Chapter 4
Westward Bound
Chapter 4
We started heading out west by making a few stops in Tennessee first. We like to
meander on county roads. On our trip there we had planned on going farther north of
Big South Fork National Recreation Area, but Hurricane Opal changed our plans. We
heard reports of heavy rains and flooding in that area of the state. Never go into
an area when weather advisories tell you to stay away. Flash floods can quickly
strand and have sometimes killed campers unaware of the dangers of floodwaters. When
the weather turns bad and you can't avoid an area, stay close to interstate highways and
don't take the smaller, country roads, even if you prefer them. Many may not
be highly elevated or graded and are more isolated from emergency assistance in
floods.
Centerhill Dam is
located on off I-40 at exit #258, or the Center Hill exit. Go 6 miles south on TN
141. The sites have electric and water hookups and there is a dump station on
the way out. The sites were very level and located near the river. There is a
large area for dogs to run and play. Picnic tables, fire rings, and grilles were
well kept and it was a very comfortable campground. This campground was called the
Long Branch Campground, one of several in the area.
Natchez Trace
State Park is near I-40 at exit #116. If you arrive before 4pm the Visitor's Center
will be open and you can get information about the park and the campgrounds. We
stayed at Campground #1 at Cub Lake the first time. The second time we stayed at Pin
Oaks. A ranger visit's your site to collect the dues. All of the sites have
electric and water hookups. We chose site #23. It had a nice fireplace and a
picnic table. The site was in the middle of a wooded area near trails and a
footbridge across the lake. There is also plenty of room for dogs to run and get
exercise.
First Campground in Wooded Pin Oak
Campground in shade
Pin
Oak on Water
area at Cubs Lake
Arkansas was our next
state to stop in. We first stayed in Russellville on I-40 at Lake Dardanelle, a
campground which is run by the US Army Corp of Engineers. You will almost never have
a problem getting a site on a Sunday, when the weekend campers leave. If you arrive
on a Friday or Saturday, you may want to plan on arriving early. The campground is
called Old Post Road Park and has electric and water hookups. It was a great place
for Tigger to run and roll in the grass. You can watch the boats on the river or
walk up to the observation area on the dam. This campground received 2 paws
from Tigger (a good to excellent rating).
Lake Dardanelle where barges go by at night
We followed what are
usual setup procedures of securing our campsite and placed an occupied sign on it, then we
drove into town to inquire about church services. Sometimes you can find an
interesting church or community- function and enjoy the fellowship of new friends.
It is almost axiomatic, the more rural the church, the warmer the greetings and the more
frequent are the barbecues and social events. In some areas the VFW and American
Legion have dances and inexpensive dinners on Friday and Saturday evenings.
 |
I recall when we were in British Columbia we stopped at the Royal Canadian Legion. I asked if I could buy a drink using my American Legion membership. The bartender answered "Not the first one, buddy! The first one is on us." Some posts will invite you to camp overnight in their parking lot, running out an electric line to you. If you are a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and are near a meeting hall, you will usually find a warm welcome for visitors. The same is true of fraternal organizations and other clubs. On the left is a ribbon they pinned on me while I visited with them. |
Our next
stop was in the Ozark's near McNut's RV Park. The sites had full hookups and were
very clean. We went for a walk around town and found a nice Laundromat to catch up
on some wash. Parking for the RV was not a problem since most of the residents own
pickup trucks and utility vehicles. There is plenty of parking spaces around the
Town square. We traded some used books at a small bookstore and scouted around some
of the antique shops.
We made one stop in
Oklahoma near the Texas border on SR 73. The campground, is located in Foss Lake
State Park. It is north of the town. This was an excellent campground with
full hookups. There is plenty of room for the dog to run and play, but I would
advise you to keep him or her out of the water. The ground is red clay and tends to
stick and get muddy. There is a nice reservoir lake for relaxing and enjoying the
day.
We also made a stop in
Canyon, Texas. From US 87, go east 12.4 miles, to Palo Duro Canyon State Park.
This campground also has full hookups, but it is more expensive then most.
The canyon has some interesting scenic views. In June, July, and August you can
purchase tickets to see a performance of "Texas" at the amphitheater. The
show starts at 8pm and for an additional charge you can attend a barbecue that begins at
6pm. The finale is quite impressive, in the open-air theatre.
Palo
Alto Campground Roadrunner or Chaparral
Cock Wild Turkeys are abundant
Seem to run like the cartoon bird
The southwest has
a lot to offer. We don't spend as much time as we should here because we enjoy the
Northwest so much, and are concerned about keeping Tigger away from areas with cactus and
sand spurs.
In New Mexico, on I-40 4 exits west of Santa Rosa, if you go north on US84 to Las Vegas
and SR 518 north toward the Santa Fe National Forest area you will find Storrie Lake State
Park. The campground has a big lake with a large field for your dog to run in.
