5/12-5/14 2026: Lubbock, TX to Chiricahua National Monument Campground

 5/12/2026

 We shared the overnight last night at Cracker Barrel with 4 other RVs and we were awakened by a very noisy semi at 4am.  He was delivering supplies to the business and wanted to be on time!  (Kept his engine running)  We were disappointed that the fuel price with Open Roads was incorrect when we bought diesel, costing us quite a bit more than a station down the road. That has happened rarely.  

We stopped for a Sammy walk in Seminole where they had a very nice park with an active oil well in the middle. A city employee stopped to tell is that there was a free city campground nearby, but it was too early in the day to take advantage of the offer. 

We visited Carlsbad Caverns Visitor Center and saw their displays and the movie, but we did not go to the caverns.  Years ago, I had a very claustrophobic experience in a cave, shoulders wall to wall and people touching in front of and behind.  Since Ron didn't want to see the caverns, we skipped them. I know, everyone says its beautiful!

Camping for the night:  Frijole Ranch horse corral.  They have only 1 reservable spot there. Guadalupe National Park Campground up the road was full.  

5/13/2026

Injuries:  Sammy is limping and I discovered a tick over my sternum (May 11th).  Tick removed.   The tick bite area has become reddened has increased in size, so we decided to go to the only clinic in the town of Columbus, NM.  There was no wait, no registration, no fees.  The diagnosis of the reddened area was mild case of shingles, even though I've had my vaccines. I was told I needed an antiviral drug. There were two choices: 1) Drive to Deming, NM (40 miles) or go 2 miles and cross the border into Mexico. We opted for Palomas (Chihuahua) Mexico. The clinic gave us directions:  park on the US side, walk across the border, go to the pharmacy and tell them what you want.  No script necessary.  Oh, and by the way, eat at the Pink House for lunch.  Got my script for $20 which included tablets and 3 tubes of ointment.  The Pink House was a real treat!  Live music, great food and a neat gift shop. 

We drove on to Paradise Cemetery, a place where pioneers and present day people are buried.  It was 5 miles up a rugged dirt road  We spent some time looking at tombstones and let Sammy run around the enclosure for a while.  Ron knows not to tell me things I don't want to hear and this was one of them.  To get to our campground, it was 100 miles on paved roads OR 20 miles on a one way rutted gravel mountain road with ruts and switchbacks. We climbed to 7800 feet and it took almost 2 hours to go 20 miles. Needless to say, I do not like sheer drop-offs!! We met only one parked car on the way up and saw some birders pulled off on a narrow stretch on the way down.  Apparently birding is a big thing there.  The bonus for the day was our beautiful campground (Chiricahua National Monument)  tucked back in a canyon with lots of trees.  We opted to stay 2 nights.  

For some reason, I haven't been able to upload photos.  Will try again later.