2017 Western Trip - Last Day

Our 2017 Western Trip has come to an end (the photo above is from yesterday).  We spent this last day on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountain National Park on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. Even though the highway through the park was closed and the temperatures hovered in the 40s and 50s depending on the altitude and precipitation was predicted, this did not stop hundreds of folk from flocking to the park. The place was crowded.

Fortunately this was the first day of the park shuttle buses, which meant we could leave our car at the park-and-ride and hop on the bus to take us to the main attractions without having to fight for a parking place at each one. We chose to ride up to Bear Lake where there was a half-mile trail around the lake which we hoped to hike. This was not to be.  The 2 feet of snow just over a week ago had left icy drifts on the trail, which made walking just too treacherous. Instead, we rode back down to the Glacier Gorge trail head where we could walk toward Alberta Falls on a trail with less icy snow. Aside from a few flakes of snow falling at the higher levels, we avoided the threatened weather, and counted our visit to the east side of the park at least a qualified success.

Instead of taking another Viking Cruise for 2017, we planned this trip to be our major outing for 2017, to see some more of our beautiful country. In 2015 we were able to see many of the national parks of the Southwest - the Grand Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands, Capital Reef, Escalante, Natural Bridges and Zion. Now in 2017, so far we have added the Great Sand Dunes, the Valles Caldera, White Sands, Carlsbad Caverns, Guadalupe Mountains, Pecos Historical Park and Rocky Mountain.

This started with the 100th anniversary of the National Park System, but now, with the present political climate, we're hoping to see as many national parks as possible before budget cuts or relaxed environmental regulations weaken the National Park System or spoil the natural beauty of these places.

In a few days we will have the many photos of this trip in Shutterfly albums and we'll send the links to you.  In addition, I've captured some of this trip with video.  Once I have a chance to edit the output, I'll post it to Vimeo and send along that link.

We hope you have enjoyed taking this trip with us!

2017 Western Trip - Day Ten

Today and tomorrow (Friday and Saturday) are our days to complete our tour of national parks by concentrating on the Rocky Mountain National Park, north and west of Denver, straddling the continental divide.  The Rocky Mountains are part of a chain that stretches from Alaska to Mexico, and the Rocky Mountain National Park, established in 1915, is perhaps the most picturesque.

The main pass through the park is still closed because of snow so we drove from Frisco, CO up to the west entrance of the park. At the visitors' center was a great video giving an overview of the region and the history of the park. The video noted that back in the early part of the twentieth century there was a growing concern for the preservation of places of natural beauty, so that future generations could enjoy them, which brought about establishing the national park system.  It's disheartening to see the present trend toward opening such protected areas to commercial exploitation.

At the visitors' center we discovered to our delight that parts of the closed roadway had been opened that morning. It was now possible to drive up as far as where the continental divide crosses the highway.  Of course we had to make that trip.  The highway was often steep with hairpin turns, and in places wet with the melting snow.  But on the way we were able to see a small herd of elk grazing in the alpine meadow. At the top, the snow was still abundant, but we had accomplished our goal!

Back down the mountain, we found the trail head for a short hike to Adams Falls, near the town of Grand Lake. A little steep at first, we had to take our time in the 10,000 foot altitude, but found the falls to be just as advertised - impressive, filled with the volume of water from the snow melt. Further along the path we found a variety of wild flowers to enjoy.

We finished our day traveling back around the south end of the park, with a side trip to visit the little town of Rollinsville, CO.  That excursion then led to the Boulder Canyon Gorge, one of the most scenic drives in all of Colorado.  We are now settled in Fort Collins, near the entrance to the east side of the park.  That's what tomorrow's report will be all about.

2017 Western Trip - Day Nine

The major part of today was again taken up by travel. But before we hit the road, we visited the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. The museum was both interesting and a little disappointing - it was interesting because it traced the life history of the artist, from her birth in Wisconsin through her life in NYC and her wedding in Clifton Park, NJ to her settling in New Mexico.  It was disappointing in that not many of her iconic works were displayed, perhaps because they are in other museums? In any case, it was worth the visit.

