It’s time to go home. Steve has had enough of life on the road. I miss my friends and family, but I could spend another week or month traveling. We had a tornado delay in Oklahoma which goofed up my plans slightly. Now we are packing up, driving, setting up, sleeping, packing up, driving, setting up, sleeping for several days in a row. We still manage to find some fun stuff to do.
As much as I wanted to see a rodeo, Steve wanted to see a ghost town. I did the best I could to accommodate him. Tuesday, we went to Ingalls OK, the scene of a gun battle between the Dalton – Doolin Gang and a posse of lawmen. It’s one of the most infamous gun battles in Oklahoma. Most of the gang escaped. There’s a monument to 3 fallen U.S. Deputy Marshals and some old decrepit buildings. Also, a cemetery that has fallen into disrepair. We were both taken aback by the number of children’s graves. Back in the day life was tough. Many families lost multiple kids. Once again, I’m reminded how fortunate we are to benefit from healthcare advances.
Wednesday, we traveled to Lebanon Mo. After setting up camp we had enough time to go to the Uranus fudge factory. You can’t make this stuff up. Uranus is a shopping area that has a silly store, goofy museum, and food concessions. The store has a great deal of fun with their name and the fudge is delicious. That’s about all we did in Missouri because as I said Steve is ready to be home.
We spent a night in Illinois and then we drove through Indiana to Galena Ohio. The weather turned markedly colder the minute we got to Ohio. I would have been content to stay out West for another week or two. Just saying. Anyway, we continued on to Pennsylvania. We traveled all day in cold driving rain. It wasn’t fun. I’m not saying it’s Steve’s fault, but it kind of is. We hunkered down for a couple of days in cool drizzle. It was good to take a break from driving. Only one more stop in New York and we’ll be home. I’m planning our next trip already.
The drive from Big Bend NP to Carlsbad NM is a whole lotta nothing. Acres and acres of hard packed earth populated by waist high scruffy shrubs. Scenery? Well, there’s the Pecos oil fields. Oil derricks, electrical wires, and mobile homes for workers. Happily, things improved when we arrived in Carlsbad.
The entrance to the cavern
We spent a day at Carlsbad Caverns NP. Steve and I have toured caverns before, and they always have interesting formations. Carlsbad also has stalagmites and stalactites; however, the most impressive aspect is the enormity of the cavern. It’s a mile and a quarter hike down switchbacks, descending 750 feet. Then you arrive in the “Big Room.” The main chamber of the cavern is hugemongous (have fun with that spellcheck). There is a mile and a quarter trail that winds around formations of every description. It was captivating. We were both grateful for the elevator back to the surface.
After our subterranean adventure we were ready for some fresh air. We took a drive to Sitting Bull Falls, which was in the middle of nowhere. It’s a beautiful park with a short hike up to the falls. The falls weren’t roaring, more like a vigorous trickle. Still pretty and well worth the drive. I hiked to the top of the falls for a different perspective. Steve doesn’t get the whole hiking thing and I can’t explain it. I just love going up hills.
Sitting Bull Falls
That about does it for Carlsbad. We took in some of the local historical sites and of course went to bars and restaurants. On to Santa Fe.
If the drive to Carlsbad was a whole lotta nothing, then the drive to Santa Fe was a whole lotta more nothing (less nothing? Not sure how to say it). Miles of dusty fields swathed in shin high greenery interspersed with a couple of farms in the distance. After driving on flat land for few hours there is a rise. Not exactly a hill, just a couple of gentle terrain waves. Suddenly, the city of Santa Fe materializes out of the dessert. We’re staying in an RV Park in the city. I’ve never seen an RV park in a city before. We’re minutes from the downtown historic section and the Georgia O’Keefe museum.
Of course, we go to the Georgia O’Keefe museum first thing in the morning. I feel like I could have been friends with Ms. O’Keefe. She found respite and inspiration in nature. She loved plants. Large noisy gatherings made her uncomfortable. She enjoyed traveling. I feel a kinship with her. Her artwork is stunning. I guess that’s where the similarity between us ends. The museum and audio tour were great.
From the museum we strolled into the historic downtown which is lovely. Antique adobe buildings line a central plaza. We eat a delicious meal outside looking over the park. Beyond the plaza a large ornate Catholic Church is open for tourists. The inside walls and ceiling are stenciled with brightly colored borders and motifs. It is striking. In time, we wandered back to our vehicle and return to the campground.
Wednesday, we ventured out to Bandelier National Park. Have you ever heard of Bandelier NP? Me either. The landscape is similar to Big Bend, but different. Towering cliffs of soft stone are carved by wind and rain. It’s the soft stone that allowed the Pueblo people to carve caves out of the cliff face. Ancestral Pueblo dwellings are within an easy walk of the visitor center. I also hiked to the Alcove House; a cliff dwelling reached by climbing 140 feet up long wooden ladders. Steve wasn’t interested in that. Most of the sane people stayed on the ground.
While we were in the neighborhood we took a drive to Los Alamos. The Los Alamos Labs are an extensive complex of dozens of buildings. They must employ thousands of people. The town of Los Alamos is one of the nicest communities I have ever seen. No trash, no graffiti, beautiful parks, and historic buildings. Even the teenagers looked neat. I guess when you have a population of scientists, engineers, and government employees this is the result. If I move, I know where I want to live.
