Riverwalks: Wild and Domestic

Location: Mustang Island State Park, Gulf of Mexico, Texas

After a very noisy night in the desert (who knew birds chatted it up all night?) we went for an early morning bike ride on the Rio Grande Trail. After our experience yesterday, we had very low expectations. Wow! Were we wrong. The trail was a rough dirt and gravel road that took us through the desert. It was incredibly humid this morning, but the ride was so worth the destination.

 

 

It was overflowing with really colorful wildflowers including large swatches of black eyed susans, daisies, and numerous other flowering plants that I have no idea what they were. A trail sign warned us about snakes, but all we saw were lots of jack rabbits and bunnies crossing our paths.

We finally came out to the most amazing steep canyon overlooking both the Seminole Canyon and the Rio Grande. (Hello Mexico!). This was the view we kept expecting yesterday. Who knew we'd find it at this remote State Park campground. Here's Ned standing over the junction where both these rivers meet. This bike ride and view were definitely one of the highlights of our trip.

 

 

There was also a really cool pictograph found in one of the caves. We could see the cave across the canyon, but the only access to it was by boat and then a hike up some steps. Patty Clark I kept thinking about how much you'd love this! They think the nine foot long pictogaph named The Panther, was created by the Desert Archaic Culture 8900 - 1300 years ago.

After our wild nature ride we cleaned up and headed across Texas for San Antonio. We went through our second US Border Patrol inspection. Kinda nerve-racking. There are about 20 cameras on you and your car as you approach the inspection. Several border patrol officers with flak jackets and guns ask your country of citizenship. While this is going on, an officer with a dog is circling our van and sniffing all the wheel wells. Same procedure both times. No, I do not have a picture to document this. I was trying to stay under the radar so to speak. It was also interesting to watch the Border patrol pull three tires behind them on a dirt surface road paralleling our road. We saw this on multiple occasions. I think it's done to erase old footprints so they can see if any new activity has occurred. Such is life next to the Rio Grande. (See pic of Mexico across the way in lieu of scary para-military guys).

Once in San Antonio we did what any self-respecting tourista would do, we took in the Riverwalk. It's the complete antithesis of our river experience this morning. Feels more like we're in Disneyland with boat after boat of folks riding by as people eat on the banks of the river. It actually felt like the Pirates of the Caribbean restaurant experience as the boats puttered past.

Nevertheless, we had an amusing time strolling the Riverwalk and taking in all the people watching.

 

Yes, we had BBQ - hey it's Texas!

We did a stroll by the Alamo and I'm glad we had an opportunity to see it on a previous trip. Then everything was lowkey and it felt like a more authentic experience. Today, many of the surrounding streets were shut down, police were everywhere and there was a production-tech crew for the history channel setting up for a "Texas Rising" event to be broadcast on Memorial Day Weekend. What a zoo. Time to leave town and head for the Gulf!

We're camped at Mustang Island State Park in the Gulf of Mexico. You can tell they've had torrential rain here because half the campground is flooded out. We're parked in a long line of RV's on an ashphalt parking lot. The good news is we got the last campsite of the night and we're at the end of the line.

The first thing we did upon arrival was hop on our bikes and explore. The water is incredibly warm and it's so cool that the sand is packed reaaly hard so you can ride your bike right on the beach! Love this place!! Can't wait to run on the beach early tomorrow morning.

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Big Bend in our plans

Location: Seminole Canyon State Park, TX

Last night had one of the most amazing star studded skies I have ever seen. Turns out the MacDonald Observatory, known for the "Star Gazer" Radio Spot, is close by. We woke to beautiful skies and checked the weather for San Antonio. Mmmm - they are forecasting heavy rains and lots of lightening. Our original plan was to see LBJ's boyhood home and go through Fredericksburg. It didn't sound like much fun in torential rain and I'm loving this hot weather so we looked at the forecast in other places and saw that Big Bend National Park had great weather and wasn't too far out of our way. (What's a couple of hundred miles if you're driving about 10,000 miles on the trip?) Big Bend it is! The drive from Balmorhea to Big Bend was spectacular. Lots of wildflowers and green mountains. I was particularly impressed with the fields of blooming Torrey yucca. The mult-colored wildflowers with the mountains in the background made this a fun drive. What a pleasant surprise.

