JUST AROUND THE BEND
Episode V
JUST AROUND THE BEND
EPISODE V
2000 – 2014
SOUTHWESTERN
DESERTS
TEXAS, NEW MEXICO,
ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA,
MEXICO
RICHARD E. ZIMMERMAN
And
ARLENE M. ZIMMERMAN
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JUST AROUND THE BEND
Episode V
JUST AROUND THE BEND
EPISODE V
2000 – 2014
SOUTHWESTERN
DESERTS
TEXAS, NEW MEXICO,
ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA,
MEXICO
RICHARD E. ZIMMERMAN
And
ARLENE M. ZIMMERMAN
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JUST AROUND THE BEND
Episode V
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JUST AROUND THE BEND
Episode V
JUST AROUND THE BEND
Episode V
2000 – 2014
SOUTHWESTERN
DESERTS
TEXAS, NEW MEXICO,
ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA,
MEXICO
Copyright
© 2015 Richard E. Zimmerman and Arlene M.
Zimmerman
All Rights Reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced or
transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical or
electronic, including photocopying and recording, or any
information storage and retrieval system, without the
express permission in writing from the authors or
publisher.
Cover and Cover Photograph by the author
All photographs Copyright by Authors
© 2015 Richard E. Zimmerman and Arlene M. Zimmerman
March, 29, 2015
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Arlene and I have written and composed several
books in a short period of time. It’s been great
fun, but most of all the very same knowledgeable
and generous folks have given their time and
helped prepare each one. Without them I’m sure
we wouldn’t have completed them.
George Mindling has continued to offer his
welcomed suggestions.
Our daughter Alyx and son-in-law Jim Movich
have again prepared our book cover. It’s a long
distance internet arrangement that constantly
try’s our expertise and proves their patience.
Paul Klump again has reviewed our work, made
many suggestions and created an E-book as well
as a Printable PDF version for us. Without his
help we would never have gotten this far.
Our printer, Athens Printing has been with us
every step of the way. They have reviewed every
photo and tweaked them to a more realistic color.
They also keep encouraging us to further edit the
proofs.
Thanks to all of you for your help and support.
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INTRODUCTION
The good news is that Arlene and I have
managed to stay afloat during the year 2000 and
into the next decade of this new Century. That
despite the Wars, Economy, and the worst
Political leadership in Congress in our lifetime.
During this time we’ve traveled throughout the
Southwest. An area of our country that holds
much interest for us yet we’ve never taken the
time to explain it. Year after year we have
returned trying to answer one simple question.
What’s the attraction? The land is dry, ever so
dry. You can always see tomorrow on the
horizon, and there are endless miles of driving
from one camp to another. Despite it all we like
it.
Our stories try to tell about these visits and
travels to the great southwest and how we’ve
tried to answer the question. Why go!
The Southwest has captured our imagination and
we have returned to it over and over during the
years. Our multiple visits have caused us to take
a different approach writing about this region
than other Episodes.
Previously, we followed a trip agenda beginning
at one point and traveling along a linear path
until we had either reached our destination or
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had traveled as long as we wanted, (gotten tired
of being on the road), and turned toward home.
There is, and probably always will be a home.
Where ever that may be as Arlene is less of a
wanderer than me.
We are therefore embarking on a Gestalt like
pattern to cover different areas over different
periods of time. So we plan to jump around
containing our multiple visits in one state at a
time. Arizona is an example of our new pattern.
We suspect there isn’t any part of the state we
haven’t visited, from Tombstone in the southeast
corner to Hoover Dam in the northwest. We’ve
traveled the low desert through the extreme heat
of the summer, the high desert, and the Colorado
Plateau in blizzard conditions. We’ve entered the
state from every direction, the four corners in the
mid-east, and from the Imperial Valley into
Yuma in the southwest. So this will be our new
approach to presenting our travels. We’ll pop up
here and there around the state.
The map of the Great Deserts of the Southwest
may give some idea of the area we’re traveling.
There are four deserts. Two in the south that run
into Mexico and two further north, one as far
North as Washington State.
