Palomino Campground at Caballo Lake State Park

We stayed at Palomino Campground in Caballo Lake State Park in Truth Or Consequences, New Mexico. (Campground Reviews listing.)

We do enjoy state parks, and lake views. Our specific site only had a glimpse of the lake, but still nice.

Dates:

  • Check in: 2022-10-09
  • Check out: 2022-10-15
  • 6 nights

Weather:

  • Mostly sunny
  • High temps ranging between 67-77°F, lows around 49-53°F
  • No significant wind

Noise:

  • No road or train noise

Site:

  • #2, pull through, gravel
  • Needed to disconnect toad; parked beside coach
  • Fairly level
  • Smallish site: about 45 feet long by about 40 feet wide
  • Full hookups:
    • 50 amp power, conveniently located
    • 50 PSI water, conveniently located
    • Good sewer connections, conveniently located (1 10-foot pipe needed)
  • Picnic table on concrete with shelter; no fire pit
  • Partial lake view

Internet (in usage priority order):

  • T-Mobile: 12-25 Mbps down, 18-26 Mbps up, 70 ms ping
  • AT&T: 90 Mbps down, 7 Mbps up, 72 ms ping
  • Verizon: no service
  • Starlink: not used
  • Campground Wi-Fi: none

Amenities:

  • Garbage dumpster
  • No pool

Here’s our review on Campground Reviews:

Picturesque and pleasant park

We stayed at Palomino, Site 2, and thoroughly enjoyed it. We were met by the camp hosts who helped get us centered on the site and chatted for a bit. The site was level and pretty big, with plenty of room outside of the picnic shelter to get settled in. The only downside to the setup in Palomino is that all the sites are backward, so you can’t enjoy the view of the lake if you have a motorhome. If you have a fiver with a rear window or a toy hauler with a “back deck” you’d get much more enjoyment of the view. The picnic shelters are also backward on the site, so you have to walk around the wall to get to the table. Weird, but not dealbreaker stuff by any means. We camped at Caballo Lake State Park in a Motorhome.

The park map online is not great, but does highlight our site:

Map

Here’s an interactive map — tip, site 4 would be the best view of the lake (site 3, not shown above, is the camp host):

Our site:

Our site

Our site

A glimpse of the lake:

Our site

Our site

Our site

Our site

Our site

There were a number of birds in the area, and some liked to nibble dead bugs off our mirrors, which Paladin found super fascinating:

Paladin and bird

Our site

Utilities:

Utilities

A lake view from the edge of the campground:

Lake view

Lake view

Other sites:

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

The camp host site, briefly vacant during changing of the host:

Other sites

Bathrooms:

Bathrooms

Dump station:

Dump station

Cacti:

Cacti

Cacti

Cacti

Cacti

We got out our bikes to take a ride down to the lake and around the campsites:

Bikes

Me on my bike:

David on bike

Boat ramp:

Boat ramp

Another campground; this one has power and water, but not sewer:

Other campground

Other campground

Other campground

A video of the bike ride route:

Some sunsets:

Sunset

Sunset

Sunset

Travel from Albuquerque to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico

We drove our coach 176 miles, about 3 hours of driving, from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Truth or Consequences, New Mexico.

The map route, heading south:

Map route

The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta finished on a Sunday morning, and we were scheduled to leave the following day, but I noticed that our next site was available on Sunday, so we decided to grab that and leave a day early:

Departing fiesta

A view of the mountains by Albuquerque:

Mountains

Freeways:

Freeways

Downtown Albuquerque:

Downtown Albuquerque

Heading south on I-25:

I-25

Mountains

Wide load of the side of the road:

Wide load

It wasn’t a particularly long drive, but we had an early start to the day for the fiesta, so we stopped at both of the rest areas on the route; here’s the first:

Rest area

Interesting collection of elevated picnic shelters:

Rest area

Rest area

Onward:

Mountains

Mountains

Mountains

The second rest area:

Rest area

Rest area

Paladin asleep:

Paladin

I-25:

I-25

Truth or Consequences:

Truth And Consequences

Paladin climbed on the back of Jenn’s chair while she was driving:

Paladin and Jenn

Paladin and Jenn

Paladin and Jenn

Back in a more normal place:

Paladin

I-25

Interesting clouds:

Interesting clouds

Mountains

Mountains

Mountains

A glimpse of Caballo Lake:

Mountains and Caballo Lake

Our destination, Caballo Lake State Park:

Caballo Lake State Park

Caballo Lake State Park

Caballo Lake State Park

Caballo Lake State Park

Palomino Campground, one of a few in the state park, but the only one with full hookups, which we really needed after dry camping at the fiesta:

Palomino Campground

Palomino Campground

Our site:

Our site

Our coach approaching our site:

Our coach

Balloon Fiesta: morning day 3

On the morning of our third day at the Balloon Fiesta, we decided to sleep in a little, as the 4 AM wake-ups were getting a bit much. We woke up to the sound of hot air balloon burners overhead.