Big Bend National Park took us by surprise. I was expecting something along the lines of Death Valley with bleak big mountains. Instead we were greeted by tons more wildflowers, an incredible mountain range with long vistas, butterflies, birds and cicadas that were deafening. This place is a lot more buzzing than I thought. We stopped by the Visitor Center at Chisos Basin and talked with the ranger. Turns out that Big Bend has received more rain this year since 1986. They too are impressed with the wildflowers and greenery.

 

An interesting fact I learned about Big Bend is that it's a seasonal National Park, but opposite of the typical parks. Here their big season is in the winter. Most of the Visitor's Centers in the park are closed in the summer. Turns out they get very few visitors during the scorching months of the summer. The Lodge is circa 1950 and is nothing like the Great Lodges of the West/Pacific Northwest. It does have a nice view overlooking the valley though.

Here's Ned standing on the patio of the lodge with "The Window" (a view of the basin below) in the background.

We decided to keep exploring the park. Since we've seen the poor Rio Grande River struggling to stay alive in New Mexico we were curious what it looked like here. Our first stop in search of the Rio was Rio Grande Village. We drove around the campground, which was labeled as having river access, and no luck. Not to be deterred we drove to the Rio Grande Overlook. Donde esta el Rio?

 

 

 

Next stop in search of the Rio was Banquillas Crossing, which indeed is a U.S. Port of Entry. Here's a pic of the U.S. Port of Entry building with a Mexican village in the background. Donde esta el Rio?

Here's Ned hanging out with Winnie, scalding his hand while he waits for me to take the shot. Sorry babe, my bad. We're still in search of the Mighty Rio.

 

 

 

 

Next stop was the farthest point on the map. Finally, on a desolate road in 101 degrees "Ay Caramba, aqui esta El Rio!' (apologies to all my Spanish speaking friends for my lame attempts at Spanish). At Banquillas Canyon Overlook we finally spotted the mighty Rio. The river appeared to be 50 ft. across and easy to wade through. We were undewhelmed. I should say we only spotted about half a dozen cars on the road during this whole adventure. And yes, the Visitor Center at this location is in fact closed for the season.

 

We drove out of the park on the Eastern side headed for Marathon. Yikes, what a difference. This drive was incredibly more bleak, very flat and no flowers. Several hours later we crossed over the Pecos River, that feeds into the Rio Grande. At first glance it looks impressive, but it's very shallow and turns into a 10 ft. wide stream. We stopped at an unused U.S. Recreational Area to get a better look. There were several abandoned buildings with broken glass windows, a ghost campground, but a bathroom that still worked - sort of. This place was so creepy!

After a really long day, we finally arrived at Seminole Canyon Campground at 7:30. We're camped at the top of a hill that overlooks the desert and supposedly the Rio Grande. We just spoke with the campground host and she says there's a trail that will in fact take us to the Rio Grande. We have our sights set on that trail first thing tomorrow!

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Sizzlin' at the Cool Springs

Location: Balmorhea State Park, Texas

We were treated to an amazing lighting storm last night. We never did hear the thunder but fell asleep to bright flashes lighting up the interior of clouds and being flashed across the sky. Quite impressive over the vast desert landscape. This morning we drove throught the deserts of New Mexico into the vast arid Texas oil fields. The road we were traveling on was so remote it didn't even have one of those "Welcome to Texas" signs. I had a couple of little adventures planned, but we were so excited about getting to Balmorhea and playing in the cool springs that we decided to forge ahead.

This is our 3rd trip to Balmorhea and definitely one of our favorite places. Well to qualify that, one of our favorite places in west Texas. It never ceases to amaze us that this little oasis is situated in the middle of extremely dry country, in the middle of nowhere. Here's poor little Winnie baking in the sun while we go play in the water.

To give a little history, the Civilian Conservation Corps built Balmorhea State Park in the 1930's. They created a system of canals that feed the pool.

