It Is Never Too Late To Change Your Future!

Well, there goes our NYE and New Years plans, we're down with Covid and instead of laying in a hotel room for the next 5 days, Derek drives us back to Las Vegas on the 31st, re-booking our stay at the Del Coronado for a later time in 2025.

2 days at Sea on the Norwegian 'Joy'.
Endless hours of relaxing on our balcony and enjoying the quiet of the Pacific Ocean on this Mexican Riviera Cruise.

Exploring Puerto Vallarta via Red Bus. This is like no other hop on/hop off experience we've ver had. The bus drover navigates thru the narrow winding pothole littered streets like a NASCAR driver. 

Merry Christmas in Mazatlan, Mexico. Today we hiked to 'Faro Mazatlan', Mazatlan's oldest working lighthouse.

Happy Christmas Eve in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. A nice walk through the familiar downtown Cabo up the hill to lunch with a view at Baja Brewing Co.

Day at Sea on the Norwegian 'Joy'.

Today is embarkment day on the Norwegian 'Joy'. We have schedule embarkment times and getting onboard the ship is a breeze, before long, we find ourselves sitting on the pool deck watching the oversees containers being loaded onto cargo ships as the embarkment process commences. 

Exploring Port of Los Angeles by complimentary city trolley and touring the USS Iowa.

LAS to LAX, Las Vegas Nevada to Los Angeles California, the Christmas travel crowds are real and delays are on, glad we have a days buffer just in case and happy when our plane takes off. 
An hour flight has taken us about 8 hours to get from the RV in Vegas to the hotel in L.A.. Time for dinner and a brew at Sad Pedro Brewing. 

E-bike ride and picnic lunch at Bootleg Cayon.

Exploring historic downtown shops, Jerome Mining Museum and the Gold King Mine/Ghost Town, well, all of Jerome is really now called a ghost town, sooooo. 

Weekend in Jerome, Arizona and our stay at the historic Jerome Grand Hotel, aka 'Arizona's mile high historic landmark'. The former hospital was closed in 1950, as the mining operations began shutting down and medical services were available in the neighboring community. The building stood unused for the next 44 years. The former hospital was purchased by a private investor in 1994, and was renamed the Jerome Grand Hotel, opening for business in 1996.
The 1926 Otis Elevator was the coolest piece of history to me.

Riding e-bikes on the River Mountains trail up to Boulder City for lunch.

Exploring the Springs Preserve, Las Vegas, Nevada. 
Las Vegas Springs Preserve consists of 180 acres dedicated to nature walks.

Dallas, Texas, a necessary trip for medical care.

Exploring Lake Havazu City and surrounding roadside attractions.
 

Daytrip to Oatman, Arizon on our way to Lake Havazu City. Quirky little tourist trap and a lot of 'wild' burros hanging around for some healthy feed sold in most of the town's stores. 

Dayhike, 4 miles uphill, 4 miles downhill with spectacular views at the turnaround and a small packed lunch.

Daytrip to Bonnelli Bay to sit and watch the lake and the burros trot by us, and they brought their babies.

Germany to London to Las Vegas.

One day before our return trip, we take the train to Stuttgart Echterdingen airport, check in, then take the S-Bahn to city center for a last Doener Kebab and quick walk, window shopping.

It's almost time to pack up and we get together with immediate family for a nice lunch out at the Kocherbahnle. Some fine German quisine for good measure.

The beauty of a covered bridge that's been around since I remember wobbling over as a little kid received a makeover last year and has since re-opened, beautifully remodeled! And we can resume our usual foot travels over the Kocher river.

And so are we. A morning walk along the train tracks is a good way to start this day. 

The fields are bare and hopefully the barns full. Our daily morning runs take us through all the beautiful farmland.

These are all along the Kocher river, going back many years, back to the days when trees were felled and transported down the Kocher river.

I'll never. Grow tired of seeing the old but tastefully restored houses.

From the little farm stand where the chickens run in the side yard, to the breakfast table.

Out for a walk in the woods just up the hill from the house. It's quiet and peaceful this morning.

Travel day from London back to Germany.

The Tower of London, officially His Majesty's Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic citadel and castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London, England. Exploring the iconic landmark and the Crown Jewels on exhibit was especially interesting.

Sightseeing and a 6 course dinner with London friends.

