Wednesday, December 31, 2008 - Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Salt Flat TX

In pig heaven, McDonald Observatory, Fort Davis Texas, December 31, 2008

Customer service

Yesterday when my credit card was not accepted at Davis Mountains State Park I thought I was in for a rerun of last years hassle of getting a replacement card delivered out here somewhere. It was late in the day so I delayed calling my local bank until this morning to see what was up. When I turned my phone on this morning I found a message from the credit card service company my bank uses asking me to call and verify some transactions to establish that I was still in possession of my card. We like it's effect on yesterday's grumpiness.

A beautiful day for a beautiful drive

Texas route 118 north from Fort Davis over the mountain past the McDonald Observatory and down onto the plain at Kent is one beautiful drive. The Chihuahuan Desert landscape is right at the top of my list of favorite western landscapes.

This is getting to be a habit

This habit of breaking down while traveling with LD just before a holiday. I really must make an effort to stay put for the holidays.

I pulled into the Pine Springs Campground - Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Salt Flat TX, got out to have a look around and pick a campsite and quickly spotted the wet trail and a growing puddle under the rig. Oh.....no.....what now? Transmission fluid, that's what. 60 miles from the nearest town. 3:00pm New Years Eve. This could get interesting.

Getting towed on New Years eve

Yeah, right.

This breakdown is working out in an interesting way. My first instinct was to get the rig out of the campground and down to the Visitors Center where it would be more accessible to a wrecker and where I would be closer to the Park personnel for whatever they might be able to help me with. It was a quick impulsive decision but I think the right one.

My Progressive Insurance towing plan is ready to buy me a tow but I have to come up with a destination - they're only going to buy me one tow. I think I prefer to get dropped off at a transmission shop for this one. The nearest town with a transmission shop is Carlsbad NM, about 60 miles north. The Visitors Center staff gave me a few names and numbers of Carlsbad towing companies and transmission shops, and their suggestions about who I might choose.

Surprise surprise, no one at these shops is answering their phones this afternoon. Which might be just as well -I've been rushing to find someone before they go off to raise a glass or two watching the ball drop and haven't taken time to think and to research my options for what could be an expensive repair.

It's not busy here at the Park this week and the Ranger is graciously giving me until Monday to get my pile of junk out of his parking lot. Phew... at least I don't have to move the rig across the road to the breakdown lane for the duration.

Todays travel route

From Davis Mountains State Park Campground, Fort Davis TX

• North on TX 118 about 40 miles to Kent TX then
• West on I-10 about 30 mlies to Van Horn TX then
• North on TX 54 about 40 miles to US 62 / US 180 then
• North on US 62 / US 180 about 5 miles

To Pine Springs Campground - Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Salt Flat TX

Night camp

Visitors Center parking lot, not the Pine Springs Campground - Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Salt Flat TX

• This is a small, primitive campground with not very level paved sites
• There are lots of good hiking trails in the mountains
• Verizon cell phone signal is a little weak but adequate - Access is via Extended Network, roaming
• No Verizon EVDO service - access is via the Extended Network and service is slow
• Find other references to Guadalupe National Park
• List the nights I've camped here
• Check the weather
• Go to Guadalupe Mountains National Park website
• Get a Google Street View and a map