A Journey to Burro Mountain We’ll Never Forget
Looking Forward to Our Happy Place
There are certain places that simply feel like home.
For us, Burro Mountain Homestead is one of those places.
Every time we pull onto the property, we’re greeted by familiar faces, warm hugs, and genuine smiles that make us feel less like customers and more like family. Jim, Kay, Dewey, and everyone else have created something truly special there, and every visit reminds us why we keep coming back.
Sometimes I almost hesitate to tell people about Burro Mountain.
Not because I don’t want others to experience it, but because selfishly, I love that it still feels like one of Arizona and New Mexico‘s best-kept secrets.
Real people….Real hospitality….Real friendships.
Those things are becoming harder and harder to find.
Ready…Or So We Thought
We had only been home from Texas for about three days before it was time to leave again.
Since most of our camping gear was still in the motorhome, I convinced myself this trip would be much easier to prepare for.
I was wrong.
There always seems to be one more thing to pack.
One more item to load.
One more “almost ready.”
Even Caitlynn was dropped off earlier than planned so she could help us get organized before we left.
Like most teenagers, though, every time I asked if she was ready, the answer was exactly the same.
“Almost.”
Eventually, around 8:30 Friday evening, we looked at each other and admitted what we already knew.
We weren’t leaving that night.
Instead, we finished loading the RZR, secured everything for the night, backed the coach tightly against the garage, and headed to bed with alarms set for 4:00 a.m.
It wasn’t ideal…
But sometimes tomorrow is a better plan.
An Early Start
Four o’clock came much sooner than either of us wanted.
While Tracey made the final preparations outside, I was inside wrestling with another familiar RV adventure—technology.
Our DirecTV receiver had stopped working during our Texas trip, and despite installing the replacement receiver, I still couldn’t get it to cooperate.
After what felt like countless phone calls, resets, authorizations, and menu screens, we finally started seeing signs of progress.
Just as Tracey stepped into the coach ready to leave, I handed him the phone so he could finish with customer service while I locked up the house.
A few minutes later we were rolling down the driveway…
…and to our surprise, the in-motion satellite actually worked.
Not that we watch television while driving.
Well…
At least not the driver.
It was just nice knowing another item had been checked off the list.
Or so we thought.
A Beautiful Morning…Until It Wasn’t
Soon we met up with Scott and Kerri before continuing down the highway to meet Tim and Carrie.
Three rigs.
One destination.
Another adventure together.
Everything was going exactly as planned.
Until it wasn’t.
About an hour into the drive, Tracey quietly mentioned he couldn’t see Tim and Carrie’s Suburban behind us anymore.
At first, we weren’t concerned.
Maybe they’d slowed down.
Maybe traffic had separated us.
But after several more minutes, they were still nowhere in sight.
I sent a text.
No response.
I called.
Carrie answered.
I’ll never forget her voice.
Between sobs and broken sentences, I tried to understand what had happened.
All I could make out were fragments.
“…lost control…”
“…all over the road…”
“…God help us…”
“…the median…”
“…facing the wrong way…”
My heart sank.
At that moment, nothing else mattered except one question.
“Are you okay?”
Thankfully…
The answer was yes.
They were shaken.
Very shaken.
But they were alive.
We all agreed to regroup at the next Love’s Travel Stop.
A Story No One Could Fully Explain
Standing together in the parking lot, we slowly pieced together what had happened.
Even Tim struggled to remember the entire sequence.
He recalled the trailer beginning to sway.
Then seeing the concrete barrier rushing toward him.
He remembered turning the wheel.
Seeing his own trailer outside the driver’s window.
Feeling the Suburban and trailer jackknife.
Then somehow…
Everything stopped.
The Suburban sat in the median facing the wrong direction.
The Rhino had broken loose inside the trailer.
Cabinets had emptied themselves across the floor.
The trailer had even struck the side of the Suburban during the chaos.
Yet somehow…
No one was injured….No one else was involved…..No vehicles had collided.
Looking back, we still don’t know exactly what caused the accident.
Maybe another vehicle.
Maybe something else entirely.
We may never know.
What we do know is this.
God answered one very desperate prayer that morning.
Grateful Beyond Words
Once Tim and Carrie had a chance to settle their nerves, the mood slowly began to lighten.
The guys checked every inch of the trailer and Suburban while the dogs enjoyed another walk around the parking lot.
Remarkably, after re-centering the Rhino and securing everything again, the trailer appeared ready to continue.
I finally joked with Tim that he must have some incredible driving skills.
Thankfully…
Everyone laughed.
Sometimes laughter is exactly what your heart needs after fear.
Finally…Our Happy Place
The rest of the drive passed without incident.
As we climbed the familiar dirt road toward Burro Mountain, magazines slid off tables, things shifted inside the coach, and everything bounced exactly the way it always does on those last seven miles.
Oddly enough…
It felt comforting.
When we finally pulled into the office, Kay greeted us with her familiar smile.
“And here’s the Hayden group.”
Those five simple words made us smile.
Then Jim walked through the door, looked directly at me, and announced,
“You’re late!”
I laughed and apologized for missing the previous day’s arrival.
He claimed he’d spent the entire evening pouting because I hadn’t shown up.
Now that’s customer service.
Or maybe just friendship.
Either way…
It reminded us why this place has become so special to us.
Sometimes campgrounds become favorites because of the scenery.
Burro Mountain became one of ours because of the people.
And after the morning we’d experienced…
There wasn’t anywhere else we’d rather have ended up.