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Copper Mines, NOT CAMPING, in Tonto National Forest – Why?

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PUBLIC LAND Goes PRIVATE and Cherished Winter RV Camping is CLOSED Forever

December 2015 – The beautiful fall colors around Roosevelt Lake Arizona are truly exquisite, and we have taken thousands of photos of the Sonoran Desert in both fall and spring along the Salt River during our RV travels in Arizona. After poking around on this website a bit and rummaging through our photos from last year, I realized I never posted some of my favorites. So here they are, just as lovely now as they were a year ago.

Autumn Leaves Salt River Bush Highway Blue Point Arizona

Autumn splendor along the Salt River in Arizona

But they are bittersweet too, because times are changing. Among these glorious photos, I found images I took last year in Globe and Ray Arizona that evoke a tragedy that’s currently unfolding. A little research into what’s going on has left me with one big question: WHY?

Fall colors in the Sonoran Desert Arizona Salt River

Arizona is filled with gold

Last year while we were camped in the Tonto National Forest, we went on several outstanding hikes that start at some of the trailheads and former camping areas that are sprinkled along the dramatic Bush Highway which runs alongside the Salt River east of Phoenix.

Autumn leaf reflections Salt River Arizona

The Salt River infuses the Sonoran Desert with color and life.

Pebble Beach was one recreation area that used to be very popular for winter camping and boondocking.

Pebble Beach on the Salt River

One of many stunning views hidden behind the “CLOSED” sign blocking car and RV drivers from
parking in the mammoth parking lots at Pebble Beach.

Pebble Beach Campground is a very large recreation area. Not only is there an enormous parking lot lined with dozens of shaded picnic ramadas, but it was built to include both a huge group camping area as well as individual and family camping. There were even campsites with hookups to accommodate multiple hosts, and there were multiple toilet buildings scattered throughout the area.

At one time, Pebble Beach was a very popular winter boondocking snowbird roost.

Pebble Beach Camping Area Tonto National Forest Closed

Storm clouds over Pebble Beach – No more winter camping here!

Sadly, it has been closed to winter use for several years and Tonto National Forest plans to keep it closed and keep all that infrastructure and beauty behind locked gates indefinitely.

Pebble Beach Bush Highway Mesa Arizona Salt River

This cool area at Pebble Beach lay just steps away from winter RV campsites by the picnic ramadas

Tragically, since his arrival in 2012, the supervisor of Tonto National Forest, Neil Bosworth (bio here, contact: nbosworth@fs.fed.us) has systematically closed all the winter camping areas on the Bush Highway.

Some camping areas are open in the summertime, but Arizonans don’t camp in the 120 degree heat of the Sonoran Desert in the summer months! They all go north to the cool mountains and camp at 5,000′ or higher to get out of the heat.

The list of campgrounds that used to be open for winter RV camping and are now closed permanently is:

  • Pebble Beach Campground (designated campsites, group camping, large enough for 50+ RVs)
  • Goldfield Recreation Area (formerly used for camping and large enough for 50+ RVs)
  • Phon D Sutton (formerly used for camping and large enough for 50+ RVs)

In addition, there’s a day use area that is closed in the wintertime too, so you can’t even park your car and look around:

  • Sheep Crossing (day use)

Fortunately for tourists and nature lovers, there is one gorgeous spot that has remained open for day use only, so at least it is possible to park and go exploring, even if you are not allowed to camp there. It is called the Water Users area. This is a Salt Water River summertime tubing drop-off spot that has several short trails that go down to the river.

Lost in the desert oasis landscapes of Arizona

The Water Users area is available for daytime visits.

The craggy rocks and colorful trees and reflecting water are just sensational.

Salt RIver Arizona in Autumn

I love reflections in the water.

Autumn leaves on Arizona's Salt River

The Salt River (“Rio Salado”)

Across the Bush Highway from Pebble Beach is the much smaller Blue Point day use area, and it is still open. Blue Point has a wonderful hiking trail that runs along the edge of the river. What’s puzzling is that the Sheep Crossing day use area next door to Blue Point is closed.

Huh? Oh well. We had fun getting reflection shots of the riverbanks.

Salt River Phoenix Arizona

The Blue Point day use area is across from Pebble Beach (closed) and next to Sheep Crossing (closed).

Up on a rocky precipice we saw a great blue heron keeping an eye out for fast moving fish.

Great blue heron Salt River Arizona

Waterbirds love the Salt River

The great blue heron wasn’t the only one fishing. A fisherman was casting his net in the river too.

Fishing on the Salt River

Fishermen love the Salt River. Heck, so do RVers!

The play of the light on his net and the light on the water and clouds was just beautiful.

Starburst over the Salt River in Phoenix Arizona

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The pretty trees and jagged rock faces along the Salt River lit up in brilliant golden hues every afternoon.

Blue Point in autumn colors on the Salt River in Arizona

Autumn Gold at Blue Point on the Bush Highway

Sadly, over the last few years, the Tonto National Forest has systematically closed all but the tiniest of winter camping areas along the Bush Highway. What’s left (at Coon Bluff) is open to camping only on weekends and is large enough for just 6-7 big rigs.

Last year and the year before, there were times when the one large remaining camping area, Phon D Sutton, had 50 RVs camping there.

With a demand like that, why would Tonto National Forest shut it down along with all the other camping areas that can accommodate hundreds and hundreds of RVs. Why would they leave just a handful of spaces open?

The parking area at Coon Bluff is so tiny that when RVs camp there, they take up most of the parking lot. What’s totally unfair to the locals is that the daytrippers, hunters and fishermen — who all deserve a decent parking spot for their outing in nature too — don’t have room to park their cars! When the Boy Scouts plan a weekend camping outing to Coon Bluff, the places is a mad house and the parking is insane.

Sunset Arizona Salt River

The Indoor Generation as well as snowbird winter RVers deserve a chance to enjoy places like this right outside their doorstep during dawn and dusk — especially when the facilities were already built by former leadership that wanted the public to be able to enjoy the unique beauty of the Salt River.

Up until October, 2015, the Forest Service allowed RVers to camp at the Phon D Sutton recreation area which can easily hold 50 big rigs in two enormous parking lots.

Last winter and the winter before it was frequently full of happy winter snowbird RVers, many of whom brought kayaks to enjoy the river, camera gear to photograph the egrets and bald eagles, and musical instruments to make music together.

What a stunning spot that was.

Arizona autumn colors Four Peaks Salt River Bush Highway_

Gorgeous Phon D Sutton offered parking lot dry camping but the views and experiences were unforgettable.

Unfortunately, as of October, 2015, Phon D Sutton is now closed to camping year round.

Phon D Sutton is still open as a day use area, but when we stopped by to check it out a few weeks ago, the whole place was eerily vacant, except for two cars, and there was gang graffiti on the bathroom doors and windows.

Fog Arizona Salt River

When large parking lots and bathrooms for throngs of people have been built so they can enjoy
a view like this, should the facilities be left to rot?

What a shame.

What a waste of good facilities and good money that went into building them.

Fog and mist saguaro cactus Arizona Sonoran Desert

A treasured view at former winter RV roost Phon D Sutton.

Last year I was lucky enough to have some wonderfully close encounters with the wild horses that live along the Salt River while we camped at Phon D Sutton.

Salt River Wild Horse Arizona

What a sight it was as this guy charged towards me.

Salt River Wild horses drinking

Down by the river the wild horses live a peaceful life.

When camping at Phon D Sutton, it was easy to rise in the dark and sneak down to the Salt River at dawn to watch the wild horses getting their morning drink.

Wild horses Salt River Phoenix Arizona

A glorious sunrise, complete with members of the wild horse herd getting a drink.

The Tonto National Forest wants to round up the wild horses and get rid of them!

Luckily, for the moment, protestations from the wild horse loving public have quashed that plan. The wild horses of the Salt River have a huge following and a support network that has fought valiantly and very publicly for them.

Part of their battle included two huge petitions that were signed by thousands. They also filed a lawsuit against Tonto National Forest.

Saguaro Cactus at sunset Arizona

A stunning sunset along the Bush Highway.

