tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-132083282024-03-13T09:00:41.819-07:00Vacation (all I ever wanted)Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.comBlogger348125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-43732302151611341872023-11-25T15:57:00.000-08:002023-11-25T15:57:42.339-08:00Day TwoI woke up early with the plan that I would go for a run. Unfortunately, Fort Davis is so small that I ran out of town pretty fast, and had to get creative to do even thirty minutes. It was a nice morning to be out and about, though.<br /><br />Then it was time to pack and check out. <br /><br />Audrey recalled all the fun she had at the hotel and she said good-bye to her a new friend she made while she was here.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHRmVsQ931BBKhDzOP67AK-k6HWQBueghBQdzszyrQ8TXwcV6jAGZ3dfDKCUK1BLrsf4M7RHWLgWu_bIPE75bKQDSVio2ig3e92pty9SKB9uiK8SWr5OBjSQGm3mjQDRxYAaxqw/s1600/IMG_5249.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSHRmVsQ931BBKhDzOP67AK-k6HWQBueghBQdzszyrQ8TXwcV6jAGZ3dfDKCUK1BLrsf4M7RHWLgWu_bIPE75bKQDSVio2ig3e92pty9SKB9uiK8SWr5OBjSQGm3mjQDRxYAaxqw/s200/IMG_5249.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477590693534337682" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Then we were off toward Big Bend!<br /><br />Last year, Dan and I had scouted for acceptable campsites and settled on the Cottonwood near the Rio Grande as a good choice, so that was where we went first. We picked a site, and set up camp. Audrey helped pitch the tent.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgitaOKtHD7IkUWc3VE17jcpkChyphenhyphenNajF4p9oscfQliaXXiZRKrUtfMvnakWJ2FOfksyVzPah6TykGU-m_blQhyphenhyphenQMty1cvIw7EQk4T9jWDbyce_anLZbxV7A_81RFm0aGOn6-F2BHg/s1600/IMG_5255.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgitaOKtHD7IkUWc3VE17jcpkChyphenhyphenNajF4p9oscfQliaXXiZRKrUtfMvnakWJ2FOfksyVzPah6TykGU-m_blQhyphenhyphenQMty1cvIw7EQk4T9jWDbyce_anLZbxV7A_81RFm0aGOn6-F2BHg/s200/IMG_5255.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477591046109848850" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Then we set off to do some hiking. Since it was midday and hot, we decided to stick to short hikes, of no more than half an hour. Our first was Tuff Canyon. Audrey went along for the ride.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmZZGkTv82UQGQVycjmxyTFrwQQJcu3yVYbcW_XhqiPuoXYbQgmPMBhc_8b6zsSv3YaOe0uumpXySTMR2qEzBHNpWx24Fl01HOt4UlTuTPhP7pD3t7IpacXApIxZaH6LmrUhVWw/s1600/IMG_5260.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmZZGkTv82UQGQVycjmxyTFrwQQJcu3yVYbcW_XhqiPuoXYbQgmPMBhc_8b6zsSv3YaOe0uumpXySTMR2qEzBHNpWx24Fl01HOt4UlTuTPhP7pD3t7IpacXApIxZaH6LmrUhVWw/s200/IMG_5260.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477591373968203314" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We saw some amazing sights down in the ravine.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSk0L0KI7nRfbxLhfIu50FD9ng9cxWNJfVWHzBWqHjqkgHW6a_JPPI8rAsnSvDwr3kK_z_h-kvtvehsvIFmi8uABrrvSPCgL7kFOmVh2f-fWrka4Ptmn-ulwgEiORbS7ngfENc9Q/s1600/IMG_5266.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSk0L0KI7nRfbxLhfIu50FD9ng9cxWNJfVWHzBWqHjqkgHW6a_JPPI8rAsnSvDwr3kK_z_h-kvtvehsvIFmi8uABrrvSPCgL7kFOmVh2f-fWrka4Ptmn-ulwgEiORbS7ngfENc9Q/s200/IMG_5266.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477591677533302962" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Then, as we were heading toward the lookout point, Dan asked, "Where's Audrey?"<br /><br />"She's not back there?" I asked.<br /><br />Audrey was <i>gone</i>!<br /><br />We hurried back the way we had come and finally found her, alone and terrified, on the trail to the ravine.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUi10OAkivQjhzwlrfKgjO6ocOEpVYVZc79kGgprmlov19_aYGfCR6ToEj45kODqrXhhneu8jcWIwAYvGzOcpGcyuWoXQU0ubFj7ZagpZUGlwPmdYk286WPaHsulmiz1_PgD3ag/s1600/IMG_5267.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMUi10OAkivQjhzwlrfKgjO6ocOEpVYVZc79kGgprmlov19_aYGfCR6ToEj45kODqrXhhneu8jcWIwAYvGzOcpGcyuWoXQU0ubFj7ZagpZUGlwPmdYk286WPaHsulmiz1_PgD3ag/s200/IMG_5267.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477591927792877490" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We reassured her and apologized for losing her, then took her with us to the lookout point. She wasn't much interested, though. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCSYNcfHyj3b5XvhmckH5l-MsfPo3uBUyIRLBQqlAZrsgZbevvItvBygN2rHF2z-940smmnF7BfIy-Y7P9CIQgkaIS93xg4vhvMeY8VGQ8lTBroB46KRNCGSMNkGGae8fetwzdgA/s1600/IMG_5269.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCSYNcfHyj3b5XvhmckH5l-MsfPo3uBUyIRLBQqlAZrsgZbevvItvBygN2rHF2z-940smmnF7BfIy-Y7P9CIQgkaIS93xg4vhvMeY8VGQ8lTBroB46KRNCGSMNkGGae8fetwzdgA/s200/IMG_5269.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477592168421966994" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />She just wanted to get back to the truck so that's what we did. Then, to make up for all that she had been through, we took Audrey to the Castelon store where we gave her water...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzSsctDv_Zc6qUhZJxmv0feb5mKHT9wFoN3M_ImJBsumi9pDxXrVOSCHaYal4Prd57L1QJkV9VJxgM1X2IDVpNZ6W8oxRVNBUcjYQxmsVQvMJM7iLwlpp0aazun3uQajSseitLrQ/s1600/IMG_5272.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzSsctDv_Zc6qUhZJxmv0feb5mKHT9wFoN3M_ImJBsumi9pDxXrVOSCHaYal4Prd57L1QJkV9VJxgM1X2IDVpNZ6W8oxRVNBUcjYQxmsVQvMJM7iLwlpp0aazun3uQajSseitLrQ/s200/IMG_5272.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477592378474261266" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />...ice cream...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUpY-KMSY-rgaeODyxCmPtm-Ur-GBl4taHHBgHHEuGYRkZSLJl_ksFYqBLdjFumO3Imx-RvsuUCz2ANqt0fgNLtJdSs2jwY1O2qgqyc26ThMV8HdR48ecQG4-khDvSC7iDPwZQA/s1600/IMG_5270.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQUpY-KMSY-rgaeODyxCmPtm-Ur-GBl4taHHBgHHEuGYRkZSLJl_ksFYqBLdjFumO3Imx-RvsuUCz2ANqt0fgNLtJdSs2jwY1O2qgqyc26ThMV8HdR48ecQG4-khDvSC7iDPwZQA/s200/IMG_5270.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477592614083479186" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />and a popsicle.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhqUSUhWW3b9zNpKHsKB4Lcf0zLAfZkwJLptz5pEgFrtHKNpjCDQO73AHDd0_g53eQ8vcDQIWlusuSVaojUf_DNeuBg9WXGEb4loWTwufx-qQWFjSiFOemPXcy_Ar7jd2r_eYFg/s1600/IMG_5271.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFhqUSUhWW3b9zNpKHsKB4Lcf0zLAfZkwJLptz5pEgFrtHKNpjCDQO73AHDd0_g53eQ8vcDQIWlusuSVaojUf_DNeuBg9WXGEb4loWTwufx-qQWFjSiFOemPXcy_Ar7jd2r_eYFg/s200/IMG_5271.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477592790898403298" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />All was forgiven, but when Dan and I did our next hike, down on the Rio Grande, Audrey opted to stay in the truck. We didn't blame her, but she missed some great sights.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiWkB4yuvgt1syghxKm45yxn1juSJT9oUr8gxQ2JRzSKiJsuWoEYjfbHz5TfYkrnRWPfzHofbDU3_IH_qn9Sfd4TTzWL04TTY8Gm_JycjgNng_Cgn82j72gpMOJxaEQ8gT4pGhWw/s1600/IMG_5283.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiWkB4yuvgt1syghxKm45yxn1juSJT9oUr8gxQ2JRzSKiJsuWoEYjfbHz5TfYkrnRWPfzHofbDU3_IH_qn9Sfd4TTzWL04TTY8Gm_JycjgNng_Cgn82j72gpMOJxaEQ8gT4pGhWw/s200/IMG_5283.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477593085435990482" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE7p7ntpKE1a8IdApYeqLOr0XcR2EklfJGVDKKrk3lZse994iY3cUbq39ckfTIvFV4ZLUNrV0Yu9jzFk6a3Iex0V3mx4V4si-ed5K-O3KZ6yQ0ZqXcUTkDsxyateBMeGIm9pRYSw/s1600/IMG_5295.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE7p7ntpKE1a8IdApYeqLOr0XcR2EklfJGVDKKrk3lZse994iY3cUbq39ckfTIvFV4ZLUNrV0Yu9jzFk6a3Iex0V3mx4V4si-ed5K-O3KZ6yQ0ZqXcUTkDsxyateBMeGIm9pRYSw/s200/IMG_5295.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477593418757066194" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUBjkLxAzX-7O-kadvDHBhzfUqis5pqL7j5q0caLONcWAtrBT2mJLYlQFUTT_IIe5tFAyt_gIjyOxerZx2_kMpdHzqwBx5TRwhbRm6VjFO75mFY1bmYxFoIG1QoZEfPVrDVF9nQ/s1600/IMG_5289.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAUBjkLxAzX-7O-kadvDHBhzfUqis5pqL7j5q0caLONcWAtrBT2mJLYlQFUTT_IIe5tFAyt_gIjyOxerZx2_kMpdHzqwBx5TRwhbRm6VjFO75mFY1bmYxFoIG1QoZEfPVrDVF9nQ/s200/IMG_5289.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477593674968267970" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />After the hike, we returned to our campsite, where Dan played some Frisbee with the guys in a nearby site, and I read a book about ghost towns of New Mexico. After awhile, a bus and some vans pulled in, with "Los Diablos Fire Crew" painted on the sides of their vehicles. We had seen these guys earlier overseeing a controlled burn, which was interesting to watch. They sure had their camping system down - pull in, clean their equipment, eat, then pitch their little identical tents and start snoring.<br /><br />By now it was late and Dan and I were exhausted. I tried to stay up and read for awhile, but too many gnats were attracted to my light. I finally gave up and went to bed.Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-70340795800667932402010-06-11T21:33:00.000-07:002010-06-11T21:36:36.715-07:00Home!Not much to say about it...we got up early and had a long drive in to Houston from Wichita Falls. We found Cadbury in a snit, but he got over it. Our house sitter had left the place as clean as he found it, which was an unanticipated blessing, and we're basically exhausted.<br /><br />I'll soon post some photos that didn't fit with previous vacation posts or that I simply didn't have time for, given how dicey my internet connection often was.Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-48936326019840672202010-06-10T20:18:00.000-07:002010-09-05T13:05:24.168-07:00Day ThirteenI got up early and went for a run in town, then Dan and I packed up and went for breakfast at a little place up the street. I had huevos rancheros and Dan had scrambled eggs and chorizo. I think it was the first heavy breakfast we've had on this trip.<br /><br />Then, since it seemed we had time to spare, we drove an hour to Santa Rosa to check out their car museum.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzLP3lWq7KUr6AFjGk135uudS5AWVhyphenhyphenK2iH3MT-m0BFsZG-5TzF_6XkQnZR1L6n0bA4hSbGW3-aHecArSPalKFWqH8HDgjSoySIv2t_EyM2rl_HRvLHoNaWOFhzfjT3GdZA_t5A/s1600/IMG_5525.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzLP3lWq7KUr6AFjGk135uudS5AWVhyphenhyphenK2iH3MT-m0BFsZG-5TzF_6XkQnZR1L6n0bA4hSbGW3-aHecArSPalKFWqH8HDgjSoySIv2t_EyM2rl_HRvLHoNaWOFhzfjT3GdZA_t5A/s200/IMG_5525.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481352003103897250" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9gsGK_ZTjVEgDKLfQhwNZiaq9nsiuhUZicfyVoNsodbehqhaKTUDRzPSMpYYjqZMJnZrhniGauk_xktsf3-aCvEmIwFo31HY8IRVF4dZM-z5Vg2_F-VDyEYUblzi9PwyUJTJZnA/s1600/IMG_5526.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9gsGK_ZTjVEgDKLfQhwNZiaq9nsiuhUZicfyVoNsodbehqhaKTUDRzPSMpYYjqZMJnZrhniGauk_xktsf3-aCvEmIwFo31HY8IRVF4dZM-z5Vg2_F-VDyEYUblzi9PwyUJTJZnA/s200/IMG_5526.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481352213708628082" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bEo3FDwlMN5cVYQid-BeHG3N1Eu7dRSv4O5KfNWMOwkM-GYK_ylUg4f4PXzmOv5VpHUMB_d2VrfNFlNiv-aheCi_WlAZeJHFDCkPrxbVtuYNE973CQnufV0xxRhoiOEfe5Xu1w/s1600/IMG_5529.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bEo3FDwlMN5cVYQid-BeHG3N1Eu7dRSv4O5KfNWMOwkM-GYK_ylUg4f4PXzmOv5VpHUMB_d2VrfNFlNiv-aheCi_WlAZeJHFDCkPrxbVtuYNE973CQnufV0xxRhoiOEfe5Xu1w/s200/IMG_5529.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481352404453440130" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Then we took some pictures of the ghost town of Cuervo.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYs6fJ0lghHF4eMxaznoEuDIUV-qBuHhufI2tlEhzi5TVU184QkHdMoJqZyo8jT5K-_ASGS2wJpw5fxIyrcIn1ycDdY5JOvce_JoJmQma31vC2NhGoovYAf7R1y7dEpGDhQR7Z7g/s1600/IMG_5536.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYs6fJ0lghHF4eMxaznoEuDIUV-qBuHhufI2tlEhzi5TVU184QkHdMoJqZyo8jT5K-_ASGS2wJpw5fxIyrcIn1ycDdY5JOvce_JoJmQma31vC2NhGoovYAf7R1y7dEpGDhQR7Z7g/s200/IMG_5536.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481355096439432530" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrRSXoZ7-pZ-DFldpXBtVqMl2YYvOdMQlEBB9iXE9gy8FwiUa2s_ZYsBTp9PR199FAtFLpXWLARE3e_XvOpekfp1U_NcSp41Neipis2d7hWcKGamGQHaT0PKHEEDtpieHDx1ZPA/s1600/IMG_5540.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKrRSXoZ7-pZ-DFldpXBtVqMl2YYvOdMQlEBB9iXE9gy8FwiUa2s_ZYsBTp9PR199FAtFLpXWLARE3e_XvOpekfp1U_NcSp41Neipis2d7hWcKGamGQHaT0PKHEEDtpieHDx1ZPA/s200/IMG_5540.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481355382800120466" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />After that, the day was pretty much road trip east toward home.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDCk1l27ynYIwk9sf6neNlOcb2cSTTrWBAXXvsz2bRUm7xnYfsgTJNHyfypX3qAt4tyHz9ixpBimdp8h9wKApve6Gh_vv9bFtbflajsvKN9IsFEGyKZuvsXrulnSTGEn7fES6sA/s1600/IMG_5548.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDCk1l27ynYIwk9sf6neNlOcb2cSTTrWBAXXvsz2bRUm7xnYfsgTJNHyfypX3qAt4tyHz9ixpBimdp8h9wKApve6Gh_vv9bFtbflajsvKN9IsFEGyKZuvsXrulnSTGEn7fES6sA/s200/IMG_5548.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481353019791234498" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br />We had lunch at the Midpoint Cafe, which is the exact mid point along historic Route 66.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicLcfLDaP_biyNt6ueIyQzVEWtpDFy0W8NGuVmRkfdZiJ4Ua8g9lovl51reiSBhD4ah0FRAFN0UEyZhxblCOE1rJBsjVTVjyFnMmjEugUC_NCypFzS1sinMlqzbNGn5nOUQaDgQ/s1600/IMG_5546.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgicLcfLDaP_biyNt6ueIyQzVEWtpDFy0W8NGuVmRkfdZiJ4Ua8g9lovl51reiSBhD4ah0FRAFN0UEyZhxblCOE1rJBsjVTVjyFnMmjEugUC_NCypFzS1sinMlqzbNGn5nOUQaDgQ/s200/IMG_5546.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481352607005214018" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And at a rest stop in the Panhandle, Audrey enjoyed the landscaping...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1chDiuEZ7uLHJZLp1kV39tohqylP5MJYoeZLv4cRo9AeCmw6_BhU0SG9jkNkAEUITi0XMzLVoU2pvkUFII6WSf6ac2QA0tbgkiIKbbjk5zUjI5VzAxGElAem3y9EgtiHA23pqwA/s1600/IMG_5551.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 136px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1chDiuEZ7uLHJZLp1kV39tohqylP5MJYoeZLv4cRo9AeCmw6_BhU0SG9jkNkAEUITi0XMzLVoU2pvkUFII6WSf6ac2QA0tbgkiIKbbjk5zUjI5VzAxGElAem3y9EgtiHA23pqwA/s200/IMG_5551.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481353552762686162" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />...and played on the playground.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcyjTio9r1N8rLCpGfVH76_3OcOr6g5qslA_FSz9cKI8ObbH5MdvZsIhKMhdBVJ1fhOhpcweuo7uC0wxkkrKpeGxAsgJEqB7FJXUMSq1eNDQrwC7sBmBGc9GV_4hExWM0rYbCTcA/s1600/IMG_5553.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcyjTio9r1N8rLCpGfVH76_3OcOr6g5qslA_FSz9cKI8ObbH5MdvZsIhKMhdBVJ1fhOhpcweuo7uC0wxkkrKpeGxAsgJEqB7FJXUMSq1eNDQrwC7sBmBGc9GV_4hExWM0rYbCTcA/s200/IMG_5553.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481353334641312530" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Until I realized that not only were no pets allowed on the playground, but there were also snakes!<br /> <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHFozPYvDNRtPStjyQ_z-YMDkJDjc2i-YncstIjBYxVw6Jmk9nShHfuqFDlYu2tYSvOAoTxs3FRYFPvTLdFgzWWfIccTMiqBCuHbFKhFkqw3F-Y7yZyf0JLHUAb__OekGvSucXA/s1600/IMG_5552.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDHFozPYvDNRtPStjyQ_z-YMDkJDjc2i-YncstIjBYxVw6Jmk9nShHfuqFDlYu2tYSvOAoTxs3FRYFPvTLdFgzWWfIccTMiqBCuHbFKhFkqw3F-Y7yZyf0JLHUAb__OekGvSucXA/s200/IMG_5552.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481353900875427346" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Needless to say, I bundled Audrey back into the car and made her behave for the rest of our trip.<br /><br />We had planned to stay the night in Fort Worth or Dallas, but were so worn out by the time we hit Wichita Falls that we found a Holiday Inn and called it a night. To keep her out of trouble, I told Audrey to watch TV.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhviJGRo4hC1qBasEB0wjddGSFAdsq8n154prfRvgFV6bPHCr-w7iN0SlvwUs9GMBxvfqa9a8Q0NLRqRLThyphenhyphenL7GreeCJolGj6-SVJMeOKgRItBn-C6vG0NhLzFB453r1-a5Ja4xBw/s1600/IMG_5554.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhviJGRo4hC1qBasEB0wjddGSFAdsq8n154prfRvgFV6bPHCr-w7iN0SlvwUs9GMBxvfqa9a8Q0NLRqRLThyphenhyphenL7GreeCJolGj6-SVJMeOKgRItBn-C6vG0NhLzFB453r1-a5Ja4xBw/s200/IMG_5554.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481354427265868978" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We'll be home tomorrow. I talked to the housesitter tonight, and he says Cadbury misses me.Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-23972987856809002372010-06-10T19:43:00.000-07:002010-06-10T20:18:33.910-07:00Day TwelveWhen I got up and found Dan was no more sick than I was, I couldn't decide whether to be relieved or furious. I went for a morning run and grabbed a cup of coffee on the way back to our room. I noticed Dan showed no interest in going back to where we had been the night before, even though he knew that there was a ghost town in that area that I had wanted to see again for several years. So I decided to be angry with Dan for all this panicky illness bit, and we drove in near total silence all the way to Tucumcari.<br /><br />We got there at around 1:30, only to find that the owners of the Blue Swallow were temporarily out. To pass the time, we went to the local museum, which Audrey thoroughly enjoyed...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwVrljFYaxM4EvHJHJhKaR5xfIY8ORu4OWKhGbMrWMLM7NbsuRKKm3eIupUAM0eUhrdICndq8gRSyisiaSUbpTTjhDT6Ej5xk0MbJ3cZff83yQwTkETpCd_vjgHUMpLtdttvWZqg/s1600/IMG_5464.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwVrljFYaxM4EvHJHJhKaR5xfIY8ORu4OWKhGbMrWMLM7NbsuRKKm3eIupUAM0eUhrdICndq8gRSyisiaSUbpTTjhDT6Ej5xk0MbJ3cZff83yQwTkETpCd_vjgHUMpLtdttvWZqg/s200/IMG_5464.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481349730287298818" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6I-lHCOjHNXf_6W0vCqJrEd_SaBKPN48U_qducgsR0Io4liK9RpMZyTrGMi8GcExhEujg3TO6eMmWqwgJAfgoD6e30yCcvuE4Vsrh4h55XmrRemzEFoRiHVziXLmmsLPpsJE9g/s1600/IMG_5460.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6I-lHCOjHNXf_6W0vCqJrEd_SaBKPN48U_qducgsR0Io4liK9RpMZyTrGMi8GcExhEujg3TO6eMmWqwgJAfgoD6e30yCcvuE4Vsrh4h55XmrRemzEFoRiHVziXLmmsLPpsJE9g/s200/IMG_5460.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481346850094529874" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49-NLaUE1w3RsMhoiEW4xN25z-VgcfEt90HpKDZQHzYlzkEYXEwsKueUkEfVoWBdcdThM7__iaZwIRBj0pEpklffSxEGl1CmQU3Wvnsw0FB3xLCIsQuPvqvdAjAhATZXZY0EgOg/s1600/IMG_5446.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49-NLaUE1w3RsMhoiEW4xN25z-VgcfEt90HpKDZQHzYlzkEYXEwsKueUkEfVoWBdcdThM7__iaZwIRBj0pEpklffSxEGl1CmQU3Wvnsw0FB3xLCIsQuPvqvdAjAhATZXZY0EgOg/s200/IMG_5446.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481341885601646738" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />When she wasn't scaring us and herself half to death...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyA0v52Yzt5zWgCJnEqtjyH6fvEluy5pErqHrgMcPrGnsK6MpRFpeOu749c-frmemxB93VYdfl38H2sRaLdW9ePCBoYk-i2VKbvjOQYHCCII29S19cLNL-qJWEeJbtrO3UTyMqg/s1600/IMG_5447.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyA0v52Yzt5zWgCJnEqtjyH6fvEluy5pErqHrgMcPrGnsK6MpRFpeOu749c-frmemxB93VYdfl38H2sRaLdW9ePCBoYk-i2VKbvjOQYHCCII29S19cLNL-qJWEeJbtrO3UTyMqg/s200/IMG_5447.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481345846100229858" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8xN5FktdoW9WPd_vIm06Sma0UkIoKzeti2UvWfcZ_LJAN1O5UDnhIa_tIGMTsyCdK6ZdZz-vIPH8IyXec0V65k7Bk_m7A6u0De4J6eelhngAl76UyeCul_U98Fd3wgse-wmU4Q/s1600/IMG_5462.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 163px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN8xN5FktdoW9WPd_vIm06Sma0UkIoKzeti2UvWfcZ_LJAN1O5UDnhIa_tIGMTsyCdK6ZdZz-vIPH8IyXec0V65k7Bk_m7A6u0De4J6eelhngAl76UyeCul_U98Fd3wgse-wmU4Q/s200/IMG_5462.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481344947211519330" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7pkXTmepnmc013nZcUM7k8-sOQkeXrcyEOlaRHwbJeVsL7-pHC343fAwRMMNR-lCjmuIjkOc7Livnb12N0CR5vpbw_n3lPiy7fiEQMg0aaVeqwWo0TF7_vJsBxsnTl6b0e9jAQ/s1600/IMG_5453.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 182px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7pkXTmepnmc013nZcUM7k8-sOQkeXrcyEOlaRHwbJeVsL7-pHC343fAwRMMNR-lCjmuIjkOc7Livnb12N0CR5vpbw_n3lPiy7fiEQMg0aaVeqwWo0TF7_vJsBxsnTl6b0e9jAQ/s200/IMG_5453.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481344701747729634" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />By the time we could get checked in at the motel, Dan and I were on speaking terms again, so while Audrey cleaned up...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR6L0WyqpOYcyTeWQolpMLfFL-eGtrJ32dx8rbB63yvW5KIIcqE_qzYsjYTgXwKixBA597-jXMlz8ybGILmPJE5wctyWni0Hs4fu9bb2YluvYR2z7DPksd_UucDZ8ArEJlRrr_Eg/s1600/IMG_5466.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR6L0WyqpOYcyTeWQolpMLfFL-eGtrJ32dx8rbB63yvW5KIIcqE_qzYsjYTgXwKixBA597-jXMlz8ybGILmPJE5wctyWni0Hs4fu9bb2YluvYR2z7DPksd_UucDZ8ArEJlRrr_Eg/s200/IMG_5466.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481343988536966962" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />...and made a few phone calls on the old-fashioned rotary phone...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwqc0c_mkAG_blEubdvLqpCliZoKgOPcnoSp5nYkPxRSSoej3bbFLoUt17Mcscrfl6pmYw2PUxJoHgEhC0CoYGff2NEMLpohhvioAcgvrHtokck-cNZV_67HJAvvBZ3Ul1IueKnQ/s1600/IMG_5465.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwqc0c_mkAG_blEubdvLqpCliZoKgOPcnoSp5nYkPxRSSoej3bbFLoUt17Mcscrfl6pmYw2PUxJoHgEhC0CoYGff2NEMLpohhvioAcgvrHtokck-cNZV_67HJAvvBZ3Ul1IueKnQ/s200/IMG_5465.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481347229884990370" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Dan and I went around town taking some pictures of the deserted areas. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0eqLZDGTp8IO_dDWd1ZLFV0BDmnqMCmyAnNOIFyNl9ADXMb3cIe4Da2rVgGe-qz6iXNR6DZE2jlxD5dKjwgOKi-cUd7-sU8v9zy-EDRNyulBu6-ALLiOxhzxyEZMBkdAVArdt2w/s1600/IMG_5488.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0eqLZDGTp8IO_dDWd1ZLFV0BDmnqMCmyAnNOIFyNl9ADXMb3cIe4Da2rVgGe-qz6iXNR6DZE2jlxD5dKjwgOKi-cUd7-sU8v9zy-EDRNyulBu6-ALLiOxhzxyEZMBkdAVArdt2w/s200/IMG_5488.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481349033575952898" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I love ruins for some reason. Dan humors me.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLfdFXQdZ0vNJBr8HNeRMzM4bsekAeLTQNCuHuqEedr7jYx-NteBz6EDB1a-2QBRDfufJ9d7y5QjRSLCuvcrCe6gYnGnL4ucNdFPdri3MwV3sfM8oI1LIyvBX7XnU93Pd9mCIeg/s1600/IMG_5484.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLfdFXQdZ0vNJBr8HNeRMzM4bsekAeLTQNCuHuqEedr7jYx-NteBz6EDB1a-2QBRDfufJ9d7y5QjRSLCuvcrCe6gYnGnL4ucNdFPdri3MwV3sfM8oI1LIyvBX7XnU93Pd9mCIeg/s200/IMG_5484.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481348579494494866" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Then, since it was a hot day and we were tired after the previous night's drama, we took a nap. Later, we went for dinner at a place up the road, then came back and hung out on the swing underneath the neon sign. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDkJJwd9tf1FbFvUIDeVU67l8oH_J0cPShOPr5n0OQwKm17trYSS9ny741AAw5Ca5pTdumIzJCDgDeVthZMRVjbYEuR0hQcDjoNW1M_Q1VK985k21C_B5En9IIH6jERMWz4aW69w/s1600/IMG_5511.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 155px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDkJJwd9tf1FbFvUIDeVU67l8oH_J0cPShOPr5n0OQwKm17trYSS9ny741AAw5Ca5pTdumIzJCDgDeVthZMRVjbYEuR0hQcDjoNW1M_Q1VK985k21C_B5En9IIH6jERMWz4aW69w/s200/IMG_5511.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481345298164793698" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Audrey sat beside me on the swing the entire time, enjoying the pleasant evening on Route 66.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKzG9qh6PODof1k_NLoDS-YJF2MZOAGt7Hmyqf_HDF5UIyIdPUK2wr1Cj0g7xuque2qIi7MUThg5pmoTnecf-gHlTtWKl0g9SBjKi1e4jNV5K75s-GcR4nWAQ_c6_UR3lHsdbViQ/s1600/IMG_5514.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKzG9qh6PODof1k_NLoDS-YJF2MZOAGt7Hmyqf_HDF5UIyIdPUK2wr1Cj0g7xuque2qIi7MUThg5pmoTnecf-gHlTtWKl0g9SBjKi1e4jNV5K75s-GcR4nWAQ_c6_UR3lHsdbViQ/s200/IMG_5514.