Started up the Turquoise Trail to Santa Fe with a stop-off in Madrid to visit my god-son and his family.  Madrid is a cute little artsy town where everyone knows each other (actually the whole state of NM is one big art gallery).  Big change weather-wise from San Diego – getting nippy in the mountains.

Stopped in Santa Fe and toured the New Mexico History Museum and the Palace of Governors.  Lots of land swapping going on thru rebellions and wars. New Mexico was taken from the Indians by the Spanish, Spanish settlers were driven out by the Indians (they converted but also enslaved them in the missions), settlers are back and Mexico is now in charge, then the US takes it and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo gives the U.S. New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, California, Texas, and western Colorado. A pretty simplistic account of some really bloody times.

Stayed in Taos in a B & B with an interesting couple.  She’d lived in Deerfield, IL for a while and he was raised in Chicago and at one time, played pro-basketball. Spent a morning driving the Enchanted Circle above Taos.  Climbed high into the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, thru the Red River Valley and a ski area. Had a breakfast burrito in Red River that was so huge, it lasted all day. Turned snowy on the second half of the drive so took it very slow around those 15 MPH corners. Darn cold too – 5 below. The promised snow arrived and got to test my wonderings what it would be like to come down the twisty turns. Patience handled it very well. Stopped off at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Angel Fire.  Was started by the father whose son had been killed in the war.  It began as a chapel and has expanded to a visitor center and amphitheater and is now a State Monument.  Wasn’t really prepared for the emotions I felt while walking thru it.  58,000 killed, and that’s just ours.

Took a drive over to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge.  A huge crack in the earth with a river at the bottom and flat plains on either side of it.  Also took a tour of Taos Pueblo, a lived-in pueblo that remains as it was when it was first built.  My guide was a personable and knowledgeable young man who had been trained by the tribe.  While warming up in the church, I met one of the men who were working on the outside clean-up crew.  Told me the tribe council appoints several teams of 4 who serve a year-long commitment for the maintenance of the village.

Drove over to the area where Georgia O’Keeffe lived but her home was closed for the winter.  Ghost Ranch, however, was open so wandered over in that direction.  It’s now owned by the Presbyterian church who rents it out for retreats, workshops, etc.  Saw a group from the U of Delaware practicing precision fly casting.  Picked up a brochure of upcoming 2113 events and am considering a return visit.

Back to Santa Fe and the O’Keeffe museum.  In addition to being a wonderful artist, she was also an avid outdoors person – riding, camping, rafting, and hiking – well into her 80s.  Also stopped to see a helix suspended stairway in the Loretto Chapel.  It was constructed by an architect so the ladies wouldn’t have to use a ladder to reach the choir loft. They’re still trying to figure out how it stays up. 

Too darn cold so I headed south toward Carlsbad but couldn’t pass up a stop in Roswell to check on the Aliens.  Boy, these folks have really run with the theme.  Even the McDonald’s is flying saucer.  First stop was the museum where a detailed play-by-play of the visit is displayed in newspaper articles, interviews and pictures.  In the town’s history museum, there’s a 1930s rocket display of Dr. Goddard’s lab.  Seems he shot one off in NY that went sideways and was ordered to desist. At the time, his friend Charles Lindberg was scouting the country for US Air Force bases and found the perfect spot for his friend’s experiments – just outside Roswell (no fussy neighbors and nothing to hit).

Took a side trip to Lincoln NM where 2 merchants succeeded in making the town main street the bloodiest in the country.  Fights over government contracts pitted factions against each other, one of which was led by Billy the Kid.  President Hayes said “enough” and sent untainted law officers to put a stop to it.  Now, practically the whole town is a museum.  Not sure why someone who was killing people left & right deserves a highway and top billing in the museums.

Stopped by Ft. Stanton, home to the Buffalo Soldiers (the only black Civil War regiment) and WWII German POWs among other things.  It was closed for tours but took a walk around the parade grounds.  Intended to pay my respects to Smokey the Bear in Capitan but it too was closed.  Didn’t know Smokey was an actual bear cub found by firefighters and raised by therm. However, had a great bowl of French Onion soup at a cute restaurant operated by 3 generations.

