Enchanted Circle

September camping trip to New Mexico – Eaglesnest State park, site #1.
Rio Grande Gorge Bridge – always a spectacular site. 7th highest in the USA.
Tres Piedras was another nice overlook on the way.
Rio Grande del Norte National Monument – Full Moon Rise from our campsite #29 at El Aguale CG.
La Junta Point where the Red river joins the Rio Grande – ready to hike!
1,350 feet lower we are at the Rio Grande and ready for a break (6.5 RT).
The boulders are all black basalt (lava), ground smooth by the river.
Good morning! Big Horn Sheep, next El Aguala CampGround.
Oh please don’t get up on our account. Maybe just morning stretches.
Columbine CG with a day hike in Columbine-Hondo wilderness.
Cimarron Canyon State Park for a few nights.
Chili vs Chile – good New Mexican trivia to know.
Site #20 at Coyote Creek CG had a view and electricity.
Above Taos Junction Bridge and the Rio Grande Gorge. More lava flows.
Looking the other direction from the same spot. Gorgeous!

Spring in the Rockies

Columbines blooming in the yard – our landscaping work paying off.
We got a permit to relocate 2 Ponderosa Pines from a specific area in the San Juan National Forest as part of fire mitigation.
It was hard work but we are looking forward to giving them a new home.
Character Pine in the front yard – we love the curled trunk!
The one in the back is being appreciated by a forest friend.
Time to play! Time to explore Vallecito Resevoir
We found a nice campsite, wooded but a view of the Vallecito Resevoir.
Lots of wetland areas where river flows into the Vallecito Resevoir.
How many goslings? Will they all grow up to be Canada Geese?
We thought we would try Heron State Park in New Mexico. We were not expecting it to be this dry!
But looks like rain is in the forecast – tomorrow we will kayak Heron Lake.
Rain gives us Gorgeous Spring Flowers!

On the road to Arkansas

After a few weeks of enjoying the comforts of home…

We started a trip to Florida –  glad for the dry roads near South Fork.

Capulin Volcano National Monument (NM) was our first lunch stop.

We walked the rim of the cauldera.

We camped at Clayton Lakes State Park with these amazing dinosaur tracks.

After a great dinner/camp with family, we paid our respects to Oklahoma City National Memorial honoring the lives lost April 19,1995.

We spent the night at Chickasaw National Rec Area. We are going to follow the sad trail to Shiloh. Such tragic history to displace people from their home land.

Historic Washington State Park in Arkansas had this magnolia tree planted in 1839.

Bois D’Arc Lake near Hope after visiting President Clinton’s boyhood home.

We enjoyed relaxing and watching the sunset on Bois D’Arc Lake.

We walked around the grounds of President Clinton’s library in Little Rock on the Arkansas River.

An interesting art exhibit of climate change globes like this on pollinators.

We drove by the 1915 state capitol, a replica of the national capitol.Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site commemorated the bravery of black students that were our nation’s first to desegregate here in 1957.

Angel Peak Scenic Area

BLM land south of Aztec, New Mexico is this gem of badlands scenery.

A few trails for exploring as well as many natural gas roads.

An artistic photo to show off the bright blue February sky.

An owl woke us in the morning probably hooting: There are humans in the campground!

A peaceful sunrise for my Valentine.

We saw two majestic bucks on our way to this picnic lunch spot.

Worth a panoramic photo!

City of Rocks State Park & Beyond…

We hiked at Rockhound State Park before arriving to hike amongst these large boulders.

We snagged a first come first serve electrical site so stayed for six nights in comfort.

The Table Mountain in the distance is beckoning us to climb tomorrow.

A 5.2 RT hike to Table Mountain to survey the park – volcanic boulders made of volcanic tuft.

On the Trail – another beautiful day in January.

With reasons to celebrate after that hike.

The coconut cake was better than spinach to build strength.

Leaving we went over Emery Pass and the gorgeous snowy views.

Sunrise with the birds and coyotes in Bosque del Apache NWR.

Not as many cranes still here as last year but what a view to enjoy with breakfast. https://tealsky.com/2021/02/08/san-lorenzo-and-bosque-del-apache/

Heading north after a wonderful take out of New Mexican food – some of the best food with green chili.

A beautiful sunset welcomes us home before the next storm.

On the Mexican Border

In El Paso, Texas we visited Chamizal National Memorial and learned some US-Mexican History.

We have a chamizo in our yard! We planted a four-wing saltbush.

Presidents Kennedy and Johnson finally made this land border official with the new river route.

It is now a cultural center as well with this wonderful mural on the building.

We camped 4 nights at Poncho Villa State Park and learned a bit more of border history.

The train ran though Columbus, New Mexico (3 miles north of Mexico) – a pleasant small town.

Well that’s all folks for close to the border!

Around Alamogordo, New Mexico

Valley of Fires BLM for 4 nights with full electric  – such a nice area to camp.

Enjoying our wine o’clock outdoors on 12 January – beautiful day.

Travato has 48,000 miles of fun  – and a great pullout to commemorate.

The Smokey Bear Historical Site has added this tribute to firefighters since we were last here in Capitan in 2016 when the Travato had less than 10,000 miles.

Only YOU can prevent forest fires.

We walked around Ft Stanton NHS before an Oso Good Chili Burger & Chicken fried steak at Oso Grille in Capitan.

Memorable end to a great day trip before heading to Three Rivers Petroglyphs BLM.

Two nights with electrical here with very pleasant walks among these petroglyphs.

Oliver Lee State Park, Site 19, was one of 2 sites not reserved. We had to go online to reserve after we got there and only available for one night but was worthwhile.

We only did a short hike but beautiful cactus and other desert landscape.

Our destination was a small pool that creates a waterfall after rains.

Almost full moon rise with a beautiful sunset – right from our campsite.

White Sands National Park hike to Alkaline Flats, marked with these poles.

Interesting wind patterns create an oasis with vegetation.

So many interesting sand/wind formations.

We were able to get our Site #1 at Aguirre Campground in Organ Mountains National Monument – BLM.

Getting ready to hike Baylor Pass somewhere behind me.

Looking across to Pine Tree Loop which we will hike tomorrow.

Testing aerodynamics against the wind.

The full moon setting at sunrise. This is not photo-shopped – it is really what we experienced.

San Lorenzo Canyon and Salinas Pueblos Missions

We dispersed camped here at San Lorenzo Canyon BLM area to enjoy the sunshine.

We walked into the canyon areas and enjoyed the natural beauty of the rock formations.

Interesting colors and layers – very fun to climb on and explore. We were here last year and it was worth returning. https://tealsky.com/2021/02/08/san-lorenzo-and-bosque-del-apache/

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument has 3 different areas that were built by 17th century Spanish Franciscan missionaries in Native American areas.

These were huge cathedral style buildings built in the ancestor puebloan style using stones from the local areas.

Really wonderful construction details and such height!

The third building has a different type of grey rock in the area which was interesting.

An area to learn how to be an archeologist – sifting out the sand.