Perhaps a similarly passionate outcry from winter snowbird RVers from the north as well as local campers from Arizona would prevent our precious camping spots in this area from deteriorating into oblivion and would preserve the initial and very sizable investment that was made to build these public recreation areas years ago.

Phon D Sutton Recreation Area RV Camping Tonto National Forest

Phon D Sutton Recreation Area was beloved by all kinds of RVers and tent campers too.

But I’m not sure that the Tonto National Forest, noted by the current supervisor to be a “crown jewel” in the US Forest Service, even has public use or public recreation on its radar these days.

Right now, Tonto National Forest is mired in an earth shattering commercial use of its public land by non-Americans about 50 miles away from the Bush Highway at Oak Flat Campground. This is land that President Eisenhower specifically set aside for protection back in 1955 in an effort to avoid exactly what is happening today.

Saguaro cactus Arizona sunset

Protection of public land lasts only as long as our leaders want it to.

Foreign copper mining interests have acquired nearly four square miles of gorgeous Tonto National Forest land at Oak Flat Campground, a place that rock climbers cherish for its unique rock hoodoos and boulders.

Their new mine, Resolution Copper Mining, owned by British and Australian companies, will soon transform this unusual public land so they can get at the precious copper that lies 7,000′ down.

Copper Mine Globe Arizona 2

Here’s an open pit copper mine. This is the Ascaro Copper Mine located in Ray Arizona about 20 miles from the location of the new mine. This mine isn’t American owned either. It is owned by a Mexican company.

But how did foreigners get approval to build the world’s largest copper mine on America’s public land when little old snowbird RVers can’t even camp in places that were created specifically for public recreation and camping years ago?

The acquisition of this US Forest Service land parcel by Resolution Copper Mining was part of a land swap deal that got tacked onto the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act and signed into law by President Obama, circumventing normal public notification and vetting.

Sadly, back in 1955 President Eisenhower had protected this very parcel, knowing that the copper vein below the surface was massive, and now it will be destroyed by non-Americans with almost no benefit going to either American citizens or the American government.

Foreign mining companies Rio Tinto and BHP Copper formed Resolution Copper Mining, with 55% and 45% ownership respectively, and they are trading 8 small parcels of Arizona land totaling 5,344 acres that they already own for 2,422 acres of Tonto National Forest.

All the land will be appraised, and then Resolution Mining will either add cash to the deal if their land is of lesser value than the National Forest land or they will call it a donation if their land is worth more.

It is unclear if to me if the mineral value of the copper under the National Forest land will be included in the appraised value of what Tonto National Forest is giving up. Obviously, it should be.
Copper Mine Globe Arizona

Copper mining. The ribbons are roads and there are tiny trucks driving on the roads

The deal was pushed through by people who believed that the mine would create lots of jobs in a state that has 6.7 million residents and that it would bring money into the state by way of tax revenue as well.

According to Resolution Mining, after the mine is built, there will be 1,400 steady mining jobs during the peak years it is in operation and they anticipate paying $20 billion in taxes to the Feds and Arizona during they years the mine is profitable (provided they don’t take advantage of income tax loopholes and claim $0 profit).

Reports say it will take about 40 years to extract all the copper. After that, the few mining jobs will end, the copper in the ground will have been sold, with profits going abroad, and Arizona will be left with whatever mess and tailing piles Resolution Copper Mining decides to leave behind.

Copper Mining Globe Arizona

The future of the American people’s Tonto National Forest?

What exactly will this mine will look like? The wording of the deal exempts Resolution Copper Mining from abiding by any environmental mandates, so the new mine could easily be a dusty open pit, because that method of mining copper is cheapest and most profitable for the mine owners.

Reports have claimed the new mine will be a gaping crater two miles across and 1,000 feet deep and that a 500′ tall mountain of waste tailings will be dumped on another parcel of Tonto National Forest land within view from beautiful Boyce Thompson Arboretum.

Ummmm…. 500′ tall equates to 50 stories high!

Asarco Copper Mine Ray Arizona

The new Resolution Copper Mine will be much larger than this one — the world’s largest!

But the Resolution Copper Mining website says it will all be done underground by carving the ore out of the rock using the “panel caving” method rather than the “open pit” mining method, and that a waste tailings site hasn’t yet been selected.

Saguaro cactus next to an Arizona copper mine

Saguaro cactus are up in arms about the mining techniques in use at Ascaro copper mine.

The only groups loudly voicing concern right now are the Native Americans, some of whom claim Oak Flat is a sacred area, and rock climbers who love the rock boulders so much they hold major competitions there.

Ironically, the public was outraged a few years ago when a Boy Scout troop leader deliberately knocked over a single red rock hoodoo at Goblin Valley State Park in Utah.

Somehow, that infraction doesn’t seem to compare with this.

The copper on this public land will fetch tens of billions of dollars for the mine owners, depending on copper prices during the period that the mine is in operation.

And then that copper will be sold to Americans — at a profit to the foreigners, of course!

Enjoy Your National Forest

A sign behind the locked “Road Closed” gates at the Pebble Beach camping area.

So WHY has the Tonto National Forest Service closed the winter camping areas on the Bush Highway?

Are these campgrounds closed because Tonto National Forest doesn’t have the money to maintain them?

No! The leaders of Tonto National Forest have publicly proven that Tonto National Forest is sitting on minerals that are worth billions to eager and rich commercial buyers overseas.

If the leaders were skilled at negotiation, they could have made an enormous profit from the sale of land. But they decided not to bother!

Even more dramatic, Tonto National Forest has a truly gargantuan potential for cash revenue if they arranged the terms of the land deal to include receiving a percentage of the mammoth profits the foreign companies will make from everything they extract from or produce on that land.

But they didn’t even bother to negotiate for just a 1% royalty on the profit that these foreigners will be making by mining America’s public land.

Obviously, Tonto National Forest is an exceedingly rich forest, however, its stewards don’t seem to understand the basics of economics or the rudiments of doing business and negotiating!

Are the camping areas closed because Tonto National Forest wants to protect the delicate environment?

Obviously, that isn’t true either, because they have no problem decimating parts of the “crown jewel” in the Forest Service to build a copper mine. Even if the “panel caving” method of mining is used, it is expected that the mine will one day collapse, leaving a gaping four square mile pit.

Saguaro cactus under a rainbow in Arizona

What is the Tonto National Forest’s motive for closing the
Bush Highway camping areas?

So what is the motivation of Tonto National Forest to close the camping areas that earlier leadership kept open for winter RVers?

It isn’t a lack of money. And it isn’t a desire to protect the environment.

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Fall Color in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert near Roosevelt Lake

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November 2015 – The climb up lofty Mt. Graham in southeastern Arizona had given us some beautiful autumn colors, and we were treated to even more as we drove our RV into central Arizona.

Autumn leaves Sonoran Desert riparian area Roosevelt Lake Arizona

Autumn splendor in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert

Fall color Sonoran Desert Riparian area Arizona

Colorful trees stood alongside the rivers, streams and washes.

We scooted along Route 88 to Roosevelt Lake and did some exploring along the shores of this beautiful body of water, the largest lake in the middle of the state. We had arrived at the peak of the Sonoran Desert’s fall foliage season.

Autumn colors Roosevelt Lake Arizona

One of many gorgeous views across Roosevelt Lake

It may not seem possible that a desert would have a fall foliage season, but the Sonoran Desert’s wetland areas along streams and washes (called “riparian” habitats) are loaded with wonderful sycamores and cottonwoods that turn vivid yellow and orange come fall.

Roosevelt Lake was created in 1911 by damming up the Salt River, and the water level rises and falls. Right now it was very low — the lake was just 40% full — and yellow trees filled an area that at times has been filled with water.

Autumn color Roosevelt Lake Arizona

Golden trees fill the void while the lake is down.

We found lots of rounded, smooth rocks along one part of the lake.

Roosevelt Lake Arizona pebble beach

A rocky shore

Even where the colors were muted, little bits of autumn flame peeked through, and the colors in late afternoon were just gorgeous.

Fall leaves sycamore trees Arizona desert

Fall colors reflected in the water.