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481343600625200370" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Later in our room, though, she seemed worried, especially when her new friend tried to interest her in some bunny grahams. <br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHLCY9opWhS6KFwUJRogPZa5KZ6Y0fZvPNTMMU5lojie2ORi97WiMev-864LTTd82PQPZBjjaH9qkVGYBr9pg6dX_dbsoj9Vsdbdf-sMe8MN8PKY3_ATgSzNs4TTuzKx_oacq8kw/s1600/IMG_5522.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHLCY9opWhS6KFwUJRogPZa5KZ6Y0fZvPNTMMU5lojie2ORi97WiMev-864LTTd82PQPZBjjaH9qkVGYBr9pg6dX_dbsoj9Vsdbdf-sMe8MN8PKY3_ATgSzNs4TTuzKx_oacq8kw/s200/IMG_5522.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481345143575144162" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />More important, though, I think she knows our travels together will soon be over.Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-61186248602503736152010-06-08T21:33:00.001-07:002010-06-08T21:56:53.707-07:00Day ElevenI woke up early and although I was tempted to just keep sleeping, I wasn't going to have a chance for another Pagosa Springs run anytime soon, so I roused myself out of bed and went for a run along the river and in town. Then Dan and I packed and checked out.<br /><br />We went to the grocery store, since that's always a necessity by about this point on a vacation, and then we stopped by Dan's new favorite breakfast spot so we could get strong coffee and talk to the ex-roadie again. Then we were out, headed east.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOm4P0J6ACN1Mij-utQvennAtI5i_SgSGec-bdV6kd4_FXiT7FIr_6huFAVukp8zJbU-ZLOBKfhtCURSd9HbHEXk8aOVY6PNpg6_Lub8dvurjcuWfgLLij-JTsyNukkmiaAZQXhQ/s1600/IMG_5429.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 158px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOm4P0J6ACN1Mij-utQvennAtI5i_SgSGec-bdV6kd4_FXiT7FIr_6huFAVukp8zJbU-ZLOBKfhtCURSd9HbHEXk8aOVY6PNpg6_Lub8dvurjcuWfgLLij-JTsyNukkmiaAZQXhQ/s200/IMG_5429.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480632546392407266" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Going east from Pagosa Springs was new for us, and the mountain scenery and frequent towns made for a pleasant trip. It took most of the day to reach Trinidad, where we stopped for a bite to eat at the rest stop outside of town. We had been heating our leftover penne from the night before in foil on the dashboard so we could have a good meal, and Audrey...well, she was content to nibble the grass in front of an interesting rock on the premises. Look closely...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLqRVKbkl44nuxPiVxq4NEI15d5sNM0ysIo_wJdmUJq1KT2YAo86RpSZrecX5_cF9rmtrs3zg73v3gChhNIQ6xBp8qteUI8r1ToaryMru3rkVtef19CyqM1g1y_syPIyWkToKxQ/s1600/IMG_5430.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 164px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLqRVKbkl44nuxPiVxq4NEI15d5sNM0ysIo_wJdmUJq1KT2YAo86RpSZrecX5_cF9rmtrs3zg73v3gChhNIQ6xBp8qteUI8r1ToaryMru3rkVtef19CyqM1g1y_syPIyWkToKxQ/s200/IMG_5430.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480631825872384338" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We later came across a sign that said "No Pets on Grass" and we had to give Audrey a little talking to. We could've been fined!<br /><br />From Trinidad is a short distance to Raton, where we got a cabin at a place south of town where I once stayed for an outdoorswoman event.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUF1KTCI31zvNF2j0fu4sMoJjTl1WosulznIYcB150lw37W25xp19HHQliiTSO9WuywlCDydoqUIR6IYyDpnoBMebTt4boLdv0VUD_RN0yD0dj6nsxawPpUH3dQu2qBDFSu1NfQ/s1600/IMG_5431.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHUF1KTCI31zvNF2j0fu4sMoJjTl1WosulznIYcB150lw37W25xp19HHQliiTSO9WuywlCDydoqUIR6IYyDpnoBMebTt4boLdv0VUD_RN0yD0dj6nsxawPpUH3dQu2qBDFSu1NfQ/s200/IMG_5431.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480632286722931554" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Audrey thought it was a fine place to stay. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFbZKIYJwc7kYN1r15mqde2J0FdKH73dBk4XSkfURD-B_q9ukejbFiFjCoV65H9sx95XC9HtSQIgkLfU0Q0lAotVokuSQIgY4tCXj-wEBKAkeUWFZ5nY7nRjVBbQZhQEEnnh9Mg/s1600/IMG_5434.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRFbZKIYJwc7kYN1r15mqde2J0FdKH73dBk4XSkfURD-B_q9ukejbFiFjCoV65H9sx95XC9HtSQIgkLfU0Q0lAotVokuSQIgY4tCXj-wEBKAkeUWFZ5nY7nRjVBbQZhQEEnnh9Mg/s200/IMG_5434.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480629482589546178" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFn5eIwVWkkopaymA1BRDpj-l0zd3Iufhx8XctZ2cEBnrvQcNxPTfuewEaFlqcDwRUS-EDXerVx6IRmsMnw2zX_ljjGXTssCypPdzJsMQGQJWZgmnPUp5n3XwYA0Bt-J_xTIj1iQ/s1600/IMG_54332.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 148px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFn5eIwVWkkopaymA1BRDpj-l0zd3Iufhx8XctZ2cEBnrvQcNxPTfuewEaFlqcDwRUS-EDXerVx6IRmsMnw2zX_ljjGXTssCypPdzJsMQGQJWZgmnPUp5n3XwYA0Bt-J_xTIj1iQ/s200/IMG_54332.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480631380726159554" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Within half an hour we saw antelope and mule deer, and as the sun went down, jackrabbits came out and a storm started to move in.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8NAcci-kynmz5XwG6DXXumCDTryYZW9xLz0azPljfYQ-qEgBjU-gFXkPr8PJBjclqhXU_0CZHFZ9dPbNXjxulJDq2-GFXmcxena2YFm6UbhjiNX1VPIEHJJwCSZIh8lFfeS-FGQ/s1600/IMG_5435.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8NAcci-kynmz5XwG6DXXumCDTryYZW9xLz0azPljfYQ-qEgBjU-gFXkPr8PJBjclqhXU_0CZHFZ9dPbNXjxulJDq2-GFXmcxena2YFm6UbhjiNX1VPIEHJJwCSZIh8lFfeS-FGQ/s200/IMG_5435.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480629107373813042" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />That was when disaster struck, or at least a major frustration. Dan hadn't been hungry at dinner and laid down afterward. Within an hour he was complaining of feeling ill, like he might be getting a kidney stone. He wanted to go back to Raton and stay the night there.<br /><br />It was a choice that made no sense to me. We were already unpacked and settled in. It was late, and there was no place in Raton to get a prescription called in before morning, if the pain got worse. Why uproot ourselves and spend three times the money on lodging just to be four miles closer to a doctor or a drugstore in the morning?<br /><br />But Dan was antsy and nothing would do but that we go into town, so that's what we did. We're now set up in the Holiday Inn, which I'll admit is quite nice - a big improvement over when we stayed here a few years ago.<br /><br />Still, I miss my cabin. I spent years wanting to return. I was going to run the dirt roads at sunrise and watch the deer and rabbits, and instead I'll have to get on a treadmill and watch the news. <br /><br />If Dan isn't better in the morning, we'll have to head home so he can see a doctor in network. What we would pay for out of network would eat up our down payment on the house. So hopefully whatever is wrong will be better soon.Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-69880638898289688752010-06-07T21:23:00.001-07:002010-06-07T21:31:39.152-07:00Day TenI got up early and went for a run around town, then got Dan and we went for coffee at a cute little coffee cart near the hotel. It took a little while, but once we were ready to get out and about, we went to a strange little place up the road where the coffee was strong, the waffles were made-to-order, and the owner was a former roadie. My ex-roadie husband had plenty to talk about with that guy!<br /><br />We stopped at a ranger station on the way back to our room, fueling my optimism that Dan would want to do a little hiking, but instead he lay down for a nap, since he hadn't slept well the night before. Left to our own devices, Audrey and I went out for a bit of fun.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBSd8OBbic5uqyhgebdDaxe6UqaSGUEiUoGsEhv4mSY7pMAeQuKIyYhZ5Ky-gqKJ8AsYsmf3Ol3-ERwkmUfIuVeQLQQll8tZXYJ0_ewyEBEOxtw28id0kNB8xhsr7kouT4eBGzw/s1600/IMG_5418.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBSd8OBbic5uqyhgebdDaxe6UqaSGUEiUoGsEhv4mSY7pMAeQuKIyYhZ5Ky-gqKJ8AsYsmf3Ol3-ERwkmUfIuVeQLQQll8tZXYJ0_ewyEBEOxtw28id0kNB8xhsr7kouT4eBGzw/s200/IMG_5418.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480255078087706802" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI30C4BQgFetVwylYVCl8ijqFDbxEgOeVGHee2vhyick10LertJyG7jaxqeKhF9gQYTbSsRFxRocJbFJHRBN0f3NKwx8Fqk70NATyRSZ_kJajzjsNEkgE2etJvYBU6FFJsntzd9Q/s1600/IMG_5412.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI30C4BQgFetVwylYVCl8ijqFDbxEgOeVGHee2vhyick10LertJyG7jaxqeKhF9gQYTbSsRFxRocJbFJHRBN0f3NKwx8Fqk70NATyRSZ_kJajzjsNEkgE2etJvYBU6FFJsntzd9Q/s200/IMG_5412.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480254819701740082" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnTOj2Nhx-42I36Di6gxvGI3Qp9w_mpXhcDexOyPeerIXUf9wW4opWpFID2Nnbed8tqmXzoftpMOqLGwOEne-MutNyak0Qr9jjb_zSOsiv4t6c_DThEL3I7uvPVBkMFfTfPknbUA/s1600/IMG_5419.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnTOj2Nhx-42I36Di6gxvGI3Qp9w_mpXhcDexOyPeerIXUf9wW4opWpFID2Nnbed8tqmXzoftpMOqLGwOEne-MutNyak0Qr9jjb_zSOsiv4t6c_DThEL3I7uvPVBkMFfTfPknbUA/s200/IMG_5419.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480254352551245298" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl9sfklO1jD1XoC0IuHz9wncpSGvH07Aa5VJJM3ZZlVI0u0lFRbMoDtqgWQBEanP7kzESfP4GrF_9JOrGcVudleyztWMCBmXQZGEOHSeJzcRuBqNBg_v5UmHrJnWroawdsRC-r5g/s1600/IMG_5422.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl9sfklO1jD1XoC0IuHz9wncpSGvH07Aa5VJJM3ZZlVI0u0lFRbMoDtqgWQBEanP7kzESfP4GrF_9JOrGcVudleyztWMCBmXQZGEOHSeJzcRuBqNBg_v5UmHrJnWroawdsRC-r5g/s200/IMG_5422.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480254073450886786" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />When we got back, Dan was ready to go horseback riding. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_98f9SvRA_NiiPvetwRX6PBX5_nOslS-LSAiCF4vvtf6stLru_kzw_CBG5QZQuBGECo-aWWBqiBYQ2pvF4pqlJMbKF8V3Y38o15x50_igoWN31GzbUS5DO586bya7W-VJlJ2edg/s1600/IMG_5417.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_98f9SvRA_NiiPvetwRX6PBX5_nOslS-LSAiCF4vvtf6stLru_kzw_CBG5QZQuBGECo-aWWBqiBYQ2pvF4pqlJMbKF8V3Y38o15x50_igoWN31GzbUS5DO586bya7W-VJlJ2edg/s200/IMG_5417.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480255718577533442" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Audrey was content to stay at the hotel, so Dan and I went for a little ride through the mountains. <br /><br />By the end of our ride, it was starting to be pretty warm out, so Dan and I used the time to do our laundry and wash up. Then Dan went for a massage and we went out for Italian food afterwards, since our favorite restaurant in Pagosa Springs has gone out of business.<br /><br />Tomorrow we're heading east, making our way over the next few days back to Houston. It's awfully pretty here and I wish I could bring a mountain or two back home with me.Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-33119509878322631562010-06-06T20:21:00.000-07:002010-06-06T20:41:50.803-07:00Days Eight and NineWe spent Saturday in Santa Fe, not doing much of anything, really. We went for a morning run along the river, then knocked around town the rest of the morning. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEtFkp98rMdR7UfdPjMWQ5nmEXD2PyxwNG73lPyB1mTAAXrdpW5zfRdI1uq-HKDdYsKvenSLjXLVz3T0dyx705OYo9G85ZbS-tF-gjCgUWtlbGB2GqFJnQNQAYv3lbeyfLD1MvQ/s1600/IMG_5398.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWEtFkp98rMdR7UfdPjMWQ5nmEXD2PyxwNG73lPyB1mTAAXrdpW5zfRdI1uq-HKDdYsKvenSLjXLVz3T0dyx705OYo9G85ZbS-tF-gjCgUWtlbGB2GqFJnQNQAYv3lbeyfLD1MvQ/s200/IMG_5398.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479869039902057874" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We had lunch on the Plaza, then Dan took a nap while I found things to do on my own. I took in an art show and a festival of some sort before going back to the hotel and waking him up. I was ready for a nap at this point, but he wanted to scout out a place to have dinner, so that's what we did. Then we both took naps (altitude was getting to us by this point) and then went out for a ghost tour and a nice supper of tapas and paella at a Spanish place we had found earlier in the day. We didn't hang around the Plaza like we had the first night, since we wanted to be on the road early.<br /><br />Sunday morning, we got up early and I went for a run by myself, since Dan wanted to sleep in. Then we packed, got breakfast at the little creperie downstairs, and headed north.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoly6j3CO7NyIDxafxAN10OVl9jOAaXbh3UG7GW6Uvh8iTI49NtnAFsb4BGbw59nn3mJK7DqZiHHjkbEI5T5lZe7s1xuGNtSfxM-KYa-X_3YZ_mz9pDACTUk-46MbeuUc7FUBnQg/s1600/IMG_5407.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoly6j3CO7NyIDxafxAN10OVl9jOAaXbh3UG7GW6Uvh8iTI49NtnAFsb4BGbw59nn3mJK7DqZiHHjkbEI5T5lZe7s1xuGNtSfxM-KYa-X_3YZ_mz9pDACTUk-46MbeuUc7FUBnQg/s200/IMG_5407.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479871396747086130" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The trip was uneventful and we got to Pagosa Springs by early afternoon. After we unpacked, we went for a little hike up the nearby hill, where Audrey played some frisbee golf...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVR-eRS7stsGqrPRQWeiOAhFih_xmQrwqb1kUKlY-lXgx8VrX8c8XJS_iZiUhNQRxHsU0eTrjbuFkB8_np8DFrP2RPxEbHfluWnCCXlbH82o3ngaRMR-iD1hyphenhyphena3ssCUCvlEoS7Lg/s1600/IMG_5408.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVR-eRS7stsGqrPRQWeiOAhFih_xmQrwqb1kUKlY-lXgx8VrX8c8XJS_iZiUhNQRxHsU0eTrjbuFkB8_np8DFrP2RPxEbHfluWnCCXlbH82o3ngaRMR-iD1hyphenhyphena3ssCUCvlEoS7Lg/s200/IMG_5408.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479869427047262338" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />...and enjoyed a pine cone.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimeI3EtcM70xNk2oAyl35zQZNpOdOv2pkyQSC5tOI8sz8mL3kL8k-QWsy3rs7JQcTmRXCYrjh3z1JC3YQ7Uz7-m_EdOoHg5mg2kH2e_H8dzDjhL6L10NsZ0z_cP4CXgvq7_g41GQ/s1600/IMG_5409.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimeI3EtcM70xNk2oAyl35zQZNpOdOv2pkyQSC5tOI8sz8mL3kL8k-QWsy3rs7JQcTmRXCYrjh3z1JC3YQ7Uz7-m_EdOoHg5mg2kH2e_H8dzDjhL6L10NsZ0z_cP4CXgvq7_g41GQ/s200/IMG_5409.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479870163211321970" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Then while Dan watched the kayakers on the river, I went for a walk through town. I had hoped to find a replacement for my sport watch, which I baked on the dashboard earlier in the trip. I went to two sports places though, and found no sport watches. I did, however, find a thrift store, where I got a couple cute tops, a pair of skinny jeans, and an old book.<br /><br />When I got back to our room, I had just enough time to shower off and change to go to my massage appointment. My masseuse was amazing and worked out a lot of the kinks from so much time spent in a car. <br /><br />By then it was after six, so I got fixed up for dinner and we went out to eat. Then we went for a walk on the river and enjoyed the sunset - a nice way to end a pleasant, if low-key, weekend.Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-91165283339869901992010-06-04T16:38:00.000-07:002010-06-04T22:42:53.919-07:00Day SevenI got up a little later than the day before and went for a run among the groves by the mesas. Then I went home and started getting ready to leave. Dad provided us with a light breakfast of fruit and yogurt, and then we paid a quick visit to the nearby cemetery to water the plants on the graves of my grandparents and two of my uncles.<br /><br />After that, Dan and I packed the truck and headed to Santa Fe. Our room at La Fonda wouldn't be ready until 3:00, so we had lunch and browsed the natives' wares on the plaza. Once we could check in, Dan relaxed in our room while I took Audrey to see the sights. She was especially eager to visit the church of St Francis, patron saint of birds and other animals...<br /><br />At his statue, she met a friend...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9er4xapnAr1vbXz-3sS6Jg6qwUjjyCSZAiYTybI2kgLlhQ37KQ-kNfdXgYqtVI0YOBy5xxYOoNVhWqJfLhJ92teiOGPv7t0vfikUZAzsfOueKTmaBsJrK1-NgRrPVnhqh1tCzw/s1600/IMG_5392.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9er4xapnAr1vbXz-3sS6Jg6qwUjjyCSZAiYTybI2kgLlhQ37KQ-kNfdXgYqtVI0YOBy5xxYOoNVhWqJfLhJ92teiOGPv7t0vfikUZAzsfOueKTmaBsJrK1-NgRrPVnhqh1tCzw/s200/IMG_5392.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479070582665911634" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />...and got to say hi to St Francis himself.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtHTsXhiAJkoDgeWlgQvvJEAH18DuKXmlUApJwPwgZwSdRDLKB_ORZGabMjwJcNppIcm_uCj3WThlsn-GClvr7pF8rcGERF965qjvdx2QIvrV80bsMvBmHt0OacBoXjz1GrYh3Qw/s1600/IMG_5393.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtHTsXhiAJkoDgeWlgQvvJEAH18DuKXmlUApJwPwgZwSdRDLKB_ORZGabMjwJcNppIcm_uCj3WThlsn-GClvr7pF8rcGERF965qjvdx2QIvrV80bsMvBmHt0OacBoXjz1GrYh3Qw/s200/IMG_5393.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479070865285932258" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Then I took Audrey to the Loretto chapel to see the miraculous staircase. She was duly impressed.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNr-mVHpWRWjcoWHdYlFl5tQLCkkLtWtoeDPY7zEa2FuzNAvSxE5E9tG8lzXicB60lJIRjEjBQTCSlVg-44ngS5CARMnEygz7amN2bt6WanTkXBq0x5mgGtV7ABEpnqd-swakghA/s1600/IMG_5397.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNr-mVHpWRWjcoWHdYlFl5tQLCkkLtWtoeDPY7zEa2FuzNAvSxE5E9tG8lzXicB60lJIRjEjBQTCSlVg-44ngS5CARMnEygz7amN2bt6WanTkXBq0x5mgGtV7ABEpnqd-swakghA/s200/IMG_5397.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479071534661785010" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Finally, I told her it was time to return to the hotel - Dan would be worrying about us, wondering where we were. Audrey liked our room, and after I got her to quit bouncing on the bed...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrgxteOlruBPJ7QkE_DmHPE0Aj1ZWifu-SsWpRIbhhEsUUjqK_c4LUPTjwwK58hDeoLtZZNSu0TkU0mtbFpby84jquUQPWzDiNiojkTlXE9g1ShtZzPBXXsjWg2DDHnfUTmJvhg/s1600/IMG_5400.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFrgxteOlruBPJ7QkE_DmHPE0Aj1ZWifu-SsWpRIbhhEsUUjqK_c4LUPTjwwK58hDeoLtZZNSu0TkU0mtbFpby84jquUQPWzDiNiojkTlXE9g1ShtZzPBXXsjWg2DDHnfUTmJvhg/s200/IMG_5400.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479070351149438914" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />...she settled down and contented herself with looking out the window at the Loretto chapel, where she had been just a little while before.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hsj3Oh4-4iKO1NQHsDSwNnwmCzf8xhouj2OaDvaRcErarKzYFAmdafujP52oIeqcMt90xgHb2j102Fo2lpYStkJmHqEA9gh3JBUChcsqkmfxkpQSoWy-dqVaXB1KVKmc5WtYsQ/s1600/IMG_5399.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hsj3Oh4-4iKO1NQHsDSwNnwmCzf8xhouj2OaDvaRcErarKzYFAmdafujP52oIeqcMt90xgHb2j102Fo2lpYStkJmHqEA9gh3JBUChcsqkmfxkpQSoWy-dqVaXB1KVKmc5WtYsQ/s200/IMG_5399.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479071846591769842" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />While Audrey was admiring the view, I went to the spa and got a massage. Then I fixed myself up for dinner, and Dan and I had supper in La Fonda's restaurant. After dinner, we went for a stroll around the plaza and surrounding streets. There was quite a nightlife at some of the little bars and restaurants, and on the plaza itself, a lot of young people were hanging out talking, flirting, testing scooters, and admiring the low-riders and motorcycles cruising the square. <br /><br />I found it fascinating to see such a mix of people all in the same place, casually getting along - teenage runaways and deadbeats, foreign tourists, and rich people in nice clothes on their way to or from one of downtown Santa Fe's many pricey restaurants.<br /><br />Finally, though, Dan lost interest in the scene and wanted to go up to our hotel room. We've got a morning run planned, so perhaps I'll turn in, too.Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-79953640360390370342010-06-03T20:28:00.001-07:002010-06-03T21:47:56.449-07:00Day SixThe day started with a morning run near the mesas. In previous years, I always did this run alone, so it was a real treat to have Dan along with me. He found it as refreshing and magical as I did, and we returned to the house ready for the day to begin.<br /><br />Over coffee, we consulted our ghost town book and a map and made a plan to visit some of the ruins along the Turquoise Trail. We all know about best-laid plans, though. Although the road to the first town took us through some lovely scenery...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRnMtHrkS5efHR9ZNCG6h5Le6BptDUMU6hZTdBSNuldUqK0VG3J6WrsRfqCm7aL3iQrssXSRS_fk_1_AzCLztlhU1JtLux1PunW3ySAisL-aKCwr4vjPsmRqDc1or74Bgh45pTw/s1600/IMG_5368.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRnMtHrkS5efHR9ZNCG6h5Le6BptDUMU6hZTdBSNuldUqK0VG3J6WrsRfqCm7aL3iQrssXSRS_fk_1_AzCLztlhU1JtLux1PunW3ySAisL-aKCwr4vjPsmRqDc1or74Bgh45pTw/s200/IMG_5368.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478762295417671586" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />...when we got to the final turn-off, we found the road closed and a sign posted, warning against trespassing. So we went to the next town, where we saw a restored church...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7LUCeH_lwkrjOQ6qVXn-R-i7ZEreQmFQHc9iKYCuWx6bV1fLm9voILRAcfGZZNAy79tIniSXFgRlQc7R5r0ILp-ZUTBWackVPZ08EAYrWUMDpbbP6pW0yATkRuKxY3yBOVQaWA/s1600/IMG_5369.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7LUCeH_lwkrjOQ6qVXn-R-i7ZEreQmFQHc9iKYCuWx6bV1fLm9voILRAcfGZZNAy79tIniSXFgRlQc7R5r0ILp-ZUTBWackVPZ08EAYrWUMDpbbP6pW0yATkRuKxY3yBOVQaWA/s200/IMG_5369.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478763091986730002" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />...and a few ruins.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiOgQl4vkM1Oq7JxNu50A4veQOt7S7_MHyuW_EQNaNhekCKaHfAqmjLueou0cWVJQOEQLxLE-r0IaPXem14C4W0_nTRpHkvsSLzFTJTO65A3yv4nqIZTLBvVnj3qCTyNyqctf8Q/s1600/IMG_5372.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWiOgQl4vkM1Oq7JxNu50A4veQOt7S7_MHyuW_EQNaNhekCKaHfAqmjLueou0cWVJQOEQLxLE-r0IaPXem14C4W0_nTRpHkvsSLzFTJTO65A3yv4nqIZTLBvVnj3qCTyNyqctf8Q/s200/IMG_5372.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478765212434750242" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The final town turned out to be inaccessible, although visible from a narrow, winding dirt road. There wasn't much to see, but it was a disappointment, nonetheless, that we couldn't get close.<br /><br />By now it was early afternoon and Dan hadn't eaten all day, so we went to Albuquerque and had quesadillas. Then we browsed some of the shops and Dan bought me some cute little silver bunny earrings that are a good match for my bunny bracelet.<br /><br />We went back to my Dad's place, where we found Audrey waiting by the gate...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIiCvTa-3Se5WAf155Habhcm7lO7W8mRCCrawNS1KtxxNK01QF531vxDn1xrbzjhyjrC9zCgqUYahpl8vnCFry1qUip2dBGxhT8ckwj1_KixmArM_u6ZuNlkGPSY5yI0_x8AwXA/s1600/IMG_5374.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSIiCvTa-3Se5WAf155Habhcm7lO7W8mRCCrawNS1KtxxNK01QF531vxDn1xrbzjhyjrC9zCgqUYahpl8vnCFry1qUip2dBGxhT8ckwj1_KixmArM_u6ZuNlkGPSY5yI0_x8AwXA/s200/IMG_5374.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478773825554251218" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />While Dan took a nap while I asked Audrey to share her adventures of the day. As it turned out, she had a much more interesting day than I had.<br /><br />She waited for the paper delivery, so she could catch up on the news of the day...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGSEd2GR874tQXu20wRa-PD3OFC0D8wiPyk9NNV-WDqT1KxgcaNQRpQ_UGnLC7g5UpgvNvVGm5nH7-4GgAzPsp1Fe49KlbaZZAG5Qur5FBgEu21eSUEKEAzi61JmOW-m5bKwld8w/s1600/IMG_5377.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGSEd2GR874tQXu20wRa-PD3OFC0D8wiPyk9NNV-WDqT1KxgcaNQRpQ_UGnLC7g5UpgvNvVGm5nH7-4GgAzPsp1Fe49KlbaZZAG5Qur5FBgEu21eSUEKEAzi61JmOW-m5bKwld8w/s200/IMG_5377.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478767595107914050" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />She spent some time in my father's garden...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kMMnO8FpcCX49ngV1Y-gLS6V9xoaXhG9kwSblmEzOyK-3NEbMYYcQ8SoVjQfauiQldNzajURB2f9foX0TZ7vOM19U1Qh-FwnuwYyp_qFyvt3B40_3ze2mcjYinkDj6xyTJQv_Q/s1600/IMG_5375.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0kMMnO8FpcCX49ngV1Y-gLS6V9xoaXhG9kwSblmEzOyK-3NEbMYYcQ8SoVjQfauiQldNzajURB2f9foX0TZ7vOM19U1Qh-FwnuwYyp_qFyvt3B40_3ze2mcjYinkDj6xyTJQv_Q/s200/IMG_5375.