2011 Trip across the US
2012 Trip across the US
2014 Trip across the US
2015 Trip to Alaska
2015-16 Southwest Trip
2016 New England Trip
2016 - 17 Southwest Trip
2017 - 2018 Trip to Pick Up A New Escape Trailer & More
2018 - 19 Trip to Winnipeg & the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta
2019 - 2020 Trip to the Southwest
2021 - 2022 Trip to the Southwest
2022 - 2023 Trip to the Hungry Mother Rally
2023 - 2024 Trip to the Southwest
2024-25 Trip to the Southeast
Day 138, Thursday, March 5, 2026 - Hueco Tanks State Park, El Paso, TX - 177.8 Miles, 4,807.3 Miles for the Trip.
42°F overnight, 70°F at noon on the road, and the high for the day was 78°F.
I woke up early, couldn't go back to sleep, so I was out of the park by 9:00 even after reading my usual forums & journals. Most of the drive was on I 10, except for a section of a parallel road that me GPS insisted was the turn to Hueco Tanks. Turns out that after a couple of miles it put me back on I 10.
Stopped for gas in Deming ($3.49). Not much of an altitude drop between City of rocks at 5000' and Hueco Tanks ar 4500', but I must have had a bit of a tailwind. 14MPG for the trip, most at 65MPH.
I'm in Site 2, a back in level side to side but needing 4 1/2" up on the tongue. I had to unhook to raise it that much. The site is a mix of asphalt & desert sand with 2 tent pads and a covered picnic table. Water & electric for $16.00 per night plus a $7.00 daily entry fee.
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| View From the Picnic Table | View From the Road |
Cell coverage is weak on both AT&T & Verizon. My AT&T modem did do data, but so slow it was worthless. I set up my Starlink Mini (this time I had to adjust the aliment) and got 58.52Mbps down & 8.73Mbps up. We are close enough to El Paso that I suspect the satellites are working hard, slowing things down since I have a completely clear view.
Since I'm unhooked, I'll probably take the truck to the start of the guided tour tomorrow morning since it is 1/2 mile from the trailer.
After setting up I sat outside and read for a bit, finishing Dana Stabenow's Shugak #17 A Night Too Dark and starting No Fixed Line, # 21. I'm skipping some that I have either already read (out of order) or listened to as audio books.
Around 3:30 I headed for a shower. The men's side of the bathrooms has 1 urinal, 1 toilet, 1 sink and 1 shower. There is a lock on the door if you want privacy although that prevents others from using the facilities while you are showering so I didn't use it.
The shower had a bench in the drying area, 1 hook, a 2" lip between the shower & drying area, no shower curtain & the shower head (a 3" medium flow with 3 spray settings) aims at the drying area. Both the shower & drying area are long enough that little water gets on the drying area floor. A soap dish in the shower but no other shelves. Plenty of adjustable hot water. Overall, a B+.
Back at the trailer I shut down the AC since the outside temperature was down to 74°F and the sun was behind clouds so it wasn't heating the trailer. I much prefer the quiet of the MAXX fan to the AC.
Dinner was a Lean Cuisine Sesame Chicken Bowl.
Until Next Time -
This page is maintained by: vermilye@oswego.edu
Last Update:
March 6, 2026