We visited Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Amarillo, Texas. The second largest canyon in the country.
Entrance:
Canyon view:
Visitor center:
Heading down into the canyon:
Store:
map
Maps of travel routes and campgrounds.
Oasis RV Resort & Cottages
We stayed at Oasis RV Resort & Cottages in Amarillo, Texas. (Campground Reviews listing.)
A couple of nights in Texas on our journey east.
Dates:
- Check in: 2023-10-19
- Check out: 2023-10-21
- 2 nights
Weather:
- Sunny
- High temps ranging between 83-88°F, lows around 53-59°F
- Negligible wind
Noise:
- Some freeway noise
- No train noise
- Negligible neighbor noise
Site:
- #17, pull through, concrete
- Didn’t need to disconnect toad; parked behind coach
- Fairly level
- Asphalt driveway with concrete pad, about 80 feet long by about 20 feet wide
- Gravel between sites about 15 feet wide
- Some trees
- Picnic table on small concrete patio, about 13 feet by 6 feet
- No fire pit
- Clean site
Utilities:
- 50 amp power, conveniently located
- 55 PSI water, conveniently located
- Good sewer connection, inconveniently located (2 10-foot pipes needed)
Internet (in usage priority order):
- T-Mobile: 30-36 Mbps down, 4 Mbps up, 55 ms ping
- Verizon: 6 Mbps down, 7-12 Mbps up, 155 ms ping
- AT&T: 58-80 Mbps down, 9 Mbps up, 90 ms ping
- Starlink: not used
- Campground Wi-Fi: not used
Amenities:
- Garbage dumpsters (no garbage pickup, so not really a resort in my book)
- Closed pool
Our review on Campground Reviews:
Convenient stop off I-40 in Amarillo
We needed a short stay while traveling through the Texas panhandle, and this place was perfect for that. It’s a large park with long, wide (mostly) pull-through sites. There are concrete pads perfectly placed if you’re a motorhome with tow, but not quite right if you pull a fifth wheel or trailer. So many places have it the other way around, so it was a nice change for us to be able to park in the optimal spot. Close to I-40, but not much noise. Disappointing that they close the pool seasonally regardless of what the actual weather is doing, and also that they are a “resort” and don’t offer trash pickup, which is the bare minimum to be a “resort,” IMHO. We camped at Oasis RV Resort & Cottages Amarillo in a Motorhome.
The map:
Interactive map:
Our site:
Other sites:
Outdoor cat:
Cabins:
Bathrooms and tornado shelters:
Office:
RV in the style of Cadillac Ranch:
Travel from Tucumcari, New Mexico to Amarillo, Texas
We drove our coach 99 miles, about 2 hours of driving, from Tucumcari, New Mexico to Amarillo, Texas.
Here’s a map showing our route, heading east:
An interactive map:
Leaving the campground (and taking out the trash):
Heading to I-40 east:
I-40:
Leaving New Mexico:
Texas state line:
Entering Central Time Zone:
Welcome to Texas:
Rest stop:
Fuel stop:
$321 of diesel:
Roadworks blocked our access to the campground; we had to detour through the Loves truck stop:
And duck between cones:
Our destination:
Oasis RV:
Our site:
Merry Christmas; New Orleans Celebration in the Oaks
Merry Christmas to all who celebrate, or Happy Holidays!
To mark the occasion, here’s a post out of sequence. We stayed in New Orleans around Thanksgiving this year, and while there attended the New Orleans City Park’s Celebration in the Oaks holiday lights. The blog posts about New Orleans aren’t scheduled to be published until February (yes, I’m rather behind; we do things faster than I can post about them!). But I figured I could bring this one forward to a more appropriate time.
This holiday celebration has driving and walking options; we did both. Here’s a map of the routes:
We started with the driving portion, where one drives along roads in the park that have holiday light decorations:
A timelapse video from my 360 camera of the drive:
We then parked at the mini golf in the park, and played a round (Jenn won):
Then proceeded to the walking part, wandering around the New Orleans Botanical Garden and environs, with lots of holiday lights:
Jenn reaching for a star:
A cute narrated Cajun Night Before Christmas story, with synchronized lights:
An amusing New Orleans variation of 12 Days of Christmas:
Model trains:
Amusement park rides were also included, but we didn’t participate in any (considered the train, but it was full, and the carousel, but didn’t want to wait):
It is a nice historical carousel, though:
A fun festive evening. Always interesting to see local variations of holiday lights.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all!