In the south the Chijuajuan is in lower Texas, and
New Mexico. We think it’s growing northward
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because of the extended drought conditions, so it
covers an area larger than the map shows.
The Sonoran Desert crosses Arizona, Southern
California, and Baja Mexico. The drought again
seems to have an effect on these deserts. The
map separates the two, yet it is difficult for us to
tell as we travel across the lower sections of New
Mexico and Arizona where it begins or ends.
In the north the Sonoran blends into the Mojave.
Once your in the Mojave there’s no telling where
the Great Basin Desert begins in the North.
In Episode V we will visit three of the four,
excluding the Great Basin Desert. That’s part of
Episode VI.
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Another map, showing the Great Plains might
also help follow our travels. In addition to the
deserts it includes the Colorado Plateau, a raised
area in northern Arizona, that we love because
it’s mostly forested with beautiful tall pines.
The Great Plains runs from southern Texas far
into northern Canada. There are areas in Texas
and Colorado that are particularly difficult for us
to tell if they are deserts. Amarillo for instance in
the summer surly meets our definition of desert,
its plenty hot and dry.
So we’ve changed the way we’ll present these
stories hopping around from place to place
within a state over a period of time. Sometimes it
will be obvious when we’re at a certain place by
the rig we’re using, but other times it will be a
mystery.
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Our Appendixes tell more about the States we’ve
traveled marking places on maps. They also
include a short description of the vehicles we’ve
used during the last decade, and the homes we’ve
lived in between these travels.
Now; Come along with us to the Southwestern
Deserts. They are:
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 5
INTRODUCTION 7
TABLE OF CO NTENTS 13
1 TEXAS: FORGOTTEN LANDS 21
Hanks Creek (COE)
Austin (Lakeway)
San Antonio
Amarillo
Palo Duro State Park
Hill Country
Winter
Desert
Big Bend National Park
Rio Grande River
1932 The Old Spanish Trail
McDonald Observatory
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
2 NEW MEXICO: 71
THE RADIANT STATE
Leesburg State Park
White Sands
Roswell
Magdalena
Osais State Park
Conchas (COE)
Navajo Lake
Aztec
Fenton State Park
Heron State Park
Taos
Santa Fe
Cochiti Lake (COE)
Bandelier National Forest
Los Alamos
Silver City
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
3 ARIZONA: #1 CACTUS , SAND, 109
AND STONES
Petrified Forest National Park
Painted Desert
1933 Fords
Lyman State Park
Canyon De Chelly
Meteor Creator
Salt Creek
Tombstone
Tucson
NCAA Championship Football
Yuma
Prescott
Sedona
4 ARIZONA: #2 171
GRAND CANYONS
Grand Canyon
South Rim
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Inversion, Owls, and Snow
Page
Lake Powell
Rainbow Bridge
Antelope Canyon
Buckskin State Park
5 CALIFORNIA: #1 LAND OF 227
OPPORTUNITY?
Imperial Valley
Salton Sea
Anza-Borrego
The Green Bucket
Desert Survival
Palm Canyon
Driving in the Desert
The Butterfield Stage
6 MEXICO: SOUTH OF 259
THE BORDER
San Diego
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Mexico
South of the Border
Cantamar
Ensenada
Booz
7 CALIFORNIA: #2 SERRIA 295
NEVADA
Palomar Mountain
Palomar Observatory
Californios
Joshua Tree
Cowboy Boulders
Teddy Bears
Sequoia National Park
Giants
Topokaya Valley Falls
Bears: Black and Brown
Litchfield
Mono Lake
Yosemite National Park
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Valley
Tanaya Lake
8 NEVADA: PARTY TIME 351
Viva Las Vegas
Toward Death Valley
9 CALIFORNIA #3 DEATH 363
VALLEY
Death Valley
Bad Water 1933
Bad Water 2014
Golden Canyon Summer 2009
Sand Dunes 2014
Golden Canyon Winter 2014
Salt Creek 2014
10 Happy Trails 389
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APPENDIX:
State Maps: 391
Texas, New Mexico, Arizona
California, Nevada and Mexico
Travel Expenses: 395
Along The Way:
Vehicles 401
Homes 411
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1 TEXAS: FORGOTTEN LANDS
Hanks Creek (COE)
Austin (Lakeway)
San Antonio
Winter
Amarillo
Palo Duro State Park
Hill Country
Desert
Big Bend National Park
1932 (The Old Spanish Trail)
McDonald Observatory
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Hank’s Creek
We’re leaving Natchez, Mississippi after a swell
visit including a theater show declaring ‘life is
okay in the South, but we are broke and in
debt’. We guess nothing has changed in the
South since the play was written in the 1920
boom years. We wondered if Tennessee
Williams, picked up on the trend.