Reproduction of the original main gate
Well, its time to move on. The next stop is Clovis NM. Why Clovis? The answer might surprise you. Follow along to find out. Thanks for reading my silly little blog.
We drove into Big Bend under cool cloudy skies heavy with rain. Ironic. We’re entering the Chihuahuan desert and it’s the same weather we left in Mass. Before long the rain gave way to drizzle, then fog. Winding through the mountains on an unfamiliar road pulling a trailer through thick fog requires concentration. I’m glad to be driving. I would be more nervous as a passenger. (Steve can confirm, I’m a lousy passenger) Finally, we arrive at our campground “Road Runner RV Park.” Setting up camp goes smoothly. We’re getting the hang of this.
Monday, we head into the park and spend the day travelling on the Ross Maxwell scenic drive. The weather is splendid, still cool enough to wear jeans. The scenery is spectacular. Pictures can’t do it justice. The park is a vast panorama of jagged mountains, flat topped plateaus, and buttes. The land mass is over 800,000 acres. To my delight the cactus are blooming. Many stops are required for me to photograph the blossoms.
Mule Ears
Prickly Pear in bloom
From a distance
Remnants of pioneer days
We also visit the remnants of pioneer homes. I am amazed that people chose to settle in this harsh remote environment. I don’t know how they did it. It would be an arduous journey. When they arrived, they had to find water and food and build a shelter. One couple installed a wind driven well. They planted pecan and fig trees which still survive. They are supplied with well water to this day.
The following day we drove into the park to take in the dinosaur exhibit and the Chisos Basin. Many fossils have been discovered in Big Bend and they have an excellent roadside exhibit. The Chisos basin is an adventurous drive complete with hairpin turns and steep hills. Again, the scenery is indescribable. We also visited the grave of Nina Hannold, a 29-year-old mother of three. She died of Uremic poisoning (kidney failure) in 1911, probably brought on by dehydration. Once more I am stunned that anyone, let alone a couple with young children, would attempt to live here at that time. The temperature rises steadily throughout the day; it’s 90* by the time the sun sets.
View from Chisos Basin
Wednesday is river day. We spent the day paddling canoes on the Rio Grande. Sadly, the River is extremely low on water. We had a great trip and got to navigate through some minor rapids, but there is the only one traversable section of the river. In this part of the country the mighty Rio Grande is mostly dry creek bed. By the time we finished paddling at 2:00pm temperatures were soaring near 100*. We were glad to be done.
The Big Bend leg of our trip wrapped up Thursday with a drive to Big Bend Ranch State Park. We traveled on HWY FM 170 from Terlingua to Presidio. National Geographic rates this road one of the 10 most scenic in the US, with good reason. We made time for a short hike and lunch in Lajitas. Now it’s time to move on. See you in Carlsbad or maybe Santa Fe.
Our first foray into long haul camping is a success. We’re in Bethel Pa tonight, Buchanan Va tomorrow. I don’t want to get overconfident, but travel went well today. Once we got on the road things went smoothly. The days preceding not so much. Let I me tell you about that.
A few days before departure it snowed. 3 inches of slushy snow. Fun. Wednesday, I read an article that said if your camper tires are more than 5 years old, they’re no good. It doesn’t matter how they look they need to be replaced. I checked the date on our tires, 6-7 years old. I had visions of a blowout on the highway with us careening wildly off the side of the road. As soon as Steve walked through the door, I told him “WE HAVE TO REPLACE THE TRAILER TIRES!” He was thrilled. We had talked about replacing the tires months ago and both agreed they look fine. Now I’m in full panic mode. “Call the tire place, see if they can do it right away” I screeched. Steve’s a good guy so he went to the tire shop, ordered new tires and made an appointment for Friday. When he went to the shop Friday they had neglected to order the tires. Oh well. I guess the tires are fine.
Saturday we were busily packing. When the time came to load our nifty foldable E-bikes, I couldn’t find my key. I thought I had my key, but it didn’t fit. I had a mystery key. I always put keys in a small basket on the kitchen counter. Why isn’t my bike key there and what the heck is this brand new key that doesn’t fit anything? Now I go into frustrated panic mode. I don’t know where to look because I always put keys in the same place. You know, so I won’t lose them. I call locksmiths. They can’t make a key for an e-bike. I contact the company. There’s nothing they can do. Steve figured it out. I had dropped my bike key in the box for the bike lock. I mistakenly picked up the bike lock key and put it in the basket on the counter. What made him look in the bike lock box? I don’t know, but I’m glad he did. He’s pretty smart. We finished packing in cold drizzle.
Finally, the time came to hit the road. Sunday morning, we pull out of the driveway and travel 100 yards when we realize we don’t have the road atlas. Do we need the atlas? Not really. We have an RV GPS and our phones. We like the atlas, sometimes it’s handy to look at a paper map. So, Steve pulled over and I trotted back to the house. I discovered that we had left the garage door open so it’s just as well.
When we finally made it out of town, everything went fine. Only had to turn around once. We’ll get the hang of this camping thing. Chattanooga Tn is in our near future.
Thanks for following along on our adventure.
I can’t seem to upload photos. Tech issues. Photos at a later date.
