Vacation (all I ever wanted)

Home!

2010-06-11T21:33:00.000-07:00

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.

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.

Day Thirteen

2010-06-10T20:18:00.000-07:00

I 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.

Then, since it seemed we had time to spare, we drove an hour to Santa Rosa to check out their car museum.

Then we took some pictures of the ghost town of Cuervo.

After that, the day was pretty much road trip east toward home.

We had lunch at the Midpoint Cafe, which is the exact mid point along historic Route 66.

And at a rest stop in the Panhandle, Audrey enjoyed the landscaping...

...and played on the playground.

Until I realized that not only were no pets allowed on the playground, but there were also snakes!

Needless to say, I bundled Audrey back into the car and made her behave for the rest of our trip.

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.

We'll be home tomorrow. I talked to the housesitter tonight, and he says Cadbury misses me.

Day Twelve

2010-06-10T19:43:00.000-07:00

When 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.

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...

When she wasn't scaring us and herself half to death...

By the time we could get checked in at the motel, Dan and I were on speaking terms again, so while Audrey cleaned up...

...and made a few phone calls on the old-fashioned rotary phone...

Dan and I went around town taking some pictures of the deserted areas.

I love ruins for some reason. Dan humors me.

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.

Audrey sat beside me on the swing the entire time, enjoying the pleasant evening on Route 66.

Later in our room, though, she seemed worried, especially when her new friend tried to interest her in some bunny grahams.

More important, though, I think she knows our travels together will soon be over.

Day Eleven

2010-06-08T21:33:00.001-07:00

I 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.

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.

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...

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!

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.

Audrey thought it was a fine place to stay.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

Day Ten

2010-06-07T21:23:00.001-07:00

I 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!

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.

When we got back, Dan was ready to go horseback riding.

Audrey was content to stay at the hotel, so Dan and I went for a little ride through the mountains.

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.

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.

Days Eight and Nine

2010-06-06T20:21:00.000-07:00

We 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.

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.

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.

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...

...and enjoyed a pine cone.

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.

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.

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.

Day Seven

2010-06-04T16:38:00.000-07:00

I 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.

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...

At his statue, she met a friend...

...and got to say hi to St Francis himself.

Then I took Audrey to the Loretto chapel to see the miraculous staircase. She was duly impressed.

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...

...she settled down and contented herself with looking out the window at the Loretto chapel, where she had been just a little while before.

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.

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.

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.

Day Six

2010-06-03T20:28:00.001-07:00

The 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.

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...

...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...

...and a few ruins.

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.

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.

We went back to my Dad's place, where we found Audrey waiting by the gate...

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.

She waited for the paper delivery, so she could catch up on the news of the day...

She spent some time in my father's garden...

She paid a visit to my Uncle Bill...

And she spent some time gazing pensively at the water that runs through my father's property, irrigating the fields in the area.

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.

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.

Day Five

2010-06-02T20:43:00.001-07:00

I got up at 6:30 and went for a sunrise run.

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.

We stopped briefly in the Black Range so Audrey could admire the view...

...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.

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.

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.

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.

Day Four

2010-06-02T19:15:00.000-07:00

I 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.

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.

We came upon some pretty odd sights as we drew near, including this pink cafe...

...and a place where you can get both liquor and art.

Presumably if you drink enough liquor, you won't care whether the art is to your taste or not.

As we neared the actual ghost town, we came upon this cool and somewhat spooky cemetery.

Then I took a few pics of the remains of company housing...

...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.

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:

Prada Marfa isn't a real store; it's an art project. Cool, isn't it?

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.

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.

Day Three

2010-05-31T17:27:00.001-07:00

I 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Surprise! Our cottage was ready for us early!

We drove up the mountain to our cottage and were completely delighted with it.

Audrey even got her own room!

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.

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.

Day Two

2010-05-31T17:05:00.000-07:00

I 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.

Then it was time to pack and check out.

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.

Then we were off toward Big Bend!

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.

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.

We saw some amazing sights down in the ravine.

Then, as we were heading toward the lookout point, Dan asked, "Where's Audrey?"

"She's not back there?" I asked.

Audrey was gone!

We hurried back the way we had come and finally found her, alone and terrified, on the trail to the ravine.

We reassured her and apologized for losing her, then took her with us to the lookout point. She wasn't much interested, though.

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...

...ice cream...

and a popsicle.

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.

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.

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.

Day One

2010-05-29T21:06:00.001-07:00

I 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.

We were on the road by 8:00.

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.

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.

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.

So now we're settled into our room at the historic Limpia Hotel.

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.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to post tonight - it depends on if we're camping or not.

Observations and Lessons Learned

2009-06-04T20:54:00.000-07:00

Here, 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.

Castile Soap: Don't leave home without it! I guess I don't travel enough (okay, I know 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.
Coffee Mug: 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.
Travel Dress: I had always been a little skeptical of the value of a travel dress, but this spring I broke down and bought one of these 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.
General Order of Things: 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.
Big Bend: 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.
Chaco Canyon: 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.
Prada Marfa: 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 cleverest art ever, though.
Pie: The Pie-O-Neer Café is worth going out of your way for. A good thing, since it’s located about an hour from anywhere.
Organization: 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.

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 regular blog. It's great to be in my own home again!

Day Twelve

2009-06-03T20:58:00.000-07:00

I 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?

Before we could leave Kerrville, Dan and I had a very important stop to make: Wolfmueller’s Books. 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 Indianola, destroyed by successive hurricanes in the late nineteenth century.

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.

As we neared home, the hills flattened out...

...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 Houseful of Rabbits. 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.

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.

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.

Day Eleven

2009-06-02T20:41:00.001-07:00

I 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.

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.

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...

...then picked up the road down the mountain...

...and to Balmorhea.

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.

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.

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.

For awhile it looked like we might run into some rain, but it remained always just a little ways down the road.

It was a relief to make it into the hill country.

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.

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.

Tonight there's a storm outside my window. We left in rain, we return in rain. It's a funny world.

Day Ten

2009-06-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

I 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.

After my run, I changed into hiking clothes and packed a backpack. Then we had a quick breakfast and headed out.

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.

Dan let me go on ahead, and when I got too far ahead of him, I would stop to take pictures.

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.

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…

…and another with a longer hike to a canyon floor, where we were able to check out the ranch house and outbuildings.

We stopped for some of the sights along the way...

and checked out some of the trails for later reference. Mule Ears is one we think would be fun.

Although the desert floor was hotter than the mountains, the temperatures never reached the 100s, as predicted.

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.

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.

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.

And beyond the Cottonwood, the Harmonia Store, and the dry washes of the floodplain are Santa Elena, the Rio Grande, and Mexico.

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.

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.

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.

Day Nine

2009-05-31T19:35:00.000-07:00

My 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.

I liked the juxtaposition of sign and truck at this rest stop along the way.

It was a long trip to Big Bend, passing through mostly open country…

…with a few small towns along the way...

...and a couple of rest stops...

one of which included this guy, left behind by a departing child.

The trip was over three hundred miles and over a hundred were in mostly empty country.

Just when I was beginning to wonder if the long trip was going to be worth it, we reached Big Bend National Park.

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…

…and a front view of other cabins and friendly deer.

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…

...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.

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.

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.

The wireless internet service here works pretty well, so if it's this good tomorrow night, there will be more pictures!

