Anybody here know New Mexico well?

[eddie1261]

I am fairly certain, like 98%certain, that when I hit the road I want to make New Mexico my New Home! I know there are at least a gajilion RV parks out there, but looking at them on Google Maps, a lot of them look really awful. I don't expect The RV Hilton but I also don't want to live on Skid Drive either. I don't expect to be IN a city, though I know some of them are in cities,  but less than an hour each way from any kind of civilization would be nice. Scenery, I can drive to, kind of why we buy RVs.....  Just the first look on a Google map shows it with so many red dots it's like Google has measles.

Anybody with knowledge of that state have any suggestions?

[I'mdonewiththis forum]

You can try this site: RV Park Reviews  There should be a review or two that you can use. 

[eddie1261]

Nice! I didn't know about that web site. Off to do some reading!. Thank you!

[chirakawa]

My all time favorite RV park  http://rosevalleyrv.com/

[Twotoes]

There is an Escapee park in Demming NM called Dreamcatcher. I believe there is also a co-op Escapee park somewhere in NM. 

[trailertraveler]

Much of New Mexico gets cooler than many fulltimers want in the winter due to the elevation. Check out the New Mexico State Parks. The annual camping pass is a good deal. There are lots of Forest Service Campgrounds in the six New Mexico National Forests. The Corps of Engineers has some nice campgrounds on their lakes. (note: this link has been funky for a while giving errrors on and off.) The Bureau of Land Management has campgrounds in its recreation areas. The down side to the public parks is that they generally have stay limits of less than a month.

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I believe there is also a co-op Escapee park somewhere in NM. 

It is The Ranch in Lakewood, NM.

[bigjim]

Anywhere in NM you are going to have to deal with dust. Some places extreme dust sometimes. Due to the nature of the terrain a lot of places that might be considered run down  are normal there just because you won't find a lot of grassy area's. They tend to do xeriscaping to save water.  There are about  4 parks in the east mountain area near Albq. from 10 to 20/25 miles from Albq an easy drive but each have there own issues some good some bad. There are some on the west mesa  2 of which are new and seem decent.  A lot of the ones in this area have very little shade.  There a good number in the Deming area pretty reasonalble  but that is an aquired taste area.  I think there are a good number in the Elephant Butte and Caballo lakes areas but I don't know that much about that area. I think they can have a big influx on weekends and holidays.

[rvnjudie]

We have stayed at a really nice, really welcoming park for the last two years.  The only reason we left was to be nearer family.  It is located just outside of Deming, NM.  Hidden Valley Ranch RV Resort.  Prices are good, they take Passport America.  The people there are super friendly.  There are Indian petroglyphs all over the ranch, lots of places to ride ATVs.  They have a nice clubhouse with tons of activities.  Try it out.  They have a website.

[justRich]

I don't know New Mexico "well", but we found Hacienda RV park in Las Cruces to be very acceptable.   The park has all the amenities, is located in a nice town and we (as well as others) walked to the nearby "old town" part of Las Cruces.  The park accepts long term RV's and overnighters.  We stayed a couple of days to explore the town, catch up on laundry, etc.
The guy next to us was married to a traveling nurse, had been parked there for months, and had no complaints.

 

[strawdog]

We lived in NM for 30 years, & still own 10 acres in the mountains. I have to agree with a few other posters who mention NM (and the whole Southwest) is often a love-it-or-hate-it area for those coming from the Midwest or East (or Northwest).  There are beautiful public campgrounds as mentioned -- BLM, State, & National Forest campgrounds. Many are in mountain or forested areas. However, you aren't going to find many lush, green parks, which makes them look a bit "blah" on Google Earth.

Since we lived in NM, when we went camping, it was either to one of the lakes or up in the mountains.  Some RV parks we have stayed at since we started fulltiming are Dreamcatcher in Deming, Rusty's RV Ranch in Rodeo (way down in the SW part, with easy access to the Chiracahua Mountains), Route 66 in Edgewood about 20 miles east of Albuquerque & Enchanted Trails on the west side of Albuquerque (we use both of these when visiting friends in the area), and Boot Hill RV Park in Alamogordo.  Valley of Fire outside Carrizozo offers hiking through lava fields, & as everywhere in NM -- views that go on forever.

