No Plans
Up until our last week of house and pet sitting in San Diego, Mark and I had no concrete idea of what was next. Because the unpredictable condition of my mother-in-law in New England earlier this year, we had not booked another sit, in case we’d have to fly back. Flexibility has been an important part of our lifestyle. Luckily, the situation back east was stable, mid-February, so we could remain “out west”. Since we had no house sit to get to, and we own this amazing little camper van, our plan was to bridge the seven-week gap between sits in the desert, being warm. Baja California in Mexico was dismissed, after we discovered our favorite beach spot there has no cell service, so we mentally aimed for four different boondocking areas in Arizona to split our time and work from the van. It would be tricky.
A New Plan
Then, a three-month house and dog sit popped up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Not being able to commit to the whole duration, because of our next confirmed assignment in Santa Fe, NM, the end of March, I suggested that Mark and I take care of the owners’ home and two Labradors for the first six weeks of their absence. Perfect! And, we had five days to cover the distance between San Diego, CA and Albuquerque, NM.
Which route to take? We scanned the map and noticed a peculiar town in New Mexico called Truth or Consequences. Who would not want to check that out? Despite Google’s recommendation to take the shortest route, via Phoenix, AZ, we set out on the southern road via Tucson, AZ, to also include Saguaro National Park. The plan was to enjoy the toasty climate for a few days, before heading to 5000+ feet for the next three and a half months, and combine sights with work.
A Short Road Trip
There was not much going on along the southern route through California. At times we could see the “border wall” with Mexico: fences all along the desert landscape. Our friend Amy had told us about a cute, raised church in the area we were headed to. Just before we turned off to our first free campsite, we spotted it. A work call in the morning for which we needed reliable cell service in town, prevented us from investigating further. Yes, this was the campsite where our flip flops were devoured…
Rain in the Desert: Saguaro National Park
A quick stop in Yuma revealed the interesting site of the Yuma Territorial Prison.
The Sonoran Desert followed and we arrived in an environment which, while dry and prickly, appealed to us. Never mind the signs about border criminality.
Unfortunately, the sky turned overcast and the temperatures were ten degrees lower than usual. By the time we arrived at our second most important destination, in the hope of doing a few hikes, the rain started. Rain in the desert? It does happen!
Truth or Consequences: Soaking it up
If you grew up in the US in the forties, the name Truth or Consequences might sound familiar to you (it didn’t to us), because of a radio show with the same name. To celebrate the show’s ten-year anniversary, the broadcaster, Ralph Edwards, looked for a town in the US to change its name to Truth or Consequences. The applications arrived and the town Hot Springs, New Mexico, was selected to take the honors of the name change and of being the location for the special 10th anniversary broadcast.
And, speaking of hot springs, the Riverbend Hot Springs was the perfect venue to finally warm up. For $12 a person, we soaked a full hour in baths of different degrees of hotness. The view over the Rio Grande wasn’t bad and the rain did not bother us at all. The facilities were modern, well-taken care of and quiet. Mark and I basically had the place to ourselves. Perfect to wind down from time on the road and to take in what Truth or Consequences has to offer.
Six-week Sit with Gunner and Beckwourth
A couple of days later, we arrived in Albuquerque. Our current house rests on the mesa, overlooking the city, and borders Petroglyph National Monument. We have the company of two big and goofy dogs, it is quiet and… liquid sunshine is extremely rare.
![Suzanne [globalhousesitterX2] Avatar](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/d741d4776bdc9f5bfaac7b2ec761dcf65b1f74efad66a27ef55038938945d75d?s=40&d=mm&r=g){kind=avatar}
Leave a Reply to Suzanne [globalhousesitterX2]Cancel reply