Rock Hound SP - Deming, NM - Mar 2008

We made a detour to Rock Hound State Park so that we could meet up with some of our Lazy Daze buddies. Our original plan had been to head north to enjoy cooler temperatures, but we decided to stop and visit for awhile and also to check out Rock Hound State Park since we'd heard so much about it. This scenic state park is about 15 miles southeast of Deming, NM. The campground is in the foothills and the sites are terraced up a pretty steep slope -- giving each site a view of the valley below and the mountains in the distance.
Kate & Terry (who have the same 30' TB model as we do) were the unofficial hosts of the park's Lazy Daze group and, as of our departure, they had counted 10 rigs that had come and gone through the park. We had fun visiting with all the other Lazy Daze owners as well as dining on some fine cuisine. Kate introduced us to The Adobe Deli and we enjoyed two absolutely delicious meals there. We highly recommend this eclectic dining establishment -- especially the Sunday brunch buffet.

We had another "small world" incident at Rock Hound. Just after we pulled into our site, our neighbors came over and we recognized Dick & Elaine. They are not Lazy Daze owners and neither of us knew that the other would be at the park, so it was just pure coincidence that we pulled in right next to them. We had met Dick & Elaine in November 2006 at a campground near Monterrey, California. Being the only two Texans in that California campground, it was a given that we would strike up a friendship. While at Rock Hound, the four of us took a day trip excursion down to Pancho Villa State Park near Columbus, NM. Here we explored the park, walked the grounds and visited the museum.

The park's museum owned one of the first armored vehicles to be used by the army. Here is a photo of the tank in use circa 1916 - 1917.

Here is the actual tank -- with Dick peeking out from the top hatch.

Sunrises and sunsets were especially beautiful at Rock Hound with the park being surrounded by mountains. There was a trail behind the campground that went up and around the base of this mountain. It was a great spot to watch the sunset.


The sunset view from atop the trail.