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478760637135591682" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />She paid a visit to my Uncle Bill...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYhzVAJBS3INXobD1vKEta69nQBsIs_h2tbTp9EzVtkxdPLCcpT0Jnl6dW9RxEXDD_YgswQ92Mkerdllni8FOSVw8RDdKBzIbQ3svZJAbtOU0-u6ZXoUiikeSt4Zao7AnJ4fCcpQ/s1600/IMG_5387.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYhzVAJBS3INXobD1vKEta69nQBsIs_h2tbTp9EzVtkxdPLCcpT0Jnl6dW9RxEXDD_YgswQ92Mkerdllni8FOSVw8RDdKBzIbQ3svZJAbtOU0-u6ZXoUiikeSt4Zao7AnJ4fCcpQ/s200/IMG_5387.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478771580193858882" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwXJj-oTVp2OZZcZLlMnyeR24wA7FBpp-8nNfp8mJrFi6ejnrEV3rA5bn7dfaAo-60IBYkZnACyCRpvkqngiuh5ds5n6_y-M2qX1hpGjS-6kpx3zkJXbRtkkxmX9f7tQS3gQn8pg/s1600/IMG_5376.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwXJj-oTVp2OZZcZLlMnyeR24wA7FBpp-8nNfp8mJrFi6ejnrEV3rA5bn7dfaAo-60IBYkZnACyCRpvkqngiuh5ds5n6_y-M2qX1hpGjS-6kpx3zkJXbRtkkxmX9f7tQS3gQn8pg/s200/IMG_5376.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478775343142511330" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And she spent some time gazing pensively at the water that runs through my father's property, irrigating the fields in the area.<br /><br />Dinner was homemade enchiladas for me and Dan, and a salad of spinach and craisins for Audrey. We were all very happy with the nice dinner.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1cCdcGSZkAeuDH5_gXcgeOIlfs35V1nuK7Yq-VC8IecaF0Gzfox2QwHX9Gd6gX80KRJB8rCImTXWrwULbtBv4NBxxxRjYDCNxZ22WtboFuNUTyI_DbkhIQoCOlgOmqnI8sy0BQ/s1600/IMG_5389.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1cCdcGSZkAeuDH5_gXcgeOIlfs35V1nuK7Yq-VC8IecaF0Gzfox2QwHX9Gd6gX80KRJB8rCImTXWrwULbtBv4NBxxxRjYDCNxZ22WtboFuNUTyI_DbkhIQoCOlgOmqnI8sy0BQ/s200/IMG_5389.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478770381718650770" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We had been invited to my Uncle Mike's house for the evening, but Dan was a little under the weather after dinner, and I was tired, so we stayed in and relaxed. Tomorrow we're going up to Santa Fe.Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-9557745405072018562010-06-02T20:43:00.001-07:002010-09-05T13:06:23.224-07:00Day FiveI got up at 6:30 and went for a sunrise run. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihmQkpWSXYzqctSKpAyjn4ksgF3dwmq660SOaQucyvVOTl4buGnUymjJrSacqNygo0iKoGEqdvkvcKShytN7qS5bUvwKgwuexPK1ESacZU2fQsvmV8MP5ILtol6NTybL7G-lB6sQ/s1600/IMG_5362.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihmQkpWSXYzqctSKpAyjn4ksgF3dwmq660SOaQucyvVOTl4buGnUymjJrSacqNygo0iKoGEqdvkvcKShytN7qS5bUvwKgwuexPK1ESacZU2fQsvmV8MP5ILtol6NTybL7G-lB6sQ/s200/IMG_5362.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478390015722885218" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Then Dan and I had breakfast and broke camp. We considered using the available shower facilities, but the water was so hard that even our Castile soap left a residue, so I cleaned myself up as best I could and we set off for my father's house in Bosque, about thirty miles south of Albuquerque.<br /><br />We stopped briefly in the Black Range so Audrey could admire the view...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTB6jiVBHgbF6wXX9y0STtSce4WXQY7yWdc9OtDMJ51dUj75pvMZLLuqzB18W5hiE3-CxCMEX7nh-bRnChyphenhyphennATJUEcCeecPZYgVxlGDmuX4_8IQPcnkigSDhwmLyfBpYg8KPQKRw/s1600/IMG_5363.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTB6jiVBHgbF6wXX9y0STtSce4WXQY7yWdc9OtDMJ51dUj75pvMZLLuqzB18W5hiE3-CxCMEX7nh-bRnChyphenhyphennATJUEcCeecPZYgVxlGDmuX4_8IQPcnkigSDhwmLyfBpYg8KPQKRw/s200/IMG_5363.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478388952488741762" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />...but for the most part I took no pictures because I was tired and there isn't anything worth seeing that I haven't photographed on earlier trips.<br /><br />We arrived at my Dad's place exhausted, and were grateful to be able to unpack for a few days and take proper showers. Then, since my Uncle Lorenzo was working on his property across the way, we paid him a visit. He's converting an old mobile home into a replica train car for use as a rental or private getaway. I forgot to take my camera, but I'll try to get pictures tomorrow because it's really amazing what he's doing over there.<br /><br />The little visit with my uncle energized me, and I hung out and tried to get caught up on news and blogs before dinner. My dad fixed us a healthy meal of fish, vegetables, and salad, with preserved apples from his property for dessert.<br /><br />It'll probably be an early night for me. I'm pretty tired after such poor sleep last night. Tomorrow, we may go look for some ghost towns, but our plans often change on the road.Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-51477956422637783872010-06-02T19:15:00.000-07:002010-06-02T20:43:00.326-07:00Day FourI woke up to a beautiful morning in the Chisos Basin and went for a sunrise run. Then I returned to my cute little cottage to shower and pack.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjmqXDcGgcq0xVTvhHUpQEtANsxoJlFDFvg_1QR9ND1kB9584HAK2AdGgOQp8gSjBOGFD9IVjDrpnzsIeJOBhJdbgrbhiKDG9NGNfNDfYaBCQNPfWdWtHMoNrJI3NToD2Z4npNw/s1600/IMG_5316.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIjmqXDcGgcq0xVTvhHUpQEtANsxoJlFDFvg_1QR9ND1kB9584HAK2AdGgOQp8gSjBOGFD9IVjDrpnzsIeJOBhJdbgrbhiKDG9NGNfNDfYaBCQNPfWdWtHMoNrJI3NToD2Z4npNw/s200/IMG_5316.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478367332999529522" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Dan and I had breakfast in the restaurant, then headed out. Our goal was City of the Rocks, near Deming, New Mexico. But first, we wanted to check out the Terlingua ghost town.<br /><br />We came upon some pretty odd sights as we drew near, including this pink cafe...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZaACjhGaHijUmbph-So9WTkAZt52i4oJumQd6ysF_yztAB2vAo5Eglwiyn9CPLxElKRjlQ09MV8aYz-uZ0CMRN8pfSNy_suMDPWvdu_czAEImX6i46vOctXQ1k14atdGGMYNzNA/s1600/IMG_5340.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZaACjhGaHijUmbph-So9WTkAZt52i4oJumQd6ysF_yztAB2vAo5Eglwiyn9CPLxElKRjlQ09MV8aYz-uZ0CMRN8pfSNy_suMDPWvdu_czAEImX6i46vOctXQ1k14atdGGMYNzNA/s200/IMG_5340.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478384163552708610" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />...and a place where you can get both liquor and art.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlndY9ntjL-jJeHCF6Oss4cQ7YJo04rZPRkA0WprEq8mhNvOdH2Pbwux5cS3qs95WtqrGwSUmalP653WH1DriajmTKFCAzpVH9O02vrFbLFShO0z-AqhpVspQIbvtWR20jDjOcfA/s1600/IMG_5341.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlndY9ntjL-jJeHCF6Oss4cQ7YJo04rZPRkA0WprEq8mhNvOdH2Pbwux5cS3qs95WtqrGwSUmalP653WH1DriajmTKFCAzpVH9O02vrFbLFShO0z-AqhpVspQIbvtWR20jDjOcfA/s200/IMG_5341.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478385195334170210" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br />Presumably if you drink enough liquor, you won't care whether the art is to your taste or not.<br /><br />As we neared the actual ghost town, we came upon this cool and somewhat spooky cemetery.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Il6HEsEYdk_GV-DYB2Fb0Vw8lkmxRmihCeeokUQRpwjGeOtk6kMKHW9tLZb20jNARx_Fm8qnKGLSzbD-K8onV78pDhLOcV-8TV2lG8WdVezgMFSjSc9k6ZX8VkzveLsSAAwdiA/s1600/IMG_5326.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Il6HEsEYdk_GV-DYB2Fb0Vw8lkmxRmihCeeokUQRpwjGeOtk6kMKHW9tLZb20jNARx_Fm8qnKGLSzbD-K8onV78pDhLOcV-8TV2lG8WdVezgMFSjSc9k6ZX8VkzveLsSAAwdiA/s200/IMG_5326.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478374802737248162" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8wClTnLCFsH7TUSeVLiQvcmQoqKAoyYT8HDMYHfiJT8Ru0QEdilwvl4w9btfS7QiY_zYT3LF3KJaQxwzbFbbesu7ThO6jDiJFl5V7VxpnirBAssm7AsH54ujnc1Z-OpHcBnRig/s1600/IMG_5327.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8wClTnLCFsH7TUSeVLiQvcmQoqKAoyYT8HDMYHfiJT8Ru0QEdilwvl4w9btfS7QiY_zYT3LF3KJaQxwzbFbbesu7ThO6jDiJFl5V7VxpnirBAssm7AsH54ujnc1Z-OpHcBnRig/s200/IMG_5327.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478375797031521986" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Then I took a few pics of the remains of company housing...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5J822tJZT1Q6GUJrzfg9CCz0wOI2a2flk6z7M4cRViMwjykGQw6_cxtNDwGGZpewdDNWfuTIO8SEOnq-8hWRSejfJRo_qoKfqMX9OuuwoIcP9gj4WtXmA0pjVrp1V0hOHNSxhhg/s1600/IMG_5334.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5J822tJZT1Q6GUJrzfg9CCz0wOI2a2flk6z7M4cRViMwjykGQw6_cxtNDwGGZpewdDNWfuTIO8SEOnq-8hWRSejfJRo_qoKfqMX9OuuwoIcP9gj4WtXmA0pjVrp1V0hOHNSxhhg/s200/IMG_5334.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478377017704257090" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />...and the old theater, which now advertises itself as a restaurant, although I saw no activity to suggest there was any kind of business going on at all.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJJl5YyaGnLNKGWM2WBt2DHyOK87O-9gPWrL07fo5qAKKC910Z6C1NqsiPVX6fK1NPaie_213fVKvcIifi53tmtak8yb82HGXN1ekR9mxwd2QUihyphenhyphen3EiFiknealFq3Et0Yi4ASQ/s1600/IMG_5328.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJJl5YyaGnLNKGWM2WBt2DHyOK87O-9gPWrL07fo5qAKKC910Z6C1NqsiPVX6fK1NPaie_213fVKvcIifi53tmtak8yb82HGXN1ekR9mxwd2QUihyphenhyphen3EiFiknealFq3Et0Yi4ASQ/s200/IMG_5328.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478378304090977250" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />By now it was getting hot, so we got back in the truck and started north. Just outside of Valentine, we came upon this cool little place:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Vj2NKNS-5fwaa5a8wexZF4EgkdeIsPJxH8jAOtc_Fc3uXYsl62PfsjApBEGwC0gUamid3dsYkm4qfFvGwklHED321GH058_-zNAqZh_hAnWsZnppg8szP7rXOXPIRqrU-q2B3A/s1600/IMG_5342.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Vj2NKNS-5fwaa5a8wexZF4EgkdeIsPJxH8jAOtc_Fc3uXYsl62PfsjApBEGwC0gUamid3dsYkm4qfFvGwklHED321GH058_-zNAqZh_hAnWsZnppg8szP7rXOXPIRqrU-q2B3A/s200/IMG_5342.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478386171848205586" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Prada Marfa isn't a real store; it's an art project. Cool, isn't it?<br /><br />We got to City of the Rocks near dusk, chose a campsite and pitched our tent. Then we wandered around, admiring the rocks and the stunning views.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozGTbzRUf_lUhqLXHziqOWX5TKnu15pZUqPNw9B4Gsn8tTZ91DK0bhDA-2zuRB2Z1Ez-aNF5xm2T1FY8cr92J3CiiWWAAyJVlY6Oo99aXs1XBSU2henuvo6rtDh-2-LXjQnEBJw/s1600/IMG_5352.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozGTbzRUf_lUhqLXHziqOWX5TKnu15pZUqPNw9B4Gsn8tTZ91DK0bhDA-2zuRB2Z1Ez-aNF5xm2T1FY8cr92J3CiiWWAAyJVlY6Oo99aXs1XBSU2henuvo6rtDh-2-LXjQnEBJw/s200/IMG_5352.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5478387398204389186" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Supper was camp food, and we turned in early. I woke up around 3 am to find the moon shining through the mesh of our tent. I got out and walked around for awhile in the moonlight, taking it all in. City of Rocks by moonlight is a special place. It was only with reluctance that I went back to bed. We had another big day ahead of us.Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-52808290622862564362010-05-31T17:27:00.001-07:002010-05-31T17:38:42.623-07:00Day ThreeI got up at 6:30 and went for an early morning desert run. It was so amazing being all alone out there with just the road, the desert, and the sun casting a red glow on the mountains.<br /><br />When I got back to camp, Dan and I had breakfast, then packed up and headed to Chisos, a part of the camp that's in the mountains. We arranged for a cottage at the lodge, but were told it wouldn't be available until 4:00. No big surprise. We gathered our gear, packed Audrey more securely than we had the day before, and set out on a hike.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEGnBOexENjToYL9LhO1CbKH09CWcX_ycGMKacbpOdhME5NopPxy9dGTsdUkmhAiZJ5yJzdonUgt78QOwn3y7R9SOctb-CauMxe0vP1XhwYN7t0OyyEAIp0QZDW6bzhGVCnJwGnw/s1600/IMG_5301.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEGnBOexENjToYL9LhO1CbKH09CWcX_ycGMKacbpOdhME5NopPxy9dGTsdUkmhAiZJ5yJzdonUgt78QOwn3y7R9SOctb-CauMxe0vP1XhwYN7t0OyyEAIp0QZDW6bzhGVCnJwGnw/s200/IMG_5301.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477595864005011282" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We had a fine time going out because it was downhill most of the way. At the end there was a bit of a climb to a vista point, where we had Clif bars and water, and hung out for a bit.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2iORCQVZG_S_R7mew8OcZ3ofhQtug-WH9MoR2bFAufcrBmMMAFa3Y9dM78n2oqvRI77v2KI6207a_2ELQ0_ek2wPb-OoBUlltJ-FWOWeR0Yjb0l0I-wor4CxFRm77JAsGf9rbNg/s1600/IMG_5307.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2iORCQVZG_S_R7mew8OcZ3ofhQtug-WH9MoR2bFAufcrBmMMAFa3Y9dM78n2oqvRI77v2KI6207a_2ELQ0_ek2wPb-OoBUlltJ-FWOWeR0Yjb0l0I-wor4CxFRm77JAsGf9rbNg/s200/IMG_5307.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477596509121334930" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJLydDapElnIJ7kH6ixRZ2i7ePPbkGzblg2fCq__Q5Apxa6afvA8-wOM295xC8iF84wisrAE-ax160QtvZ2nALebLK65s12pWSecQI4ax5e8LXg_r0k05H5TKa48gIt0gcM6zqA/s1600/IMG_5308.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigJLydDapElnIJ7kH6ixRZ2i7ePPbkGzblg2fCq__Q5Apxa6afvA8-wOM295xC8iF84wisrAE-ax160QtvZ2nALebLK65s12pWSecQI4ax5e8LXg_r0k05H5TKa48gIt0gcM6zqA/s200/IMG_5308.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477596799978657394" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Going back was trickier, especially the last mile, which was a steep uphill. By now it was pretty hot and I was sweating, so a cold bottle of water from the Chisos store was very welcome.<br /><br />It was only one o'clock, and Dan and I sat down to ponder what to do until our room was ready. We were tired and dirty, ready to bathe and take a nap. Dan was especially anxious about his guitar, sitting in the hot truck, so I suggested he ask at the reception desk if they could keep it for him until our cottage was ready. <br /><br />Surprise! Our cottage was ready for us early!<br /><br />We drove up the mountain to our cottage and were completely delighted with it.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizt1pAw53K7UuJtArbL9N39k3EcXU2XmnvsbH1zNrb8exGJKKMZjh9CD0zPDaN5zNvbXGAObgQdp1p0Jl0rbyAMy265pSJXyMW-NuwPSMkoL9GiohWDzu3wOT49LzSMGKWz1H6RQ/s1600/IMG_5310.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizt1pAw53K7UuJtArbL9N39k3EcXU2XmnvsbH1zNrb8exGJKKMZjh9CD0zPDaN5zNvbXGAObgQdp1p0Jl0rbyAMy265pSJXyMW-NuwPSMkoL9GiohWDzu3wOT49LzSMGKWz1H6RQ/s200/IMG_5310.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477597053021293970" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Audrey even got her own room!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAIFmphE-Xd64I8z0hvHcHH4m1qsXgvjBckrafMOOJEye2I3IuGCTvfxoqHrZZKRcWVma35Ajp-leNV_caitE3xoi82UFT0FwWTJm2eVUV4dB_DGNjrmaMj77OOrxhoBqeLnqJw/s1600/IMG_5311.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjAIFmphE-Xd64I8z0hvHcHH4m1qsXgvjBckrafMOOJEye2I3IuGCTvfxoqHrZZKRcWVma35Ajp-leNV_caitE3xoi82UFT0FwWTJm2eVUV4dB_DGNjrmaMj77OOrxhoBqeLnqJw/s200/IMG_5311.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477597316964046306" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />So now it was time to shower, put things away, and just relax for a bit. After a little nap, we went down the hill to the restaurant, where we had dinner overlooking the mountains. <br /><br />In the morning, we're going to go for a run, then head toward City of the Rocks to camp again. We'll stop in Terlingua on the way to check out the ghost town. I don't know if I'll have internet in City of the Rocks, so it may be Wednesday before I post again.Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-35629197754908556312010-05-29T21:06:00.001-07:002010-05-30T06:47:38.404-07:00Day OneI had planned to get up at six, but I found myself wide awake at 5:30, thinking of all the things I still needed to do. No point in trying to go back to sleep, so I got up and got to work. There was still some packing to do, and of course there were some things we had to do for the housesitter, like put clean sheets on the bed and clean the bathroom, that had to be saved for last. <br /><br />We were on the road by 8:00.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY1H6y30UtC14uL3enpnF7qOHOSmkC60c21bXbKal9Rg5HjZW1J4KSkriIu90dqsr62p4Z8YAEz33wFyWRr6U_dlt0V1raA-oUuIpJJVHdz5cAsaaCQ5FpNmA86_tmpplfbwEZ7g/s1600/IMG_5211.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY1H6y30UtC14uL3enpnF7qOHOSmkC60c21bXbKal9Rg5HjZW1J4KSkriIu90dqsr62p4Z8YAEz33wFyWRr6U_dlt0V1raA-oUuIpJJVHdz5cAsaaCQ5FpNmA86_tmpplfbwEZ7g/s200/IMG_5211.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476910349480567074" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Although it was an nine-hour drive to Fort Davis, we found it not as tiring as when we've made the same trip in reverse, at the end of our vacation. I guess one always has more stamina on the first day.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNRxNIvYQuXHbLHf00MN80sJjHtBoE15SKG3cwNpWq2doupMPG0cxaHtXRWEi8ApodYb866LJkYgyembTZhsIPm5Ci1JUG1pArLBAwRLm9g2APIG5tBZwxucMt-kX4vslFXTZhmw/s1600/IMG_5214.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNRxNIvYQuXHbLHf00MN80sJjHtBoE15SKG3cwNpWq2doupMPG0cxaHtXRWEi8ApodYb866LJkYgyembTZhsIPm5Ci1JUG1pArLBAwRLm9g2APIG5tBZwxucMt-kX4vslFXTZhmw/s200/IMG_5214.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5476911128962354834" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />There's not much of interest one can say about a day on the road. When we got to Fort Davis, we got checked in to our hotel, looked around a bit, and then had dinner. The hotel restaurant was booked, so we had to make do with a Mexican place up the street. It was okay, but we've had better. I wanted to check out some of the gift shops, but it seems every retail operation in town closes at 6:00.<br /><br />Our evening plan was to go to the McDonald Observatory for their Saturday night Star Party, but when we got there, we found it quickly filling up with noisy children. We were both in a contemplative mood, and we also worried that the program might end up geared too much toward the youngsters to be much fun for us. But when the skies clouded over and they told us they would have to resort to a virtual tour instead of actual observations, we headed back down the mountain. We'll come back some other time.<br /><br />So now we're settled into our room at the historic Limpia Hotel. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBcFD3ZjuFwh-fM7GP-ijZVFUfl7__1lj-bKtQMgewt0xwcerGHNqWhYk9c49k2fA5qiD2F4P861grYRBX0mG1moH9iNCpZeZ5LvNUdiYn9Gpp1b7crJ6h9_Pdiy19bxz0TZYBIg/s1600/IMG_5234.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBcFD3ZjuFwh-fM7GP-ijZVFUfl7__1lj-bKtQMgewt0xwcerGHNqWhYk9c49k2fA5qiD2F4P861grYRBX0mG1moH9iNCpZeZ5LvNUdiYn9Gpp1b7crJ6h9_Pdiy19bxz0TZYBIg/s200/IMG_5234.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477057796236597810" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We're pretty happy with our accommodations, and I hope to be able to browse some of the gift shops and see more of the town before we leave for Big Bend in the morning.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDdohG3dSU8DlI9ADDtuC8lQ4fV1wTA4jaLYN0-6HQV_MuMMk9kBHhIdDJWN94CpvWYBFW0iSM_ZtlBVF3G_kXbYxWkZ16eW8w33vkoBvlJGmoV45UUJlUYK_KG_n2j-cI6pm_w/s1600/IMG_5226.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDdohG3dSU8DlI9ADDtuC8lQ4fV1wTA4jaLYN0-6HQV_MuMMk9kBHhIdDJWN94CpvWYBFW0iSM_ZtlBVF3G_kXbYxWkZ16eW8w33vkoBvlJGmoV45UUJlUYK_KG_n2j-cI6pm_w/s200/IMG_5226.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477058252587798018" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I'm not sure if I'll be able to post tonight - it depends on if we're camping or not.Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-56254377681417923562009-06-04T20:54:00.000-07:002009-06-04T21:56:59.360-07:00Observations and Lessons LearnedHere, in no particular order, are this year's observations and lessons learned. The accompanying pictures do not necessarily have anything to do with this post. I just like them.<br /><ol><br /><li><u>Castile Soap</u>: Don't leave home without it! I guess I don't travel enough (okay, I <i>know</i> I don't travel enough) but somehow I missed the memo that castile soap washes off clean in hard water. I found some travel size Dr. Bronner's at Central Market the week before our trip, and used it every time we had to stay the night at a hotel with hard water. Wonderful stuff. <br /><li><u>Coffee Mug</u>: At home, I have a cup of chai tea every night, but this has been a hard tradition to continue on the road. Not only can one not put styrofoam cups in the microwave, but anything you put in them, from evening tea to morning coffee, tastes awful and is probably unsafe. Last year I found a plain china mug for $1. At that price, who cares if it gets broken? It lives in my suitcase now, and this year I had tea every night.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYBpR_95K9HNbz-aKfkiJdacYMLst-LnHPNeeIZ8qRmQB0PnyTrKPE8Hbzpl9kX6YxbpHdqBGG33NIaDL8GoJiOpUc-tEI-RpTqN-yWjdBSjzbYPyzBjQ4lKwWVBbM4rGVqRZWzg/s1600-h/sculpture+in+santa+fe.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYBpR_95K9HNbz-aKfkiJdacYMLst-LnHPNeeIZ8qRmQB0PnyTrKPE8Hbzpl9kX6YxbpHdqBGG33NIaDL8GoJiOpUc-tEI-RpTqN-yWjdBSjzbYPyzBjQ4lKwWVBbM4rGVqRZWzg/s320/sculpture+in+santa+fe.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343691791885737522" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><li><u>Travel Dress</u>: I had always been a little skeptical of the value of a travel dress, but this spring I broke down and bought one of <a href="http://www.rei.com/product/778330">these</a> in basic black. What a great purchase! It dresses up or down, is cool on hot summer days and looks fabulous layered with sweaters in cooler climes. It can be stuffed in a suitcase, then put on and worn as-is, no ironing required. I wore it with heels and a cashmere sweater for an elegant dinner in Santa Fe. I wore it with flip-flops on the day we went to Balmorhea and was able to change into a swimsuit and back into my dress in a jiffy. That evening I layered it with a blouse and some ballerina flats to go out to dinner. Best. Dress. Evah.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_ovmUOInin-jpYPHIqvQXvwHeI_uveazHI3OpMer3Ux1v9urBOvplMtFjlJyF7Ag1Ce2CpbB5y3d34e-f1fFpRWwMriFqxcjj2eKE3DaB0iXbi1oBa4ruD9lLTMAQ384XNze7w/s1600-h/dancers.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 194px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR_ovmUOInin-jpYPHIqvQXvwHeI_uveazHI3OpMer3Ux1v9urBOvplMtFjlJyF7Ag1Ce2CpbB5y3d34e-f1fFpRWwMriFqxcjj2eKE3DaB0iXbi1oBa4ruD9lLTMAQ384XNze7w/s320/dancers.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343691552089399970" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><li><u>General Order of Things</u>: In retrospect, Dan and I should’ve gone to Big Bend and Chaco Canyon first, then done the hot springs and massages last. I was so stiff by the time we got home that I had to go out the next morning and get a massage.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYMNhKpPonch9fWD-hH60UIhyphenhyphenHjtRlBt2c8oDxndn0r4XH3relnki4-VbdgiGssSe4fngFNTd-W4UAnlgz6H8ea12mVM3LaQcJiP9zZZqJSijCAIHQJ6r8QsRHQA2f5N8gdqfHQ/s1600-h/colorado+mountains.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYMNhKpPonch9fWD-hH60UIhyphenhyphenHjtRlBt2c8oDxndn0r4XH3relnki4-VbdgiGssSe4fngFNTd-W4UAnlgz6H8ea12mVM3LaQcJiP9zZZqJSijCAIHQJ6r8QsRHQA2f5N8gdqfHQ/s320/colorado+mountains.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343691368172311090" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><li><u>Big Bend</u>: If you’ve never been and don’t have a friend to advise you, stay at the Chisos Mountain Lodge. Big Bend encompasses over 800,000 acres and several very different environments. Chisos is centrally located, with many options for getting to know the area. It’s too crowded to get the true Big Bend Experience, but it’s the ideal place to get educated and plan your next visit.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYt86qDECYpZ4eBnlBBmCwvrlxLZZCaldv3lEndim4Mrhyphenhyphen_3vvghYkNqNfM5Fgk285GK2nkVgke92g-6y-pDyBy7hL1QNQvrpxQ7xn7Fhs-kvOHuEDY1K0vQiGjdqwyBrMtb-U9g/s1600-h/travel+bunny.