A lovely drive through the Lincoln National Forest and then on to Carlsbad to see the caves.  Quite a story connected to it.  Was discovered by a 16 year old cowboy who couldn’t convince others it was there.  Finally, someone went along with him and saw a fortune in guano (bat poop). The dreams of a killing in fertilizer, however were quickly dashed when it was discovered (in addition to the lousy working conditions required to extract it) the weight changed dramatically when it dried.  Still has bats that simulate a cloud when they leave on their mosquito safaris but they were vacationing in Mexico when I was there.

The main room is 750’ below the surface and huge.  Took a tour of the Kings Palace and Queens Room.  Was especially impressed with the “drapery” shaped ceiling formations.  They really looked like delicate folds of curtains.

On to Texas that afternoon

Spent 3 days in Silver City, NM.  Took a couple of day trips and one R & R while sleet pummeled us. Beat the lousy weather by traveling up the Trail of the Mountain Spirits up to the Gila Cliff Dwellings on the first day.   It’s a beautiful, twisty ride along the Gila River.  Patience was the perfect word for this part of the drive.  No center line and lots of curves.  Climbed up to the cliff dwellings and met two volunteers who gave me a tour of the rooms.  These 13^th century, 42 connected cliff rooms are perfectly designed to take advantage of the warm sun in the winter and shade in the summer.  But you need to be pretty agile to move from your home to the gardens on top of the mesa and down in the canyon.

The next day I wandered another part of the Trail that took me thu Pinos Altos, an almost deserted town except for a lone, grizzled hold-out who runs the museum.  The structure was built by his great-grandfather and is loaded with mementos from the grand times when it was flush with mining money.

Started working my way to Albuquerque up the Geronimo Trail and north to El Malpais National Monument. An incredible variety of landscapes from sandstone cliffs, black volcanic rock, a huge arch and volcanic craters. There’s a valley that was created by a collapsed volcano and is now a huge source of geo-thermal energy.

Over 25 years ago, Manzano High School in Albuquerque hosted a National Student Council conference, the year before SHS held theirs.  I was on the “take notes” committee so set out to visit some of the sights I remembered.  The Old Town Square was lovely, this time with a huge Xmas tree in the center (we visited in July) and the trip to the top of Sandia Mt. on the tram was just as exciting.  Hanging out 4,000 ft. over boulders by a steel cable is pretty sobering.

Shared lunch with a young man from Colorado who repaired technical instruments and traveled all over the country (by car, when possible).  Quite a character – he’d carved out a niche for himself and discovered his skills (and his reputation) had allowed him to work the jobs he wanted and do the sight-seeing he enjoyed.   We traded stories about the common sights we’d seen and he gave me a list of “don’t miss” places. A very contented person

Took another trip through the Jemez Mountains and discovered a little one-lane side road that went thru a river-guided canyon with a couple of great tunnels.  Back on the main road there was a wall that continues to be formed by hot springs and another that looks just like the front of a battleship. Pretty cool. Ended up near Los Alamos before heading back to Albuquerque. 

Got a bit of spiritual renewal at the ABQ UU church and noticed they’ve established a certified wildlife refuge on the grounds, right in the middle of the city.  In addition to using it for their Sunday school program, they also invite classes from surrounding grade schools to make use of it.

Parked Patience in a parking lot near the Albuquerque airport and spent three holiday weeks in San Diego mooching off Tim and getting my grandma fix.  Back to Albuquerque, picked  up Patience and back on the road the second week in January. 

From Mesa, I drove over to Globe, stopping off at the Boyce Thompson Arboretum State Park.  It’s the largest desert garden in AZ and maintained with AZ State.  There are cactus, medicinal, herbal, eucalyptus and floral exhibits.  The tour took us down in the canyon up to a lake and thru the forested areas.  Kind of a sad story too.  Boyce Thompson bought the land and built a huge home in hopes his NY daughter would bring his grandsons for winter visits.  She never did.  