It took us about 5 hours to drive north from Santa Fe, NM to Frisco, CO.  While long, the trip was by no means dull. It was also one of contrasts: when we left Santa Fe, the temperature was in the 80s; when we reached Frisco, (altitude 10,000 ft+) it was in the 40s. For almost the entire way it was very windy.

Much of the route was through desert land, partly transformed for agriculture by acres of irrigated fields. But some of the fields had just been plowed and the wind picked up the loose soil into mini-dust storms - a little like driving through a brown fog. As the route began to increase in elevation there were beautiful pine forests, and soon the snow-covered mountains came into view. We crossed one major summit before descending into Frisco.

Frisco is near the Breckenridge Ski area and is a relatively new town charmingly made to look 1900's vintage chic. After checking in to our Holiday Inn, we took a quick tour of the town - one long main street dotted with bars, restaurants, ski apparel shops and antique stores. We found a little shop serving German and Italian sausages, so we feasted on a sampler of four sausages and warm German potato salad. It was a nice contrast to the last few days of Mexican fare.

Tomorrow we will check out the western side of the Rocky Mountain National Park and then, because the road through the park is still closed because of the snow, we will travel around the south end to stay near the eastern entrance to the park.

2017 Western Trip - Day Eight

The major part of today was taken up by travel.  It took us about 5 hours to drive north from Carlsbad to the Pecos National Historical Park in Pecos, NM. The route was through a lot of desert, past the oil wells and refineries of Artesia, past the UFO Museum in Roswell, past herds of cattle grazing on prairie grass (and to our delight, a scattering of mule deer sharing the grazing land).

As we neared Pecos the land became more hilly and verdant, with more trees and shrubs, indicating that water was more plenteous. The entrance to Pecos National Historical Park is just off the old Santa Fe Trail, now a tourist highway. At a modern Visitors' Center we watched a short video with the history of the Pecos Pueblo (narrated by Greer Garson). It was the story similar to that of the Taos Pueblo - an Indian civilization living in relative harmony with nature and other tribes until the coming of the Spanish, searching for gold, bringing with them Franciscan friars seeking to make converts of the tribes folk. The native religions were suppressed and the natives were conscripted to work for the invaders. At Pecos, natives were made to build a huge church, to rival the size of the pueblo.

Of course there was a revolt by the Indians, the story of which we had heard at Taos. The Spanish were driven out, the Pecos church burned. But the Spanish returned, more determined than ever to claim the land for Spain. Gradually the population of the Pecos Pueblo dwindled and finally the remnant went to live with kinsfolk at the Jemez Pueblo.

All that is left of the community is the second, smaller church, and the low walls showing what was the Spanish outpost next to the church.  The passage of years obliterated the pueblo buildings, which are now being researched and uncovered.  We were able to see the low walls showing a small portion of the South pueblo buildings, but much more research work waits to be done.

At the end of the self-guided tour of the remains, we crossed a small bridge that straddled the original Santa Fe Trail.  We then made our way into present day Santa Fe, checked into our hotel, and found a Mexican restaurant - Tomasitas - that had been featured in "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives".  Jan proclaimed it had the best guacamole she had ever eaten.

Tomorrow we will see the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum/Gallery, and head on to Frisco, CO.

2017 Western Trip - Day Seven

About 58 miles south of Carlsbad, crossing into the tip of the West Texas, is the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, one of the newest in the national park system. We arrived about 10 a.m., driving past the same oil fields and desert landscape as on the way to Carlsbad Caverns, past signs warning that there was no services for the next 135 miles.  There we found a small but modern Visitors' Center.  Inside we checked in, using our Golden Age Passport issued by the park service (best $10 ever spent), watched a short video on the history and geology of the park, and  got directions for the Smith Spring Trail.