New Mexico is truly the Land of Enchantment, & offers lakes, mountains, and deserts for exploring.  Also a ton of history such as pueblos, White Sands, the Sandia Peak Tram, Santa Fe, ghost towns...  Enjoy!

[trailertraveler]

We have spent several months in New Mexico over the past 10 years and have been to many of the places mentioned. The more Southern locations at lower elevations like Las Cruces, Deming, Lakewood and Alamogordo will be quite warm to hot in the summer. Cloudcroft and Ruidoso are nearby and at much higher elevation (they have ski resorts) and therefore cooler in the summer. Silver City is a popular retreat for those from Phoenix and Tucson to escape the summer heat. We did meet some year round residents when we stayed at Rose Valley. Red River, Angel Fire and Eagle Nest are also popular summer seasonal spots. They are ski destinations in the winter.

We have been to Hidden Valley outside of Deming a few times and it is very nice. There are a number of year round residents and some park models. When we were there, you needed a cell amplifier with the antennae on a fairly tall mast to get cell service in the campground because of the surrounding hills. The wifi was good, but we do not stream video, so I can not speak to that issue.

New Mexico seems to be getting much more popular over the past couple of years. Oft mentioned RV parks like Monte Bello in Taos and Boot Hill in Alamogordo (it was full most nights a week ago)  are getting harder to get into without reservations. The electric sites at the Corps of Engineers parks at Abuqui and Cochiti are reserved well in advance and the first come first serve sites fill early in the day. The same is true of the popular state parks like Oliver Lee near Alamogordo and Bottomless Lakes near Roswell.

Taos, Santa Fe, Albuquerque and Las Cruces are the larger cities with more social and cultural events. The Old Town of Mesilla South of Las Cruces has events on the plaza most Saturdays and Sundays.

[gjhunter01]

Be careful If riding a mountain bike in Deming or anywhere in NM. On a overnight stop last spring the wife and I rode our bikes from Dreamcatcher CG to Walmart and got 3 flats. Bought a can of flat fix to get back to CG, next morning all 4 tires were flat, nasty stickers.

Greg

[eddie1261]

So many great replies so far! Thank you all. My thoughts, in no particular order.

Dreamcatcher in Demming was one I had seen before and considered, and they are still looking like a good option. The response that mentioned flat tires on bikes, thank you for mentioning that, but I am an old fat guy with bad knees and haven't been on a bike that didn't have a motor in 55 years. As far as the dust, that's not a huge concern for me. The RV and car don't run better or worse depending on how clean they are. Some of the replies were places I have not yet heard of, but a few are more than I want to pay for a month.

My plan is to do a month settled somewhere then a month out, and so forth. The month increment comes from the value of monthly rent vs weekly. (I am either thrifty or cheap, depending on who is making that call. Women I have dated choose "cheap".) One of my major concerns is wifi and/or cellular. And if a place has cable I can connect to so much the better. I am addicted to Live PD on the A&E network, and that runs 3 hours Friday and Saturday nights. Most of the parks I have looked at, and I have looked at hundreds in the southwest so far just on an information hunt, say "Yes we have wifi but we forbid streaming TV on it." Well, that's kind of why most people want wifi. So what would work best for me would be a spot I can stay and with my external antenna find wifi from somewhere outside the park. A lot of the SKP parks are in such remote, desolate areas that there are no businesses to give that wifi to customers. That is part of why I have looked at so many and have detailed spreadsheets showing price, size of lot where known, links to the annual weather trends for that area, cell service according to the Verizon coverage map, distance to the nearest place I can assume has free wifi, etc.

What have been very happy to see is that I have yet to find one that is not dog friendly. I think most of us, as we reach a certain age, have a pet. My dog is 11, and hopefully she will still be with me as I head out into RV land in spring. She is 11 and blind, but she has never even been sick. Once I lose this one, that will be the end of dogs for me. This is dog #8 and I don't want to start over with one I will probably not outlive. My biggest fear is not dying (I KNOW that will happen some day),  but dying in my RV and nobody knowing it and my dog not having anybody to care for her until EMTs and police break in and find me.

So the hunt continues, and now because of your input I have more information on where to look! I kind of like the TOC area and have looked at a couple near there. Or more toward Alamogordo. The SKP place in Artesia is just too far from anything as far as the wifi aspect. Trying to use my Verizon cellular as my TV stream source, I will end up exhausting my 22gb threshold in a day of Live PD and risk being deprioritized and getting a bad stream if that tower is busy. I would even consider taking the RV somewhere else for Friday and Saturday, but the show runs from 9 to midnight, and don't most parks have rules about coming in after 10 or so? I'd end up living in a Walmart every weekend!  LOL!!

