We wanted to take a long weekend trip relatively close to

home. We considered Catalina State Park just

northwest of  Tucson, but when we called about

availability, it was a bit discouraging. It can be difficult

getting into the park in winter because it’s a nice park

and very close to Tucson (though behind a ridge, so you don’t see town) … and because of this it’s a favorite place for winter visitors to hunker down for a while. If you arrive in the morning in the during middle of the week you can probably get in, but any later than that you run the risk of being turned away. Bummer.

So … we changed our direction and decided to go south to Patagonia Lake State Park which is between Nogales and Patagonia, AZ, not far from the Mexico border and about 3 or 4 miles north of route 82. We can travel there from Tucson one of two ways…sometimes we go down one way and come back the other. One route takes us east on I-10 to the exit for Route 83 to Sonoita. At Sonoita, we take Route 82 west to the park entrance. The other route is to take I-19 south from Tucson through Green Valley to Nogales, then 82 east to the park entrance. The I-19 is a little shorter perhaps, but we like the drive through the countryside in the Sonoita and Patagonia area. This trip we took the favored route through Sonoita. It’s only 75 miles to the park via this route, so it’s a relatively short tow.

We got out the drive about 11:00 AM on Friday. We had aimed at 10:30 AM, so we weren’t too late getting out, and being short drive we knew we’d be there in good time. This was Super Bowl Weekend and on the drive down, we suddenly realized that the last time we were in Patagonia, it was Super Bowl Weekend, 2008!  Yup.

                             That was the weekend we met our friend Chan there with his

                                  Bambi for a weekend, too. We remembered that there is very

                                    poor TV reception, spotty cell reception, and not that great

                                    of an internet connection with the air card in the Park as it

                                   sits low and is surrounded by hills … so we knew we’d be the

                                   last people on the planet to know how the Cardinals did 

                                      the Super Bowl. (Go Cardinals!) Last year we remembered that Chan had visited some birding friends in the Park who had satellite to watch the Bowl. We didn’t know anyone well enough to pull that off this trip, so we were just going to have to wait. But that was OK … we knew we could deal with that.

We got to the Park about 2:00 PM or so. It was a pleasant drive and we found several sites still open. We chose one we’d stayed in before, but with the small motor home we had prior to the Bambi. This was the first time in that site with a trailer. It’s also the site where Rig and Gigi from Maine were camped with their 19’ Bambi when we met them last year. So it has memories. It’s site #13 and sits at the far east end of the hookup loop near the hiking trail head. The site is quite small and requires a 90-degree maneuver to get into the campsite from the narrow road that is itself on a curve … definitely a site for short RVs!  And the Bambi fit the bill. With a little patience and a little back and forth to keep the truck in front of the Bambi we got into the site. It was dead-on level side-to-side, but had quite a steep decline back to front toward the road. In order to make the Bambi level front-to-back, the front end had to be pretty high off the slope toward the road and the back bumper was only inches from the ground. It felt like we were in one of those homes on stilts that you see in the coastal slopes of California. We had to use 5 leveler blocks under the front stabilizers so they could do their job without having to be overextended. The site’s main “living area” where the “patio” and Bambi sat was surrounded by a terrace of pavers with the fire pit and picnic table on the next terrace up … and our nearest neighbor situated above us on the hill. (The pictures below of our campsite will make this a little clearer.) It was a sweet site, all cozy and closed in … and in the Bambi with its panoramic front window, we faced the road and the lake. So we could watch people, boats and birds from the comfort of the trailer. We chose our “TropiCal” décor for the Bambi for this trip, which is also what will use when we go to the WBCCI Four Corners Unit Dead Horse 3 Rally in Cottonwood, AZ later this month … Its theme is “Luau Party” so “TropiCal” is perfect. Its one of the very first décors Greg made and it’s been a while since we’ve used it. It’s really quite wonderful.

We got to the campground in plenty of time to take the Girls for a couple of afternoon jaunts through the RV hookup section of the park. As usual, they were very excited to smell all the new smells and “spots of interest.” They are such joys, and they certainly don’t miss much. Most of the sites in this area have water and electricity, and there are a few tenting sites with water only sprinkled in here and there, mostly along the lake. Some of the sites on the lake where there is a steep bank have their picnic tables and fire rings down the bank via steps in cozy little spaces.

