Santa Fe spot?

[cherterr]

Hi TRIBE! :heart:

Need a place to sleep tonight in the Santa Fe area. Have dogs. ( Would like internet, at least for some part of the time.)
Any word on the WalMart there? I've gotten conflicting reports of overnight parking/no overnight parking.

Also any info on Kit Carson NF would be helpful.

THANK YEWWWW!!! Will check in later.

(If You're interested on my trip and FINALLY doing this you can visit my last post in my Log:

https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=17960&page=6

 

[cherterr]

Okaaayy... Well... I updated my ALLSTAYSPro membership. WHEEE..
Done!
For those of you not familiar: It has EVERYTHING, (I just forgot about it. lol)
WalMarts, all parks, camping, truckstops, you name it.. you can find it with some pretty good commentary about elevations, directions, etc etc etc.
$35 for a year I think.

Happy Traveling!

(I simply MUST stop posting before I use my MIND!! lol Oh well.. there's just too much packed in there at my age to pull it all out at a moments notice, so I panic and post a question. At least others can get some info!)

 

[skyl4rk]

The parking along side of the Kakawa Chocolate House used to be a good overnight spot.

WalMarts were a pain in SF, with late night beeping street sweepers.

 

[RVTravel]

I have only stayed at walmarts in las vegas and bernallilo..and in pecos wilderness. I avoided the santa fe walmart cuz I thought it might have been on the no overnight list.

 

[VanForNow]

Go to Google and search "Campendium Caja del Rio." It will take you to the free Caja del Rio camping area just west of town, in the Santa Fe National Forest.

Pros: close to town, good cell reception, reachable by 2-wheel drive, private spots if you keep driving down the road. There are portapotties nearby.

Cons: The camping area is past the city dump, so in strong winds paper & plastic blow around. Also, contractors dump pickup truck loads of rubble there. Some folks regard the area as a bit sinister, but I have always had good experiences.

 

[Qxxx]

Cherterr, allstays looks good. For reference, I know people who live in Santa Fe and they are quite vocal about how bad things are down in Albuquerque. City-data shows crime rates down there are 3 times the national average. The data shows that rates of many types of crime have tripled in the past 5 years.

http://www.city-data.com/city/Albuquerque-New-Mexico.html

 

[cherterr]

I know I sure was NOT impressed with Taos... ugh. Maybe I just hate cities. I did find an awesome RV park.. with wifi and a little 110 to soothe my soul (and plan ahead a bit.. but GOSH I hate doing that.. !! lol

The WalMart in Taos... NO. Just No. I do not think I'm better than anyone... just want to be safe. At 3 in the afternoon there was the 'preacher guy' standing in the middle of the lot at the rv end... not sure what language, holding his bible, attached to earphones, and preachin away. Then the skinny gal on the bench with 2 homeless guys, who rambled up for a long flirt session. No. Just No.

Carson National Forest was AWESOME!!!! I just drove thru/over. BEAUTIFUL. And.. I had to ask myself (regarding old 'Kit") HOW? I mean.. HOW? The Men Who Built America - Frontiersman series was a REAL eye opener. He was somethin' else, that guy!

We have so much to be thankful and appreciative of in the country. Public School did not do justice to our forefathers and their stories! (Partly why I homeschooled)... It just boggles the mind to think about these guys crossing mountains, deserts, and god knows what all.... without ?? ANYTHING hardly. I think they were just smarter than all of us today. (well.. guess that's an understatement, eh?

Darn sure Tougher, at least!!

What was this post about?? I'm having so much fun NOT being stuck at home with my Conveniences.. the a/c, Dish Network, and my recliner are NOT my friend. I'm hoping by the time I get back to be in better shape and a few pounds lighter.

Thanks for all your help. I'm pretty good now... It's just part of the VanDweller learning curve I suppose. Day 4 comes to a happy end.

 

[Kaylee]

cherterr:
Sounds like you're having a hoot & a holler!
How are your PackMates holding up?!?

The parking along side of the Kakawa Chocolate House used to be a good overnight spot.

More info please.

P.S. Wisdom from Star Trek...
"Chocolate is a serious thing."
"Never met a chocolate I didn't like"

 

[Qxxx]

Cher, if you head south from Taos, you may be interested to see the little spanish towns along routes 75 and 76 northeast of Santa Fe. At least they were still little when I was there around 1985. The Milagro Beanfield War movie was filmed up there.

https://www.google.com/search?q=milagro+beanfield+war+pig&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X

 

[cherterr]

How are your PackMates holding up?!?

 

[Kaylee]

Ohhhhh, you read my mind... Pup porn!
I really like the way you've stacked their individual "spots" there! Close enough to "be" a true pack, but each still has his/her own space.
They all seem content/happy.

Thanks!

 

[tx2sturgis]

Dang....makes me wanna head on over there and let Cammie meet some new friends....

 

[Qxxx]

Tell me that dog's named in honor of Cammalu.   Does John know?

 

[Qxxx]

Maybe someone should start a thread like "Seen outside my window", except called "Pretty Little Faces", lol.

 

[Kaylee]

Dang....makes me wanna head on over there and let Cammie meet some new friends....

Shiny! Definitely looks like she'd fit in with CP (Cherterr's Pack)!

When convenient, could you reshoot that pic, to better show her "space"?
cherterr's pic really captures their mini-home.


Qxxx:
Good idea!
There should really be an annual photo contest with the theme "pet approved Homes", showing dweller pets in relaxed "this is MY Home" mode.

 

[Qxxx]

Kaylee Serenity, you are not aware of it but there are 2 queens at YARC camp in the winter ... Cammie and Cammalu. Cammie has free run of YARC camp, and Cammalu runs freely through the desert on her UTV. There is a certain symmetry there.

 

[tx2sturgis]

In this case, Cammie is short for 'Cambria', which was the name on the shelter adoption papers.

Cambria was just too 'formal' sounding.

 

[cherterr]

I have only stayed at walmarts in las vegas and bernallilo..and in pecos wilderness. I avoided the santa fe walmart cuz I thought it might have been on the no overnight list.

I have a few reviews from AllStays stating there is NO PARKING at Santa Fe Walmarts for overnight.

 

[cherterr]

tx2sturgis
Dang....makes me wanna head on over there and let Cammie meet some new friends....

Come on!  My pack is exuberantly friendly.  Especially Rusty! lol  he's a hoot.  BUT... keep reading.. we're movin on.

Qxxx:
Good idea!
There should really be an annual photo contest with the theme "pet approved Homes", showing dweller pets in relaxed "this is MY Home" mode

That IS a good idea!
____________________________

Okay.. on to regular post:

I've been going around in circles up here in the SF area.. I LOVE it!!   Stayed at a couple of state parks, a BoondockerWelcome spot, and a cheater hotel, and an RV Park no. of Taos which was great.  (I have to do the electric thing every few days to keep moving! JUST my laptop tho!)

We nearly froze our a*ses off at Fenton Lake SP at 7941 ft. and woke to 40 degrees!!  Rusty was NOT having it and demanded we leave for the hotel thing to make it up to him.  SO using the time wisely to pick next route/stays etc.  (Quite a JOB, isn't it?  ugh.  I'm gonna have to change my ways and just GO!) lol

I'm gonna put a few pics in the next few posts, cause?? I can only get one at a time per post?  ANYWAY..
here we go:

Map travels - green spots are stays:

 

[cherterr]

Rusty in his frozen, demanding, pitiful, essence:



I kept telling him to LOOK AT THOSE TREES and THE SUN STREAMING THRU.  Nope.  He wasn't havin' it.