April 27,2014
There is much to be said about being in familiar surroundings. We have enjoyed our last two months on the road, but it is very comforting to pull in someplace you have been before and know where the grocery store is located.
We enjoyed our time in New Mexico, but grew very tired of the wind. At one point, the winds were 35 to 40 mph, with gusts of 60 miles per hour! We have decided not to go back to the desert in April again, and if we forget, would someone please remind us?
We spent 10 days in Albuquerque (it took me that long to learn how to spell it), in a wonderful campground called American RV Park. It was right next to I-40W but traffic noise wasn't a problem. The staff was very friendly and helpful, restrooms and laundry facilities were spotless and they offered a continental breakfast each morning! Loved it.
Daughter Holly and grandson Finn drove down from Colorado Springs and spent three nights with us. While there, we took them to the Albuquerque Zoo which is known for its breeding programs and saw several baby animals. The zoo boasts of having a pair of Tasmanian Devils as well, however they were in hiding while we were there. Finn enjoyed playing with the 'human' babies as much as seeing the animals.
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| Finn watching the flamingos |
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| Playing with a 'human' baby |
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| Mama Orangutan with her baby | | |
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| San Felipe de Neri |
While in the Albuquerque area, we also visited Old Town Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Both have strong Native American and Hispanic influences. Both have beautiful churches that dominate the plazas.
The green chili cheeseburger at the Hacienda del Rio in Old Albuquerque was awesome too!
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| Route 66 |
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| Rio Grande River |
Route 66 and the Rio Grande River intersect in Albuquerque.
Of the two cities, we both preferred Santa Fe and would like to go back someday and explore that area more thoroughly. The Loretto Chapel with it's miraculous staircase, (not a single nail or screw was used to hold it in place)
http://www.lorettochapel.com/staircase.html, and the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, were the highlights of our visit there.
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| Famous staircase |
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| Loretto Chapel |
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| Sign at the entrance to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum |
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| Painting from Hawaii collection by Georgia O'Keeffe |
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| Photograph of Georgia O'Keeffe in later years | |
Our next stop was Gallup, NM. We found it to be a very depressed area with bars on most windows and doors and the liquor stores locked up. We stayed a couple of nights due to the wind and because it was close to Canyon de Chelly, which we had wanted to see.
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| Sign at the top of the canyon |
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| The canyon below |
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| Cliff dwellings |
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| More cliff dwellings |
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Canyon de Chelly is a National Monument in northeastern Arizona. It is part of the Navajo Reservation, and there are Native Americans living in the monument. It is a spectacular canyon and contains some cliff dwellings built by the Anasazi people over a thousand years ago. All viewing must be done from the top of the canyon, unless you pay for a tour with a Navajo guide. Because of time, we chose not to do that and just drove the loop on top. Still some spectacular sights.
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| Wilson Yazzey, of the Navajo tribe, carver of my totem |
On our way through Arizona on I-40, we drove through the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest, National Park. It is a 28 mile road that takes you past some beautiful vistas of the painted desert and it's brilliant colors. There were also many remnants of past civilizations there including Puerco Pueblo, which was occupied over 600 years ago and features ancient petroglyphs and even a summer solstice marker. The route through the park also takes you past large concentrations of petrified trees.
Our last stop in Arizona was Kingman. There is a nice campground there that we've stayed in a couple of times so it was comforting. It also has a great laundry room!
This trip we checked out the Route 66 Museum. It was really quite interesting. When I think of Route 66, I think of the 1950s and 60s, when the route was filled with little motels and diners, and Americans traveled it while on vacation. It was, however, a very important route during the days of the Great Depression, when many people escaped the Midwestern dust bowl states and headed for California hoping to find work and a way to support their families. Most of them were turned back at the border as there was nothing for them in California either. The museum featured a very moving display depicting the journeys of these families who were searching for a better life, and highlighted John Steinbeck's novel
The Grapes of Wrath.
Our last stop outside of California was Boulder City, Nevada. Linda has family there, including a sister and we decided at the last minute to have Easter with them. It was also our niece's birthday so we celebrated that as well. We enjoyed our time with them, and stayed an extra day because of the wind. Our final stop was Clovis to see Eric, Molly and the grandchildren.
We are happy to be 'home', if only for a short time. Next leg of our journey is still in the planning stages, but we will be heading toward Glacier National Park and points beyond. Watch for updates in June. Cheers!
