Alamogordo, New Mexico - Montana Owners Club

Chuck and Carol · 12-02-2005, 01:33 PM

Changed where I put my topic. Does anyone know anything about this place? I know it's near Holloman AFB. We will be going there the end of January or first part of February. By then we will have to be dug out

. The AF is footing all our expenses so we can't pass this trip up.
We will be there anywhere from 3 weeks to 2 months. I have found a nice sounding campground -- Alamogordo Road Runner Campground and wonder if anyone knows anything about it.
Also coming from Central NY, what would be a quick way? We did a mapquest and it seems like an awful long trip. I, in my old age, have never been this far from home before. New experience.
I don't even know what to pack. Thanks

Carol

Parrothead · 12-02-2005, 03:47 PM

Carol according to the Average Temp web site it looks like temps are from 55 to 35. Much warmer than Upstate New York (BTDT). Knowing your area as I do, I wouldn't worry about the shortest route but head as far south as you can as fast as you can. Good Luck. Keep us posted on your adventure.
Happy trails..................

dsprik · 12-02-2005, 04:23 PM

Carol, if you and Chuck are going to try to make that trip ASAP, I believe you are going to be absolutely miserable for the three days of straight driving required. You will not be happy at all! You can take the shortest route, just don't try to hurry.

My daughter, who lives in Las Vegas, when she was 24 yrs old (4 yrs ago), decided her and her hubby would drive straight through to N. MI were we live. They almost made it. 60 miles from us, after 36 hours of straight driving (and NOT at the speed limit in their Saturn), they finally had to pull off the road to sleep for a couple hrs. They said they would NEVER do that AGAIN - and they were both 24. You have at LEAST one more full day than that.

And... I would take Sue's advice and get out of that of NY area soon! Up here in NW Lower MI, we are getting our 3rd snow storm of the season - another 12"-15" in the last 24 hrs. I don't think your area is going to be very summer-like for very long. Everything we get seems to head right for you within 24 hrs.

Dave e Victoria · 12-02-2005, 04:25 PM

I'm sure there are others with a more up to date view of Alamagordo than mine but i will say New Mexico is truely the land of enchantment. I was posted to Alamagordo in 1964 for several TDY assignments. I was living in Milwaukee at the time. The weather in Alamagordo was so wonderful I became determined to move to the southwest. Two years later we moved to Phoenix. Since then we have lived in New Mexico twice for a total of about8 or 9 years. We were corporate gypsies so we lived all (Phoenix, Minneapolis, Charlottesville )over but New Mexico is about our favorite place.

At Alamagordo you are close to mountains and white sands. I remember Cloudcroft just a few miles from Alamagordo was a great Mountain hideaway overlooking the high plains below. You are close to Mexico and a four or five hour easy drive to Albuquerque and Santa Fe. You are also an easy drive to Carlsbad Caverns. I think you will really enjoy it.
Dave

Parrothead · 12-02-2005, 05:25 PM

Gee Dave now you made me want to go too. The Balloon Festival in Albuquerque is on our short list of places to go (probably next fall) and I have to go to Taos. So now I guess we plan on Alamagordo also. Thanks for the info.
Happy trails....................

CountryGuy · 12-03-2005, 01:33 AM

Carol and Chuck

Since your trip is being paid for, I also vote for NOT taking the shortest route, but the SAFEST route, which in MHO, is DUE south, then west. You want to get away from the icy and snowy roads. IF, you run into a ice storm on the way, get off the road and STAY OFF. Heard too many horror stories about rigs and icy roads.

When you run out of the north in January and February, you are gonna have to run south about 2 to 2.5 days to get someplace warm enough to put water in. For those full timers, who already have water in your units, please remember, that to put water in a rig at 0 degrees is a pain in the hiney, and it is harder than you know what to get the water out of those hoses and curled back up to store away. That activity is out of our comfort zone!

We just go without water, pre-planning, lots of food that is easy to prepare, or eat out, paper plates, a couple of gallons of water in jugs, to rinse the potty with, a little antifreeze to put in the toilet during the day when we run to keep it from freezing (or run with the heat on about 40 to 45). We also use a lot of wet ones to clean and freshen up. OR, stay in motels the first couple of nights if you have no pets to worry about.