The tour guide suggested a restaurant in Superior for lunch and as you can see, it was almost too lovely to eat.  The chef’s family was one of a few Chinese families to settle this part of AZ.  She moved to NY and operated a restaurant there for a while but always dreamed of returning.  A few years ago, along with her brothers and sisters, they bought the family store and she’s running as restaurant.  It’s closed over the holidays when the entire family returns to celebrate together.

Stopped off in Globe and was treated to another twinkle light Xmas parade (theme was Wizard of Oz).  This one had well over 30 floats – again, quite a sight with all the streetlights off.  Pickups were parked on the street with their beds loaded with kids wrapped in blankets.  They’re renovating the old city jail – another rough mining town that needed ”time-out” quarters.  The cells were 6x9 and held 4 people.  Think I would have opted for solitary confinement – a private room had to look pretty good. Also visited another pueblo village – Besh-Ba-Gowah.  This one, built around 1200, allowed you to go in the rooms and climb the ladders up to the living quarters.

Another ride thru the mountains and down thru the Salt River Canyon.  Ended up in Holbrook with the hope of seeing the Petrified Forest but it was closed.  Was able to see some exhibits in front of some shops but am betting it’s not quite the same.  There was, however an interesting exhibit in Holbrook of a 50s style motel complete with vintage cars.

Then came a trip thru the White Mountains and saw my first snow – we’re pushing 10,000’.  Some serious snow fences – not those orange plastic lacey ones – big aluminum rails and blades.  Most mountain roads had signs saying either there was no plowing during the winter or none on nights or weekends –not patrolled either.  If you come up here in a snowstorm, you’re on your own, Missy.  

Noticed the Lee Reservoir is short of water – your boat would be launched into a pile of gravel.  The White Mountains were also hotbed of volcanic activity.  You can see the domes throughout the landscape – over 400 of them in a 50 mile radius.  A rival to Yosemite.  Again, all the soil is volcanic ash

Stopped in Springerville and toured their museum.  The daughter of French painter, Victor Scharf, moved to Springerville with her husband and began a cattle ranch. She wandered a bit but upon her death willed her art collection, which includes a Rembrandt etching, several paintings by her father, a 16^th century Belgian tapestry and a variety of other valuable antiques to the town.  A veryt informal display of beautiful pieces.  The following morning, I showed up for the tour of Casa Malpais – another pueblo village.  I was the lone customer and although I offered to let the guide off the hook, he insisted we go.

All the other pueblos I’ve seen have been constructed of bricks or stones – this was all volcanic rock and included a rock calendar which the natives used to keep track of the seasons using the position of the sun over the mountains as it cast a shadow on the huge circle of rocks.  They were able to plan their planting and harvesting seasons using it.  Amazing. The town and the local tribe are partnering on its upkeep.

Down the Coronado Trail I came.  More jaw-dropping cliff climbing and drops into deep canyons.  One spectacular view was the Blue Vista – folds of mountains in a blue mist that seemed to go on forever.  At the end of the Trail is Clifton – my first look at a REALLY LARGE open pit copper mine.  The huge trucks looked like ants crawling along the walls of the pit

Next stop,  New Mexico.

Left the Grand Canyon and began my zig-zag thru Arizona.  Not at all what I expected.  The red cliffs and deserts were there but also there were mountains, pine forests and beautiful valleys. Stopped off at the Wupatig National Monument to see some fantastic pueblo remains.  Met a woman from San Francisco who was vacationing in the area and she told me not to miss the energy vortex in Sedona.  From there I ambled down to Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.  The ground was covered with black ash, all deposited by the volcanic explosion 900 years ago.  Took a side trip out of Flagstaff to see Walnut Canyon National Monument.  Hiked up to the cliff dwellings.  Am amazed at the commute these early Indians made from their gardens on top to their homes tucked into the side of a cliff.

