Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge

Imagine packing your home in 30 minutes, driving 90 minutes, parking, unpacking and being in a place that has no people and is totally quiet?

Well, here we are in a wide open spaces of the wild, Wild West.  About 12 miles north of the Mexico border with only the birds, butterflies, border patrol and occasional illiegal drug runner nearby.  This place gets busier in other seasons,  like hunting season and holidays.

Entering on the north end from Tucson, we found an introductory kiosk with information about the refuge and a primitive map of campsite locations.   Campsites are identifiable spaces with campfire rings but no toilets or tables like you would find in a National Forest.  This is pure boondocking at its best.  We are self contained and set up for this so we hunted around and easily found a campsite, actually the first one we came to on the first dirt road on which we turned.  Hmm.  Might there be better ones further up the road?  Maybe, but no one else is here, we are 1/4 mile off the main drag, so to speak. (Main drag is a relative term, in this case meaning the blacktop highway that occasionally has a motor vehicle passing by once every hour or so).  My philosophy here is "a bird in the hand".  


This location offers 360 vistas, is elevated a little,  flat, wide open, so we pulled in, adjusted the direction and put down the levelers and slide outs.  What a view out the window.  Nothing to hook up today.  Full tanks of propane and fresh water, full fridge of yummy food, empty waste tanks so we are good to stay here for 5-7 days.  Elevation is 3700 ft (1000 ft higher than Tucson) so cooler.  Temps in the 70's and 40's rather than 80's and 50's this time of year.


While I set up the interior and putzed with things, Sraddha went in search of fire wood and found a bunch of leftovers nearby campsites.  Easy peasey, although we chose not to have a campfire last night due to the late time of day and we were pooped.  Had spent the morning at Desert museum while waiting for a package from Amazon to arrive then packing up.


This morning, we set up the solar panel to replenish the house batteries and now we are heading out to scope out the visitors center, then over to Arivaca to find wifi, then Tubac to meet Steve and Vicki for late lunch.  


The benefits of the wide open spaces but nearby to fun things.  How great is this.  
Bonus.  It is so so quiet here.  Our place in Tucson was great, however, set against the din of city traffic, and trains.  There is a marked difference.  We have our cell phones turned off and limited internet connection which is fine as we just sit outside meditating on the natural surroundings and enjoying the view. 


Today the weather changed a little with winds coming up.  




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