The cathedral is one of the most famous and recognisable sights of London. Its dome, surrounded by the spires of Wren's City churches, has dominated the skyline for over 300 years. At 365 ft (111 m) high, it was the tallest building in London from 1710 to 1963. The dome is still one of the highest in the world. The self-guided audio tour was fantastic and yes we climbed the dome.

Big Bus Tours are a great way to easily get around in big cities.
Hop on, hop off, spend as much time as you like, see the sights you care to explore, just don't miss the last bus.

Travel day from Germany to London, England. We've checked in at the hotel and we're ready to walk, even in th rain and explore Kensington Palace and the beautifully green gardens around the property.

A long trip, traveling to Germany to mom and dad's house always involves cars, planes, trains and cars before we arrive at home, but so worth to reunion.
 

Pipe Spring National Monument, Fredonia, Arizona.
 

Boat rental at Willow Beach, boating on the Colorado River to 22 miles down river to Lake Mohave.
 

Moving day from The Canyon Motel & RV Park to Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada. Our winter quarters.

Route 66 Hotel and RV Park, New Mexico to The Canyon Motel & RV Park. Dinner at the Grand Canyon Brewing Co, Williams, Arizona.

Great Sand Dunes NP

From Mountain View RV Park, LaVeta Colorado to Route 66 Hotel and RV Park, New Mexico. 

We're staying in this cute primitive cabin just around the corner from Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado.

Scenic Drive to Apishapa Arch, Colorado.

After work we hiked the West Peak Trail to Vista Point. Endless views!

Daytrip to Bent's Fort National Historic Site, LaJunta, Colorado.

With a sad heart we move from Canon City, Colorado, to Mountain View RV Park, LaVeta, Colorado. But there is more to explore. LaVeta and the Scenic drive to Cokedale National Historic District, Colorado.

Between Canon City and Victor is this little gem of a 4x4 road called Phantom Canyon. This is our second time driving it and the weather is perfect for this scenic drive today. 

The small town of Victor was founded in 1891, shortly after gold was discovered nearby. The town was named after the Victor Mine. The town boomed as the surrounding Cripple Creek mining district quickly became the most productive gold mining district in Colorado. The remaining historic buildings are worth exploring.

At Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument. Who knew we'd find fossils here in the middle of Colorado? And yay, another cancellation stamp for the big black book. A beautiful trail takes you on a 1.5 mile round trip to see all the fossils and a short drive also takes us to an old cabin nearby.

We take Shelf Road home, it reveals canyons, river crossings, an enormous herd of bighorn sheep (had enough time to stop the Jeep and take pics out the top) and drives with sheer cliffs on one side and canyon walls on the other. A bit of a nail biter but so pretty.

Today I'm back out on the tunnel trail, but taking an off shoot, up the Cascades Trail.

It is all up for miles and the views keep getting better with every step.





 

The tunnels are just at the beginning of the trail and bats are hanging from the cave ceiling.








 

Best morning run, views and sunshine all to myself. Not many people on the trail this early, just the pretties and some wildlife.

This trail is a short one but nice along the river. Evening excursion followed by a dinner downtown.

Truly enjoyed our Denver family time but it's time to move on. On to Canon City, CO. This is one of our top 10 spots to be in. Mountain View RV Resort.

It's been a few years but the ponies are the same and so are the Mountain views. Just gorgeous. Our view from the side of the camper for the next 2 weeks.

Downtown Denve 

We try the well known Blue Moon Brewing. Good food and good brews. Just what we needed on a Saturday evening and our last night in town.

 

To the Rockies we go, last time we've been here our sweet Enzo was with us. 

My dear Derek - He has no problem bonding with the kitties.

He's never met a stranger, not even in downtown Manitou Springs, Colorado. This dog and people friendly town is a fun little tourist town with plenty to do for all ages.

We've pre-[urchased our rail tickets and are ready to embark on the 1 1/2 hour trip to the top of Pikes Peak.

Pikes Peak, we've enjoyed the warm ride in the cog rail car, we have 20 minutes to explore, eat some of the world famous donuts, enjoy the views, grab some selfies and the can or air. Then we head back down, enjoying some more epic views and historic telling of the staff on the rail car. 

We get to spend the morning with one of Melissa's co-workers. They have 5 miniature cows and a very large herding dog to watch over these cuties. In exchange for getting to hug and pet these lovely cows, we offer some manual labor of brushing the herd and the dog. What a very precious experience.