Four Peaks Arizona Roosevelt Lake

A view of Four Peaks across the lake and desert

Roosevelt Lake autumn color Arizona

Compare this to the previous pic – Lighting is everything!

In one spot, Mark discovered a lone yellow wildflower looking up and opening its petals to the sun.

Wildflower Arizona desert

A tiny wildflower looks up from the ground.

Roosevelt Lake is an enormous lake whose southern shore runs for some 50 miles. In many places the saguaros were all standing around in groups. They seemed to be conversing in the morning sun. I wonder if they were sharing memories of a time when this lake was just an unpredictable river.

Sonoran Desert saguaro cactus Roosevelt Lake Arizona

Saguaro cactus commune in the morning sun by the lake.

On the far shore of the lake there were rolling hills of red sand. What a beautiful sight!

Roosevelt Lake Arizona Saguaro Cactus

Colors of the desert.

Saguaros are the sentinels of the desert, and they seemed to be keeping an eye on things at the lake.

Saguaro cactus Roosevelt Lake Arizona

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Meanwhile, down by the water’s edge, campers had set up their RVs right on the beach.

Lakeside RV boondocking Roosevelt Lake Arizona

Lakeside camping.

What a fantastic place to camp! Unfortunately, several of the boondocking areas along Roosevelt Lake were closed. We were told the closure was temporary, from mid-November to mid-February, and it was to protect the Canada geese.

Apparently the powers that be have never been to the green grassy areas in nearby Scottsdale where the Canada geese are thriving! Needless to say, there wasn’t a goose to be found.

RV boondocking Popup tent trailer Roosevelt Lake Arizona

Room with a view.

But there were two spots open, and RVers were enjoying beautiful waterfront campsites with views to die for.

RV boondocking Roosevelt Lake Arizona

Not a bad place to be!

And of course the sunsets were spectacular…

Roosevelt Lake sunset Arizona

An Arizona sunset at the lake.

For RV travelers who want to experience the Sonoran Desert in the peak of autumn glory, the season is the last two weeks of November, and the colors can be found anywhere there’s water.

RV Arizona sunset fifth wheel trailer

What a place!

Roosevelt Lake has hundreds of dry camping campsites in several different formal campgrounds as well as boondocking available along the lake. You need to get a Tonto Pass ($6 per night ($3 for seniors)), and they are sold at the convenience stores in the communities that lie at the eastern and western ends of the lake. Beginning in January, 2016, the rates will increase to $8 per night ($4 for seniors). There are flush toilets and hot showers at the Windy Hill and Choilla campgrounds.

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Swift Trail Scenic Drive up Mt. Graham – Autumn Color in Arizona

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November 2015 – After a whirlwind nine month trip around the country in our RV this season, we left New Mexico‘s City of Rocks behind and crossed the border into Arizona. We had come full circle and arrived back at our winter roosting grounds.

We heaved an enormous sigh of relief and reveled in the thrill of being able to enjoy an endless stream of days with no agenda and no need to hustle down the road to our next destination. During the nights, the Milky Way showered stars over our rig.

Arizona starry night sky with RV

The Milky Way rained glitter on us every night.

Arizona is cotton country, and cotton was being harvested all around us.

Cotton fields Safford Arizona

The land of cotton!

Huge rolled bales of cotton were lined up on the edges of the fields. One day as we drove past a field in the morning, it was full of fluffy cotton plants. When we drove past that afternoon, all that was left was flat dirt and hay bales lined up on the edge of the field!

Cotton fields harvest time Safford Arizona

Harvesting done, all that remained was bare fields and rolled bales of cotton.

Towering Mt. Graham formed a backdrop to many of the views around us, and one morning we drove the roller coaster Swift Trail Scenic Drive that snakes up the nearly vertical slopes of this mountain. Starting at the desert level at the bottom, within a few miles we were making switchbacks.

Swift Trail Scenic Drive Mt. Graham Arizona Coronado National Forest

The Swift Trail Scenic Drive heads up off the desert floor to the top of Mt. Graham

Soon the landscape began to change, and hardwood trees in the peak of autumn color began to appear.

Golden fall color Coronado National Forest Arizona

As we drove higher, we began to see some fall color

The road curved higher and higher, often making sharp, steep hairpin turns, and the colors became more and more vivid.

Swift Trail Scenic Drive Mt. Graham Arizona

The road passed through all the eco-systems of Arizona in a scant 20 miles

Fall colors Mt. Graham Arizona

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Golden yellow and brilliant orange leaves filled the trees, and we stopped to get out and savor the crisp autumn air.

Fall arrives in Mt. Graham Arizona

Evergreen and vivid orange side by side.

Autumn leaves Mt Graham Arizona

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A few miles further up the road we came across a small stream with water tumbling over rocks here and there.

Mt. Graham Swift Trail Scenic Drive Arizona Waterfall fall colors

A babbling brook was surrounded by colorful leaves.

Vivid leaves floated in the water, and the air had a moist, pungent smell.

Fall leaves on Swift Trail Scenic Drive Arizona

Leaves submerged in the stream.

Mt. Graham Arizona Waterfall in autumn

The stream rushed by.

Time flew by as we became immersed in our photography. We had so much fun trying to capture this special spot on camera.

Photographing fall colors Mt. Graham Recreational Area Coronado National Forest Arizona

We were both in our element, soaking up the bright colors and pungent smells of fall leaves.

We had thought we’d missed the fall foliage season in our travels this year, leaving the famous states like Vermont and upstate New York and even Oklahoma way too early. Yet, here we had finally caught up with autumn and found fall aglow in all her splendor right in Arizona.

Campsite Arcadia Campground Mt. Graham Coronado National Forest Arizona

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There are quite a few small campgrounds on this stunning road up Mt. Graham, and we stopped to look around Arcadia Campground. Oh, to have a tiny trailer, van or pickup camper!! This campground was utterly charming, with paved loops and not a soul around but the campground host. What a place to become immersed in the colors of fall for a few days!

Arcadia Campground Coronado National Forest Mt. Graham Arizona

Arcadia campground would be a delightful place to stay for a while.

Climbing higher still, we passed out of the last of fall’s peak and into a colder zone where the colors had already come and gone.

Fall color Swift Trail Mt. Graham Arizona

We got a last glimpse of color as we drove even higher up the mountain.

And then we reached the highest summit of the road where the view stretched out across the rolling brown mountains to the valleys far below.

View from top of Mt. Graham Arizona

The view from the top was hazy and brown as we looked out over ripples of lower mountainsides

The road continued on, but it turned to dirt, so we turned around. As we drove down, we passed back through the vivid colors.

Autumn leaves Mt. Graham National Recreation Area Arizona

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And then we stopped for a picnic lunch by the babbling brook.

Picnic Swift Trail Scenic Drive Coronado National Forest Arizona

A great spot for a picnic!

What a truly beautiful day that was!

RV boondocking in Arizona

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The Swift Trail Scenic Drive is a wonderful excursion for RV travelers who find themselves in eastern Arizona. If you are lucky enough to have a short trailer, van or a truck camper, the drive is steep and twisty but doable, and the campgrounds beg to be camped in. For anyone with a bigger rig, there is a wonderful state park campground near the base of Mt. Graham, Roper Lake State Park, and the scenic drive is easy to do in your tow vehicle or toad! More info and links below.

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City of Rocks State Park, NM – RV Camping in the Hoodoos!

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November 2015 – Scooting across New Mexico, we left the display of aging missiles at White Sands Missile Range Park and made our way to a place on the map that looked too fun to miss — the City of Rocks. As we traveled, stunning sunrises and sunsets continued to punctuate the start and end of everyday.

New Mexico Sunset CIty of Rocks

A wonderful New Mexico sunset!

The City of Rocks is a huge collection of massive boulders clustered together in a vast open plain. For miles, all we had seen was wide vistas of nothing, barely a bush and not even a tree. Then we suddenly saw “the city” ahead.

City of Rocks New Mexico

The City of Rocks!

New Mexico has turned this “urban” landscape into a wonderful state park that is essentially a huge campground with hiking trails scattered through and around it.

RV camping City of Rocks New Mexico

New Mexico’s City of Rocks is a little camping paradise.