Here’s the view out our windscreen, through the Magne Shade:

Balloons

Going outside, an impressive view of dozens of balloons drifting over our coach:

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Jenn taking pictures with her big camera; I’ll probably do a followup post eventually with some of her pics:

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

A balloon landed nearby; a little later, a car from their chase team drove up and asked if they could park behind our coach while they packed up their balloon (which I was happy to agree to; once they were done, they gave us a sticker and a couple of patches, which was much appreciated):

Balloons

Another balloon joined them:

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Breakfast watching balloons:

Balloons

Breakfast

Several more balloons landed in the nearby parking lot:

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Taking down the balloon:

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Mounted pollice:

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

Balloons

A magical experience. Seeing the balloons take off from the field is amazing, but seeing them over our coach is very special in a different way.

Balloon Fiesta: VIP West RV lot

We attended the 50th annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, our first attendance. We stayed in the VIP West RV lot, which was an easy walk to the launch field. (Campground Reviews listing.)

Dates:

  • Check in: 2022-10-04
  • Check out: 2022-10-09
  • 5 nights

Weather:

  • Some sun, but mostly cloudy and rainy
  • High temps ranging between 63-68°F, lows around 50-54°F
  • Occasional wind, some lightning

Noise:

  • Some road noise, no train noise
  • Generators from neighbors (dry camping)

Site:

  • VIP West RV lot, pull through, asphalt parking lot
  • Needed to disconnect toad; parked beside coach
  • Level
  • Small site: about 50 feet long by about 15 feet wide
  • No hookups; dry camping
  • Rally-style parking

Internet (in usage priority order):

  • T-Mobile: 100 Mbps down, 25 Mbps up, 35 ms ping
  • Verizon: 4-7 Mbps down, 7-12 Mbps up, 70 ms ping
  • AT&T: 4 Mbps down, 2 Mbps up, 80 ms ping
  • Starlink: not used
  • Campground Wi-Fi: none

Amenities:

  • Dumpsters
  • Balloon Fiesta!

Here’s our review on Campground Reviews:

Bucket List Trip Done Right

We were in VIP West, an easy walk to the Fiesta grounds. It’s dry camping in a parking lot, but you don’t go there for the camping amenities; you go for the Balloon Fiesta. Totally worth the extra money for the VIP parking as we didn’t have to worry about bikes or shuttles and could just walk right over every morning and evening, and our admission was included in the cost. This was definitely helpful as the weather this year was the worst in its 50-year history, and a lot of events were canceled. Still totally worth it for the events that did happen, though! We’re already planning to come again next year. We camped at Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Park in a Motorhome.

Here’s the fiesta map; the VIP West lot is the light blue area to the right to the launch field:

Map

The RVs are parked “rally style”, i.e. fairly tightly packed on a parking lot, with no hookups. We lucked out with a site in a rear corner, with nobody behind us, and only one neighbor, giving us a bit more space than most, albeit with a longer walk to the field:

Our site

Our site

We had a thrilling view of a parking lot, and the balloon museum:

Our site

On the first night, we had a griddle dinner at our site (not a bad view, eh?):

Griddle dinner

Watching baseball outside:

Watching baseball outside

Other RVs:

Other RVs

Other RVs

Other RVs

Other RVs

Other RVs

Other RVs

Other RVs

The balloon museum:

Balloon museum

Balloon museum

Balloon museum

Balloon museum

Balloon museum

Bike valet:

Bike valet

Drainage:

Drainage

VIP access bridge into the fiesta:

Bridge into fiesta

On a night with evening activities, a full parking lot next to our site:

Full parking lot

Full parking lot

View through our Magne Shade:

View through our Magne Shade

From in front of our coach:

From in front of our coach

Our site:

Our site

Our site

Our site

Our site

Travel from Taos to Albuquerque, New Mexico

We drove our coach 122 miles, about 3 hours of driving, from Taos, New Mexico to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to attend the 50th annual balloon fiesta.