On a trail hike, look at the blue sky, what a good idea. Only to have the sky open up on us and unload a bunch of rain, 20 minutes into the hike. We ended up sprinting it back to the car but everyone was alright :)

The Grand-kitties 

Although I was skeptical when they originally entered the picture, they are are an absolute hoot to be around. I know campers are known for having a dog or a few on board, I have now change my mind and cats are looking to be a pretty good companion as well.

My trusty morning walk companions. Grand pups Livi and Marls.

Those eyes say it all. Marley snuuggles with Derek. He loves him so.

We're off to my Missy's house to see the grand pups and kitties. Oh happy days!

The grand-dogs and friend Kermit are elated to see us. What a joy. What a hello.

And now we're ready to play ball :)


 

Our ride for today, yes we're cheating and going 'e'. Our total milage for the day was over 40 miles.

Many obstructions and distractions of the flowery, landscape and bovine kind, but so welcomed. 
Today we're biking from Custer to Hill City South Dakota. And the scenery couldn't be any prettier. We're loving the wildlife and having to coax the heifer back behind the fence with her fellow her mates. This is so much fun. We may have posted the video of the cow returning to the pack on YouTube. Check it out. 

My all time favorite spectators along the trail, guarding their nest. Are they cheering us on or telling us to go on?
Anyway, we don't stay long as to not disturb them, but this trip to Hill City is all about being out in Nature and enjoying the loooong trail, even the refreshing rain shower on the way back adds to the experience, what a glorious day!

By historic train, #108, through beautiful hill country.

Hill City is all about tourism, and this was my favorite place. Wood carved everything.

 

Brews and wineries on every corner, it'd be rude not try them.

The KP showed 6 so we went to the best wide open space we could think of, Custer State Park. Unfortunately the Aurora Borealis was not in the cards, instead we photographed the sunrise and a whole bunch of bison.

Medora, North Dakota to Gold Valley Campground, Custer South Dakota (again :) )

Quick drive to the Canonball Concretions and the many overlooks.

Exploring Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site.

Exploring Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site. 

Evening hike with Derek at Wind Canyon Trail, Buck Hill, Boicourt Trail. And the fantastic sunset over the river before we leave the park.

Exploring Theodore Roosevelt National Park South Unit. Never a shortage of animal encounters. The wild horses bring traffic down to a standstill. 

Morning solo hike at Wind Canyon Trail, Buck Hill, and Boicourt Trail. 

Evening exploring the Cannonball Concretions, Scenic Drive at the TRNP North Unit.

Hiked the Petrified Forest Trail. South Unit.

Toured of the historic Maltese Cross Cabin and listened to a Ranger led historic presentation of Roosevelts time in the park.

Explored the Scenic Drive and the unintended walk-ins. Views from a safe distance.

Devils Tower Wyoming to Medora, North Dakota.

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They are a plenty around here but this one was out of this World.

The KOA campground hosted for 2 Native tribes to perform and engage viewer participation. One of their elders explained the dances of the different age groups, it was so very special as this group of Natives had performed at the Devils Tower Monument earlier in the day. Such a special event to get to witness. 

Out for a walk around the monument, exploring the trail and the history. 

Custer to Devils Tower. Wow, talk about getting an almost front seat campspot to view the monument, Derek got us there. 

    Spelunking

Today we go underground at Jewel Cave National Monument. 

Be sure to secure a guided tour, which is the only way to tour the cave, throught the Rec.gov app well ahead of time. Time slots fill up quickly and walk-ins are not guaranteed. We were able to secure an 8:20 cave tour.

The rock formations are colorful, sparkly and plentiful. Our Ranger leading the tour has ton of information about the cave, the rocks and the history of how the cave was found and explored.

The Jeep needed repairs and an oil change so we arranged to have the Jeep taken in after the cave tour. Repairs were scheduled to take about 2-3 hours and their free shuttle service is kind enough to take us to historic downtown Rapid City to Firehouse Brewing for lunch and a brew. It was all fantastic.

Just on the outskirts of Hill City, SD, we come across Prairie Berry Winery, and right next door is Miner Brewing Co. We sample both and oh my! Rosy ass rhubarb is a sweet treat and the apple cider at the brewery is a nice refreshment on a hot sunny day. 


 

Walking downtown Custer, you'll find a whole lineup of painted Bison along the Custer strip, painted by a local artist.

...you just feel like letting it all out.

I can relate to this feeling. We thoroughly enjoy the animals in the park, just look at the baby in the background. 

What a precious bunch.









 

I'm going to tackle 15 miles of this 108.8 mile 'super trail' on Derek's bike today.