At the entrance to the park there is an area with electric and water RV hookups.

RV hookup campsites City of Rocks Campground New Mexico

There are hookups if you want them.

The rest of the “city” is filled with charming campsites that snuggle up against the rocks.

RV camped at City of Rocks Campground New Mexico

You can be off on your own communing with the hoodoos!

RV camping at City of Rocks New Mexico

What a neat campsite!

We were enchanted. What a fun place to camp!

Motorhome at City of Rocks Campground New Mexico

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We hopped on our bikes and checked out the trail that encircles the whole area. This is a very pleasant trail for walking (it’s just a few miles long) or for biking.

Moutain biking City of Rocks New Mexico

There’s a short trail for hiking or biking.

We had fun taking our bikes around the campground loops.

Mountain bike ride City of Rocks New Mexico

A very fun place for a bike ride!

The trail also climbs a steep hill at one point, and we had a blast bombing down the road.

Bicycling City of Rocks New Mexico

Barreling downhill towards the city.

Early one morning, we spotted a hawk that was surprisingly calm and didn’t seem to mind us too much.

Bicycling City of Rocks New Mexico

A hawk keeps an eye on me but doesn’t get spooked.

Each campsite is unique, and they come in various sizes and shapes.

Camping in an RV at City of Rocks New Mexico

I just love a retro trailer. This one is actually almost brand new!

Some campsites are fairly level and some are very unlevel, but each one is charming.

Motorhome camping at City of Rocks New Mexico

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On the Pegasus North Loop you can get away from it all and be quite far away from the “hubub” of “the city.” However, if you want to stay more than one night on that loop, you have to reserve in advance.

RV with solar panels City of Rocks New Mexico campground

On the Pegasus Loop you need to reserve ahead or just stay one night.

We loved this little spot, and highly recommend it to anyone planning a visit to New Mexico. For RV travelers that are headed east-west on I-10, the nice thing is it’s not too far from the freeway — just under 30 miles.

Motorhome RV camping City of Rocks New Mexico campground

A beautiful pink-and-blue sky… I love those skies in the early evening in the western deserts!

The cost when we stayed at City of Rocks was $10/night for dry camping and $18/night for electric and water hookups. The cool thing about New Mexico is that you can purchase an annual State Parks camping permit (currently $225 for non-New Mexico residents and $180 for the lucky in-state crowd) that gives you huge discounts on overnight camping. If you have one of these nifty camping permits, the dry camping sites are free and the electric/water sites are $4/night. More info below…

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It IS Rocket Science at White Sands Missile Park in NM

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November 2015 – In our RV travels across New Mexico, we made a fun pit stop at White Sands Missile Range where there is a unique outdoor Missile Park. But before I show you some of the missiles of yesteryear, I have a few more photos to share from our stop in the metal art haven of Tatum, New Mexico.

After 8 months of RVing in the eastern states, it was here that we saw our first really huge, colorful and expressive skies that are so common in the west. Sunsets filled the sky from corner to corner, leaving no part of it untouched by vibrant color…

Sunset in Tatum New Mexico

Vivid color fills the sky at sunset

…on another day, the brooding skies of an incoming storm filled the air with an eerie feeling and then brought a deluge of rain.

Brooding skies in Tatum New Mexico

Dark and mysterious clouds blanket the heavens

And then there were the fun metal art signs, two of which stand on opposite sides of Eubanks Street in Tatum. In the first, a cowboy approaches his mule with a friendly greeting in hopes of getting some cooperation from the stubborn beast…

Metal art sign Eubanks St Tatum New Mexico

Howdy Y’All

In the second, the mule kicks him clear over the moon!

Metal art street sign Eubanks St Tatum New Mexico

Whooops!!

The metal art in Tatum was such fun. When we drove out of town, we noticed the back of the “Welcome to Tatum New Mexico” sign bidding us goodbye in Spanish:

Hasta Luego metal art sign Tatum New Mexico

See ya later, Tatum!

Driving along US-380 we saw lots of ranches with cool metal art signs at the entrances. The Johnson Cattle Company has everything from a turkey vulture sitting on a windmill to Wiley Coyote and The Roadrunner on opposite sides of “The Needmore Outfit.”

This ranch was so big that there were several similar signs at different mile markers along the edge of their property.

Johnson Cattle Ranch metal art Sign New Mexico

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Another biggie was for LA Ranch:

Carpenter Graham LA Ranch metal art sign New Mexico

The roundup…

As we approached the mountains, we discovered that the rain that had drenched us in the flatlands had dumped a bunch of snow in mountain peaks. This was the first snowfall of the season and looked very dramatic in the distance at the end of our rippling road.

New Mexico snow capped mountains US-380

A first snow covers the mountains

Soon we were passing White Sands where the drifts of sand looked like snow.

Fall color on US-380 New Mexico

The sand at White Sands (is it snow?)

We noticed a sign for White Sands Missile Range and decided to drive down that road, not knowing quite what to expect.

White Sands Missile Range Logo

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What fun it was to discover that there is an outdoor missile park at the White Sands Missile Range. Missile testing has gone on at this range for decades. Set out on pads, as if in a rock garden or on a pin cushion, a bunch of old, outdated missiles aim at the sky.

Missile Park White Sands Missile Range Museum

The White Sands Missile Park is a playground full of old missiles that were once tested here.

There are missiles of all kinds, dating from the 1950’s to the 1990’s.

Missile at White Sands Missile Park New Mexico

Missiles come in all shapes and sizes. Some are square and boxy….

White Sands Missile Range Missile Park New Mexico

…others are tall and skinny!

You can walk freely among them, and there is a plaque next to each one explaining what it was and when it was tested at White Sands.

Tank Missile Park White Sands Missile Range Museum

Some have moveable launch pads

White Sands Missile Park New Mexico

And some have sizable fins

Missiles with familiar names like Pershing and Patriot are on display here, along with lots of lesser known missiles. There is a museum too, but we happened to have come on a Sunday which is the only day that the museum is closed. Oh well…Next time!

White Sands Missile Park New Mexico

Yes, it IS Rocket Science here at White Sands Missile Range!

Whenever we visit New Mexico, we always see unusual things, whether it’s exotic rock formations or alien visitors or funky metal art or white sand beaches. The Missile Park fit right into that crazy theme.

But even better was the usual City of Rocks that lay just ahead…

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Tatum, New Mexico – Metal Art Magic

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October 2015 – After landing in Paris, Texas, we dodged some serious rain storms as we made our way across the state. All thoughts of dallying in the area evaporated when the world’s strongest hurricane, Patricia, showed up on Mexico’s Pacific coast and decided to join forces with another storm so they could march together across the southern states. We alternated between hunkering down and sprinting until we finally got out of harm’s way in New Mexico. There, the fringe edges of the storm created some spectacular sunrises and sunsets.

New Mexico sunset

What a sunset!

Years ago, when we first started RVing full-time, we crossed New Mexico from east to west on US-380 on our first journey after picking up our new trailer outside Dallas. This road is a wonderful alternative to either I-40 or I-10, and it lies right between them, passing through miles and miles of wide open ranch land.

Cotton growing and oil drilling in New Mexico

New Mexico has miles of cotton above ground and oil below as well as wind farms in the distance.

What struck me back then was that almost every ranch had a beautiful sign over the gate that was crafted in sheet metal. Each one depicted various scenes from the region, and they gave the landscape a humorous and artsy touch.

When we decided to travel this route once again, I vowed to capture some of these creative metal art signs with my camera as we passed. Unfortunately, the ranch gates come up so fast that after each shot I was moaning, “Darn, this one’s blurry too!” (or cut off, or indistinguishable against the background).

Then we arrived in Tatum, New Mexico.

Welcome to Tatum New Mexico metal art sign

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As we slowed down going through town, we noticed that every single street was adorned with a wonderful metal art sign.

Eagle and cactus metal art Tatum New Mexico

Every street in Tatum has a cool metal sign at the corner.

How cool is that?! We climbed out of the RV and began walking around town, admiring the fantastic variety of metal street signs on every street corner.