Balmorhea has the world's largest spring-fed swimming pool. More than 15 million gallons of water flow through the pool each day, gushing from the San Solomon Springs. The pool is up to 25 feet deep, covers 1.75 acres, and holds 3.5 million gallons of water. The temperature stays between 72 to 76 degrees. Several scuba divers were practicing in the natural area of the pool. One half of the pool has a conventional bottom and the other half is natural. There are tons of fish and turtles swimming around. It's so cool to swim between the fish and over the scuba divers.

Ned and I bought an underwater camera and some snorkeling gear for this trip. This was our first opportunity to test them out. Yes, we tested them by doing selfies in the water and goofing around taking pictures of each other rather than capturing too much of the wildlife.

 

 

 

 

I haven't quite figured out the underwater camera with my limited eyesight. But I'll keep working on it. Hopefully by the time we reach the Gulf we'll see Ned at his finest.

I loved that the fish were just swimming all around us, through our legs and under our arms. One of the fish was even nibbling on Ned. Who would have thought this little oasis existed in West Texas!

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Hanging with the Aliens

Location: Bottomless Lakes State Park, NM

What a difference a day makes! After an early morning run and breakfast in Winnie we headed for the spa area. We were the ONLY people there. Wowza. We had so much fun going from pool to pool sampling the different temperatures and water minerals (Soda, Lithium, Iron, Arsenic, etc.) and stretching our limbs. We even got in some laps in the Kiva pool. The shower and bathroom areas are equally luxurious. I had fun using ALL their products (locally crafted body washes, shampoo, conditioners, and desert rain & desert sage lotions). Yes, I am not taking any of this for granted since the rest of the trip we will most likely be showering in cinder block houses with navy nozzles that may or may not have hot water. Feast or famine...

We reluctantly pulled out of Ojo Caliente Spa mid-morning and headed for Santa Fe. Before we left Ned tried to make a phone call. Debi why isn't my call going through??? What can possibly be wrong?

After a drive through Santa Fe we headed for Southern New Mexico. Of course we had to stop at Cline's Corners. This wacky place is at the junction of Highways 40 and 285 and has been around since 1934. If you're passing through it's definitely worth a traveler's pit stop. It has a really expansive coffee shop, fudge counter (dad you know you want it!) and gift shop along with some of the best tchotches ever. Any cowboy or Southwestern themed item - they got it. Minerals and rocks - they got it. Shot glasses, snow globes, magnets from every state, MinneTonka shoes, boots, blankets and hats. Oh and did I mention toys of every kind, 50's memorabilia, Route 66 everything, and some things I didn't even understand - like the squeezable boob? Oh yeah, as we get closer to Roswell things just get weirder.

Once in Roswell what else is there to do but take in an alien exhibit? I had read about one of the weirder ones and figured we had to go. So, Spacewalk Exhibit here we come. The Spacewalk is wedged in the side of a funky little gift shop and and built by two comic book artists. It cost us $2 each, but we decided to pay the big bucks and take a walk through time. And so began our eerie spacewalk through the "machine" that shows Roswell's past and future. According to the creators, Roswell is the "epicenter of the future". "Moody, spacey music played as we groped our way past glowing dioramas of the first atomic explosion, the arrival of Roswell's aliens, and a September 1953 broadcast of I Love Lucy from Akron, Ohio. Of course we had a hoot snapping silly pictures of us pretending like we were being abducted or terrified from aliens.

One diorama showed a flying saucer landing on July 5, 1947 which is EXACTLY 4 years to the date before Ned was born. My question is....how long exactly does it take an alien to hatch? Mmmm...ever notice that Ned has an awfully big head? And is it just me or do they really have the same mannerisms? (Just sayin').

 

 

The Spacewalk followed 1953 with a vast leap of time (necessitated by lack of space according to the creator) onto the deck of a galactic cruiser, thousands of years in the future. Two steps away is another vista of a city in the far distant future. It might be Roswell, but also could just be a piece of "art" that the artist didn't know what to do with. We finally exited the spacewalk at the back end of the gift shop and had just as much fun looking at all the weird plastic green glo alien heads, tshirts, antenna headbands and bumper stickers. I couldn't resist and did end up buying a certain son a can of Alien Pate, with the tagline, "It tastes like chicken!"

