Monday, April 9
Patagonia Lake, as seen from the state park, Patagonia, Arizona
~ ~ ~
“I’m in the mood to go somewhere. Let’s take a drive down to Patagonia Lake.”
Reggie and Roger trot to the passenger door of the Perfect Tow Vehicle.
Reggie immediately lies on his back in the dirt, submissively waiting for me to lift him into his co-pilot seat.
“In you go, sweet boy.”
Next I lift the wiggling Roger.
“You know this means a new place to explore.”
At the western entrance/exit of Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, we turn left onto Route 83 and head south. (A right turn would take us to the checkpoint.)
At Sonoita we turn right.
Route 82 takes us southwest toward Patagonia, 12 miles away. I stop and get out to view a historical marker. It marks the location of Camp Crittenden.
~ ~ ~
“Camp Crittenden (1867-1873) —
“Named for Colonel Thomas L. Crittenden, who commanded the 32nd Infantry at the battles of Shiloh, Stone River, and Chickamauga during the Civil War, the fort was established on August 10, 1867. . . . to protect settlers in the Babocomar, Sonoita, and Santa Cruz Valleys, and saw much action during the Apache Wars especially between the years 1870 and 1871.” — legendsofamerica.com
(The Crittendens were active participants in American history: During the Civil War the Crittenden family included officers for both the Union and Confederate armies. In 1876 Colonel and Mrs. Crittenden lost a 22-year-old son at Little Big Horn.)
~ ~ ~
Before returning to the crew in the PTV . . .
“Oh, wildflowers!”
Usually I don’t amp up the color in my photos.
The sun, being very bright this morning, bleached out the color of the flowers. Later I edit to bring the blooms back to their true color.
Lovely . . . . I wonder what they are . . . .
“Okay, RVSue, this is supposed to be a post about Patagonia State Park. Get yourself on the road and drive, woman!”
(Who is this bossy person anyway?)
We reach the village of Patagonia.
It’s a perfect morning for a stroll around Patagonia.
I am tempted.
No, we’re going to the state park.
(See post of March 30, 2016: “Parking it in Patagonia, Arizona.”)
The nearer we get to Patagonia Lake State Park the more varied the vegetation from our grassy camp at Las Cienegas. Spring has arrived! Finally I see mesquite with leaves and there are flowers!
Majestic cottonwoods proudly display their new leaves along the curves of washes, while fairy dusters (left) swath the roadside slopes in dusty pink.
When we turn for the up-and-down ride to the state park, I pull over to photograph this bright mound. Do you know what it is? (Unfortunately the close-up of the blooms did not come out well.)
Approaching the entrance booth, I stop to contemplate the fees.
Well, I’m not paying $15 for day use. Five dollars would be okay. Fifteen, no.
I move the PTV forward to the booth and explain to the smiling man in uniform that I only want to look around.
“I won’t stay long. May I do that without paying a fee?”
He hands me a brochure and says, “Sure! Go ahead. That’s fine.”
“Thank you!”
From the brochure . . .
“Patagonia Lake State Park, established in 1975, is an ideal place to find whitetail deer roaming the hills and great blue heron walking the shoreline. The campground overlooks a 265-acre, man-made lake where anglers catch crappie, bass, bluegill, and catfish. Hikers can stroll along the beautiful creek trail and see a variety of birds such as the canyon towhee, Inca dove, vermilion flycatcher, elegant trogan, black vulture, and several species of hummingbirds.”
It would be nice to hike here. Too hot for that for us today . . . . Another time . . . .
We come to another sign.
“Guess what, my little Totos. We’re not at Las Cienegas anymore.”
Let’s see . . . Where to go?
“First we’ll look at the campsites and the beach.”
The paved road curves around to a city of recreational vehicles. The sites are neat and well-maintained, the tables are under shelters, and the surroundings are softened by mesquite in leaf.
The photo (below) shows an area less congested than others. (Notice the gentleman taking his waste for a morning stroll?)
People have several reasons to come to Patagonia Lake State Park.
The beach with manicured lawn leading down to it within walking distance of campsites is one reason.
“You see that pup out for a stroll with his people? Don’t worry, guys. You’ll get your chance, too.”
“It’s pretty here, isn’t it.”
“Okay, let’s go see what’s happening at the marina.”
A man and his Jack Russell terrier are bringing their boat up to the ramp where another man has the boat trailer waiting for them.
Beautiful dog living a beautiful life. I see Reggie in him.
That’s it for now, folks.
More about Patagonia Lake State Park in the next post!
rvsue
THANK YOU FOR VISITING MY BLOG!
To see a few of the products recently purchased by readers or to browse and shop, follow any of these links to Amazon:
Instant Pot
External CD Drive
Senior Small Breed Dog Food
Bamboo Digital Bathroom Scale
Women’s Leather Wristlet Clutch
Lightweight Stick Vacuum Cleaner
RVSue and her canine crew is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
