The Very Large Array is a collection of 27 radio telescopes in Socorro, New Mexico. Even though it isn’t a typical tourist attraction, we visited it last month on our way home from the Grand Canyon and the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque. We frequently visit places that aren’t typical tourist spots. The Very Large Array […]
The Very Large Array is a very, very big telescope. Read More »
The quest on our fall trip was to camp at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is the largest balloon gathering in the world. It is also the most photographed annual event in the world. The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is an annual nine-day balloon gathering during the first full week of October. More
Camping under the balloons at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Read More »
What State Park Passes do we love using as full-time RV travelers? How did we get them? What is the cost, and what are the benefits? Which ones are the best? This post is updated from the previous July 2023 post. Updated May 2024 South Dakota I also qualify for different state programs. South Dakota
Amazing State Park Passes that we love to use Read More »
This story is about our planning and going to the 2024 total solar eclipse. We are already on our way heading across Arizona, New Mexico, and a large part of Texas. On April 8th we will be north of Waco, Texas and hoping that we get lucky and don’t have clouds between us and the
Going to the 2024 total solar eclipse Read More »
This is our end-of-year review. Where did we go and what did we do in 2021? (The states we visited in 2021 are above this paragraph next to the date.) What amazing things did we see along the way? In 2021 we added eleven new states to our route map. Other than Louisana we spent
End of Year Review – 2021 Read More »
Storming Arizona describes both our stay in Arizona and how we left Arizona. We have never traveled so far so fast. Now it is warm. I was telling friends that we were going to slow down when it got warm. The last few days were in the 70s, and then it was more than 80.
We had a good stay in New Mexico, crossing into Colorado on June 2nd. we crossed into Colorado and stayed at Lathrop State Park is between Trinidad and Pueblo. Hopefully, we will get close enough to see our stationery and mobile friends soon. I send these updates out so if we get close enough, we
Crossing into Colorado Read More »
Sugarite Canyon Attacked by hummingbirds. Have you ever tried to take a picture of a hummingbird? It is not easy. They are too fast. We moved from the valley between Santa Fe and Chama New Mexico and made an extra-long (for us) drive to Sugarite Canyon just to the east of Raton NM. Today we
Attacked by Hummingbirds Read More »
Between Albuquerque and Chama is the prettiest place in New Mexico that we have found. The picture is from Abiquiu Lake and has been featured in many paintings. Kasha – Katuwe Near Cochiti Lake we found a newer National Monument named Kasha – Katuwe Tent Rocks. The rocks are made of soft(er) pumice from a
Albuquerque to Chama Read More »
It seems the further north we go the more we like it. In the last two weeks, we went from a gravel parking lot in Albuquerque to Cochiti Lake. Then we went a little further north to Abiquiu Lake (pictures) for a very nice week except for the rainy days. We traded wind for rain
Ghost Ranch Splendor Read More »
Yes, we are still in New Mexico. We had enough fun in eastern New Mexico. Nice lakes but a constant spring wind made for wetter kayak rides unless we caught the wind just right. So we re-routed to Albuquerque. The first picture is chapel at Fort Stanton, the second picture is Heron Lake. Nothing special about
Still in New Mexico Read More »
Lakes in East New Mexico . I didn’t know there were lakes in east New Mexico until I started planning our route. As you may have noticed the route has been stopping near water whenever possible. Mostly we are following the Pecos River north. History of the area includes stories about Kit Carson, Pat Garrett
Lakes in New Mexico Read More »
Campsite Review: Valley of Fires Campground on an unburned island in the middle of a lava field in south-central New Mexico. The campground is operated by the Bureau of Land Management. About 5000 years ago Little Black Peak (to the north) erupted it combined with lava forced up through a rift flooded the Tularosa Basin
Campsite Review: Valley of Fires Campground Read More »
We have been to a few more remote places, but none harder to get to than this. Trinity Site in New Mexico is hard to reach. Yesterday, we drove through 50 miles of unoccupied sagebrush, save for a few cows, then even the sage gave out to 20 miles of alkaline grass. The location was
From our perch on a ridge top at Valley of Fires BLM Campground surrounded by lava fields only 5000 years old, we again are going to have a windy day. I point out that the Lava is only 5000 years old, because, with the exception of active volcanos, 5000 years old is very recent. There
We spent the week near Roswell, at Bottomless Lakes State Park, and are now moving west back towards White Sands Missile Range. Bottomless Lakes was named because even after tying several ropes together, the cowboys at the time were never able to measure the depth. The lakes we’re caused by several caverns that roof caved
Bottomless Lakes State Park Read More »
Campsite Review: Chosa Campground is on a converted oil well fracking pond south of Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico. That is right I said fracking pond. It is my choice location to visit both Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains National Park. This campground, if you can call it that is a square of
Campsite Review: Chosa Campground Read More »
First, on our trip northbound through New Mexico we stayed at Guadalupe National Park, Carlsbad Caverns National Park, and Brantley Lake State Park. These amazing places are all close to each other. We pushed north back into New Mexico staying at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, and Brantley Lake State Park. Two days were spent in
Unmatched Carlsbad Caverns National Park Read More »
Guadalupe Pass – Bad Roads for RVs is located on US Highway 62/180 east of El Paso Texas, south of Carlsbad New Mexico. This road is steep but the steep section is short, about three miles long. US Highway 62/180 in the steep area is a divided four-lane, with two lanes in each direction. There are
Guadalupe Pass – Bad Roads for RVs Read More »
Campsite Review: White Sands Missile Range (Volunteer Park Travel Campground) is a military-only campground located on White Sands Missile Range Army Post. It is a very nice, very quiet place. While traveling on U.S. Highway 70 east of Las Cruces New Mexico turn south on Owens Road (NMSR – 213) to enter the main gate
Campsite Review: White Sands Missile Range Read More »
We are in full turtle mode at White Sands Missile Range….in the worst weather I have experienced other than a full-on blizzard in Colorado (Including hurricanes & typhoons). Turtle mode means that like a turtle we have pulled in the slides and are camping without our typical comfort. Our location is east of Las Cruces
Hurricane winds at White Sands Missile Range Read More »
Our spot at Rockhound State Park looks more exposed than it is. Only 21 RV campsites further down the road past our site. It’s not actually a designated spot, but they were all taken at 9:30 am and the ranger said it was ours. It really looks like we are camping on a highway or
Rockhound State Park Read More »
We made it to New Mexico and are staying at Navajo Lake State Park on the San Juan River. Nice campground, with cell service and electricity. The first picture is one of the many thousand-year-old ruins nearby between here and Farmington. I had hoped for a picture of the river, or of the reservoir, but
Navajo Lake State Park Read More »