The map route, heading south:

Map route

It had rained, so when we brought the slide-outs in, water poured off. I generally prefer to not be standing under that when that happens:

Water pouring off slide

Leaving the RV park:

Leaving RV park

An interesting round shave ice cart:

Shave ice cart

Adobe buildings:

Adobe buildings

Adobe buildings

NM-68

Rio Grande gorge:

Rio Grande gorge

Another circular shave ice cart:

Another shave ice cart

Mountains:

Mountains

Rockfall fences:

Rockfall fences

Old gas pumps:

Old gas pumps

Rio Grande river:

Rio Grande river

Roadworks:

Roadworks

Camel Rock:

Camel Rock

There was only one rest area on this route, but it was on the opposite side of the freeway:

Rest area on opposite side

So we exited after the rest area, and headed the other way to the rest area:

Round trip sign

Rest area

At the rest area; Paladin on the back of the passenger chair:

Rest area and Paladin

Lunch:

Lunch

Roadworks:

Roadworks

Rain:

Rain

We went past the turnoff to the balloon fiesta to go to a T/A truck stop:

T/A truck stop

A bit over half a tank of diesel:

Fuel

We also filled the DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid):

DEF

Then back towards Balloon Fiesta Park:

Balloon Fiesta Park sign

Balloon Fiesta VIP West sign:

Balloon Fiesta VIP West sign

Balloon Fiesta check in:

Balloon Fiesta check in

The truck following the coach, following a golf cart to our site:

Following coach

Taos Valley RV Park

We stayed at Taos Valley RV Park in Taos, New Mexico. (Campground Reviews listing.)

Buddy sites, but good enough for a couple of nights.

Dates:

  • Check in: 2022-10-02
  • Check out: 2022-10-04
  • 2 nights

Weather:

  • Rainy
  • High temps ranging between 61-64°F, lows around 44°F
  • Some wind

Noise:

  • No road or train noise

Site:

  • #50, pull through, gravel (too large stones for good jack stability)
  • Buddy sites (i.e. alternating directions, so doors face each other, though offset so not too bad)
  • Didn’t need to disconnect toad; parked behind coach
  • Rather unlevel
  • Medium site: about 80 feet long by about 30 feet wide
  • Full hookups:
    • 50 amp power, conveniently located
    • 60 PSI water, conveniently located
    • Good sewer connections, conveniently located (1 10-foot pipe needed)
  • Picnic table on concrete; charcoal grill on gravel

Internet (in usage priority order):

  • Starlink: 10-83 Mbps down, 3-7 Mbps up, 50 ms ping
  • Verizon: 30 Mbps down, 7 Mbps up, 80 ms ping
  • T-Mobile: 3-7 Mbps down, 2-4 Mbps up, 150 ms ping
  • AT&T: 20 Mbps down, 2 Mbps up, 80 ms ping
  • Campground Wi-Fi: not used

Amenities:

  • Garbage bins at each site
  • No pool

Here’s our review on Campground Reviews:

Charming campground in the heart of Taos

This was a nicely landscaped park close to Taos. It rained the entire time we were there, so we didn’t get to enjoy the park as much as we would’ve liked. The entire park is gravel, which is fine, but it’s the wrong type of gravel. River rock doesn’t settle and “lock” into place like coarse gravel does, so things shift underfoot and under the stabilizing jacks. With the rain, there was a lot of thick mud around. Our site wasn’t particularly level, and I think a thicker layer of coarse gravel would have helped with that and prevent the muddiness. Be aware that the pull-through sites are buddy sites. There’s a nice fence giving some separation between the two living areas, but we saw at least one person pull in facing the wrong direction, so their hookups were on the opposite side. We camped at Taos Valley RV Park & Campground in a Motorhome.

The park map:

Map

Our site:

Our site

We didn’t bother putting on the Magne Shades, since we were only there for a couple of nights:

Our site

Our site

Our site and the neighboring site; this is in a “buddy” configuration, where the sites face opposite directions, so the doors face each other. But not too bad in this case, since the sites are angled such that they are offset, and have a fence between them. Still, not our favorite configuration:

Our site and buddy site

The other neighbor had a nice Magne Shade on their windscreen:

Other sites

The sites had a picnic table and charcoal grill:

Picnic table and charcoal grill

Some stones with messages under the grill:

Stones with messages

Utilities:

Utilities

Other sites:

Other sites

Other sites

Other sites

After staying a night in New Mexico, we can finally add a new state sticker to our coach; the first new state for several months:

New Mexico state sticker

In about a month we’ll be adding Texas, where we’ll be spending this winter.