This old sawmill sits between the road to Custer and the Mickelson Trail. I stop in the shade to take a quick break before the trail starts the decent into Custer.

I drop Derek off on the trailhead above the  
Crazy Horse Memorial so that he can get a piece of the trail logged on his bike as well. Bon voyage my love, I will see you 15 miles down the road in Custer for dinner.

It was a dreadful wait and a drive to get Enzo while Derek got a chance to bike on the Mickelson trail. But we're so happy to have home home, at the rig with us. 







 

Seeking peace, a quiet paddle in the rented double kayak across the lake, exploring and thinking.

Sometimes you just need to sit and stare at 'nothing'. In the wake of last nights loss, we seek a quiet spot to sit.

The hardest part is letting them go.
He was ready but our hearts were not. 

...is Mt. Rushmore. Taken from one of the scenic pullouts.

Among all the other tourists, and just a little close, iconic Mt. Rushmore.

Mt. Rushmore, George, Thomas, Theodore, Abe, and a scary sky. It started raining on us for a short time, but what a background. 

We knew it was closed but we came anyways. We'll be back when they reopen the cave for tours but for now, a hike and visit to the Visitors Center will have to do.

Above ground is as beautiful as we image the cave underground to be.

The Crazy Horse Memorial is a mountain monument under construction on privately held land in the Black Hills of South Dakota. It will depict the Oglala Lakota warrior Crazy Horse, riding a horse and pointing to his tribal land. As of 2022, there was no timeline for when the monument would be completed; however, the hand, arm, shoulder, hairline, and top of the horse's head were estimated to be finished by 2037.

If you're in the area and on limited time, you might want to explore the area via helicopter, plenty of options to chose from that will take you over Crazy Horse Memorial, Mt. Rushmore and parts of Custer State Park.  This particular outfit I can not really recommend. More on that on a Google review.

Part of the Needles Highway. Small tunnels but big views.

Wildlife refuge, private land.

Party in the sky kinda day.

Tunnels, spires, big trees, and plenty of pull-outs to take pictures.

The famous beggin' burros have reproduced. And they are cuter than ever! The littles are not afraid of some of the stupid tourists. Can't help but stay a distance away to give them room to breathe. 

Please don't feed them MARSHMALLOWS. Apples and carrots are fine, but would you feed your newborns marshmallows???

 

It started so good and then in the blink of an eye it went so bad. We went straight but should've turned to stay on a US Highway, not a road. We eventually got back to paved roads but 36 miles of gravel road was nail biting brutal. 

Parked in our new spot with a view of Beaver Lake. Dirty, dusty, but parked at last. 

Fort Laramie was a significant 19th-century trading post, diplomatic site, and military installation located at the confluence of the Laramie and the Norht Platte Rivers. The fort was founded as a private trading-post in the 1830s to service the overland fur trade;  in 1849, it was purchased by the US Army. The site was located east of the long climb leading to the best and lowest crossing-point over the Rocky Mountains at South pass and became a popular stopping-point for migrants on the Oregon Trail. The trading post and its supporting industries and businesses were the most significant eonomic hub of commerce in the region.

The grounds are somewhat restored, nicely preserved and give a wealth of insight on the daily life of soldiers, traders and passers by. 

Paleontologists unearthed the Age of Mammals when they found skeletons of extinct Miocene mammals in the hill so Nebraska. The visitor center has samples of the digs displayed and a very good movie to cover the history of this place. So worth a road trip.

This 2.8 mile round trip paved trail passes through mixed-grass prairie, and loops around university and Carnegie Hills where numerous digs revealed an abundance of fossilized bones.

Hiking from the Visitor Center to the summit of Scotts Bluff. A strenuous but scenic hike with spectacular views.

480 feet above the North Platte River Valley, Chimney Rock dates back millions of years. The massive natural landmark served as a guide to countless pioneers. 

Never pass up an opportunity to capture the "local wildlife". :)

Hiking the overlook at. Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska.





It was worth enduring the heat in exchange for miles of views.

Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nebraska.

Hilltop campground at Webster State Park, Kansas to Nicodemus National Historic Site in Nicodemus Kansas.

Then on to Robidoux Campground in Gering Nebraska.

Moving day, Elk City Oklahoma to tour Fort Larned Kansas.

Then on to Hilltop campground at Webster State Park, Kansas.

Cheyenne, Oklahoma.

There's always a surprise waiting if you look close enough. I love Morning walks/runs.

