Pie Town, New Mexico

Pie Town has a cafe -The Daily Pie - and a free campground - Jackson Park. Most "campers" live in the park - aren't temporary visitors. Facilities are lacking for tenters! No gas, no motels in town.
BETH writes - Today was the day I had been waiting for since we reached New Mexico. At the day's end, after 31 miles of riding, we would be in the ever famous Pie Town. Guess what they are famous for - my favorite!!! The ride was fairly easy on dirt roads through Pinion Pine and grasslands. I had one divide crossing which, compared to all the others, was cake, or should I say pie. Mom and reached Pie Town early to a open cafe, lunch and PIE!!! I had apple, of course, and it was worth every bit of the 2200 miles to get here, for it. Although, the pie was not the most interesting part of the day. Pie Town has a free campground which is the home to many very interesting people, for at least parts of the year. As we rode in there was a wagon and donkey to the left, a man in his car to the right and various campers scattered around. The "Mule Man" was a hoot and a half. He is a Nez-Pirece Native who has traveled by donkey and wagon for the last 41 years teaching people about the use of many wild plants found in the southwest. He is now 85 years old with his bladder bag hanging on the outside and spends the summer in Pie Town awaiting their annual Pie Festival in September. The next character we met was Edith, an elderly women from Wisconsin. She was beautiful and the people in town call her the pink lady because she has a pink hat, nails and shirt. This poor women lost her husband in 1968 and all of her three kids by 1997 and spends her life traveling by RV and staying in free campgrounds. She was also here awaiting the Pie Festival. Finally, there was John and his dog Alice. John is in "limbo" and lives out of his car. He is an interesting fellow how has two sons and is good with computers. So the story goes on with warnings about others who "live" in the camp ground. Needless to say, Mom was worried and so we went to bed with our Bear Spray and Hammer!
JAN writes - Today seemed long, but we only went 31 miles. The dirt road was rough and it seemed very uninteresting. We were in high desert, with mountain ranges off in the distance. The last 10 miles were on paved roads. We arrived in Pie Town, NM in time for a late lunch and pie at the Town Cafe. It was a busy place!!! We were able to camp at the free town campground, Jackson Park. We soon realized that we were the only temporary campers in the place. Everyone else was living there. An interesting cast of characters, including a Nez Pierce Indian with his donkey. We sat in the car during the normal afternoon shower. We are both getting a lot of reading in!