Palo Duro Canyon State Park

This beautiful park in the panhandle of Texas, is the second largest canyon in the US. At over 100 miles long and only a 1000 feet deep it's a great setting for camping and hiking.











At the top of the canyon is the visitor center and some very awesome cabins right on the rim. You enter along a step winding road to the canyon bottom for a choice of half a dozen small campgrounds along an 8 mile road.










You're continually surrounded by multicolored canyon walls and many accessible trails winding up the walls or along the Red River.












The textures and colors are hard to capture in the photos so I hope you make this one of your stops when near Amarillo.









One of my favorite artists Georgia O'Keefe brought her students here when she taught in Amarillo.

Everywhere I look there's inspiration.



It's hard to leave this place as we finish our adventure and start heading home.

Cowboy Dugout in Canyon

As I write this blog we are only two hours from home, waiting another day so the roads are clear. 

Roswell NM Detour

To avoid a winter storm in Albuquerque, we detoured our route to go south. This gave us a chance to stop in Roswell, New Mexico.













We of course had to visit the museum dedicated to the mysterious landing in the 1940's of an unidentified flying object, yes a real UFO. Although it has been debunked by the military and of course we know the government always tells the truth, there are still those who believe.










The museum is filled with articles and accounts of UFO sightings, fun campy displays of sci-fi culture and a very serious research room. Who knew. I guess our unintended detour wasn't the first of it's kind. The museum welcomes pets too, I guess they don't want to discriminate on any life forms, just in case they have another unexpected visitor.







It doesn't take all day to visit the museum so we entertained ourselves with the various free museums in this small town of some 50,000. We were amazed at the quality of art work on display. Well worth stopping by.









My favorite piece a shark created using a golf bag.

Santa Fe Side Trip

Santa Fe Inn and Motel

 A must do in New Mexico was to visit Santa Fe. Too cold this time of year for our RV. We left HaRVey in ABQ and took the Rail Runner  in the morning staying overnight at a quaint property in the historic downtown area.

Meow Wolfe

 Our first must do was Meow Wolf. A very unusual entertainment venue. Kinda like an exploratory amusement park. Over 100 artists designed rooms revealing parts of a story about a family that disappears and their portals to other worlds. How else can I describe how strange it was.

Gift Shop

Even the gift shop was a bit out there. New venues are coming to Las Vegas and Denver.

Georgia O'Keefe Gallery

Canyon Road Galleries

Other favorite stops included the Georgia O'Keefe collection of art works. Her studio near by wasn't currently open.

The Loretta Chapel staircase that had super natural stories associated with its creation.

Plus a visit to the many beautiful and creative galleries along Canyon Road.

Loretta Chapel

Another newer developed area in Santa Fe was the railyard district, full of high end galleries, markets and  a brew pub. Evoke Gallery was my must do since they represent the estate of Louisa McElwain. I had seen her work online, a very impressive plein aire painter. She created huge paintings by strapping them to her truck along the roadside and painted using a long pole. They are dramatic and inspiring. So glad I got to see some of her work in person.

Evoke Gallery

We finished up a wonderful visit with a delicious meal at one of Santa Fe's top restuarants Sazon. Thanks to a gift from my sister.

Sazon Restuarant

It's back to ABQ to start figuring out our exodus from the south west.

More ABQ

Hands across New Mexico

In ABQ (Albuquerque) we drove to the Petroglyph National Monuments. One trail a short hike right behind a residential neighborhood, are 5000 out of 20,000 historic images along a volcanic escarpment.













Another unique museum documented the history of nuclear sciences. New Mexico is central to the early years of the atomic bomb with the Trinity Site and Los Alamos.


They showed everything from the early years to nuclear medicne and energy.








Here are two of the "Broken Arrows" (term for a missing nuclear bomb device), that were lost  and eventually recovered in Spain.

It was interesting since we had listened to the book Area 51 on the trip down and the stories of their developement.

Also included in the museum was a Smithsonian Exhibit titled "How Things Come Apart" Here's a photo of one, do you recognise it?

Bombs Away Brewery for one

Albuquerque, New Mexico

In New Mexico, we wanted to catch the migrating birds enjoying the warmer weather before our next stop. At Bosque de Apache National Wildlife Refuge we found the Sand Hill Cranes feasting on corn and Snow Geese crossing the road. We also saw a pair of Golden Eagles (on my list) but the photo didn't turn out. You'll just have to take my word for it.

