Douglas to Silver City, Ruined Forts and Dirt Roads

4/5/2014
We left Douglas headed for Carlsbad, NM. My original plan had been to go along the border on NM 9 but Becky wanted to go to Bowie to a place that advertised pecans, walnuts and wine. I love my wife and want my life to be happy so we went. It was a good way to go because we ended up in Silver City, NM.

We drove up 191 and then took Kansas Settlement Road. I was amazed at the amount of farming that takes place in the desert. There are massive farms all ran by irrigation systems that spin in a circle. There is a well or central water line coming up in the middle of the field and attaches to the irrigation equipment. There was hay, wheat, barley (there was a gin making facility on the road) and evidence of corn. Also large cattle and dairy concerns were present along with more nut trees.
In between the fields were large expanses of scrub brush and undeveloped desert. The scrub was mostly dead and there are three reasons for this. 1) not yet time for them to bloom 2) the continuing drought 3) all the farming has lowered the water table and the roots can no longer reach it.

Up 191

Rows of little trees

  We stopped in Bowie at Fort Bowie Vineyards in Bowie. They had the town surrounded with pecan, walnut, peach trees and vineyards. Becky bought some wine, a piece of fudge and some pecans. She later roasted them in coconut oil and put honey and pepper on them. They were good! We ate lunch out of the trailer, walked the dog and hit the road again.

Saw this old teepee that looked like it used to be someone's house. Like most of the town, it was run down and dilapidated. If it wasn't for the large farm, there wouldn't be much in Bowie.

I originally was going to bypass Fort Bowie National Historical Site because it looked like it was down a dirt road on the map. I saw a sign for the place and decided to go see it anyways, trailer in tow. We drove down a long single lane black top until it turned to dirt and began to climb up a mountain. We ended up at a site where people could park and hike two miles to the fort's remains. The road continued over the mountain to another blacktop. I turned around, it was tight and narrow but we made it. After back tracking we took another three mile dirt road that ended at the visitors center for the fort. They had handicap parking but there were no rangers in the little hut. Becky and Patrick had to walk up a flight up stairs and then find a ranger to ask if I could get up to see the fort. The ranger had to unhook a gate and then I would have had to drive up to the little picnic, overlook. It wasn't paved and I couldn't get close to the fort. I stayed with the dog and B and P went exploring.If you go, don't tow your trailer. The road up to the visitors center is narrow and not the place to take your camper.

Fort Bowie protected a stage coach line running through the pass from the Apache Indians. It is also famous because Geronimo surrender to the US Army there.
After we got back on I-10, my plan was to duck down to NM9 and go across but we needed gas and it was ten miles past where I wanted to get off. We went for fuel and I saw a sign for the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. It was on my list of places to go in NM and so we decided to head for Silver City. We ended up in the Silver City KOA. It was a nice place, all the sites were hard packed dirt with small gravel. The ramp from our parking level to the office was steeper than ADA approved and it had large bumps in it where the concrete had dropped from one pad to another. The showers were not wheelchair accessible.
We had an enjoyable stay and I think that the staff were the friendliest that we have encountered at any park. I had a long discussion with the owner who is from Michigan.