Leaving Yellowstone this time through, we headed south into Grand Teton National Park where we spent a week camped in Gros Ventre Campground. With the exception of several rainy days on the front end of our stay, we had excellent weather. Rain for us meant fresh snow about 8,000 feet, too.

,Camped outside of Gardiner, Montana, Melanie and I did another driving tour of parts of Yellowstone National Park over a couple of days, the last day of September, first day of October. Here's some of what we saw.

Melanie and I spent four days hiking around some of the southwestern portion of Mount Rainier National Park just after leaving San Juan Island. We camped at Cougar Rock Campground.

Melanie and I camped at MacKerricher State Park for a few days near Fort Bragg, California. The park has a walking/bike trail that runs into town and to within a mile or so of Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens.

As is often the case, Melanie was the one who suggested the gardens so stopping off at Glass Beach and then lunch nearby, we cycled our way to the gardens for a nice walk about. As you'll see, the Rhododendron were showing off.

​Recommended.

Just a quick mention for Tuttle Creek Campground just outside of Lone Pine California.

My intention was to camp in the famous Alabama Hills at a free BLM campsite located somewhere there.

When we discovered that due to recent weather causing major damage to roads the area was largely closed for camping, we punted and chose Tuttle Creek for a night. 

While the campground itself is nothing special, dry camping, relatively primitive sites, pit toilets, the view of the Sierra-Nevada range is worth the price of admission ($5.00 with senior pass).

The Trona Pinnacles are a unique geological features in the California Desert Conservation Area. The unusual landscape consists of more than 500 tufa spires, some as high as 140 feet, rising from the bed of the Searles Dry Lake basin. The pinnacles vary in size and shape from short and squat to tall and thin, and are composed primarily of calcium carbonate (tufa). The Trona Pinnacles have been featured in many commercials, films, and still-photo shoots.
The Trona Pinnacles were designated a National Natural Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1968 to preserve one of North America’s most outstanding examples of tufa tower formation.

Camping

• Dispersed camping is allowed on for a period not to exceed 14 days within a 28 consecutive day period. The 28 day period begins when a camper initially occupies a specific location on public lands. The 14 day limit may be reached either through a number of separate visits or through 14 days of continuous overnight occupation during the 28 day period. After the 14th day of occupation, the camper must move outside of a 25 mile radius of the previous location until the 29th day since the initial occupation.
• There is no potable water or developed facilities other than a single vault toilet on site.
• Pack out all trash. There are no trash services. In the desert environment, even natural items like orange peels take years to decompose.
• Travel on existing roads and trails. Vegetation in this climate can take decades to recover when crushed by off road driving or parking.
• Camp in campgrounds if available. Using campgrounds reduces the number of vehicles, so that the great views are not blocked.
• Have a great time. The Trona Pinnacles are a great place to explore natural wonders and experience your public lands.  Bureau of Land Management

There have been a number of films that have used the Pinnacles for location shots.

We explored in Chicano Park in Varrio Logan yesterday taking in the murals underneath the Coronado Bridge in San Diego. 

Melanie and I took a relatively short walk on the Cactus Loop Trail in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park this morning on our way to Escondido, California. We'd heard there might be desert in bloom. 

Located about 30 miles north of Deming, New Mexico, City of Rocks State Park in Faywood, New Mexico has quickly become one our favorite over the couple days we've spent here. 

Remote, The park encompasses a one square mile area in the scenic Chihuahuan desert region of southwestern New Mexico at an elevation of 5,200 feet. The “city” is a geologic formation made up of large, sculptured rock columns, or pinnacles, rising as high as 40 feet and separated by paths or lanes resembling city streets. These rocks were formed about 34.9 million years ago when a very large volcano erupted. Then, erosion over millions of years slowly formed the sculptured columns seen today, creating a stunning, otherworldly landscape (NMSP Website)

The park has 55 campsites, 10 of them water/electric.  There's a shower house located near the front of the park in the office complex and pit toilets scattered around. Water is also available in several spots around the camp.  There's no dump station.

You can ride your bike and walk about through the rocks or out into the high desert landscape.

If you travel in a van of 25' in length or less these are the sites we deemed best:  10,12,16,17,18, 19,25,28,29,34,45. Electric site E-10 is the best only because it's located on the end of the electric sites closest to a great view of Table Mountain and the desert. 

Finally, I believe our site 14 may be among the best. It's remote from other sites and has great views near 180 degrees Northeast to Southeast.

Highly recommended.

Good afternoon from Valley of Fires Recreation Area near Carrizozo, New Mexico where we are camped for a couple of nights.

Valley of Fires recreation area is located immediately adjacent to the Malpais Lava Flow. Approximately 5,000 years ago, Little Black Peak erupted and flowed 44 miles into the Tularosa Basin, filling the basin with molten rock. The resulting lava flow is four to six miles wide, 160 feet thick and covers 125 square miles. The lava flow is considered to be one of the youngest lava flows in the continental United States.
From a distance, Valley of Fires appears as barren rock but when you walk through the nature trail there are many varieties of flowers, cactus, trees and bushes typical of the Chihuahuan desert. Animals include bats, roadrunners, quail, cottontails, mule deer, barberry sheep, and lizards. It's also a virtual birdwatcher's paradise with great horned owls, burrowing owls, turkey vultures, hawks, gnat catchers, cactus wrens, sparrows and golden eagles. From Bureau of Land Management's website

As I type, we're being buffeted by 30 mile an hour winds. Tonight, more of the same, but with gusts of up to 50 miles an hour and a chance of snow. We got a dusting yesterday just after we set up.

Wanna explore? Sometimes Mother Nature makes it a challenge, but fortunately for us low temps have been right at or above freezing and we have been able to get out, walk and explore the campground and lava field located adjacent to the campground. 

While we haven't stayed in very many BLM campgrounds that are developed like this one, Valley of Fires is undoubtedly the best we've seen. Most all the sites have great views of the lava fields and the surrounding mountains.

The 25 sites offer asphalt pads, water and electricity and there's a dump station centrally located. The shower house is spacious, also centrally located and very well maintained. I might add the shower house is also heated.

Highly recommended even in February. 😎