A Road Less Traveled, Again

(Note: For those who think the word "traveled" in the title should be "travelled" you are wrong unless you are accustomed to using British English. My authority, the Internet, so I could be right.)


A week ago we drove this road south to north. Today we drove it north to south. East to west is not an option. There are probably a lot of other places to get away from it all, but at our age this is far enough.

Jack was here to greet us and had a bit of a Monty Python look so I did not get out of the truck.

Denise took an interest in Ocotillo cactus. It is a bit unique due to its individual stems. This area is at the northern edge of its region. Also, we only find it at the top of ridges and hills. They can grow to 33 feet.

Nearby was a mountain ball cactus or at least I think that it is. There are many varieties with cactus species.

Vista, you want a vista? I got your vista, right here.

OK, this is one weird hill. Natural forces? Well Roswell is not far away. I ain't sayin' one way or t'other.

We are nearing the end of our stay here. On July 5th we will move west to Silver City, New Mexico. Consequently, posting may be a bit thin between now and then. Keep checking for more exciting adventures. Happy Trails. . . .

Santa Fe

Santa Fe is a crowded town and I don't care for crowded towns. HOWEVER, Denise pointed out that we could take the train and that made it almost irresistible. Fifteen miles north of us is Belen and it is the southern terminus of the Road Runner Express, a public railroad that services Albuquerque and Santa Fe, its northern terminus. There are commuter bus lines that feed stops all along the line as well as bike locker if you don't want to take it with you. Aside from the fact I like railroads, it also presented another thing I like, a deal. A day pass for seniors for the entire route is 8 bucks, 7 if you go online and print your ticket.

The train doors close with a repetition of "meeep-meeep" (roadrunner, get it?) and the 2 and a 1/2 hour ride is relatively smooth and enjoyable.

At the Santa Fe depot you can explore "the railyard" an area redeveloped with restaurants and shops or get on the FREE (another deal) shuttle to the historic plaza. There are connection all over the city.

note: To the left of "Santa Fe" on the depot you can see Denise (orange top) standing in the shade while I have to hike around in the sun to get photos.

At the plaza you can get the required tourist shots of the native market on the porch of the Governor's Palace and the Basilica.

The town is a photographer's dream. If you can get far enough from the subject to take a snap there is probably a utility pole or street sign in the way. People, well get used to it. The restaurants are pricey but if you choose wisely you might find value. As there is a fair amount of up and down some businesses have a street level entrance on one side and the two flights or stairs we used on the other. La Fogata had a nice menu of local and South American meals and my chili relleno and Denise's empanadas were first-rate.

Aside from food, yes there are other things, there are museums and shopping at an extreme level. There was art work, paintings and pottery, that I would have been very happy to own. Having no room to display things is a truthful excuse for not collecting. Collecting is a code word for spending too much. Denise did get her souvenir magnet and a hunk of raw turquoise to turn into jewelry.

We took a break in this nice park to the side of the Basilica. The chambers of commerce will not like to read this but Santa Fe in a tourist sense is Taos on a larger scale. Both are well worth an extended visit.

A Road Less Traveled

Upon leaving Bosque del Apache we saw a "side" road on the map that led to Socorro and lunch. OK. After a five mile drive on a dirt road there was a gate to a ranch, a left turn found this, the Quebradas Back Country Scenic Byway.

An information sign said the road was "maintained" once a year, it did not say when. Four-Wheel high clearance vehicles were encouraged but the family car might be ok if there has not been a rain. Speed limit 25 mph and 10 mph if the going was rough.

Where we are going and where we have been.

Ocotillo Cactus

The view.

This area illustrates a point I brought up earlier. The WOW places like Zion, Brice, and Glacier are just too much for me. Yes, they are beautiful but to me, in a way, uncomfortable. The rugged beauty of this area is manageable. Also, in the 24 miles of the drive we met one other truck and a couple of jackrabbits. Your camera does not require a people-filter.

Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge

Another refuge. Bosque del Apache sits in the Rio Grande River Valley and has two driving loops, one through the "marsh" area and the other through the "farm" area. The more adventurous can use adjacent wilderness areas..

Denise had never seen a roadrunner until a few days ago. My goal was a photo.

Roadrunner are not given to posing for photos. Also, Wile E. Coyote had best be prudent as the birds are carnivorous.

We saw quite a few turkeys. Somewhat surprised to find to find rather plump birds. Probably they take advantage of the farmland.

Perhaps not rare but the crows here deserved a photo.

Chihuahuan Raven (we think)

I have found the contrast between the green valley and the surrounding desert to be dramatic.

We will leave the valley in the next post.

Socorro

At Exit 150 on Interstate 25 is the town of Socorro, New Mexico. It has been here off and on since around 1598. A Mission was established c.1615 but all was abandoned during the Pueblo uprising of 1680. Settlers came to stay in 1816 and built a church on the ruins of the Mission (seen through a floor window). The most recent restoration of the San Miguel Church happened 2010-2014.

In order to maintain balance a town with an old church needs and old bar. The Capitol Bar has been operating well over 100 years.

El Torreon is a unique example of change over time. The center adobe house is supposed to be from the early 1800s. The towers on each end were additions nearer the end of the century.

By 1912 the Arts and Crafts movement was established with the example below, the Hilton House, built by the father of Conrad Hilton of hotel fame.