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYt86qDECYpZ4eBnlBBmCwvrlxLZZCaldv3lEndim4Mrhyphenhyphen_3vvghYkNqNfM5Fgk285GK2nkVgke92g-6y-pDyBy7hL1QNQvrpxQ7xn7Fhs-kvOHuEDY1K0vQiGjdqwyBrMtb-U9g/s320/travel+bunny.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343691680819484834" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><li><u>Chaco Canyon</u>: I don’t think there are enough superlatives in the English language to describe it. One of the best things is that it’s so far from any points of civilization and so hard to get to via a long and poorly maintained dirt road, that anyone who makes it out there is likely to be dedicated and deeply respectful of the place. It’s a great place to get away from noisy, obnoxious tourists who have little appreciation for what they’re seeing. Best of all, Chaco inspires and challenges assumptions. We all need that.<br /><li><u>Prada Marfa</u>: We zoomed by too quickly to grasp what we were seeing, and there was no good way to go back. This has got to be some of the <a href="http://www.texasescapes.com/TexasArt/Prada-Marfa.htm">cleverest art ever</a>, though. <br /><li><u>Pie</u>: The <a href="http://www.pie-o-neer.com/">Pie-O-Neer Café</a> is worth going out of your way for. A good thing, since it’s located about an hour from anywhere.<br /><li><u>Organization</u>: I continue to get better at this. Last year, it was the clear plastic organizer for toiletries that can be hung from a bathroom hook or towel rack. This year I put pajamas, socks, and underwear into their own bags and greatly reduced my frustration in finding things.</ol><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8y_nExAMEA-PAQLKahvqRDxLLyhpm2QPRQjycGEzEczkQY0U_5jJwRm4o-qDhDOImxS_jClz9bvhnXy6BYW2ayn45PvbtpS6qgyZKGn5YccnDTTnf5y1FzPgH-sLhGw5OTv6qzw/s1600-h/deer+at+sunset.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8y_nExAMEA-PAQLKahvqRDxLLyhpm2QPRQjycGEzEczkQY0U_5jJwRm4o-qDhDOImxS_jClz9bvhnXy6BYW2ayn45PvbtpS6qgyZKGn5YccnDTTnf5y1FzPgH-sLhGw5OTv6qzw/s320/deer+at+sunset.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343691461266211266" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Well, this pretty much covers it. Thanks to all of you who have followed along, and to those who have blog-hosted my wayward bunny while I've been away. From here forward, I'll be posting at my <a href="http://tri-bunny.blogspot.com">regular blog</a>. It's great to be in my own home again!Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-90385305508063513562009-06-03T20:58:00.000-07:002009-06-03T21:09:46.369-07:00Day TwelveI did not want to work out this morning. I had been stiffening up since my mountain-running at Big Bend and was grasping for any excuse, but Dan didn’t wake up and say we needed to hurry and get on the road, and the hotel treadmill wasn’t in use. Since no one was willing to help me skip my workout, I did a half-hour interval session while watching a silly TV show about Mayans being from space. Does anyone but me think it’s a little insulting to say that just because we don’t understand certain things about an ancient culture, they must have been aliens from another planet?<br /><br />Before we could leave Kerrville, Dan and I had a very important stop to make: <a href="http://wolfmuellersbooks.com/">Wolfmueller’s Books</a>. We go to this bookstore nearly every year and rarely leave empty-handed. They specialize in Texas and Southwestern themes, both fiction and non-fiction. This year I scored, buying seven books, several of which will go on in my rare book bookcase. Two are about the Texas port of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indianola,_Texas">Indianola</a>, destroyed by successive hurricanes in the late nineteenth century.<br /><br />I now had a sack full of books and was happy, so Dan and I started toward home. It was great to be in the green rolling hills of Central Texas after so many days in the deserts of New Mexico and West Texas.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoqBokD5AbUnijEvJW_slhyphenhyphenJcy1-fLVDlDo_on2z_UG4KPWVnBpoUmamsdWK01fpkXxPiQXcMF3hF1sujX5oY9qF4f8zxwRYXifvaodWY4pUzGafEyyml4kCwXiyAEHtjqWTe9xw/s1600-h/green+hills.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoqBokD5AbUnijEvJW_slhyphenhyphenJcy1-fLVDlDo_on2z_UG4KPWVnBpoUmamsdWK01fpkXxPiQXcMF3hF1sujX5oY9qF4f8zxwRYXifvaodWY4pUzGafEyyml4kCwXiyAEHtjqWTe9xw/s320/green+hills.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343317935864995474" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe777A-joXXW0st_sAISGeil8wPSQsEz0UhLd85oycBodPn7CHR3x3M5b-2VGUicLach-g9DIoHiwG9tDn5dQ5VqjyG1M7fusvI-4giQXAiNTwlSqExHZGNue7g9arfk5HPqSXcg/s1600-h/green+hills+and+building.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 260px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe777A-joXXW0st_sAISGeil8wPSQsEz0UhLd85oycBodPn7CHR3x3M5b-2VGUicLach-g9DIoHiwG9tDn5dQ5VqjyG1M7fusvI-4giQXAiNTwlSqExHZGNue7g9arfk5HPqSXcg/s320/green+hills+and+building.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343318997595781506" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />As we neared home, the hills flattened out...<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRvDLeU9Ggfv-wEZTfCbxFnrSX8nWkKcFMIrigh_Ck-i11tOZRmNikjXk0auNVng_T-wLOvvGuaPDGNREl77VZD-N0wyY9RdFmyqY_6SLpYAWEm7ilb0LfotYXyw2MZZblPpdQA/s1600-h/clouds.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRvDLeU9Ggfv-wEZTfCbxFnrSX8nWkKcFMIrigh_Ck-i11tOZRmNikjXk0auNVng_T-wLOvvGuaPDGNREl77VZD-N0wyY9RdFmyqY_6SLpYAWEm7ilb0LfotYXyw2MZZblPpdQA/s320/clouds.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5343318908455645618" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />...and then the landscape became cluttered with billboards, buildings, and other signs of human activity. The skies darkened and we had some real concern that we’d run into a storm, but the rain followed some sort of pattern of its own and we managed to avoid it. We went to pick up the pets and Pixel was unhappy, but fine. Cadbury, on the other hand, was still on his blog-friend tour, organized by his friends at the <a href="http://houseofrabbits.blogspot.com/">Houseful of Rabbits</a>. I was informed that Cadbury would find his own way home in a day or two and let us know when he needs to be picked up at the airport. Brat.<br /><br />Once I was home, I spent nearly three hours unpacking, doing laundry, cooking, and tripping over the cat. It’s important to me to put my life back in order immediately when I return from a trip, before I get busy with other things and lose the ganas to sort through a stack of maps and travel brochures or put away sweaters and travel food.<br /><br />Tomorrow or the next day will be my vacation summary and lessons learned post. After that, I’ll return to posting at my main blog.Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-1173101380881499702009-06-02T20:41:00.001-07:002009-06-02T21:18:38.015-07:00Day ElevenI so did not want to get up at 6:30 this morning. Dan hadn’t slept well and woke me up a couple times during the night, so I was tempted to skip my morning run. But I reminded myself that I would missing my last morning run at Big Bend, so I dragged myself out of bed and went. Even though I was starting to stiffen up from the hill-running and mountain hiking the day before, it was a good run and I was glad I made the effort.<br /><br />I had done most of my packing the night before, so it didn’t take me very long to get ready to go. We had the truck loaded by 8:00, had breakfast, and checked out.<br /><br />I would’ve liked to have gone for an early hike, but Dan had his heart set on Balmorhea, which suited almost as well. I hadn’t been there in nearly thirty years and was curious to see it again. So we headed north out of the park, stopped in Alpine for gas and supplies at one of their organic grocery stores, then continued toward Fort Davis...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOP8lhmsMC3DRjfNgrT13lHE864evJvWP__xFGtwyfiVblBBwL_RWvPjb9WhBPMvy9t-5Vx11KVgzrUDTg4hIQx9JpzTGk7Q3jkHblAY1XHZky4igmVVBjabwTiagChQAO9BoJzw/s1600-h/a-toward+fort+davis+with+rocky+cliffs.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOP8lhmsMC3DRjfNgrT13lHE864evJvWP__xFGtwyfiVblBBwL_RWvPjb9WhBPMvy9t-5Vx11KVgzrUDTg4hIQx9JpzTGk7Q3jkHblAY1XHZky4igmVVBjabwTiagChQAO9BoJzw/s320/a-toward+fort+davis+with+rocky+cliffs.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342947881131226114" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2YFjHmrQE8XB7NmPtXI6I6dDoh3Zn2_jlK8EfMVdj4-knCOAz-S_FY8FIzYmL5unt4AtzlgTZusBSSVlFZEUdt3XpzFQpTT-_3lXfhpuzJDMaBMbNez6YSi-icrWSNfckPwEgA/s1600-h/a-toward+fort+davis.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv2YFjHmrQE8XB7NmPtXI6I6dDoh3Zn2_jlK8EfMVdj4-knCOAz-S_FY8FIzYmL5unt4AtzlgTZusBSSVlFZEUdt3XpzFQpTT-_3lXfhpuzJDMaBMbNez6YSi-icrWSNfckPwEgA/s320/a-toward+fort+davis.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342948326613608258" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7kNj9055iX9-JGie5Zsa9AZwdDuNwhLD4ikqFHNG2FvBHCFm7SDn6P6nWZdVyZ4JxIvXXd_BQuCm358MBhoRmXsPIk07ee24DyE3XisqHF7vTcj-8TN5fkUIT3gUChcohKYxvsw/s1600-h/a-field+of+cows.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7kNj9055iX9-JGie5Zsa9AZwdDuNwhLD4ikqFHNG2FvBHCFm7SDn6P6nWZdVyZ4JxIvXXd_BQuCm358MBhoRmXsPIk07ee24DyE3XisqHF7vTcj-8TN5fkUIT3gUChcohKYxvsw/s320/a-field+of+cows.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342942547404614146" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />...then picked up the road down the mountain...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIolZ73Wk4MyUKybJQZXWsjr2H14heQ-ddsxAdqmgiKMVlj54EeZ0LUjiMEM-bpcviidaV7D_bGRb61t0iU2n89Z2XUJZ6VTYveOAWo3J_-T1K0PNAsayPTV3TV3NrE5jg_vH6w/s1600-h/a-down+the+mountain.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIolZ73Wk4MyUKybJQZXWsjr2H14heQ-ddsxAdqmgiKMVlj54EeZ0LUjiMEM-bpcviidaV7D_bGRb61t0iU2n89Z2XUJZ6VTYveOAWo3J_-T1K0PNAsayPTV3TV3NrE5jg_vH6w/s320/a-down+the+mountain.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342942036683800898" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />...and to Balmorhea.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGShyNZfO30aU0BJ-mw7yu2NtJGBEmozq4LaW6cxvXrE1uNL7k4x7pVv5egTGKcsO0sUUlmmCgk7VHjhEszaULGqK_i93p6l-c16gPSV4COkdw2ZCAi8WzOXfU48yvjah3WQBgg/s1600-h/a-motor+court+at+balmorhea.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDGShyNZfO30aU0BJ-mw7yu2NtJGBEmozq4LaW6cxvXrE1uNL7k4x7pVv5egTGKcsO0sUUlmmCgk7VHjhEszaULGqK_i93p6l-c16gPSV4COkdw2ZCAi8WzOXfU48yvjah3WQBgg/s320/a-motor+court+at+balmorhea.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342945191971832290" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iHuvx1MUaW_KwwNhCcxSEPDfi6MmuNLqdEOSR9jgkF8La2U9PtqbdG0Gv0mtGUCk4NY-K_zRtouMjO2rtlne_ZQu3Ged31sYEz0QqrNJmCWPEUSXgluB0x7Nx8VAh8OpuXn21w/s1600-h/a-women's+bath+house.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7iHuvx1MUaW_KwwNhCcxSEPDfi6MmuNLqdEOSR9jgkF8La2U9PtqbdG0Gv0mtGUCk4NY-K_zRtouMjO2rtlne_ZQu3Ged31sYEz0QqrNJmCWPEUSXgluB0x7Nx8VAh8OpuXn21w/s320/a-women's+bath+house.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342948910681930754" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9THYnihbFHODaHk6W9oJ_tsTv2NmeppzRMxYD2Jnn3BvHxL9404eoKW7UP__j3QTnJlkY2MiC19jYZLdOMgvUI5_1Gdmru43bIiOa2R-0ZiknRCtY3bzWNrcqNKMgVropm27T_g/s1600-h/a-heading+toward+the+bath+houses.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9THYnihbFHODaHk6W9oJ_tsTv2NmeppzRMxYD2Jnn3BvHxL9404eoKW7UP__j3QTnJlkY2MiC19jYZLdOMgvUI5_1Gdmru43bIiOa2R-0ZiknRCtY3bzWNrcqNKMgVropm27T_g/s320/a-heading+toward+the+bath+houses.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342943223395854786" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Balmorhea was pretty much how I remembered it, except smaller. Isn’t everything you remember from childhood smaller? The water was cold and it took me awhile to get used to it. Meanwhile, little fish nibbled my legs and toes, which didn’t bother me for the most part, except for a few times when they bit hard and I had to shoo them away. I was curious to get a good look at them, so I finally forced myself to get my head wet, and after that I was able to tolerate the water just fine. My new swim goggles didn’t leak, so I did laps for a little while, swimming with the little silver fishes. But then some kids decided to start a game of water volleyball where I was swimming and there weren’t any other good places. I think there was a spot I could’ve used near the diving area, but the water in the section closest to the spring feed is much colder and last time I was at Balmorhea I got chilled over there and ran into some difficulty in the middle of the pool. No way was I trying that again in my older and hopefully wiser state. So I said good-bye to my fish friends and got out of the water.<br /><br />With temps in the 90s, it didn’t take long for my hair to dry while Dan and I had a picnic of leftover tortellini from the night before, heated in foil on the sunny dashboard. Then, after what was really too short a stay, we got back on the road.<br /><br />By now I was really feeling the lack of sleep the night before and the long stretch of I-10 made me sleepy. There’s just not much out there between towns, and even the towns aren’t much to write home about. This was the first time we had driven this stretch in daylight, but I wasn’t surprised to see that we hadn’t been missing much, unless you count this mural of Paisano Pete, the roadrunner. We didn't pass by the statue this year, but I've photographed it before.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mOMA1dNOzx1MiPhyphenhyphenBkBgv2K_JFkA39CHx7P5AdKLtevwlbPG8xibpnHJI56qQSnFe6a5KTRbRvHS5xi1olYKid0eNJ9y14Z8683ZNep3omyfh85jo1mkNqCX8vkpaH2CQVDr9w/s1600-h/a-roadrunner+mural+at+fort+stockton.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mOMA1dNOzx1MiPhyphenhyphenBkBgv2K_JFkA39CHx7P5AdKLtevwlbPG8xibpnHJI56qQSnFe6a5KTRbRvHS5xi1olYKid0eNJ9y14Z8683ZNep3omyfh85jo1mkNqCX8vkpaH2CQVDr9w/s320/a-roadrunner+mural+at+fort+stockton.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342946495410260034" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />For awhile it looked like we might run into some rain, but it remained always just a little ways down the road.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbRTuX2o-mdzZvv5loP3xma6VHHaDeF_bCX9K9R_IMWgVCjrkNB9Wtr6XJJwgc9taYGNYxbF6YWdvkd3kRAYRNZAOMys4xvgtEj5RlP5n8m8u-whB9eEi2NvqggghYRAv61JvBQ/s1600-h/a-rain+in+the+distance.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDbRTuX2o-mdzZvv5loP3xma6VHHaDeF_bCX9K9R_IMWgVCjrkNB9Wtr6XJJwgc9taYGNYxbF6YWdvkd3kRAYRNZAOMys4xvgtEj5RlP5n8m8u-whB9eEi2NvqggghYRAv61JvBQ/s320/a-rain+in+the+distance.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342945439476856482" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPd2zKYkwL0kVD8n-3wEN0Dwc5ztZInAGB7l3HiXEu2sY721XbXKt2PnJhBLfUwNkhZAi6smbYuzIMLLeWjeAzw3wIoxodlXDzh8R7Ng69Wd0q-cVnKCd79cOzkxMmD5ulYpyr0g/s1600-h/a-rain+over+mesas.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPd2zKYkwL0kVD8n-3wEN0Dwc5ztZInAGB7l3HiXEu2sY721XbXKt2PnJhBLfUwNkhZAi6smbYuzIMLLeWjeAzw3wIoxodlXDzh8R7Ng69Wd0q-cVnKCd79cOzkxMmD5ulYpyr0g/s320/a-rain+over+mesas.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342945904948690498" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It was a relief to make it into the hill country.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguHwrRRGI8oDP2xTiOnkXOdc10Ent-CMaghTquL0Drc_w0jisP9wx2f5ON4VyhpG3sA2UM3ybDRvifgNbuuf-Ap4WCSkkggYJQxpFP2aJc_2x1_QxKASLwBeLQ2vrZHkti86qDZA/s1600-h/a-rolling+hills.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguHwrRRGI8oDP2xTiOnkXOdc10Ent-CMaghTquL0Drc_w0jisP9wx2f5ON4VyhpG3sA2UM3ybDRvifgNbuuf-Ap4WCSkkggYJQxpFP2aJc_2x1_QxKASLwBeLQ2vrZHkti86qDZA/s320/a-rolling+hills.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342947485300058850" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0twOCYhFnQUack-ZlQp-e0cPkNWIXbMl54jsz8QHnRCpTjoD41pmTMKrMKSjI9Jqxb3R0-KxqANTXAgSG_m5F1V25ya8bWXaA2pur7MdETQjTu-vWwkQWZgtvrpsNvTxnO8nGA/s1600-h/a-rolling+hills+and+clouds.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 227px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis0twOCYhFnQUack-ZlQp-e0cPkNWIXbMl54jsz8QHnRCpTjoD41pmTMKrMKSjI9Jqxb3R0-KxqANTXAgSG_m5F1V25ya8bWXaA2pur7MdETQjTu-vWwkQWZgtvrpsNvTxnO8nGA/s320/a-rolling+hills+and+clouds.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342947204570207522" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgleQ_hJ98-0jTPxZKijXc0riP01We-PoD2y_GKf6Ev2uCVlvwbOM-Ql5YFtz1P-gW6RPOVpJtZ8xBqBjMZnvaUUaKJeFEK0xLiO_UMnPlcxU2ekXr5wAvjSQ_1TW3CX2UAiFRRjw/s1600-h/a-road+cut+through+hill.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgleQ_hJ98-0jTPxZKijXc0riP01We-PoD2y_GKf6Ev2uCVlvwbOM-Ql5YFtz1P-gW6RPOVpJtZ8xBqBjMZnvaUUaKJeFEK0xLiO_UMnPlcxU2ekXr5wAvjSQ_1TW3CX2UAiFRRjw/s320/a-road+cut+through+hill.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342946231646856930" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgNch1KHgwNwhlwONC6X0F9nTFF_Fz5V9m-wig0njBQKjNK0CzrYur3SLJaqMZr9WKfPfsjXD-V9gjXiNh0CV5BI15fwIOnU-v79UsEVb9iNBcUBPdal8pa9o0yglUHrJs0pAfg/s1600-h/a-hill+country.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrgNch1KHgwNwhlwONC6X0F9nTFF_Fz5V9m-wig0njBQKjNK0CzrYur3SLJaqMZr9WKfPfsjXD-V9gjXiNh0CV5BI15fwIOnU-v79UsEVb9iNBcUBPdal8pa9o0yglUHrJs0pAfg/s320/a-hill+country.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342943510375049154" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We thought we’d have to stop for the night somewhere between Fort Stockton and Kerrville, but we ended up getting all the way to Kerrville by 6:00, where we decided to stop for the night. We got a hotel room, showered, and went to dinner at a cute little restaurant near the historic downtown. Then we went to our favorite bookstore to see what time they would open in the morning, and decided to call it a night.<br /><br />It looks like we’ll be home a day early, which suits us both fine, but in many ways I consider myself home already, back in familiar territory where I feel no particular urgency to do as much as I can before I have to leave. I’ll be glad to have part of Wednesday and all of Thursday to get settled in before going to my workshop on Friday. I see that the pollen forecast in Houston remains high. Joy. Time to start taking the meds again, I guess. Some day I’ll be in a position to move someplace where I don’t need pills just to keep breathing. It’ll be grand.<br /><br />Tonight there's a storm outside my window. We left in rain, we return in rain. It's a funny world.Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-46271564524775005732009-06-01T19:30:00.000-07:002010-09-05T13:35:53.101-07:00Day TenI got up at 6:30 and went for a run around the paved roads in the vicinity. My route included a steeply graded downhill that went on for about a quarter of a mile. I had a feeling the return trip would be hell, and it was. But I figured it was probably for the best that I tire myself out. Dan quit running and cycling years ago and we no longer have the same stamina. Going for a tough run early would make things a little more equal on the trails.<br /><br />After my run, I changed into hiking clothes and packed a backpack. Then we had a quick breakfast and headed out.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfquUmZes28f07I6Ri3tMbuHUVnUd1aLpgRU1TGazebQPcPREKKRnWBhx6cN7aXJ4nUwSAoxdE8s3JaFhPmtMWkZ5ncVRcxbdxSb2FxYOPy8UtXfEdPctcyvjF56h36ax_JBOx3A/s1600-h/morning+sky.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfquUmZes28f07I6Ri3tMbuHUVnUd1aLpgRU1TGazebQPcPREKKRnWBhx6cN7aXJ4nUwSAoxdE8s3JaFhPmtMWkZ5ncVRcxbdxSb2FxYOPy8UtXfEdPctcyvjF56h36ax_JBOx3A/s320/morning+sky.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342559065229817154" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Our first objective was the Lost Mine Trail. It’s a cleared trail, not too strenuous, but it climbs 1,000 feet with marked stops along the way to learn about the plants and geology. It’s billed as a good trail for first-time visitors and it lives up to its billing.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmwcibAxJhqECmO3y8d7rseaZ6ozqFHQdqFuRXB5qnnHsCV27XVEvBUYfcQu4gS32iNHTrYOUObwYVgpbjatTSMvmVCTLAKwXRdo1z3upAobQpoV-B5UZoHZaoRpqX6uDrDZt4g/s1600-h/ridge.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmwcibAxJhqECmO3y8d7rseaZ6ozqFHQdqFuRXB5qnnHsCV27XVEvBUYfcQu4gS32iNHTrYOUObwYVgpbjatTSMvmVCTLAKwXRdo1z3upAobQpoV-B5UZoHZaoRpqX6uDrDZt4g/s320/ridge.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342560208379456978" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyB4KQ_haZTDCI6Mqk155t2yPGyRZzibId2yzAT0SDRIyrmJ6mwTvw51E3WItKhbmy2QWSHH6nZRVrr8ZKYGRi8VIAfzKFC_CTPyDdRcE2ZZ0hgrMjWU8i3N_ikF0F5KGyOxoFTA/s1600-h/close+and+distant+no+plants.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyB4KQ_haZTDCI6Mqk155t2yPGyRZzibId2yzAT0SDRIyrmJ6mwTvw51E3WItKhbmy2QWSHH6nZRVrr8ZKYGRi8VIAfzKFC_CTPyDdRcE2ZZ0hgrMjWU8i3N_ikF0F5KGyOxoFTA/s320/close+and+distant+no+plants.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342556415340949554" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Dan let me go on ahead, and when I got too far ahead of him, I would stop to take pictures.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4bLqlgE_Qz7G6QNU9WGTL5zWB1BM2ezwqxOR68jPdL1uSSUhRYJUbPI5oUnkcr8LUMvrX_ekj21xOx5T-9ZWLQpiWqkP4VysYoPdWcp636R1OhfZGRwUYyibbKSawqeFUKZ0ZQ/s1600-h/view+from+summit.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy4bLqlgE_Qz7G6QNU9WGTL5zWB1BM2ezwqxOR68jPdL1uSSUhRYJUbPI5oUnkcr8LUMvrX_ekj21xOx5T-9ZWLQpiWqkP4VysYoPdWcp636R1OhfZGRwUYyibbKSawqeFUKZ0ZQ/s320/view+from+summit.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342560530974352642" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtzmxD_qvloGChtN8S7x2Ftv4MwC0OBfV1bTtvzJ_-NApxgCi2uH8J30Mmh5H9edoXyJO8pGHFtaKwCFYmk0WhOV0hfDP5CL5KbHoXDZHxHSzsIpV0SL78PtI2AthGpS7F5vW3OA/s1600-h/wooded+slopes.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtzmxD_qvloGChtN8S7x2Ftv4MwC0OBfV1bTtvzJ_-NApxgCi2uH8J30Mmh5H9edoXyJO8pGHFtaKwCFYmk0WhOV0hfDP5CL5KbHoXDZHxHSzsIpV0SL78PtI2AthGpS7F5vW3OA/s320/wooded+slopes.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342560898706117410" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlyHqlHqmBkydbdHeQk9-XMbIaD9zZ-KhxsYFkU6be_n8Mq0c2gc0hmmI_vh7Rt9TKvHOLfEKcU1p1_BfLBKOff_hKkR8NyxrgBvxDIzWvffAErhoF5X1L_0by1rd1OH2iiNhkA/s1600-h/vista+with+desert+flowers.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIlyHqlHqmBkydbdHeQk9-XMbIaD9zZ-KhxsYFkU6be_n8Mq0c2gc0hmmI_vh7Rt9TKvHOLfEKcU1p1_BfLBKOff_hKkR8NyxrgBvxDIzWvffAErhoF5X1L_0by1rd1OH2iiNhkA/s320/vista+with+desert+flowers.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342560669139534066" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwA8wYjar6K1ewMXqdIV6_heoV8BtH_tFnVc6P0qXmWDFm9ge2L10IHYgXvnOKwLklwvTk8o74Z8GuedORBCJw8h8pGbKmkSuRkmPOrhF_a6tSOnEk2AjYmBn7W2JGe9t05lenw/s1600-h/at+the+summit.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPwA8wYjar6K1ewMXqdIV6_heoV8BtH_tFnVc6P0qXmWDFm9ge2L10IHYgXvnOKwLklwvTk8o74Z8GuedORBCJw8h8pGbKmkSuRkmPOrhF_a6tSOnEk2AjYmBn7W2JGe9t05lenw/s320/at+the+summit.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342555600381325234" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We finished our hike around noon and were both game to try another trail, but since there weren’t any we could agree on in the Chisos area, we decided to drive to another area of the park and stop for short hikes until the day got cooler. The side benefit of this would be that we could check out trails and campsites for our next visit.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGO_0byElkmX2vdCMr2W8QQvLVVs4yTYsM9nOqa43bb5oZifDHNbiA0qP13gM_bIIkTsvsAnoDTPgjikmjhbOFn7dAUFM2gClPdmtA7mCq4e9jNXax1lDXXbQxEMwR-rt2C6PK6Q/s1600-h/ocotillos+and+mesa.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGO_0byElkmX2vdCMr2W8QQvLVVs4yTYsM9nOqa43bb5oZifDHNbiA0qP13gM_bIIkTsvsAnoDTPgjikmjhbOFn7dAUFM2gClPdmtA7mCq4e9jNXax1lDXXbQxEMwR-rt2C6PK6Q/s320/ocotillos+and+mesa.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342559414135269634" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We first went to Terlingua, then we followed the road to Castolon. We stopped to investigate two old ranches, one with a short hike to an old windmill…<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSqmgaYIRB6NT3DXBxO31o8XNjb6ne72NnfwVIUD8Lwr0wSu5RqFnOI20PeoZ4syKItjMSXVLCj3BOjfy9htMrJdoF6DgPXpJdJXD4MAD2DxD7fTqjZ3SWt1gRR0vxGUtgFa9bRw/s1600-h/old+windmill.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSqmgaYIRB6NT3DXBxO31o8XNjb6ne72NnfwVIUD8Lwr0wSu5RqFnOI20PeoZ4syKItjMSXVLCj3BOjfy9htMrJdoF6DgPXpJdJXD4MAD2DxD7fTqjZ3SWt1gRR0vxGUtgFa9bRw/s320/old+windmill.