Isleta Pueblo lakes by RV park

We arrived at Isleta Pueblo's casino RV park to start our stay in Albuquerque. They have a couple of small lakes stocked for fishing and plus conveniently adjacent to the Rail Runner train that took us to downtown and later to Santa Fe.

The train was a very affordable alternative to driving into the city and figuring out everything from streets to parking.

Birds on the lake

While downtown we visited Pueblo Cultural Center catching a glimpse of the different peoples of the area. A very comprehensive display and venue for cultural events.











While in Old Town Albuquerque we visited the world's most extensive display of Rattlesnakes. It kinda makes you think twice about walking in the desert. Some are very small and well camouflaged.

During our visit we used the bathroom facilities. It was occupied by a couple of tortoises. I don't think they minded sharing. They hardly moved, my husband didn't even think they were real.

Restroom Male or Female?

Old Town Albuquerque

Caverns to Hotsprings

Trails at Kartchner Caverns State Park

We've now exited from Arizona making our way to New Mexico.

The last stop was in Benson, Arizona at their newest state park Kartchner Caverns State Park. Discovered by amatuer cavers in 1974 it was eventually saved and developed into a park to preserve and study it, since it has had little exposure to humans. 

We had a tour of the Big Room, led by a very informative Ranger named Ben. Sorry no photos were allowed.

Hot springs in Truth or Consequences

We made our way into New Mexico with a stop at Riverbend Hots Springs RV and Resort in Truth or Consequences.

A little more pricey than we are used to but we can soak from 8am-10pm in the natural hot mineral pools. The view over the Rio Grande is awesome.

It's a lovely place, with nice amenities and they try to keep it to a whisper so you can really relax.

At night they really light it up with laser and accent lights.

Next stop Albuquerque

Arizona with Friends in Mesa

Usery Mountain Regional Park

Next stop, just east of Phoenix, was a regional campsite near Mesa to enjoy a visit with Cheryl and Pete.

On the way to Tortilla Flats

We ventured out to Torilla Flats, an old site for the stagecoaches. It was a spectacular ride through Superstition Mountain Range. A hydroelectric dam created a lake in the middle of know where.

Superstition Mountains

We stopped for lunch before returning to Carriage Manor, their home, to get the tour of another Retirement Park.

Home grown grapefruit

We found their are so many wonderful, engaging communities in Arizona. Here they also keep the fees down by encouraging volunteerism. You basically get what you put into your community and it has paid off for the residents.

















I had my first fresh picked grapefruit. How cool would that be to have a fruit tree in your own yard.

Gettin Around Car

Or even better yet to be able to ride around in this baby.

Gourdfest at Pinal County Fairgrounds

One of many gourd art displayed

On the way out of town we stopped by a Gourdfest, to see what's new and pick up a few more to practice on.



















On our way again and just when some of the desert plants are beginning to bloom.

Arizona with Friends in Casa Grande

Picacho Peak State Park

Many choose to get out of Wisconsin for the winter, some forever. We wanted to find out why.
So during our trip to Arizona we visited friends to see what they found so alluring about the desert.

View from our campsite

We stayed at Picacho Peak State Park for a few nights while we planned our visit with John and Linda who chose Palm Creek Golf and RV Resort in Casa Grande as a winter haven.

Lawn Bowling

After a tour of the property, seeing all the numerous activities, was really quite impressive. From art studios for silver smithing and stained glass to various clubs for pickle ball and lawn bowling to name a few.

Pickle Ball

If you get bored it's your own fault.

Swim and Soak

Indoor Skydiving

They also gave us a tour of one of their favorite pastimes at  Skydive Arizona in Eloy, watching the jumpers. This is quite the operation for beginners to training military groups, I guess it's the largest of its kind in the US. It was too windy for any jumpers but we still enjoyed the indoor skydiving at Skyventure.

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

Before leaving the area we stopped at the areas national monument. One of the first preserved dwellings from the originals peoples of the Sonoran Desert. We also enjoyed programs on ground owls and native mammals. It was so nice to enjoy our National Treasures again.

 Next just a few sightings at Picacho Peak State Park.

Cactus Wren

Ground Squirrel?

Bluebells