On my way out of the campground I spotted a sign that said trail to the lake, of course I follow it and find this! My morning run just got prettier. 

A very windy but scenic drive on mostly backroads and we arrive at the charming Elk City KOA. A lovely spot and big trees around us for some shade.

It's time to leave our friend's lake house and head north.  We land and park at Horseshoe Bend Cellar Vineyards in rural Texas.


 

We've been looking forward to a little wine tasting and a charcuterie board. Everything was delicious. And thanks to our Harvest Host membership, we're going to be able to enjoy a good safe spot to park in tonight. 





 

The weather couldn't be any prettier, we tool around on Toledo Bend Reservoir, savoring our last today on the water. 




 

Prepared by our wonderful hosting friends. 






 

Isn't this a beautiful way to end any day with special friends?

Are the best, listening to the birds and watching the fishing boats tooling around in hopes for the next big catch. As for me, I float and listen and keep looking for birds and turtles.

Pickles, broccoli and green tomatoes, not ideal but fried, nevertheless delish.

 Might as well just let that melt in your mouth, it was define. Great night, great food, great friends to finish out the week.

Of wine at Red House Winery. They have some good grapes going on and a lovely place to sit and relax. Go check them out!

They have our seal of approval. 






 

...at Fredonia Brewing. Just sampling some awesome brews, the stout is DEVINE!







 

...there was dinner and live music at Mak's. Yummy taco's on lettuce. So tasty.




 

On the Toledo Bend Reservoir, sun's out and so are the turtles and birds. 

Greets us on our morning walk.

Enzo made the sizable walk to the pier for an  quick picture.

Wine tasting and a huge charcuterie board for 4.

Sunday afternoon on the water.

Bald eagles, woodpeckers, kingfishers, egrets, herons, you name them, we saw them. 

We'll be on the lake if anyone is looking for us.

From Dallas to lakeside paradise. We're so happy to have arrived at a friend's side yard for the next week. Time to relax and forget about the last two weeks in storms, floods and scorching heat. Although this TX/LA humidity is ...

The sun is finally out again and the wildlife is on the run, or crawls. This little feller, about an inch and a half long, is headed towards the graveled RV spots. I parked, grabbed and relocated this sweet face to the tall grass with a pond. Happy days little friend!

I'm so thankful we got a break from the rain to visit the gardens for a couple of hours before the rain returned. The beauties were plentiful and brightened our day!

We are relocating our daily operations to the Staybridge as the storms commence and our roof is leaking where one of the antennas comes into the rig. Thankful for this nearby place to take us and Enzo.

Dinner from the Hibachi food truck and brews from Denton County Brewing. I was hoping they still had our favorite stout but it was rotated. Nevertheless, Hibachi and brews were good.

We came from the dry desert, so the overnight non-stop rain was overwhelming.

The turtles didn't seem to mind. 

Almost 12 hours later, we're in our spot at 'The Retreat at Shady Creek' in Aubrey Texas. A long day,  a long drive, it's good to be parked.

Things on the outside are packed, we're burning the last of the wood, it's a chilly night. Tomorrow we move.

Time to go back under, 750 down below the Visotor Center. At check-in, the rangers inform everyone that elevators might not work and to prepare for a hike up. I take the chance and hike down, take many pictures, and lucky me, the elevators are working, so I ride back up. A good day at work.

Look for Century plants in bloom.

They are a spectacular, most beautiful flowering sight to see.
It lives 25-30 years, blooms, then dies.

This particular stunning example must've been 10 feet tall and in full bloom.










 

You bet we're back in the cave again today. We rented the audio tour devices and really enjoyed the recordings. 
There's almost 100 miles of cave systems and over 300 caves in the Guadalupe Mountains Range.

This time of year the cavern averages around 56 degrees Fahrenheit, today's outside temperature reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit in Carlsbad!
 

It's my birthday and time to go hike Guadalupe Peak at Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas. The trail quickly shows us who's boss, whew, the elevation gain is real. We're going to climb 3000 feet in elevation over the next 4.15ish miles. Happy birthday to me! :)

One of my favorite parts was this bridge crossing. Although, after this point it got really steep, really technical, and really windy.

Without a doubt one of our more strenuous hikes, for not properly marked in some areas and part of that being because people would cut secondary trails to add to the confusion. 

Yep, I too followed suit and scooted across this part on my butt. A cable on this stretch of rock would be a nice addition.


