RV'ing with Peter & Ann Vander Sar

The Border Country of California, Arizona, and New Mexico

Introduction

This article is the third in a series in the Island RV Guide about things to do and places to see RV'ing around the outer periphery of the US and Canada – or “the big retirement trip”. In this article we talk about traveling the Mexican border country of California, Arizona, and Mexico during fall, winter, or spring.

Much of the land near the Mexican border is US federal property under the care of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). On such land you can camp free for a maximum of 14 days, then move at least 25 miles away to do it again. There is also  “formalized” boondocking in the BLM's r “Long Term Visitor Areas” (LTVA's) . This means they put in an entrance, with perhaps a dumpster and telephone booth, leading into a bounded area where hundreds or thousands of RV's are parked free-style on the bare desert surface, “camping” for the winter. Cost is $30 per month or $140 a year for this privilege, and one can move among LTVA's. The biggest of these are around Yuma and Quartzite, Arizona, the latter well known for its RV and mineral shows.

 

The BLM camping concept is quite different from being assigned a camping spot and given a checkout time. However, it's easy to look over this style of camping in South East California about 18 miles east of El Centro at the Hot Spring LTVA at the intersection of Interstate 8 and Highway 115. Just outside the entrance to the camping area is (you guessed it) a somewhat developed, free natural hot spring oasis surrounded by palm trees. It sounds idyllic, and is quite pretty, but you are very likely to have lots of company.

 

Also in the border country of California and Arizona are many Casinos which can be used for inexpensive overnight stops. Many have changed their approach to RV'ers: instead of simply allowing free overnight parking, many casinos now encourage or even advertise it. Checking in with security is not only courteous, but will give you the rules of that casino. Some have free or very inexpensive sites with hydro and water. 

Southern California

The area to the north-east of San Diego is the destination of many Western snowbirds. It is a land of crowded cities, small towns, mountains and deserts, dunes, hot springs, resorts ranging from fancy to quaint, and parks of all sorts, in other words an area one can easily spend a winter exploring. The central feature is the (salt) Salton Sea. There are several scenic routes to the area. Interstate 8, with a large new Casino (reported to be interesting), Outlet Mall, and RV park at Alpine is fast, while two lane 94 to the south and 78 to the north have some steeper, curvy parts, so more suitable for smaller RV's.

The east shore hillside of the Salton Sea features several pleasant full facility hot spring RV parks for overnight or long term stays. The California State Recreation Area at the northeast side of the Salton Sea has several “primitive” campgrounds with dry camping with central water and pit toilets as well as campgrounds with “developed” sites (picnic table, fire shield) and water/electric sites and flush toilets. Prices range from US$5-$22 per night. The main site has an interesting visitor centre featuring the San Andreas fault (about 4 miles away) and the Salton Sea.

South-West Arizona

Yuma, on the California-Arizona border at Interstate 8 is a very common snowbird wintering ground: Western Canadians have been coming here long enough you probably have a friend or relative to pop in on. There are lots of RV parks, golf courses, etc as well as BLM camping nearby, and a large Casino straddling the border. Snowbirding in and around Yuma is more informal and less expensive than in the Phoenix and Tucson areas.  About 60 miles east of Yuma is tiny Dateland, whose economy is based on – you guessed it – dates. The restaurant sells date shakes (good!!) and the store sells dates in all sizes, varieties, and quantities. Even the cheapest ones are very good: I'm eating as I write from the stash we bought three months earlier.

Further east the route closest to the border is Arizona highways 85 and 86 to Tucson. Near Ajo you can view the huge pit of a closed copper mine.  Why at the 85/86 intersection has a variety of camping options ranging from blacktop camping with centralized facilities and a community clubhouse at US$8.50 a night to full hookups at US$17.00 + electric, and in-between water/electric sites at a new campground in the small casino just east of town for US$16.00. Most interesting is BLM boondocking or sand-top parking at a 60 acre site of mostly brush and trees just south of town . The place had a very friendly atmosphere, with a campground host (from British Columbia ) and a book exchange in a Rubbermaid box at the entrance gate. We found staying a painless introduction to BLM boondocking in a very interesting community environment, and will very likely go back.

We used Why as the base for trips to beautiful Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and  the small and quiet Lukeville-Sonoita border crossing for quick duty free shopping. (Like most US-Mexican crossings, you can cross the border, make duty-free purchases, and come back immediately). This crossing is an excellent location to dip into the experience of traveling into Mexico. Close enough to the border for a day trip, but more often enjoyed for stays of a few days are the beaches at Puerto Penasco on the Gulf of California.

The Kitt Peak National Observatory is a very interesting stop on the road to Tucson, but it requires about a ten mile though gradual climb to get there. Three different types of telescopes are open for free self-guided or inexpensive guided tours. Just off the highway close to Tucson is the brand new Casino Del Sol, reported to be the largest in Arizona and one of the city's two large new RV-friendly Casinos. The exterior is very loosely modeled on the nearby Mission San Xavier, and the Italianate plaza style inside is similar to the Venice and Aladdin in Las Vegas. We found it well worth the visit. Neither of the new casinos (the other one is south of town) seems to have a problem if you use it as it as a base for a few days to explore the Tucson area. Our favorite spot to visit is the aforementioned  Mission San Xavier, a must-see church and mission dating back to 1783. Known as the “white dove of the desert”, its twin white towers rise prominently in the San Xavier Indian reservation.  Other major attractions include Old Tucson of western movie-making fame, the Desert Museum, the Air Museum and the Titan Missile Museum.