As the afternoon pressed on more and more RVs piled in and by late afternoon the hookup spots were pretty much taken, with lots of birders among them. Patagonia Lake is a quite popular birding destination. We guessed

that 75 percent, maybe more of the folks in the Park

were there to see the birds. The thing we liked most in

the bird area was the “gathering of the blackbirds” on

the power lines above the campground each evening

at dusk. (It’s a bit eerie, actually.) Then, as if silently

signaled by the “head blackbird” they rush off

together in a dark flock and a whoosh of wings. This happened several times each evening. (Disclaimer: we call them “blackbirds” but we are probably making bird watchers everywhere roll their eyes mutter, “You dummies … those aren’t “blackbirds” … they are ______! Any Cretan knows that!”  Where’s Chan when you need him? He’s our resident bird person!)

In early evening, Greg took the camera and headed up the trail near our site for a spell to see if he could spot some deer. He did, in fact, see several deer, some with fawns, up close and personal and a big ol’ jackrabbit that was so large that Greg at

                          first thought it was a fawn! Unfortunately, the battery in the camera

                               pooped out and none of the pictures he took of the deer came

                                 out … they ended up being just black pictures with a couple of

                                 shining eyes in them. He was really disappointed. So every

                                 evening from then on he went back to find the deer … and he

                                 never saw another one … just lots of big ol’ range cows and bulls (which on their own were quite impressive). Despite his disappointment, we had a very pleasant first night in camp, and were pleased that we had chosen Lake Patagonia for a getaway.

Saturday was a day of further exploration and reacquainting ourselves with the lay

of the land. The RV hookup area is at the east end of the park and east from the ranger station and entrance road. Below the ranger station toward the lake

there’s a large parking are with a small store with a gas pump, and a dump

station nearby. There is a very large tent and dry camping area between the

store/parking lot area and the lake. The dry camping sites are really quite nice

and we thought this would be a great place to practice our dry camping skills …

since there’s no real TV reception, it would make it easier on us! From the dry camping area you can see the beach and swimming area with some group

ramadas and day use areas, and the visitor’s center. The visitor center is quite

nice and staffed by several volunteers and park employees anxious to fill you in

on anything you want to know. There’s a relief table map of the area so you can

see the bigger picture and they even have some glass cages with Gila monster

lizard and a few snake specimens. We signed up for an hour-long pontoon boat

tour of the lower part of the lake near the dam for Sunday morning. There’s

another boat tour available of the upper lake where many of the bird sightings

take place.

West of the dry camping and visitor’s center is an inlet from the lake that is

home to a marina where you can buy fishing bait and rent small fishing boats

and paddle boats. There’s also a boat launch near the marina and a parking lot where boat trailers can be parked. At the mouth of the inlet is a wonderful arch footbridge that rises high over the marina lagoon to allow small sail boats to come and go. On the other side of the bridge and marina to the west is another large day use area with ramadas, rest rooms and lots of paths to explore. The park really does meander on forever, it seems. This is a long walk from our campsite for the Girls,

so later during our stay we drove over to the marina and beyond to take the Girls on another adventure and to cross the bridge … not a small chore for Sadie’s short

little legs!

We also drove into Patagonia on Saturday just to have a chance to take a closer look. We’d driven through Patagonia on our way to the Park, but had not stopped. It’s an interesting little town, and no doubt holds many treasures given time to explore. The main road goes through town, but there is a smaller street separated

from the main road by a grassy open area. We stopped at an art

gallery and an antique shop while we were there, and noticed a

fun-looking café in town. We also saw a highly polished

Airstream parked next to a house on main street. We’re

thinking the folks who own it must be friends of  our Tucson

Airstream friends, Rich & Eleanor … seems we remember them visiting some Airstreamers who were staying in Patagonia for a while. Greg wouldn’t let Terry go and knock on their door. (Just kidding ... he didn’t even suggest it!)

Saturday night we had our first campfire while we grilled pork chops …

mmm-mmm-good … and settled in for a quiet night and a movie. It had been

a good, full day.

