Hi Ho Silver City Awayyyy….The Remix

Yet again this horribly built blogging platform strikes again…only this time it deleted EVERYTHING!!!! Every picture and every word…gone, with zero customer service follow through. I got sick of waiting for WIX so I started this blog post all over again from scratch. Hence, the long delay between posts again.….Uggggg. Since I am not able to write these post in another format and copy and paste, I have now started photographing each section as I finish it. So much time AND so much frustration, BUT I love putting our adventures into written form and sharing them with friends and family. Hopefully I haven’t forgotten anything major from the first version! Thanks for following along!

Besides the blog site being proper awful we also hit our first major hiccup and it was an expensive one!!!

Our run of bad, expensive luck started with a popped camper tire. We noticed it was low and wouldn’t stay filled so AJ jacked up the camper and took the tire to get patched. Tire fixed we moved on to our next destination. While we were driving a kind man flagged us down and said he thought something was wrong with one of our tires. It turned out he was a mechanic and graciously volunteered to look at it, so we pulled onto a side street and he had us tow the camper while he watched the tire.

Of course the tire stopped making the noise that had caught his attention. He told us that what he observed could be caused by one of two things, the tire and the brake drum rubbing together, which is bad or sometimes, dirt can get in between the tire and the drum and make it sound off, which is not so bad. Since he wasn’t sure anything was really wrong he told us to keep an eye on it and we went on our merry way.

A little later we stopped for gas and the mechanic from the truck stop shop came over and told us one of our camper tires was shredding and about to blow out. So, our good samaritan car mechanic had been right that there was indeed a problem.

This meant we needed a new tire. Luckily, this shop had what we needed and could get to work immediately. We knew the stock tires that the camper came with were not great, so we made the decision to replace all four tires with steel rimmed tires since we were putting such consistent wear and tear on them.

When they got the tires off they realized that the frame of the camper was starting to warp and needed to be reinforced.

RVs are not made for full time use and many of the materials they use are made to withstand only a few weeks/weekends of use a year.

We were expecting there to be things we would need to do in terms of maintenance and upgrades to make the camper last longer, but we have only had this brand new camper for five months. Without much choice we had them sturdy things up and in a few hours we were, again, on our merry way.

And then the big whammy of big whammies struck a few days later when were traveling in northern Utah (yes indeed that is how far behind I am on blog posts) when we stopped for gas.

Diesel trucks need an extra chemical to make the engine run called DEF. Sometimes truck stop gas stations have this right at the pump and you can fill up the DEF when you get gas.

AJ went to pump gas and it wasn’t working right so he decided to fill up the DEF while at the pump. The holes you pump gas and DEF into are right next to each other in the same well behind the same gas door.

When AJ went to pump the DEF the pump malfunctioned and DEF splashed over the openings all down the side of the truck. Little did we know this was going to be a seriously major problem.

AJ finished up and we started out of the gas station back toward the highway when the truck completely stalled out. It wouldn’t even turn over.

We were literally in the middle of nowhere towing our 40 foot camper broken down in the middle of the road.

AJ called roadside assistance and had the truck and the camper towed to the nearest Ford dealer.

Truck on the tow truck and camper being towed by the tow truck.

Meanwhile the kids, dogs and I sat at the gas station waiting to know what our next steps were.

I made some phone calls and the nearest hotel that allowed dogs was four miles away and there was not an Uber or a car service to be found In Brigham City, Utah. I would argue about the use of the word ”city” to describe this town, but this was the least of our worries.

What seemed like an eternity later AJ got dropped off by the tow truck driver back at the gas station.

Not sure what to do, AJ walked to the closest hotel that was just down the street. I had called them to see if we could stay there, but they didn‘t allow dogs. Since at this point, it looked like our only option was going to be to walk down the highway to the next exit where the dog accepting hotel was located, he thought it was worth going in person to explain our dire situation and beg them to let us stay. Alas, he was turned away, but he did get a business card for a taxi service two towns over.

With our fingers and our toes crossed, we dialed the number and held our breath.

Thankfully a very nice woman answered the phone and told us she could be there in 25 minutes and she was willing to drive the dogs too!

A tiny, battered Hyudai Elantra sedan with a fully cracked front windshield pulled in to pick us up. On a bad day I would not have gotten into this car by myself, let alone with my children. It turns out on a horrible day we had no choice and all four of us plus three dogs piled into this crappy little car. All that being said, the lady driving it could not have been nicer and we were beyond thankful she came to our rescue to transport all of us to the hotel.