 

Continuing our trip in the border area, we continue south along Interstate 18 to the border at Nogales. It's not too difficult to park there and just a short walk across to border to good shopping in Nogales, Mex. It is one of the more interesting Mexican crossing points in the area - large enough but not as busy as Tijuana. Along the way are the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park and  Tumacacore  National Historic Sites, with interesting tours.

 

In this area we stay at Patagonia Lake State Park,  one of our favourites in the US Southwest. Located on highway 82 about half an hour northeast of Nogales, it features hillside sites with lake views. The park is well know for its many birds including some rare ones, and has guided birding tours on land (free) and the lake ($5.00) during the winter. It's very popular despite its relatively high cost for an Arizona State park (US $22.00) so arrive early especially during weekends. There is also lots of history and scenery to explore along quiet country roads in the area. But take a lesson from me – don't leave your keys AND your cell phone locked in your car in the middle of nowhere. It means you'll have to smash a window and later buy thick plastic to last you home (presumably you already have the required duct-tape among your supplies).

 

Arizona's South-East

 

Highway 82 continues as the border route, but there two spots well worth deviating for. The Kartchner State Park Caverns and campground are about 10 miles north on highway 90. The caverns, developed only over the last 10 years, are small, unspoiled, and “living” ie still growing. Two different tours are offered: both are fully wheel-chair accessible, which means that those of use not wheelchair-bound find it an easy walk. Guaranteed access requires reservations, but “walk on” passes are available early every day, a cinch if you're staying in the associated campground which is very spacious, reasonable, and recommended.  Tombstone along highway 80 looks just like one's idea of a town in the Old West. There are rival places that features pay-as-you-see “authentic” “gunfights at the OK Corrral” – not our style. Nevertheless, unless you've been there at least once, visit Tombstone. The old Court House has been turned into an interesting museum, and the pleasant little park at the edge of downtown is perfect for coffee or a picnic. Interesting jewellery is for sale in all price ranges.

 

Further southeast is Bisbee, an old mining town well worth a visit. Strung out along winding narrow roads in the bottom of a small canyon, the town features lots of high-end tourist shopping and a huge open mine pit with good viewing and easy RV parking a few miles South. Nearby at Naco you can walk across the border to the Mexican town of Naco, barely into the paved road stage, where Tia Maria sells for $12.00 US a litre. Highway 80 continues through renowned winter birding country, with hundreds of sandhill cranes a feature.  It the continues into New Mexico to Interstate 5 for the fast way east, or you can turn off on New Mexico highway 9 to continue in a more leisurely fashion. 

Southern New Mexico

New Mexico highway 9 is an excellent two-lane highway that runs across the state through sparsely settled, dry, mostly flat country alongside an abandoned railway line. About half way across is the town of Columbus. The Pancho Villa State Park and campground there encompasses some interesting sites associated with Pancho Villa's forays into the US in the early 1900's and Pershing's effort to catch him. A museum revolving around this theme s under construction in the park, and the town's railway station has been turned into a museum with a more general historical and railway slant.

New Mexico State parks are reasonably priced at US$8.00 for an undeveloped site (ie gravel parking), US$10 for one with a picnic table,  and US$14 for water/electric. A little north of the one in Columbus, southeast of Deming, is Rock Hound State Park.  It is a very pretty park if one has become used to the desert environment of no trees, no grass, only shrubs, cacti, and rocks. The park has a great setting, on a west-facing slope with mountains on two sides, which makes for great views, late sunrises and beautiful sunsets. A paved but very steep road leads up the mountain to a section that does have trees and many picnic sites with more views. While the rockhounding is interesting we recommend the park for the scenic desert views alone. The park is small:  arrive early in the afternoon if you want water/electric sites, or you can make reservations.

Continuing east we arrive at the Rio Grande River where it forms the New Mexico-Texas border. The Sun City Casino on the New Mexico side is your last chance to overnight inexpensively casino-style as Texas, nearly 900 miles across, has only two casinos. One is about 300 miles down the Rio Grande, the other on a gambling cruise ship on the Gulf of Mexico. Fortunately, both are “en route” as we continue on our trip along the edge of the US, which from here on will keep us close to water all the way back to the Maine-New Brunswick Border.

 

Pictures (planned)

1 View along the scenic Route 78 crossing of the Coastal Mountains of Southern California

2 View across California's Salton Sea, looking West

 

3 Hot Spring Oasis along Interstate 8 near El Centro, California

4 Organ Pipe Cactus in Arizona's Organ Pipe Cactus National Park

5 Mission Church at Tumacacori Historical Park

6 Abandoned Railway Cattle Loading Platform along New Mexico  Highway 9

 

7 Sunset at New Mexico State Rock Hound New Mexico State Park.