Jan & Feb can vary from year to year in severity of cold in AZ like anyplace. Last winter was a little more cold over the whole state & was wetter as well.
Likewise area to area can vary greatly. Elevation means a lot.
Arizona/New Mexico in the Winter an old post.
Getting there, maybe some of this will be of help:
:C What I have on the San Antonio Area & the
:C Texas Hill Country and
I-10 to San Antonio.
What I have on the
:)Big Bend Area. We really enjoyed Balmorhea State Park & checking out
Fort Davis Nat'l Historic Site. And the new
Boquillas Port of Entry.
US 90 Route from Van Horn to San Antonio Sections of I-10 between San Antonio & Van Horn, Speed Limit is 80 mph, it can seem like a raceway.
In Texas on I-10 west of San Antonio, I have never stopped here, but have been tempted to do so, Caverns of Sonora, they say is a National Natural Landmark, a unique cave located 8 miles west of the town of Sonora, Texas, and a world-class cave. It does have camping as well.
http://www.cavernsofsonora.com/Sonora is East of Ozona. Seems I remember a Rest Area before getting into Sonora, up on a hill, with great view of the countryside. Might be the same one mentioned above by TexasShadow. Should be a good place to overnight.
Rest Area 394mmSouth Llano River State Park adjoins Walter Buck Wildlife Management Area, south of Junction was a nice place.
S. Llano River SP.
The Museum of Western Art near Kerrville is really good, a must see for sure if possible.
http://museumofwesternart.com/ Should be easy to find RV sites as well. Used to be a state park by the river, but not a state park now.
I found Cascade Caverns at Boerne to be extremely neat (my first cave) when I was about 12 or 13. Not sure how it would hold up now for me. Ha!
Cascade CavernsI see they do have camping there now.
Las Cruces Area & Southern NM Mexican Food plus camping and attractions in the area. At least try a Green Chile Cheese Burger.
VideoTaste of NM Pecans:
Stahmanns or
Salopek In Las Cruces: Hacienda RV Resort and Siesta RV Park are the easiest to get to, just of I-10 exit 140. Las Cruces KOA and Sunny Acres RV Park off I-10 exit 135. KOA on the mesa over looking the Mesilla Valley, Sunny Acres in the Valley.
Park Reviews Siesta RV has gravel roads & pads, Hacienda RV has paved roads, maybe concrete pads. Sunny Acres more into town, maybe cramped???
Leasburg Dam State Park is about 17 miles N of Las Cruces on I-25. With
Fort Selden State Mon't near by. A young Douglas Mac Arthur called the fort home while his father was post commander in the late 1880s.
North of Las Cruces I-25: Around the T or C area, three state parks,
Elephant Butte SP and
Caballo SP with Caballo being closest to the interstate as well as Percha Dam
State Park a nice place on Rio Grande, near Caballo Lake. Elephant Butte Lake State Park headquarters are 5 miles north of Truth or Consequences via I-25 exit 83. Caballo Lake State Park is 16 miles south of Truth or Consequences via I-25 exit 59 and NM 187. Percha Dam State Park is 21 miles south of Truth or Consequences via I-25, exit 59.
:C
New Mexico State Parks Best Camping Prices Around & No Day Fees on top of camping fees (unlike CO & TX). Most (not all) have free showers.
NM Camping FeesNorth of TorC, just off of I-25 by San Antonio, NM, the Bosque
del Apache Wildlife Refuge.
Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park Never stayed there, but have read about others staying there to see the Bosque. As a matter of fact you could take US 380 from I-25 at San Antonio to Carrizozo.
Tucson/Arizona, New Mexico & Texas ---- Guadalupe Pass - Elevation: 5,424'
Near Carlsbad Area TX/New MexicoOne can use the War Road Route to bypass the Trans Mountain pass: Use Exit 162 in New Mexico (just short of the NM/TX state line) NM-404/Ohara Rd East, turn right on NM 213 S (War Road), this turns into Martin Luther Kings Jr. Blvd (FM 3255) once entering TX. Take the ramp onto Gateway S Blvd/Patriot Fwy (US 54 S) to TX 376 Turn left onto Woodrow Bean Trans Mountain Rd (Texas Loop 375). Follow Loop 375 to the US-62/US-180/Montana Ave exit (about 12 miles). The US-62/US-180 takes you to Carlsbad Caverns. Not mountains to cross on this bypass. If you take a right on 376, then it'll take you up & over the pass.
If you want to take the Pass, just stay on I-10 on into TX. Take the exit toward Texas Loop 375/Trans Mountain Rd (about 5 or 6 miles from state line)....Turn left onto TX-375 Loop W/Woodrow Bean Trans Mountain Rd it will take you up & over (great vistas up at the top, at a rest/viewing area).
Video Drive Trans MountainYou really do not want to drive into El Paso & do a few city streets to get to & onto very busy Montana Ave (US-180 E/US-62 E). Much worse than a mountain pass.
Post Edit: Between Benson & Wilcox, a mild pass with a rest area in Texas Canyon, neat rock formations - elevation 4500'.
Also In the area: The Amerind Foundation
:C Clicky :C ( Amerind Art Gallery is Neat ) a ethnological, anthropological, archaeological museum and art gallery with paintings by 20th century Anglo and Native American artists. We enjoyed the art gallery and the museum. A neat out of the way, hidden site in the boulders of Texas Canyon. The Amerind is located in Cochise County, one mile south of Interstate 10, only about an hour east of Tucson, between Benson and Willcox. It is easy to find - just look for Dragoon Road exit, #318, and head south until you see mile marker 1 on one side of the road and the Amerind entrance on the other.
Cochise Strong Hold is in the same area, drove to it but did not camp, a nice setting.
Cochise StrongholdEastbound I-10 into Benson, will descent into the San Pedro River valley, then a climb out of the valley & somewhat a gradual climb to the pass at Texas Canyon. A little descent from Texas Canyon on the way to Wilcox. Some 18 wheeler get slow on the ascent. Not too bad.
:CDesertHawk- Las Cruces, NM USA
*2015 Lance 1985~Casita de Campo~23' 4" Tongue to Bumper, Dinette Slide
160 watt Solar Panel/GoPower! Solar Controller
*2009 White Ford F-150 Reg. Cab
Long Bed with A.R.E. Molded Fiberglass Topper
*Previously~ 2005 16' Scamp