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342564063420840370" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />…and another with a longer hike to a canyon floor, where we were able to check out the ranch house and outbuildings.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRSQtA5wMdDFW55pdp5Bc9UY2pxHZ6CpnDrHNVBwjD6dzUJRKcSXfmWCfvutfT7qKTv05vaY68QyEZw6tATUm8lK7gdC0EXQyst_4FFzgFhRXuRluyZ4_aXoI1SBhLYt3b_p2Sw/s1600-h/valley+without+ranch+house.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 228px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjRSQtA5wMdDFW55pdp5Bc9UY2pxHZ6CpnDrHNVBwjD6dzUJRKcSXfmWCfvutfT7qKTv05vaY68QyEZw6tATUm8lK7gdC0EXQyst_4FFzgFhRXuRluyZ4_aXoI1SBhLYt3b_p2Sw/s320/valley+without+ranch+house.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342560345058877506" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQHKuzTlVET2K7WNd8cQay6DkOkmFLR1Bx8lMvBKSuuixubaChHpU7BQOVNFD67e-Nu_LdhpyzQHBaQfss80WFodpEZAizYkYmBCuBsHyfrEc4Cogc9iVO75QDkGjaWRE_4qagg/s1600-h/ranch+house.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQHKuzTlVET2K7WNd8cQay6DkOkmFLR1Bx8lMvBKSuuixubaChHpU7BQOVNFD67e-Nu_LdhpyzQHBaQfss80WFodpEZAizYkYmBCuBsHyfrEc4Cogc9iVO75QDkGjaWRE_4qagg/s320/ranch+house.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342560018721549714" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizCyoG9IskMHKsvV-ttHuRj2BS9UiS58I_PGj-xlamTdd4-jtjtnpALVCcX4KK8Eq_LxllsERbRjuQmIdlmZ4Nn7vq9zjyeoukue30X38up3mWZtsuFYdjkRSgYZRARgxvuIbfzQ/s1600-h/ranch+house+and+outbuildings.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizCyoG9IskMHKsvV-ttHuRj2BS9UiS58I_PGj-xlamTdd4-jtjtnpALVCcX4KK8Eq_LxllsERbRjuQmIdlmZ4Nn7vq9zjyeoukue30X38up3mWZtsuFYdjkRSgYZRARgxvuIbfzQ/s320/ranch+house+and+outbuildings.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342559786839793954" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fZdpOGigHon4fpasWETtJVNoLXCIDx4DV9y1Rk9U2HR3S5n5f2I3b-DO583p_KuKkJrrXIplqfCOub4aEylWo1e3dj_T6QpGl_2lecqExAm__6TYtjIWzj6YtvnQBIQ0Kpve2Q/s1600-h/inside+ranch+house.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fZdpOGigHon4fpasWETtJVNoLXCIDx4DV9y1Rk9U2HR3S5n5f2I3b-DO583p_KuKkJrrXIplqfCOub4aEylWo1e3dj_T6QpGl_2lecqExAm__6TYtjIWzj6YtvnQBIQ0Kpve2Q/s320/inside+ranch+house.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342558052581805186" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We stopped for some of the sights along the way...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zrjT-SzKX_6qc3JTtmBZMvxeg3dKp-Xei6N-ravpYnfJekrsuttMGqTWP6O-V5CuT1mgr-6P0fnSg8lTGZLDhmt2L8ZuM2_X86oZCM0BDDZ7H2DGWpV51QR7EwO1zE0dmWnlqw/s1600-h/distant+mesa+and+lone+cloud.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zrjT-SzKX_6qc3JTtmBZMvxeg3dKp-Xei6N-ravpYnfJekrsuttMGqTWP6O-V5CuT1mgr-6P0fnSg8lTGZLDhmt2L8ZuM2_X86oZCM0BDDZ7H2DGWpV51QR7EwO1zE0dmWnlqw/s320/distant+mesa+and+lone+cloud.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342557138619828066" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0Lq9TLQ5-TG1L5DdQv1AqrscVe21OSYWVfofoUs7rPSbm4xxwTp2I3LprSWsFFlghFugBqT9d3paVAR94B5HPjBkupVqRWtyns-z9PNgVoi8fYckNz6FO7oL9PUY7rtafuficw/s1600-h/more+mountains,+ocotillos,+and+desert+plants.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0Lq9TLQ5-TG1L5DdQv1AqrscVe21OSYWVfofoUs7rPSbm4xxwTp2I3LprSWsFFlghFugBqT9d3paVAR94B5HPjBkupVqRWtyns-z9PNgVoi8fYckNz6FO7oL9PUY7rtafuficw/s320/more+mountains,+ocotillos,+and+desert+plants.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342558748606658370" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2XcNzaablpZlFlA-7QqPwcUJw8Lsbj0iHLoMZa9-T1sG8Sdlq9TbmcoTALS1ChTTud4fSiRwGElgYlHA8D15Sccer_sVcJuI9SxSkNn5hyphenhyphen0CHt1EDWfrvsv2m8KycI0RJHpXDVA/s1600-h/close+and+distant+view.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2XcNzaablpZlFlA-7QqPwcUJw8Lsbj0iHLoMZa9-T1sG8Sdlq9TbmcoTALS1ChTTud4fSiRwGElgYlHA8D15Sccer_sVcJuI9SxSkNn5hyphenhyphen0CHt1EDWfrvsv2m8KycI0RJHpXDVA/s320/close+and+distant+view.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342556700846325650" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh332_Hysoq1B5ZVZKb5DpaE2CueFwGhOqRUCu7-cU71F1nvvvc4quf_brPxcE-3zKitU3s5aD5HdbqUTeTPLge0z8ocICDxABh3ESxvmvmcC27SpfvpGWUJYUIv34E6C1lmzST0g/s1600-h/canyon+and+yellow+flowers.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh332_Hysoq1B5ZVZKb5DpaE2CueFwGhOqRUCu7-cU71F1nvvvc4quf_brPxcE-3zKitU3s5aD5HdbqUTeTPLge0z8ocICDxABh3ESxvmvmcC27SpfvpGWUJYUIv34E6C1lmzST0g/s320/canyon+and+yellow+flowers.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342555783308124818" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbYgPtzZ5qzS-pD0P4pYjSgq5H5IdCqK2d9MaoOtpW31ZLTc-3T_Lc3tX_EJ1HjswVp1_0I1KhYzc1yCZZq4ppXcZj6OFUcF1EfKujCtsOBxeGSk54elf8W0YePet7Bui-3nLU4Q/s1600-h/on+the+desert+floor.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbYgPtzZ5qzS-pD0P4pYjSgq5H5IdCqK2d9MaoOtpW31ZLTc-3T_Lc3tX_EJ1HjswVp1_0I1KhYzc1yCZZq4ppXcZj6OFUcF1EfKujCtsOBxeGSk54elf8W0YePet7Bui-3nLU4Q/s320/on+the+desert+floor.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342559563272908834" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />and checked out some of the trails for later reference. Mule Ears is one we think would be fun.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1iXfu7eixNwBIDZi-Z72beZNrviIv6GgmMHJsRiSRql6wEio4x3j65XsIMcGDLPOWfu6hXXHrckvVcxUIbXLarGmD8Q9B0fJMHgRTKJdCaAoizo5ntqVOEP2hnEFZHPuz-56N4Q/s1600-h/mule+ears.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1iXfu7eixNwBIDZi-Z72beZNrviIv6GgmMHJsRiSRql6wEio4x3j65XsIMcGDLPOWfu6hXXHrckvVcxUIbXLarGmD8Q9B0fJMHgRTKJdCaAoizo5ntqVOEP2hnEFZHPuz-56N4Q/s320/mule+ears.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342559203779181650" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Although the desert floor was hotter than the mountains, the temperatures never reached the 100s, as predicted.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorK9Esbmy9bcdpxnGpyk4xszEsm7aJF4Gk0T5tcCQme2c5qdn1SmxModGa50qk-qdb3h1UFVpbfnqWJIzb1YZ79EzKoOHl8av48n5aXLBC60oj8hQR0dzDNDzzcvv01xEgQQ0wg/s1600-h/desert+plants+and+canyon+rim.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiorK9Esbmy9bcdpxnGpyk4xszEsm7aJF4Gk0T5tcCQme2c5qdn1SmxModGa50qk-qdb3h1UFVpbfnqWJIzb1YZ79EzKoOHl8av48n5aXLBC60oj8hQR0dzDNDzzcvv01xEgQQ0wg/s320/desert+plants+and+canyon+rim.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342556936066689058" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJasGT96piyX-6u__GXFCFq-czdN1OUmBizfPfdATG52oOh4ca41DNL3AwBjsyvzwtnuvGX9dWd0Tv6__CcvlyglhwMENSWochf2ZJLxO9ca1SsEt3elCOtpNEJBE9zIAdtq0Dg/s1600-h/canyon+rim.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJasGT96piyX-6u__GXFCFq-czdN1OUmBizfPfdATG52oOh4ca41DNL3AwBjsyvzwtnuvGX9dWd0Tv6__CcvlyglhwMENSWochf2ZJLxO9ca1SsEt3elCOtpNEJBE9zIAdtq0Dg/s320/canyon+rim.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342555938812401138" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Then we went into Castolon, which was a US Army outpost during the Mexican Civil War, making sure refugees and soldiers didn’t spill over into the United States. The old barracks is now a store.<br /><br />A little farther down the road we found some old adobes that are the remains of the Harmonia Store, where Americans and Mexicans both shopped and traded in the 1920s.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6xruVn8wMVNI83UZ4Me42UxriwapAuhbLDquCd4zN2ey9TipvgVVryBKJHPg8Y19iuqaNA3dLuHFLeEsSbYktatO3txCna8ggoeJzGgDoUBYfbk8kBQNqfvtUlH3I4YYbSSQiQ/s1600-h/harmonia+2.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn6xruVn8wMVNI83UZ4Me42UxriwapAuhbLDquCd4zN2ey9TipvgVVryBKJHPg8Y19iuqaNA3dLuHFLeEsSbYktatO3txCna8ggoeJzGgDoUBYfbk8kBQNqfvtUlH3I4YYbSSQiQ/s320/harmonia+2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342557551937568962" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27SIUFitAkKhd-IVolqVxGxlaFd-XAutc7WaW5NLxCDnJ602rATCnObX5ksXSzCd5oGlMzp5lLEaL0QjAOqPh4sxDTfoxxn-ggpNXq14b_HRbUZGn_QEQKW0vwxlCODCGEBmFTA/s1600-h/harmonia+and+mexico.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27SIUFitAkKhd-IVolqVxGxlaFd-XAutc7WaW5NLxCDnJ602rATCnObX5ksXSzCd5oGlMzp5lLEaL0QjAOqPh4sxDTfoxxn-ggpNXq14b_HRbUZGn_QEQKW0vwxlCODCGEBmFTA/s320/harmonia+and+mexico.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342557748407117890" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Near the old adobes, down a nearby road, is the Cottonwood campground. We saw it and fell in love. We now know where we’ll be staying on our next trip.<br /><br />And beyond the Cottonwood, the Harmonia Store, and the dry washes of the floodplain are Santa Elena, the Rio Grande, and Mexico.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiicL22wcp92IGWBIsYPDRF69XsTGZGE3PLcHEBuQ-vzFPQZkdJtzqlQTqRyHoPzz6ku29DIYUuz-LxBuYuvO9bsspIuAjO6ArZeEqqMiq7qbyOiWY-CWpTyVaJjIgDypsnkBL2Fw/s1600-h/mexico.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiicL22wcp92IGWBIsYPDRF69XsTGZGE3PLcHEBuQ-vzFPQZkdJtzqlQTqRyHoPzz6ku29DIYUuz-LxBuYuvO9bsspIuAjO6ArZeEqqMiq7qbyOiWY-CWpTyVaJjIgDypsnkBL2Fw/s320/mexico.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342558494873984514" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvO5UcTfuh4OaHQnydMMCVeYfs6iKxGjhDdbF4b4T1gp1v4Besl34wKKM-3xhfraB1Jl2fVTZWwkXZryGfTxVbKFsU-BLPhmF1aTXvg6AzyYVGknMuQhXIEYKs2O3mQMOIcQpBkg/s1600-h/cliffs+and+rio+grande.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvO5UcTfuh4OaHQnydMMCVeYfs6iKxGjhDdbF4b4T1gp1v4Besl34wKKM-3xhfraB1Jl2fVTZWwkXZryGfTxVbKFsU-BLPhmF1aTXvg6AzyYVGknMuQhXIEYKs2O3mQMOIcQpBkg/s320/cliffs+and+rio+grande.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342556171000896802" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />By now it was after 4:00 and I was starving, since all I’d eaten was a bowl of oatmeal at breakfast. We got back to our room around five and after I showered off my sticky sunscreen and got dressed, we went for dinner. My tortellini dish was so generous that I now have lunch for tomorrow. I figure I’ll heat it before we leave, just enough that it’s no longer fridge temp, then wrap it in foil and leave it on the dashboard until lunchtime. A few hours of driving in the West Texas sun will make for some piping hot pasta.<br /><br />I had hoped Dan would be up for an after-dinner walk, but no such luck. Instead, I walked part-way down one of the nearby trails, until it started to get too dark to walk alone. Then I came back and walked the area for awhile, finding my deer from last night. They let me get within about ten feet of them and were completely unafraid. They didn't want any interaction, but didn't mind my presence.<br /><br />Our plan for tomorrow is to head out early and go to Balmorrhea and swim in the spring waters. This will be my first time there since I was 14! Then we'll decide how far east we can go with the time remaining.Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-12155397979868452892009-05-31T19:35:00.000-07:002009-05-31T20:19:14.885-07:00Day NineMy cousin Chris and I talked until 3:30 in the morning, so I was in no mood to get up early today. He had advised me not to go for a morning run in the area, otherwise I wouldn’t have stayed up so late to begin with. Still, I hadn’t expected Dan to let me sleep until 10:30! I rushed to get my things packed and we headed out of town.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQS1jxBCF8YfpYDCQbYSKKPH9zkA9xshWqVYcjRhLAdjna3eS8ktpJ6m17C7Fiz19ZaEK4-KJgn11Or1D233UdGwuMKJ5cDZKC1SCcDZbu3una-N5fBgaR2kACis4vi6jRG9mokw/s1600-h/mountains+outside+el+paso.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQS1jxBCF8YfpYDCQbYSKKPH9zkA9xshWqVYcjRhLAdjna3eS8ktpJ6m17C7Fiz19ZaEK4-KJgn11Or1D233UdGwuMKJ5cDZKC1SCcDZbu3una-N5fBgaR2kACis4vi6jRG9mokw/s320/mountains+outside+el+paso.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342186783423640082" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I liked the juxtaposition of sign and truck at this rest stop along the way.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplRBgTEIugKeEN0fZw7LtuReIivziyQs7XZAi7lJOOuA38T3UUJT7Yr5j7jKZzjcVtIRLIU50QhV1_qz7ez7OV2Y1g0tGEzQonmaL2L3lv6_B0ZLSr2cDj9gHhJ5uw4ao_WwyFQ/s1600-h/truck.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjplRBgTEIugKeEN0fZw7LtuReIivziyQs7XZAi7lJOOuA38T3UUJT7Yr5j7jKZzjcVtIRLIU50QhV1_qz7ez7OV2Y1g0tGEzQonmaL2L3lv6_B0ZLSr2cDj9gHhJ5uw4ao_WwyFQ/s320/truck.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342188096184743042" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It was a long trip to Big Bend, passing through mostly open country…<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiLPgKFXLK0ktBd_gYBT3d-st1ZoEyCp7hHoLEi5c9IM0YLnG7ON_ACT1R3rKOm_T4STe5QeU-h1ZRDq6h-Y30hCg12DwQF3UGh8gZTMekVP1atRk1uU-9nkuXEEy-ZiKZIbXV9g/s1600-h/open+road+two.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiLPgKFXLK0ktBd_gYBT3d-st1ZoEyCp7hHoLEi5c9IM0YLnG7ON_ACT1R3rKOm_T4STe5QeU-h1ZRDq6h-Y30hCg12DwQF3UGh8gZTMekVP1atRk1uU-9nkuXEEy-ZiKZIbXV9g/s320/open+road+two.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342187231329856210" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />…with a few small towns along the way...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdv7JoJcZYZOd8yYlUUqPN13HsvCqiszf2t1wJ8YNmpEO1qeSBtI0OKVwePYtUw589WFUx_RTNJsz7SMcQ8GJDlA_9wDUzR6FoKtCbq_T83OG22fMmeXUHREq9xxoRXFlYmbT93g/s1600-h/marfa.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdv7JoJcZYZOd8yYlUUqPN13HsvCqiszf2t1wJ8YNmpEO1qeSBtI0OKVwePYtUw589WFUx_RTNJsz7SMcQ8GJDlA_9wDUzR6FoKtCbq_T83OG22fMmeXUHREq9xxoRXFlYmbT93g/s320/marfa.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342186470924582450" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ixRCuLw_IrUzFNypiQ6DdJhO1M86DDSNiU2Rf4lFN-IB-RdpfprOQb3Qu3H2rn9eMtBrIgbzeqJecqv3caqg2ZGzbFfM9ZMuTT0BPhTXXrrMmagfppqnI1Q0BikcoHhjaDnZUA/s1600-h/old+sign.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ixRCuLw_IrUzFNypiQ6DdJhO1M86DDSNiU2Rf4lFN-IB-RdpfprOQb3Qu3H2rn9eMtBrIgbzeqJecqv3caqg2ZGzbFfM9ZMuTT0BPhTXXrrMmagfppqnI1Q0BikcoHhjaDnZUA/s320/old+sign.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342187048124030098" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9klqz-OVJuYk9y0CMLzmdzuBy-slrWDB0hvaJhRO3wQ7cI358mCds9xfbLBlb5rS1M3iU5GGEHHM4wEyT6bSK8xPLlzkqDdfRBkEb47rsnVeldUA1EZ-_cr1NhWYofoNqZGW8/s1600-h/alpine.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9klqz-OVJuYk9y0CMLzmdzuBy-slrWDB0hvaJhRO3wQ7cI358mCds9xfbLBlb5rS1M3iU5GGEHHM4wEyT6bSK8xPLlzkqDdfRBkEb47rsnVeldUA1EZ-_cr1NhWYofoNqZGW8/s320/alpine.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342185299545829522" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />...and a couple of rest stops...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsqeSPy4aDV2VU6ORn8q0c4VXm79QPHBzspMfCTLRA8SroJkVG9b8QYD75TeM2wdjObWDziDp94oHl_XTNjUfiEOJ250k0fiNrDml4quPcYhy-5Ow_c2JmNdCH-ZHHqV31tohuKA/s1600-h/rest+sto.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsqeSPy4aDV2VU6ORn8q0c4VXm79QPHBzspMfCTLRA8SroJkVG9b8QYD75TeM2wdjObWDziDp94oHl_XTNjUfiEOJ250k0fiNrDml4quPcYhy-5Ow_c2JmNdCH-ZHHqV31tohuKA/s320/rest+sto.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342187725259794274" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />one of which included this guy, left behind by a departing child.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6EZ5Ho6-IzYsIqUVMKWOgcEv98QwKU4MgZJ4VFGmZuhbSBFuCf8Dj1gdpyzdWTDS6zhOKEe_j8vfZ5fOwqHD2bLEKT9D6oxnv4btP1KsaEEeIbcOVrVOdvl_oM4eBhsF525ZSjw/s1600-h/left+at+rest+stop.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6EZ5Ho6-IzYsIqUVMKWOgcEv98QwKU4MgZJ4VFGmZuhbSBFuCf8Dj1gdpyzdWTDS6zhOKEe_j8vfZ5fOwqHD2bLEKT9D6oxnv4btP1KsaEEeIbcOVrVOdvl_oM4eBhsF525ZSjw/s320/left+at+rest+stop.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342186133595427762" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The trip was over three hundred miles and over a hundred were in mostly empty country.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3mmqxc7yrW-a1PuyZmVf5llpguWnK-IVotmYXQYIZLoO5GOEX4xnjKvG75HTAmpGNRjkhlsoRqL5bmT4uAleh3HhgJD19H1SQTM7VC07DbbNH7kbp-8nKGKpHm9RUx3vwQ9VwiA/s1600-h/heading+south+from+alpine.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3mmqxc7yrW-a1PuyZmVf5llpguWnK-IVotmYXQYIZLoO5GOEX4xnjKvG75HTAmpGNRjkhlsoRqL5bmT4uAleh3HhgJD19H1SQTM7VC07DbbNH7kbp-8nKGKpHm9RUx3vwQ9VwiA/s320/heading+south+from+alpine.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342185949392982050" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Just when I was beginning to wonder if the long trip was going to be worth it, we reached Big Bend National Park.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGWmwWnJ1NVDmN9FfshkkYmf-rQUjpcJs9oJXfBlgWQi-jzmkL5iEreINaNAU-0tHVbuuyWg6L1JsKyCFYAnee_Y5m5hSFqMG0foc3Pcxlk3PqQESzxvzJK-7Xs1dNONnvhppdQ/s1600-h/sand+hills.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGWmwWnJ1NVDmN9FfshkkYmf-rQUjpcJs9oJXfBlgWQi-jzmkL5iEreINaNAU-0tHVbuuyWg6L1JsKyCFYAnee_Y5m5hSFqMG0foc3Pcxlk3PqQESzxvzJK-7Xs1dNONnvhppdQ/s320/sand+hills.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342187945013974594" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEdMigjUb6F8iLTmgaCn_8j74jRSWJo252v-ECgwdeP0AoSXAKeiEnKp32tmPPQ7zJrQcws7HP1x_eWdaYHIrPuowlYGCwu-zMblYWT5qHcMiHh19ef4uSBBIsNKw3YRXeLoV5g/s1600-h/at+big+bend+entrance.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOEdMigjUb6F8iLTmgaCn_8j74jRSWJo252v-ECgwdeP0AoSXAKeiEnKp32tmPPQ7zJrQcws7HP1x_eWdaYHIrPuowlYGCwu-zMblYWT5qHcMiHh19ef4uSBBIsNKw3YRXeLoV5g/s320/at+big+bend+entrance.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342193209821718450" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Since this is off-peak season because of the summer heat, and because it was Sunday, we had no trouble getting a room at the Chisos Lodge. Our room has a nice balcony overlooking mountain vistas…<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnx3Wx4QSNEF8er19fWxaKMWhqgXuZ2PgVbb29Ah5gIptrcVzPsnXodwAZe8FI4CzZp1d66o1VMRh2BHonTD2-a1RxlNoVDHcL-1McXznHQn3LhMemKz6xPUqObxUC6a5CZEVkTA/s1600-h/view+from+balcony+two.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnx3Wx4QSNEF8er19fWxaKMWhqgXuZ2PgVbb29Ah5gIptrcVzPsnXodwAZe8FI4CzZp1d66o1VMRh2BHonTD2-a1RxlNoVDHcL-1McXznHQn3LhMemKz6xPUqObxUC6a5CZEVkTA/s320/view+from+balcony+two.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342188249566887490" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEgcRwiUhLipZJ9aOAtrXgEjLfSOhEsoJ1isFhIpf4X-UkF4Nc7AbxFE46axZpLFs_vtIgk1WYFPKURXOPJqKiLd6bySvqtak7TWZxOof_hRtGug1lAm_9WnT_F7EAIzqooYTukw/s1600-h/view+from+balcony.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEgcRwiUhLipZJ9aOAtrXgEjLfSOhEsoJ1isFhIpf4X-UkF4Nc7AbxFE46axZpLFs_vtIgk1WYFPKURXOPJqKiLd6bySvqtak7TWZxOof_hRtGug1lAm_9WnT_F7EAIzqooYTukw/s320/view+from+balcony.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342191004290895106" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />…and a front view of other cabins and friendly deer.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpX5zlG9snznxkdcWyBBqpJtJHZspRJe7YDqShFcCqzyi5FUrFqLGA-s32Byq1RnNeORFj0jluUlpRf4h99ww0FjAOP5jnygV-7xbjvCAis16-wwbyUTbFERzl0-qxpWKZK1xibQ/s1600-h/deer+three.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpX5zlG9snznxkdcWyBBqpJtJHZspRJe7YDqShFcCqzyi5FUrFqLGA-s32Byq1RnNeORFj0jluUlpRf4h99ww0FjAOP5jnygV-7xbjvCAis16-wwbyUTbFERzl0-qxpWKZK1xibQ/s320/deer+three.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342185778446280674" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Once we got our stuff up to our room, I was ready to go for a hike. Dan had other ideas, though. We hadn’t eaten a proper lunch and he had already scanned the menu for the Chisos Lodge restaurant. I talked him into a short stroll…<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rXvvxlC7vU68OYtkuTjVvTfzuF1W2v4boD-4YV-ifk1VRzwJT0Tz7SZ9MVKyJo2cYLq9i6mmukRtEguRG4OhcHlE7zj8VRx45Ez1yH1cZ5SrOzRlimWy31GVi9Ps3n4N2XVjYw/s1600-h/paved+trail.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5rXvvxlC7vU68OYtkuTjVvTfzuF1W2v4boD-4YV-ifk1VRzwJT0Tz7SZ9MVKyJo2cYLq9i6mmukRtEguRG4OhcHlE7zj8VRx45Ez1yH1cZ5SrOzRlimWy31GVi9Ps3n4N2XVjYw/s320/paved+trail.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342187488228680994" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSh1sXGl1t_n1NO3VxZaQPeC5rswSTDZvirUz0zjB2pX7q9SCqBRcIkqhT3H8ZKHKXRx6EnOkcHt0QXimEw1B_A8q1lL9-Q5lo8uxkzYDqlnX6VrksWNUhJDL7mb7HKdpAdLuZNw/s1600-h/clouds+beyond+mountains.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSh1sXGl1t_n1NO3VxZaQPeC5rswSTDZvirUz0zjB2pX7q9SCqBRcIkqhT3H8ZKHKXRx6EnOkcHt0QXimEw1B_A8q1lL9-Q5lo8uxkzYDqlnX6VrksWNUhJDL7mb7HKdpAdLuZNw/s320/clouds+beyond+mountains.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342185628738640866" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hr9OUP0J5afbAWscaSPXaKPVC8YLRXViXFG3uK4mLkFelaMQxGQzM067fu4hmegLSoex3CHGHaTGSeO4hNEq15V4_K_HT97_3AhHXTqKdySmF2tyLz68jFAccpBCV6KptXYTNw/s1600-h/basin+view.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3hr9OUP0J5afbAWscaSPXaKPVC8YLRXViXFG3uK4mLkFelaMQxGQzM067fu4hmegLSoex3CHGHaTGSeO4hNEq15V4_K_HT97_3AhHXTqKdySmF2tyLz68jFAccpBCV6KptXYTNw/s320/basin+view.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5342185488885178418" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />...but couldn’t convince him to go for a longer hike. So we had dinner and I enjoyed their salad bar and a grilled portobello with veggies and roasted potatoes. It was a pretty nice dinner, considering the restaurant has a captive audience and doesn’t have to be good.<br /><br />After dinner, we went back to our room and hung out on the balcony for awhile. Then we went for a short walk to see the sunset. We got waylaid by a very chatty older couple, but they went in as it got dark and the wind picked up. Now it's dark, with just a faint red glow on the horizon and the wind whipping through the trees.<br /><br />Tomorrow we’re planning a full day of hiking—or at least that’s what I’m planning. If Dan can’t keep up, we’ll just have to meet up later.<br /><br />The wireless internet service here works pretty well, so if it's this good tomorrow night, there will be more pictures!Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-86858337409328854242009-05-30T21:45:00.001-07:002009-05-30T22:08:38.344-07:00Day EightI got up at seven and went for a run through the groves again. This time I startled a roadrunner who flew up into a tree and watched me for awhile. Later when I came to the far side of the groves I came to a smooth stretch of sand full of animal tracks, including tiny mouse tracks, so clear I could see each distinct toe.<br /><br />When I finished my run I got a cup of coffee and walked around for a bit, enjoying the peaceful desert morning.<br /><br />Dan and I got on the road around eleven, heading south.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7eH-NQi08OtMlJPkAooNGx_A2ApwCA1uB7h8aqexY3SFfkK06YmEQZWReJGjUj69z51CEety56429Zq4Zb69hAnhYe22AGiM6YQVrvSRWxAptJxmA5vLAAXJVMXwoXViY4Kkd/s1600-h/heading+toward+socorro.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7eH-NQi08OtMlJPkAooNGx_A2ApwCA1uB7h8aqexY3SFfkK06YmEQZWReJGjUj69z51CEety56429Zq4Zb69hAnhYe22AGiM6YQVrvSRWxAptJxmA5vLAAXJVMXwoXViY4Kkd/s320/heading+toward+socorro.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341844833020665490" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNmp2NXRozjNyioCU6AhJn68oYns33gvjMcm8mT80ujm8mdyr_PtAG8A6rdMJNucSx3XGCQVwcRNwwrHGeoDjNo4FZpyTb1S397I6pv4EjRsJe4jDm1DvQJKn0MC0wVC0uMJ3/s1600-h/heading+south.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKNmp2NXRozjNyioCU6AhJn68oYns33gvjMcm8mT80ujm8mdyr_PtAG8A6rdMJNucSx3XGCQVwcRNwwrHGeoDjNo4FZpyTb1S397I6pv4EjRsJe4jDm1DvQJKn0MC0wVC0uMJ3/s320/heading+south.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341844975215177618" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Our first stop was Socorro, where we stopped at a grocery store for a few supplies. Then we continued south, passing this sign:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhckbNd-XwplHghP5AeFj9Oa7GN5aS5Jhe6So3UuqA3fOikO6B_mV_eV85FBxAP774ibfG624EBMS_ZNRano1MbCXNiPibza-m2MHPR6_xNHQi37Ze-9b8r2RIPzzYKNVxRWdRs/s1600-h/san+marcial+sign.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 253px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhckbNd-XwplHghP5AeFj9Oa7GN5aS5Jhe6So3UuqA3fOikO6B_mV_eV85FBxAP774ibfG624EBMS_ZNRano1MbCXNiPibza-m2MHPR6_xNHQi37Ze-9b8r2RIPzzYKNVxRWdRs/s320/san+marcial+sign.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341845958335695906" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The odd thing is that San Marcial hasn't existed for eighty years. It was my grandmother's home town and was destroyed by flood in 1929. New Mexico is a strange place where maps often show the location of defunct towns where nothing but a single shack remains, if that. Of San Marcial, there's nothing.