Day Eight

2009-05-30T21:45:00.001-07:00

I 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.

When I finished my run I got a cup of coffee and walked around for a bit, enjoying the peaceful desert morning.

Dan and I got on the road around eleven, heading south.

Our first stop was Socorro, where we stopped at a grocery store for a few supplies. Then we continued south, passing this sign:

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.

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.

Unfortunately, we didn’t find it. So I took a picture of the local church instead.

We got back onto 25, heading south.

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.

Then we called my cousin Chris and went to his house, passing Juarez along the way.

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.

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.

Day Seven

2009-05-29T21:06:00.001-07:00

This morning I got up at seven and went for a run along the canals and to some new pecan groves near the mesas.

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.

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.

I followed the canal to some new pecan groves.

I love the contrast of dry sand and green, growing things. Out here there's no mistaking where the water is.

The desert's own natural beauty is nice, too.

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.

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.

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.

I'll definitely have internet in El Paso tomorrow, and I may have internet in Big Bend, too. Expect more pictures!

Day Six

2009-05-28T20:07:00.000-07:00

I 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…

…but quickly went up into forest.

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.

The route to the ice cave passed by a smaller ice cave once used as a natural refrigerator by the property owners.

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.

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.

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...

...but they also have a coy-dog (part coyote) and a fox.

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.

Then we headed south through changing country and gathering clouds.

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.

We were very happy with our lunch and pie, and bought a whole pie, still bubbling fresh from the oven, to take with us.

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?

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.

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.

Day Five

2009-05-27T22:32:00.001-07:00

I got up at six and went for a run by the river.

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.

It was a lovely clear morning, and we watched the landscape change as we headed south, back into New Mexico.

Our first stop was Azteca, where we toured some ruins.

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.

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.

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.

It’s worth it, though. Completely and totally.

Chaco has numerous pueblos and they're all simply amazing.

Some of the best views are from the cliff tops.

After hiking for a few hours, we had a picnic lunch and watched our new bunny friend.

We had thought about camping, but Dan wasn't feeling up to par, so we decided to head into town.

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.

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.

Day Four

2009-05-26T20:37:00.000-07:00

I 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.

Well, duh. We were going horseback riding, not to the opera.

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.

No way. This is impossible. Quit looking like a postcard, dammit!

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.

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.

Here in the mountains of Colorado, there was plenty to see.

We rode for two hours, checked out the outpost and its shop cat…

...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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

I’ll miss Pagosa Springs.

Day Three

2009-05-25T21:07:00.001-07:00

I 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.

Here are some more of the little room details I love about La Fonda.

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.

We got on the road after lunch, heading north. It was sunny at first.

But as on previous days, we eventually ran into dark clouds, then rain.

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.

We saw some kayakers navigating the rough waters and taking pictures of each other.

And we made a friend.

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.

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.

Day Two

2009-05-24T21:41:00.001-07:00

After 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.

We reached Roswell at noon, but drove on through and made a lunch of crackers and goat cheese in the car.

Although the day had been mostly sunny up to this point, as we kept on toward the north, we encountered storm clouds.

And rain.

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 La Fonda, which is a hotel we’ve stayed at before and love for its history.

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.

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:

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…

…and watched some young flamenco dancers.

I managed to get a picture of this sweet couple and their dogs enjoying the entertainment.

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.

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.

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!

Day One

2009-05-23T20:17:00.001-07:00

I got up at 6:30 and went for a short run, then Dan and I finished packing, loaded the Cherokee, and corralled the critters. They were none too happy about being taken to the ~~vet~~ spa, but it gives us peace of mind to know that they’re in good hands.

Our first goal was Buc-ee’s in Luling, Texas.

For those who aren’t from around these parts, Buc-ee’s is a cleverly marketed upscale gas and convenience store. They draw you in with their clever billboards reminiscent of Burma-Shave signs, then deliver everything they promise and more.

Their 32 gas pumps and huge restrooms with attendants on hand would make Buc-ee’s a must, even without their store. But the store is something else again. Fresh pastries, fudge, jerky, honeyed pecans, salsa, sweet potato butter, and peach preserves await. You can get a hot sandwich made to order. You can get travel gadgets for your car, tooled-leather purses, gift items, and of course Buc-cee’s t-shirts and caps. It’s quite a place. Best of all, even though the place was crowded, they had enough cashiers on duty that there was no waiting for checkout. Dan got some teriyaki jerky and a cup of coffee, and I got some pecans.

Once on the other side of San Antonio we ran into heavy rain.

It lightened up near Kerrville when we stopped at our favorite rest stop.

We continued on through rain, sometimes heavy, sometimes clearing, as the land grew flatter.

We passed a wind farm. We had seen others in prior years, but this one is new.

We had wanted to stay in San Angelo, but when I tried to make a reservation last week, I found everything booked. We booked a room at the Holiday Inn Express in Big Spring but forgot to write down directions how to get there. I guess I should say that it wasn’t a complete oversight. I had the silly notion that a town so small would be a hard place to hide a Holiday Inn. I was mistaken. Part of the problem was the directions we got from Dan’s BlackBerry, which gave us a convoluted series of turns that completely failed to lead us to a hotel.

“Trust Google Maps,” Dan assured me.

I trusted. Then we found ourselves in a high school stadium parking lot and I suggested we try something else.

In an effort to prove that men do, in fact, ask directions, Dan asked a passing stranger how to get to the address for our hotel. The man had holes in his jeans, stains on his shirt, and breath I could smell from six feet away, and he gave directions just as confusing as those we got from Google. We followed those directions for a bit, finally ending up in a neighborhood where the houses hadn’t seen paint since the Johnson administration and were only standing upright due to orneriness. We retraced our path back to the main drag, went to a gas station and asked the attendant. He told us to just keep going up the road we had come in on and we couldn’t miss it. And you know what? He was right.

Screw Google Maps.

We got checked in, brought our stuff up to our room, then I went to the little gym on the first floor and did another thirty minute run. It felt good to sweat and get my blood moving after spending all day in the car. Then I had dinner in my room. Anticipating that there would be nothing I’d want to eat in Big Spring, I had brought along a pasta salad from Central Market and some homemade cashew butter granola bars. Very nice and just like home.

Today we drove 520 miles. We go to Santa Fe tomorrow, another 415 or so. We’re going to try to leave around 7 so we’ll get there with enough time to hang out on the plaza for a bit. We have a room booked at La Fonda, our first time to stay there since our honeymoon thirteen years ago.

Check back tomorrow night for more adventures! And if my adventures are too tame for you, Maelstrom is on tour, so check out what they’re up to.