Might just suggest that to the NPS.

We summit. And all is well, the pain of the elevation gain forgotten.

We devour some lunch and trail mix and water. Talking to new friends about the hike and life.

The view is 360 degrees and it's spectacular either direction.

Well worth the pain, now let's head back down and nurse those blisters, just kidding. A busted knee and sore muscles but now it's time for a well earned birthday pie and a brew.

 

Fuzzy picture, yes, unforgettable, yes. Bats? Indeed.

Evening at 'Bat Flight' at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico.

El Paso, Texas.

Chamizal is more than just an urban park to recreate or enjoy a quiet afternoon. These grounds are a reminder of the harmonious settlement of a 100-year boundary dispute between the United States and Mexico. Worth checking out and viewing the footage on file there. 

King's Palace Ranger guided tour.

Practicing with the Canon on a tripod. Mirror Lake turned out pretty good, I'm happy with it.

Still a mystery?

Entertaining? Intentional? True? False? Tourist attraction or coverup?

You decide.

Guadalupe Mountains NP, Texas, in the background you can see Texas' highest mountain, Guadalupe Peak, at 8749 feet above sea level, to the left is El Capitan at 8078 feet.

We took the time to hiked to Frijole Ranch Cultural Museum (seen in picture), Butterfield Overland Mail, The Pinery Station, Manzanita Spring, and Pinery Trail at Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas. 

Manzanita Spring, one of three springs in this area, a small oasis not too far from Frijole Ranch.

Lovely gardens with a large lily pond, walk through aviary and native animals.

Lovely gardens with a large lily pond, walk through aviary and rescued animals/wildlife native to this area.

At the campground. Scaled quails, they run thru camp at all hours of the day! They are the cutest birds around!

Spectacular, once again. But this time I brought the Canon on a tripod. 

Although I'm not a tripod carrier, this was so well worth the effort and hassle. There just isn't a better way to handhold a camera and get crisp shots withou the tripod. 

For example, this shot was at ISO800, F9.0, with a 6 second exposure.

Most of the rock formations were nicely lit, lighting overall was surprisingly good. 

I'm already planning more trips to return for more shots, you see, the downside of the tripod and long exposures is you don't get too many pictures done and certainly can't make it through the entire cavern in one day.

The aliens are coming, ha ha. Such a tourist trap but fun for a selfie with the greenies, fill up the gas tank and grab a cold drink.

Oh my heart, what a sight, as I leave the park.

Entrance to the caverns, we're taking the 1.5 mile hike in through the natural entrance. It's all downhill from here. Almost all downhill, 750 feet to be exact. 

The mile loop inside the belly of the caverns is just spectacular.

With a heavy heart, as always, we pack up and move to the next spot. Why is leaving always hard, why are we immersing ourselves to the point of hating to leave. Is it because we don't have a home? Who knows, but we've parked at the KOA just outside of Carlsbad, New Mexico. Still in the desert, still in the wind. 

BE SURE YOU HAVE THE CORRECT ID TO GET ON POST, THIS IS AN ACTIVE MILITARY POST! 
It took us two tries but today we got in, a windy day, no matter, we got to take the tour, in and outside the museum. And don't worry about fixing up your hair ladies, the wind will fix it for ya :)

The reason Derek wanted to come here. The history is fascination, scary and eye-opening all at the same time.

Back in the days when the railroad stopped in Alamogordo before going up the mountain to Cloudcroft, the zoo was there to 'entertain' the train passengers while the train refueled. These days, rehab is in progress. All animals at this park/zoo are injured animals that cannot be released back into Nature. They're not afraid to show of their feathers. 

The walk-in aviary presents the most colorful birds, this deary is just one such example. The weavers are hard at work on their intricate nests. It's a blessing to get to witness them building. 
The golden pheasant is strutting around trying to impress his mate. The quails are digging holes to rest in. The doves are talkative and flying all about. I could spend all day here.

Along the main road through Alamogordo, a person with a green thumb is working magic. These beauties are growing on a chain link fence for at least  quarter to a half mile stretch. Amazing, considering we're in the middle of a desert.

A 35 foot pistachio will greet you once you pull into the parking lot. But really, you can see it from a ways away.











 

Informative tour, worth the $3.00 a person per tour/admission.

HAM's gravesite.







 

HAM's space suit.

HAM makes history.

The Sunspot Astronomy Visitor Center has a wealth of information and hands on exhibits.
Established in 1947, altitude 9200 feet, at Sacramento Peak! Welcome, please walk slowly!