<br /><br />When we got near Truth or Consequences, we saw signs for Cuchillo and turned off 25 to see if we could find an old saloon turned café and souvenir shop we had read about recently in the news.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2gMc1NDwBzI24Te8_LyDEeHAYjZMRiQLTzvl6-CkjqVgyhR72en5b9_gYceXJtoFYKi_vbkz2_Y1wCLLUdCDNpVCF_C3sPUublmJ7fgRmT5je4aU9ehrZw7cUSvaGMnMymZl/s1600-h/black+range+in+distance.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik2gMc1NDwBzI24Te8_LyDEeHAYjZMRiQLTzvl6-CkjqVgyhR72en5b9_gYceXJtoFYKi_vbkz2_Y1wCLLUdCDNpVCF_C3sPUublmJ7fgRmT5je4aU9ehrZw7cUSvaGMnMymZl/s320/black+range+in+distance.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341846142139718258" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0g5_oAUHCA2iT0Nc_CUC5xcOyKF_1alVGAqJL17YNObc3dl-S-YqHpHiVYopY_V1UbxzZPPjx1x-j-rPkxdl0F2pjji5QRaBa6vfx8qpSBi2Xwpac9Pqb670dKyCHS9lHvEc_/s1600-h/pointy+sand+hills+2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0g5_oAUHCA2iT0Nc_CUC5xcOyKF_1alVGAqJL17YNObc3dl-S-YqHpHiVYopY_V1UbxzZPPjx1x-j-rPkxdl0F2pjji5QRaBa6vfx8qpSBi2Xwpac9Pqb670dKyCHS9lHvEc_/s320/pointy+sand+hills+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341845572418989986" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Unfortunately, we didn’t find it. So I took a picture of the local church instead.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtot27QF-b0v2uFgtq78BtdyKus0RlsFhTlgpUV6FIIE5zY5-S34YhtYWKAH0Amf4G-SN3k-DC2vKg31Mv6GoWOV8oCk4PS981blVduSaN6Jjttek9JC_KLnjdmfw9v3_RzFK9/s1600-h/church+in+cuchillo.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtot27QF-b0v2uFgtq78BtdyKus0RlsFhTlgpUV6FIIE5zY5-S34YhtYWKAH0Amf4G-SN3k-DC2vKg31Mv6GoWOV8oCk4PS981blVduSaN6Jjttek9JC_KLnjdmfw9v3_RzFK9/s320/church+in+cuchillo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341845802814839794" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We got back onto 25, heading south.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TqFdyOTqK5Igr5eP5_fel8Hv7ZbHjiajumidSbM00VitQKoQUDvqKTWXEqtROEqK0Z7c5kdTpJVAFkrjDhDGWSEOSbZcTb_RWaiPqUpTKM4juFroYwnSR1Nytgfcp4dmNbdn/s1600-h/near+hatch+toward+las+cruces.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_TqFdyOTqK5Igr5eP5_fel8Hv7ZbHjiajumidSbM00VitQKoQUDvqKTWXEqtROEqK0Z7c5kdTpJVAFkrjDhDGWSEOSbZcTb_RWaiPqUpTKM4juFroYwnSR1Nytgfcp4dmNbdn/s320/near+hatch+toward+las+cruces.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341846779748681874" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />In Las Cruces we picked up I-10 and went into El Paso. Our first stop was the information center, where we picked up some information brochures and maps of Big Bend.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU67-2BACohYopmAIbT_vFmxbu36WTuMHjQo1B6ro4k_SZFRrLIS4NgVVjqrr13sUxxFGyIpYQtkY97l7AsC4MdkyiO9nDVgkEJrcI7BqHsCyOtSRGThGQNdmY_xqGziJNYK7P/s1600-h/six+flags.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 238px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU67-2BACohYopmAIbT_vFmxbu36WTuMHjQo1B6ro4k_SZFRrLIS4NgVVjqrr13sUxxFGyIpYQtkY97l7AsC4MdkyiO9nDVgkEJrcI7BqHsCyOtSRGThGQNdmY_xqGziJNYK7P/s320/six+flags.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341846507640961938" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClk1uV-_ZpXAsByF3cyWN7KnqY2LRWkGkLmrB_gGh94v5kPpZMBF8VVM7NrBmXKfLHSQya_aNIbXXx8DofsnTIOhC9euEDf5ZcO_cZI4DfqGs1eTYj9foctTGlt3dJCImWtSB/s1600-h/info+center+in+el+paso.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhClk1uV-_ZpXAsByF3cyWN7KnqY2LRWkGkLmrB_gGh94v5kPpZMBF8VVM7NrBmXKfLHSQya_aNIbXXx8DofsnTIOhC9euEDf5ZcO_cZI4DfqGs1eTYj9foctTGlt3dJCImWtSB/s320/info+center+in+el+paso.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341846300036909394" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Then we called my cousin Chris and went to his house, passing Juarez along the way.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4PqMo78-ufIYXAO2osmHB6HbAOIqpwEr0ZYItSkhUdpejU2rLzlzjz6zMXA-ie9BLTlo12Sm_Ia68rVAQLHf0Bekpi5qsrbBcAH0j3Dx4s33AUYzNXOMEL1wQ4mfoQgtRxKH/s1600-h/juarez.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 235px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk4PqMo78-ufIYXAO2osmHB6HbAOIqpwEr0ZYItSkhUdpejU2rLzlzjz6zMXA-ie9BLTlo12Sm_Ia68rVAQLHf0Bekpi5qsrbBcAH0j3Dx4s33AUYzNXOMEL1wQ4mfoQgtRxKH/s320/juarez.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341846655447405282" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The strange thing about El Paso is that it extends out only a couple miles from I-10 to the north or south, but runs around fifty miles from east to west. Chris's house is about twenty-five miles from the info center at the state line. Other than nearly getting sideswiped by a Mexican woman (or at least a woman in a car with Mexico plates) who tried to change lanes into us, we arrived at Chris's house with no trouble, went to dinner and hung out most of evening talking about our crazy family.<br /><br />Tomorrow Dan and I head south to Big Bend. According to the literature, there will be places for me to get online, so I’ll be able to post pictures.Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-32069835894555735122009-05-29T21:06:00.001-07:002009-05-29T22:54:37.543-07:00Day SevenThis morning I got up at seven and went for a run along the canals and to some new pecan groves near the mesas.<br /><br />This is my dad's house. My grandfather bought the land in the 1930s and this is one of the houses he built. One of my uncles lives in a house on another part of the property.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgXXJ3NP0OYz7RG_9xnqC5Z5n2XvIaopihLd7zDUm9rSOokfhF-MdHMMNHhJiNMdYXMnv2TspvMAYDhP9hrasv9h6GhXCa_WMB7FYcywmQ7JkMePKVb9G45Qyh87EBVwmQBQ5/s1600-h/Dad's+house+with+pecan+tree.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgXXJ3NP0OYz7RG_9xnqC5Z5n2XvIaopihLd7zDUm9rSOokfhF-MdHMMNHhJiNMdYXMnv2TspvMAYDhP9hrasv9h6GhXCa_WMB7FYcywmQ7JkMePKVb9G45Qyh87EBVwmQBQ5/s320/Dad's+house+with+pecan+tree.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341467934544136386" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />This is the canal in front of my father's house, dividing his land from the part my uncle inherited. There are other sections across the street that my grandfather owned, one uncle sold his portion and another uncle has tenants.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwTVVdc_tAZykw6vBITrzXCJQ3OPXeHNd1a3ECZ4m7vfXP9RaH9VGlmtQZWFF21EA9RwQNFZNJQVLHJBXzDYGTG5UJHzQL7Ynqt_T0hsNLz2d1JKmBrLjw4sv4GL5ye1l3TipZ/s1600-h/Canal+in+front+of+house.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwTVVdc_tAZykw6vBITrzXCJQ3OPXeHNd1a3ECZ4m7vfXP9RaH9VGlmtQZWFF21EA9RwQNFZNJQVLHJBXzDYGTG5UJHzQL7Ynqt_T0hsNLz2d1JKmBrLjw4sv4GL5ye1l3TipZ/s320/Canal+in+front+of+house.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341465564466442418" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I followed the canal to some new pecan groves.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZpOorH1tLUXFjj54s0lRVvtGIEqNnxaOdc7VwOFBLBCEQ3CUMTd5wObNOxCF5LsngIAs9Ff40hGjHf0YMN2VdhXH-KRPoSHibDAKnqZK_ddojXBuipJ2GXJcm9btUdBBJ059/s1600-h/groves+and+canal.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheZpOorH1tLUXFjj54s0lRVvtGIEqNnxaOdc7VwOFBLBCEQ3CUMTd5wObNOxCF5LsngIAs9Ff40hGjHf0YMN2VdhXH-KRPoSHibDAKnqZK_ddojXBuipJ2GXJcm9btUdBBJ059/s320/groves+and+canal.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341469004024162834" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQjGnK_-ucAFcoKiMn-7iRJ8JsmCkqCc8ecE3vh5Ahg58ak-JhFTECIyZ6z3Fkg18J2XlbhvTqV28-GPcEypearem43UsD79NAa0ISLh011fVm5pgeSUX4EKgHI2S5Ejxtlop/s1600-h/groves+and+canal_better.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQjGnK_-ucAFcoKiMn-7iRJ8JsmCkqCc8ecE3vh5Ahg58ak-JhFTECIyZ6z3Fkg18J2XlbhvTqV28-GPcEypearem43UsD79NAa0ISLh011fVm5pgeSUX4EKgHI2S5Ejxtlop/s320/groves+and+canal_better.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341470109691019506" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I love the contrast of dry sand and green, growing things. Out here there's no mistaking where the water is.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOOLt7hW_XC1kDv1qbryaq1cveENd81OwD-N2HFS-OICLQXQloamqSL10G7Fk-Cy4Hf-JghjIVEpbwHH8pFx3uoQTBecM4w1zSM0ZSvGs2CdHc1CIHgRP_snHpDQ35woo8kSn/s1600-h/groves+and+cliffs.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOOLt7hW_XC1kDv1qbryaq1cveENd81OwD-N2HFS-OICLQXQloamqSL10G7Fk-Cy4Hf-JghjIVEpbwHH8pFx3uoQTBecM4w1zSM0ZSvGs2CdHc1CIHgRP_snHpDQ35woo8kSn/s320/groves+and+cliffs.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341471531687853602" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDy61W4uIWdFeAci122cUPHfQtUB14ioFgTDq_cPjTDZTOb47an8ZrHbBS2LQhQDvZTlhuN_FM2al6eCAfEg_GRabm9m9fjLTdlgI6LKFhTRl7odrfrpYh50OJqZMlj803do2_/s1600-h/groves+and+mountain.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDy61W4uIWdFeAci122cUPHfQtUB14ioFgTDq_cPjTDZTOb47an8ZrHbBS2LQhQDvZTlhuN_FM2al6eCAfEg_GRabm9m9fjLTdlgI6LKFhTRl7odrfrpYh50OJqZMlj803do2_/s320/groves+and+mountain.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341472456224245714" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The desert's own natural beauty is nice, too.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUCiSFZjsZ-IICHMnUYUvL1b-kyyqHYb7S-Zk9qFs2AWcmlddoX37x3nlNifG_T_0wq5c3JV-TvoVnRqmW0_wNTIg3B4MoGYXLDf8GPOSwm2kWe3ETw-KEe9xQEhfUB20mk6tY/s1600-h/morning+desert+2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUCiSFZjsZ-IICHMnUYUvL1b-kyyqHYb7S-Zk9qFs2AWcmlddoX37x3nlNifG_T_0wq5c3JV-TvoVnRqmW0_wNTIg3B4MoGYXLDf8GPOSwm2kWe3ETw-KEe9xQEhfUB20mk6tY/s320/morning+desert+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341474864241101954" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />After a late breakfast where we dawdled for a couple hours over coffee, Dan and I went into Albuquerque to see if we could find some new pottery for the house and a gift for the photographer who recently did my author picture. We didn't find any pottery we liked at a good price--should've gone back to one of the pueblos this year, but I found a gift for the photographer and Dan met a street musician and got to play her interesting guitar.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGGRDvPfSGUkE8-lzG8K1Tw3tDsNwVNjvCvggkZb3e297Ltlk-UfKPx-dTwAFmwumkU4XlGL93_wDWj7AqFBsJOp8W5U-pekBsTsp2hwiPtDhcQhFQXTfAJ9i460a_0zEySlA/s1600-h/dan+with+guitar.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAGGRDvPfSGUkE8-lzG8K1Tw3tDsNwVNjvCvggkZb3e297Ltlk-UfKPx-dTwAFmwumkU4XlGL93_wDWj7AqFBsJOp8W5U-pekBsTsp2hwiPtDhcQhFQXTfAJ9i460a_0zEySlA/s320/dan+with+guitar.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341478991276344018" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We went back to my dad's house ahead of the evening traffic and spent the rest of the day quietly hanging out and going for walks.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvT2o6As2vJ0O7Go9xQwMUYnAKkSe4foB7GAp0wbwd5zjIlT1qaVnxJTYKqld88DalKOKtMSmDOaKzhmdPdan399TS_mgDJZ1OC13fQoNna120NBxc5fXN8cbiKJ507OADQMeG/s1600-h/sand+and+canal.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvT2o6As2vJ0O7Go9xQwMUYnAKkSe4foB7GAp0wbwd5zjIlT1qaVnxJTYKqld88DalKOKtMSmDOaKzhmdPdan399TS_mgDJZ1OC13fQoNna120NBxc5fXN8cbiKJ507OADQMeG/s320/sand+and+canal.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341482137500634386" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYopxZFGIRpYwATlSFY1paim0rYYO2VcRWpqOGA50hw1w7U0ahLnPw5wIllz08N5mXMMWIHeXhx-Xg1lEkQmrBjkj4km3ZE9jf9HB6x-8AKX5ZikU2LANhv2Zceg78gBNMmFg/s1600-h/drops.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzYopxZFGIRpYwATlSFY1paim0rYYO2VcRWpqOGA50hw1w7U0ahLnPw5wIllz08N5mXMMWIHeXhx-Xg1lEkQmrBjkj4km3ZE9jf9HB6x-8AKX5ZikU2LANhv2Zceg78gBNMmFg/s320/drops.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341489509172494594" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQKg4TcPbgfkFyjbFGuAAxFNP7K-QbhbFTN-RC8-M7ISd8ZbKm5TRsZ6Hg4U1fSSy35eLDXoc0f7NSiOwoYp7-fq7NemXkA-fxSSE3PW_Ih7qiJfTHTVC2YJP-18DEsqnLnNm/s1600-h/canal+into+distance.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQKg4TcPbgfkFyjbFGuAAxFNP7K-QbhbFTN-RC8-M7ISd8ZbKm5TRsZ6Hg4U1fSSy35eLDXoc0f7NSiOwoYp7-fq7NemXkA-fxSSE3PW_Ih7qiJfTHTVC2YJP-18DEsqnLnNm/s320/canal+into+distance.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341485914227006530" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We chatted for a long time after dinner, and Dan and I got out the maps and made plans for the rest of our vacation. Tomorrow we'll go to El Paso, where hopefully we'll be able to hang out with my cousin Chris for a bit. Then Sunday we'll head down to Big Bend, spend a couple days hiking and seeing the sights, and then we'll start back toward Houston on Tuesday or Wednesday.<br /><br />I'll definitely have internet in El Paso tomorrow, and I may have internet in Big Bend, too. Expect more pictures!Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-45303038663393678542009-05-28T20:07:00.000-07:002009-05-28T22:15:45.463-07:00Day SixI got up at six and went to use the hotel fitness room. The treadmill’s incline control was stuck higher than what I’m used to, so it was a slow run for me. Afterwards, Dan and I had breakfast and coffee, and got loaded up and on the road. The scenery started out dry…<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kJpcswBqAUJf8BmIU27Q3YqRDc1hZtgOoOIBYnIOnM8orGDVNOI_OABOTijOlG68KXoOA5Wz6J8Emugyh0B6bhw8IadBCWg9LxFa_QfVPNzxE3ok0iCMslB1YVCmiNpQWPKp/s1600-h/heading+out+from+grants.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7kJpcswBqAUJf8BmIU27Q3YqRDc1hZtgOoOIBYnIOnM8orGDVNOI_OABOTijOlG68KXoOA5Wz6J8Emugyh0B6bhw8IadBCWg9LxFa_QfVPNzxE3ok0iCMslB1YVCmiNpQWPKp/s320/heading+out+from+grants.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341079713471126930" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />…but quickly went up into forest.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHXH3CvDnMLAL51TNbd9k2lwK_PMNgeFpwlY3G5EJNR3mtk8zBqgjhyphenhyphenkt2MT5ydGnkYub2hwu_w8gguoL3-yQTtRY5wRQ3lRW0chCGorXHaVAZF3lXCWSeeY__6pF8eg32hwi/s1600-h/changing+country+moving+north.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHXH3CvDnMLAL51TNbd9k2lwK_PMNgeFpwlY3G5EJNR3mtk8zBqgjhyphenhyphenkt2MT5ydGnkYub2hwu_w8gguoL3-yQTtRY5wRQ3lRW0chCGorXHaVAZF3lXCWSeeY__6pF8eg32hwi/s320/changing+country+moving+north.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341081880458939938" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Our first stop was the Bandera volcano and ice cave. Their advertising was a little hokey so we weren’t sure what to expect, but it was pretty cool. The dormant volcano was a short hike from the information center and trading post, and wound through ancient lava fields.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdEqfQcfEuj7ue9cfX-6DG-263w7aD4ZWGsXsxfhCCB6C_mZQy_zoSwh8Dw_1CcLgCAnqMMfDQ7XGYXid36tj0tBVNmybhmz9hEQzrC9c1C81ox6tNizlj4TWgsIyBbCYgw9e/s1600-h/trees+in+lava+field.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMdEqfQcfEuj7ue9cfX-6DG-263w7aD4ZWGsXsxfhCCB6C_mZQy_zoSwh8Dw_1CcLgCAnqMMfDQ7XGYXid36tj0tBVNmybhmz9hEQzrC9c1C81ox6tNizlj4TWgsIyBbCYgw9e/s320/trees+in+lava+field.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341084125710398258" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOEtbJRyJqIYamoSYzKCYQpPadDUBH11JiT6JwzVIFlDOlPp4jRVjulQQlLtEVzjRQho0KkLeR2-Mkv7a84saIZnUZH_U7_kbSpLHb6G4m2rplsmgpMvtyJs4pTfaMDXU0axMd/s1600-h/path+up+volcano+and+slope.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOEtbJRyJqIYamoSYzKCYQpPadDUBH11JiT6JwzVIFlDOlPp4jRVjulQQlLtEVzjRQho0KkLeR2-Mkv7a84saIZnUZH_U7_kbSpLHb6G4m2rplsmgpMvtyJs4pTfaMDXU0axMd/s320/path+up+volcano+and+slope.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341085966764024242" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaMel_cIAyxmKBkE5RQua8L4ydEWeg9OoQuB4szf0Hf99DxMqoV7PzbqPvXuc70LKeDcYgMTIY68bq-BQhVgLXeeCA-5GbL-uYXiral3F5ui3lnyh22sYrrUoA7IoO_-e7I7Eu/s1600-h/volcano+basin.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaMel_cIAyxmKBkE5RQua8L4ydEWeg9OoQuB4szf0Hf99DxMqoV7PzbqPvXuc70LKeDcYgMTIY68bq-BQhVgLXeeCA-5GbL-uYXiral3F5ui3lnyh22sYrrUoA7IoO_-e7I7Eu/s320/volcano+basin.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341087841319067330" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WBV-NTScfCoYZ1MrhvERO4LcUIBQzw41dbQ1V-Ug3tHAmVe-bmYI4n9bsbaZTkSmubCxUnyG3rx11QFPb8uukepZoEnrQdQ7ZqDz-_lfeOONKL_vGePfpGKleD_HlWVTpZWC/s1600-h/trees+on+rim+of+basin.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1WBV-NTScfCoYZ1MrhvERO4LcUIBQzw41dbQ1V-Ug3tHAmVe-bmYI4n9bsbaZTkSmubCxUnyG3rx11QFPb8uukepZoEnrQdQ7ZqDz-_lfeOONKL_vGePfpGKleD_HlWVTpZWC/s320/trees+on+rim+of+basin.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341089148305265730" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The route to the ice cave passed by a smaller ice cave once used as a natural refrigerator by the property owners.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiunAmlKZpNpd3nqmA_UOJBV3i-3UMwq3MH_j5EKENhREjztt2BQLBmMehMYmFZ9eJfzJSwhAuslfP0NbG0uJzD7PRqSer0cI52iMj_J6JTyk1nBVEufezTj8HbYK67cWqDCbFD/s1600-h/nature's+fridge.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiunAmlKZpNpd3nqmA_UOJBV3i-3UMwq3MH_j5EKENhREjztt2BQLBmMehMYmFZ9eJfzJSwhAuslfP0NbG0uJzD7PRqSer0cI52iMj_J6JTyk1nBVEufezTj8HbYK67cWqDCbFD/s320/nature's+fridge.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341091979663213874" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And the bigger ice cave had ice measured at twenty feet deep. According to the literature, the temperature in the ice cave never goes above 31 degrees.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGp0VLmU-Q0h8PtysrbaJP3CZSUKKpq-m37tSS7VgxPI_hg9gCYiP8Hccs6jJeaAtD7_U3POjKE2FzBZ7f0ZbRjd2jNQtPIsb7EeWe8stMB7BNTXOBg6be_zp9LjWfOWtpsEzn/s1600-h/looking+up+from+ice+cave.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGp0VLmU-Q0h8PtysrbaJP3CZSUKKpq-m37tSS7VgxPI_hg9gCYiP8Hccs6jJeaAtD7_U3POjKE2FzBZ7f0ZbRjd2jNQtPIsb7EeWe8stMB7BNTXOBg6be_zp9LjWfOWtpsEzn/s320/looking+up+from+ice+cave.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341093794957694386" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGJk9XsRtQQe83FxWt2JLyaUdeZcQzMNNasc6rLZGdjSsgRXokRRL0vL1fgFeLz4AlnnOjK0qUdkfzCXzjhpACOd_GVXQnXdp2-Cr6a_V8C_jjF600xyYs9yxpIaaZsks7ZRd/s1600-h/ice+cave.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGJk9XsRtQQe83FxWt2JLyaUdeZcQzMNNasc6rLZGdjSsgRXokRRL0vL1fgFeLz4AlnnOjK0qUdkfzCXzjhpACOd_GVXQnXdp2-Cr6a_V8C_jjF600xyYs9yxpIaaZsks7ZRd/s320/ice+cave.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341095281712620818" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We finished the ice cave tour with just enough time to get to the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary in time for their 11 o’clock tour. By then the skies were darkening and the temperature was dropping, and as we went inside, a few drops of rain began to fall.<br /><br />The rain came and went throughout the hour-long tour, and by the time we finished seeing the wolves, learning about their behavior and hearing their stories, the temperatures had dropped into the forties and I was freezing. The tour was so worth a little rain and shivering, though. The sanctuary primarily takes wolves and wolf-dogs that have been raised in captivity and can't be returned to the wild...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyz2nRDiIVGGNfqB0ZWuHtaHTqQBauc315ehGQb-rWm77tCXR22OVReBp-Jpb6V8UIOIOyhMQYQp9Kgju6wBT4O8n66tyZvQKOoKCPEqeaZ4lLS585MievDVvPSGYXVzvcsUpE/s1600-h/wolves.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyz2nRDiIVGGNfqB0ZWuHtaHTqQBauc315ehGQb-rWm77tCXR22OVReBp-Jpb6V8UIOIOyhMQYQp9Kgju6wBT4O8n66tyZvQKOoKCPEqeaZ4lLS585MievDVvPSGYXVzvcsUpE/s320/wolves.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341097358518359618" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_TUKDxAS_O2Z2FvAU4tADtuJoe2yYRriCm_84DyEb211pk4VfSKkGFz5tk8zpUoYj6gfRnawKCuWX-DPqi8oVqe50ETVVQ8xvfRTYTzELfbEs0D5VqzBNW6ChYLoPlFWIA_An/s1600-h/don't+pet+wolves.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_TUKDxAS_O2Z2FvAU4tADtuJoe2yYRriCm_84DyEb211pk4VfSKkGFz5tk8zpUoYj6gfRnawKCuWX-DPqi8oVqe50ETVVQ8xvfRTYTzELfbEs0D5VqzBNW6ChYLoPlFWIA_An/s320/don't+pet+wolves.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341099171548642706" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_eVm0wHUPii4JnVQlRpJ68oRPIC1pV389aluhgAXk9sjg45HsnpdL9L_pt3zN_DCBiTtH3DyVDRvNmPy-z8pT0v5nwZmTsVlywubJcmABmSYOmEMtnYi95qbbiw5ZNk2Lq4oh/s1600-h/wolf.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_eVm0wHUPii4JnVQlRpJ68oRPIC1pV389aluhgAXk9sjg45HsnpdL9L_pt3zN_DCBiTtH3DyVDRvNmPy-z8pT0v5nwZmTsVlywubJcmABmSYOmEMtnYi95qbbiw5ZNk2Lq4oh/s320/wolf.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341100876268555058" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />...but they also have a coy-dog (part coyote) and a fox.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4soh_jEvNwRw_Gbuge9f6Xim_ERHuzMU36qB7cUh7ZxZMvGtSy8vstJ-7hvqLJ5ntYpgJIQ6gDgeW3dOO4CJFCzzR_wG0fdMRPwKU_vLXeVCTamwqhs-_FvCePdYeqDtKQe_/s1600-h/fox+begging.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4soh_jEvNwRw_Gbuge9f6Xim_ERHuzMU36qB7cUh7ZxZMvGtSy8vstJ-7hvqLJ5ntYpgJIQ6gDgeW3dOO4CJFCzzR_wG0fdMRPwKU_vLXeVCTamwqhs-_FvCePdYeqDtKQe_/s320/fox+begging.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341102466034720466" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Our next stop was Zuni Pueblo. When we got there, though, we found they only gave guided tours and the next wasn’t until 3:00. It was 1:30, and not much to do in the area on a cold, rainy day, so we decided to go to the Zuni Bakery instead and head out. The bakery was actually someone’s private home. We had to follow signs down a little alleyway, into a lot in front of a small house with a sign in the window. We went in and found ourselves in a living room, where a Zuni woman sold us our bread.<br /><br />Then we headed south through changing country and gathering clouds.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VR9wUum-hcY68vP1UayloCIu5evW3C2fpsRrBHfIJhjJwf4wZPLEH8CLce9tJLvIS7TVnnJ_mISP9dEXnVHbpmuHESEYNEMcPrkU_FQVj8ylevSbk06XSpPInSinAnAYtbca/s1600-h/mesa+and+distant+rain+near+zuni.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8VR9wUum-hcY68vP1UayloCIu5evW3C2fpsRrBHfIJhjJwf4wZPLEH8CLce9tJLvIS7TVnnJ_mISP9dEXnVHbpmuHESEYNEMcPrkU_FQVj8ylevSbk06XSpPInSinAnAYtbca/s320/mesa+and+distant+rain+near+zuni.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341103246587514450" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRRxCAALe-kYCC5XO-8CAwJmZZiZmEzgpiopiB-w5KEIvXX8iPd21kRwW5sNN_29iETxNu9u1EfFPmc-Xw9ofCSPj8eNd-u7cXgCQfZLgkNo6scIVvRyPTTkMc-Req_Jq75D8E/s1600-h/flatter+country.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRRxCAALe-kYCC5XO-8CAwJmZZiZmEzgpiopiB-w5KEIvXX8iPd21kRwW5sNN_29iETxNu9u1EfFPmc-Xw9ofCSPj8eNd-u7cXgCQfZLgkNo6scIVvRyPTTkMc-Req_Jq75D8E/s320/flatter+country.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341103920861022978" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We hit rain near Quemado, where we turned east. The rain had let up by the time we reached Pie Town, though, so we stopped in for pie. We had wanted to come here for years, but it’s so far off the beaten path that it hadn’t been possible before now.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLlVdnsjwaSfdGec1HvwCi8UBzkd7HLEYoAfFKTieAz8x6ZUo5VYIPxbxnwoBr4WoXQDjqGcWSmBPjWCByUV5hsAvEBh5VQt2I1h5osS1plgeR4aJP8OAJj_-iXaEFxbDr4rd/s1600-h/pieoneer+store.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLlVdnsjwaSfdGec1HvwCi8UBzkd7HLEYoAfFKTieAz8x6ZUo5VYIPxbxnwoBr4WoXQDjqGcWSmBPjWCByUV5hsAvEBh5VQt2I1h5osS1plgeR4aJP8OAJj_-iXaEFxbDr4rd/s320/pieoneer+store.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341104575702005138" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBYK0l6C7iPmOOz9MjNqYp2clNk-J-suI4uCWXA71PIPnx-CoHcSkvjR_xfAgoWL-EBDboUz0sw-VMvO5s3SxSRxfRr-ZcKEHsSUcPAEHCKS1QAx7DMBPjEQjEiXmaRgwOaJC/s1600-h/pie+sign.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBYK0l6C7iPmOOz9MjNqYp2clNk-J-suI4uCWXA71PIPnx-CoHcSkvjR_xfAgoWL-EBDboUz0sw-VMvO5s3SxSRxfRr-ZcKEHsSUcPAEHCKS1QAx7DMBPjEQjEiXmaRgwOaJC/s320/pie+sign.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341105495930613858" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_exEsZI9MLwjTw_6lDLREzhOqcLR2kKWmMQ4mmUPt0zdyDK_jf7WS-bFpd2WYuX149tVhTpz343gBSjTSZYJXhrt1zlOpmlVitykCYI4c3UWzSB-722TfOnhYuuLdzTv8HBGk/s1600-h/pie+art.