you have"

2001 Volvo 660, Cummins 400 ISX, Eaton 3 Peddle Auto Shift    
2014 Fuzion 40' Toyhauler
2015 Smart Car                                                                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                            

 

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If you are an ELK the Lodges at Roswell and Carlsbad are both very friendly and nice places to stay, just electric but we really enjoyed staying there. Roswell has an enormous number of civilian airliners in the boneyard at the airport and Carlsbad has the Caverns.

After them we went to Austin and San Antonio but we avoid Interstates and visited the Buddy Holly museum in Lubbock, The Museum of the Pacific War in Fredricksburg TX, downtown Austin then the River Walk, Alamo and Tower in San Antonio.

Our blog pages:

http://banbrv.blogspot.com/2015/10/santa-fe-and-roswell.html

http://banbrv.blogspot.com/2015/10/texas.html

http://banbrv.blogspot.com/2015/10/more-texas.html

Hope this helps

BnB

2009 Monaco Cayman DP 38'

bnbrv.blogspot.com/

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As mentioned in the Tucson area are the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Pima Air and Space Museum, and theTitan Missile Museum.

 

In Deming, in addition to the Mimbres Museum; Rockhound and City of Rocks State Parks are close by and have campgrounds.

 

A little out of the way, but near Alamogorda are White Sands National Monument, the Organ Mountains - Desert Peaks National Monument and New Mexico Museum of Space History. Nearby Oliver Lee State Park has a campground.

 

​Near Roswell is Bottomless Lakes State Park that has a campground and even Wifi.

 

​In Lubbock, in addition to the Buddy Holly Center; there is the Silent Wings Museum, Windmill Museum and National Ranching Heritage Center.

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BnB, thanks for great ideas of where to go. I checked out your blog pages, they are great and I saved your blog in my favorites so I can go back and check out more of your travels. I'm not a Elks member now, but I'm thinking of joining so I can stop at the lodges in our travels.

 

Trailertraveler, thanks for your suggestions. I will defiantly be checking out some of those places. Thanks for taking the time and posting all the links to all the different places.

 

Thanks again for all the great places to see on our trip.

"It is better to have more truck than you need than to need more truck than you have"

2001 Volvo 660, Cummins 400 ISX, Eaton 3 Peddle Auto Shift    
2014 Fuzion 40' Toyhauler
2015 Smart Car                                                                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                            

 

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Cattleman's Steakhouse, just east of El Paso. Get off of I 10 at Fabens and head north into the desert about 5 miles. Wonderful steaks and Texas BBQ, and a free overnight in their upper lot.

 

http://www.cattlemansranch.com

2019 Airstream Flying Cloud 27FB
2011 Ford F350 CC SRW
 

"Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for."       Will Rogers        

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I recommend Davis Mtn State Park and Balmorhea state park. Great stops between El Paseo and San Antonio.

 

http://pastorscott.com/travel/shortstop-balmorhea-state-park-tx/

 

http://pastorscott.com/travel/sightseeing-review-fort-davis-tx-and-area/

Our "Here and There" Blog

 

2005 Safari Cheetah Motorhome

 

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White sands is worth a stop and it is nice if you can visit in the winter when it's not so hot.

 

The Organ mountains are also a very neat place to go hiking.

 

My blog posts on those are here:

http://www.livehoppy.com/backpacking-at-white-sands/

http://www.livehoppy.com/organ-mountains/

 

Ruidoso is a really cool little mountain town. It has a cute down-town main street area with lots of little shops that put up nice lights for Christmas. If the weather was nice, I would take hwy 70 from Las Cruces, stop at White Sands, go though Ruidoso and then on to Roswell and down to Carlsbad. If you're into such things, Sierra Blanca has a great zipline that runs from the top of the ski slope: http://www.skiapache.com/ziptour/. Plus it's a gorgeous mountain drive to get up there from Ruidoso (But I'd definitely not take the 5th wheel up it.)

 

I would also second Davis mountains and Balmorhea State Parks.

Class B, 1984 Dodge Xplorer van by Frank Industries.

 

Follow my life and travels at my blog, Live Hoppy. :)

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