Side Effect's 2nd Retirement Adventure

[WillyB]

We have a lot of planning yet to go but our idea is to head out sometime in Feb or March, depending on weather of course. Since we have an Escape with a bit of solar and a small generator we prefer to stay away from fancy campgrounds with all their washing machines and swanky flat paved sites. You know, because we're rugged. Or maybe it's just part of the Escape.

So far, the plan is to head through a couple of free southern Kansas State Lake sites, a free site in Western OK, a free city site in Muleshoe TX, Valley of Fires in NM, a stop at White Sands, Aguirre Spring Campground east of Las Cruces, City of Rocks SP in NM, free Cosmic Campground in NM, free Joe Skeen Campground in NM (possibly a 20/25 night trip total at this point) and then make our way through Santa Fe/Taos (or to the 4 Corners area back thru Southern CO) to Cheyenne to see our granddaughter before heading back home.

That's where we get stuck. By the time we would leave Joe Skeen Campground where thinking we'd have around 25-25 night already but because of potential weather and the fact that we can always fly to see Lil' Miss Riley, we could opt to stay South and play around in Southern AZ or Southern TX but we're unsure on a return route. The plan right now is to be gone for 2 months.

If you have any suggestions we're wide open. Thanks in Advance!

 

[Lorraine Pittsburgh]

Hi Bill,

I don't have any thoughts on your question, but a comment. I plan to boondocks at the USFS Headquarters Well Trailhead for 3 nights starting on March 11. If that ends up fitting in with your plans, it would be fun to see you & Nancy again.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[WillyB]

Hi Bill,

I don't have any thoughts on your question, but a comment. I plan to boondocks at the USFS Headquarters Well Trailhead for 3 nights starting on March 11. If that ends up fitting in with your plans, it would be fun to see you & Nancy again.

Enjoy your trip!

I'll make sure to keep that in mind.

 

[jerryc-ESC]

I'd play around in southern Utah. Bluff, UT; Bears Ears area, Capitol Reef NP, Escalante SP, Bryce Canyon NP, Kodachrome SP, Red Canyon USFS campground, etc. Hwy 12 from Torrey to Escalante, the Hogback, is a drive you won't forget. A great little USFS campground is just outside of Santa Fe, Black Canyon. Remote, but also convenient to Santa Fe and Taos. We've been chasing my retirement dreams now for 16 years, and still going strong. Happy trails...jc

 

[Mike G]

March and April the temperatures should be quite good in southern Utah. A good time of year to be there. Later on it gets too hot. Tons of pretty sandstone formations of varying shapes, colors, and striations.

 

[Lorraine Pittsburgh]

Yikes, I flaked out on my comment above! The USFS Headquarters Well Trailhead is just west of Santa Fe, near the intersection of Rts 62 & 24. It makes me grumpy when others mention a very specific camping location without saying generally where it is - sorry about that.

 

[WillyB]

Yikes, I flaked out on my comment above! The USFS Headquarters Well Trailhead is just west of Santa Fe, near the intersection of Rts 62 & 24. It makes me grumpy when others mention a very specific camping location without saying generally where it is - sorry about that.

No Worries. I found it easily with a simple Google Maps search. Looks like a great spot.

There is a high likelihood that we'll be there! I think we might run our NM trip in reverse going from there to Joe Skeen, Cosmic etc.. and then on to Cheyenne on the East side of the Sanger de Cristo mountains up I-25.

We'll be heading back to Cheyenne this summer so maybe we'll do NV afterwards or next year.

 

[rajenkins]

I'd play around in southern Utah. Bluff, UT; Bears Ears area, Capitol Reef NP, Escalante SP, Bryce Canyon NP, Kodachrome SP, Red Canyon USFS campground, etc. Hwy 12 from Torrey to Escalante, the Hogback, is a drive you won't forget. A great little USFS campground is just outside of Santa Fe, Black Canyon. Remote, but also convenient to Santa Fe and Taos. We've been chasing my retirement dreams now for 16 years, and still going strong. Happy trails...jc

All, I have spent a lot of time, both camping/day hiking and backpacking in Southern Utah. Since the Pandemic, things have changed. If you are headed to the Capitol Reef area, just to let you know we felt LUCKY in early OCTOBER to be able to snag a reservation for early April 2025 in the Fruita campground. The Utah State Parks reservations open 4 months ahead of your first night there, so for April, planning time was March. Reservation time is now (we just made some for Escalante State Park, but they will go fast). Bryce Canyon NP has totally changed its reservations for this year. The North Campground is not even open and reservable until May. See recreation.gov. You can get some ideas as to hikes/places at our SmugMug site: Canyon Country

 

[lostskier]

We have a lot of planning yet to go but our idea is to head out sometime in Feb or March, depending on weather of course. Since we have an Escape with a bit of solar and a small generator we prefer to stay away from fancy campgrounds with all their washing machines and swanky flat paved sites. You know, because we're rugged. Or maybe it's just part of the Escape.

So far, the plan is to head through a couple of free southern Kansas State Lake sites, a free site in Western OK, a free city site in Muleshoe TX, Valley of Fires in NM, a stop at White Sands, Aguirre Spring Campground east of Las Cruces, City of Rocks SP in NM, free Cosmic Campground in NM, free Joe Skeen Campground in NM (possibly a 20/25 night trip total at this point) and then make our way through Santa Fe/Taos (or to the 4 Corners area back thru Southern CO) to Cheyenne to see our granddaughter before heading back home.

That's where we get stuck. By the time we would leave Joe Skeen Campground where thinking we'd have around 25-25 night already but because of potential weather and the fact that we can always fly to see Lil' Miss Riley, we could opt to stay South and play around in Southern AZ or Southern TX but we're unsure on a return route. The plan right now is to be gone for 2 months.

