HIGH WINDS IN NEW MEXICO - AND HEAT TO MATCH

The Ranch (read our review here), the Escapee park in Lakewood, New Mexico, lives up to its reputation as one of the friendliest in the Escapee system - but the weather is making me GRUMPY. It's in the high 80's, which would not be too bad in the shade, but the wind is gusting up into the 40's - no fun to be outside at all.

This morning, before the wind kicked into high gear, we drove to Carlsbad (20 miles away) and took a walk on the Riverwalk, their parkway along the Pecos River. The sun was out, the river was high and blue, and families were settled in for fishing and a picnic. Sidewalks meander along the water's edge on both sides of the river - very pleasant.

Since then, though, we have been stuck inside by the harsh weather, and I am looking forward to moving on tomorrow.

Several of you have noticed and commented on the campground reviews we have linked to our recent posts. You might not have realized that the reviews are on a separate blog, We Called It Home.

I started writing the reviews as a way to keep track of what we liked and disliked about the parks we visit - useful information to have for a return visit, or for reference when friends are planning travels in areas we have visited. The easiest way for me to catalog the information was on a blog devoted specifically to the reviews, where I can search by campground name, date, or category.

Here is how it works: After I write a campground review, I add it to the new blog... and link the review to the posting here, on Semi-True Tales of our Life on the Road. If you want to read just the review for the campground mentioned, click on the link I provide. If you want to see all the reviews, click on the link I have added on the left hand side of this blog, Our (Very Personal) Campground Reviews.

Besides OUR reviews of the campgrounds we visited, We Called It Home has links to other useful campground review sites that we like, including a site that reviews U.S. Forest Service campgrounds, written by a couple who has visited ALL the campgrounds they review. Scroll to the bottom of the right-hand column of We Called It Home to find these links.