Del Rio to Deming

Well, we made our goal of getting to Deming, NM Monday evening, and yes it got cold Monday night!  It is now almost 8:00 AM and it is only 20 outside.  Time to move on!

We left our site 28 at the American Campground about 8:00.  By time we topped off the propane, and paid our electric bill for the three weeks we were there, said our good byes, and stopped up the road a couple of miles for gas in the motorhome, and some breakfast sandwiches for us, we were heading west by 9:00 AM.

According to Mapquest the quickest way to Deming, NM is to go west on HWY 90 to HWY 285 at Sanderson, TX, and then go north to Fort Stockton where you pickup the interstate and head west.  We went that way last year, so this year we continued on west on HWY 90 to where it meets the interstate at Van Horn, TX.  It takes a little longer this way, but we got to see a lot of new territory, however, in this part of Texas, a lot of the new territory, looks like a lot of the territory that we had already seen!

Here is the route Mapquest suggested.




Here is the route we took.



Going west we gradually climbed to higher elevations.  Here we are at about 3800 feet, but at one point we were over 4300 hundred feet before we descended back to about 3600 feet in Marathon.

Then it was back up again after Alpine , and at Deming we are now about 4100 feet altitude which accounts at least partly for the cold temperatures.

Much of the land looks pretty barren, I wonder how people raise animals and make a living out here?

By the time we got to Alpine, it was about noon, and time for lunch.  We found a place called Penney's Diner and decided it would be good enough.  There was some snow on the ground, and they still had Santa out front, so Ann took these pictures.

Then it was on west to Van Horn.  We noticed as we climbed out of Alpine, the scenery  changed to darker rocks and dirt.  Also, as we climbed, there was snow on the hills.

Several miles west of Alpine we came across this weird looking dirigible.  I didnt get to read all of the sign on the gate to the place, but it did say something about US Air Force TARS program.  I havent looked that up yet to see what this thing is used for.

Our next stop was a Pilot/Flying J in Van Horn to fill up with gas and take a break.  The place was a zoo, and it took us over a n half and hour to get in and out, but gas was only $3.09, some of the cheapest gas we had see up till that point in the trip.  Then it was off to El Paso, TX, and again we ignored Mapguest's, and our GPS' directions, as we remebered driving through downtown El Paso last year just as the sun was going down, and how difficult that was.  Both Mapquest and our GPS suggested we stay on Interstate 10.

Here is the route we took.



You might have to zoom in on the map to see our actual route.

After leaving El Paso, Tx, and before we got back on the Interstate, we entered New Mexico.

Then it was north to Las Cruces where the Interstate turns west, and then it was on to Deming, NM

 We arrived here at Dream Catcher RV Park just about 6:00PM, paid for the night, picked our spot, hooked up only the electric, and put the jacks down, and put out the slides.  Then it was dinner time, and in about ten minutes Ann had heated up Christmas dinner leftovers.  It is so nice to have your house with you!

It is now almost 9:00AM on Tuesday, and we are about head out toward Catalina State Park near Oro Valley, Arizona, which is just north of Tucson.

Here is a pic of us at Dream Catcher RV Park in Deming, New Mexico.

And one of the mountains to the north of Deming.

Now as soon as I post this blog, we are headed to Tucson.  Looks like the weather there today will be in the high 60s!  Yea, short pants and t-shirt weather!

More Later,

Paul