All Hat and No Cattle – Ponil Campground, Cimarron, NM 5/26

Woke up to warm sunshine spilling down on us – yes! It felt great to hang around the campsite for awhile and just really enjoy a hot summer morning. It’s seems like this has been the longest winter ever in Nevada City and I am so appreciating summertime. We had about an hour drive into Taos and were expecting a long drive through desert plains. Again, we were pleasantly surprised. We drove through green forested land that was populated with lush meadows, streams and lots of yellow wildflowers. We reached Taos in the late morning and decided the best way to take in this relatively small town was by bike. We had a great time riding around town and checking out the historic plaza, shops, Kit Carson museum and generally just the vibe of the place. I did manage to pick up a cute cowgirl hat and now consider myself blended in with the western scene. (See today’s pic). A couple of friends suggested we eat at Taos Out Back Pizza. It’s a cute little restaurant tucked behind a store, hence the name Out Back. It’s very relaxed with picnic tables scattered under cotton wood trees. We ordered the Taos Pizza – mushrooms, black olives, black beans, and green chilies. It was delish!! Thanks for the tip ladies! Our next stop was Cimarron about an hour from Taos. We thought that would be a good resting spot for the night. Unfortunately there are no State Parks in the area and any that are close by don’t have showers or electricity. Thus, here we are camped in possibly the worst ever (I am not kidding) mom and pop RV spot. Ned and I aren’t big fans of private RV parks anyway, but this one really does take the cake. (A big sign hangs in front of their home/office that says, “It Don’t Get No Gooder Than This.”) Some examples of this fine establishment: 1) the owner was still in her nightgown at 4:30 pm 2) She had blood running down her leg from a bite from her puppy whom we apparently startled when we drove up (She claims not many people ever drive in here – this should have been a clue for us, but we we’re not always the sharpest tools in the shed when on the road for awhile 3) there are signs posted everywhere for what you can’t do or will be charged – i.e. “you are allowed 10 KWH per day or you will be charged at the current rate of 14.5 cents, 4) there is a Wheels for Meals menu posted in the campground 5) the ladies bathroom has a sign that reads “Do not flush sanitary napkins down the toilet or an alarm will go off”. I was laughing so hard sitting there I didn’t think I could get up. The good news is, as promised on the internet(!), we have laundry, electric hook-up and free wifi!! Although we are only 6ft. from the Airstream trailer parked next to us, the door is padlocked and the owner appears to be nowhere in sight. Did I mention we are planning on a very early departure tomorrow morning? Destination – Beaver Dunes, Oklahoma panhandle. Oh yeah, baby.