Crossing into Louisiana along their back roads.
We’ve noticed that homes in this swampy land
are built on concrete slabs laid right on the
ground. That’s unusual for us to see as most
homes in Florida are built up off the ground
level, they’re raised.
Our new home was built to the crown level of
the road. That height hopefully would protect it
from heavy rains and flooding. I wanted it built
higher, but our builder, Larry Tenbush, said any
runoff would drown our neighbors.
As we drive along we generally talk to each other.
Local radio, usually American Family, carries
religious diatribe against the human race. It has a
lot to do with keeping the South poor.
Eventually, we’ll buy Sirus XM satellite radio,
because we can’t stand the religious bull shit. We
then can listen to NPR, National Public Radio,
and stock market reports; our own choice of a
nutty world.
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Yesterday we spoke to Carl back home. Our
investment club, which Richard is currently
presiding over, has to pay out a member that is
cashing out. The member wanted cash, and it
was a lot. We would have to do it, but…..
Richard thought the club charter had to be
changed. Members who were leaving should
have no say in how they are paid off. It could be
stock or cash and always be up to the remaining
members discretion. As it stood, we might have
to go into debt, or sell stock we liked, to satisfy
this cash out.
In addition, Richard suggested the club members
discuss a reasonable limit to the amount any one
member could invest. Despite the success of the
club, it’s primary objective is education, not an
investment account. They should figure out how
to moderate the investment, maybe by limiting
the monthly dues or investment to $25.00. Carl
was in agreement and would present it to the
club.
With our administrative duties out of the way we
were now pulling into Sam Rayburn Reservoir,
Hank’s Creek campground. It’s a Corp of
Engineer’s camp. The Corp built a number of
dams along eastern Texas where thanks to them
now there is plenty of water and forests.
After registering we drove along a slender spit of
land to the very end, passing several dead
copperheads lying in the road. We’ve never seen
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many snakes in all of our travels. Copperheads
are as bad as they get, and when fall leaves cover
the ground they are impossible to see. They are
stealth in their attack.
The last site, surrounded by water was grand, and
the slight breeze would keep the bugs away.
Our host came from Minnesota, with the longest
rig we’d ever seen. It was 73 feet long, a pickup,
th
5 wheeler, speedboat, and motor scooter.
That’s so long he needed a CB to talk to truckers
on the road. They helped him pass in traffic and
park. Many states won’t allow anything longer
than 50 feet in recreational vehicles.
We wouldn’t stay long here, maybe another night,
but today was our wedding anniversary, March
th
29 . It was 14 years. Maybe a record for
Richard, and if you add on the 6 years we spent
preparing; it would actually be 20 years. For sure
a record.
We both believe it took the previous 40 years of
our lives to get ready for each other. If Arlene
wasn’t ready for Richard before, and he swears
she wasn’t, he surely wasn’t ready for her.
But, now after 14 or 20 years, plus a few before
we both think it’s going alright.
After a splendid breakfast and a prize in our
cereal box. A ring with which we used to swear
our love to each other for another few years or
until we couldn’t remember.
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We headed out to investigate eastern Texas. It
didn’t take long before we came upon these
contractors clearing the land. It was astonishing;
these machines did everything.
A few men marked the trees to cut. Then stood
around watching. Within minutes a machine
grabbed a tree, cut it and stripped off the
branches. It only took a few minutes. Then
moved on while another machine picked up the
trunk and piled it onto the truck.
They were very quick and as you can see hardly
left any sign of their work as they left.
