Our winter road trip continued south to Patagonia Lake State Park. This beautiful park is located just north of the US/Mexican border near Nogales and is a haven for birders. We aren’t really into birds but we enjoyed our time there nevertheless. Steve enjoyed running on the trails each day while I rested my ailing foot. While the weather was unusually chilly, we still got out to enjoy the area a bit. Nearby Tumacácori National Historic Park reminded us of the long history of southern Arizona, punctuated by Spanish Colonial Jesuit missions.Not far from Patagonia Lake State Park is the wine growing region of Sonoita/Elgin. Of course, we checked out a few of the wineries while in the area. Our favorite was the funky, women-owned Arizona Hops and Vines, which pairs its wine with yummy snacks like BBQ chips, Cheetos, and Cocoa Puffs. How can you go wrong?After our time in southern Arizona we headed east towards Texas and our next destination, Big Bend National Park. However, RVing is not really about the destination as much as it’s about the journey. And what a journey we had!

We try to vary the kinds of places in which we camp. On this three day portion of our trip we stayed at a winery, a dairy, and an RV resort. First we stopped in Deming, NM and used our Harvest Host membership to park on the property of the D. H. Lescombes Winery and Tasting Room and enjoyed live music, wine specials, and dinner with others who were staying the night.

The next night we stopped in San Elizario, TX at the Licon Dairy, another Harvest Host property. We were the only campers there, but the dairy attracts a steady stream of locals who come to buy the legendary azadero cheese and to visit the farm animals. We bought some cheese and fed the animals, including the camel and many, many goats. Fun!Our journey was not without a small challenge that Steve met head on. Our kitchen faucet started leaking after our time in Patagonia and it soon became apparent that the cheap plastic faucet that came with the trailer needed to be replaced. So, on our way through El Paso, we set up shop in the parking lot of Home Depot and made the repair. Steve had to do some contortions to get to the pipes, but he got it done!Onward!