Howling coyotes metal art sign Tatum NM

Desert sounds…

Some were images of classic desert creatures and plants, with flying eagles, cholla cactus and howling coyotes featured prominently as they did what desert creatures do in New Mexico. But other signs humorously depicted people living their lives and doing what people do.

Antique car and family metal art Tatum New Mexico

Lemme get this cranked up for ya

Metal art street sign oil drilling in New Mexico

These little dipper oil drills are very important to life here in New Mexico

I was captivated by the clever street signs and got a huge kick out of walking up and down every street in town to see what kind of image was on display at the next corner.

Donkey and cowyboy with cactus metal art street sign

Taking a break in the shade of a cactus while his mule smells the flowers

Motorcycle metal art street sign in Tatum New Mexico

When your mule won’t go, take the bike!

Deer metal art street sign on Anderson St Tatum NM

A desert deer family on Anderson Street

US-380 goes right through town, but the townsfolk know the road locally as “Broadway,” and a buffalo marked one corner of this important street in town.

Buffalo metal art Broadway St Tatum New Mexico

A bison guards Broadway

Turning to face another corner on Broadway, I was bemused to see that the letter B had vanished from the sign, and below the flying birds the sign now read, “Roadway.” I looked for the B on the ground all around the sign, thinking that it might have blown off in a windstorm, but it was nowhere to be found.

Birds flying metal art street sign Tatum New Mexico

When you lose your B, you get Roadway

Ths fun metal artwork isn’t limited to street signs. As I walked further afield, I discovered several inviting park benches, each decorated with a different western theme as well.

Metal art on park bench Tatum New Mexico

There were park benches all around, each one unique.

I love it when a town has a theme and has invested in decorating itself with art of some kind or another. But who was responsible for all this funky metal art in this tiny town of 839 people in New Mexico? At the far west end of town, we began to get some clues. We found a big building surrounded with metal art of all shapes and sizes. A sign above the building said, “Metal Art by Tex Welch.”

Metal Art workshop sign by Tex Welch Tatum New Mexico

Tex Welch was the original Metal Art Man in town

I really wanted to meet this guy, Tex, and ask him about the street signs and find out if he was the one who’d made them, and if perhaps he had made the many fabulous arches at the entrances to the ranches we had just passed. Unfortunately, his workshop was closed. We wandered back to his shop a little later, and it was still closed.

Little did we know that winds of change have come to the lively metal art scene in Tatum, New Mexico.

Metal art wind vane Tatum New Mexico

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Down at the opposite end of town, at the far east end, I came across a huge American flag made of painted stones set in the ground. Four flags were flying next to it – the New Mexico and Texas state flags, the American flag and the POW flag. Each was made of sheet metal and flew in a perfect ripple. In front of the flags, a group of soldiers were planting an American flag in the ground, reminiscent of Iwo Jima, and beneath their feet were the words: Support Our Troops.

Wow!

Poor Boy's Metal Art American tribute Tatum New Mexico

A beautiful patriotic display right on the main drag at the east end of town

Behind this nifty scene there was a building surrounded by metal cactus, crosses, cowboys and turkey vultures. A sign on the building said, “Poor Boy’s Metal Art.”

Poor Boy's Metal Art Workshop Juan Manuel Carbajal Tatum New Mexico

Poor Boy’s Metal Art is the new game in town.

I tromped around a little bit, hoping to find someone working outside, when I heard happy whistling coming from behind the building. I went around back, and there was a guy hovered over a workbench, whistling to his heart’s content, as happy as a man can be.

I called out to him, and he introduced himself as Juan Manuel Carbajal. That’s a mouthful! I had him repeat it and spell his last name until I could say it right, rolling “r” and all.

“Let me show you my current project,” he said with a huge grin as he gestured towards his workbench. “This is a little finer than the street signs… it’s more indoor art than outdoor.” The bench was covered with smaller pieces. He picked one up and I couldn’t resist taking a photo. He absolutely radiated happiness as he showed off his artwork.

Juan Manuel Carbajal metal artist Tatum New Mexico

Juan Manuel Carbajal was a sheer delight to talk to.

He told me he was originally from the city of Cuatémoc in Chihuahua, Mexico, but had lived here for decades. He reminded me of our friend Alejandro Ulloa in Ensenada, Mexico, who had done the extraordinary metal fabrication on our boat, creating our solar panel arch with polished welds. He, too, was truly passionate about his work. It isn’t often that you find people who genuinely loves what they do. Juan and Alejandro are two of the lucky ones.

“I apprenticed under Tex,” Juan explained to me when I asked about the metal art workshop at the other end of town. “He’s the one who made all the street signs here. Unfortunately, he hasn’t been well,” he said with a sigh.

I asked Juan if he’d made any of the signs around town, and he said he’s done a few, “And I donated my display with the flags and the troops out in front to the town, so Tatum will have it no matter what happens to me.” How wonderful for the town to be gifted such a unique, patriotic work of art.

Tatum Community Center Metal Art sign Tatum New Mexico

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Juan went back to his workbench, and I continued roaming around town. He had said to check out the metal art built into the metal fencing nearby, and there were some terrific images there.

Bronco wrought iron fence metal art Tatum New Mexico

Ride ’em, Cowboy!

Cowboy horse and cross metal art fence Tatum New Mexico

Paying respects…

Horses metal art fence Tatum New Mexico

A-prancin’ and a-dancin’

I think he also has done some of the painted metal art that appears around town.

Mad bomber metal art fence Tatum New Mexico

It’s the Mad Bomber!

Military helicopter metal art fence Tatum New Mexico

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Roadrunner metal art fence gate Tatum New Mexico

New Mexico flag with a roadrunner on a gate

I just love it when we come across unusual people and places like this! I had hoped simply to get a few fly-by images of ranch gates as we traveled on US-380 from Texas to Arizona, but instead we found the heart of the metal art magic in this region and had a chance to talk with one of the artists.

RV and sunset in New Mexico

Tatum, New Mexico, is a cool town to visit for RVers heading east-west through New Mexico

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Welch OK is A-Okay for a Fun Fall Fair in Oklahoma

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October 2015 – After enjoying the wonderful Biblesta celebration in Humboldt, Kansas, we continued our RV travels south and west. We had been hoping to catch some fall colors in Oklahoma, and deliberately took some off-the-beaten-path scenic roads, but our timing was off and we were just a little bit early for the peak.

Oklahoma RV camping and travel

Oklahoma

However, we still saw a magical sunrise in Grove, Oklahoma!

Sunrise in Oklahoma

Oklahoma sunrise

Even though it was fall, and not spring, two northern flickers started doing a fabulous courtship type of dance in the grass right outside our trailer door. They jumped around with wonderfully bouyant movements, showing off their flashy yellow feathers under their wings and tails.

Northern Flickers courting in Oklahoma

A pair of flirting flickers!

Northern Flickers courting

Doing the Lindy Hop!

Sometimes people wonder how we go about choosing our travel destinations, and the truth is that we stumble into most of them. We don’t do a lot of planning. We prefer, instead, simply to be out there in the world and to see what kinds of adventures are waiting for us.

I had just answered such a query one morning when, a few hours later, as we were driving down the road with our rolling home trailing along behind us, we glanced down a street and saw a fall festival in full swing right in the middle of the road. What luck!

Pumpkins at Welch OK Fall Harvest Days_

Signs of fall in Welch, OK — pumpkins and hay bales.

We were in Welch, Oklahoma, and the town was in the middle of its Welch OK Harvest Days celebration. Mark quickly found a place to park the RV, and we walked back to see what was going on.

Welch OK Harvest Days Fall Festival pumpkins and hay bales

Happy Fall, Y’All!

It was a cold, gray day, but the spirit was warm and friendly as we walked around the various booths. There was a table of cozy looking knitted goodies, and there were pumpkins and hay bales stacked up for decoration.

Welch Oklahoma Fall Harvest Days Festival

Wonderful hand knitted and crocheted goodies at the Welch Harvest Days fair

In the middle of the street a bunch of guys were making hay bales the old fashioned way. The whole time we walked around the fair, these guys were stabbing a big pile of hay with pitchforks and loading it into the machine. One by one, the machine created rectangular hay bales. Nowadays, massive combines scour the farm fields, spitting round hay bales out the back as they drive down the rows.