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_exEsZI9MLwjTw_6lDLREzhOqcLR2kKWmMQ4mmUPt0zdyDK_jf7WS-bFpd2WYuX149tVhTpz343gBSjTSZYJXhrt1zlOpmlVitykCYI4c3UWzSB-722TfOnhYuuLdzTv8HBGk/s320/pie+art.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341106247210389090" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5lbDyFQokHv3LnkGRF8i2gpjKEDG6FMfRIh-kKTr1md2ojXQrlyFiI9ZaPpYoChrnjciWk0gUBT2putGpawQqHyuhpzsudexS4SX8aN8vKebQIHD7U4u7flIqxWTBADZqykYc/s1600-h/stove+in+pie+town.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5lbDyFQokHv3LnkGRF8i2gpjKEDG6FMfRIh-kKTr1md2ojXQrlyFiI9ZaPpYoChrnjciWk0gUBT2putGpawQqHyuhpzsudexS4SX8aN8vKebQIHD7U4u7flIqxWTBADZqykYc/s320/stove+in+pie+town.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341107494733259794" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We were very happy with our lunch and pie, and bought a whole pie, still bubbling fresh from the oven, to take with us.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGS2c-setAqF3Ec2NX5DWib78AEgOlwtueE1Hmld6khWCA91Ip3vzmjuwGdCNI_qFgnvQBxMJjIZsffx-ez0rHdTQLdSulfwFBLrhhZ862B-diw26DQRTfdnJCzm-HZ9f0p__/s1600-h/pie.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnGS2c-setAqF3Ec2NX5DWib78AEgOlwtueE1Hmld6khWCA91Ip3vzmjuwGdCNI_qFgnvQBxMJjIZsffx-ez0rHdTQLdSulfwFBLrhhZ862B-diw26DQRTfdnJCzm-HZ9f0p__/s320/pie.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341108373350140498" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The rest of the trip to my dad’s house was pretty uneventful. We drove through plains and mountains, and a rainstorm near the VLA (Very Large Array). Does anyone but me think Very Large Array is a funny name?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWpNQcXXs67j2QWevoKYS6gnO13vIe79pOCpR8jRtOYiX_B1dJNsw6ch_QBdSD2CdmyIEDmcMgOUqmwqmuAzbpjUE6fv3d7hW9Rwq8X6oOaXkZaMHKUjwyS9qCD0nkB0ghtzn/s1600-h/vla.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWpNQcXXs67j2QWevoKYS6gnO13vIe79pOCpR8jRtOYiX_B1dJNsw6ch_QBdSD2CdmyIEDmcMgOUqmwqmuAzbpjUE6fv3d7hW9Rwq8X6oOaXkZaMHKUjwyS9qCD0nkB0ghtzn/s320/vla.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341109253393273490" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We got to my father’s house in Bosque around five and it was nice to be able to settle in for a couple days. We don’t have any particular plans for tomorrow, but since it’s supposed to rain again tomorrow, we might just make it a rest day and keep things low-key. Unless we come up with a better idea, of course.<br /><br />There's no high-speed internet out here in this little rural town, so I might not be online much for the next couple days. Doing anything is slow.Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-24487137877356162832009-05-27T22:32:00.001-07:002009-05-27T23:32:02.648-07:00Day FiveI got up at six and went for a run by the river. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikAkYzIvyFvyqBb5FQNEIwvGGh4R93CSxBsScI7V29En2nrrq0Z-e1xrbvKrOWoltWaaADsytUZH6KvSabyKavtHPlRa39RjFh3YwSstzy-jn6nwhIwyjDJdi4zewuulmZTUI/s1600-h/steam+from+the+geothermal+pools.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjikAkYzIvyFvyqBb5FQNEIwvGGh4R93CSxBsScI7V29En2nrrq0Z-e1xrbvKrOWoltWaaADsytUZH6KvSabyKavtHPlRa39RjFh3YwSstzy-jn6nwhIwyjDJdi4zewuulmZTUI/s320/steam+from+the+geothermal+pools.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340744398568438546" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUuma4vve5KqyJPg4PxjMoBPTxjxuCWyi7OJSCZepYCYEuj6YTzVose_ugyQvClh-eIIzSJgmhAPhBr5UIvkIk90RKcsem3oIB1A5X6dF4y51wxyJSy63V4lpdWpecXJk3CUcq/s1600-h/my+chipmunk.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUuma4vve5KqyJPg4PxjMoBPTxjxuCWyi7OJSCZepYCYEuj6YTzVose_ugyQvClh-eIIzSJgmhAPhBr5UIvkIk90RKcsem3oIB1A5X6dF4y51wxyJSy63V4lpdWpecXJk3CUcq/s320/my+chipmunk.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340744536191441394" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Then Dan and I packed our bags and had coffee at a riverside coffee house we enjoyed last year when we were in Pagosa Springs. We finalized our plans for the day over coffee, then went back to the hotel, checked out, and got on the road.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxkiHmXKLmYQUi1Nkq1fNQzxAFb2xYiVKoFwkJ33z-YxA8J7f9HB1E1y1o-fBybM3Nh2dKLUMkTDeSEmfaWriXAQuDyr1fgJ7tAepB3o8aK8fGxYmlQQ24Ke40nAyMtj2K6Lyc/s1600-h/heading+out.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxkiHmXKLmYQUi1Nkq1fNQzxAFb2xYiVKoFwkJ33z-YxA8J7f9HB1E1y1o-fBybM3Nh2dKLUMkTDeSEmfaWriXAQuDyr1fgJ7tAepB3o8aK8fGxYmlQQ24Ke40nAyMtj2K6Lyc/s320/heading+out.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340744779073571682" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It was a lovely clear morning, and we watched the landscape change as we headed south, back into New Mexico.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXGfT3NI22z9jFO6sNE_JvNoQ_8Yuqq9A3kBeQiXdaBKN_jEEoDTWRuK7Lo2-KtA0X0zLfd9i_6BYdYg2Tgc_jllTC4MEwdE3ezEI9pyz2CJlvLCTBRoZs3qmMXuYi3PwiIF0/s1600-h/into+a+green+valley+_+2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrXGfT3NI22z9jFO6sNE_JvNoQ_8Yuqq9A3kBeQiXdaBKN_jEEoDTWRuK7Lo2-KtA0X0zLfd9i_6BYdYg2Tgc_jllTC4MEwdE3ezEI9pyz2CJlvLCTBRoZs3qmMXuYi3PwiIF0/s320/into+a+green+valley+_+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340745299210586914" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP7CZJFfwvN-g77wScvvCUT3ff1NtJHVGa4UWGFp5hy3SS9-ErbxhXnkhTC1c2bRFdIGN8arttN8ZGV5w1h5VOgdh4cX5hKZELZ3VwbR_jPmm4pZjSCVEwCKgBNxX_bh1zDFfw/s1600-h/changing+land.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP7CZJFfwvN-g77wScvvCUT3ff1NtJHVGa4UWGFp5hy3SS9-ErbxhXnkhTC1c2bRFdIGN8arttN8ZGV5w1h5VOgdh4cX5hKZELZ3VwbR_jPmm4pZjSCVEwCKgBNxX_bh1zDFfw/s320/changing+land.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340745554384995874" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCdEbIiO2LLk8esSt0ifeMakbICSZerxoilzA-AFWSq9nW7kaJQOKixsHyQGyF6s7aV0F3xS4bBOjOzyliW0wfYZHHUNATsJZMwRhxSrR6bw_VbgSvOuz19bHK9Y7Kity3Yje/s1600-h/navajo+lake+with+boats.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCdEbIiO2LLk8esSt0ifeMakbICSZerxoilzA-AFWSq9nW7kaJQOKixsHyQGyF6s7aV0F3xS4bBOjOzyliW0wfYZHHUNATsJZMwRhxSrR6bw_VbgSvOuz19bHK9Y7Kity3Yje/s320/navajo+lake+with+boats.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340746227849170466" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyGIELBeCcajtMbGPJAVpozlftGdmrLIlmj8iURpX4F4bEvEhmo-8PPF3_VXXw5V9lNgmTIGS0WuNAR8Nhr8Vv0ICdsx2FB5L0TileU0ybSFWXm5nC3QgRU8Q-gXEZtVWzv80S/s1600-h/mesas.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyGIELBeCcajtMbGPJAVpozlftGdmrLIlmj8iURpX4F4bEvEhmo-8PPF3_VXXw5V9lNgmTIGS0WuNAR8Nhr8Vv0ICdsx2FB5L0TileU0ybSFWXm5nC3QgRU8Q-gXEZtVWzv80S/s320/mesas.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340746471271663346" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Our first stop was Azteca, where we toured some ruins.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjneQy8NDvfCOwR6F0vSAn797lOvUwdEZoScwlIu2hugYXx0INqz_EK8XfIWrTYnLjocfF_HDngoKWtg0hmKTNOXiJgcmFzVZn_-o3CDRyic2pQ8sjFX_T9tlcFZxbPkKKA2AS7/s1600-h/aztec+ruins.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjneQy8NDvfCOwR6F0vSAn797lOvUwdEZoScwlIu2hugYXx0INqz_EK8XfIWrTYnLjocfF_HDngoKWtg0hmKTNOXiJgcmFzVZn_-o3CDRyic2pQ8sjFX_T9tlcFZxbPkKKA2AS7/s320/aztec+ruins.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340747013136875826" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />They were originally thought to be Aztec ruins, hence the name, but are now considered to be more closely related to the dwellers of Chaco Canyon.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpzLn74Y2s_psOcchlto_RlXt9luqZuiMjFbZ4Q5CKqKICwcsLEvkUlckFUTXBSvCyqpfmaX9285gM4k6m8oAncuKwXeMKXTyDdSWqQuy8K5w4E0kZyslBaFfgWNwln_qqvjR/s1600-h/aztec+kivas.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilpzLn74Y2s_psOcchlto_RlXt9luqZuiMjFbZ4Q5CKqKICwcsLEvkUlckFUTXBSvCyqpfmaX9285gM4k6m8oAncuKwXeMKXTyDdSWqQuy8K5w4E0kZyslBaFfgWNwln_qqvjR/s320/aztec+kivas.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340747390613917490" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dW20qQti_VXngF8k9K_9uvK50lIKBzqYtZg-F1Wzo0hEFy2YJinFpCaxLAO_kgHYDV_GcOldrVP16TRnkZJFN9H0jM671UQiL_WcrKBQrEKMyhUZqGYp5OPzgm5DOaM8hDYt/s1600-h/aztec+kiva+and+layers.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9dW20qQti_VXngF8k9K_9uvK50lIKBzqYtZg-F1Wzo0hEFy2YJinFpCaxLAO_kgHYDV_GcOldrVP16TRnkZJFN9H0jM671UQiL_WcrKBQrEKMyhUZqGYp5OPzgm5DOaM8hDYt/s320/aztec+kiva+and+layers.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340747963069251154" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />In fact, for anyone interested in Chaco Canyon but without a lot of time, Azteca is a great option. It’s easy to get to, architecturally similar to Chaco, and you can wrap up your visit in an hour.<br /><br />Chaco, on the other hand, is well over an hour from any decent-size town, and once you’re off the highway, you have another eight miles of paved road and thirteen of rough unpaved road that will ruin your suspension if you take it too fast. You need time and commitment to do Chaco.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjGs09xIZKpqnmRDJM4WnbGG2OtvgKQIAHqIRhjuGxY3UEnutJ7u6vrYzdlq-6xdEcaOuR5jOV9aD9nsTpEVMAoP58rtfy756_eQhWpNRJrvXqjXZqu7HcTv8d45W_2NctG6s/s1600-h/distant+clouds+on+flat+horizon.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjGs09xIZKpqnmRDJM4WnbGG2OtvgKQIAHqIRhjuGxY3UEnutJ7u6vrYzdlq-6xdEcaOuR5jOV9aD9nsTpEVMAoP58rtfy756_eQhWpNRJrvXqjXZqu7HcTv8d45W_2NctG6s/s320/distant+clouds+on+flat+horizon.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340748716962545794" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja10NBkwPIHCWwZYoDYtjRBOpdDPI2bgVmCA0ktr00VdYujwA3oHeIls4Kc4Hhe6QllzOsU50xFVZPyXQM8GdHzlCn4LsNuVV0QY-y5ZdERPK4IeUxDdk3mTPVcASPyW31vKJi/s1600-h/distant+cliffs+from+valley.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja10NBkwPIHCWwZYoDYtjRBOpdDPI2bgVmCA0ktr00VdYujwA3oHeIls4Kc4Hhe6QllzOsU50xFVZPyXQM8GdHzlCn4LsNuVV0QY-y5ZdERPK4IeUxDdk3mTPVcASPyW31vKJi/s320/distant+cliffs+from+valley.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340748910448095890" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It’s worth it, though. Completely and totally.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4JR_-vE8P4qApH8kC7B3Jmk6jhhXF4hB8rr5vGZ46UVQoTMM9kWfaE6_YklxXOi_yFXYlPAAetloq8eb77t5kbb3cpp0sHfBjzhHtxgOhrGw-mRv6FOl0JNPxj6O1gZFIwnt/s1600-h/chaco+canyon+broad+view.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-4JR_-vE8P4qApH8kC7B3Jmk6jhhXF4hB8rr5vGZ46UVQoTMM9kWfaE6_YklxXOi_yFXYlPAAetloq8eb77t5kbb3cpp0sHfBjzhHtxgOhrGw-mRv6FOl0JNPxj6O1gZFIwnt/s320/chaco+canyon+broad+view.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340749462248233298" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Chaco has numerous pueblos and they're all simply amazing.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR3AS24-cpBdJwc9RyKBSJCH_LUOKNIR41ZUZI49clBk_0_1gQBW822JiiOHZ4WexLJKZ_607CXWMUKPDII3s_vPbn1eIv5rOEisqzhtltrw7kpPCvxGzzOQNl8fmXmkI8YKmF/s1600-h/pueblo+bonito+and+rocks+in+foregroudn.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR3AS24-cpBdJwc9RyKBSJCH_LUOKNIR41ZUZI49clBk_0_1gQBW822JiiOHZ4WexLJKZ_607CXWMUKPDII3s_vPbn1eIv5rOEisqzhtltrw7kpPCvxGzzOQNl8fmXmkI8YKmF/s320/pueblo+bonito+and+rocks+in+foregroudn.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340750295895609538" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV_f9Oz3xeCzhN7PIZ1i-tig1SzgR5WTufPSNgirYKCvIhA-FTDBdhvGclJpzKH3Kz3L-Pdrj_X8hkmeL-j_FiQo2uC28ZxGgq8fodu8q1TyFiY8cWOA4_blX8ReUm-v5iOUEQ/s1600-h/pueblo+bonito+and+cliffs.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV_f9Oz3xeCzhN7PIZ1i-tig1SzgR5WTufPSNgirYKCvIhA-FTDBdhvGclJpzKH3Kz3L-Pdrj_X8hkmeL-j_FiQo2uC28ZxGgq8fodu8q1TyFiY8cWOA4_blX8ReUm-v5iOUEQ/s320/pueblo+bonito+and+cliffs.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340751518997278098" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCUtvDDYBHSyzbYUUzON9h6YDXZG67NVKiXXFx4IuGscx6YFsHLaXEDk6iEh06sIMDQOVCWM56fuNF2xzk5RhMQE-bN0LuSxZH-yGyGRUOuTc54aYsiQsM-JiTz2gdvlk1akq/s1600-h/chaco+broken+window.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJCUtvDDYBHSyzbYUUzON9h6YDXZG67NVKiXXFx4IuGscx6YFsHLaXEDk6iEh06sIMDQOVCWM56fuNF2xzk5RhMQE-bN0LuSxZH-yGyGRUOuTc54aYsiQsM-JiTz2gdvlk1akq/s320/chaco+broken+window.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340753324775886898" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2rSYM01A_DIVUUO0KpTe1Q60EYiKFpzjK21vG4qjGVz8a8hDRe_tsUasMvSo3GKceR6zB7jWa5-_QSnZBkaeI55RkbtR-rMn89qKlEdoOXvErJUrEtmIG6phMvsxzhMiuU3h/s1600-h/pueblo+bonito+interior+room.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh2rSYM01A_DIVUUO0KpTe1Q60EYiKFpzjK21vG4qjGVz8a8hDRe_tsUasMvSo3GKceR6zB7jWa5-_QSnZBkaeI55RkbtR-rMn89qKlEdoOXvErJUrEtmIG6phMvsxzhMiuU3h/s320/pueblo+bonito+interior+room.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340755455862619522" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJN8dZpt22Au9-0Gfg820BFjtdy4qWN02QyXQNumMgL1Uk9u3m7n4bPUcrsORnZuHc4g_WnUiMY-FPym26-5RI0zoAgoRdaoUfFxsPeKjvE3tXvrK9f4bn2oDxzPEDdSyqHeE/s1600-h/pueblo+bonito+doors.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeJN8dZpt22Au9-0Gfg820BFjtdy4qWN02QyXQNumMgL1Uk9u3m7n4bPUcrsORnZuHc4g_WnUiMY-FPym26-5RI0zoAgoRdaoUfFxsPeKjvE3tXvrK9f4bn2oDxzPEDdSyqHeE/s320/pueblo+bonito+doors.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340755691804238930" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SlVyWJqsDnQkGOuAMIbvsmQnFdRl0dX2CxVsvPsQbb9sotFdg6AZ6XygDUvRujpbIjpRXZwU0VMIaiqNgulDH84sznzMU83eEyHuIgqPJqRj1PfV0b7iHFKxquxB8Pixg1p2/s1600-h/kiva+at+chetro+ketl+and+distant+cliffs.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SlVyWJqsDnQkGOuAMIbvsmQnFdRl0dX2CxVsvPsQbb9sotFdg6AZ6XygDUvRujpbIjpRXZwU0VMIaiqNgulDH84sznzMU83eEyHuIgqPJqRj1PfV0b7iHFKxquxB8Pixg1p2/s320/kiva+at+chetro+ketl+and+distant+cliffs.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340756168542539282" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Some of the best views are from the cliff tops.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRpUbsTOcJ-NDIPkUmGjd4FEh_rTM1GNv3_5yImmLsBsAbmLUrESrce8rhXxjv-Gafx7kh5HnK4aX9TpaawrWIdqcbKrD5BJKBQCtt11behFpdIx796NchRUm76QvAGAV06aw/s1600-h/chaco+cliff+face.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcRpUbsTOcJ-NDIPkUmGjd4FEh_rTM1GNv3_5yImmLsBsAbmLUrESrce8rhXxjv-Gafx7kh5HnK4aX9TpaawrWIdqcbKrD5BJKBQCtt11behFpdIx796NchRUm76QvAGAV06aw/s320/chaco+cliff+face.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340751962068484306" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5vv9tYq9EizkqjsC40t5hlsgayG8_mSFtwYi2AuiLVodoQdudAbGv5Pp7ACLqfFW9NINOK1sud1WKO0wgN3ImDdmZRWC3mQctKbLl_kBPaCwwWobI0LuGV2YkgOPiRyqyoKnc/s1600-h/pueblo+bonito+top+view.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5vv9tYq9EizkqjsC40t5hlsgayG8_mSFtwYi2AuiLVodoQdudAbGv5Pp7ACLqfFW9NINOK1sud1WKO0wgN3ImDdmZRWC3mQctKbLl_kBPaCwwWobI0LuGV2YkgOPiRyqyoKnc/s320/pueblo+bonito+top+view.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340750725458857330" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0w_wIZ9ECPZ46LHK-3zDhgjMmAnaVDTu6g3rTEOMBd2i2pJO58Ekeo7wz5MaeSKZhu1k2AEeuIlJ_yDsMSmwRzMf7cKytqsfHJrR5l1i8D_DNyzhoTO-NdfTZxmr79mQ_UrGh/s1600-h/chaco+clifftop+and+cairns.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0w_wIZ9ECPZ46LHK-3zDhgjMmAnaVDTu6g3rTEOMBd2i2pJO58Ekeo7wz5MaeSKZhu1k2AEeuIlJ_yDsMSmwRzMf7cKytqsfHJrR5l1i8D_DNyzhoTO-NdfTZxmr79mQ_UrGh/s320/chaco+clifftop+and+cairns.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340752665314772290" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSCROVwcYTjcgucQLdiUyHpiJJzVCxMUYvB9Vij7GBSJIOj5F7qZcHXz29QxOYCmyEBA1DZ3LMbXaqPJh8lH_WJ-tv7qrtVLcF7d-a4omV78S-NIkBKhxP-5HLnYoqsI3Qxy1W/s1600-h/chaco+ridgeline+on+cliff.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSCROVwcYTjcgucQLdiUyHpiJJzVCxMUYvB9Vij7GBSJIOj5F7qZcHXz29QxOYCmyEBA1DZ3LMbXaqPJh8lH_WJ-tv7qrtVLcF7d-a4omV78S-NIkBKhxP-5HLnYoqsI3Qxy1W/s320/chaco+ridgeline+on+cliff.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340753085891448338" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJ3RfYh5z3wR90nfV1cWIe5g9WBhSRifyQyi_7EJ6SyGeIzOytUrVHys5-TpXQY0xYe8I0W1C96sic-GBEp8R44Htm0T9YqLPp7ogJ30Wp2OWFAmmz0eMzCRYYKSgm6-PS_pm/s1600-h/chaco+rocks.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFJ3RfYh5z3wR90nfV1cWIe5g9WBhSRifyQyi_7EJ6SyGeIzOytUrVHys5-TpXQY0xYe8I0W1C96sic-GBEp8R44Htm0T9YqLPp7ogJ30Wp2OWFAmmz0eMzCRYYKSgm6-PS_pm/s320/chaco+rocks.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340755109749447922" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />After hiking for a few hours, we had a picnic lunch and watched our new bunny friend.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajtWNN1SBrU5B-HeRjUGy0EC9ZPTrZHAMKcQamBco9qQv2_SHW6iLdqcOsJVpUfByJMupxVEas783yN_eZiLuzhKNc_U6gzMKyR5lQ65OmnDTT1EL3Ei2oUAYKjhnQCwXT8BZ/s1600-h/bunny.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 274px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhajtWNN1SBrU5B-HeRjUGy0EC9ZPTrZHAMKcQamBco9qQv2_SHW6iLdqcOsJVpUfByJMupxVEas783yN_eZiLuzhKNc_U6gzMKyR5lQ65OmnDTT1EL3Ei2oUAYKjhnQCwXT8BZ/s320/bunny.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340757051782004178" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv3Yrdovf4Zs9LakHVNl0BUF2zHI0iBylrDyc0hUbK_FEnUayONRv40FUQi_C58-E1k2TgtN3rZGwbB3YfE-5Jb0673z8heMSDQr2cYKUGcMK95SDzWWzstgoBFU_UGJcfIRK1/s1600-h/bunny+3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 184px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv3Yrdovf4Zs9LakHVNl0BUF2zHI0iBylrDyc0hUbK_FEnUayONRv40FUQi_C58-E1k2TgtN3rZGwbB3YfE-5Jb0673z8heMSDQr2cYKUGcMK95SDzWWzstgoBFU_UGJcfIRK1/s320/bunny+3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340757212462759426" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We had thought about camping, but Dan wasn't feeling up to par, so we decided to head into town.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy3_bCm07_YkCIm-SxdHVGjjvaVq8wqY5W8rTHjKaW7M2qtAlE3ST0VwMTv9J1BddrBNdVSk4sHgR6CXPZYKA3SkBNo5jqxoHbB4rKV3EBWPh1BnFs-Pd26wIermi7ZFE3mO1V/s1600-h/chaco+cliffs+and+threatening+clouds.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy3_bCm07_YkCIm-SxdHVGjjvaVq8wqY5W8rTHjKaW7M2qtAlE3ST0VwMTv9J1BddrBNdVSk4sHgR6CXPZYKA3SkBNo5jqxoHbB4rKV3EBWPh1BnFs-Pd26wIermi7ZFE3mO1V/s320/chaco+cliffs+and+threatening+clouds.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340756585213470114" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixESJYvMmLEskyO1SJF0mu9TBIkf560hSq6nYmUtZEiUU21Y0D9bxLBhJGBM3vDJAXvKCaQqrC8q_j8db5En0IwPSvuq4PRUD1lKCBumxEY_bgKmfpBHZYxLh_OmPhheOUOLwV/s1600-h/plains+and+distant+clouds.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixESJYvMmLEskyO1SJF0mu9TBIkf560hSq6nYmUtZEiUU21Y0D9bxLBhJGBM3vDJAXvKCaQqrC8q_j8db5En0IwPSvuq4PRUD1lKCBumxEY_bgKmfpBHZYxLh_OmPhheOUOLwV/s320/plains+and+distant+clouds.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340756915188044050" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />It took us three hours over more dirt roads that cows wandered across as casually as if they lived there. Oh, wait—they do. I got a little nervous as night came and we were still on dirt roads with no signage, no lights, no signs of other humans anywhere, but finally we made it onto paved roads again and then to Grants.<br /><br />The Holiday Inn Express in Grants is quite nice—much better than I would’ve expected for a town this size. Tomorrow we’re considering ice caves, an old volcano, and a wolf sanctuary. We may also go to Pie Town. Tomorrow night or Friday at the latest, we’ll be checking in with my Dad near Belen for a couple days. It’ll be nice to see him. I hope I haven’t completely ruined his birthday present in the back of the Jeep.Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-91822500361054726452009-05-26T20:37:00.000-07:002009-05-26T21:08:09.938-07:00Day FourI got up at six and went for a run around the area. The part along the river was best, with the steam rising up from the hot springs along the trail. After I finished my run, I got some coffee, then went back to our room. We had to head out by 8:00 and to Dan’s surprise, I was ready with time to spare.<br /><br />Well, duh. We were going horseback riding, not to the opera.<br /><br />We had only a twenty mile drive ahead of it, but much of it was on dirt roads, so it took about half an hour. We weren’t complaining because it was a beautiful sunny morning, and we were driving through country so stunning it was enough to piss a person off.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeAjdZdvssu7J-e-VL_RfGCeTwvHmGhhpwFpxyz8xNq2_X1Vnrb09RzkF09x2s6rO1zkS1bVBBTH8Tu1FxG6g4xceQ0M8NM9rff-2hAshJ4nyUkWVco0fLg8PJaKT2HZxJ-M3q/s1600-h/serene+valley.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeAjdZdvssu7J-e-VL_RfGCeTwvHmGhhpwFpxyz8xNq2_X1Vnrb09RzkF09x2s6rO1zkS1bVBBTH8Tu1FxG6g4xceQ0M8NM9rff-2hAshJ4nyUkWVco0fLg8PJaKT2HZxJ-M3q/s320/serene+valley.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340346086702704178" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGW2bFJWSL1zzt-u0D5wV0ioMnxeQUMeNr4PUaoaS4w6LFSTk2bXAUj7D2__8AXTx5T53HXa4C5SDquLeRDqojnN412SuewVuJrnjX5_y8WCluF5A1E4GhxHx1DO_FfOSrTd2Q/s1600-h/valley+pastures+and+hills.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGW2bFJWSL1zzt-u0D5wV0ioMnxeQUMeNr4PUaoaS4w6LFSTk2bXAUj7D2__8AXTx5T53HXa4C5SDquLeRDqojnN412SuewVuJrnjX5_y8WCluF5A1E4GhxHx1DO_FfOSrTd2Q/s320/valley+pastures+and+hills.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340345734625860082" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />No way. This is impossible. Quit looking like a postcard, dammit!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh0nzy8G69YfmRLVhJFuVLmYQwwiLma4bsBvfuocNr40dmUiTzD4075YnipftbqvtYn738FB3IyONeREIl9vfHkt-oDpzMMcQn2rwhpPpy4Asfd-F5OuZv0Vus5B83GAsNS4Tk/s1600-h/winding+valley+road.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh0nzy8G69YfmRLVhJFuVLmYQwwiLma4bsBvfuocNr40dmUiTzD4075YnipftbqvtYn738FB3IyONeREIl9vfHkt-oDpzMMcQn2rwhpPpy4Asfd-F5OuZv0Vus5B83GAsNS4Tk/s320/winding+valley+road.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340345382295169314" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We found our outfitter and got to meet the horses. I was on a black horse who actually behaved himself for me. I don't know why horses think I'm a pushover, but I get really tired of having to fight an animal. Blackie was a gem, though, and only misbehaved twice, both times my fault because I got complacent late in the ride and thought he wouldn't get up to anything. He reminded me very quickly. I can hardly blame him for the dandelion incident, though. They looked so good, I would've swiped a few myself, if I thought no one was paying attention.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4tWHBNZCPRxLKRdGbNEZLu7JkfVimdtpUl2pJyb9cMwftZ_XouFd3nYJcp4A8KihYLeZ7yfuW7zqUKIzmgUYZ_GxygVocfRD4Qmmu-_Tbjw1N2ZfRkp1rZZ1Q1frsGe6YZJ55/s1600-h/wrangler's+horse_not+blurry.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4tWHBNZCPRxLKRdGbNEZLu7JkfVimdtpUl2pJyb9cMwftZ_XouFd3nYJcp4A8KihYLeZ7yfuW7zqUKIzmgUYZ_GxygVocfRD4Qmmu-_Tbjw1N2ZfRkp1rZZ1Q1frsGe6YZJ55/s320/wrangler's+horse_not+blurry.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340345246814031250" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKRSTjlK_g4hIoj-ZQ-6KAI2AlBxJVWwD-AtAwpUj6zmq1njY2g7q2krtNGWJ5gYEMIEQOeUxDGWlE35rP_OLV6zf8u7PDWXP3JU3agD5HeXKUSmoIzRLqo_s4ipLTtJ7Fg0j/s1600-h/between+blackie%27s+ears.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKRSTjlK_g4hIoj-ZQ-6KAI2AlBxJVWwD-AtAwpUj6zmq1njY2g7q2krtNGWJ5gYEMIEQOeUxDGWlE35rP_OLV6zf8u7PDWXP3JU3agD5HeXKUSmoIzRLqo_s4ipLTtJ7Fg0j/s320/between+blackie%27s+ears.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340344071773082722" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Our trail ride was along wooded mountain trails leading to an ice cave. Since the trails were muddy from all the recent rain, we had to go slow. This suited me fine, though. In previous years we’ve gone riding in Cerrillos near Santa Fe, and I find cantering a horse through the rocky arroyos a bad way to check out the local scenery.<br /><br />Here in the mountains of Colorado, there was plenty to see.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JD_Nsl_F1MZ46cDX3acaHAs3tYLVKREsbRKlqdue6HyREG9GNa0XlU2Jt_OxhQZEg3OVzT8fMBULxFY12bC_6Vnmf6OUfOpgRfpwLYCMOffJClj-lWFNFSaE2SDO7nqcD0pt/s1600-h/following+our+wrangler.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9JD_Nsl_F1MZ46cDX3acaHAs3tYLVKREsbRKlqdue6HyREG9GNa0XlU2Jt_OxhQZEg3OVzT8fMBULxFY12bC_6Vnmf6OUfOpgRfpwLYCMOffJClj-lWFNFSaE2SDO7nqcD0pt/s320/following+our+wrangler.