It was a beautiful morning when we woke up at our private campsite in Box Canyon outside of Gila, New Mexico. The sun was shining and the autumn leaves on the trees were so pretty. If Francis did not have a work deadline we could have happily spent a couple of days there but alas we had no phone or internet signal so we had to move on.
We drove towards Reserve, New Mexico enjoying the scenery and the beautiful day. As we drove, we kept an eye out for a place to stop for coffee and breakfast and potential places to camp. I picked up a flyer with campground information when we stopped for gas. We did not find a place to stop until we got almost to the town of Reserve. We stopped in at Adobe Cafe and Bakery and we were glad we did. The food was great as were the Americanos and there were so many choices on the menu. We had huge breakfast burritos that were loaded with all kinds of vegetables. The service was incredible and our waitress had no problem with us taking up a table for several hours to use the wifi. In addition to the menu offerings, there are lots of yummy looking baked goods and local products for sale. The time passed quickly in the pleasant surroundings and before we knew it, it was time to find a home for the night.
After reviewing the camping options, we settled on Cosmic Campground in the Gila National Forest. It is designated as an International Night Sky Sanctuary so the night skies were supposed to be amazing and star parties are often held there. The only amenities listed were vault toilets and primitive fire rings but it was free and close by so that worked for us.
When we arrived, we were the only campers there so we took our time picking out a spot with a nice view. As we had expected, it was very bare bones but really pretty. We ended up staying for several days. Phone signal was good so Francis was able to keep up with his work. Only a few other campers came in so we had lots of privacy. There was plenty of open space for hiking and the sunsets and night skies were spectacular. Staying put in a free spot for several days is also great for the budget so it was a win all around.
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