Since this happened over Labor Day weekend the service department at the dealership was closed until Tuesday. Once they were able to look at the truck and determine that yes, the damage was in fact caused by the DEF the had splashed into the gas tank. The assessed damage came in to the tune of $13,000.

It turns out that even if the smallest amount of DEF finds it’s way into the gas tank and the vehicle is turned on it will make its way into the fuel pump and then causes the engine to seize.

Fortunately, this is treated like an accident and insurance does cover it. The insurance adjuster said he sees this happen about once a month. My question is, if this is such a vehicle ruining phenomenon, why are the openings to fill these two tanks located directly next to each other?!?! Come on people!!!!

The truck was fixable and covered by insurance, but the dealership said that because of COVID delays it would be a month or more before they could get the parts in to fix the truck.

So, if we wanted to continue on our journey we needed new wheels. As I stated previously we were in the middle of nowhere and since our only mode of transportation was walking our options were very limited. The Ford dealership called around and the only used truck they could find that would tow our rig was an F350 dually, which is a BIG truck.

But after a long five days in a hotel eating gas station food and Chinese takeout this was the truck that could finally get us back on the road!

And because things weren’t already complicated enough, combined into this chaos was the fact that AJ just started a new job back at Fidelity a few days before this all went down. So in amongst handling all the truck and insurance stuff he was logging on and remotely working 8 hours a day.

And just to add insult to injury we had independently and simultaneously lost both sets of camper keys including the key for the kayak roof rack. So one lock smith later and after a bit of blood, lots of sweat and a few shed tears we were packed up in our new vehicle back to towing our 40 foot home merrily down the road.

I have to say I am deeply impressed by AJ’s ability to handle all of this stress and change. We could not have navigated this complex situation without him♥️

My daily mantra became a reminder to myself that we were safe, healthy and all together and at the end of the day that is all that matters.

It was a crazy few days and I am very glad we were able to figure it all out and get back to adventuring! So without further ado onward and upward and back to our previously scheduled blog post!

From Truth or Consequences we headed down to Silver City, New Mexico. We stayed at a beautifully maintained KOA with the nicest, friendliest staff. There was great space to walk and explore with the dogg-os and lots of space to run and play for the kiddos.

I even saw my first ever Rufous humming bird! He was so vibrantly burnt orange in the morning sun I could barely take my eyes off him. As he was buzzing around communicating with his fellow nectar seekers he would puffed out his little chest and he almost looked like he had a blinking light inside his belly.

This facility had an awesome play space and the kids set up lots of obstacle courses to run through. B1 would very much like to one day be a contestant on American Ninja Warrior Junior. B2 was a great sport playing along and cheering him on as he practiced his strength training moves!

We would highy recommend this place to those headed to visit Silver City!

One of the first day trips we took was to the Chino Copper Mine Lookout where we got a view from the top of one of the largest open pit mines in the U.S. Here we learned about how the copper is mined, extracted and smelted and turned into the copper that is used in industry.

B1 was very interested in all the big machinery used in the mine.

This tire might be huge, but what I can’t get over is how much these kids have grown over the last 6 months!

Although it was pretty shocking to see this man made monstrosity and how it had changed the local landscape, I will say the soft colors and the stepped lines were interesting to look at.

In our wanderings we of course checked out the local playground called Penny Park.

This park was full of unique details that were created by students and local artists.

I love the this became no ordinary concrete wall after some community TLC turned it into a beautiful work of art.

The playground had lots of neat play structures for climbing and jumping.

Before we took off on this adventure B1 participated in Sensory Therapy to better understand his ADHD and sensory processing issues. It was one of the best things we ever did for B1 and our family. This learning experience validated for him (and us) that B1 needs movement to focus and learn.

The two things I took away from this experience are that 1. Kids need guidance to understand expected energy levels for any given situation and 2. Each kid has their own types of exercise that best uses up their particular abundance of energy. For B1 it is anything to do with climbing and for B2 it is anything to do with spinning.

We would not survive without opportunities for the kids to move their bodies and without having to constantly use their brain power to control their bodies and their movements.

Hands down this was the best playground we visited in New Mexico!

We took a day trip to the Gila Cliff Dwellings, pronounced ”Hila.”

It was a long drive there through some national forest, but we saw some handsome bucks along the way!

The Gila Cliff dwellings were built along the Gila River by the Mogollen people. Although the river valley was utilized by nomadic people for its resources for thousands of years it wasn’t until late 1200’s that people were living full time in the valley and permanent structures were built.