Sunday was Super Bowl Sunday. We got roused out of bed early by a knock at the Bambi door. (Of course, Sadie vigorously announced the visitor, too.) It was one of the rangers coming to tell us that they had cancelled the Sunday morning pontoon boat tour we’d signed up for because the boat was having issues, and to return our fee. Bummer. We’ll have to make sure we do it the next time we’re there.

Some campers in the park took off so they’d be home in time for the big game. A few rigs came in during the afternoon but it was not full by any means. It was oddly quiet in the campground that afternoon … we assumed everyone was inside watching the game. We don’t have satellite, so it was just a regular day for us. We did run into a couple of gals in a Class A motor home from Washington. We’d seem them earlier

                            and Terry had wondered if they were the same ladies we’d seen and

                                briefly chatted with the last time we were here in 2008. Sure

                                 enough, they were the very same ladies … We looked familiar

                                  to them as well! They are Pam & Dana and their cutie cockapoo

                                Teagan from Port Townsend, Washington! Hi, Pam & Dana …

                                  Perhaps we’ll see you in Patagonia again next year!

In the afternoon we decided to drive into Nogales and look around. We’d been to Nogales several times, but usually just passing through either on our way to Nogales, Mexico with vistors or to Patagonia to camp. We haven’t been south of the border for some time. There’s a traveler’s advisory out currently because of recent kidnappings and murders due to the warring drug cartels … and besides, now you have to have a passport to leave the country and return. So it will probably be some time before we go south. Airsteaming friends from Tucson and Phoenx go down to Rocky Point off and on and are working on us to join them — and we used to tent camp on the Mexican beaches, but we are more cautious these days. Maybe oe of hese days we’ll feel more comfortabe with it. It’s too bad we even have to think about  the ramifications. (There are even some places in southern Arizona where it is unsafe to camp because of illegal border acativities. Backcountry camping in the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, in the southwest part of Arizona, for instance, is no longer permitted, though the developed campgrounds are still open.)

At any rate, we got the lay of the town which is, of course, right on the US/Mexico border. I-19 south from Tucson virtually takes you right to the border crossing. We thought we’d be able to go to a few shops, etc., but being Super Bowl Sunday, most of the places we wanted to stop at were closed. Oh well. So we headed back toward Lake Patagonia. Along the way is the Nogales Arizona Winery. We’d stopped there before and liked some of their wines, so we decided to stop again. They have free wine tasting, of course, and the atmosphere is very friendly and the place is filled with funky Mexican décor. The wine server was friendly and knowledgeable

about their wines, so after chatting with us a bit he recommended

some wines to taste. Frankly if you tasted everything available,

they might have to call you a cab! Greg slowed down on the wine

and had Terry do the tasting. By the time we were done Terry

decided that Greg should drive the rest of the way to the

campground. It was very good wine! We particularly liked the “White Burgundy” (if that makes any sense), which is sweet, fruity, and white. We decided on the White Burgundy, a couple of nice red wines and a desert wine to finish it off. That was fun. We’ve decided that the next time we are camping in the neighborhood with friends we’ll have to take them there. We know a few who would really enjoy this place! (You know who you are ... J, L&S!)

When we got back to the campground Greg took off to try to find his deer again while Terry built a fire. We were having hot dogs roasted on the campfire that evening. And wine, of course. In fact, Greg has asked the wine server earlier, “What goes with hotdogs?!” (He just laughed ... didn’t realize we were serious.)  We decided on a nice light red wine. Unfortunately, the deer were a no-show, but while Greg was gone a deer crossed the campsite across the road from ours near the trailhead. It made its way down to the lake for a drink and probably walked along the edge back into the woods. Greg was chagrinned that Terry had stayed in camp and spotted a deer while he’d taken a short hike and didn’t! But Greg had the camera, so there are no pictures of that one, either. We let the fire burn down and proceeded to roast the weenies. They were pretty good, too. Funny how a simply hot dog cooked over the open fire tastes so good ... especialy with a nice wine.

