City of Rocks
After leaving Benson, AZ. I came to another SKP park in Deming, NM. This town, like Benson is a railroad town and just about every 30 minutes a train rolls through. Occasionally a passenger train but more frequently a long train loaded with coal used to feed the power plants located out in the desert. Double decked container trains are the most common ones to see, the freight has to move constantly. If you are a light sleeper, the train whistles all night might bother you.
Took a nice drive up into the Gila National Forest which topped out at 8400 feet. It traveled through a few old mining towns where the mines are all closed. Makes you wonder what the folks there do for a living. On the way back to Deming there is a little state park, City of Rocks. This must have been where Barney Rubble lived. It is a huge jumble of large volcanic rocks sitting in the middle of the bare desert and now the home of many rattlesnakes.
South of Deming I visited another border town. Douglas which was the site of Poncho Villa’s raid on the USA in 1916. General Pershing was sent down there and chased Villa back into Mexico. This was the first mechanized US military action with vehicles and airplanes.
Summary:
Elks lodges -2
SKP Parks - 2
Public Parks - 2
National Parks - 2