Tonight we're camped just outside of Roswell at a very bleak desert campground, called Bottomless Lakes. The last time we camped here we were just about the only people in this God forsaken place, except for all the convicts that were picking up the garbage and cleaning the restrooms. This time we are here on a Friday night and all 30 sites are occupied. We toyed with the idea of swimming in the Bottomless Lake, but a thunderstorm just opened up. We decided it was much too fun to just sit back and enjoy the people watching (one of the campsites has about 20 girls ranging in age from about 8 to 13 who are a constant source of amusement) and the magical rainbow that popped up - then disappeared within minutes. It's a warm 80 degrees and the showers actually helped cool things down a bit.

psst - I'm definitely keeping an eye on Ned to see if he starts acting like it's a homecoming or he's bonding with some of the other aliens er "campers".

Help, help, help!!!

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Submersion in the Land of Enchantment

Location: Ojo Caliente, New Mexico

Last night we read aloud to each other the Navajo Code Talker book that we had picked up at the Indian Museum. It was so incredibly fascinating. I'm definitely hooked and now have a new obsession. (To my brother-in-law Eric, I think you'd love this book! Ned says you probably already read it, but I'm saving my copy for you.) Unlike the other nights where we went to bed early, we stayed up late reading chapter after chapter. We went to bed under starry skies and woke up to rain. What a surprise! During our last visit here we spent some time exploring many of the Indian sites. I swear that was our plan this morning, but instead of exploring in the rain we opted for the "al fresco" pancake breakfast. (mmm - I'm beginning to see a pattern here. Outing vs. eating and the eating seems to be winning out). Seriously, if you are ever at Mesa Verde National Park do NOT pass up the pancake breakfast, served outside next to incredible murals. The women who were flipping jacks were hilarious and seemed to be really enjoying feeding everyone. We were surrounded by Germans who clearly were enjoying the all-you-can-eat pancakes with bacon. Oh...these Americans.

It's really fun to be camped at the top of the mesa and the view coming down never disappoints. Don't know if the picture really captures it, but there are snow-capped mountains in the distance.

Since our last visit here a new Visit and Research Center was built. This place is amazing! It houses the gift shop, library and a research institute. The architect did a great job lining up the interior view lines with the mesa. Quite stunning.

 

 

I loved looking at the ancient pottery and seeing the shelves of archived old baskets and pottery through the windows of the research institute. We spent some time browsing through the bookstore and I picked up another Navajo Code Talker book. The main character's name is Ned, a Navajo. How could I possibly pass up this book?

The trip from Mesa Verde to Ojo Caliente is one of our favorite drives. It takes you through Durango along the foothills and a meandering stream dropping into Pagosa Springs. From there you drop down into New Mexico driving through colored canyons, among hoodos and mesas. We've done this drive about 3 or 4 times and have always managed to hit it in inclement weather - snow or rain. Still it never disappoints.

 

We finally arrived at one of our favorite places on earth - Ojo Caliente Hot Springs. We drove through the little wacky town of El Rito, which we can't quite get our head around. Not sure if it's an artist colony or just a funky dilapadated little hamlet. Either way it's an amusing place to drive through. When we eventually pulled into Ojo Caliente we were shocked to see lots of cars. Dang! Every time we have visited here (this is our third) we almost had the place to ourselves. Today it was packed. I think the word is out how magical this place is.

We are camped in our favorite spot and a short walk to the main spa area. If you're ever in Northern New Mexico I definitely recommend spending a day or night here. There are 7 pools, all differing temperatures from 89 degrees to 104. It's beautifully landscaped with indigenous plants, fireplaces burning sage or mesquite wood, hammocks strung everywhere and woo-woo music playing softly in the background. Everyone is supposed to talk in a whisper, but with this many people here today that was not quite happening.