We had another quiet evening in camp. We had gotten a new neighbor above us that afternoon. There had been an older motor home with a couple of cowboys who had come on a weekend fishing trip. They said they didn’t catch much but they had a good time trying. They left Sunday morning and a birder lady in a small motor home took their place. Friends of hers were also staying in the park up the road from us. She walked around the general area around our camps for a while with her binoculars and we tried to keep Sadie from barking at her. Sadie did quiet down finally, presumably when she figured out that the lady was not really an intruder.

Because we were camped near the trailhead we had a steady stream of folks walking by our camp, either making their way to the trail or simply out for a walk around the campground. We got a lot of comments on the Bambi. Everybody really liked it, and some stopped to ask questions about how much it weighed, was it easy to tow … and of course, “Do they still make those?” We get that a lot. In fact we have a t-shirt with a Bambi on it with a caption that says, “Yes, they still make ’em.” A lot of fuss over

                    such a little thang! One couple driving by actually stopped, the guy

                        hopped out and came to the door and asked if he could peek in. We

                         are used to this so we are usually ready for unexpected company.

                         (Another reason to keep the Bambi “presentable.”) We lost count of

                          the comments, but the most we’ve ever had in one trip … it seemed like everyone who walked by felt complelled to stop and admire. There used to be a mentality that bigger is always better in the world of RVs but that may be changing between the economy and the cost of fuel. One guy with a humongous 5th wheel camped nearby said he was thinking about getting a small trailer for “shorter trips.”  The truth is that large units, besides sucking up fuel, make camping in some places difficult. That’s one thing we like about the Bambi … we can basically take it anywhere and not have to worry about fitting. Getting into our small campsite is a good example. Down the road from us a couple of guys in a spiffy mid-sized Class C motor home were there with a friend who had converted a utility trailer into a camping cabin affair (the other end of the spectrum). Pretty ingenious, really, but it was not self-contained and did not have heat or cooking capabilities as far as we could tell … it was basically a place to sleep and be out of the weather … tent camping on wheels, more or less.  They all thought our rig was especially handsome with its awnings all deployed ... and they liked the fact that we had the running lights on in the evenings. (We call them our “party lights.”) They thought that was pretty neat.

We had paid for camping through Sunday night, but we were clear to stay through Monday night if we wanted to. Monday morning we decided we needed one more day and night at Patagonia Lake before we went home, so Terry drove up to the ranger station and paid for another night. That morning, much to our surprise, rig after rig came into the park and by the middle of the afternoon the hookup section of the park was basically filled again. This is usually not the way it works … parks seem to thin out Sunday and Monday and then they start filling up on Thursday and Friday, depending on the season and what’s going on in the area. We were a little surprised that it was so filled by the end of the day Monday. We always call ahead to a park to see if they are busy and what the availability of sites is, just in case there’s something going on that we are not aware of.  It was like a whole new crowd of folks to see and chat with here and there.

We had a very pleasant day just winding down and taking it

easy. We are getting very good at that! Monday evening we

grilled steak and had a nice salad and fresh corn on the cob ...

and finished that bottle of wine we’d opened earlier. Nice

dinner. We also had another campfire, and for the first time

ever we used all the firewood we’d brought along. We sometimes don’t have a fire at all for one reason or another, and end up hauling the wood all over creation for nothing (like we did on our recent California trip). Not this time! We used it all, right down to the last stick.

Tuesday was our day to return home. As is the case when we stay at Arizona state parks, we don’t feel rushed because the check out time is 2:00 PM. We slept in a little and got the Girls fed and proceeded to break camp. We were still getting comments as we packed up the truck and got the Bambi ready for the road again! We left the park about 11:30 AM and decided to return home the same way we came …  east through Patagonia and north to I-10 from Sonoita. It’s about 75 miles all told. We were home and had the Bambi put away and unpacked by 2:00 PM, ready to plan our next adventure with AZBambi … on the road again.

Click on the Slide Show icon below for pics. You can also click on “Other Trips” below the pictures and go back to our last trip to Patagonia Lake State Park in January 2008 for more pictures of this area. We want to come back to Patagonia later in the year because we know it will be beautiful in a completely different way when the trees are in all their glory. See you down the road!