The sites have full hookups. It is near Taos, where you can visit a Pueblo
Village and the bridge over the Chasm of Rio Grande. There is a small town called Las
Vegas, New Mexico that is a nice stop. We enjoyed the old adobe buildings and the
frontier type cattle country; and Santa Fe provides shopping and also points of historical
interest, close by.
Chasm
of Rio Grande
Old Pueblo Village
Al on Bridge overlooking
Chasm of Rio Grande
Santa Fe is located on
I-25. We stopped at the Visitor's Center and they gave us directions to a municipal
parking lot. To get there exit I-25 at US 84-285 north. After SR 14 you will
take Paseo de Paeralta to Alemeda. Turn left and you will see the municipal park
right before Cathedral Place. The parking lot is behind the Cathedral. The
lot is walled in and patrolled by police. Overnight parking was only $10.00 and
generator use is permitted. There were several tour buses when we were there.
The lot is located in the middle of downtown and we could walk with Tigger on a leash or
easily and quickly bring him back to the RV when we needed to. There were, of
course, no hookups, but it's nice having your own hotel room in the center of town.
Old Santa Fe and the Cathedral are nice touring places and there are plenty of good
restaurants, too.
 Mañana Restaurant in Santa Fe. They allowed Tigger in and when we sat down we saw the figure of St Francis and understood their smile when we asked to bring him in. Tigger is sitting by me in picture. |
 San Miguel Mission |
 Old Town in Albuquerque |
On our way to Gallup we stopped at Albuquerque to see "Old Town" and the Indian
and Mexican arts and crafts. We continued on I-40 to Gallup and stayed at Red Rock
State Park, just East of town. The campground was just about full since the Good Sam
Club was having a state- wide jamboree. We are lifetime members so we just pinned on
our badges and went to the auditorium to say "Howdy". Hospitality is the
middle name of Good Sam Club's everywhere and we were invited to their dinner and
festivities. We met some other folks from Florida who had "dropped in" as
we had. The campsites have electric and water hookups and there is a dump station on
the way out. There are some great trails for you and your pets to walk on.
The trails wind through the valley around the red cliffs. Red Rock Campground is
just east of Gallup on historic Route 66. El Rancho Hotel, in town has a great
breakfast and is filled with movie star memorabilia.
Red Rock Canyon Convention Hotel El Rancho with a rich history We
tried to stay on Rte
Hall. Real red rock in
background of movie stars visiting there.
66 as much as we could.
Venturing into Arizona on I-40 we
found a very nice campground run by Navajo County Power Company. It is at exit #277
at Joseph City. It is right next to a lake where the canal empties from the Power
Company. The canal is a hot water runoff so you can not swim there, but there is a
big field, for your dog to play in. The sites have electric and water hookups and
most have fireplaces. It is not a destination campground, but excellent for
overnight travelers.
Of course the
Grand Canyon is a must see for all RV'ers. We enjoy the north rim the most.
The North Rim Campground is on US 89. It is a great campground even though there are
no on-site hookups. The park has fresh water sites and dump stations for you to
use. The campsites are all paved and have picnic tables, fire rings, and
grills. Reservations are recommended in the summertime and must be made about 3 days
prior to arrival. It is about a quarter mile walk from the campsites to the
Grand Canyon Lodge. Your pet can walk with you and stay on the outside terrace.
He would not be allowed in the dining area, although the bartender might
"ignore" you if your dog lays quietly by your feet like Tigger does. From
the lodge it is a short ½ mile walk to Angel's Overlook. The overlook offers
magnificent views of the north rim.
Tigger gets greeted by Bartender
Exiting Saloon
Tigger
and Al view North Rim
Short drives from the
campground to various overlooks will offer different breathtaking views of the canyon.
Tigger was well under control at all times as we kept him on his 20' leash.
It would be very easy for your dog to chase a chipmunk or small animal over a ledge and
hurt himself.
We headed further west
in California and Nevada, but if you are entering into Utah from this side, you must
go through some tunnels in Zion National Park. These tunnels will not safely
accommodate any vehicles higher than 11'4". You can pay a special $10 fee, if
you meet requirements, for the attendants to stop traffic on the other side. This
allows you to travel down the center of the tunnel. You must not be more than
11'4" high, 7'10" wide, 40' long or 55' long if you are towing. Most RV's
exceed the requirements and go through in a one way convoy after paying the fee.
It's an interesting experience in
travel.
Our
Campground at Zion Going thru
tunnel (one side at the time).
Tigger in
foreground
watches Deer go thru Park
One of our
friends told us about the time his wife went to the bank. They had a cab over
unit on a pick up truck, the largest that could be put on their truck. While the
husband was working, the wife loaded the supplies and they planned on leaving when he
finished work that day. She stopped at the drive-through of their bank to cash a
check and literally drove through. They had a 10'6" camper and the bank only
had a 9' clearance. She pulled the roof off the drive-through and their
camper. In her defense I must say she usually drove the truck without the cab over to
this bank. As I am writing this I am making myself a 3 X 5 card to post on my
dashboard with the height,width, and length of my vehicle on it, both in feet and
meters.
Route 66
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