On to Cave Creek Canyon Visitors Center

4/25/2017

After an overnight at the Deming NM Wal-Mart to stock up on food and supplies, we're on our way to Portal AZ.  The forecast was for high wind warnings with possible road closures so we were up at the crack of dawn to get to the canyon before the wind got severe.  With the one hour time change we arrived at the Cave Creek Canyon Visitors Information Center at 7:30 am and had to wait for our friend, Laura, to open the center.  

We jumped right in and started training for our new workcamping job for the coming month.  As the day wore on the wind kept building and we started hearing reports that I-10 was closed due to dangerous wind and dust storms limiting visibility. There was also a downed tree on one of the canyon roads, stranding some birders for a time until locals jumped into action to partially clear a path down the mountain.

Over the next month there'll be more interesting pictures and stories from Cave Creek Canyon.

Here's some pictures of the drive to and into Cave Creek Canyon...

Heading south into the hart of the Chihauhuan desert.

The Chiricahua Mountains appear on the horizon.

After turning onto Portal road, a pass through
the mountains appears.

The Cave Creek Canyon Visitor Information Center.

City of Rocks SP

4/20/2017 cont.

City of Rocks State Park in New Mexico is a unique camping experience.  Most of the campsites are nestled in among the rock pillars.  The park is located in the northern edge of the Chihuahuan desert.  35 million years ago, a violent volcanic eruption (1000 times greater then Mt. St. Helens in 1980) deposited a layer of pumice, ash, and hot gas that compacted and welded  to form dense rock. Erosion did the rest to form the rocks we see today.

Here's some pictures from in and around the park...
 .

See picnic table and fire ring for this campsite surrounded by rocks.

View from a bench on one of the trails

View of our campsite facing east as the sun sets in the west.

View from our campsite picnic table.

Colorful eastern sky after sunset.

On-site observatory opened up for Star Party on 4/22/2017.

There were about 5 telescopes trained on various objects. 

During the Star Party we saw some of the colored bands of Jupiter and 5 of it's moons, Whirlpool Galaxy (M51), Andromada Galaxy (M31) among other heavenly bodies.

These astronomical signs a places all over the park.

Ancient native american grinding stone.

End of another day.

Another beautiful sunset over City of Rocks SP.

Spent 4 days at City of Rocks and had a great time.  We plan to return.

Coming next , On to Cave Creek Canyon Visitors Center - Portal, AZ and our new workcamping job for the month of May..

On the way to City of Rocks State Park NM

4/20/2017
Silver City, NM was hosting the 37th Tour of the Gila bicycle race during the time we were at Mesa Campground.  On the day we planned to leave for City of Rocks SP a leg of the race was to come down NM 35, the only road down the mountain. We didn't know this till the camp host mentioned as we were leaving... "we better hurry before they close the road for the bike race".

After pulling onto the road, I looked in my rear view mirror to see a truck with a sign "Bike Race" on the roof. Before long we came across a lone biker ahead.  The winding road didn't offer many passing opportunities so we just followed about 100 yards back, hoping we didn't distract  him.  Eventually we got around him only  to come across another one.

As we came to the intersection of NM 35 and 152, the race turned west toward Silver City.  We turned east and pulled off to watch some of the racers make the turn for home.

The following video shows the men's pro group, along  with their entourage.

Coming next, City of Rocks SP

Gila Cliff Dwellings National Mounment

4/16/2017, Easter Sunday.

Belated Happy Easter to everyone.

Arrived at Mesa Campground in the Gila National Forest, about 18 miles form the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument.  No cell service, internet or TV!

We’d spent Friday and Saturday of the Easter weekend in the Alamogordo and Las Cruces Wal-Marts, leaving the crowded campgrounds to the locals.  On Sunday afternoon we found a nice site with afternoon shade and a great view of the surrounding mountains.

4/17/2017

Day trip to the Gila Cliff Dwellings, one of the few such sites where you can walk around inside the ruins.

4/18-19/2017

There were numerous hiking/sightseeing opportunities in the surrounding area but we decided to stay close to camp and simply enjoy the peaceful setting. Wild temperature swings, 31 to 78 degrees in the same day, humidity running 10 to 20%.

Next stop, City of Rocks State Park NM.

Here’s pictures from Gila Cliff Dwellings and Mesa Campground.

White Sands National Monument

4/16/2017

Stopped at White Sands National Monument for the day.

Heading to Mesa campground outside of Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument.

Roswell NM

4/10/2017

Of course Roswell is famous for the reported crash of an Alien space ship back in the 40's.  But is it true or just a legend...

Just out side of town, we saw PROOF they'd landed in a farmers field!

Walking around town, they'er everywhere!

Some where very modest.

They 're in the T-shirt business!

They sold cars!

They sold gas!

They're in city government!

With no hair, their heads gets
cold in winter.

They posed for pictures!

They'er very friendly, this little guy's name is
RALF ( Roswell Alien Life Form)

Was Kilroy an Alien?

Okay, enough about Aliens!

We spent 4 days in Roswell. There's quite a lot that interested us.  We stayed at Midway RV Park, just outside Roswell.  It's a nice park with good WiFi, a reasonsably priced laundry and even a small movie library.

4/11/2017

Our first full day we got a late start, as usual, and had lunch at a local eatery, the Cowboy Cafe.  It must be good if the parking lot is full at 11:00am.  The food was very good and the 2 person tables were close together so we got to eavesdrop on the conversations on either side.  The waitress told the couple next to us they have to see the restroom! We looked at each other with a quizzical look.  Well, before we left, we had to check out the restroom!  Yes it was unique.

That goat's butt is actually sticking
through the wall!

After lunch we headed to the Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge.  It was a hazy day, weather moving in tomorrow.

There's some nifty nest platforms at the visitors center for the Barn Swallows.

The refuge is famous for huge flocks of Sand Hill Cranes in the winter but they were long gone.

We did see a few birds including Northern Shoveler, Cinnamon Teal, Mallard, Semipalmated Plover, White-faced Ibis, Black-necked Stilt, Snowy Egret and American Coot. Most were too far away to photograph but we did get these...

White-faced Ibis

Black-necked Stilt

4/12/2017

This was a hunker down day, thunder storms all morning.  

It cleared after lunch and we thought about going to a museum, then more storms blew in again in the afternoon.

No sight seeing today.

4/13/2017

With the rain over, we headed into town  There's a number of museums in Roswell, all free, except the UFO Museum.  We chose to park in a central location and walk around town.  That's where we got most of the funny Alien pictures above.

Here's some pictures from the Roswell Museum and Art Center...

This eerie looking fellow greets you as you walk in.
The eyes are actually glowing red.

Replica of Robert Goddard's work shop

Our home in 20 years?

Other pictures from around downtown Roswell...

We heard about a 1921 Carousel at the Spring Creek Park & Zoo.  

Picture from the internet.

When we arrived we discovered the Carousel is only open on weekends.  Oh-well, here's some pic's from the zoo...

Next stop, White Sands National Monument.