Vacation 2008: Highlights and Lessons Learned

2008-06-06T21:13:00.000-07:00

Don’t be afraid to board the pet. Tidbit did great at the vet’s. It was cheaper than having a petsitter come by once a day and she probably got a lot more attention.
A toiletry organizer will save your sanity. For the first time I traveled with a multi-pocket, clear plastic organizer and boy, did it cut down on the cussing! I just took the organizer out of the suitcase, used the products I needed, put them back in the organizer, and tossed the thing back in the suitcase so we could move on to our next destination. So easy it’s probably a crime.
Don’t be afraid to use hair conditioner in the west. In Houston, conditioner drags my hair down, but in the desert, it’s the only thing that keeps it from sticking up in every direction.
Stock your cooler with blue ice instead of regular, water-everywhere ice. Almost everywhere you go now in Texas and New Mexico will have a fridge and freezer either in the room or available on premises for guests. The ubiquitousness of fridge and microwave access in hotels these days means there’s no excuse for not taking decent road food with you.
Nearly everywhere has wireless internet access, it seems. Still, it’s not a bad idea to keep that dial-up account for another year or two, just in case. I was glad I had it at my Dad’s place.
Most decent hotels have workout rooms these days. No excuse not to get a little exercise each day, and it really helps for those days where you spend a lot of time in the car.
When it comes to family, less can be more. It’s great to see them, but it’s a good idea to leave before you or they begin wishing the Acoma natives still threw people off the cliff.
When you find a place that has a good price on local goods (such as Indian pottery), buy a lot. I wish I had bought more at Acoma.
Keep extra camera batteries with you at all times.
Although it’s lots of fun to just take each day as it comes, have a backup plan in case you get to a town only to find the hotels all booked. We had trouble finding a place in Las Cruces and were unable to get a room in Fort Stockton or Ozona. Two years ago we had the same problem, unable to get a room in Silver City and getting one of the last rooms in Fort Stockton.
Be glad camp food lasts up to ten years. Last year we couldn’t camp because of rain, this year it was wind. Maybe the third time will be the charm.
Follow those spur-of-the-moment impulses. We found Pagosa Springs that way and it’s on our permanent must-do list now!
Out of the way places can be really cool. The population of Kingston in the Black Range is only about 30, but the Black Range Lodge is beyond wonderful if you want peace, quiet, a rambling old house in the wooded mountains, and a hot breakfast made with all organic and homemade goodies. Their guest house would make a fantastic writer/artist retreat.
Host dogs make excellent running companions.
Do your homework. A lot of fun things, like a massage and a soak in the hot springs can be done for a lot of money or for just a little. Go cheap so you can splurge on an extra day!
Own a pair of really nice pajamas. I have a pair of red silk ones that I'm not embarrassed to be seen in at any time. Not that I go running around in my pajamas, but it's nice to know that you look great if room service or housekeeping show up.
Take your own pillow.
Make use of the guest laundry. Often.
Cousins have better family gossip than parents and uncles every time.
Count your blessings. Not everyone can take a paid vacation. In many countries, it's a totally alien concept.
Remember that vacation is supposed to be fun. When it starts becoming work, it’s time to go home.

Home!

2008-06-05T21:10:00.000-07:00

Well, we ended up not doing much at all today. I got up around 7:00 and went to the workout room. Dan joined me as I was finishing my workout and we went to the breakfast room together but he was so grumpy that I stayed out of his way and when we went back to our room I simply went about the business of showering, packing, and getting ready to hit the road. I showed him a brochure about the Sonora caves, but he said he hadn't slept well and that if it wasn't going to kill me to skip it, he'd just as soon save it for another time. Well, that was fine by me. I've seen caves before (went to Carlsbad last year) and I try to choose my battles wisely. Heading east was fine with me!

After so much desert, it was great to see green this morning!

I've always loved the way greenery grows on the limestone.

We headed in to Kerrville, where we stopped at our favorite bookstore. By now, Dan was feeling better, but I was the one who was grumpy because every time I tried to examine the books on Indianola (a Texas town destroyed by a hurricane in the late nineteenth century), the woman minding the shop tried to talk to me. Finally I gave up trying to decide between the two books and escaped to the bargain room, where I found nothing I simply had to have. Had the shopkeeper let me browse in peace, I almost certainly would've bought one of the Indianola books (and they weren't cheap) so it was more her loss than mine, but I was pissed, nonetheless.

Dan and I had some lunch at a little cafe nearby, where we both agreed that we were tired, grumpy, brain-dead, and ready to go home. Plus, the wind was still blowing!

Heading home. The wind was blowing so hard in some places that signs were knocked over!

We got back to Houston just in time for rush hour traffic. Lucky us. Not to be deterred, we picked up the Tid and went home.

Pixel has been all over us tonight and once Tidbit figured out that she had been sprung for good, she was just like her old pre-illness self, eager to play, eager for attention.

It's great to be unpacked, back in my own home with three days before I have to go back to work. Technically speaking, I'm really not going to work until Wednesday, since I'll be at a conference Monday and Tuesday. So although I'm home, this vacation isn't quite over yet!

There will be one more post here before I resume posting at my regular blog. It will be my recap and "lessons learned." There will probably also be some new pictures, now that I can photoshop out things like flyspecks from the windshield.

Be sure and check back tomorrow!

Day Twelve

2008-06-04T22:21:00.001-07:00

Well, our plans are usually flexible, and a good thing. We’re in Sonora, Texas, tonight, with winds gusting like a hurricane. It looks like a dust storm outside.

I got up early this morning at our hotel in Las Cruces and did a 40 minute treadmill run while I did my wash in the guest laundry room. Then I got a cup of coffee in the breakfast room and had a cup of yogurt and some of the blueberries I bought a couple days ago in Pagosa Springs.

Since there appeared to be nothing to do in the Las Cruces area, we headed into El Paso where we had a long lunch with my cousin, who filled me in on all the family gossip. We solved many of the world’s problems in the three hours we hung out chatting, and then Dan and I decided to head west and see how far we could get before we got tired.

It was a very windy, dusty day, but as we tracked east, we expected things to improve.

They didn’t. Those are mountains on the horizon. See them? They're actually quite close, but in some places we couldn't see them at all.

Hazy mountain.

And did I mention it was hot?

I was able to get a few good pics, though.

The mountains in West Texas are somewhat similar to those of the Albuquerque area.

They eventually give way to mesas and flatlands.

The wind kept up with gusts in the 40s and when we got to Fort Stockton, we found everything but the scary motels booked. There was some kind of oil company convention in town, apparently. One hotel let us use their lobby computer to check other hotels along our route and we finally found one 150 miles away in Sonora.

It was already 9:00 Central Time, but our bodies were on Mountain Time and the lower elevation was making us feel perky, so we headed east. The sun went down and we spent the next two hours driving in the dark through gusting winds. It was pretty scary to see the truckers getting their rigs blown around the freeway and the dust clouds descending on us. We kept thinking at some point the wind would let up but it never did.

When we got to Sonora we were very glad we had booked a room from Fort Stockton because there was a sign on the door saying no vacancy, reservations only. There's only one other hotel in town that isn't scary and I’d bet money it’s booked, too. And the next sizable town is at least another hour up the road.

We carried our bags up to our room in gusting winds and now as I look out the window I can see a haze of brown dust and the wind is screaming. The weather report says winds at 22 with gusts to 33, but I think it might be worse than that.

Anyway, it’s late, I need to get settled in, and Dan and I need to make a plan for tomorrow. We think we’re going to spend some time in Kerrville, and maybe since we’re in Sonora, we’ll see the local caves. We had thought we might want to camp but the weather prediction is for more wind like what we’ve got right now and no way can we pitch a tent in this!

Check back tomorrow, when I expect to have more and better pictures. There just isn't much to see in West Texas even under the best of circumstances, but with a dust storm, forget it!

Day Eleven

2008-06-03T22:03:00.001-07:00

It was very windy last night in the mountains, but things were cozy in our B&B.

I used this little room for writing. I didn't take a picture of the room we slept in, but it was much bigger.

I woke up early and went for a run in the mountains.