I’m sure there was a time when this antique hay baler was a back saving godsend, but compared to modern farm equipment, this rickety old antique was downright quaint.

Haying with antique farm equipment Welch Fall Harvest Days Oklahoma

A group of guys show us how haying used to be done.

Nearby, there was a ring toss going on with a bunch of pop bottle as the target.

Ring toss Welch Oklahoma Fall Harvest Days

Nice throw!

In one booth, a local vintner was selling bottles of fine OK wine.

Welch OK Fall Harvest Days Wine Seller

OK wine is fine wine!

All the store fronts in town were dressed up for the festivities

Welch Oklahoma storefront for Fall Harvest Days

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When we peeked in one window, we saw a cat lounging on a workbench. Cute!

Cat inside a Welch OK storefront

Time for a snooze.

Right in the middle of it all there were pony rides. One little girl enjoyed her ride so much that after she got off the pony she walked with it around the ring a few times.

Pony ride Welch OK Fall Harvest Days

Riding the pony was fun, but walking alongside is even better.

While the litle girl walked her pony, a little boy was having a ball playing on an antique tractor. He climbed all over it and seemed ready to hit the farm fields — if only he could get it started.

Antique tractor Welch Fall Heritage Days Oklahoma

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As we walked around, all of a sudden we could hear the familiar and unintelligible patter of an auctioneer. Drawing closer, we saw that there was an auction going on. He was auctioning off cakes and pies, and the bids were coming in fast and furious.

Taking care not to make the wrong gesture, or inadvertently raise my hand the wrong way (or I’d end up with a fancy cake!), I got a brief video clip so you can hear what this sounds like:

This part of the world is tornado country, and one vendor had a neat selection of storm shelters for sale. These things were like rugged closets you install in the ground. They were fun for the kids to play in too!

Storm shelters for Oklahoma tornados

These sturdy storm shelters make fun play houses.

We were lured to one edge of the fair by the yummy smell of a barbecue, and it turned out that Smokin’ Brothers Barbecue was grilling up some delicious things on one of their cute little farmhouse style grills. These guys build their own grills, and as long-time Traeger Grill owners, they say they have bested the Traeger design at a fraction of the cost. I don’t know a lot about high end grills, but I sure loved the little red “barn-b-que”!

Welch OK Smokin Brothers BBQ Grills

A unique barbecue by Smokin’ Brothers!

After enjoying Welch Harvest Days for a few hours, we moseyed on down the road, traversing Oklahoma from north to south.

Ruby daisies Welch Fall Heritage Days Oklahoma

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Eventually we landed in Paris, Texas, where the Eiffel Tower stands proud, wearing a red Texas cowboy hat on top!

Eiffel Tower Paris Texas

A poignant image from Paris, Texas, in the wake of recent events in this town’s namesake city.

We had no idea at the time how much our thoughts would be turning towards Paris, France, as world events unfolded in the next few weeks…

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“America’s Heartland” – Is it in Kansas?

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October 2015 – We left our dreams of a beautiful new custom made Spacecraft fifth wheel trailer behind in Missouri and made our way to Chanute, Kansas, where we got a slew of plumbing related RV repairs done at the NuWa Service Center.

Kansas RV Camping and travel

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Luckily, life wasn’t all work and no play. We visited beautiful Tuttle Creek State Park in Kansas which is built around a small lake.

Camping sunrise Tuttle Creek State Park Kansas

Campsite at sunrise in Tuttle Creek State Park, Kansas

Mark snuck out early one morning and got some wonderful sunrise photos.

Sunrise at Tuttle Creek State Park Kansas

A magnificent sunrise at Tuttle Creek State Park near Manhattan, Kansas

Sunrise Tuttle Creek State Park Kansas

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Boat dock Tuttle Creek State Park Kansas

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He even caught a turkey vulture staring back at him from a tree. These guys sure aren’t very good looking, but they’re still cool to photograph.

Turkey vulture in a tree

A face only a turkey vulture mother could love!

170 miles southeast of Tuttle Creek State Park, the town of Humboldt, Kansas, hosts a very special and unusual celebration every fall, called Biblesta, and we were in town on the big day.

Kiddie train Biblesta Humboldt Kansas

The kiddie train at the Biblesta celebration in Humboldt, Kansas

The main event is a big parade, and folks come from all over to watch this unique procession.

Biblesta Parade Humboldt Kansas

The Biblesta Parade in Humboldt, Kansas, draws crowds from far and wide.

When the parade started, a cute little girl in front of us spontaneously saluted the veterans.

Girls at Humbolt Kansas Biblesta Parade

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What makes Biblesta unique is that it is a celebration of Christianity sponsored by both businesses and churches from all over the area around Humboldt, Kansas. Each organization puts together a parade float that depicts a different story from the Bible or a special Bible verse.

B&W Trailer Hitches Moses Float Biblesta Parade Humboldt Kansas

The birth of Moses

One of the first floats to go by was the Birth of Moses sponsored by B&W Trailer Hitches whose manufacturing plant is in Humboldt. These are the folks who make the top rated B&W fifth wheel trailer hitches!

B&W Trailer Hitches Float Biblesta Parade Humboldt Kansas

B&W Trailer Hitches sponsored the Birth of Moses float. Every church in the region had a float too.

Another float was the Revenge of Sampson. I was floored when a cluster of little kids sitting near me started telling each other the various Bible stories. They knew the tales well, and they each had their favorite characters and stories.

Biblesta Revenge of Sampson Humboldt Kansas

The Revenge of Sampson

Jonah and the Whale came by, and Jonah’s legs were kicking madly from deep inside the whale. The kids around me giggled and pointed.

Jonah and the whale Biblesta Humboldt Kansas

Jonah and the Whale

Biblesta began in Humboldt, Kansas, in 1957 as a Bible Story Parade to share and teach the Bible’s great stories. In 1959 the town held a contest to name their special event, and the winning entrant suggested combining the words “Bible” and “Fiesta” into the word “Biblesta.” It has been celebrated every year since.

Little kids enjoying the parade at Biblesta in Humboldt Kansas

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What struck me more than the floats themselves was that this celebration even exists today. Living in a time in history when America often seems apologetic for its religious and historical roots, it was refreshing to find a town that openly and unabashedly celebrates its beliefs.

God's Word at Biblesta in Humboldt Kansas

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The crowds lining the parade streets were thick. This celebration is a very big deal here. A group of judges sat at a street corner judging each float, and an announcer told each Bible story as the floats went by.

When Christ appeared on foot carrying the cross, there was a somber note of reverence in the air.

Christ carrying cross Biblesta Parade Humboldt Kansas

Christ carries the cross

This wasn’t a Bible thumping or evangelical gathering. It was simply a sharing and retelling of age old stories that are imbued with valuable life lessons, and have been passed down from generation to generation for eons.

As I glanced around, I thought about the term, “America’s heartland,” a term that vaguely refers to some place in the Great Plains states that is tucked away on small town streets between quaint red farm houses and endless waving rows of corn. A place that values tradition and is impervious, or even oblivious, to external pressures to change.

It would be easy to say that American’s Heartland was here, at Biblesta, in Humboldt, Kansas, and perhaps it is. But as I watched this very unique celebration — one that seemed to include absolutely everyone in town — it seemed to me that such a simplistic label would be missing the more precious and intimate story of cooperation and respect that was happening here.

Blood moon lunar eclipse Tuttle Creek State Park Kansas

A lunar eclipse and Blood Moon in America’s Heartland

Without worrying about whether it was politically correct to say “In God We Trust,” or if it would be okay to allow prayers at school, or whether it might offend someone to express a belief in a supreme being or in Christ, this town simply made it a point to get together every year and share the great stories of the Bible right out in the open on the town streets, with every church from every denomination in the region participating.

How cool is that?! And in its own dignified way, how very American too!

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Space Craft RV Factory Tour – Custom 5th Wheels Made To Order!

