New Mexico State Park Series …
Check out our NM State Park Blogs:
Hyde Memorial (Santa Fe, NM) BLOG
Villanueva (Villanueva, NM) BLOG
Storrie Lake (Las Vegas, NM) BLOG
Santa Rosa Lake (Santa Rosa, NM) BLOG
Check back for more – COMING SOON!
When I was young, my family spent a lot of time camping in a travel trailer. It wasn’t the fancy kind we have now. It had no slide-outs, no microwave, no TV. It didn’t have an air conditioner or a heater. What it had was a lot of beds, (I use that term loosely), a toilet, a couple sinks, stove, and fridge. It was small and we were cramped – but man I loved that thing!
Every summer for 2 glorious weeks we would go and travel around. I remember camping, eating good food, having fun riding my bike, hiking, playing with our boxer, building fires, roasting marshmallows. But I was so young, I don’t remember any of the specific places. I only remember the fun and cherish the memories. I wish my dad were alive so he could maybe tell me some of the places we went.
We would also go on long-weekend camping trips. I loved being in the mountains and forests – the state parks were my favorite. My dad taught me to fish and let me steer the boat. I thought to myself:
Someday I will visit ALL the state parks in New Mexico.
Before I met R I usually went back to the same state parks I knew. My favorite NM state park is Fenton Lake (so far). I have been there more times than I can remember. It’s very close to Albuquerque (so I can take Jack, The Wonder Chicken Dog), and it’s perfect for me to throw my tent and some food in the car and have a weekend getaway. My second favorite places are Bluewater and Navajo Lakes. That’s as close as I got to visiting ALL the state parks in New Mexico.
Navajo Lake: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4040102
Bluewater Lake State Park: http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/SPD/bluewaterlakestatepark.html
When Pandemic started the first thing I thought was: This was the perfect time to start visiting state parks. What better way to stay socially distanced than camping? But I’ll never, for the life of me, understand why the state parks closed. As soon as they reopened, we made the most of it. There are 35 state parks in New Mexico – visiting all of them has been on my bucket list for a long time. R has joined me in my quest.
Camping at NM state parks costs $10/night, $14/night with electricity. But with the annual camping pass, you camp for free or for $4 with electricity hookup. R’s family got us one for her birthday this year and we are using it to death!
Somewhere near Cloud Croft/Ruidoso NM ~ ~ Photo by T. Evanskin ~ 2020 All rights reserved.
P.S.
I hope that someday the teen remembers the memories and the family time the way I remember mine.