Running south in mid winter is the one time we haul hard, 400 miles a day, usually that about wipes us out. We basically drive, stop, sleep, eat, drive, stop, sleep, eat. After we get far enough south to put water in the unit, we may stop for 2 days and sleep!

Wish we were going with you, the area sounds charming and exciting. Have a great time!

Chuck and Carol · 12-03-2005, 01:50 AM

We arn't going to take the anti freeze out until we get south. We plan on taking 3 days for travel.
We have been looking at maps and don't know if we want to go south and then west or west and then south. To go south from here is route 81 and that could be a bit hairy if it's cruddy weather.
This is exciting to plan this trip. I have to get over leaving my mother. In her condition, she probably won't miss me.
Another thing we have to think about, since we've never done it, is leaving the house. It will still be winter up here no matter if it's for 3 weeks or 2 months.
Speaking of winter, Chuck just cleared 30 inches of snow out of our driveway.
Too bad we weren't going now. More lake effect snow coming.

Ladies, how do you pack for a 2 month trip? I had trouble last year with a 3 week trip.

Thanks for all the advice. All is welcome.

Carol

dsprik · 12-03-2005, 03:04 AM

Carol, Countryguy has a GREAT plan. I'd try to head south and go down on the west side of the mountains. I-75 maybe, but vear off before Atlanta. I-80, south of Chicago, and I-75, thru Atlanta, are my two most non-favorite "scenic" drives... of course I have driven in S. Calif. yet, either. Might try going through Nashville. I've been through there several times with good luck.

I believe, Carol, that it will be quite difficult to make that trip in 3 days (IMHO). You might get better input from others here, but I'm thinking 5 days of "moderate"? driving if you head down to Birmingham, AL then across (I-20). I would see if someone here could route you around Dallas/Ft Worth area, though. Got lost in Dallas once (there are NO N/S or E/W streets in that town), worse than getting lost in a N. MI swamp during hunting season... thought it would be years before they ever found my body.

CountryGuy · 12-03-2005, 04:02 AM

Carol, as far as packing, we pack the same, year round, no matter where we are going. We take clothes for all events, swim suit to winter coats. We specialize in the LAYERED look! Keeps ya warm when ya need it, can take some off as ya warm up. Plan to visit laundrymat as required. I have worn my winter coat in the RGV Texas in February, and same coat in July in Michigan. That is the beauty of Montana, it holds it all!

I agree with Dave, not sure I would want to run that far in 3 days, even without hauling Montana.

OR, try what OntMont does, take unit to someplace warm as soon as possible. Store, come home without her. In January take truck and get out of Dodge, pick up Montana along the way and off ya go. That plan involves packing creatively, in fact, not sure OntMont's strategy in that, do you leave clothes in there?? What about possible freezing (even in Alabama and such it will freeze), so do you bring all cleaning supplies and stuff home with ya and take back again??

The toughest part of running in the winter, is getting out between snow and ice storms. We prefer to NOT drive on wet roads which throws a lot of salt and icky stuff up under the frame, etc. Salt, as we all know is a recipe for rust, ewwwwwwwwwwwww.

CountryGuy · 12-03-2005, 04:07 AM

Oh, and one last thing Carol

WINTERIZE THAT HOUSE!! this is a MUST!!

Some of you might have read my posts a few weeks back, bout serious furnace trouble. Can you imagine what that house would have looked like IF the water was still on, we were not here to monitor, and the pipes froze! We would have thousands of dollars of damage! 2 story house, would have drywall damage from top to bottom.

I don't want to worry bout the house while I am away and supposed to be having a nice time.

We drain all lines, the water heater. Get as much water as possible out of toilets, fill with RV antifreeze (you know that pink stuff). Run some of the RV stuff through the washer and dishwasher.