A 136 foot tower, 228 more underground. Originally built by the US Air Force.

On the corner of Telescope Loop. 

With our little Enzo at White Sands NP. He ran the dunes and may have actually had fun!

The favorite part of the evening was watching the sunset and all the people on the dunes doing the same.

Yesterday we had wicked wind gusts up to 55mph. Today, I'm hoping for a reset on the sand dunes. 

Ask and you shall receive. I was off to an early start for some 'clean' shots of these amazing dunes. 

It's hard to be patient at times, but waiting 4 days to get into a full hookup site was well worth it.
We have a patio, a huge grill, a fireplace, a table and chair and a little bistro set to sit in the shade of our 'very own little tree'.

Happy campers!

Over 21,400 petroglyphs have been identified in this area. Their meaning is not entirely clear, some depict animals and plants, others may have had religious meaning.
We felt like kids at an Easter egg hunt, every petroglyph find was a joy and had us wondering what we were looking at.

Valley of Fires recreation area is located immediately adjacent to the Malpais Lava Flow. Approximately 5,000 years ago, Little Black Peak erupted and flowed 44 miles into the Tularosa Basin, filling the basin with molten rock. The resulting lava flow is four to six miles wide, 160 feet thick and covers 125 square miles. The lava flow is considered to be one of the youngest lava flows in the continental United States.

The Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument is a complex of three unique Spanish missions, to get oriented, a stop at the Headquarters gets us a cancellation stamp for our National Parks passport book, some good tips for touring the sites and we're off to see the the Gran Quarai ruins. It's the biggest of the three ruins, some walls and outlines still intact, one can only imagine the daily hustle and bustle of this trading community. ~NPS

The Quarai Ruins. The Quarai Mission and Convento were established at Quarai in 1626 overseen by Fray Juan Gutierrez de la Chica. Construction began on La Purisma Concepcion de Quarai in 1627 and continued to 1632. Curiously, within the newly built convento, a square kiva was built. Like the other Missions of Salinas Pueblo Missions, a combination of disease, drought, famine, and Apache raiding led to the abandonment of Quarai in 1678. Settlers would return to Quarai in the early 1800s constructing the Lucero Structures which included a defensive Torreón and the later Manzano Church. ~NPS

Abó Ruins. The Abó Unit of Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument contains approximately 370 acres. The number and size of unexcavated pueblo mounds suggest that when the Spanish arrived in 1581 they would have found a thriving community. In 1622, Fray Francisco Fonte was assigned to the Abó Mission. Working with the Puebloans, Fonte established the use of rooms in one of the pueblos for an early convento. An early smaller Abó Church and Convento were built starting in 1623. ~NPS

Rising from the heart of the Tularosa Basin is one of the world's great natural wonders - the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert, creating the world's largest gypsum dunefield. White Sands National Park preserves a major portion of this unique dunefield, along with the plants and animals that live here. ~ NPS

Rising from the heart of the Tularosa Basin is one of the world's great natural wonders - the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert, creating the world's largest gypsum dunefield. White Sands National Park preserves a major portion of this unique dunefield, along with the plants and animals that live here. ~ NPS

7 hours of driving and we've arrived. We're checking into water/electric site only for 4 days. No availability for full hookups. 

Hello New Mexico, let's see what we can discover here.

Leaving Tucson Arizona. It's been an adventure, but we're ready to go.

Blooms are sneaking up fast.

With more than twenty optical and two radio telescopes, it is one of the largest gatherings of astronomical instruments in the Earth's northern hemisphere.

What the base of the telescopes look like, a concrete donut slab, so beautifully painted by a local artist. 

Walking back to the 'classroom', we're about to get star watching lessons about star charts and constellations, watching the night sky and sit in one of the domes, looking through the huge telescopes.

Sunset at the Observatory.

Featuring a display of nearly 400 aircraft spread out over 80 acres, indoors, and outdoors. 

Cool paint jobs.

Unusual shapes and sizes.

And how about those patterns and colors. Love it!

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is a US National Monument located in extreme southern Arizona that shares a border with the Mexican state of Sonora.The park is the only place in the United States where the sanitary and organ pipe cactus grow wild. 

 The organ pipe cactus is found in rocky desert. Cacti are minimally adapted to particular thermal niches, and are tremendously vulnerable to seasonal precipitation.

Natural arch.

The wall between USA and Mexico.

