TX or NM and AZ?

[Floridafrances]

Hi all,

My husband and I have been RVng for only 3 years and so far have loved it. Each year we've had one 5 week trip in addition to any short ones we can fit in. Our 5 week trips have always been sometime between early September and mid-October. Circumstances this year have forced us to push our departure to around November 11.

The delay eliminates the places we had thought we'd go due to weather considerations. But the difference in the weather also opens up places that would have been too hot earlier.

We're trying to decide between Big Bend NP and other areas nearby in Texas, or New Mexico and Arizona.

Arizona is the only one we have any real experience with. In our pre-RVing days we visited the Grand Canyon (south rim), toured Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon and hiked to The Wave in the Vermillion Cliffs area.

We've loved all the red rock areas we've been to but I've read that the Big Bend is beautiful in a different way.

We love day hikes and taking the Jeep on off-the-beaten-path drives. We're both avid amateur photographers and love interesting geologic formations - to hike through or simply photograph.

I've searched the forums here for trip reports and threads about these areas but would love to hear recommendations and thoughts from you guys, especially comments about visiting any of these during November and December. We don't mind if it gets cold at night and stays fairly cool during the day. But if it's warmer, that's okay too as long as it isn't really hot. We get enough of that here in Florida.

Thanks and safe travels.

[Floridafrances]

Thanks for all the replies and advice. I had forgotten to mention Mt. Davis and the star parties to my husband when I was telling him about things to do not all that far away.

Our last 2, five week trips we covered a lot more "real estate" than we will this time but that's what we want for a change. I want this to be a more relaxing trip. I've had enough stress with these last 2 houses I'm remodeling before I retire from the construction business I've been in for 40 years. I want to be so laid-back I don't know what day of the week it is. :B

We want to take 3-4 days to get somewhere then hang out for at least a week - 10 days and thoroughly explore that area before driving for a day, 2 tops, to another location to do the same there. The time at each location is totally variable depending on how the weather is co-operating and how much fun we're having. We could end up staying in just one area if it suits us. We could also extend the length of our trip. For once, there won't be any need to rush back home - barring a family emergency.

[Bonefish]

You can find crime any place. Just be aware of your surroundings. Lock your camper & truck up as you should do in the first place. Been down that way many times for over 40 years never had a problem.

Sharon

[Mandalay_Parr]

Is it safe down there? So close to the border.

[LindaAnn]

We've been to AZ, NM, UT and they are beautiful states with so much to see. But a few years ago we went to Big Bend and absolutely fell in love with it! It's the one place I think we would never tire of visiting....for so many reasons. The scenery is so varied and breathtaking...from desert to mountain to canyons to the Rio Grande. The whole area outside the Park affords great day trips and drives, like the River Road to Persidio, and an old movie set along the way. I loved Terlingua, a little ghost town with an old cemetery and old buildings. Sometime in November they have a Chili Cookoff.

And, as a Ranger told us, Big Bend is the largest national park and the least visited, so there are not a lot of crowds.

If you do not stay within the park, there is an RV park in Study Butte which is just a mile or so from the entrance to BB. That's where we stayed--no frills, but nice.

I am so ready to go back!

[Bonefish]

Davis Mts. State Park is closing the campground for major repairs from Sept 2013 to Feb 2014. Big Bend is a great place to visit and should not be passed up.

Sharon

[2gypsies1]

Davis Mountain State Park, TX & the nearby McDonald Observatory for star watching. Definitely Big Bend Nat'l Park - Nov. is a beautiful time - bright blue skies and golden cottonwood trees, warm days and cool nights. Then up to Carlsbad Caverns - we stay at Brantley Lake State Park and depending on the weather explore some more of southern New Mexico although you might do this route first and then head to warmer Texas. It would be a nice trip!

[shoe777]

You might add visits to the South Padre Island areas south of Big Bend or Carlsbad/Guadalupe mountains north.

[rfryer]

I was going to suggest northern AZ/NM and SW Utah until I saw your November 11 date. Scratch that then. It would be easy to burn five weeks in southern Az what with Tucson, Organ Pipe NM, Tombstone, Bisbee, Kartchner Caverns, and Chiricahua NM. I’m not familiar enough with southern NM to offer you any ideas. I’ve been through there many times traveling, but camping I tend to haunt the northern mountains. I haven’t been to Big Bend, either, it’s out of the way for my mountain trips. But my son says I’d like it, very pretty, lots of hiking opportunities and not many people.

I think you’ll probably enjoy either choice. My thought is would I want to stay in one place five weeks when that time would be sufficient to see a number of different places without having to rush from one to another. Good luck with your decision and have a good trip.

[robbiesgram]

Don't forget to move up to Ft. Davis & Davis Mtn State Park after you have been in both the NP and State Park. Be sure to visit the MacDonald Observatory and check out the Marfa lights.

Nov & Dec weather is great, there is more hiking in both of the Big Bend parks than you can do in many many weeks. Check into doing a rafting trip on the Rio Grande, lots of biking and horseback riding in the state park. 4 x 4 roads in both parks. The Big Bend area is at the top of my favorite list.

[Dennis_M_M]

Cannot address the other areas, but for day hikes it would be hard to beat Desert Trails in Tucson. You can walk out of the park into BLM land with a small network of trails, then into Tucson Mountain Park which abuts Saguaro National Forest West both of which have extensive trail networks.

You could easily hike to the Desert Museum

Justine's Diamond J is right next door with the same access and Gilbert Ray Campground is right in Tucson Mountain Park, but a bit more primitive.

Plenty of off road opportunities in the area as well and the weather in Nov & Dec is great, warm days and cool nights.

[bob_nestor]

halfwright wrote:
In November and early December, it can get colder in New Mexico than I want to be. My vote would be for Big Bend. But, I do not know if there is enough to do for a 5 week vacation.

Depends on what floats your boat. On my Christmas trips I meet up with a friend who is an Art Professor at a college here in Texas. She's been going there since she was a child and we always find new things to visit and photograph. The views, rock formations, wildlife, old mining sites and towns - five weeks aren't enough to take it all in. But then too being a National Park I think you're limited to a two week stay before you have to move out for a few days. Some people push this by just moving to a different campsite, but some of the Rangers are wise to that game.

[magnusfide]

Triple ditto on Big Bend, TX. Take a great pair of binoculars or a telescope for some clear night views of the star fields.

[halfwright]

In November and early December, it can get colder in New Mexico than I want to be. My vote would be for Big Bend. But, I do not know if there is enough to do for a 5 week vacation.

[bob_nestor]

I've done Big Bend over Christmas vacation for 5 or 6 years in a row now. Doing hiking (South Rim on Christmas Day is a tradition) as well as Jeeping in my Wrangler. Temps can get down into the teens at night but are usually in the 70s during the day. Sometimes there are snow and ice storms that move in but they don't last but a day or two. Temps are usually a bit more moderate at the Basin but it's hard to get in there with anything but a small RV and recently they've closed down a lot of the sites to RVs to try and discourage RVers. The Village is right on the Rio Grande but has a lot of RV spots, although only a few with full hookups in the commercial campground/parking lot. Another great place is Study Butte, just north of the NP. There are a lot of commercial campgrounds there and it's close to Big Bend Ranch State Park. Lots of hiking and 4 wheeling there too.

[Snowman9000]

Boy, those are all good choices. The Big Bend area is pretty neat, and not everyone manages to get down there.