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Austin (Lakeway)
Fortunately we stopped for a few of days in
Austin to visit my brother, Joe. He and Mary
Ann as usual had a lot of good advice and
information about southwestern Texas.
One suggestion was to camp outside of the Big
Bend Park and make day trips.
We took our kayaks out on the lake and fished
with Joe, caught a couple of ‘pan’ fish, so called
because they fit into a frying pan. The ladies went
shopping while Joe and I also took his directional
kite out for a flight. It was really lots of fun. I
was surprised at how maneuverable it was. After
a few tries we reduced the crashes, and it flew like
a bird.
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(Both Joe and Mary Ann have passed away since
we last saw them. They will be missed. We
think about them often.)
San Antonio
We’ve always used Austin as a stepping stone in
and out of Texas. So we’ll take a moment to
mention several other paths out of Austin that
we’ve taken. San Antonio which we’ve always
liked, but found it’s developers have left it
without any water. Never-the-less the River
Walk and the Alamo are two really fine places to
visit.
We were there once in the winter. The bright
Christmas lights and country cheer were hard to
beat.
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The Alamo is stunningly small, yet the city has
treated it well. They’ve centered it inside the city
park, surrounded by skyscrapers and churches.
The walls are 1 ½ feet thick, and for the middle
of January it’s pretty warm inside.
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It was really festive. We were passing through on
our way to the National Football Championship
in Phoenix, so we celebrated day and night.
There’s a large German population which
encouraged us to eat sausages and sauerkraut. It
was ok, and filling. On that diet we could
possibly eat as infrequently as once a week.
Amarillo
Another of our favorites is northwest to the
Texas Panhandle. It’s a long way from Austin
230 miles to Abilene, 265 to Lubbock, 165 to
Amarillo. Texas goes on forever, and it’s all up
hill. So don’t take your foot off the gas. In these
wide open spaces there’s so little water that it’s
hard to realize that it all drains into the
Mississippi.
This is the beginning of the legendary West. The
Brazos River, and the Red River run across the
arid land. They drift along all year until the
spring when mountain snow melt fill them.
It’s Cowboy Country, despite never seeing a cow
outside of the Feed Lots. With towns like ‘Needs
Help’, ‘Sweetwater’, ‘Fairwell’ and of course
‘Goodnight’ named after the most famous cattle
man in American history.
We drove the hills, canyons and draws all day
until late in the evening, when we came upon
Palo Duro Canyon. A 200 mile long canyon that
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Johnny Goodnight a hundred years before
punched his skinny herds through their last few
miles into Amarillo’s cattle yards and freight
station.
There are so many ‘Draws’ you can’t name them;
Blackwater, Yellow House, Salt, Lost, Seminole.
We’ll return to Palo Duro Canyon, and it’s State
Park, but the cattle and beef were calling out our
name and we needed to go into Amarillo for a
steak.
Where in the entire Panhandle could we possibly
find a better Texas Steak than at
The BIG TEXAN STEAK HOUSE?
Just look at the size of that critter. That’s not
one of Jonny Goodnight’s herd. No Sir! This is
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genuine, Hereford. This big rolly-polly steer lives
through fierce winters and is the finest, red and
white beef available.
Not only was this big beef, but the restaurant
offering was also. They dared us to eat one of
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their 10 pound steak with baked potato, green
beans and all the trimmings for free. We’d have
an hour to chow down, and on top of that we’d
get a cowboy sized boot full of our favorite
beverage to help wash it down. A Blue boot at
that.
Bring on the Grub. We’re so hungry we could
eat a bear…I mean a cow.
We went for the boot full of lemonade, and a
whopping large 6 oz steak. Man was it good.
Richard sketched the boots, but didn’t color
them. They should be electric blue.
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Palo Duro Canyon
When we got back to the State Park we noticed
that our trailer had a worn tire. We decided we’d
fix it the next day, went inside turned on the air
conditioner and fell asleep.
The canyon is a natural place to herd cattle. It’s
sides offer a natural barrier for want-a-be strays.
The little water that was available drained into the
bottom which
was wide enough to support a good size herd. So
mile after mile this was a cattle herder’s heaven.
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We were pretty happy with it ourselves, once we
got over the cost of camping at Texas’s state
parks.