If you have any suggestions we're wide open. Thanks in Advance!

I head south from Wisconsin the second week of March and head to Utah. Spend 3-4 months in Utah, NM, Arizona, possibly California. I'll be gone for 4+ months. Only thing I have planned are a couple weeks in Bears Ear and Canyonlands. The rest is all winging it. Have fun, lots to explore in the SW.

 

[WillyB]

Thanks the info. At some point the frenzy of Utah camping will slow. Plus, we're not the type to fill our days surrounded by hordes of tourist standing in line to "take the picture".

Mom Nature has a lot of great things to be amazed by if we just stop to capture the moment. We recently watched a sunset in East Central Nowheresville Arkansas overlooking a random lake that gave us chills and took our breathe away.

 

[WillyB]

We are excited to have been able to reserve Site 22 at Desert View Campground in Grand Canyon NP for a few nights starting on Passover.

We're still in the planning stages but pretty much have nights from home starting in Early March through Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, a reasonably defined loop around New Mexico and then finding something on the way over to the Flagstaff area before heading to the Grand Canyon. I say reasonably because many of the sites are Free or 1st Come but we don't mind switching things up when needed.

Now just have to sketch out a return home. Maybe over to the 4 Corners and through Southern Colorado to Cheyenne?

If you have any thoughts/ideas/suggestions or just plain No Go's let us know.

 

[Mike G]

Are you referring to Cheyenne County, Colorado? Monument Rocks is a couple hours east of there. I've seen pictures, looks interesting.

 

[WillyB]

Are you referring to Cheyenne County, Colorado? Monument Rocks is a couple hours east of there. I've seen pictures, looks interesting.

I meant Cheyenne, WY but I've heard good things about Monument Rocks.

Hi Bill,

I don't have any thoughts on your question, but a comment. I plan to boondocks at the USFS Headquarters Well Trailhead for 3 nights starting on March 11. If that ends up fitting in with your plans, it would be fun to see you & Nancy again.

Enjoy your trip!

Lorraine,

This area is now closed until 21/31/25.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/santafe/alerts-notices/?aid=88339

 

[Mike G]

Oh! (The part about "through southern Colorado to Cheyenne" threw me off.) In that case, I imagine the snowy peaks of Colorado will look spectacular, but you'll have to keep a sharp eye on road condition reports and weather forecasts. Vedauwoo west of Cheyenne is on my list of places to visit in summertime.

Going through southern CO, sounds like you'd have to go over Wolf Creek Pass. Spectacular view from the lookout on the south side about 1/2 way up. Personally, I have no desire to go over high passes that time of year, where road conditions can turn dicey in the span of a quarter mile.

One time when our kids were young, I rented a U-Haul FG trailer and we headed from MI to visit my dad in AZ. Mid-April, mind you. We had supper in Colorado Springs (where it was rainy) and resumed travel west on US-24, thinking to get a campsite in Woodland Park. We never made it that far. The rain turned into big fat snowflakes and it was snowing so hard I could not see anything. It turned dark too. Driving 25 mph up the highway trying to keep some tail lights in view, because everything else just looked solid white. Literally could not see the highway. A 7-Eleven sign ghosted into view on our left, so I pulled in and asked if we could overnight in the parking lot. The heater worked one time, then quit. All 4 of us snuggled under every blanket in the rear bed. In the morning, we drove back down the mountain to Colorado Springs. That was as far west as we got on that trip.

 

[WillyB]

Vedauwoo is a great place. We've been there several times. It reminds me of my childhood playing with Tonka trucks making piles of gravel, just on a much bigger scale.

I think we might have to play the weather game when that time comes. Who knows, we might end up taking a boring ride up 25 to Cheyenne.

 

[J1973s]

Just an FYI…you gain almost 1200’ from Fort Collins to Cheyenne as you drive north on I-25. Weather can be wicked even in April…for sure in February and March.

 

[Jim Bennett]

I am curious as to the reason for writing about side effects of travel. Is this the great things you get to see and do? The rest and relaxation you get to have? The wonderful people you get to meet?

I am interested in hearing reports of your trip as we have never been in that part of of continent but would eventually like to make it to that area. How much of my great country have you seen? Lots of really nice stuff up here.

 

[WillyB]

I am curious as to the reason for writing about side effects of travel. Is this the great things you get to see and do? The rest and relaxation you get to have? The wonderful people you get to meet?

I am interested in hearing reports of your trip as we have never been in that part of of continent but would eventually like to make it to that area. How much of my great country have you seen? Lots of really nice stuff up here.

We both retired on Halloween and have been anxiously waiting to enjoy the side effects of all our years of hard work. We have read so many of the adventures here and felt we should at least share ours.

For work, I've yet to see Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. For fun, I've only spent a couple of occasions in Sioux Narrows fishing. -35C in Saskatoon hurt!

Between aliens, lava flows, sand fields and spaceports a loop around New Mexico seemed like an interesting 2nd Retirement Adventure. We only have a little over 3 of our 8 week adventure planned so far and the rest depends on the weather. Early April at elevation can be a bit of hit or miss. One thing for is that we'll spend some time in Cheyenne to see our granddaughter before heading back home.

 

[Mike G]

Have you gotten the trailer's name, "Side Effect," pasted in vinyl on your Escape yet? If you have, shows us a picture.

 

[WillyB]

Have you gotten the trailer's name, "Side Effect," pasted in vinyl on your Escape yet? If you have, shows us a picture.

We have not yet. Just too lazy I guess.