[bigjim]

Those stickers  are called goat heads most places I have been.  A friend owns 3 town lots with mobile homes he rents out in Deming.  Once while helping work on one I got shoes so full of goat head that I nearly fell when I walked on a tile floor at the hardware store.  Literally the worst I have ever seen. I have not had an issue at Dreamcatcher or some other places I went in Deming.

I like the location at Hidden Valley and everyone has been pleasant but lord those spots are close together. They have a small area of fulltimers that is slightly different but it looks a little trashy looking to me but I still might go in there.  I wonder about dealing with the entry road-hill in bad weather. If he hasn't passed just recently I have an aquiantance that has lived therer full time for years.  WAIT! I AM TALKING ABOUT A DIFFERENT HIDDENVALLY not at Deming.  Mine is just east of Albq. off I40. My bad.

[theeyres]

I'm another one that likes Dream Catchers. It really is just a large graveled parking lot but the staff is wonderful and it is one of the warmer areas of NM. There are quite a few full-timers that live there. Deming doesn't have a lot going for it but it isn't that far to many wonderful places to visit.

[Mike and Claudia]

We spend about 2 --3 months in the summer at Cimarron Inn and RV Park.  They have a few RV sites in behind the Motel Rooms.  Really cordial couple runs both.  They are Brits and very lovely people.  The amenities are not special, but the Hosts are very agreeable people.  The town of Cimarron is between Taos, Angel Fire, Red River, and Raton, in northern 

The Village is right on the edge (Like on the edge, west of town) of the rocky mountains.  Lots of stuff to see.  LOTS of wildlife:  Elk, deer, Bison, and we have even seen three camels out near one of the Wildlife Refuges.

Very nice people in town.  The Philmont National  Boy Scout Reservation is just outside of town.  They have lots to see and do.  Ted Turner owns a GREAT DEAL of acreage just north of town where, if you are lucky. you will see American Bison (Buffalo).  We saw hundreds of them!

There is a small local grocery store and filling stations.  The nearest Walmart is in either Taos, or Trinidad, Colorado.  Which is about an hours drive, but an interesting town to visit.

Taos, Red River, Angel Fire and Eagle Nest are all reasonably close towns but re much more expensive, which is why we stay in Cimarron. 

[Pat & Pete]

7 hours ago, Mike and Claudia said:

We spend about 2 --3 months in the summer at Cimarron Inn and RV Park.  They have a few RV sites in behind the Motel Rooms.  Really cordial couple runs both.  They are Brits and very lovely people.  The amenities are not special, but the Hosts are very agreeable people.  The town of Cimarron is between Taos, Angel Fire, Red River, and Raton, in northern 

The Village is right on the edge (Like on the edge, west of town) of the rocky mountains.  Lots of stuff to see.  LOTS of wildlife:  Elk, deer, Bison, and we have even seen three camels out near one of the Wildlife Refuges.

Very nice people in town.  The Philmont National  Boy Scout Reservation is just outside of town.  They have lots to see and do.  Ted Turner owns a GREAT DEAL of acreage just north of town where, if you are lucky.  We saw hundreds of them!

There is a small local grocery store and filling stations.  The nearest Walmart is in either Taos, or Trinidad, Colorado.  Which is about an hours drive, but an interesting town to visit.

Taos, Red River, Angel Fire and Eagle Nest are all reasonably close towns but re much more expensive, which is why we stay in Cimarron. 

You saw hundreds of Ted Turners or acreage or ???

[bigjim]

Do you know if they have weekly or monthly rates and do you get any OTA tv reception off the repeaters?

[Second Chance]

I'm a native New Mexican (born and raised in Las Cruces, lived in Santa Fe, grandparents lived in Ruidoso and Lovington, etc.). There are many nice places to stay in the state with lots of variety. As mentioned, many parts of the state do experience extended periods of sub-freezing weather in the winter - especially in the north and at higher elevations. There are parts of the state that resemble post-apocalyptic movie scenes and parts that are beautiful beyond description.