The trail head was a short one mile drive from the Visitors' Center, starting at the Frijole Ranch. The trail was an oval, distance about 2.3 miles, gradually climbing about 800 feet to a spring fed from the precipitation landing on the heights above. The trail was rocky, but the scenery was wonderful.  There were cacti and desert flowers in bloom, including agave plants which take long periods of time to bloom, and once bloomed, die. And above us were towering mountains, below us the expanse of the Chihuahuan Desert.

We came back to the Visitors' Center about 12:30 p.m. and headed back to Carlsbad to take in the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park.  As the name implies, the focus of the displays was all things desert - plants and animals including mountain lions, prairie dogs, buffalo and elk. It was not crowded, the weather was sunny in the low 70's, perfect for an afternoon stroll. We enjoyed it.

Tomorrow we head back northward for the Pecos National Historical Park and Santa Fe.

2017 Western Trip - Day Six

About ten miles down the highway from Carlsbad, past oil wells and refineries burning off the methane, then seven miles up a canyon road brings us to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, also a World Heritage Site. All of the ranger-led tours had been booked, so we took the self-guided tour, aided by a museum-style audio guide. This tour included only the aptly named "Big Room" - longer than four football fields - while the ranger-led tours explored many other areas.

The hardy can enter the natural cave entrance, down steep ramps and almost a mile-long sloping passage. We chose the easier way, entering via an elevator which descends 800+ feet into the main cave. From there, the tour follows a paved path through some of the most fantastic formations of stalactites, stalagmites, draperies, etc. I've ever seen. The formations are lighted in such a way as to display the best features of  the element (and to help the observer overlook the fact that we're 850 feet underground). The tour took about two hours, stopping as we did at each of the narrative points. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And with a fast elevator ride up, we were once again in the sunshine.

We finished our Carlsbad Cavern experience with a nature walk in the area around the natural cave entrance. In the space of about a mile and a half we encountered the varieties of plant life which flourish in the desert, including some cacti in bloom. Near the end of the nature walk we found the amphitheater where, should we be there at dusk, we could witness the thousands of Mexican free-tailed bats emerge to begin their evening search for food.

On the way out we took a driving tour through Walnut Canyon aided by a park-provided descriptive pamphlet.  Moving along at a leisurely 15 miles per hour gave us more opportunity to take in the incredible geology of the area.

Tomorrow we travel a little further south into Texas to the Guadalupe Mountain National Park.

2017 Western Trip - Day Five

We woke in Alamogordo to comfortable temperatures with the promise that it would be even warmer. A twenty minute drive through the desert and past the Holloman Air Force base - "Combat Airpower Starts Here" is the motto emblazoned on the exit overpass - brought us to the White Sands National Monument. Another unique geological site, gypsum rock from the surrounding mountains flaked off into tiny pieces, washed down to the Tularosa Basin, where over eons the basin's lake evaporated, leaving the fine white sand. Action by the wind fashioned and continues to fashion the sand into dunes.

Visitors to the park maintained by the National Park Service are allowed to drive into the dune area, to see the variety of plants that have adapted to the harsh environment, to see the tracks of the creatures that hide in the plants, and to play - climbing the dunes, sliding down the dunes on snow saucers, picnicking in shelters, even hiking in the dunes. We managed to climb one small dune and were treated to an awesome view of a sea of dunes.

The park is near the White Sands Missile Range and is subject to closure during tests there, a reminder of the role that this area holds for our national defense.

We left White Sands and Alamogordo to travel over a small mountain range, through an alpine forest, back into the desert, passing varieties of cacti, some in bloom.  Once we reached Artesia, NM, we saw the oil wells which dot the region. Our destination was Carlsbad, NM, on the Pecos River, and close to the Carlsbad Caverns, which we will see tomorrow.

2017 Western Trip - Day Four

Today was another day of contrasts. We left Taos in 29 degree weather but by the time we pulled into Alamagordo tonight it was 78 degrees. New Mexico is a state of great beauty and wild swings in temperatures and scenery.

