We traveled from Texas to Las Cruces, New Mexico to Tucson, Arizona.
Las Cruces, New Mexico
We planned on staying in Las Cruces for a few days to explore the area including White Sands National Monument. We had been there before and really enjoyed it. Unfortunately, we discovered oil leaking from our mechanical radiator fan drive gear box. It had already been replaced once. Freightliner thought it could have been overflow out the breather valve. Our option was to drive an hour back to El Paso, Texas or try to make it to Tucson where there are Freightliner service centers. So we left Las Cruces early to give us extra time in case we broke down and drove the four hours to Tucson with fingers crossed and Sandy driving the Jeep behind the RV to make sure there was no black smoke. We made it!!! And no damage to the RV.
Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument
This was a beautiful area and a great chance to walk Jake on a dog friendly hiking trail. The views were stunning. There was hardly anyone there. We enjoy the Monuments because they are less visited and often times just as amazing as the National Parks. It lost its Monument status and back to being managed by the BLM.
Tucson, Arizona
It was so nice being in Tucson again. Tucson has so many stunning places to visit. Over the last 30 years, the city has become more crowded and the traffic is worse; but the desert is still untouched and beautiful.
First thing we did was get a pass to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. We could visit the museum daily and see something different. The Cactus wren are not shy and were busy scouting potential nesting sites. We enjoyed the hummingbirds and other wildlife. Even though it was January, the desert still impresses.
