Cold Rain & Snow

Saturday December 13 2008
Gallup, NM

We arrived in Gallup, NM and then cruised the strip looking for a place to stay. Lots of hotels, but none reasonable or acceptable. So I made a command decision and picked a Days Inn. Not quite the Plaza, but very nice. I loved the trains running outside our door all night long. A real western US experience. We had dinner at El Sombrero. Filled with locals and Mexicans, so I figured we couldn’t go wrong (or not too wrong). Besides it was AAA recommended. Ttthhhhpppphhh! Basically, we have had better.

Left Turn, Clyde!

Sunday December 14 2008
Gallup, NM

Mother Nature finally caught up with us.

The day we were to leave Taos, the weather reports made it clear that heading north in to Colorado was not a good idea, so we headed back from whence we came: towards Albuquerque. I have been joking since the beginning of the trip that maybe taking a left turn at Albuquerque (a la Bugs Bunny) was what we really wanted to do. I didn't think it would come true.



And, of course, it didn't, because once we actually got there we took a right turn onto I-40 (which parallels some of old Route 66) and lit out for Gallup, New Mexico. Gallup is perhaps best known as a major stop for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe railroad. In fact, the motel where we stayed (a pretty nice Days Inn) had trains running all through the night just across the road--I really felt like I was out west.

In another time/chapter of my life, I actually took what was known as the Empire Builder from Red Wing, MN to Whitefish, MT. Although it was not a luxurious train ride, as depicted in the movies, or a spartan hitch a la Woody Guthrie, it did give me an unique experience of America, a view one does not get from an Interstate. Rule of Thumb: always take the road less traveled.

Sunday morning, we woke up to our car coated in ice and snow, and a slight chill at 27 F. After reading about the devastating ice storms in the northeast, I figured we got off pretty good. Regardless, the weather reports are having us change our route once again. After we leave Gallup, we're heading for Flagstaff, AZ and then south to Phoenix and then (maybe Tucson). I'm glad we have a little extra time and that the long legs of our trip are behind us. It gives us time to adjust our trip and stay out Mother Nature's way--at least for the most part.

The picture below gives you a really good idea of the route we've taken so far; and so far the weather's been great. Double click on image to get a bigger view.

A long, long time ago....

Friday December 12 2008
Taos, NM

So today we went out east of Taos to visit the oldest existing, occupied Pueblo community in the world. The main adobe structures were built in the earliest part of the millennium. Others have been built more recently, but do not detract from the village at all. Although a big part of the village is obviously geared towards tourists (like us) there are still very large parts, including the mountains in the background that, that are strictly off limits as sacred ground. Many of the natives live in the village and others live there part of the time and outside the rest. Kind of a time share arrangement. We also went to the Kit Carson Park for Mathew to play around and stretch his legs.

For dinner we went Taos Pizza Out Back (yes, it is actually out back). Not your typical pizza, they sell by the slice, or by the pie. The slices are the size of 2 1/2 NY slices and absolutely delicious. Mike had a Ranchero - Italian saugage, sun-dried tomatoes, smoked cheddar, green chili, & red onions; I (Debbie) had a Portabella - portabella mushrooms (of course), sun-dried tomatoes, red onions, & creamy gorgonzola sauce, yummy. Mathew made friends with the pie makers, and so they gave him some dough to play with. When Mathew created the pie shell they put sauce and cheese on it and baked it up for him. It was wonderful. Afterwards we rested up and prepared for the last legs of our journey.

Taos in a Tornado

Thursday December 11 2008
Taos, NM

We did not get a chance to see Taos coming in last night. So, we get up to a beautiful sunny, chilly day. We take it easy, make some breakfast, and head out into the world about noon. We stop in old town Taos to get Mathew a handcrafted leather belt from Alan’s friend at Letherwerks. Then we head up into the mountains to the Taos Ski Valley in the Carson National Forest; home of New Mexico’s tallest peak: Wheeler Peak 13,161 ft); down to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge; to see Alan’s old house (an earthship); and then finally for some grub. I have been hankering for Mexican food, and we sure got it at the Guadalajara Grill. Cameron a la diabla, fish tacos, Azteca Quesadilla, and a cheeseburger and fries. The guacamole was some of the best I have ever had. This will be our first Roadfood.com entry yippee! For some odd reason we are all really beat, so head back to Alan’s house and crash out for the evening. Sucks getting old. But, Mathew got to see The Phantom Menace and the old folks got to rest.

This is my newest road hobby: taking pictures of old junkers in the weeds. This is an old Studebaker.

White Sands, my butt! Where's the surf?

Wednesday December 10 2008
Alamogordo, NM--Taos, NM

We get up at Cloudcroft to beautiful day and head into Alamogordo to visit the New Mexico Space Hall of Fame and then the White Sands National Monument. The museum was, unlike the astronaut hall of fame in Florida, a bit more international and historical. It included displays about the all the different contributors to New Mexico's space programs (remember this is where it all started, really). In fact, the third space shuttle landing was in the White Sands. Plus, it had a display about the XPrize and the future of space travel--not just NASA funded projects. Then we went on to the White Sands National Monument. It is a very large beach in the middle of the desert. Only difference is there is no water. Like the Carslbad Caverns, the White Sands was truly awesome. We got out to play in the sands for a while--pretty easy given how hard packed they were before heading onto Taos.

