Sunday 9 May 2010

LINGERING IN LORDSBERG


WHY NOT CAMP RIGHT HERE? I ask myself that fairly often. It's what my old travel companion, Arnold Eckland, would say when we motorcycled through Yucatan--He wasn't picky--could be comfortable anywhere, cornfields, schoolyards, gravel pits, banana plantation. He convinced me! Now when I'm ready to camp, my first consideration isWHY NOT HERE. Above is the ghost town of Steins, about 10 miles west of Lordsberg. I considered staying the night but the nearby railroad dissuaded me---too noisy.
Drove on to the visitor center in Lordsberg and settled in for the night. This guy driving a 1950's era bus parked beside me and explained that someone in San Diego had given him two of them. With just a change of oil, fresh fuel, some hoses and a battery they had both cranked right up and ran perfectly. He would ship them to Germany for total restoration--they are highly prized there.
He was ecstatic about the interior--perfectly preserved he said.
Soon he was gone and these trucks moved in. Noisy, Noisy--so I moved away a quarter mile to this vacant lot and slept peacefully. Next day I experienced the town--museum--ate lunch with the seniors and started toward Silver City.
Got this far and stopped--I suddenly realized that it's cold in those mountains back there. (Silver City elevation 7000 ft) So I asked myself Arnold's question: What's wrong with RIGHT HERE? And so I camped right there---in great comfort--enjoying the scenery--connected to the whole world by satellite radio, satellite tv, cell phone and internet access ---thanks to those marvelous solar panels that power my lifestyle. I could camp here indefinitely if I wished. We boondockers in the West are surely among the freest people on earth!














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