Our first stop was the Valles Caldera National Preserve, a big beautiful bowl 20 miles across, the result of a volcanic eruption that then fell back upon itself, subsequently over the eons pushing up several mounds in the shape of mountains. The National Preserve is set in a huge meadow through which a small river runs, and is inhabited by all sorts of creatures including prairie dogs and elk.

As we arrived after following a curving mountain road, a young Park Ranger offered to give us a tour. He was in his first assignment and eager to practice, so as he drove the van and stopped at several sites, he gave us a running narrative of the ecology, geology and history of the place.  Afterwards, Jan and I took a mile and a half hike around the smallest of the pushed up mounds, the Cerro La Jara. On the back side of the cerro was where in the distance we saw the pair of elk.

After leaving the Valles Caldera, we drove to Jemez Springs to view the monument of the Jemez Pueblo which also depicted the interplay between the Spanish Catholic missionaries and the Jemez tribe.  The ruins include a huge church, which in its heyday must have been breathtaking.

The rest of today's trip included a long drive to Alamagordo where tomorrow we plan to visit the White Sands National Monument.  Stay tuned...

2017 Western Trip - Day Three

This was a day of contrasts.  Early in the morning, as we were having breakfast, it began to snow!  Since it was light we took a chance to drive out to see the Rio Grande bridge, spanning a huge chasm through which to river flows.  By the time we reached the bridge it was snowing hard, so we had no choice but to turn back.

What to do?  We decided to visit the Millicent Rogers Museum, an amazing place that started with Ms. Rogers' jewelery collection, but expanded to include American Indian textiles, Hispanic art (including pottery by Maria Martinez) and Mexican religious art. It was worth the visit and by the time we were finished, the precipitation was beginning to disappear.

So next we decided to take in the City of Taos' Lilac Festival. Many vendors in the outdoor setting were there, but without many customers.  Picking up a cappuccino we started walking around the old town, where we found many small art galleries, specialty shops and restaurants.  We found a Trolly Tour outlet and decided to take it.  Good choice!  The tour included many things we had wanted to see.

First stop was the Taos Pueblo, home of the Taos Pueblo tribe for more than a thousand years.  There we heard the unhappy history of the interaction between native Americans, the Spanish, and Europeans that took place up to the 19th century. We saw the adobe homes and learned how they are built and continually maintained, patching the adobe a couple of times a year. Jan is pictured in front of the village's Roman Catholic church.

The final stop was the Church of St. Francis in Taos, made famous by Georgia O'Keefe's paintings.  By this time the sun had come out in full force to warm us nicely.  After finishing the tour we drove back to the Rio Grande bridge, this time to get some excellent photos.

Tomorrow we will leave for Valles Caldera National Preserve (the newest national preserve), then to Jemez Springs.  More to come...

2017 Western Trip - Day Two

We left Pueblo, CO in a rain storm, but within 30 minutes we drove out of it and continued on our way to the Great Sand Dunes National Park   Tucked in a corner of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range is the massive pile of sand. Over eons, sand from the surrounding dried lake bed has been blown into the pile, which is then sculpted by the strong winds that play through the area.

After seeing the Visitor's Center video on how it was formed, we ventured out, with several layers of clothes and sweatshirts with hoods, to see the real thing. However, the get to the dunes themselves, one has to cross the flow of snow melt waters.  Oops. Not having brought our water shoes, the only solution was to take off shoes and socks, and wade through the shallow stream. And we did.

Walking across the dunes was like a day at the beach, except a 7,000+ feet of altitude, you walk a little slower and keep catching your breath.  We climbed one very low dune and celebrated our accomplishment.  Back at the Visitor's Center we walked a short nature path, got some postcards and started our drive to New Mexico.

The scenery is beautiful as has been the weather.  We're now in Taos, NM for a couple of days.  Lots to see here, too...