Tucumcari KOA Journey again
We stayed (again) at Tucumcari / Route 66 KOA Journey in Tucumcari, New Mexico. (Campground Reviews listing.)
We still hate buddy sites, but needed to stop here to pick up a package that was delivered after we left, so figured we might as well stay one night.
Dates:
- Check in: 2023-10-18
- Check out: 2023-10-19
- 1 night
Weather:
- Sunny
- High temp 76°F, low 47°F
- Negligible wind
Noise:
- Nearby freeway noise
- No train noise
- Negligible neighbor noise
Site:
- #37, pull through, gravel
- Didn’t need to disconnect toad, and didn’t
- Fairly level; used air leveling
- Gravel driveway about 65 feet long by about 10 feet wide
- Buddy grass about 20 feet wide
- Grass between sites about 7 feet wide
- Some trees
- Picnic table on grass
- No fire pit
- Did I mention buddy site! Do not like.
- Clean site
Utilities:
- 50 amp power didn’t work; used 30 amp instead, conveniently located
- We notified the office in the morning, and they promptly came to investigate the power issue
- 65 PSI water, fairly conveniently located
- Good sewer connection, inconveniently located (2 10-foot pipes needed)
Internet (in usage priority order):
- T-Mobile: 38-43 Mbps down, 3-8 Mbps up, 96-134 ms ping
- Verizon: 0.05-0.3 Mbps down, 0.5-5 Mbps up, 100 ms ping
- AT&T: 83-95 Mbps down, 7-10 Mbps up, 32-61 ms ping
- Starlink: not used
- Campground Wi-Fi: not used
Amenities:
- Garbage dumpster by entrance
- Package delivery to site
- Cooked breakfast delivery to site (didn’t use this time)
Our review on Campground Reviews (from our previous visit):
Buddy sites, nuff said
This is an older KOA with new owners who are working on improvements. I see a lot of potential and will stay here again because it’s just so convenient to I-40, but the rates are a bit much for what it is currently. The staff here are all fantastic. Friendly, helpful, and on the ball when you report an issue. And who could argue with cooked breakfast brought right to your door? However, the biggest drawback is that most of the sites are buddy sites. They have nice, new concrete “patio” sites at the back of the park but ruined it by having them all be buddies. I cannot overstate how much I dislike buddy sites. We camped at Tucumcari KOA Journey in a Motorhome.
Tip for Other Campers: Kix on 66 was very tasty and has that whole Route 66 retro vibe going on.
An interactive map:
Our site, facing another site:
We usually make sure we arrive before dark, but this was an exception; we decided to travel at night rather than stay at the truck service center another night, mainly to help catch up with our scheduled travels. Our coach on arrival:
Our site in the morning:
Utilities:
This was the first time we’d had a sewer hookup since we were here the previous time, before the Balloon Fiesta — 11 days. We did get a water top-up at the truck center, which was good as it was down to about 20%. After all that time, our gray tank was up to 67% and black to 83%, not too bad:
(We have since purchased a water bladder and sewer tote tank, and accessories, which will alleviate concerns about dry camping in the future.)
Other sites; the place was pretty full when we arrived, but emptied out early in the morning:
Travel from Moriarty to Tucumcari, New Mexico
We drove our coach 139 miles, about 3 hours of driving, from Moriarty, New Mexico to Tucumcari, New Mexico.
A rare nighttime drive! Our coach was finished being fixed at the end of the day; we could have stayed overnight again, but we were keen to get back on schedule. So we decided to head out, even though we normally avoid driving at night. It helped that we were familiar with the route, having done it (both ways) recently, plus were familiar with the destination RV park, since we stayed there on the way to Albuquerque.