Nevertheless, we enjoyed going from pool to pool, soaking our cares away (cares...really?) and even getting in some laps in the bigger kiva pool. Pure nirvana. Tonight we made reservations at the swanky restaurant. Last time here we sat next to Sam Shepperd. Kinda funny that we started our day eating an outside pancake breakfast with grubby campers and ending the evening with fellow spa relaxed patrons. Yes, submerged in the Land of Enchantment indeed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Navajo Nation Nomads

Location: Mesa Verde National Park

The sun woke me up early this morning, about 6:30. The air was so crisp it was calling for me do get my arse up and out for a run. (Fritzi, my running buddy. I so wish you were with me today!) It was by far my favorite run ever! The sun was just hitting the peaks of the sandstone cliffs, the campground was still quiet, and the best part was everything was flat. It was fun to watch the world wake up with the bright red cardinals flitting from tree to tree and the jack rabbits and squirrels running across the road.

 

After breakfast Ned and I did a bike ride on the Pa'rus Trail. It's going to be hard to top this bike ride as we rode through the canyon and along the Virgin River. We pretty much had the trail to ourselves. It's so interesting to watch how the sun and clouds play with the canyon walls. The canyon reminds me of something out of Jurassic Park.

The drive going east out of Zion is jaw-dropping beautiful. The road twists and turns as you climb out of the valley guaranteeing great views of the canyon from every angle. The tunnel, built in 1930, includes huge windows to not only provide light in the pitch black tunnel, but to also give you a momentary flash of the view below. On the other side of the park is Checkboard Mesa. Loved how the topography changes from the iron colored sandstone to more of a white rock with really intricate rock lines.

 

We interrupt this blog with a "Where's Waldo Moment." Can you find Debi in the picture?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our next destination was Page, Az. We had toyed with the idea of doing a photography tour through Antelope Valley. We arrived in Page at high noon and for whatever reason a Texas BBQ joint, "Big Johns" called out to us a bit more than the jeep ride into the canyon. We vowed next trip to do the tour. This Texas BBQ place was a hoot. There was a huge 30 ft. fifth wheel with a gigantic smoker on the back. The "restaurant" was actually more of a parking lot with picnic tables, smokers, flags, and a bucket of peanuts on every table. Who could resist? The waitress, from Texas of course, was a riot. She kept bringing us out samples (may I suggest the pulled pork?) and showed us pictures of her family back home. We told her we were headed to Texas next week and she gave us several tips on what we must see. The best part of traveling is the people you meet!

Knowing that we were going to drop down into Arizona and spend the majority of our drive today in the Navajo Nation I had done some research on things to see. Awhile ago, Ned and I had watched a PBS special on the Navajo Code Talkers. As luck would have it we were traveling through Kayenta, where some of the Code Talkers lived. The Burger King, yes THAT Burger King - home of the whopper - houses a really interesting Code Talkers Exhibit. It was kinda surreal to be in "museum viewing mode" with a tour bus of old people munching on burgers, shakes and fries. Across the parking lot was a small Navajo Museum which had some books on the Code Talkers. I picked one up and am really looking forward to reading it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We continued through the Navajo Nation, paralleling Monument Valley, finally reaching the "World Famous Four Corners." Unlike the last time we visited, there were very few people. Previously, we had to wait in line for quite awhile to take pictures. This time, we walked right up to the Four Corner Monument and had fun snapping silly pictures of us in different contortions. The picture that we opted to post is of both of us together, taken by a very friendly dad. Buy me a few drinks and I'll show you the other shots.

 

Last stop of the day was home for the night, Mesa Verde National Park. We pulled in around 5:30 and were excited to learn that they not only had showers, but they were free! Let's just say two days of running, hiking and biking without showers was a little too au naturale for me. Another added bonus, the park put in wifi accessible from our campsite. The weather continues to hold and it's a balmy 70 degrees this evening. Rather than doing any exploring of the park tonight we decided to hunker down, grill up some turkey breast, pour a glass of wine and chill out. Until tomorrow mon amis, cheers!

 

 

Posted with Blogsy