There’s warning signs around every trail. We
haven’t seen a snake, but understand they can be
huge, 4-5 inches round and 5 feet long. A snake
that size could strike about as far as it’s length, 5
feet. So we’ll keep our eyes peeled.
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Over the years we’ve seen a big change in
National and State camping facilities. Because
there are so many more State Parks we tend to
concentrate on how unfair and expensive these
State Parks have gotten.
Two states that have lowered services and
upkeep, and increased costs are Texas and
Colorado. I suppose that we would never camp
in one of these parks if we had a choice.
Near the camp was a large natural theater. Every
evening, with a staff of enthusiastic young
people, mostly students, they put on a ‘Sound
and Light’ show. The history of Texas, which
was naturally called ‘TEXAS’.
It was great fun, lots of dancing to Rogers and
Hammerstein’s Oklahoma, singing and horseback
riding with tricks. Beyond the stage, there were
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more actors, with conastoga wagons, and Calvary
passing through the bushes and trees.
The show ran into the night and the lights
flickering on the far hills predicted wars with
Mexico and other struggles the State and it’s
pioneers had gone through.
On the walk back to camp we were dazzled by
the brilliant sky and the thousands of stars. We
didn’t need our flashlights. What a beautiful
evening, it was still windy and nearing 11 pm, yet
the temperature was around 95 degrees. The
wind acted like a blow torch as it blew down the
canyon.
We were both up early this morning, around 5
am and eager to change our tire. It had not
blown out, but the wire threads were showing
through. Sometimes it’s surprising to us that
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something like this could happen. We try to keep
our eyes on those sort of things.
We blocked each wheel and got out the scissor
jack setting it under the frame. Then, before
raising the tire I loosened the bolts. Fortunately
not entirely, as once the tire was an inch off the
ground the jack slipped. The tire didn’t fall off,
but it was enough to change our mind We’ll use
‘Good Sam’ or ‘AAA’ to help us. It was early so
we decided to limp into town, Canyon, Texas and
have Wal Mart, or Goodyear, replace it. It
wouldn’t be the last time we’d replace a tire. We
learned a valuable lesson….Don’t do it yourself.
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Hill Country
Were now ready to move along, from Austin.
But, before we reached the desert we crossed two
distinct environmental areas. The Hill Country
of Texas, Lyndon Johnsons’ Pedernales River
home, and Llano River’s hilly country.
On our way to Big Bend we spent the night at
Llano River State Park. I don’t recall how much
it cost, but we have been burned by Texas’s park
costs before. The host had 5 hummingbird
feeders and at least 100 hummingbirds buzzing
around it. Under the scrub cedar, grasses and
wild flowers grew; Paint Brush, and black-Eyed
Susan’s. We had a pleasant time visiting with the
camp hosts.
We stopped several more times. Once at
Kerrville at the Cowboy Museum. There were
some nice paintings, but what attracted us most
were the Mesquite floors. Mesquite isn’t more
than a bush. It grows like a tangled mess of wire.
So to make a floor from it they cut pieces of the
trunk and limbs about 6 inches long and lay them
right side up like parquet. You could see the
rings of each piece. It was attractive.
A little further along we stopped at the Sonora
Caverns. We’ve sworn never to go into a cave,
yet we did. We have nothing good to say about it
except we redoubled our effort not to forget why
we stay away from caves.
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Driving through Ozona we thought about the
summer Dean and Nate worked in the oil fields
here. Here’s a view of the countryside and
golden limestone rocks that are used across the
region to build homes and commercial buildings.
Outside of Ozona the interstate flattens out and
the drive is pretty straight .
Now the roads continued to rise and fall, but
over several miles. Occasionally there was a
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Butte or Mesa, and further off in the distance a
ridge of hills, not really mountains. The human
population dropped off dramatically and where
there had been lots of sheep and a few other
animals. Now we didn’t see any animals.
We understand that the great plains were once a
shallow sea. So we drove along wondering about
the hills and valleys. It’s not clear to us if the flat
lands around the Buttes sank and left the table
tops which might have been islands. Or did the
Buttes rise up above the floor? We don’t know,
but we do know that this sparse land could easily
lead us to a ‘nut house’.
