Today we decided March stands for Arizona. So the halfway point is Deming.
Lunch at a truck stop
The moving parking lot on I 10 at El Paso, Tx
Border patrol stop on Interstate 10 in New Mexico
We made it to Deming, NM at 4PM local time. Used the Escapes campground at Deming. This is the first time I paid for the campsite the day we departed.
More photos of the Sandhills.
Our motorhome hiding behind some sand.
Some stabilized sandhills
Blue chasing the sand down the dunes
A hard day of chasing sand.
Odessa Meteor Crater
The Handbook of Texas Online describes the Odessa meteor crater as the largest of several smaller craters in the immediate area that were formed by the impact of thousands ofoctahedrites (an iron metallic type) that fell in prehistoric times.[2]
The web site of the University of Texas of the Permian Basin(UTPB, Center for Energy and Economic Diversification (CEED)), identifies five craters at the Odessa site and shows a distribution map of the meteorite fragments recovered from the area.[3] The recoveries have generally come from an area to the north and northwest of the main crater site, with only a few found to the south. They indicate that the structure of the main crater, because it was one of the earliest to be recognized and studied, is now used to name similar impact sites on a worldwide basis. Over 1500 meteorites have been recovered from the surrounding area over the years, the largest of which weighed approximately 300 pounds (135 kg), but excavations in the main crater confirm that there is no meteorite mass underground and probably never has been. The site has been designated as aNational Natural Landmark by the National Park Service, and a small information area and nature trail has been set up on-site for a self-guided tour.
It is 168 meters (~550 feet) in diameter and the age is estimated to be around 63,500 years (Pleistocene or younger).[4] The crater is exposed to the surface, and was originally about 100 feet (30 meters) deep. Due to subsequent infilling by soil and debris, the crater is currently 15 feet (5 meters) deep at its lowest point, which provides enough relief to be visible over the surrounding plains, but does not offer the dramatic relief found at the more famous Meteor Crater in Arizona.
Still, the site offers an excellent opportunity to view a relatively uncommon impact feature close to a major transportation artery near a major city.
The crater is barely visible.
A New look for the end of a 52 foot trailer
We left at 9 AM and arrived at Monahans Sandhills State Park at 1 PM. Everything went well except the car battery was dead. Had the Honda battery checked at an auto parts store and the battery had its last day.
Blue is a great traveler and the motorhome is running great.
Two hours down the road.
At 1 PM we are here.
Blue loves to dig and the sand is fun to dig in.
And the Sand Hills
We waited until 1:30 PM to enter the caverns. There are 96 Grade 2 kids here for tours in the morning and the 1:30 PM was the first childless tour.
The tour has 160 steps and goes down 155 feet (47 m). The total distance in the cave is 2 miles (3 KM) with a temperature of 70 F (21 C) and 98% humidity.
The tour was great! We enjoyed the day.
This is the view from the Campground.
Before leaving Carrizo Springs the mobile RV repair I phoned on the 28th finally was able to look at our fridge. The electric side works but the propane side does NOT. At 10:30 AM, with a new control board installed, the fridge works on propane and electricity!!!!! Yes !!!!!
We got on the road for the Caverns of Sonora at about 11:30 AM.
We went for miles through the lowland scrub with wildflowers and green grass everywhere. (recent rains). Then we started climbing to an elevation of over 2000 feet.
About 1/2 way we reach Rocksprings.
J. R. Sweeten sited Rocksprings in 1891 because of the springs nearby. Also in 1891, the town acquired a post office and was made county seat. The original courthouse built in the town burned in 1897. By 1914 Rocksprings had a population of around 500.
On April 12, 1927, the town was hit by an F5 tornado that destroyed 235 of the 247 buildings in the town. The tornado killed 72 townspeople and injured 205, almost 1/3 of the population at the time.[4]
The economy of Rocksprings is centered on the wool and mohair industry, and the town is recognized as the Angora goat capital of the world. Tourism has become a growing part of the economy with the opening of Devil's Sinkhole State Natural Area located approximately six miles northeast of Rocksprings
The tornado hurt the town but then later on the mohair industry prices collapsed and the town stopped growing.
The Devil’s Sinkhole is a collapsed cavern that million of Mexican free tail bats call home in the summer months. They conduct tours when the bats emerge from the cave in the evening. We are about a month too early for the spectacular emergence.
The old courthouse
The old jail.
Then off the the Caverns of Sonora.
This is the parking lot view from the campground. At dusk the corn feeder goes off and the wildlife come to feast.
Blue enjoyed the show and stayed on my lap without protest for the 30 minute wildlife show.
