Eleventh Stop(s): New Mexico and Texas
After a fun stay in Arizona - a state that happily surprised me with its stunning landscapes - we crossed the border into New Mexico. Still stunning but…good golly, the free roaming dogs! I knew this occurred in Mexico but had no idea it carried across the border.
We saw our first “gang of dogs” as we pulled into the tiny, sad town of Shiprock, NM. Five ragged dogs casually rambled across the highway near the gas station where we stopped. They were oblivious to street signs and traffic rules, and the residents ignored the furry, four-legged street walkers. With our cat Baxter safely strapped in the back seat receiving constant head rubs and loving affirmations (
who's a good kitty?!), we felt like hypocritical assholes. But I convinced myself these roaming dogs were happy with their vagabond lifestyle and were well-fed.
(In reality, it’s a nightmare. It’s been estimated there are approximately 250,000 stray dogs who live on Navajo land. Some of the dogs are violent with attacks on livestock and people. Packs of strays have even killed humans.)The one highlight of driving across this part of New Mexico were the incredible rock formations spaced across the landscape.
TIP #1 - Keep your cellphone handy during drives with the camera app open and the camera set to "live." There are so many photo opportunities on long trips. By using the live feature, you can go into Edit and scroll through the different frames from that one image and choose the best capture. This is really helpful when you're flying by at 60 mph.We drove past the road to Monument Valley but didn’t have time to drive over. Adding it to the list for another time. We were headed to Santa Fe!
We reserved three nights at the Flagstaff KOA Journey based on reviews. The majority were great but I should have focused on the few that were not.
Tip #2: When most reviews mention a fantastic staff, you should really question who’s submitting them, especially when they mention the staff by name, several times.Our issues? Verizon wasn’t covered for the campground area and the wifi was abysmal. Plus, our cable hookup was fuzzy and hard to see. So it was impossible to run a business and do virtual school without wifi or phone. Crappy cable, a laundry room that closed early and a game room that wasn't open at all, made it miserable. A very agitated email to KOA corporation made me feel slightly better.
Because of the lack of wifi, we spent the first part of our Santa Fe stay at Starbucks for school and work. The second part of the day, we took the boys to thrift stores (their favorite activity) and drove through Canyon Road Arts District - an amazing street of art galleries and restaurants. That night, the boys and I left their dad in the camper to work and headed to Santa Fe for supper at
The Pantry, a local favorite. I recommend the chili rellennos.
Santa Fe is an amazing place for photos. But due to our campground experience, I only took a few photos with my cellphone. As a photographer, this pains me. But it just means we'll have to go back!
The next day, we had tickets for what looked to be an amazing exhibit at Meow Wolf but the horrible service at the campground had us checking out early and heading to Texas.
TIP #3 - Thoroughly read ALL reviews for campgrounds before booking. Check RV forums, ask friends for their favorite campgrounds and use www.goodsam.com. A bad campground can ruin and shorten a stay.