Spring here was quite different. ‘Draws’ were
empty, and dry. The hillsides were spotted with
Creosote bushes, some green flowers and
Mesquite. The irregular winds of the hill country,
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which before were little trouble while driving,
now picked up and the cross winds were so
strong they created dangerous areas. Road signs
warned us about them as we approached small
valleys and between the hills.
The winds remind us of South Dakota and
Nebraska. Winds blew constantly as we crossed
those states. Here they blow constantly but lands
not flat, so they are channeled by the highway
slicing through the white yellow rocks either
causing a head or tail wind. When the wind
doesn’t follow the road it seems to cut right
across it.
Every time we’d crest a hill and head down into
another small valley or high culvert the wind
would channel across us. We’ve been really
careful as it sometimes is severe and we’ve seen
several tractor trailers blown over on their side
with packages and boxes spread all over.
Winter
Texas winters are quite different than their hot
dry summers. We have encountered dust
storms, hundreds of miles of fog, and ice.
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Dust storms can leave 5 or more inches of dust
on the ground. It infiltrates everything, and is
impossible to clean out. We’ve swept, and dusted
every flat surface, nook and cranny, shaken out
all our linens and still find dust on the blinds and
in the corners. Our trailer may never be free
from it.
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We were lucky to see two pass south of us. But
not so lucky as to dodge the fog and Ice storms.
The fog descends and for hours we’d drive with
our headlights on. The ice we’re use to in the
East. In Georgia ice coats the pines and is so
heavy it breaks the branches. The sound of the
snap is ear splitting. Here without trees, hills or
mountains the weather rolls out across the plains
forever.
Bushes and every blade of grass glistens with
white ice. If the sun would ever shine it would
be unbelievable, sparkling like a diamond.
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Desert
Traveling diagonally across to Amarillo is a long
drive, but there isn’t anywhere that’s not too far
in Texas. When you arrive at Fort Stockton
you’ve seen enough Sage and Creosote to easily
conjure up hallucinations. Here on the prairie we
swear there was a mythical Army Calvary.
We also keep imagining the wagon trains crossing
the desert 150 years ago. We’ve left the prairie
and have roughly followed their trails from fort
to fort. Fort Stockton was one of these safety
zones along the western trails.
These forts were setup to protect the emigrants
as they moved west. They had lots of problems
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with marauding Indians. Apaches and the
fiercest of all in the southwest the Comanche’s.
We turned south at Fort Stockton toward the
towns of Marathon and Alpine into the
Chijuajuan Desert. This desert like all deserts has
less than 10 inches of rain a year. It extends
across the rest of Texas past El Paso, all along
New Mexico into Arizona, its northern boundary.
It runs deep into Mexico to the south.
There are petite flowers along the roads in
clusters of yellow, orange, pale red, pink , and
lavender. The leaves are greenish white with
Sage one of our favorites both in color and smell.
The land doesn’t support a lot of bushes or trees,
and the hill tops are ringed with crumbling stone.
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We’re moving along around 60 mph on a pretty
good highway, yet, occasionally it gets rough and
the RV’s stove top begins to squeak the vent
doors chatter and our tires whine. Then the road
smoothes and it quiets down again, except for the
wind bursts and some RV swaying.
It’s not extraordinary for us to cover 300 miles
each day. That would mean we’d cross Texas in
a couple of days. But not the wagon trains. (See
Appendix #2 for immigration information.)
They could have taken a month or more with the
oxen carrying their belongings on those 4 or 5
foot wheels across the soft sinking sand and
rocky country side.
We’ve taken my brother’s advice and stopped in a
private RV camp in Alpine. From here we’d be
able to drive over to Marfa to see the mysterious
48
JUST AROUND THE BEND
Episode V
lights along the foot hills. No one knows where
they come from or why they are there. Yet
people come to see them and they’ve built a
viewing center for them.
You can see that the tourist trade was pretty
slow. This gas station and general store has been
empty long enough for the wind to blow in all
the windows and roof. Look closely and you can
see tomorrow through one of the windows.
49
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