What was exciting about visiting this particular set of ancient Puebloen ruins was the fact that you can actually enter the site and climb ladders to reach what is left of the dwellings.

It was a hike back along the river to reach the site.

Here is B2 working on her junior ranger booking following a map along the river.

We saw lots of lizards along the path!

And we found a sign that identifies a plant we had seen and wondered about in our travels.

It turns out the vine growing in a star pattern along the roadsides was a Buffalo gourd and was something that was eaten as part of the Ancient Pueblo people diets hundreds even thousands of years ago!

When we finally made it to the top of the steep climb we took a much needed water break!

You can start to see one of the main structures peeking out of this cave.

All along this edge were smaller structures they believe were used for storage.

AJ about to climb the ladder!

B2 inside of the rooms.

Examples of some of the architectural details.

It was a very hot day and it was amazing to feel the temperature drop and the wind pick up as you moved up in the cave into the dwellings.

This might have been the first place I, Katie, who has a violently mental and bodily reactions to heat and cannnot get onboard with tent camping could have actually envisioned myself living.

The kids thought it was pretty great too!

Interestingly and yet unexplained, these dwelling were only inhabited for 20 years.

The rangers were very impressed with the work the kids did on their junior ranger books!

Everyone really enjoyed these cliff dwellings because it was such an immersive experience. We got to walk along the river deep in nature, hike to the top of the cliff face and then enter inside a cave to reach the homes of an Ancient people. It was such an up close and personal experience and we really got a sense for what daily life was like living in the cliff of a Mountian with all of your resources a long hike down into the valley.

Our favorite excursion on this leg of the trip was to the Catwalk.

When we arrived at the Catwalk I noticed this sign near the river. At first I got really excited that there was a special species of trout named after my favorite New Mexican sauce combination.

If you have ever eaten in the Southwest you know you can have just about anything smothered and covered in chile sauce. When you eat in a restaurant they will ask you if you want red chile, green chile or “Christmas” on your food. It is called “Christmas” when they cover one half of your dish in red chile and the other half in green chile. In my opinion this is the only and best way to experience the amazingness that is New Mexican chile. A true flavor nirvana.

Although I was disappointed to learn that there was in fact not a fancy Xmas Chile Trout, I was pleased with the cleverness of these signs altering trout anglers to the rules and regulations for fishing this section of river. What a cool way to make this information uniquely New Mexican!

Red Chile Water = Catch and Release with tackle restrictions Green Chile Water = Two trout daily bag limit with tackle restrictions

Xmas Chile Water = Two trout daily bag limit with any legal tackle

When we arrived we found that the road was closed to the parking lot because of flooding from the river being high.

In order to reach the trail head we had to ford the river!

The bottom was rocky causing uneven footing and the current was moving right along, so AJ carried the kids across just to be safe.

View from the other side safe and sound!

He may have wet feet, but he is still one happy explorer.

Triumphant post river fording smiles.

The Catwalk was originally constructed as a way to access backcountry sections of the river in Whitewater Canyon where gold and silver were discovered in the late 1800’s.

As its name implies, the Catwalk is a series of narrow bridges, platforms and walkways that extend from the canyon walls over the river that enabled surveyors to work in the tight spaces within the slot canyon over the fast flowing water. This boom and its associated growth only lasted about 10 years and then the area was mostly abandoned and the bridge system fell into disrepair.

In the 1930’s the CCC came in to rebuild, fortify and expanded the bridge system to support tourists visiting the area. Unfortunately, after the 2012 Whitewater-Baldy Wildfire, this area experienced a major flooding event that washed away most of the existing infrastructure. The Whitewater-Baldy fire is that largest wildfire in New Mexico history, burning almost 300,000 acres mostly in the Gila National Forest.

They were able to once again rebuild the bridge system and we enjoyed a lovely day exploring this unique recreation area.

B2 keeping an eye on her big brother.

The gang on the first bridge as we made our way up into the canyon.

B2 thought this place was the coolest!

We wound our way up and down and over and around on cobble stone paths and elevated bridges.

The river was rushing through at a feverish pitch and it was so loud.

Along the way we spotted many little waterfalls and seeps bringing more water down into the canyon.

I think we would all say this would land on the list of favorite places we have visited.

Here you can see how the bridges are attached to the canyon walls.

And over the water.

This is where we decided to turn around and head back. I am not sure if this is an area that has not been repaired or if this part of the trail always looks this way.