One of the dogs went with me.

These old buildings appear to be from the original settlement of the area during the mining heyday of the late 1800s.

It was a beautiful morning, with some great views.

The pics I took don't do some of these curves justice.

I went back to the B&B where our host made eggs and waffles for us. He turned out to be a musician and Dan was disappointed we had to leave because they were having so much fun talking music.

We headed south, stopping at a scenic overlook before continuing on toward the Gila Cliff Dwellings.

Nice scenery on the drive, but the road was narrow and if you didn't go slow and make your turn, you'd end up falling a very long way.

The cliff dwelling site was pretty cool.

The Gila River, which was running low.

The cliffs, which are pretty high up!

Hard to imagine people lived up so high.

At least there are stairs now available. You can bet the natives didn't have these!

Approaching the caves.

People made their homes inside the caves.

I love this view, even though I couldn't get it without a tourist in it.

Leaving the caves.

Nice trail!

Winding through the woods, back to the visitor center.

A dry riverbed. There hasn't been much rain this year.

We tried to go for a hike afterwards, but the river was over the trail, and since it was late in the afternoon and the cliff dwellings were two hours from any nearby town, we decided to head back.

Dry conditions heading toward Silver City, even though we were in the mountains.

A mountain campsite. We were tempted, but kept on toward Silver City. We felt pretty good when we reached Silver City, so we continued to the City of Rocks, one of our favorite places.

City of Rocks in the distance. It sits on a plain in the middle of nowhere.

A cactus in bloom outside the visitor center.

Closeup of the cactus.

Rocks everywhere you look!

In the distance, one of many balanced rocks.

A smaller formation.

Such interesting shapes!

A few small trees grow here.

A new friend.

So many rocks, so little time!

Then since we didn’t want to backtrack, we continued south to Deming, then west to Las Cruces.

Hard to believe we were in the mountains this morning!

In Las Cruces, we stopped at three hotels before finding one with vacancy, although no one could explain what was going on in town to make it so hard to find a decent hotel. We like where we ended up, though—it’s got a kitchenette. Too bad we’re leaving in the morning. We haven’t decided where we’re going next, but we’re considering one of the Texas parks or El Paso, where I have a cousin.

Day Ten

2008-06-02T19:56:00.001-07:00

I got up at 7:00 and went for a run around the area. This time instead of staying by the river, I went back into one of the neighborhoods. I encountered a couple of monster hills, but since I was going to be in the car all day, I told myself it didn’t matter. This might be the only exercise I get all day!

When I got back to the hotel, I took a soak in the mineral waters and spent some time in the steam room. Then it was time to shower, pack, and after some coffee at a coffee shop by the river, we headed south. Our plan was to get into the Black Range by evening. I had wanted to stay at the Black Range Lodge in Kingston for years, so we figured we’d start in that direction and see how things worked out.

We stopped in Chromo to get a picture of an old school that had caught my eye on the drive up.

Ridiculously pretty skies! Too bad I got a part of the car window in this one.

And we stopped for a picnic lunch at Echo Amphitheater—a natural stone formation that is part of the New Mexico state parks system.

The cliff overlooking the amphitheater.

The amphitheater.

Nice spot for a picnic.

Looking up from inside the stone amphitheater. Speak or clap and you'll get a perfect echo!

Trees can grow anywhere!

It was quite a contrast to get back to the desert after a couple days where everything was so green. We hit temps as high as 100, but I far prefer 100 here in the desert to 85 or 90 back home where it’s so humid your clothes stick to your body.

A key to long car trips is to pack appropriate road food!

A mural on a desert water tower.

We got within sight of the Black Range by 5:00, which was perfect. I had been concerned that we might have to drive through the mountains, which can be pretty scary and dangerous. But all was well, I called and got us a room at The Black Range Lodge, and as I had hoped, we had our pick of rooms in this big old rambling place. It's busier on weekends and in high season, but Monday night is perfect if you want to have the place to yourself.

A building in Kingston, Black Range.

One of our hosts.

So we’re settled in for the night in a cool old B&B in the mountains, and tomorrow we’ll knock around the area a bit and perhaps camp at City of the Rocks, if it’s not too windy.

Day Nine

2008-06-01T21:38:00.000-07:00

I got up early and went for a run, followed by a soak in the hot springs. Very nice! Then we checked out of our first hotel here and hurried up to the Chimney Rock ruins, where we caught the 10:30 tour. I wasn’t too crazy about taking a guided tour, but there was no option for a self-tour, so we paid our $5 apiece and put up with the lectures about corn and kivas.

The ruins and the scenery were great, though.

View from the visitor center.

The Great Kiva.

A row of pit houses.

Nice views from up here!

Rocky outcrops near the ridge line.

Amazing what will grow here.

Very tenacious!

Far below is a modern farm.

And above, a kiva and other ruins.

Above, we can see Chimney Rock and Companion Rock in the distance.

A closer view of Chimney Rock and Companion Rock.

View from the ruins at the summit.

The kiva at the summit.

Another view of the kiva.

After the tour, we headed back into town where we picked up some lunch at a deli and ate it at a local park. We saw a really cool squirrel while we were there—it had big ears that made it look like a cross between a squirrel and a rabbit. Unfortunately, rabbit-squirrels are very shy and I couldn’t get a picture.

I had no trouble getting a picture of this old cart, though.

After lunch we got checked into the spa and then went for a drive to where there is still a lot of snow near Wolf Creek.

For folks like us from the Gulf Coast, this is a lot of snow!

It was twenty degrees cooler up here!

There was snow at the higher elevations in New Mexico, but not like this!

Looks like Christmas!

Scenic overlook on the way back toward town.

A lone tree at the overlook.

One of the scarier things we saw at this particular overlook was a flower shrine on a fence and a cross in the woods. There was nothing to indicate what particular tragedy occurred, but the location of the items suggested something other than car accidents.

Upon our return to the hotel, we went for a walk in town.

I took several pictures of this cute little church.

The view from the church toward town and our spa.

After our walk I had a two hour spa treatment consisting of an herbal wrap followed by a massage. After that I no longer knew my own name, let alone what I wanted for dinner, so we went to a Mexican place within walking distance and I had some shrimp. I’ve had better, but the price and location were acceptable, so I’m not complaining.

Tonight we’re unsure just what to do with the rest of the week. We need to be back in Texas no later than Wednesday night in order to be home by Friday night. That means we need to start heading south tomorrow, but we’re having trouble coming up with a plan that we like. The roads that go where we want to go are too small and slow, and the places we want to camp are too hot. We'd rather not retrace our steps, but it's beginning to look like an option. It's either that or spend the next couple days in eastern New Mexico and West Texas, which are two different versions of a similar hell.

We’re both tired, so I guess we’ll sleep on it and see if we have an idea in the morning.

Day Eight

2008-05-31T22:16:00.000-07:00

I’m writing tonight from my new favorite town— Pagosa Springs, Colorado!

How’d we end up here? Glad you asked! This morning I was pondering our dilemma—I wanted to leave but it was too soon to head south and it was going to be too hot to camp. Then I remembered we’d never been to the northern part of New Mexico. We looked at the map and called up some sites on my father’s slow dialup connection, one thing led to another and we decided we wanted to go to Pagosa Springs. It’s near wildlife refuges, near Indian ruins, and it’s got mineral waters, so what wasn’t to like?