I contacted 2 friends from Prescott I’d met on the summer Alaskan trip to see if they were available for a visit.  They were not only available; they insisted I stay a few days and planned some outings for us.   Met them at church (after getting directions from a nice Prescott police officer who stopped me for making an illegal U-turn right in front of him.  We settled on a warning to “drive safely”).  You’d think Norma, Bobbie & I hadn’t seen each other in years and were asked to “pipe down” as the service had begun.  They’d gotten tickets for “A Miracle on 34th Street” that afternoon, performed by the local community players in a restored  historic theater.  Prescott is a beautiful little former mining town (and the original capital of AZ) with a town square and large trees (much like many Midwestern towns)  It too was a rough & tumble wide open town with bars and  brothels. Whisky Row had burned to the ground several times (with the exception of an ornate bar which managed to get rescued each time) until the city fathers said – “no more wooden buildings”.  Pictures of Wild Bill Hickock, Wyatt Earp and other western legends adorn the walls of the current building.  Couldn’t help but notice 2 guys sitting at the bar with fringed buckskin jackets wearing pistols.  Strangest tho was 2 camo-clad guys wearing guns picking out artificial flowers at Walmart.  

 The following day, Norma & I went hiking in Boynton Canyon in the red rock area near Sedona and found the Kachina woman formation my San Franciscan friend talked about.  Have to admit it was lovely and heady but not sure I felt the surge of energy my friend promised.  We found another canyon to hike that took us along a dry, pine-forested creek bed that ended in a huge rock formation.  We mused about its appearance and then decided it was definitely a face with either a funny hat or a really bad haircut.  Took the Red Rock Scenic Hwy. back to Prescott and stopped to talk to a couple sipping wine and eating carrots at a scenic overview.  He was a chiropractor and she was a massage therapist who had just come from a conference in Sedona.  Gave us their card and invited us to visit them in New Hampshire.

The next day I took a solo day-trip to Jerome.   At one time it was a mining town of 15,000 and unfortunately, they mined under the town so parts of it toppled off the edge.  Saw bad days when the mines were abandoned but has morphed from a ghost town into a lovely art colony.  Named after the uncle of Jenny Jerome – Winston Churchill’s mother (she supplied the cash to keep Lord Randolph’s estate afloat, ala Downton Abby, style).

Also loved seeing how people made their feeling known by adopting a highway sign. Companies can advertise,individuals can do it in memory of someone and others.....

After leaving Payson, cruising along the Theodore Roosevelt Lake, I flipped a coin and decided to go down a washboard called the Apache Trail to Mesa. A couple I met in a motel in Payson (who also lived next door to my high school classmate in Mesa) said it was a beautiful ride but he’d recommend taking someone else’s car. Wondered at one point how the motor club would feel about coming out to change a tire. Patience wasn’t too pleased with me but at 10 MPH you have plenty of time to notice the spectacular scenery.  Some curves were listed at 15 MPH, but that would have been speeding.  The “road” goes thru Fish Creek Canyon with steep climbs along canyon walls, then deep plunges into beautiful valleys. Stayed a couple of days in Mesa and visited the Frank Lloyd Wright House.  Since I’m from southwestern Wisconsin, I’ve seen Taliesin West a number of times but this was so entirely different.  Kept with his theme of building into the landscape and taking advantage of the beautiful scenery.

Will continue the report on my Arizona adventure and beyond soon.

Experienced a bit of a set-back. I ran over my computer!   The answer is, “you start the car and back up”.  The good news is, Tim has a friend who was able to get everything off my old one and while in San Diego for the holidays, we shopped for a new one.  Her name is Lizzy.  Not exactly the Xmas present I planned to get, but feeling very lucky and grateful.  Lots has happened so I’ll work on installments until I catch up.  Have been in SD for 3 weeks and almost all of it was spent playing with my beautiful granddaughter.