We left Alamogordo, NM at about 2 pm in the afternoon. It was a lovely drive up 54 and across 380. But at about 4 pm we realized we were a long way from Taos. Not sure where we got messed up. All I can say is that we have that traveling brain now. The days mix together; no cell phone reception; occasional Wi-Fi; and we’re making it up as we go along. In San Antonio, NM we took some pictures of the most magnificent sunset (actually it was the reflection of the setting sun). I see where we got the purple mountains majesty from. Whew! Anyway, nighttime came upon us just as we hit I-25. And given our time, instead of hitting some roadfood in Bernalillo (just north of Albuquerque) we decided to make some snacks and take a bee-line for Taos, lest we get in too late. And so, we pass Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Espanola, and finally arrive in Taos at Debbie’s college friend, Alan Vetter's house around 8pm. We drink some wine, eat some cheese and quesadillas, and crash. We’ll spend a few days here and then on for the next to last leg of our journey.

PEACE

Tuesday December 9 2008

28^th Year and One Day Anniversary of the murder of John Lennon

Carlsbad Caverns, NM

I'm not quite sure why I forgot it, but I did. Yesterday was the 28th anniversary (infamous as it was) of the murder of John Lennon. I remember as a 17 year old punk watching Monday Night Football when Howard Cosell came on and reported that Lennon had been shot. I was shocked, as was the rest of the world. Beatles 65 was the first album I ever owned, soon followed by Let It Be. My life as a lost soul-rock and roller was cast. That's what really made today at Carlsbad Caverns such a trip: Mind Games. That and the wintry scene 750 feet above us: a bleak reminder that anything can change life at any time, so live life to its fullest, and enjoy shipmates, enjoy!

Whew, what a change in the weather. Yesterday, we arose to clear skies and warm temps. Today, it was raining and windy and 36 F…and by the time we left the motel it was snowing. All I can say is, boy do we know how to pick ‘em. Most National Parks are there because of the things you can do outside. Carlsbad Caverns is designed to do things inside a constant 56 F temperature cave, with no rain, snow or wind…and 750 ft below the surface of the Earth. The only bad thing about our timing is that the bats had all left for Mexico. Oh well, there’s always next time. But the caverns were magnificent. We went down through the natural entrance—1 mile down over 700 vertical feet along a windy trail—to the Big Room—an 8.2 acre cavernous room with tremendous subterranean structures. It is impossible to even begin to describe the caverns; and pictures belie the awe inspiring structures we saw. At another time, it could be a very spiritual experience. The things we saw, or thought we saw, in the structures betrayed our logic and reality. The millennia of history that lies lurking in the crevices and halls of the caves is awesome. Although ours was the self-guided tour, in the future it would be great to come back—after Mathew is older—to go on a ranger-guided spelunking adventure through less accessible parts of the cave. Since we’re reading the Lord of the Rings in the car, I discussed with Mathew how this could be very similar to the caves that Gollum lived in in the Misty Mountains, and where he met Bilbo.

The wintry weather we experienced was apparently a once a year occurrence, if that. The wind, as I said, was blowing 40-50 mph with snow (maybe 1/4”) being plastered on the cactus, ocotillo, and yucca, as well as ourselves. It was a great day to be below ground.

As we leave Carlsbad, the snow has stopped, but the wind has not. We’re headed north on New Mexico highway 285 towards Cloudcroft (east of White Sands National Monument) as the last stop before Taos.

Late News: We arrive in Cloudcroft, NM at the Cloudcroft Mountaintop Hostel at about 7PM with an air temp of 17 F and 4 inches of snow. At least the wind died down. More in the AM.....& more pictures of CC, too.

Peace, Just Imagine.....Mike, Debbie and Mathew.

And We Thought Florida was big!

Monday December 8 2008

Big Bend National Park, West Texas, USA

This morning we got up before sunrise in our tent in the Chisos Basin campground of Big Bend National Park—over 800,000 acres of pure wilderness. Land of the mountain lion and black bear. We ate a Spartan but tasty breakfast and headed down the trail to ‘The Window’. At a little over 5 miles round trip, Debbie wondered whether Mathew would be able to make it. However the first half was all downhill—a 980 foot vertical descent into a canyon paradise of pinyon pines, prickly pear cactus, orange skippillary butterflies, and scarab beetles. We even came upon water, a beautiful stream as we came to a slickrock entryway to the Window. So, what was the Window? It was a gap in the mountains that looked out over the Texas desert below—from 6000’ feet up. While perfectly safe from a distance, should one get too close, there’d be less to buy for Christmas. But we made it out. I promised Mathew I would carry him on my shoulders (and I did) up the steep parts. But let me tell you I don’t know how many four years olds could have made that journey as well as he did. He made his Mom & Pop proud.

After getting back to camp, we ate lunch, drank water, finished packing, and headed out. We headed out Texas Hwy 118 west from Big Bend and up through some incredible Rio Grande carved country. And, now, As I write this we’re traveling through a section of Texas just west of Marfa on Texas highway 90. Don’t know Marfa? Ever heard of James Dean? Elizabeth Taylor? The Movie ‘Giant’? Well, kiddies, Giant was filmed right there in Marfa. We just finished traveling some of the most magnificently rugged, desolate mountains of Texas’ Big Bend region and are now on our way to Carlsbad New Mexico for some bats.

Late News: Just when you thought you weren’t going to see anything but cactus and roadrunners, we happened upon a pecan orchard in Lobo Texas. Very windy!

More Late News: We’ve just crossed over I-10 onto Texas hwy 54 north at Van Horn Texas. Another hour and we’ll nearly be in New Mexico and Mountain Time Zone (set your clocks back kids!). Still no cell phone reception.

More More Late News: We enter New Mexico at 4261 miles with a temp of 57F. Although we THOUGHT we’d driven more in Texas than in Florida. Simple fact is that we probably drove about 7 miles FEWER.