The trip out started uneventfully enough, and I didn't bother with pictures. But once we got north of Espanola, things just got better and better.

These red cliffs were incredible to see.

They were just amazing!

Kind of like a layer cake.

One wonders just what is in these layers of sediment piled up over the ages.

Going into the valley.

Little town with mountains in the distance.

Still a lot of snow at the higher elevations.

They got snow in northern New Mexico as recently as a few weeks ago!

Such cute little towns!

And the valleys are nice to look at, too.

The cows seem to enjoy the vistas, too.

Almost like a postcard!

This mountain appears to be missing a piece.

My pictures don’t do the scenery justice. It was just absurdly beautiful, like there ought to be a law or something.

We got to Pagosa Springs around 5:00 and got checked into our hotel. It’s an okay hotel, but we’ve got a room at one of the less expensive spas booked for tomorrow. That didn’t stop Dan from soaking in the mineral waters while I got a massage, though.

But first, we went for a walk.

Pagosa Springs has a little riverwalk.

Nice views on the riverwalk.

Opportunities to make friends abound.

And you can even contemplate art.

After the spa, we had dinner at a nice place that serves up some tasty Mediterranean-style dishes and a deadly baklava for dessert. Luckily my baklava was much smaller than Dan’s. That’s why I ate it so quickly. Or at least that’s the story I’m sticking with!

The plan for tomorrow is to go back to the spa in the morning where I’ll go for a run while Dan hangs out and waits. Then we’ll both soak in the mineral waters before going back to our hotel and packing. We’ll visit the Chimney Rock Indian ruins, then check into our spa motel after and I’ll maybe get another massage or some other type of treatment like an herbal wrap or salt rub. Then more soaking, dinner, and we’ll be all set to head back south on Monday.

Day Seven

2008-05-30T16:38:00.000-07:00

I got up at 7:00 and ran for just 30 minutes since we hoped to be on the road by 9:00. But then I got to talking to my Uncle Bill, whose property abuts my father's property, and then Bill stopped by to talk to my father as we were finishing breakfast, so with one thing and another, we didn't get out the door until nearly 10:00.

The drive to Acoma is about an hour and a half, and other than mesas and trains, there's not a lot to see along the way.

The visitor center at the pueblo is very nice and we were just in time for a pueblo tour. I'm no fan of organized tours, but it's the only way they'll let you up there, so we didn't have much of a choice.

The pueblo sits on top of a mesa.

It's kept quite rustic, with no running water or electricity.

They didn't allow pictures of the inside of the mission church, which was very authentic, with dirt floor, original art, and no electricity. It was hard to get a picture of the outside too, but I got this view of the bell tower.

Another view of the village.

These ladders are common in the village, where homes often rest on top of one another.

This is the back side of a traditional oven. The natives no longer use these to fire their pottery, but they still cook in them sometimes.

Little home with a big view

The view.

Sunny little home on a sunny little street.

A street in Acoma.

Little houses all in a row.

I liked these stairs.

Yet another view of urban Acoma.

Looking down at abandoned buildings below.

Cliff face.

Looking out across the rocky cliff.

Balanced rock overlooking abandoned corral.

Abandoned house.

More abandoned dwellings at the bottom of the cliff.

There were natives selling pottery at various points throughout the village. Their prices were very reasonable and we bought a lot of stuff. I was struck by how friendly the vendors were. At some of the pueblos, you get the feeling they hold a grudge, but not at Acoma.

We knocked around the pueblo for a couple hours, then hung out at the visitor center and enjoyed the pretty day.

On the road leaving the pueblo, we came across an old man selling cold drinks and silver jewelry from a sky-blue van that looked like a converted ice cream truck. He was parked in a scenic spot overlooking the valley with some great vistas.

One of the views, with Acoma way in the distance.

I love this view with the tree in the foreground.

An interesting rock formation.

On the way home we saw a wildfire in the distance.

This isn't a great picture of it, but it's what I could get once we were home. The fire is behind the mesas that run near my father's property. It's far enough away to not be a danger, but close enough that we can see and smell the smoke.

We're thinking we might leave tomorrow, but we don't yet have a plan. My youngest uncle is getting back tonight from a trip to Europe and since we missed him last year, we'd like to see him before we leave. But we're also getting antsy to move on. We're ready for the rest of this trip to be just us, doing things our own way on our own schedule. It's been nice to spend some time with my father because it seems he's always too busy or we are. But I'm also starting to get stressed out by not having any quiet time. Dan allows me my space in a way that my father does not.

We'll check in the morning if my uncle is up for a visit, and perhaps we'll stay through tomorrow night if he is. But sometime either tomorrow or the next day, we're heading south to the black range. A heat wave is about to begin and it will be cool in the mountains. There's a B&B I want to try (it has wireless internet!) and if the place is booked, there's plenty of camping in the forest.

This has been fun, cheap, and convenient, but it's time to go.

Day Six

2008-05-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

I got up at 8:30 and went for a run, although I was tempted not to. Running is one of those things that you always feel better about afterwards than before.

I’ve been running around the new fields off the cemetery road and it’s like having a private track.

The fields are very near the mesas and the combination of dry earth and fields cut into the higher land create a dune-like effect.

I ran for about 50 minutes and came home to find one of my uncles had stopped by for coffee. After my shower I settled in with coffee and carrot bread, since we were on our own for breakfast, and we all hung out for awhile, talking.

After my uncle left it was decided that me, Dan, and my father would head into Albuquerque and go to the Balloon Museum. Albuquerque is famous for its annual hot air balloon festival and although I wasn’t hugely enthused by the idea of going to a museum about the subject, I figured what the heck. I can get interested in just about anything, given the right context.

Between one thing and another it was nearly 1:00 before we left the house, and then it turned out that neither of our two event planners had gotten directions or even the address of this place. My father had been once before and thought he knew where it was, but of course he didn’t, and he also didn’t want to call for directions. At about the time I pointed out that we couldn’t drive the city all day hoping to find the place by accident, we found it. Figures.

It was a nicely done little museum. The exhibits pertaining to the earliest years of ballooning and the dirigible era were my favorites. The modern stuff was…well, not any more interesting to me than it ever has been, but I dutifully checked it all out and took a picture of my silly husband.

Then we went to my Aunt Mercy’s house, which my father thankfully knew exactly how to get to. By now I was starving since it was 4:00 and I hadn’t had anything to eat since my yogurt and carrot bread in the morning. We sat in my aunt and uncle’s living room and made idle chit-chat, then headed out for an early dinner at a Mexican restaurant. I had a nice grilled shrimp salad and indulged in a sopapilla afterwards. Then we went back to my aunt and uncle’s house where they showed me some pictures I had never seen before of my grandparents’ home town of San Marcial, which was wiped off the map by floods in 1929. I thoroughly enjoyed the photos and my uncle promised to make me a CD. He also showed us some pictures from the time he spent stationed in Japan with the navy in the 1960s. Uncle Pat always has good stories to tell, but it was getting late, so we decided to head home.

We got back just ahead of a train and on an impulse I went across the street to watch it go by. I got as close as I thought I could get away with, considering that Dan and my father were watching from the other side of the street and I didn’t want to worry them. I wanted to see if it was as dizzying to be right up close to the cars as I remembered from my childhood, when me and my cousins would sneak away at night to see the trains go by. The ground shook and yes, the cars were huge and mesmerizing, but not frightening, as they had been when I was a kid. I guess I’ve grown up a little.