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340344674004620066" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUgp1WUzA2nsZryugSgjZAcwHp0jbHI9HzO74yapq4iMZbpfUWO4wZFy7uhkt1_cLE9UfzndotUrpNvpXFVFSYA0Cko9Fz1wT_YbWZ04W4DHrK5xnDv18uz1_z5oM_TyehN8y/s1600-h/storm+over+the+ridge.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUgp1WUzA2nsZryugSgjZAcwHp0jbHI9HzO74yapq4iMZbpfUWO4wZFy7uhkt1_cLE9UfzndotUrpNvpXFVFSYA0Cko9Fz1wT_YbWZ04W4DHrK5xnDv18uz1_z5oM_TyehN8y/s320/storm+over+the+ridge.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340346861413921874" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We rode for two hours, checked out the outpost and its shop cat…<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ8SMxhdjSB1Z48AHwfFm-bl5VetNv82ixLND5j17kVwPuQl8r0bdvpNgvxupAmds1FVvCMFqB-ncJdPYoCFQdIR-CmCpNl97q7SA8htRS328Y-rPU-D6VzFjHcRcGD1oeAZ3u/s1600-h/shop+cat+posing.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ8SMxhdjSB1Z48AHwfFm-bl5VetNv82ixLND5j17kVwPuQl8r0bdvpNgvxupAmds1FVvCMFqB-ncJdPYoCFQdIR-CmCpNl97q7SA8htRS328Y-rPU-D6VzFjHcRcGD1oeAZ3u/s320/shop+cat+posing.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340345952897847906" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXjYM-3VxWwiUYnODA90CFwEO3-6YLt1SmYN3sciib6loLC6n075SOs2Jl0Ubihn3IoPOMn31Bbh5USIrNzyiGO3rSuCSroKDUFzPOE4W82uEi4dhq4ew0LhFDZJGcFufJlmq/s1600-h/kitty+pondering.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXjYM-3VxWwiUYnODA90CFwEO3-6YLt1SmYN3sciib6loLC6n075SOs2Jl0Ubihn3IoPOMn31Bbh5USIrNzyiGO3rSuCSroKDUFzPOE4W82uEi4dhq4ew0LhFDZJGcFufJlmq/s320/kitty+pondering.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340347726019607794" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />...then decided to go see a waterfall. Because of the dark clouds that had moved in, we decided to drive as close as we could and hike the rest of the way up. We saw some deer along the way.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqfUvv29NdoMNYWvjPhA645ySmQcH-nASJc1fklCVZ1_RkmxSn76OyVAW1AFDZ5-6lZZZS8m8QhI936neVfLMxCplMhXua6arZtPnujogn-L2ri-JShN4KaWfPh_B4ElUNaF5a/s1600-h/deer+posing.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqfUvv29NdoMNYWvjPhA645ySmQcH-nASJc1fklCVZ1_RkmxSn76OyVAW1AFDZ5-6lZZZS8m8QhI936neVfLMxCplMhXua6arZtPnujogn-L2ri-JShN4KaWfPh_B4ElUNaF5a/s320/deer+posing.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340344205619497858" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFwl51MnkBQAzrolPSPhLeeGSaaYwOtEqNDOmUeMCqWC5APs6T2RQbISkiMXsHL3dbsj2tSIAUEXsW9d8Xhyphenhyphen_5mT57qAppYdIqG-ICTGs08l3hy4eoDnZrScklvwlTWT2F6N4/s1600-h/deer+walking.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSFwl51MnkBQAzrolPSPhLeeGSaaYwOtEqNDOmUeMCqWC5APs6T2RQbISkiMXsHL3dbsj2tSIAUEXsW9d8Xhyphenhyphen_5mT57qAppYdIqG-ICTGs08l3hy4eoDnZrScklvwlTWT2F6N4/s320/deer+walking.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340344328004760466" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />In spite of our best efforts, we got caught out in the rain. It didn’t matter though. I think we got wetter standing in the spray from the waterfall.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeefFMekBVbR86L5HosHiTChsoIeCmjrK3Zm-EY2Xw-_0Fb5cntKyitjTvMIrNZO7fGB6X-AZMltCRh7Q_WNB74Y4eO8V8Yx8fUaPipC0TwSEHEOpIqZsmIIcvns8Z0YtJMM5Q/s1600-h/waterfall+and+spray.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeefFMekBVbR86L5HosHiTChsoIeCmjrK3Zm-EY2Xw-_0Fb5cntKyitjTvMIrNZO7fGB6X-AZMltCRh7Q_WNB74Y4eO8V8Yx8fUaPipC0TwSEHEOpIqZsmIIcvns8Z0YtJMM5Q/s320/waterfall+and+spray.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340345535729073778" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWXmfj_HuQlgWtt1Lyl3h4eRe6FMg1UwfiT-4B_f4rEslYnRPKMAYmFUrZs91FQ-trQ41SfwrjvEU6QzFTeqFDFEmZqaqwM2tIog41IEqg5c5lj2Ue7jgTWg3HZJ9dYUb9i7H/s1600-h/river.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWXmfj_HuQlgWtt1Lyl3h4eRe6FMg1UwfiT-4B_f4rEslYnRPKMAYmFUrZs91FQ-trQ41SfwrjvEU6QzFTeqFDFEmZqaqwM2tIog41IEqg5c5lj2Ue7jgTWg3HZJ9dYUb9i7H/s320/river.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340347129235064418" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Upon our return, Dan made a lunch of some of last night’s pasta and I went for a massage and a soak in the mineral waters. It was very relaxing. Then, since Dan was napping, I did a little writing and had a snack.<br /><br />When Dan got up, we went to the Laundromat across the street and washed our clothes. There was a through-hiker there, doing his laundry in his long johns. Pagosa Springs seems to attract a lot of through-hikers and I’d like to know more about why that is. I have a blog-friend currently hiking the Appalachian Trail and the more I read about her experiences, the more curious I am about the hiking culture.<br /><br />But I digress. Now that we had clean clothes, we could go have dinner. So as not to have to bother with getting dressed up and driving, we went to a Mexican place on the water and I had a veggie burrito. Then it was back in the hot springs for a final dip.<br /><br />Dan wants to be on the road at 8:00 tomorrow, so I don’t think I’ll have time for another soak. Tomorrow’s destination is Chaco Canyon, but we don’t know what we’ll be doing for accommodations. They’ve had their camping area closed for awhile now, and we aren’t familiar with the area, except we know there’s not much. But if you have a tent, you can sleep anywhere, so we’re not worried. We’ll figure something out. If there's no Day Five post, it's because we're sleeping under the stars somewhere.<br /><br />I’ll miss Pagosa Springs.Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-21765614426107957332009-05-25T21:07:00.001-07:002009-05-25T21:46:18.444-07:00Day ThreeI got up at six and went for a run on the plaza and around the narrow streets of Old Town. I finished up just as tourists and vendors were starting to show up, and went back to my room to get ready for breakfast.<br /><br />Here are some more of the little room details I love about La Fonda.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4M61mK9q8d39Sfs9pdXG_N_uvQT_h13dpc0byi6kV7VanyZC13RmoQwvGWIkZhqBBNBVVpkP2PB8Pgh-bmK5XFAVNo7GYaTLd8FjvX1qvVhv_ZqcCP65eQvPIgvfqWnxQ9s-Y/s1600-h/closet+door.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4M61mK9q8d39Sfs9pdXG_N_uvQT_h13dpc0byi6kV7VanyZC13RmoQwvGWIkZhqBBNBVVpkP2PB8Pgh-bmK5XFAVNo7GYaTLd8FjvX1qvVhv_ZqcCP65eQvPIgvfqWnxQ9s-Y/s320/closet+door.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339989037542726562" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJb49Pga3QPeUlq95r3aazLWd-Hj-wh4RsBRDIh2l0alZQGkoh0DTG_XuqdwhKyJ45wvsWS8X6AxiRC7MOE0MGdO_9xQFxBExTiv5eiZpdeYi0OOQNVyJQ7Ng1juzFFw7pwHK/s1600-h/light+switch.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJb49Pga3QPeUlq95r3aazLWd-Hj-wh4RsBRDIh2l0alZQGkoh0DTG_XuqdwhKyJ45wvsWS8X6AxiRC7MOE0MGdO_9xQFxBExTiv5eiZpdeYi0OOQNVyJQ7Ng1juzFFw7pwHK/s320/light+switch.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339986320720983570" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />While we waited to be seated at the Plaza Café, Dan bought a newspaper. It was pretty brief, with only two news sections—one in English, the other in Spanish. Since I can read comfortably in either language, I took the Spanish section, he took the English and we were both happy. We were even happier when we got a booth and were able to order coffee and eggs scrambled with nopalitos. Very few restaurants back home cook with prickly pear, so it was a nice treat.<br /><br />We got on the road after lunch, heading north. It was sunny at first.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwF3pvhO6R8jjvrIJi2V504r7AW0dTvokGXr_B9vSRYkLZ0sIqG7L208brhe521M_sVaYg3oPq-qXtUENZRplBjWeLoU4fbK5CTuo9ZDEjUVupOhSWrizruOrn-ZZ63phpSBcJ/s1600-h/heading+north.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwF3pvhO6R8jjvrIJi2V504r7AW0dTvokGXr_B9vSRYkLZ0sIqG7L208brhe521M_sVaYg3oPq-qXtUENZRplBjWeLoU4fbK5CTuo9ZDEjUVupOhSWrizruOrn-ZZ63phpSBcJ/s320/heading+north.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339982414686232850" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqh6nLn1WqIEoj4ojuIghHnekALfVlyO5akGxIpwjfR414W_wYtmhlHi_ogfdxhMVaNbUqrCnNCpntE7XYw6eiFMAAoBnxf58n-5UsgBbgfhMuAQPZn-QBN4sCDHvyj8CZdcN/s1600-h/camel+rock+in+distance.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqh6nLn1WqIEoj4ojuIghHnekALfVlyO5akGxIpwjfR414W_wYtmhlHi_ogfdxhMVaNbUqrCnNCpntE7XYw6eiFMAAoBnxf58n-5UsgBbgfhMuAQPZn-QBN4sCDHvyj8CZdcN/s320/camel+rock+in+distance.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339982047258085026" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKq9N65palwepnNfXuwX9wGrxOu43OgxBBNio5EjVWmFsQk6wgp9Rqt1iMOxOwR8EiBt7xNQ_G74Rmq0-3xO1c_xauRz52q-B0s1sxNJPCqX0bXGEdsAUqV2tLrHhP8L1Ng20/s1600-h/overpass.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzKq9N65palwepnNfXuwX9wGrxOu43OgxBBNio5EjVWmFsQk6wgp9Rqt1iMOxOwR8EiBt7xNQ_G74Rmq0-3xO1c_xauRz52q-B0s1sxNJPCqX0bXGEdsAUqV2tLrHhP8L1Ng20/s320/overpass.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339987035929604018" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDK-sfQv1H3kWVhbU1epNtV7isLoiHAJO-mIYa9-QpgA2t9kJSGqnob12ihZY88ZJ-M720lBwRXhIxCGvxAI8rDuEddgOedgKcPsAaw9Iri-UJypRbe7wWv89IkrSv5vm_SjIb/s1600-h/changing+colors.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDK-sfQv1H3kWVhbU1epNtV7isLoiHAJO-mIYa9-QpgA2t9kJSGqnob12ihZY88ZJ-M720lBwRXhIxCGvxAI8rDuEddgOedgKcPsAaw9Iri-UJypRbe7wWv89IkrSv5vm_SjIb/s320/changing+colors.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339981952712747714" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2k1q_NS-isN6l5K3IHZiOpSxmf3fINTLOT6QwuaKN86FBiYABEYKn_wjzZ4BvWWBh4rohOmF5qYr7lNVR9CXZsnGsZazQG9myCXeNIAIWfbEJ11TvQI-8B-xH7NhgoSFT6PVk/s1600-h/near+echo+amphitheater.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2k1q_NS-isN6l5K3IHZiOpSxmf3fINTLOT6QwuaKN86FBiYABEYKn_wjzZ4BvWWBh4rohOmF5qYr7lNVR9CXZsnGsZazQG9myCXeNIAIWfbEJ11TvQI-8B-xH7NhgoSFT6PVk/s320/near+echo+amphitheater.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339987154749896610" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZl4GhcDOfnCujffXkUUjyuoTutNAILFgtq289jf025dC8t_qsBs8CJn-C07WWsDiZGU4u8ktXJPszhietKRBmKgMrrALI_S4zs6R2KWBm65HLuJXGU2jr2aGx3swKlW1BF0T1/s1600-h/near+colorado+state+line.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZl4GhcDOfnCujffXkUUjyuoTutNAILFgtq289jf025dC8t_qsBs8CJn-C07WWsDiZGU4u8ktXJPszhietKRBmKgMrrALI_S4zs6R2KWBm65HLuJXGU2jr2aGx3swKlW1BF0T1/s320/near+colorado+state+line.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339987400705427234" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />But as on previous days, we eventually ran into dark clouds, then rain.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRrYzONfXXKPQ6DVFixwyPb0lnr-21BqQljZBIoXyg9NGCuODy8uW0FtIcg3MmI2tAQl2PiTXsU1_loSRy0O7HlZa24vtoRZ7x3JEtZ4Lbn9HMTVTIZ-86UFB33dEyGTDKXR0i/s1600-h/storm+clouds.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRrYzONfXXKPQ6DVFixwyPb0lnr-21BqQljZBIoXyg9NGCuODy8uW0FtIcg3MmI2tAQl2PiTXsU1_loSRy0O7HlZa24vtoRZ7x3JEtZ4Lbn9HMTVTIZ-86UFB33dEyGTDKXR0i/s320/storm+clouds.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339986754462134690" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwgnMSI5QuLMjPnDUttQYQ1mtFa-QHAarx1qeeKBBBzejx-cvRoe4_jNc6fpVVHbGXcyd3iRJBnqzvPHzCpp05icOr6uo8VEX2gGunMNxI4ONCXlUrQIrUEaE52Ynk8GapdZJ/s1600-h/turnoff+to+pagosa.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwgnMSI5QuLMjPnDUttQYQ1mtFa-QHAarx1qeeKBBBzejx-cvRoe4_jNc6fpVVHbGXcyd3iRJBnqzvPHzCpp05icOr6uo8VEX2gGunMNxI4ONCXlUrQIrUEaE52Ynk8GapdZJ/s320/turnoff+to+pagosa.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339987291536409778" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />The rain started clearing at about the time we started unloading the Jeep, and by the time we were settled in, the rain had passed and we went for a walk by the river.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05__pHuxylGbYDKeKB0smku9IUGqa3kirAmxehoVZmDzQnFXICir9IfE1Jz9OM8lFZ9CJikR5G6HOqohjGmf3giWo1cXu8oCeTKFZr3_rrCegrzM_-UuzIb8_oQApHtQb4ZTj/s1600-h/river+bridge+and+storm+clouds.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05__pHuxylGbYDKeKB0smku9IUGqa3kirAmxehoVZmDzQnFXICir9IfE1Jz9OM8lFZ9CJikR5G6HOqohjGmf3giWo1cXu8oCeTKFZr3_rrCegrzM_-UuzIb8_oQApHtQb4ZTj/s320/river+bridge+and+storm+clouds.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339986920996590882" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We saw some kayakers navigating the rough waters and taking pictures of each other.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDuMPCEqJ_m9_j4-5SUO1sYrA_O9HAXqBt5fe79vBguBU4Bx03fqm-odULrbMt1ys48APwDmZCrhhAdxfxjvA1FB0QagGmfQKwgD5GXipm5TqXzmia9Cwg6XHpVQ_uaG_5pg3/s1600-h/kayaker.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyDuMPCEqJ_m9_j4-5SUO1sYrA_O9HAXqBt5fe79vBguBU4Bx03fqm-odULrbMt1ys48APwDmZCrhhAdxfxjvA1FB0QagGmfQKwgD5GXipm5TqXzmia9Cwg6XHpVQ_uaG_5pg3/s320/kayaker.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339982624135265458" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And we made a friend.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHG42gtIkB4rdLjuLjhXozlh4IPaBG8Y97Pqw9nktbb2OY99U6kbsXdEeO5oKRr0rRcjaAt9AXfsI8nqd3F4Zy6nKlpCM-5paNCwHDfExhW9EGxpGwFKolZkQumSEoug0ko2wy/s1600-h/new+friend+1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 278px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHG42gtIkB4rdLjuLjhXozlh4IPaBG8Y97Pqw9nktbb2OY99U6kbsXdEeO5oKRr0rRcjaAt9AXfsI8nqd3F4Zy6nKlpCM-5paNCwHDfExhW9EGxpGwFKolZkQumSEoug0ko2wy/s320/new+friend+1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339986608583804706" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIC6bsd4hNUIC01s1FSUb4PoHCUWhkEwzVeeY2yCHz1IdVmL3znQ1PDSfYRRnzKs8UI8E3KbIqCT-iG_20KegSCn_Gbmt4aB6lzqMMZta2jZW3nB36gAKc1KEC_WfSgs0ZJ6zP/s1600-h/beggar.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIC6bsd4hNUIC01s1FSUb4PoHCUWhkEwzVeeY2yCHz1IdVmL3znQ1PDSfYRRnzKs8UI8E3KbIqCT-iG_20KegSCn_Gbmt4aB6lzqMMZta2jZW3nB36gAKc1KEC_WfSgs0ZJ6zP/s320/beggar.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339982216907662114" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Dan was pretty wiped after yet another day on the road, so while he went to sit in the steam room and take a nap, I went for a short run around town. Then we had massages, which I badly needed, and we went for dinner at a nice little Mediterranean place we found last year.<br /><br />I spent some time soaking in the mineral waters after dinner, and decided to call it a day. It’ll be an early night. We’re going horseback riding in the morning. Hopefully it won’t rain again.Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13208328.post-76052109133242135322009-05-24T21:41:00.001-07:002009-05-24T22:21:50.413-07:00Day TwoAfter a workout and breakfast, Dan and I were on the road by 8:00. It took us just over an hour to get out of Texas, into New Mexico. Finally! Of course, crossing the state line didn’t mean the landscape changed much. We were still in the Llano Estacado—plains so devoid of landmarks that you have to make your own. When we got to Tatum, we got out to stretch our legs and use a restroom. I got a couple pictures of local buildings.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt-VhhISfg-hPs6BBZvKkvdgQOIhh2-9cMyuXaZWODhP7UvXts4bydGU75rys6EEKV8zkme5NM0fKrMX_wBP-e9CNBC9KKF2D9_w2Fxpeg_7zlZQ633PQQdbeei8lxzhUMvYWC/s1600-h/cafe+sign+in+tatum.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt-VhhISfg-hPs6BBZvKkvdgQOIhh2-9cMyuXaZWODhP7UvXts4bydGU75rys6EEKV8zkme5NM0fKrMX_wBP-e9CNBC9KKF2D9_w2Fxpeg_7zlZQ633PQQdbeei8lxzhUMvYWC/s320/cafe+sign+in+tatum.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339617551553958050" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7YlVdTj1IXOdMENAFyNxYqNfXBWAT3aYKSFwwqi-M_h4MAIE356cnwo0OR_Uz5EK7cNSzkXN1oGZWkBQSfT4Qf2DqoNRjYoQIbkraiuy18OlzKBXsnDIARa1GZmWgm_X8Mygv/s1600-h/Mural+in+Tatum.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7YlVdTj1IXOdMENAFyNxYqNfXBWAT3aYKSFwwqi-M_h4MAIE356cnwo0OR_Uz5EK7cNSzkXN1oGZWkBQSfT4Qf2DqoNRjYoQIbkraiuy18OlzKBXsnDIARa1GZmWgm_X8Mygv/s320/Mural+in+Tatum.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339620065762385570" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We reached Roswell at noon, but drove on through and made a lunch of crackers and goat cheese in the car.<br /><br />Although the day had been mostly sunny up to this point, as we kept on toward the north, we encountered storm clouds.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzNU64tLQIa5RIRB_Lh1M0dD1Sbqxx7RnypZYX5aJeH55bfBXsYeH9UMDPou3yXYthSlZFHyxuZinnb2MM9MtwIh4LG08fiHNsLTbWRB-mnXqXQGVxMh3i0UlqpnImdYLJ0EuE/s1600-h/distant+rain+2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzNU64tLQIa5RIRB_Lh1M0dD1Sbqxx7RnypZYX5aJeH55bfBXsYeH9UMDPou3yXYthSlZFHyxuZinnb2MM9MtwIh4LG08fiHNsLTbWRB-mnXqXQGVxMh3i0UlqpnImdYLJ0EuE/s320/distant+rain+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339618517915215058" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And rain.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXMlKt7pwJhFAUXsf0UDBVgyrzHzW9djDfeEjJPXFIZGkH7STkhm7iYDcsn-RmyKs4KDTlXh8WXb-7kz8e7_NgJRXEE626c_6gwzZ1KGSKjXD0yeCi1Th2aMt2xuJhCC2EiY4/s1600-h/rain+ahead.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXMlKt7pwJhFAUXsf0UDBVgyrzHzW9djDfeEjJPXFIZGkH7STkhm7iYDcsn-RmyKs4KDTlXh8WXb-7kz8e7_NgJRXEE626c_6gwzZ1KGSKjXD0yeCi1Th2aMt2xuJhCC2EiY4/s320/rain+ahead.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339620624253165138" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We reached Santa Fe at 2:00, in a hail storm, with temps dropping from the high sixties down to fifty before the rain stopped and things began to warm up again. We got checked into <a href="http://www.lafondasantafe.com/">La Fonda</a>, which is a hotel we’ve stayed at before and love for its history.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH4RwfFJSNUiUYRZ2AXfLjJnIlJN02y5ubCPqwMHn2PY7VUa69rYn6_uj4doIRIZ3rdTD5HiQ7oD2_YLJnK1QsGtKRcZtjAaqknYQwSHeJpsxMQa5lss1lRnkc3mu4YoQXDXc6/s1600-h/deer+mural.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH4RwfFJSNUiUYRZ2AXfLjJnIlJN02y5ubCPqwMHn2PY7VUa69rYn6_uj4doIRIZ3rdTD5HiQ7oD2_YLJnK1QsGtKRcZtjAaqknYQwSHeJpsxMQa5lss1lRnkc3mu4YoQXDXc6/s320/deer+mural.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339618161143289250" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHkQ92HRp7FF9gulLpAk3gIIBVe4H6gcK_bwWFeHU6BGjLtzkx8S77W55WdrNJ7wv1-qAJaB94UnIZz-ZZlKUCBxM3smPhDjb_NRKsVi7UfyUbcygyLEXr0pm-XibDD4MDpSgP/s1600-h/hotel+corridor.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHkQ92HRp7FF9gulLpAk3gIIBVe4H6gcK_bwWFeHU6BGjLtzkx8S77W55WdrNJ7wv1-qAJaB94UnIZz-ZZlKUCBxM3smPhDjb_NRKsVi7UfyUbcygyLEXr0pm-XibDD4MDpSgP/s320/hotel+corridor.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339622954038898098" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAXTKg8B4N0RAN79eEXDu5EY_ItSnRbEwISd4OBRLf79nKeM0ezcDGM6eA2UdkUxa1wTZYKDJJF1J9-EuzBc4WPkmyQcaaBkfch0JDsgytqQ1xyEN87_sJxtiwPNMx0klY4DFw/s1600-h/cat+front+desk.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAXTKg8B4N0RAN79eEXDu5EY_ItSnRbEwISd4OBRLf79nKeM0ezcDGM6eA2UdkUxa1wTZYKDJJF1J9-EuzBc4WPkmyQcaaBkfch0JDsgytqQ1xyEN87_sJxtiwPNMx0klY4DFw/s320/cat+front+desk.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339618060214909250" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />We checked out the Basilica of St Francis of Assisi, something neither of us had ever done, which was an odd lapse in our New Mexico experience.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDQJ9GAADvqYGBjSe9NYLV6rxaJYnzoP4SdJ7ycuVWFuk7djEoEzjO9XqUBEbZeA9IStkT6x0aAPqq4MawPkmHwl666UbV1JtMKD2uesE6UNY8OhKVaDxWRsRQtUINIZ5_XYH/s1600-h/outside+cathedral.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFDQJ9GAADvqYGBjSe9NYLV6rxaJYnzoP4SdJ7ycuVWFuk7djEoEzjO9XqUBEbZeA9IStkT6x0aAPqq4MawPkmHwl666UbV1JtMKD2uesE6UNY8OhKVaDxWRsRQtUINIZ5_XYH/s320/outside+cathedral.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339620432887279970" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDdlvp3Mb1eFYCh5Gmh0FEUZ65ybtAWemXT1tG7iv_wPyajUCuSIz0RfAmLl4TThXhi9aEeGpc1VWeo6LKmZDIeRWc4hwigQBAFmTafsdKMs9j5Q7-nyT2ViGoJ2YMityfbNm/s1600-h/inside+church+2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoDdlvp3Mb1eFYCh5Gmh0FEUZ65ybtAWemXT1tG7iv_wPyajUCuSIz0RfAmLl4TThXhi9aEeGpc1VWeo6LKmZDIeRWc4hwigQBAFmTafsdKMs9j5Q7-nyT2ViGoJ2YMityfbNm/s320/inside+church+2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339619879076016722" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Then we browsed the shops and street vendors. We didn’t have much interest in shopping, since everything is overpriced and we’re both experienced enough to know where to get better deals. But the people-watching is often a good time. I love places where people of all walks of life can hang out and simply enjoy life. We saw the usual foreign tourists, street kids hanging out on the plaza, hippies, and natives selling jewelry outside the old governor’s palace. We met a tranny who we thought made a very ugly woman, but since she likely was an even uglier man, it was all for the best. And we were given this pamphlet by a civic-minded individual standing outside a jewelry store:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3CNYwyHfl0aGxdL6CVlPZFyyQpcSoVLCgKbAe7vBZ8UlewE2bG6sU5NaaE3vqiFYp3qj9LpMclX84KZb9FLxHVIveDRiiZAuLxwxhqExMe_sc6_XaleHYBU-xlEjYR9aFL7X/s1600-h/rapture.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 185px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3CNYwyHfl0aGxdL6CVlPZFyyQpcSoVLCgKbAe7vBZ8UlewE2bG6sU5NaaE3vqiFYp3qj9LpMclX84KZb9FLxHVIveDRiiZAuLxwxhqExMe_sc6_XaleHYBU-xlEjYR9aFL7X/s320/rapture.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339620732439881618" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />In spite of the impending end of the world, I was not tempted to buy overpriced jewelry or art at the local shops, although I found a dress I may end up getting. Then, since there was a musical event going on at the plaza, we went and hung out there for awhile, where we listened to a mariachi band…<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJ2kuG6gj6kAL6QWrRF2ux0FyuTLjbgY_EVe1-MrK7nCtWFSb2gxwh6jAXKbKvQXhdURyC9zcMmQquJuiOylWeMaio183xPB-koIIDTYdA-oK12CKyTWrJUEIZsAYNRABL8t-/s1600-h/mariachis.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaJ2kuG6gj6kAL6QWrRF2ux0FyuTLjbgY_EVe1-MrK7nCtWFSb2gxwh6jAXKbKvQXhdURyC9zcMmQquJuiOylWeMaio183xPB-koIIDTYdA-oK12CKyTWrJUEIZsAYNRABL8t-/s320/mariachis.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339620282165345314" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />…and watched some young flamenco dancers.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUF34XcAcSHEaWicqHZre1-Mfj9pzL4Y7u60QUaAY8k-UMSxcfK21X3h5HQdZnDPNWJPu7gKC0ViV9IFET0_AUrVHG9t089yACel0WUcJ-un9VPs98LNDBnaSJf0SweK6evYv/s1600-h/flamenco+3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 253px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUF34XcAcSHEaWicqHZre1-Mfj9pzL4Y7u60QUaAY8k-UMSxcfK21X3h5HQdZnDPNWJPu7gKC0ViV9IFET0_AUrVHG9t089yACel0WUcJ-un9VPs98LNDBnaSJf0SweK6evYv/s320/flamenco+3.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339619133941338594" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I managed to get a picture of this sweet couple and their dogs enjoying the entertainment.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnR9BesVRkXsLobyF-99RF1TwWmjZewkheOUFhzjfL_xM6E9aM5yJD2CA-wy8A_F_ky7aMJAJOoSovjrg5RlQfaa6kUdhtH-rHbe1d47vx2ASMmr9st2whyphenhyphen60anHIThHiyW5C/s1600-h/watching+the+dancers.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 226px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYnR9BesVRkXsLobyF-99RF1TwWmjZewkheOUFhzjfL_xM6E9aM5yJD2CA-wy8A_F_ky7aMJAJOoSovjrg5RlQfaa6kUdhtH-rHbe1d47vx2ASMmr9st2whyphenhyphen60anHIThHiyW5C/s320/watching+the+dancers.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339619533238456626" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Finally we went back to the hotel and had dinner. I hadn’t realized until then that I was hungry! Afterwards, we walked the nighttime streets and walked the labyrinth outside of St Francis’s in the rain.<br /><br />It is still raining off and on. I'm hoping it will be clear in the morning so I can go for a run. I can use the fitness center downstairs if I must, but I kind of have my heart set on a run around the plaza.<br /><br />Tomorrow we go to Pagosa Springs, Colorado. It's only about 150 miles. After covering nearly 1,000 miles in two days, 150 is child's play. I'm looking forward to a good long soak in the hot springs!Ann (bunnygirl)http://www.blogger.com/profile/04938134750150653386noreply@blogger.com5