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October 2015 – During a wonderful 8 month season of RV travel that had taken our fifth wheel trailer 10,000 miles from Arizona to Big Bend Texas to Florida’s Gulf Coast and up through the Smokies via the Blue Ridge Parkway to Nova Scotia and then over to Acadia National Park in Maine and west through New York’s Finger Lakes, culminating with a fabulous stop in Maysville, Kentucky, we had not only seen some beautiful sights, but we had visited several RV and trailer repair shops on the way.

Custom fifth wheel trailer RV by Space Craft Manufacturing

How about a new custom fifth wheel trailer from Space Craft Manufacturing?!

After installing disc brakes in our trailer in Texas, an upgrade we have been grateful for every single day since, we replaced a bent trailer axle in Maine, followed by swapping out a dead RV refrigerator in Indiana.

In Kansas, we tackled a slew of plumbing repairs, from a new fresh water tank to a new kitchen faucet, rebuilt toilet, new black tank sensors, new black tank sewer valve, and a repaired window leak, among many other things. And our trailer still has suspension issues.

Besides being grateful for our RV warranty, we began to wonder: at what point do you give up on an aging RV and get a new one?

Space Craft Manufacturing custom fifth wheel trailer RV

A newly completed Space Craft 30.5 fifth wheel trailer

On our way from our refrigerator repair to our plumbing repairs, we stopped in to visit the unusual custom fifth wheel builder, Space Craft Manufacturing. We have known about this company for a long time, and were thrilled to be able to take a peek at their facility.

Space Craft’s primary market is the carnival and circus industry. These traveling folks work full-time and are very hard on their trailers. One client, we learned, lives with his leopard and his chimpanzee in his fifth wheel. He came to Space Craft looking for a design that could give both of his companions a comfortable home in his trailer — along with a little space for him too!

Maple kitchen Space Craft Manufacturing 5th wheel trailer RV

Inside the 30.5 – beautiful custom built maple cabinets

Circus folk don’t have the time to fuss with repairs. They need rugged trailers that hold up to big cats and great apes! Out in Space Craft’s used trailer lot, we saw a bunch of 2014 and 2015 top-of-the-line fifth wheel trailers that had been traded in for Space Crafts after just one season on the road, because they weren’t up to the job.

The beauty of getting a Space Craft is you can have anything you want. They build trailers from 30′ to 57′ long, and they outfit them with whatever kinds of cabinets you want, whatever floorplan suits your fancy, whatever paint job you think is cool and whatever appliances and components you deem vital to your personal happiness on the road in an RV.

Have It Your Way!

RV bedroom Space Craft Manufacturing custom fifth wheel trailer

Cedar closets and a beautiful maple dresser. The furnace blows from under the dresser rather than floor ductwork.

In town, we chatted with a gal that has lived in Concordia, Missouri, home of Space Craft Manufacturing, all her life. She says the locals there are all accustomed to Space Craft’s unusual customers who swing through now and then for repairs or to upgrade to new units. Space Craft is located right behind a rest area on I-70, though, and interstate travelers are often shocked when they see an elephant or a giraffe grazing in the grass just beyond the trees!

When we first poked our heads in the door of a finished Space Craft 30.5 fifth wheel trailer, we were astonished by the quality. Every inch of the trailer radiated hallmarks of rugged construction. Frankly, all other fifth wheels we’ve been in (including our home and other popular and expensive units) are weekend toys by comparison!

RV living room Space Craft custom fifth wheel trailer

This buyer wanted house-like painted walls rather than wallpaper fiberboard

Space Craft is a family owned business run by Marsha Trautman and her son Wyatt. They don’t bother with marketing, because they just don’t need to do it, although they do take a trailer showcasing unique design features to the Tampa RV show most years. They build 10 to 15 units a year, and right now, they are booked with orders for a full year in advance. To get in line, just put down a 25% deposit on your new trailer.

Outer wall of an RV slide-out room

The frame of the outer wall of a slide-out room

Space Craft does everything in-house. They build their own frames and pay extraordinary attention to details that most manufacturers overlook. Rather than focusing on a standardized fleet of sexy floorplans with luxurious furnishings and fixtures, they ensure the underpinnings of each trailer are top notch, something buyers often forget to think about when they are seduced by a beautifully appointed RV living room at a dealership.

Tiny details like the superior construction of slide-out rooms are a given. Most manufacturers build slide-out rooms with multiple joints and rows of screws holding things together, making them prone to leaks. At Space Craft, every slide-out room is built with a single sheet of fiberglass covering the roof and sides, with nary a screw to be found.

Seamless slideout customer 5th wheel trailer Space Craft Manufacturing

Seamless slide-out construction – no chance of leaks

Underneath, their trailers are equally uncluttered, and there is no flimsy corrugated plastic screwed to the bottom. Just pure, fine lines and solid construction.

Space Craft manufacturing clean underbelly custom fifth wheel trailer

Even the underbelly has fine lines and no dangling parts or corrugated plastic sheeting.

Space Craft builds what you request, and they have blueprints for hundreds of different designs they’ve built already to give you ideas.

When I chatted with Wyatt, Space Craft’s designer, about what he feels is important in fifth wheel construction, he made it plain that easy access to all components and leak-proof, solid construction were his first priorities. Whereas many other brand new full-time fifth wheel trailers place important systems and components in out-of-the-way places, Wyatt puts every system in a spot where it will be easy to service or replace.

Electrical compartment Space Craft custom fifth wheel RV

Now THIS is a well dressed RV electrical installation!

The DC and AC wiring in the basement of a Space Craft is a sight to behold. Beautifully done!

Only one Space Craft trailer is built at time by a handful of loyal and skilled employees. While we were there, a 53′ two bedroom, two bathroom model was in the finishing stages on the line.

Space Craft Manufacturing custom 2 bedroom 2 bathroom trailer

Space Craft produces one meticulously built trailer at a time.

Many of the Space Craft trailers are two bedroom, two bathroom luxury models, designed for carnival and circus owners. Many others are “bunkhouse” units that have four to six entrance doors on one side going to individual bedrooms to house employees on tour.

Space Craft Manufacturing custom 53' fifth wheel trailer RV_

During our visit, a 53′ two bedroom two bath model was on the line.

However, Space Craft has built loads of smaller fifth wheels for full-time RVers, although Wyatt said with a smile that none of their buyers are first-time owners. Afterall, it is impossible to know what custom options you’ll want or need in a full-time rolling home before you’ve been on the road a little while.

Space Craft Manufacturing custom fifth wheel RV landing legs

Ummmm…our landing legs don’t look anything like that!

What does one of these babies cost? I was astonished to discover that a 37-38′ fifth wheel would come in around $125k to $150k, depending on options like hydraulic leveling, disc brakes, pre-installed solar power, generator, etc.

Solar panels on a Space Craft custom fifth wheel RV

This buyer wanted two 100 watt solar panels. They’ll install whatever you ask for!

That is very comparable to the MSRP on Continental Coach (Forks RV), DRV (Thor), Luxe (Augusta RV) or New Horizons semi-custom fifth wheels. The nice thing is that if you want a top quality unit that doesn’t have an island kitchen and is in the mid-30′ range, a nearly extinct mass-market design, Space Craft can engineer and build it for you. They can even build in a beautiful vent-free propane fireplace with real flames and a wooden mantel as a cozy centerpiece for those cold winter nights!

Space Craft Manufacturing custom kitchen 53' fifth wheel trailer RV

Custom kitchen built to the buyer’s specs

If you travel with unusual pets, no matter how big or how exotic, Space Craft will surely take it in stride and will build the rolling home of their (and your) dreams!

Space Craft Manufacturing Logo

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Thanks for the Great Times, Maysville KY!!

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September 2015 — It’s been well over a month since we left Maysville, Kentucky, but our travels there were so special that we have a few more tales to tell and photos to share in one last blog post here. For starters, Mark got up early one morning and caught the town’s classic suspension bridge lit up in the mist just before dawn. What a beautiful sight!

Misty Lights Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge Maysville Kentucky

Lights in the mist at the Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge in Maysville Kentucky

During our stay in Maysville we happily became regulars at O’Rourke’s Neighborhood Pub. Every afternoon we joined a special group of newfound friends for a pint. We ended up meeting lots of people and got caught up in conversation whenever we stopped in.