Here’s a map showing our route, heading east:
An interactive map:
On the road again, back along I-40:
Not sure what that truck on the left is hauling:
Clines Corners truck stop:
Flying C Ranch billboards:
We stopped at Flying C Ranch again:
Sunset:
Lots of swag:
DQ for dinner:
Back to our coach:
Sunset reflected in our coach, plus a sliver of moon:
Driving in dusk:
The cameras weren’t overly useful when driving in the dark:
Going past the rest area where we were stuck for a couple of days:
Arriving at the KOA:
Paladin on the passenger chair:
In our site:
Towed from Santa Rosa to Moriarty, New Mexico
Our coach was towed 65 miles, about 1 hour of driving, from Santa Rosa, New Mexico to Moriarty, New Mexico, to a truck service center that could fix our seized brake (see the previous post for details).
Here’s a map showing our route, heading west:
An interactive map:
The heavy-duty tow truck arrived:
Preparing:
The front tires were lifted off the ground; the best way to tow our coach, since we have independent front suspension (being on a lowboy trailer would be even better, but not feasible when the wheel wouldn’t turn):
The drive shaft was removed, so the rear wheels would freely turn:
The mudflap was held up, so wouldn’t scrape on the road:
Heading out:
We stopped on the side of the road about halfway along, as the strap holding a front tire had broken. Not ideal:
Re-secured, we started again:
Not a huge amount of clearance; our coach is 12 feet 7 inches feet high, plus lifted a foot or so:
Paladin wasn’t thrilled to be in his carrier in the truck:
Arrived at the truck repair shop:
A somewhat nerve-wracking process, getting our home towed, but done professionally, with no damage (and paid for by Coach-Net, our roadside assistance service). Stay tuned for the continuing story….
Anton Chico Rest Area
We unexpectedly stayed a couple of nights in the Anton Chico Rest Area, west of Santa Rosa, New Mexico, when the front passenger-side brake got stuck on the way from the Balloon Fiesta.
Dates:
- Check in: 2023-10-14
- Check out: 2023-10-16
- 2 nights
Weather:
- Drizzle, partly cloudy
- High temps ranging between 73-75°F, lows around 39°F
- Negligible wind, gusts up to 20 MPH
Noise:
- Loud freeway noise
- No train noise
- Loud trucks arriving, departing, idling
Site:
- Pull through, asphalt
- Didn’t need to disconnect toad; parked behind coach
- Very unlevel side-to-side and front-to-back, but air leveling coped well
- Rest area truck parking about 70 feet long by about 15 feet wide
- Some trash
Utilities:
- None
- We used our generator and solar each day
Internet (in usage priority order):
- T-Mobile: 14-27 Mbps down, 2 Mbps up, 100 ms ping
- Verizon: 16-26 Mbps down, 5 Mbps up, 60 ms ping
- AT&T: 35-104 Mbps down, 9 Mbps up, 60 ms ping
- Starlink: not used
- Campground Wi-Fi: none
Amenities:
- Garbage bins
- Rest area
An interactive map:
Our coach in the rest area truck parking:
We used air leveling, since the site was very unlevel, and put out only the bedroom slides, so we could sleep:
This picture shows our coach level, compared to the slope of the other vehicles:
Several motorhomes, probably mostly also on their way from the Fiesta:
Trucks and coaches:
There was a taco truck, though it was closing when we explored the rest area on the first evening, and was closed the next day (Sunday):
Bathrooms:
We felt bad for taking one of the truck parking spaces, though we wouldn’t have been here by choice. Unlike this rude car parked in the truck parking; there’s plenty of car parking spaces, plus they’d be more quiet:
This was our first time sleeping in a rest area. Not something we’d want to repeat any time soon, though we actually slept surprisingly well. Perhaps still catching up from the early starts during the Fiesta.
Travel from Albuquerque to Santa Rosa, New Mexico
We drove our coach 100 miles, about 2 hours of driving, from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Santa Rosa, New Mexico, after the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. We were on our way to Tucumcari, New Mexico, but got stuck at the Anton Chico Rest Area, eastbound on I-40, due to a seized brake (see the previous post for details).
Here’s a map showing our route, heading east:
An interactive map:
Leaving the Balloon Fiesta:
Police horses:
Bye Fiesta!
Aggressive lane markers and trees:
Exit to I-40 east to Santa Rosa… we didn’t know we wouldn’t get quite that far:
An overpass:
Metal artwork on the hill:
Zuzax:
I-40 is a rather rough road:
A castle at McCall’s Pumpkin Patch in Moriarty, New Mexico:
Fun with maximum zoom:
Uh oh, a high temperature warning on the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS):
These can sometimes be misreads, but need to be taken seriously.