One thing I didn't see mentioned above is the aspect of domicile/residency. You might want to research the requirements to get a NM driver's license and register your vehicle(s). In many states, just staying in an RV park is not sufficient. In New Mexico, you must provide two of the following (must show a New Mexico address):

• a real property rental agreement or purchase agreement;
• a utility bill, such as water, gas, electric, waste, telephone, cable or satellite bill, but not a bill for a cell phone;
• an insurance bill or other document verifying current coverage such as automobile, home or health;
• a bank statement;
• an employment pay stub that contains the applicant’s name and address;
• a local property tax statement or mortgage documents;
• proof of a minor child enrolled in a New Mexico public, private, or tribal school;
• a current, valid motor vehicle registration;
• original documents from a New Mexico community organization attesting to the fact that the applicant is a NM resident;
• original documents from a city, county, state, tribal or federal government organization attesting to the fact that the applicant is a NM resident;
• a New Mexico medical assistance card; or
• a New Mexico public assistance card.

Most of us who are full-time went about establishing domicile in the state that works best for us (Texas, Florida and South Dakota are the most popular for a number of reasons). The Escapees RV Club will provide these services to you via their mail forwarding services - but your legal domicile will be in Texas or Florida. There are other services that do this in South Dakota, too. The main Escapees web site has lots of information on this.  You don't want to get caught in legal limbo.

Finally, New Mexico is a "mixed bag" concerning taxes for retirees - which is why many full-timers choose Texas, Florida and South Dakota because those states have no personal income tax at this point.

Rob

[motojavaphil]

On 11/7/2017 at 9:18 AM, gjhunter01 said:

Be careful If riding a mountain bike in Deming or anywhere in NM. On a overnight stop last spring the wife and I rode our bikes from Dreamcatcher CG to Walmart and got 3 flats. Bought a can of flat fix to get back to CG, next morning all 4 tires were flat, nasty stickers.

Greg

Yes, the mighty goatheads.  They are able to bring a grown man to tears.  My bicycle has armor in its tires, extra thick tubes and green slime and I still cross my fingers.  Our State Parks are inexpensive and remarkably well kept, they are a good deal.  One CoOp near Roswell and Dreamcatcher in Deming.  Both parks are fine.  We do not have the Resorts like AZ nor do we have the weather being high desert.  Prettiest and coldest in the north and lots of history at both ends.  I'd suggest coming here, doing the tour and figuring out what strikes your fancy.  The north is significantly different from southern New Mexico but either has its appeal.

[theeyres]

Dream Catchers says they have wifi but they don't. What they have is a defunct old system that no longer provides any service so ignore what they say. They also don't have cable just over the air. That pretty well leaves them out of your needs.

[Twotoes]

The Escapees park in Demming is just a gravel lot but the spaces are all pull thru with decent room between sites. There is a club house and they have many pot luck dinners, ice cream socials and some activities. There are about a dozen full time residents but most people just spend a night or two or sometimes a week getting off the road. The sites are all full hookup and there is a dumpstation if you are just boondocking in the park. There is also a laundry room and showers. There is a hotel next door with a restaurant and a bar. The hotel has wifi and you can go there to get online. Don't know if a wifi booster would work or if the hotel would allow you to use up that much data. They do have a password you need to get online. 

[SWharton]

You should consider a satellite setup for your tv needs. Just would be simpler all around rather than depending on wifi or cable. Our experience with cable at parks is poor. If you need wifi most parks wifi are  setup for email and not streaming. Get your own mifi unlimited system.

[eddie1261]

6 hours ago, SWharton said:

You should consider a satellite setup for your tv needs. Just would be simpler all around rather than depending on wifi or cable. Our experience with cable at parks is poor. If you need wifi most parks wifi are  setup for email and not streaming. Get your own mifi unlimited system.

My credit cards  and I hate to admit this, but you are correct. These 90 year old knees in this 66 year old body will keep me from doing more open air things and I get to a place where I watch TV and read a lot. The unlimited data and a Hot Spot only works so well because just one night of Live PD will run me past he deprioritization threshold. I already have the Hot Spot. Not activated yet as I don't need it now, but I have it.

 

Now to research popular opinion of Dish vs DirecTv.

[Mike and Claudia]

On 11/9/2017 at 7:06 AM, Pat & Pete said:

You saw hundreds of Ted Turners or acreage or ???

American Bison.  (Buffalo)  Home on the range, and all that.

Sorry.  My Wife can't read my mind EITHER, for some reason.