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Just wanted to pass on a little gem of an overnight spot. Found this on the way from Fort Sumner, NM to Las Cruces. No hook ups at all but the view is great. Close to the highway but not much traffic at night. You could run a slide or two out but I would only do it curbside. Not sure how long you can stay. Def worth the money. It's on Route 70 in the Hondo Valley at the junction where 380 splits off to Lincoln, NM. Happy trails and stay sharp.

Earlier this year I promised some notes after visiting Chaco Canyon--here is my summary. My information is based on two visits during the summer of 2013 (we drove in by toad). Others may have more thoughts to add. Chaco Canyon is an amazing place to visit. A little extra planning and preparation is appropriate, but it is well worth the effort. The place to start planning is the park website: http://www.nps.gov/chcu/index.htm Pay particular attention to any road information on the NPS website. Some routes may be impassable at times. Consider calling ahead if there is any question. Main entry to the park is from the north (turning off of Highway 550) or south (turning off of Highway 9). See the park website for latest directions/details. NOTE: Some maps and GPS systems still show access via Highway 57 off of 550. This access no longer exists, per the park website and latest New Mexico state maps. The dirt roads in are rough, in places very rough. My experiences on the northern route lead me to recommend leaving your coach at a campground outside the park and driving in via toad. (I pictured every loose item in our coach ending up on the floor, and every cabinet filled with a jumble of overturned items.) Most of the folks we saw camping in the park came via pickup, van or car. During our two visits we only saw one Class A and one or two Class Cs. (A few trailers were also in the park.) We talked with one motor home owner who came in via the southern route. He said it was very slow, rough going, but his impression was that the southern entry was a little smoother than the northern route. I would recommend carrying basic necessities in your vehicle in case of breakdown. While traffic on the northern entry is regular, it is not always frequent--you may be on your own for a while in the event of a problem. I pictured a breakdown in the evening, and a night in the desert before morning traffic picks up. Jackets, water, and maybe some sleeping bags in the trunk gives great peace of mind. Don't depend on your cellphone, signals are weak to nil on the roads in, and we had no coverage in the park. Finally, NO gas or diesel is available in the park--plan accordingly. Once in the park, the roads are paved and driving easy. Bicycles would be great to use in the park. Many great places to see, via guided tours or on your own. Good hiking opportunities. There is a camping area. The park website gives very complete details. We stayed in Bloomfield (north of the park) and found it a great place to base out of to explore the Chaco history. It was an easy drive down 550 to the dirt roads to Chaco. Leaving in the early morning, coming back late afternoon worked well. We had many hours in the park to explore during each visit, while still returning at a reasonable hour. Check the website for park hours. The Chaco culture was centered in Chaco Canyon, but many smaller settlements (referred to as outliers) exist outside the park. Two worth seeing are Salmon Ruins (on the west side of Bloomfield) and Aztec Ruins (in the city of Aztec, about 9 miles north of Bloomfield). Both have been partially restored, and are good places to get a feel for the Chaco civilization. Don't worry if you see them first, they will in no way detract from what you will experience in Chaco Canyon. Chaco Canyon is a great place to visit...Enjoy!

I just published this in another forum. We're visiting Ruidoso at the moment, and the traffic and noise really stands out, compared to other cities. Others have made the same complaint, a brief online search reveals. I contacted the Chamber of Commerce, and asked that they convey the information to the local government. Of course, such things affect the RV community. We don't need to spend money on fuel, provisions and campground reservations, only to discover that the destination leaves much to be desired. For years, the wife and I have visited Ruidoso with friends; this is our second trip in the motorhome. While there are many RV parks here, they tend to be relatively modest. One exciting development is a big hillside resort being built near the Best Western on Route 70. One thing we've noticed, is the slow onset of what is best described as "road anarchy" here. Ruidoso, like some other small towns scattered across the country, is becoming a haven bikers and off-roaders. Of those, there is a small minority for whom it is important to make the same level of noise inherent to a 747 on takeoff roll. Don't ask me why; my personal opinion is that it is loosely associated with dysfunction below the belt. Further, people are in a hurry, drive with their hair on fire. Signs that the community struggles with traffic calming are everywhere: speed bumps, special enforcement zones, flashing markers, the like. It is a war they are clearly losing, at the moment. The problem is severe enough to make us re-think our travel plans, as I conveyed to the Chamber of Commerce. They have a Facebook site, as do other towns' chambers and administrations. All of us can make ourselves known via that avenue, when we wish to praise or criticize our travel destinations. The Chamber immediately replied, and I assure them that I'm not just in the business of complaining; that my wife and I had played tennis for two hours at the same downtown spot that was shattered by explosions of noise all weekend, and that we didn't hear a single open-pipe or bypassed vehicle the entire time. 'Turns out, the village adopted uniform New Mexico traffic ordinances in 2010, and there is one that specifically forbids open-pipe operations. So, it's just a matter of refocusing enforcement efforts from being aimed at truckers to what the ordinance dictates: all vehicles are supposed to have functioning mufflers. As for the aggressive driving, Ruidoso has already exerted a large effort; they simply need to dial it up a bit, on weekends and during special events. FMCA members wishing to add their two cents' worth can visit the Chamber of Commerce page or the Ruidoso Police Department page, on Facebook.