Clines Corners:
Flying C Ranch billboards:
We weren’t going to stop at Flying C Ranch, but that TPMS warning was persisting, so we thought we’d better stop and let it cool off:
Inside Flying C Ranch:
We went to the DQ inside for a snack:
An old pickup:
The TPMS had cooled off, so we continued, but it got high again, so we pulled off at the next rest area:
Even after parking, the temperature continued to rise into the danger zone, which indicated a serious issue:
That was about the maximum; after that it cooled off, dropping about 1 degree per minute.
And thus began our unexpected stay at the rest stop:
More on that tomorrow.
Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Park
We stayed in the VIP North RV Lot at Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. (Campground Reviews listing.)
Rally-style dry camping, i.e. without any power, water, or sewer hookups, in a dusty parking lot. But we weren’t there for the camping experience — we were there to attend the Balloon Fiesta.
Dates:
- Check in: 2023-10-08
- Check out: 2023-10-14
- 6 nights
- We were going to stay 7 nights, but decided to leave a day early… unfortunately (stay tuned!)
Weather:
- Drizzle, partly cloudy
- High temps ranging between 68-81°F, lows around 40-52°F
- Negligible wind most days, gusts up to 35 MPH on one day
Noise:
- No freeway noise
- No train noise
- Some neighbor noise
- Evening fireworks
Site:
- Pull through, gravel
- Needed to disconnect toad; parked behind coach
- Very unlevel front-to-back; used several blocks
- Rally parking on sites about 50 feet long by about 20 feet wide
- Clean site
Utilities:
- None
- We used our generator and solar each day
- They did offer water fill and waste pumping, though we didn’t use them
Internet (in usage priority order):
- T-Mobile: 54-57 Mbps down, 9-15 Mbps up, 80 ms ping
- Verizon: 25 Mbps down, 21 Mbps up, 120 ms ping
- AT&T: 10-18 Mbps down, 9-16 Mbps up, 80 ms ping
- Starlink: not used
- Campground Wi-Fi: none
Amenities:
- Garbage dumpster by entrance
- Balloon Fiesta!
Our review on Campground Reviews:
The place to camp for Balloon Fiesta
How can you even evaluate Value/Service/Cleanliness here? The whole point is to be close to the Balloon Fiesta, and it is worth it! $135/night for dry camping in an extremely dusty parking lot would normally garner no stars, but it’s all about location, location, location, so your mileage may vary. This was our second time here. Last year we were in the West lot, and it was fine. This year we were in the North lot, and it was also fine. West has the advantage of being paved and close to the Balloon Museum, but North has the advantage of being closer to most everything on the launch field itself. My advice is to get whatever lot you can if you’re lucky enough to score a reservation.
Top tips:
– Be prepared for the fireworks if you’re in the North lot, as they go off right above you. We saw at least one dog running scared through the lot.
– Be prepared for dust. I don’t think my floors have ever been so dirty.
– As a courtesy to your neighbors (to whom you will be very close), invest in a pipe to divert your generator exhaust away from their windows/outdoor living area (what little of it there is).
– Lastly, you don’t need to come for a week. I would suggest Thur-Sun is long enough to see everything and allow for a day or two of bad weather.
We camped at Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Park in a Motorhome.
The map; we stayed in the VIP North RV Lot (on the left of this map):
An interactive map:
A screenshot of Google Maps, showing our location; it was a short walk to the northeast entrance gate:
Our site; for most of our stay we had nobody on our driver side, which was nice:
People looking at our National Park stickers:
The leveling control before starting it, showing how unlevel the site was:
To divert the generator exhaust away from the neighboring site, we used some flexible dryer vent ducting ziptied onto the exhaust pipe (though I later remembered that I got some pipe clamps to attach it):
Fireworks above our coach:
An aerial view of the VIP North RV lot, from our flight in a balloon (stay tuned for a post about that!):
You can see our coach on the end of a row, in the lower-center of this picture:
Balloons over the RV lot, and other RVs:
A rainbow:
A balloon landing nearby:
We got a bag of Pinon Coffee, and some Krispy Kreme donuts:
Arrivals:
It was certainly fun to have the balloons flying over our coach.