Tomorrow, Acoma Pueblo is on the agenda, so I should have some good pics!

Day Five

2008-05-28T17:09:00.001-07:00

I woke up a little stiff from yesterday's horseback riding, but that didn't stop me from running nearly an hour before a nice breakfast of yogurt, fruit, and some of my carrot bread that I made back home in Houston and brought along as road food.

Since my father had to go to a meeting in Hatch, Dan and I were on our own and decided to do a little hiking. We went into Albuquerque and found the La Luz trail, which we hiked a few years ago with one of my uncles. It's seven miles of switchbacks, but we didn't feel like spending all day hiking so we set my watch for only an hour and started up.

View just before starting up.

Views toward the city.

The trail.

Up towards the mountains.

Switchbacks.

Looking up!

Making new friends on the trail.

Just lovely! Too bad we didn't start early enough to continue!

We ended up going about 2.5 miles up before heading back to where we parked. By then we were pretty hungry and I was craving a really good salad, so we went to Whole Foods and made fancy salads at their salad bar. We took the salads to a park where we watched bunnies and roadrunners while we ate. Then, since it was nearly 5:00, we headed back to my dad's place. We had spaghetti for dinner tonight and a nice chat that thankfully involved the television being OFF. But now the men are on a search-and-destroy mission for horseflies, which we suspect are getting in somehow from one of the farms in the near vicinity.

Nothing but the finest entertainment at the DadWays Inn! One year the problem was gnats. Or maybe moths. I no longer remember, except that insects and other wildlife are a constant presence in the country.

We don't have any firm plans yet for tomorrow or the rest of the week. We'll probably visit relatives and maybe check out a museum or something. There may be other hikes we decide to try. We also want to do a day trip to the Acoma Pueblo and maybe to the towns of Magdalena and Pie Town. We'll probably spend another night or two here though, to save money. Our plans can change quickly, though. One of the pleasures of a road trip is not being bound to any sort of fixed schedule.

Day Four

2008-05-27T20:29:00.000-07:00

I got up at 8:00 and went for a run, following roughly the same route as yesterday morning, but skipping the church.

I checked up on the alfalfa field and found the hay had been taken away.

And I found this cool stretch of dry tumbleweeds.

I came home to find my father making French toast for breakfast. For that kind of calorie count, I would’ve preferred something with a little more staying power, but I ate one piece and some bananas, and hoped it would hold me for the day.

After we ate, Dan and I got ready to go horseback riding and also packed one of our smaller bags in case we decided to stay overnight in Santa Fe. All options were open at that point, except for camping. There is still snow up in the mountains and we didn’t bring the right kind of clothes and gear for that.

We had been to these stables before, so we knew how to get there.

Crossing the Rio Grande. It's high right now due to snow runoff from the mountains. The valleys haven't gotten rain in a long time and it's this river and the canals running off it that are feeding the fields.

Hills near Cerrillos and Santa Fe (Turquoise Trail area).

We got to the stables in good time and I was given a roan named Abby and Dan got a bay named Eli. My horse had an amazingly smooth gait, especially on the canter, which felt like we were hardly moving at all. The only problem I had with her was that she was being tormented by little flies and kept shaking her head, which slowed us down and caused us to fall behind, where we got dusty.

But with so many pretty vistas to admire, it was no great hardship to go a little slow and take a few pics.

Juniper.

We rode for two hours and then checked out the little town of Cerrillos.

This ornately carved door caught my eye.

As did this shop decorated with old glass insulators.

By now it was after 4:00 and we were starving, so we went into Santa Fe for dinner at the Indian restaurant we like to go to. We usually eat Indian on Saturdays and we were overdue for curry and hungry for just about anything we could get our hands on. Then, full and happy, we decided it would be best for our pocketbooks to head back to Bosque for the night and crash at the DadWays Inn.

Mesa at sunset.

Tomorrow, we’re thinking of doing some hiking on Sandia peak in Albuquerque, then stop in at my Aunt Mercy’s house for a visit. But we may end up finding some kind of indoor activity because something happened today that has never happened before. My dark-skinned hubby who never in his life has gotten a sunburn got burnt. I dabbed the red areas with a combination of white vinegar and water to take the sting away, and I hope I’ll be able to sleep tonight with a man who smells like an Easter egg!

Day Three

2008-05-26T17:19:00.000-07:00

First off, to answer a couple questions from yesterday’s comments, the bunny is one I keep on the dashboard of my car. On our first car trip, I insisted we take it. Dan objected, but I was firm and the bunny is now a permanent part of each vacation. Since we can’t take the real thing, we take this one. She’s welcome in all hotels, which makes things easy.

Regarding Texas rest stops, the ones I’ve been to on the interstates are all very nice—fancy and well maintained. The free wireless internet is new but I think it’s also universal for all rest stops. But to be clear, there is a distinction between rest stops and picnic stops. There are a lot more picnic stops than full rest stops and although the picnic areas are nice and often have a view (if one is available) they are pretty basic—picnic table and trash can. Not even a restroom. Rest stops have vending, restrooms, lots of picnic area, maybe a gazebo and information center.

Now on to today’s adventures!

I got up at 8:00 this morning (sleeping in!) and went for a nice run around the area. I found a new place to run, following a dirt road between some new fields near the cemetery. The road went on longer than I thought it would, so my run ended up being about 50 minutes. At my “altitude” pace, that probably came to at or just under five miles.

This alfalfa field behind my dad's property was full of cut hay lying in the field last night. Sometime in the early morning hours, a machine came through and baled it.

This is the village church for Bosque, which is where my father lives.

Mesas in the morning.

Vista from the hill before heading home for breakfast.

I home to coffee and breakfast burritos. After I ate and showered, we headed out for adventure.

First, my father took us to the nearby waterfowl refuge. There were no birds to see at this time of year, but it was a nice place to wander around.

There was a fire at the refuge not too long ago. The trees on one side of the row burned...

...but this row on the other side did not.

A closer look at the burnt side.

And here's one of the reasons the waterbirds come.

And here's another reason. Everything is so green by the river!

Then we headed toward the mountains to see where the big fires were recently.

We stopped in the town of Mountainair, where we browsed the little five & dime and bought a few things...

...then we continued up into the Manzano mountains, where we came across this cute little church from the 1820s.

Then we tried to see how close we could get to the areas where the recent fires were.

After getting as close to the burned areas as we could without doing a lot of driving on dirt roads, we decided it was time to head back toward home.

On the way, we saw this cool old house and windmill.

Since the Abo mission was on our way, we stopped and had a snack. We had all been here before, but it was fun to look around again.

Mission church. Abo is one of the Salinas missions built by the Spanish and native Pueblos in the 1600s.

There are some amazing views from the site.

Abo once had a river.

The site at Abo was occupied for nearly 800 years before changes in the ecosystem drove them out.

This is one of the later dwellings occupied by sheep herders in the nineteenth century.

Deluxe accommodations included a fireplace.

Vigas.

Doorways.

Back view of the mission church.

After we finished touring the mission, we headed home to relax, have some tamales, and settle in for the evening. The night is full of stars and we have plans to go horseback riding near Santa Fe tomorrow.

I hope you enjoyed today. I know we did!

