Our views are of the distant mountains and the owner's quirky collection of old trucks and farm implements.
There is a 3/4 mile long trail around the campground and we enjoy walking it several times a day. Lewis behaves himself as a myriad of cottontails zoom across the path right in front of him.
One afternoon we took an "orienting" drive around the area and ended up at one of our favorite burger stands.....Shake Foundation. It is an order at the window, pick up at the other window kind of place with picnic tables outside. The sun was shining but those tables were in a direct line to the east wind so it was a chilly, nose running kind of lunch! No matter.
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| green chili cheeseburgers hiding under that mound of fresh cut fries! |
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| Chile Ristras swinging in the wind |
After lunch we decided to try and finish the loop we had started with MonaLiza and Steve. We took a Rt. 4 loop from the south following the winery lady's map but stopped just before Los Alamos. This time we left Santa Fe and headed in the opposite direction to close the loop.
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| pay no attention to the dirty windshield please |
We stopped at White Rock, thinking it was a formation and not a town. Wrong.
It's a town just outside Bandelier National Monument. It does have a beautiful overlook high over the Rio Grande River, however.
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| Dave points to a high, narrow waterfall in the canyon |
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| Rio Grande from above (I just discovered a way to get down to the river, I think) |
We didn't stop at Bandelier because we had been there before. After passing through the guard shack (and showing our ID) at the only way into Los Alamos we both decided we'd drive on through. The thought of visiting it's landmarks and visiting the Science Museum (think A-Bomb museum) left us feeling sad so we just continued on our way.
Another day we headed off into the surrounding high desert/National Forest to follow a dirt road I'd seen. Not much of interest on that road, however. We challenged our map/trail reading skills to stay on the correct forest road and watched a large group of faded looking Robins enjoying a deep puddle-rut in the road.
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| glad it was a dry day! |
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The road ended rather unceremoniously in a thick group of pinon pines so we turned around and followed our trail of bread crumbs home.
Today was NASCAR/football/laundry day. After some discussion I extended our stay here so we could roam the area a little more and then canceled next weeks already scheduled stops. With a little rearranging here and there I think we've got a plan for the rest of the year. It's good to be flexible!
Stay tuned.....
Oh, Santa Fe...you know how I love that magical place! I think it's still my favorite city, and I've never tired of it, even after many visits. I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with this time around. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteGood to see some sunshine:) Dave looks all bundled up. The wind and low humidity can make it quite chilly. Looks like lots of fun back road adventures. Santa Fe Skies is a nice RV Park. We've only stayed there once but loved our site and visit.
ReplyDeleteI am sooooo glad that you bought the JEEP ...totally perfect decision when I remember the roads you travel. It is a gem. And it keeps you safe over those nasty ruts and narrow passes. You guys are such trailblazers. Love you both. Stay safe, healthy and happy.
ReplyDeleteWe love Santa Fe Skies - both the park and the real thing!! We could still see ourselves landing in Santa Fe, it checks most of the boxes for us. Definitely have to try those green chili burgers! Cool and dry sounds heavenly - although we're pretty comfortable in Savannah.
ReplyDeleteSanta Fe is on our list for spring, so thanks for the tip on the RV park and I'm looking forward to learning more. It does seem like a town that a lot of people really enjoy, and even if it sucked, green chili cheeseburgers would make the whole thing worthwhile. :)
ReplyDeleteGlad you are having a good time (and I'm testing the comments dialog box!) - Walter
ReplyDeleteCindy is testing her comment box, too. But we're both thinking we should fly out to meet you for Thanksgiving. Will you still be in New Mexico? [Ok. That sounded fun. But Walter has to work, as usual. Maybe next year!?]
ReplyDeleteWhat stuck to my mind from being in that museum is the explanation why there is clumps of traffic on the freeway. I wished we had green chile burger when we were there, it will be a long time before we ever pass by NM.
ReplyDeleteI think your sunshine was shortlived, I just saw the band of rain that came from the southwest (Willa) and headed east. The good thing is we got out of Palo Duro just in time before it poured this morning.