September 2017 – Boondock or Bust

Heron Lake State Park ~ Los Ojos, NM

September 20, 2017September 20, 2017 Boondock or Bust

New Mexico has some of the best state parks in the country, IMO, and back in January of 2017 when we still had the truck camper we purchased a year pass but unfortunately never got to use it. So when we got back on the road again in our Avion we decided we had better get our moneys worth out of it before it expired (01/31/18)!

New Mexico state park passes cost $225 a year for out of state residents and $180 a year if you’re a New Mexico resident. Now that might seem like a lot but when you are camping and are in a non-electric site the cost is free! If you choose a power and water site the cost is $4 a day and a full hookup site (where available) is $8! Not a bad deal, IMO. Also dump sites are available at most parks.

Our first state park of this tour was Heron Lake State Park in Los Ojos, NM. Situated just 20 minutes from Chama, NM and fed by the Rio Chama. This state park and lake offers many camping opportunities but if you’re looking for something with power and water there are only two options: Blanco and Willow Creek.

Site #57 at Blanco. Large pull through, power/water and a picnic table with shelter

Willow Creek has smaller sites and not nearly as many pull throughs as Blanco so when we came through looking for a site we chose Blanco. We found a large pull through almost immediately that was a non-reservation site. All sites in Blanco have fire pits and picnic tables and some have covered shelters. Our site had a shelter and was fairly private. Blanco also has a bathhouse with showers while Willow Creek has a bathroom with toilets only.

There are many hiking trails in the camping areas that lead down to and go around the lake. All are easy paths to hike and offer beautiful views!

The only downside to the campsites at Blanco and Willow Creek is that none of the sites have a true view of the lake. You can glimpse it from certain sites but there are no full views. There are other dispersed camping sites down the road that you can see the lake from but none offer electric or power so keep that in mind. Also, some of the other dispersed areas are not able to accommodate larger rigs. Be sure to scout all areas before driving in!

Length of stay in all New Mexico state parks is 14 days and as we are determined to take it slow this winter we did stay the whole 14 days in Blanco.

Verizon cell service offers 1 bar of LTE but it can go in and out without a booster. TMobile was nonexistent.

All in all, Blanco and Willow Creek offer nice pull through and back in sites that are fairly large and private, good amenities and lots of outdoor activities such as hiking and fishing. We will definitely be back!

General info

Never Forget ~ 9/11/2001

September 11, 2017 Boondock or Bust

Shared this in 2013 and still valid today ~ especially coming in the wake of Hurricanes Irma & Harvey.

“Today as we remember the tragedy of 9/11, please take a moment to hug your loved ones and tell them how much you love them. You may not get the chance to do it again.

A quote that is worth repeating:

“If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.”

– James Madison

Peace & Love, my friends!

Shelly & Mark ~ Boondock or Bust

NM, RV Park Reviews

Twin Rivers RV Park ~ Chama, NM

September 9, 2017September 6, 2017 Boondock or Bust

Our first week back full time RV living was spent just a short drive from where we had been staying the past 6 months. One hour south of Pagosa Springs, CO is the little town of Chama, NM.

This might sound familiar to our followers as our cabin was just 20 minutes from this town so needless to say we know the area well.

We decided that a shake down week would be a good way to start things off and get out any bugs we might have in the rig. So we stayed at Twin Rivers RV Park in Chama.

Twin Rivers is family owned and operated right on the corner of Highways 84/64 behind the Chevron station. It’s a small RV park compared to others in the area but it was safe, convenient and inexpensive. Plus we secured a last minute reservation for the Labor Day weekend. Score!

Non shaded sites – we are at the far right

Tent camping sites – all have covered picnic areas

Pros of this RV park:

Super friendly staff
Pet friendly
Inexpensive (we paid $22/night with the 7th night free)
Excellent location. Close to downtown, grocery store and gas stations
Decent site. Level and as we were on an end fairly large.
Clean (but older) bath houses and laundromat
Decent Verizon LTE signal – 4 bars

Cons of this RV park:

Close to highway so there is a bit of traffic noise mostly during the day
It was pretty full so we didn’t get a shady spot but we didn’t make reservations until last minute
An older park and some of the connections are in random places but it didn’t affect our site

Honestly, I can’t think of too many cons for this park. The owners Sonia and Ernest are really the best! They are very friendly and will always try to accommodate you the best they can.

Laundry room and bathhouse. Older but clean and functional

Yes there are nicer RV parks in Chama but if you are looking for reasonable rates and convenient location then Twin Rivers can’t be beat!

And the good news about our shakedown trip was we had no issues with the Avion. And the bonus? We found out our AC unit works! We didn’t know if it would until we could get to a 30 amp plug.

Blowing cold after sitting for 12 years!! It even got down to 50!!

All in all it was a very nice week spent in Chama. The park is quiet and mostly filled with people living here full time for the summer. The park is closed during the winter months. If you need a quick stop over or want an extended stay in the area, be sure to tell Sonia and Ernest that we sent you!