Day Two

2008-05-25T17:09:00.001-07:00

I got up at 5:15 this morning and did a 30-minute workout, just in case it would turn out to be my only opportunity to work out for the day. I was glad I did because we left San Angelo at 7:15 and didn’t get to my Dad’s house in Bosque until 4:30 Central Time (technically speaking, it was 3:30 in Bosque because we crossed a time zone. Other than for gas, we only stopped once—in Lincoln, New Mexico, where we checked out the historic church, store, and other buildings, and had a picnic of our pasta leftovers from last night, which we reheated in foil packets on the dashboard as we drove.

It’s great to be settled for a couple days. We plan to stay here at the DadWays Inn until Tuesday, when we’ll head up to Santa Fe and do some camping and horseback riding.

Here are some pictures from today:

Heading west from San Angelo.

One of our fine Texas rest stops. It's got clean restrooms, picnic tables, a small information area and free wireless internet.

Sidewalk outside the rest stop. Note the Lone Star emblem!

Wind Power! The mesas out in West Texas are covered with these.

Texas oil wells, since they're de rigeur.

Keeping on to the west!

Getting hillier as we head into New Mexico.

Heading downhill!

Approaching Lincoln, birthplace of Billy the Kid and site of the Lincoln County Wars.

Historic store in Lincoln.

Historic church in Lincoln.

Inside the church.

Donkey! This friendly guy was living in a corral behind the Lincoln Museum.

Leaving Lincoln.

Winding road, heading west toward flatter land.

Ancient lava fields

Turnoff toward the north.

Homestretch!

The canal near my dad's house with the Manzano Mountains in the background.

End of Day Two.

Good night!

Day One

2008-05-24T20:06:00.000-07:00

Our first day on the road, and not much to say, really.

We got out the door around 10:00 and dropped off Tid at the bunny spa.

I feel guilty about it because she’s doing so well and I’m sure she’s wondering what she did to end up back at the vet’s, but she’s in good hands and will get a special bunny spa salad every day.

We drove without stopping to just outside of Kerrville where we had a picnic snack at a rest stop. Texas has some very nice rest stops, complete with wireless internet. We didn’t have time to boot up the laptop, but it was fun to think about as I ate my lunch that I heated in foil in the sunshine on the dashboard. Because of the overcast day, my lunch didn’t get as hot as I would’ve liked, but it was adequate. Note to self: start earlier on cloudy days.

I didn’t take a lot of pictures of the hill country because the day was so hazy, making everything look washed-out and colorless. I did get this amusing shot at the rest stop, though, proving that Texas rest stops provide for the entertainment needs of dogs as well as humans.

When we finally got to our hotel in San Angelo, I did a 30-minute treadmill workout before dinner. It’s not much when you’re used to running for four hours on a typical Saturday, but it’s better than nothing.

Dan wants to head out around 7:00 tomorrow, since we’ve got nearly 500 miles to cover to get to my father’s place in New Mexico. I would like to get in an early elliptical workout before we leave, so that means getting up no later than 5:30. We’ll see about that. I just know that if I don’t do it, I might not get another chance to work out tomorrow and it’s way too early in my vacation to start slacking on workouts. That will come later.

Gonna try to do a little writing for my novel blog now. I expect to have internet access at my Dad’s tomorrow night, even if it’s dial-up, so hopefully the weather will have been nice and I’ll have good pics to share and some exciting (strictly in the fun sense of the word) adventures to share.

Vacation 2007: Thoughts and Lessons Learned

2007-05-27T20:25:00.000-07:00

1. In West Texas and New Mexico, K-Bob’s Restaurant is your friend. They always have a good soup and salad bar for the health-conscious traveler, and plenty of steaks, hamburgers and fried stuff to satisfy any less healthy-minded travelers you may be driving with.

2. Take lots of camera batteries with you. Lots and lots.

3. Pay the higher price to get a hotel with workout room, a really good breakfast, and on-site laundry. You’ll be so glad you did!

4. Take your own pillow. You’ll never have a bad night’s sleep.

5. Carrot sticks, grape tomatoes, dried cantaloupe and zucchini chips all make terrific road foods. They satisfy the urge to munch, but you can’t eat enough to rack up any significant amount of calories.

6. Exercise every day if you can. Running or walking isn’t just a nice way to burn off calories and keep you from feeling like a slug, but it’s a nice way to learn about the place you’re visiting, too.

7. Do the things you can’t do at home. I’m always amazed at how many people go to a new city and then hit the mall. Unless there’s something specific you need, what’s that all about? Go see something that isn’t available in your hometown.

8. The light wedge book light is proof that God loves us. Get one. You’ll be so glad you did!

9. Get a really good organizer for your medicines and toiletries. Throwing everything out of the suitcase and cussing at it like I do is also effective, but not ideal.

10. Smith’s grocery store in Socorro rocks. Who would’ve thought to find organics in a dinky little nowhere town like Socorro? I love you, Smith’s!

11. Every traveler has his or her quirks. Learn them. Then learn to stay out of the way and shut up about them. Dan and I became much happier when I quit trying to help him load up our stuff after each stop. He has his way he wants things packed, and if I just go away and let him do it, he’s happy and so am I.

12. Likewise, if your traveling companion insists on bringing things you think are useless, just grin and bear it. You never know. Dan thought I was nuts for packing as much food as I did, but snacks on the road and a few late nights in small towns used up most of our food, and he learned I’m not so crazy, after all.

13. Caffeinated gums and mints are great for the road, especially for those long stretches where you need a pick-me-up, but there are no facilities for miles and miles.

14. Likewise, always have sanitizing wipes and gels handy. When you do find a restroom, it’s usually clean, but there are times you have to make do with what’s out there, and it isn’t always pretty.

15. Most of all, try to bring a little of the road back home. Reality isn’t that narrow corridor we traipse each day to put bread on the table. The world is so much bigger than that!

Day Fourteen (Second Try)

2007-05-27T19:34:00.001-07:00

For the first time on this vacation, I was a bad girl and didn’t get up to exercise. The alarm went off and I was just so comfortable that I said “screw it,” and turned off the alarm. I slept until a little after 8:00, and then got up and had a nice breakfast of coffee, banana and oatmeal while Dan indulged with waffles and sausage patties from the hotel’s breakfast buffet.

Then we were off to Yorktown.

I liked Dan’s great-aunt Elena very much—she’s 75, active, energetic and sharp as a tack. We talked in her living room for awhile, then went to see the church and school Dan’s mother attended as a child. . .

and then went to the cemetery.

I was amazed to see Elena walk the narrow concrete borders of the grave plots as if she were a thirteen year old gymnast! I hope I have her sense of balance at 75!

Then we went back to her house and hung around in the garden, playing with the dog for awhile.

And then we left for Goliad, where we toured the presidio. Odd that I had never been here before.

And then we headed home. In the rain.

When we got home, we found the power out, due to a big storm that had come through and a lightening strike that blew the transformer. It was cool in the apartment, though, so we figured the power would be back on in a few hours, and started unpacking. Then I took a nap and Dan went to see some friends, and when I woke up later, the power was still out! I called to get a status update and was told that the transformer had been repaired and that any further problems were on site here at the complex. So I left a message for maintenance and puttered around a little, until I heard some stuff going on downstairs and went to check.

It was the electrician! Yay! I went to bed feeling sure that we’d have power by morning.