Finally because it is neat if for no other reason is the Val Verde Hotel. It was built in 1919 in a "U" shape around a courtyard.

Even Endless Summer Needs a First Day

Sometime around 4:30 am local time, an hour and a half before this photo was taken, the earth did its thing and the sunrise began to track to the right, or so I have read in The Chronicles. Discussion?

An Unnamed Canyon

Denise and I had our cereal as the sun topped the mountains so we could go back to San Lorenzo Canyon and surprise the wildlife. The jackrabbit, cottontail bunnies, and little lizards found us a nuisance. On the way out we turned right instead of left (no, on purpose, really) and drove On a BLM road toward some hills/mountains.

The road goes on ever on. . . .

or maybe the road does end. May there be room to turn around.

Belen, New Mexico

Belen is the nearest town (15 Miles) to the RV park. To the north of Belen on Interstate 25 you are entering the Albuquerque metro area. Forty miles to the south is Socorro, like Belen, a shopping hub. Belen is a railroad town. The Burlington Northern/Santa Fe has a "yard" here and handles north-south as well as east-west freight. Belen is also the southern terminal for the Rail Runner, a commuter line to Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Unless you are a tad odd, like us, Belen is not an "end destination." That place is Albuquerque. It has the casinos.

A generic term for a railway coach that self-powered was a "doodlebug." In some instances it would pull other coaches. Doodlebugs came in many varieties.

A 1946 musical THE HARVEY GIRLS is the story of the young women hired to staff the Harvey railroad hotels. Judy Garland and Ray Bolger probably present a more interesting "history" than can be found elsewhere. The Harvey House (above) in Belen is now a museum adjacent to the railroad yard.

The area near the railyard is the old part of Belen, surprise! There are quite a few period buildings in the area but most are unoccupied like Hotel Belen (above).

Fort Craig

Only four miles of washboard dirt road makes Fort Craig easily assessable by western standards. Established in 1854 on the El Camino Royale in the Rio Grande River valley after the Mexican-American War Fort Craig remained an important post until 1885.

The Commandant's quarters.

Looking into one of the commissary buildings.

Scenic view from a guard bastion. You have to wonder how long it took to get tired of scenic views? It was much the same in all directions.

Confederate troops moving north from Texas stayed away from Fort Craig but fought with a Union force nearby at Valverde Crossing (Rio Grande). The Rebels held the ground but a detachment of New Mexico Volunteers found their supply wagons and destroyed a large amount of the supplies. The Southeners continued north and were defeated at Glorieta Pass near Santa Fe.

Now for something completely different

One of our interests is the Arts and Crafts Period. Experts will limit the period to c.1895-1915. Experts spend to much time on campus and in big city art galleries. On the way to the Salinas Missions you pass through Mountainair, New Mexico. There you will find signs directing you to the historic Schaffer House. Vacant and for sale, it seems to have been rehabbed recently recognizing its arts and crafts attributes and preserving much of the original. The hotel lobby looked (through the window) as if it is in its original form.

Bracket supporting porch roof

Across the street

THEM

Another of our travel interests is to visit places where movies were filmed or supposed to have taken place. A couple of years ago we were at a filming location of She Wore a Yellow Ribbon and the town near the end of The Outlaw Josie Wales. A couple of days ago we watched a relatively small ant dragging a wasp-like insect that was at least 20 times his size. Then things came together. We were not far from the Trinity site, first atomic bomb test. Visitation only is allow two days in the year so I cannot supply a personal photo.

Anyway, the 1954 movie THEM  (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047573/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) is premised that the radiation from an atomic explosion caused ants to grow to a rather large size. It sticks with me as it is the only movie I have left before the end. OK, I was about seven years old. So here I sit in the desert listening for the "twee-twee-twee-twee" sound the ants made in the movie knowing James Arness and James Whitmore are not around to take charge. "Make me a sergeant in charge of the booze." You have to see the movie to understand that line.

looking for volunteers to go down in the hill with gas grenades

Back to Church(es)

We returned to the Salinas Missions, in particular Gran Quivira . If the ruins don't impress you the view might.

As with the other sites, only a small portion has been exposed. The churches, two in this case, are a c.1630 building, foundation only, and a later structure that was not finished.

First Church

Second Church

The mission complex and the native village was constructed on top of a previous pueblo. As there is not water source other than catch basins, natural and man-made, and roof top collection, you can speculate if the security of the high ground had something to do with it.

Two levels of habitation

A mass burial of 450 bodies was discovered during excavation. Mounds in the area are "suggested" to include more burials. Disease and starvation were part of the time.

San Lorenzo Canyon

San Lorenzo canyon is in the outback of the Sevilleta Refuge. After we left Interstate 25 it was a leisurely drive for about 2 miles to a narrow tunnel back under the Interstate that takes you to about 5 miles of dirt road that will shake the dust out of you, and your vehicle, ha ha. As we entered the canyon area we spotted a grey form moving up a ridge. The binoculars brought it in, unfortunately the camera didn't have the horsepower. A coyote or wolf would stop and look at us also as he/she went about his/her business. As it was a couple hours after sunrise and the animal was not shy I tend to thin it was a wolf. Wolves here are only slightly larger than coyotes. Only slightly less difficult to photograph is this creature.

Jackrabbit

Then we get to the canyon. It is impressive and on a scale I can handle. I am uncomfortable when overwhelmed by "majestic' things.

And a flower. There are more than 20 varieties of Cholla cactus