Yes, we've returned to City of Rocks for one night, as we travel north/northeast from Arizona. It just happens the weather is good here and the campground is super quiet.
Hiking the Hydra Trail this afternoon, we had a nice view of Table Mountain, which we climbed last time we were here.
In the spirit of not saying anything if I can't think of something good to say, I'll just mention that we were up and gone from Roper Lake State Park by 7:47 AM this morning, NEVER to return again. That gave us lots of time to chill out and then take a hike this afternoon, once we set up our tent and gear at site 39.
Site 39 is nicely set up for camping - flat with a great view, plenty of shady spots and a convenient picnic table (where Glen does dishes after supper).
Shorts today for Mary - though looking ahead the forecast is calling for long johns and winter hats soon. Boo hoo hoo.
While shopping today for some grocery resupplies, I found some organic brussel sprouts from who-knows-where. I cut those in half and seared them in a very hot cast iron pan. While those were cooking away, I whipped up a spicy honey, tamari, mustard dipping sauce. I also cooked up a pot of rice noodles to have on the side. Not exactly a complete meal, but not too shabby cooking on a Coleman.
This is a pretty exemplary state park - I'm glad it's out of the way and a little inconvenient so that it is not overrun with people.
I wish I had taken a better photo of this most excellent mural in the visitor's center. It is so beautifully rendered.
Tonight we walked the campground loop, working off supper and finding a place to refill water bottles. For as seasoned the campers we are, we inevitably set out on hikes without essentials (think TP, water, hiking poles). Tonight neither of us brought a headlamp so, by the time we completed the loop it was quite dark and we had a few minutes of not being able to find our site. : )
Good night from New Mexico.
Now we sit in almost complete silence - just the tapping of my keyboard and the occasional rustling of the tent fly in the night breeze. Oh, and a small pack of coyotes just sang a short, melancholy chorus.
Tomorrow, after showers, we continue north to Villanueva, NM, about which we know nothing other than that our campsite will have a RV hookup where we can charge our car while we rest our sleepy heads. And we can plug in our electric blanket, since it's supposed to be in the 20s overnight.
Life is good.
Beautiful blue sky and interesting clouds. And the rock formations are such an interesting rounded contrast to the rest of the landscape. So much to see!
It all looks peaceful. The dinner sounds great.
You must be working your way east ,it’s amazing how many stars there are when you get away from the lights of cities and towns especially out west where you’re a couple of thousand feet above sea level ,I drove out to Area 51 on a clear summer night and pulled over and turned out the car lights and couldn’t believe the amount of stars ,100 miles out in the middle of nowhere not a person or car around,unbelievable and beautiful