No such luck. I went for a run and ran into two electricians on my way out and they said they had worked all night but still not found the source of the problem. Upon my return from my run, the problem had been found, but they weren’t sure if their fix would work. But I tried to make my morning as normal as possible, and since there was power in the gym, I went there to dry and style my hair after my shower. Then Dan and I went to pick up my bike from the bike shop, had lunch, and when we returned, the power was back on.

Tonight I finished my unpacking, put together gift bags for my co-workers, and basically tried to put things back to normal around here. I have tomorrow off, so I’m looking forward to a nice rest day before I have to return to the rat race. It’s good to be home and have everything where I expect it to be. But when I took a nap this afternoon, I dreamed I was still on vacation—one of those intensely vivid dreams where you can actually smell the earth and trees, and feel the touch of the wind on your skin. It’s good to be home, but I sure wouldn’t mind home being west of here.

Day Fourteen

2007-05-26T22:01:00.000-07:00

Well, we're home, but although it was too rainy and muddy to camp in Central Texas, it looks like we're getting our chance here at home. Our power is out and has been since before we got here. The electric company says they've fixed their problem and now it's the apartment's problem. Terrific. Late at night on a Sunday, no electricity, hot weather tomorrow and it's the apartment complex's job to get our electric on again?

Should be fun.

I can't write any more tonight. I need my laptop battery to look up pet-friendly hotels.

Day Thirteen

2007-05-25T22:20:00.001-07:00

My alarm went off at 7:30 but I dozed until nearly eight before getting dressed and going to the exercise room. The room was quite nice, and I had it all to myself. When I was done with my workout, I found Dan still asleep, so I woke him up and we went downstairs and had breakfast.

By the time we went back to our room, it was ten, and I still hadn’t showered yet. But I’m at that point in a vacation where I’m starting to know how to cope with living out of bags, and I was ready in thirty minutes—shower, makeup, hair, clothes, and everything packed. While I got ready, Dan watched the weather report, and we learned that there was a flash flood in effect for Central Texas and that the whole area had gotten a lot of rain. We weren’t too thrilled at the idea of camping in the mud with the possibility of a flash flood, but we figured we would wait until we got to Kerrville before making a final decision.

We took a few pictures on the way out of Fort Stockton, including one of the roadrunner, which they list as an area attraction, which should give some idea of what they have to do in Fort Stockton.

It was a long trip east to Kerrville, passing mesas and wind farms. . .

cutting through the hills. . .

and finally ending up in the Hill Country, as storm clouds swirled all around us. . .

and we drove through rain.

In Kerrville, we stopped at a little coffee bar where I had a really great curry chicken salad and Dan had a roast beef and provolone sandwich. We confirmed the local weather conditions with the shop owner, who told us there was flooding in the area. This cinched our decision that we would find a hotel for the night and we decided to push on to Victoria, where we could be sure of finding a decent hotel while being reasonably close to Yorktown, our last stop before going home.

But first we had to go to our favorite bookstore, where we browsed until nearly 5:00. After that, we strolled downtown a little, and then resumed our journey east.

In San Antonio, we did a side trip to find some of the places I remembered from my childhood. We found my church with surprisingly little trouble, for not having been there in thirty years. . .

But finding home was harder. We finally found the high school, and after that it wasn’t too hard to locate my elementary school. . .

and finally my house.

Mission accomplished, we pressed on to Victoria. By now, it was growing dark and soon we were driving down highway 87 in the dark, from town to town.

We got to Victoria around 9:00 and wandered around a bit before finding a nice place to stay on Navarro. Since our room had a microwave and it was too late to find anything better than a Denny’s open, we went to a grocery store and bought some frozen foods. I got an Amy’s Organics, and Dan got a Marie Calendar’s, so we were set.

And now were settled for the night. Our plan for tomorrow is to see the presidio at Goliad, then go to Yorktown and see Dan’s aunt. Then we’re off toward home.

Tomorrow night’s post will be from the comfort of my bedroom!

Day Twelve

2007-05-24T19:43:00.000-07:00

I got up at 7:30 and went to use the exercise room. It was still under construction and had only a recumbent bike and treadmill. I have never been able to use a recumbent. They bother my knees and I can’t get my heart rate up, anyway. So I got on the treadmill, which was brand new and very nice. There was no TV in the room, so I decided to do an interval workout. Intervals are great for making the time pass, for some reason. And after a bit, Dan wandered in with a bagel and coffee from the breakfast buffet and he kept me company while I finished my workout.

We had hoped we could get into a tour at the caverns today, but the ones that we wanted were full, and the only one available was four hours long and involved getting wet and dirty—not good when you’ve got a long drive ahead of you afterwards. So we did the self-guided tour. It was an easy tour, with asphalted trail, railings and just enough light to see by without ruining the entire cave effect. In sum, it was nice, but not particularly strenuous.

The route down from the cave entrance is about 750 feet, and there’s a lot to see on the way down.

It took about an hour and a half to make our way down, seeing everything there was to see.

The only thing I didn’t like about the tour was the tourists. It was a weekend and not high season yet, so it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been. But the rangers don’t let you in before they explain the rules, and they’re quite clear that there is to be no talking, only whispering. Just why this is so hard for grown adults to understand is quite beyond me, but it sure explains why some kids act up the way they do. When even the grownups refuse to play by the rules, how can anyone expect the children to do better?

But enough of that. Once we were at the bottom of the cave and had done the loop of stuff to see, we went to the cavern gift shop and restaurant, where Dan had a sandwich and I had a soft pretzel at one of the picnic tables in the depths of the cavern. It’s not everyday you get to eat 750 underground!

After we ate, we took the elevator back to ground level, checked out the gift shop and bookstore, then went to a vista point where we could get some shots of the canyon and desert around us.

There was a desert nature trail somewhere out there, but we decided to hit the road, even though it wasn’t a long drive to Fort Stockton.

Well, it was just as well we left when we did. Once we were out on the flat West Texas plains, Dan got sleepy and I had to keep him caffeinated.

Then just as he started saying how perky he was and how he could continue on, dark clouds started rolling in.

Luckily we had made reservations the night before in Fort Stockton. It’s the only town for the next several hundred miles, and they do a thriving hotel business. If you can’t find a place to stay here, you’re looking at questionable truck stops, camp sites, or hauling it on to nearly San Antonio.

As I was waiting to check in, the phone rang and the girl at the counter took a reservation for her last non-smoking room. Good thing we booked ahead! And a good thing we got to Fort Stockton when we did, because fat heavy drops began to fall as we unloaded, and just as we got everything into our room, the skies opened up and it just poured, hail and all. A young couple from California joined us on the balcony to watch, staring in amazement. Apparently they don’t get hail in Monterrey, and they were fascinated that ice would fall from the sky like that.

It took about an hour for the storm to abate, but finally Dan and I headed out in search of food. We decided on a Chinese place recommended by the hotel, and although it sounds strange to eat Chinese food in Fort Stockton, we’d already done steakhouses and Mexican food in other places on our trip, so it was a welcome change. My tofu and vegetables were quite tasty, too!

When we got back to the hotel, I checked the exercise room and I think I’m going to have a very nice workout in the morning. And then we’re off to see what adventure we can dig up. Our first choice is to camp at Lost Maples. But if the weather isn’t good or if it’s too muddy, we’ll just knock around Central Texas for an afternoon. Then Saturday is when we see Dan’s aunt in Yorktown, and after that, home!