My Utah biker friends in Utah were right – the North Rim is beautiful.  Didn’t hurt that I was one of seven cars in the parking lot on its closing day.  Usually, it’s snowed in by the beginning of Nov. and closed by the middle of Oct.  Because the weather has been mild, it stayed open until the Sunday after Thanksgiving.  Walked out to the point of Angel’s Landing and felt almost suspended in mid-air over a chasm.  Couldn’t even see the bottom or the other side of the canyon.  The hotel (which was closed) is perched on the edge of the rim. 

 Spoke with a young woman at the visitor center who had just graduated with her master’s from Penn State in paleontology and biology and had interned at the Park over the summer.  She was volunteering at the North Rim until the closing before moving over to the South Rim (as a volunteer) for the winter.  She was hoping to get a job with the park service- loved the research work and especially giving the visitor talks.  Very passionate about the science of the parks and her part in helping to educate visitors.

Another good scheduling choice! The week after Thanksgiving is pretty quiet at the South Rim. Began by reserving a couple of nights and ended up extending it to four- there’s so much to see and do. I was fearful my expectations might have outrun the reality of seeing it.  No such problem.  It truly is spectacular – from every perspective.  The interesting thing is the beauty changes with the time of day and how the sunlight plays with the colors and shadows.  Did however, come to a conclusion. I was glad to be doing this at this time of my life.  If I’d been younger, some fool would have talked me into putting 60# of gear on my back in the middle of a 110 degree summer and climb down the cliffs only to camp out with a bunch of pink rattlesnakes. Flirted with the idea of the mule ride down, though.  Had dinner with a veterinarian from Austria who was studying holistic treatments in FL after completing four months in China.  She drove all the way here to ride the mules to the bottom and stay at Phantom Ranch. Made it sound pretty appealing but would have required another 2 night stay.

There are several types of accommodations (besides RV and camping) – from the historic (and very expensive) El Tovar to share-a-bath dorms.  I got some good advice about the Bright Angel and my cozy cabin was also on the route to the mule corral.

Did lots of walking along the edge of the south rim.  It’s quite a hike (from my cabin to Hermit’s Rest, it was 9 miles) and most of the time I was the lone person on the trail.  Did meet up with an unusual fellow traveler.  We just stared at each other for a few seconds, then he trotted off. Heard the big-horns aren’t usually up on the rim, preferring the cliffs below instead.

 Went to every ranger program – am now fluent in history, early native culture, geology, plants, caves & animals.  I’m so impressed with their knowledge, enthusiasm and presentation skills.  All the programs were terrific but two stood out.  One was a historical impersonation of Capt. John Hance, one of the early miners-turned-hotel owners.  His “shtick” was story-telling and tall tales. The ranger (in costume) gave a full hour of one outrageous story after another – including how he hitched a ride on a buffalo in a stampede in Texas and ending up in the Grand Canyon.

The following nite was a program on the re-introduction of the CA condors to the area.  At one time there were 24 and very close to extinction.  Those 24 were captured, enticed into a romantic mood and then had their eggs swiped.  When the eggs hatched, a mama condor “hand puppet” fed them so they wouldn’t imprint on humans.  They’ve been released in CA and AZ and some have made their home in the Canyon.  One of the main reasons for their demise was lead poisoning.  Since they're nature’s garbage disposal, they were ingesting the lead buckshot left in the carcasses of animals shot by hunters.  The forest service is working with hunting organizations to encourage the use of copper shot and it’s working. There are now over 200 and fewer are dying.

On my way out, I stopped off at the Desert View Watchtower designed by Mary Colter – a Minnesota-born architect who managed to break thru the male-dominated field to become a specialist in Pueblo-style buildings. While working for Fred Harvey (the builder of El Tovar), she designed the interior of the hotel as well as other buildings on the park grounds.As imposing as the exterior tower is, the climb up the circular stairs to the top is lined with beautiful native-painted designs and sculptures.  

Will stop here, get this up and work on the next installment.  Wishing everyone a new year of peace and lots of good surprises.