One particularly hot and sultry afternoon, as we were relaxing over a pint on the patio, Mark noticed that his buddy sitting next to him, Jeff, was all suited up for a running race. “When’s the race?” Mark asked him. “In about an hour!” Jeff said, grinning, “You should do it!”

O'Rourke's Pub Maysville Kentucky

In two short weeks, we became regulars here at O’Rourke’s Neighborhood Pub

To my complete astonishment, after Mark polished off his Guinness, he got up from the table and took off to put on his running gear too. I felt like a total bump on a log, but I was glued to my chair and couldn’t possibly imagine doing a 5k run at race pace right about now!

In no time, Mark returned in his running shorts and shoes and headed down the street to the registration table at Limestone Landing. It’s a good thing he had all that hydration in him, even though it was beer, as this particular afternoon was truly sweltering with 95 degrees heat and 95% humidity to boot! I was dripping with sweat just sitting in a chair in the shade!

As I followed him to the starting line, I saw a whole slew of young kids lined up for a photo op. How fun! The heat wasn’t fazing them one bit. They were raring to go!

5k running kids Maysville Kentucky

Kids pose before the start of the 5k race

Suddenly, the race started and they were off. A whole pack of people of all ages ran past me and vanished down the road.

The finish line was in front of the bar (perfect!), so, with nothing to do while they were gone, all of us bumps-on-logs went back to enjoying our beers and chatting on the back porch of the pub. I felt a little guilty for not doing the race too, but not that guilty!!

After a while we saw some heads bobbing in the distance, and along they came.

Finishing the 5k race in Maysville Kentucky

From bar stool to finish line in record time

Mark sprinted over the finish line looking much too fresh for all that exertion, but he admitted he was pretty pooped. The kids, however, were just getting started. As a band played in the streets, they jumped up on the picnic tables and began to boogie, to everyone’s delight!

Kids dancing on the table Maysville Kentucky

The running race sure didn’t wear out these kids…they were dancing on the tables and ready for more!

Parties in the streets, dancing on the tables, and live music all seemed like such a natural part of day-to-day life here in cute and historic Maysville. If there wasn’t an event going on outside on the brick streets, then there was usually something going on inside somewhere.

Historic alley Maysville Kentucky

No dancing in the street right now, but just wait!

We took in a terrific photography exhibit at the Cox Building one afternoon. Photographer Rad Drew had taken most of the photos with a DSLR camera, but they had all been processed on an iPhone using iPhone apps. The results were gorgeous!

Maysville has its own Opera House which has recently been renovated from top to bottom. This wonderful theater hosts all kinds of performances throughout the year, and we were lucky to catch a fabulous show there.

Maysville Kentucky Opera House

The Washington Opera House in Maysville

We had seen posters around town for a free Elton John tribute concert at the Opera House, and as we sat in the seats of this beautifully restored building, we were transported to a different time and place as performer Lee Alverson channeled the rock star on stage.

Besides his great renditions of old favorites, what amazed us was when an announcer hopped up on stage and listed all the upcoming performances at the Opera House. Not only did the theatrical group the Maysville Players have a major production planned for every other month during the winter, but a medalist in the International Franz Liszt Piano Competition was on tap to perform a few days after we left. This is one busy stage!

Elton John Concert Maysville Kentucky Opera House

Elton John comes to life on stage at the Opera House

There were other kinds of free music being played around town too, and we enjoyed listening to a band at the St. Patrick’s Fall Festival at the historic St. Patrick’s Church in town .

St Patrick's Fall Festival Maysville Kentucky

Playing great tunes at the St. Patrick’s Fall Festival

Just outside of town we found even more things to do. Before Maysville came into being, the village of Washington was settled just a few miles away. The area was first explored by Simon Kenton, and when the town was later formed, one of the trustees was Daniel Boone.

A mural on the flood wall in Maysville shows how the earliest travelers came down the Ohio River on flat boats in the 1700’s. When they built their homes, they dismantled the flat boats and used the boards to build their houses.

Maysville Kentucky floodwall mural early settlement

The Maysville flood wall tells the history of the area, including the arrival of settlers in flat boats on the Ohio River

One such house in Old Washington was built by George Mefford. Those early settlers were made of some pretty tough stock. He lived here with his wfe and thirteen children!!

Washington Kentucky 1790's Settlement near Maysville_

Cozy living: a family of fifteen lived under this roof. Wow!

Another fun building in town is the old post office. Established in 1789, it was the first post office west of the Appalachian Mountains, and it served settlers all the way out to Wisconsin and Minnesota.

Washington Kentucky Post Office near Maysville

The historic post office in Old Washington

The town was also the site of a slave auction that was witnessed by Harriet Beacher Stowe when she was visiting a friend there. That scene later played an important part in her famous book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

We were surprised to learn that during the Civil War, Kentucky did not side strongly with either the North or the South, instead finding itself split in its allegiance. Ironically, the little village of Washington was the birthplace of two Civil War generals, one who fought for the Union and one who fought for the Confederacy.

Kentucky was so torn by the war that, at times, the merchants in Maysville were unsure which currency to use to pay their laborers, knowing that if they paid them in the wrong currency it would have no value when the war was over.

One afternoon, we watched a World War II ship sail down the Ohio River. Like so many unexpected events we stumbled into, this one spread by word of mouth around town, and by the time the ship floated past, the banks were full of spectators cheering as the crew yelled out, “Hello Kentucky!” (They yelled “Hello Ohio” to the crowd on the other side!)

US Navy WWII Ship Maysville Kentucky

Sailors on a US Navy ship from WWII shout “Hello Kentucky” as they float by on the Ohio River

Just a few miles away in the town of Augusta, the Augusta Ferry is a really fun way to get out on the Ohio River. The ride is free for foot traffic and is $5 per car. It takes just a few minutes to cross the river, and it goes back and forth all day long.

“What’s on the other side?” I asked the boatman as I took a spot by the rail.

“Ohio!”

Oh gosh, ask a silly question, get a silly answer! There’s no town on the other side, just a ramp and a dock, so we didn’t get off. But it was fun to see how the cabin compartment of the ferry swiveled around the barge as it turned to go back towards Kentucky.

Augusta Ferry Ohio River Kentucky

The Augusta Ferry offers a free ride to Ohio

We happened to be in Augusta for Augusta Heritage Days, a fall festival featuring a truly awesome car show. Antique cars were driving all over this tiny little village, and they lined up in the grass on the banks of the Ohio.

Augusta Heritage Days car show Kentucky

An antique truck parks on the main drag in Augusta

A trolley shuttled people between Augusta’s main drag and the big park where the cars were on display.

Trolley ride Augusta Kentucky Heritage Days

We hopped on a trolley to go between the town’s main street and the car show at the riverfront park

Mark was in seventh heaven talking to all the car owners, peering under hoods, and admiring glistening paint jobs on sporty cars from every era. As we drove back to Maysville, we found ourselves behind a really cute little yellow convertible. That’s the way to go!

Antique Car Augusta Kentucky

Now, THIS is the way to enjoy the riverside drive between Maysville and Augusta

Maysville is steeped in history, and I just loved a photo we saw of Market Street filled with antique cars back when they were the hip new thing to own. We had been in Maysville long enough that I could now recognize not only Market Street but also the buildings that were still standing and the few that were no longer there.

Market Street Maysville Kentucky early 1900's

Antique cars — when they weren’t antique — on Market Street in Maysville

As our happy days in town began to wind down, we ran around getting final shots of the lovely downtown area. We had fun giving them an artsy look.

Maysville Kentucky Historic Town

Historic buildings downtown offer an antique flair in modern times.

Pretty buildings and beautiful renovations aside, it is the people that ultimately make Maysville special. The warmth, hospitality and friendship we found in this small river town will forever touch our hearts, and we can’t say thank you enough to everyone for letting us feel like locals for a while.

Thank you City of Maysville Kentucky

Like the sign on the Russell Theater says… Thanks!

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We were deeply saddened to learn about a devastating fire in a Maysville apartment building last week that took the lives of a family and their neighbor. Our hearts go out to everyone, and we hope these glimpses of our special days in town last month bring a smile.

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