We did see several people ford this section of the river, but in my opinion we wisely decided that this was above our skill level and headed back.

In several spots the water was “raining” down from the canyon walls.

One last photo of where we forded the river. It really did make this adventure extra exciting and extra memorable!

The kids and I took a day trip to City of Rocks State Park. This state park is known for giant rocks with camp sites tucked in between as well as biking and hiking. We got a later that desired start this day and although we packed our bikes and our sneakers we did not do much of either due to the extreme heat with little to no shade.

Despite the stern warning we received at the Visitor Center about the prevalence of rattle snakes I did convince the kids to take a few photos.

This is a new “I love you sis, but I am still the big brother” pose. Zoomed out to see the size of the rocks.

Zoomed in to see the cuteness of this dynamic duo.

Although these two were not thrilled that I was asking them to stand with their backs to all the cracks and crevices where creepy crawlers might be hiding I did manage to get some really sweet photos of these two.

I am not sure if this is an “I love you“ pose or an “I am going to use you as my human shield if anything goes South“ pose.

We decided this would be a very cool place to camp if it wasn’t a million degrees and if we weren‘t towing a giant trailer.

After we explored in and amongst the rock city we drove up and got a view that looked down over all the rocks and gave us a better idea of the scale of this place within the vast open landscape.

Despite the heat and threat of deadly reptiles we had a great day wondering, wandering and exploring!

Next, we continued our journey north to Pie Town, New Mexico. When I looked at the map and discovered there was a town called Pie Town that was known for their pie I knew it was a place we needed to visit.

This was one of those places that if you blinked at just the right moment you would completely miss that you had passed through a town.

Interestingly though, this town lies on the Continental Divide Trail and sees a great deal of traffic from hikers, bikers and campers. When we were telling someone in town we had driven up from Silver City they said they had just met someone who walked from there and it had only taken them nine days. To each his own I guess!

While we were driving around and exploring the area we kept noticing these numbered pull offs along the road. We decided to check one out and found wide open cattle grazing land.

Lots of good smells for the pup-os.

And lots of good tracks and scat for these two junior adventurers to discover and identify.

But the main attraction for everyone was the pie at Pie Town Pies.

When we visited we met Sarah, the very sweet and endearingly friendly owner of Pie Town Pies and were immediately impressed by her strong sense of community and her fortitude. She moved to Pie Town with her husband to retire off grid and in solitude Only to discover that all the pie shops in Pie Town were closing for one reasons or another.

She felt very strongly that there had to be pie in Pie Town, so she befriended one of the pie shop owners and agreed to purchase the business with the agreement that the tried and true pie recipes that had been in production for years would be passed down with the business. Sarah has created a vibrant, homey gathering place with delicious food where you experience a palpaple pride of place when you walk through the doors.

She sources many of her ingredients locally and employees many locals in her shop. Her business if thriving so much that she has purchased one of the other shuttered pie shops in town to have more space to make more pies. The new space will contain a music hall with a piano to promote community gathering and the passing down of musical traditions.

While we were there Sarah talked to us about how this community was hit hard by COVID. She and her husband have strarted raising chickens to help her neighbors battle food insecurities. Sarah was such an inspirational and when I am deciding on my next venture post road trip I will definitely be thinking about this amazing woman and her dedication to her found community.

This is a list of all the different pies they offer throughout the year. Sarah considers this her dream board of pies. This is my type of vision board!

Happy pie eaters! This was a place we will not soon forget and was definitely worth the stop!

When possible I love to work on the blog outside in the great outdoors. This little guy joined me for some afternoon sunshine and clacking of the keys.

For those that are interested this is an example of the schedules I make to keep us organized and making the most of our time at each stop.

I prefer the good old fashion paper and pencil method. I start my creating a monthly blocked out schedule that plans out our route of travel and helps me keep track of RV reservations. Then I make weekly or by stop daily schedules that act as a mini journal recording the daily happenings. For each place we go I do a “things to do while visiting xyz,” a general internet search and then scour the map for any places that might not have shown up in my searching inquiry. Then, as a family, prioritize what seems the most interesting sights to see and things to do and I plug them into the calander. This method allows me to make notes or additions and subtractions based on how each day plays out.

Lastly for this post, when we told our friends we were stopping in Pie Town they exclaimed that we must keep our eyes out for the Stool Bus. Lucky for us, the little RV site we stayed at was owned by the same people that own the Stool Bus! So we got to have an up close and personal look at this disgustingly cute “bus”. This is the stuff of mythical septic system lore!