Thursday, April 5, 2012

Monahans Sandhills State Park, Monahans, TX

 

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We were warned that the campground at Monahans Sandhills State Park was like a parking lot in the dunes, and that there was the potential for lots of blowing sand. Since it was along our route we decided to check it out, and if it was really windy we would continue on. With “only” 10-20 mph winds, we stayed for the night..

Yes, it’s like a parking lot, but there is something intriguing about walking out the door onto the dunes. With our Texas Park Pass it was only $14, with water and electric, unlike all the other TX state parks we stayed at that charged $20.

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Our backyard.

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It was too hot for walking on the sand yesterday afternoon, but I cleaned bugs and bird droppings off the car and Lazy Daze, while Jim worked on the auxiliary brake system, which he thought was not working since the little red light wasn’t coming on in a hard stop. As it turned out, the brake is working fine but the light isn’t, so he tested the bulb and it wasn’t burned out. Guess it’s a wiring issue, but he couldn’t locate any break in the wire so he’s planning to call SMI for ideas, and it may be a problem for someone with more electrical experience. We don’t make many emergency stops, but it’s nice to know the brake is still functioning if we need it.

As the sun was going down and the temperature cooled off, we took our walk on the dunes. Hard work but it was beautiful.

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I was up before sunrise, so I took another walk this morning. It was just me and the footprints of all the critters that wandered around during the night.

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This is a good place for an overnight stop since it’s just a mile or so off I-20, but other than a nice visitor center, a short nature trail, and some picnic tables, there isn’t much else to do.

Not the most scenic picnic area.

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We’re now on our way to New Mexico. Our NM State Parks pass we bought last year is good till the end of April, so we plan to make good use of it.

11 comments:

  1. Those photos are so beautiful; they look fake. What an awesome park. We MUST go there the next time we are i that area. Just love the beauty of the place.
    I don't know if you explored NM before but don't miss Elephant Butte. Go to the 30 amp section. It is tiered and has an awesome view of the lake and mts.! Safe travels. ~wheresweaver

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  2. Scott and Ellen MacApril 5, 2012 at 3:57 PM

    Glad it wasn't too windy!! We were laughing the other day - I had the hot water heater access door open and the sand from our stay there two years ago is still stuck all over the soft caulking material !! We were hoping it would be calm enough not to be "unpleasant" for your visit.

    We left the valley on Sunday and are staying in Blanco State Park for two weeks before heading home. BPV was like a ghost town when we left on the first. Looking forward to seeing you in Jan. Travel safely !!

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  3. Nice area to overnight, for sure. You must have felt like Lawrence of Arabia. ;c)

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  4. Really great photos, especially of the footprints and the sand dunes. Glad you shared your stop there.

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  5. I agree with the Weavers -- those pics are awesome! Be safe as you continue Westward! We LOVE NM!

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  6. Those were some fantastic pics of the sand dunes. Love that camera!

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  7. I had a lot of fun sliding down the dunes on the plastic discs that you can rent. The walk back up made me want a ski lift.

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  8. Great Pics. Like you said, nice one night stay but wouldn't want to stay too long, especially if it is windy with all that sand.

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  9. Great pics. Like you said, nice for an overnight but wouldn't want to stay too long, especially if it is windy.

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  10. OMG, those pictures are stunning!

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  11. Love those photos of the dunes. Especially the one that looks like a cone.

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