Restless Genes

I'm a product of restless genes. As a teenager, my mother left the country for the city. Her parents moved from the city to the northwood forests. Their families left Europe centuries before, always moving westward. My father was born with wandering genes, too. His life with my mother was one long road trip. He loves maps and my mother is an excellent navigator, so, for as long as I can remember, they've either been planning a trip, traveling or reminiscing about their travels.

I was doomed to wander from the start. My first cross-country trip was when I was two weeks old. Like a baby bird imprinted by the sight of his mother, as an infant I was imprinted by the sight of the open road. My first lullaby was the sound of tires rolling down the highway. The "ding-ding" of a car entering a gas station was better than the sound of sleigh bells at Christmas. Perhaps that's why I liked Picacho Peak so much.

Not a wilderness park by any means, Picacho Peak State Park is located just off of I-10, west of Tucson, Arizona. From the campground you can watch a steady stream of cars and trucks moving across the country. Parallel to the highway, and just as busy, are trans-continental train tracks. Since prehistoric times Picacho Peak has been a landmark for travelers. While definitely not a park for everyone, I enjoyed watching the traffic in the distance from my saguaro-dotted campsite. With my imagination, and by squinting my eyes, I could turn the cars, trucks and trains into long lines of covered wagons, stage coaches and bands of travelers, all following the dictates of their restless genes.

Chiricahua National Monument

Now that you've read about my tortilla indulgence day, let me tell you more about Chiricahua National Monument. I knew nothing about Chiricahua before my arrival. On my map it was just a likely looking place to spend the night; I found it to be a little piece of paradise.

Located just across the Arizona border, in the far southeastern corner of New Mexico, Chiricahua National Monument is an example of a "sky island". Sky islands are isolated mountains or mountain ranges with their own ecosystems, unique from the surrounding desert. There are plants and animals at Chiricahua that exist nowhere else on earth.

I fell in love with the monument's Bonita Canyon Campground; it reminded me of the campgrounds my family and I camped at, in Oregon, when I was growing up. There were only 24 sites and they were limited to rigs under 29 feet long. There was no electricity, water or sewer, but, there were two low-water crossings, an icy creek running through the campground, fresh, cool, pine-scented breezes, hiking trails and bear-proof storage boxes. What more could a person want?

In the morning, before leaving, I drove to the top of the mountain on a tiny, twisty road. The sides of the road were still snow covered with little trickles of water running down the slopes. On the summit I was able to get cell phone reception, so I made a few calls and checked my email. Then, after having taken care of business, I hiked around the summit on an interpretive trail that explained the erosion process that created the crazy rock formations in the park.

I only stayed for a night and part of a day, but Chiricahua made me feel like I could have lived there for a lifetime.

Playing With My Food

I stopped at Deming, New Mexico after leaving Rockhound State Park, to gas up and buy some groceries. I really only needed milk and bananas but discovered the grocery store made their own fresh corn and flour tortillas! I watched the mixing, rolling, baking process until I was seduced by the aroma of freshly baked tortillas. Of course I had to buy a package and as soon as I was outside I had to eat one. As I enjoyed its warm, tender, goodness I thought of what else I could add to my tortilla.

Once I got back to Van, I took a warm flour tortilla and wrapped it around part of a milk chocolate caramel bar. Yum! It tasted like an ooey, gooey junk food celebration. Later, I tried the same combination with a sliced banana. Delicious! I made one more discovery that day. Driving while eating an ooey, gooey chocolate caramel creation is not a great decision; very similar to the time I learned not to drive while eating giant, frosting covered cinnamon rolls.

Later that evening, after I made camp at Chiricahua National Monument, I continued my tortilla obsession. I made a little fire and grilled some summer sausage which I ate with a freshly warmed tortilla and salsa. I sat in the dark watching the glowing coals, listening to the trickle of a nearby stream and the calls of night creatures. Surely, this is heaven.

A Rocky Destination

Rockhound State Park, near Deming, New Mexico, was a new discovery for me. So far, every state park I've visited in New Mexico has been unique, quirky and pleasant. I haven't found one yet that I wouldn't be glad to stay at again. What made Rockhound unique was that it allowed visitors to collect and remove up to fifteen pounds of rocks per day; quite a surprise considering most parks ask that you "take nothing but pictures." Various rocks and minerals can be found throughout the park, including quartz, jasper, agate, opal and other semi-precious gems.

Rockhound's campground is in a little bowl surrounded on three sides by the Florida and Little Florida mountains, some of them snow-capped. There are several foot trails nearby including a cactus garden nature trail.

After dinner, I went out for a little hike on one of the rocky, cactus-covered slopes behind my campsite. I talked to a collector hammering rocks out of the slope. He didn't think he'd found anything of great value but would know more after he had examined his haul that evening. After he returned to his campsite I watched the sunset and enjoyed seeing the glow of the lights of Deming off to the west and the stars appearing above.

Another Big Bend

When I left Big Bend National Park I didn't know there was a second park to discover. Just west of the national park on highway 170, from Presidio to Lajitas, you'll find Big Bend Ranch State Park. What a surprise! Just when you think the feast is over, along comes another course. This Texas state park is located along the Rio Grande with lots of hiking trails, scenic pull-outs and picnic areas.

When I left Michigan for the Southwest, my goal, at the time, was to search for wildflowers. So far I hadn't had much luck, an odd flower here or there, but no real signs of spring. It was along highway 170 I first saw any significant wildflowers. My first sighting was of large displays of beautiful, deep blue lupine along the side of the road.

Luckily, the road was very quiet. At a likely spot I pulled Van off onto the shoulder. I grabbed my camera and trusty doormat and headed down the road. Soon I was flat on my belly in the middle of a patch of flowers, the mat protecting me from various prickly things. I felt like a little desert animal hiding in a field of blue; nothing but swaying flowers around me.

It was the wind and the swaying of the flowers that kept me from getting a really sharp picture. Later down the road, I found some yucca in bloom. I also found a two inch spine stuck in my blouse. No doubt, the result of acting like a bunny in the blooms.

Hiking At Big Bend

My second day at Big Bend National Park I went on a five mile hike up and down a series of ridges along the Rio Grande river. I saw a lot of birds, rock formations, desert plants and beautiful views of the river and the blue-colored mountains beyond the Mexican border.

I didn't see anyone on the Mexican side of the river, though there was a horse that was keeping an eye on me. On the American side, I saw an elderly, almost naked hippie with his twenty-something girlfriend (or daughter, or grand-daughter).

I wish I could bring myself to take pictures of the people I meet. But...I just can't do it. I did, however, manage to take a picture of the horse.

Big Bend

One of the first things you notice when you enter Big Bend National Park is its remoteness. If you look at a map you'll notice the great distances from point to point. If you are unfamiliar with the Chihuahuan Desert you may think it's a land full of "nothing", but if you take the time to slow down and walk away from the roads, to sit still and use all of your senses, you'll be filled with wonder at the beauty and life surrounding you.

On my way to the Rio Grande Village campground, I was greeted by javelinas, desert cottontails, jack rabbits, tiny lizards and a roadrunner. Around me were prickly pear, ocotillo, yucca and lupine. That evening I enjoyed the cool breezes, visited a beaver pond where cranes settled in for the night, stared at unbelievably star-soaked skies, listened to coyotes discussing their evening activities, and heard the odd sound of a fellow camper playing the bongos off in the woods.