Don't leave home without it!

adelmoll · 12-03-2005, 04:10 AM

We just LOVE Alamagordo. We were there two years ago.(Early March) I had more fun at White Sands National Park. It looks just like big giant snow piles but when you get out of your vehicle it is so nice and warm. We had a picnic there and it was one of our favorite stops. We came over the mountains from Carlsbad and there was one area that had snow yet. It was a ski resort. By the time we got half way down the mountain it was nice and warm.

As for what to pack, the secret is layer, layer, layer. We would start out in sweat shirts and soon be down to our t-shirts. Would be nice if the t-shirts had the MOC logo on them. Also changed to shorts early each day. Alamagordo is down in the valley so it can get really hot while the sun is out. Don't worry. You have plenty of room in the Monty so just take both winter and summer clothes. You will use about 1/3 of them.

There is so much to see and do within a short distance. Roswell, Carlsbad, Guatamaula National Park in one direction and all the places Sue wants to go in the other. New Mexico is a great state. You're gonna love it.

richfaa · 12-03-2005, 04:23 AM

Is there another Alamagordo, N.M....Doesn't sound like the place I was while on a TDY assignment with the US Army Signal corps in the summer of 1957,or was it 1956....We always associated Alamagordo with Dante's inferno..worst place I had ever been in my life.

dsprik · 12-03-2005, 04:57 AM

Rich, that whole region DOES get HOT in the summer. I lived on the OK panhandle for a while and I made some forrays into NM, Beautiful, but over 100 most of the time in the summer. Must be why they call it a "desert".

Cooler in the mountains, though... doesn't sound like you made it there...

richfaa · 12-03-2005, 06:43 AM

As I recall Holloman AFB, where we were assigned , is many miles from Alamagordo.I do recall going through the town and there was not much there in 1956/57..It was however..very hot...

Chuck and Carol · 12-03-2005, 07:12 AM

From the information I am getting, the Air Force base is 5 miles away. Of course, I may be getting the wrong information.
The reason we want to do it in 3 days is they will be setting up the hardware and Chuck has to check it out and make any changes in the manuals. Has something to do with on the field washing and drying. It's this companies biggest contract so they are anxious to look good.
If someone knows of a closer campground, let me know.

Carol

Mac · 12-03-2005, 08:02 AM

Chuck and Carol,

My family and I have stayed in the Alamagordo area many times usually going down to Carlsbad Caverns. I think we always stayed in the KOA but it was usually only for two nights or so coming and going. We did enjoy the area and love the White Sands, my favorite is Blakes Lottaburger, of course I'm a hamburger junkie!

The only place these are located is in New Mexico.

mac

adelmoll · 12-03-2005, 08:14 AM

Carol, Roadrunner has the highest rating and is Good Sam. There is also Desert Paradise (Hwy 70 W).....White Sands Community (good Sam also) and Evergreen MH & RV. They are all close to each other. Good Luck

richfaa · 12-03-2005, 08:47 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by richfaa

Is there another Alamagordo, N.M....Doesn't sound like the place I was while on a TDY assignment with the US Army Signal corps in the summer of 1957,or was it 1956....We always associated Alamagordo with Dante's inferno..worst place I had ever been in my life.

Just called up the website for Holloman AFB.Do not recognize a single thing.It sure has changed in 48 years or so.It was just a dot in the sand then..looks real nice now..

Chuck and Carol · 12-03-2005, 09:27 AM

When we first got married we spent some time in Laredo, TX and I bet by now the streets are paved

.

Carol

dsprik · 12-04-2005, 04:07 AM

Carol, are you saying that you have to make that trip in 3 days? In Jan/Feb? That's going to be a challenge, but not impossible. Just watch the weather closely for any storms forming over the Great Plains that time of year. Stay under (south) them.

Have you ever made a 2000+ mile trip (straight shot) before? Probably closer to 2200-2300 miles on a south route. But if you have no choice, then it can be done (that's about 750 miles/day

). If you could stretch that to five days, that would still be 400-500 miles/day (in the winter), but it would give you some breathing room.

Just keep us updated while on the road if posible. I know I would like to have the MOC along with me on any long trek like that. Kinda like have a thousand "back seat drivers".

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