Sneaky national monument and another breakdown

The last time I was in this area, this road wasn’t paved. I was surprised to see what was once a long and washboard dirt road was now smooth asphalt. I was wondering why they would pave such a nondescript road, well outside the city proper when I saw the sign for Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument. What? There is no National Monument out here. Wrong! Obama declared this very area a monument in 2014… and he forgot to notify me. I would have dropped in earlier if I had known. Well that explains the newly paved roads.

Since the plan was to camp out here for the work week and to visit an Instagram-friend of Kerri (past nomads, now residing in Las Cruces) we would be camping inside the monument, allowing me to check off another National Park (my 112th) visited. The boondocking options are fairly limited out here, with much of the area blocked off as a wilderness study area. We did find a small dirt road that would accept us, and it even came with a beautiful view of the sun set and the city lights each night. And let me not forget the grand view on our opposite – of the mountains themselves.

Now, the last time Big Blue and I dropped in to Las Cruces back in 2012, I had a minor repair job to deal with. It wasn’t the first time actually, as in 2011 I had a previous minor breakdown (on this very road which is now paved) too. One might think that I would avoid Las Cruces after two mechanical issues in such close proximity, but I see it the other way. Thanks to Las Cruces each of the breakdowns were minor and easily resolved. Without the city, I’d have been helplessly stranded, miles and miles from a parts store. So, when Kerri wanted to come to Las Cruces , I told her the stories of my past visit, both as a warning and as reassurance. I’m sure she shrugged the prophecy off as mumbo-jumbo, but on Thursday evening as I attempted to re-position the van for best wind-blockage, Big Blue made a startling announcement…

The brake pedal sunk to the floor and the brake-light on the dash illuminated. As I peaked under the Big Blue’s kilt, it was clear to me what the problem was – the rear wheel cylinder gave out. It’s nothing major really. A $9 part and a few minutes of work to replace it, but without it we had no brakes to get to the parts store. Thankfully, Kerri’s IG-friends came to our rescue, delivering the parts when they came up to visit that night. We partied the night away with a bonfire and many absinthe frenzied laughter. I got to the repair the next morning and we rolled out the following day with the close of the work week upon us.