It's a drive, but we're on a mission. We reach the Visitor's Center, watch the movie, collect the cancellation stamp and go hineingehen.

Spectacularly preserved cliff dwellings and a very informative talk with the rangers. It was quite  a hike up but it was worth to see and explore, even stand in the middle of the dwelling. 




 

Check this out. We're standing inside the cliff dwellings.

The view from the trail is breathtaking.

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This Jack Rabbit is having a morning roll in the dirt and we've laughing our buns off.

Three wolves in this exhibit. They are beautiful to watch.

Zoo, Botanical Garden, Art Gallery, Natural HIstory Museum, Aquarium. It's a gem. Just on the outskirts of Tucson and the Saguaro National Park. It's a must see.

They have one of every cactus in the area. They are beautiful and so many of them are blooming.

Check out these BLOOMS. I love these.

Fort Bowie was a 19th-century outpost of the US Army located in SE Arizona. The remaining buildings and sites are now protected as Fort Bowie National Historic Site.

For more than 30 years Fort Bowie and Apache Pass were the focal point of military operations eventually culminating in the surrender of Geronimo in 1886 and the banishment of the Chiricahuas to Florida and Alabama. The fort was abandoned in 1894.

Chiricahua National Monument 

Chiricahua National Monument is a unit of the NPS located in the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona. The monument was established on April 18, 1924, to protect its extensive hoodoos and balancing rocks. 

It's a jam packed day but we have enough time to hike to the Gottoes. It's a spectacular site and fun to climb.

Chiricahua National Monument, to protect its extensive hoodoos and balancing rocks. Hoodoos and balancing rocks as far as the eye can see.

The Titan Missile Museum, also known as Air Force Facility Missile Site 8 or as Titan II ICBM Site 571-7, is a former ICBM (intercontinental ballistic missile) site located south of Tucson, Arizona.

 This site was constructed in 1963 and deactivated in 1984. It is now a museum run by the nonprofit Arizona Aerospace Foundation and includes an inert Titan II missile in the silo, as well as the original launch facilities.

The Coronado National Memorial commemorates the first organized expedition into the Southwest by conquistador Francisco Vasques de Coronado in 1540. The memorial is located in a natural setting on the Mexico-US border on the southeast flank of the Huachuca Mountains sout of Sierra Vista, Arizona and is bordered to the north and west by Coronado National Forest.

The black line thru the picture is the US/Mexico border. Within the memorial is an overlook at Montezuma Pass where the Coronado expedition entered modern Arizona. The memorial confirms the ties that bind the US and Mexico.

The park is located in southern Arizona, it consists of 360 acres in three separate units. The park protects the ruins of three Spanish mission communities. It also contains the landmark 1937 Tumacacori Museum building.

The first Spanish Jesuit missions in the locale were established in 1691, Mission San Cayetano de Tumacácori (at Tumacácori) and Mission Los Santos Angeles de Guevavi, are the two oldest missions in southern Arizona.

Biosphere 2 is an American Earth system science research facility located in Oracle, Arizona. Its mission is to serve as a center for research, outreach, teaching, and lifelong learning about Earth, its living systems, and its place in the universe. It is a 3.14-acre structure originally built to be an artificial, materially closed ecological system. It remains the largest closed ecological system ever created.

This is a paved path and very well maintained.

You know I love some colorful blooms.

Plus Derek sliding into the weekend, weeeee!

The other side of Saguaro, a whole different landscape but just as beautiful.

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This will work just fine. A great view from our room gives me a chance to do a Timelapse while Derek finishes the workday. And then...

17 floors down and by the water, is where we're headed to start Derek's birthday celebrations. 










 

An exciting weekend at Ice Age Fossils State Park. 

Grand opening.



What a unique and interesting site for this new state park, they've sure done an exceptional  job on the mammoth statue at the entrance to the park. One can't help but stand before it and stare at the intricate details. 

Nevertheless, curious. They'll run from me but stop to look back. Big glass helps me capture their personality without encroaching their territory.  
I love the three amigos. 

You never know who will stop by, unfortunately this beautiful hawk was hunting for doves in our side yard today. They're all competing to survive. 

My favorite time of morning, when the roadrunners stop by to take a drink from the birdbath we keep.

Such an intelligent hunter and curious bird to watch. Always makes my day even better when they visit.







 

Lunch at the Pioneer Saloon, Goodsprings, Nevada.

Cabo to Vegas, glad to be going "home", where the rig is.