Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
We find ourselves in a quirky little town tonight, if only briefly, but it has been a memorable visit so far...
Seeking out some hot springs to visit (it's hot, dry work traveling through the desert) we learned that Truth or Consequences changed its name from Hot Springs in the 1950's to capitalize on a popular radio show of the day. We further learned that the town was located next to the Rio Grande River (which we'd enjoyed so much at Big Bend National Park) and that there were lots of places set up to exploit the hot springs.
We're at the Artesian Campground tonight. We're paying $6/night for dry camping (no water, sewer or electrical hook-up). But for an additional $6 we were able to secure a private hot tub for a 1 hour family soak. After each session they empty the water, wash the tub and await the next patron.
The 5' x 6' tub is 3' deep and has a huge pipe bringing 108F naturally heated spring water into it when the faucet is open. We inserted the "plug" and turned the tap. Water poured in and filled the tub in just a few minutes. A cold water shower is situated above the tub to cool off and/or rinse under. For the next hour we soaked and splashed in our private hot tub. Very cool!
We spent the previous 2 nights in Alamogordo, NM (somewhat of an armpit place) as the winds whipped up to 30-40 mph with 50-60 mph occasional gusts -- a little intimidating for an 11' high van to be out driving in. When Monday mellowed out a little we enjoyed a short hike around the Three Rivers Petroglyphs about 30 miles out of town then escaped to the movies to see, "Monsters versus Aliens".
This morning we checked out of Alamogordo to a sunny day and spent a few hours scrambling about on the extremely white gypsum sand dunes of White Sands National Monument before heading to Las Cruces for a delicious lunch (double thumbs-up from the whole family) and a 2-hour trek up to Truth & Consequences.
Tomorrow we head south-west again and into Arizona (a state that does NOT observe Daylight Saving so our clocks get tweaked once again). In the later part of April and early May we'll do more touring through the northern parts of New Mexico, including Albuquerque.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Near Carlsbad Cavern, New Mexico
We spent last night near "the top of Texas" at Guadalupe National Park. Tonight we're 20 miles outside the town of Carlsbad in New Mexico (and now into Mountain Time).
On our way to the Guadalupe Mountains we did a fascinating tour of the MacDonald Observatory just outside Fort Davis, having spent the night at a very cold and windy Fort Davis RV park. Unfortunately the cold weather persisted and stopped us from going to the Star Party in the same evening as we did the MacDonald Observatory Solar program. It was blowing 25-30 mph on an already cold day that didn't go above 40F. Night temperatures were predicted in the low 30's - which they reached - so we were happy to miss the freezing weather (hiding out in the van) after loving the 90's we'd been experiencing just a few days earlier.
Today the girls completed Junior Ranger programs for both Guadalupe National Park AND Carlsbad Caverns National Park. This afternoon we were 790 feet underground exploring the cavern. Fantastic stuff!
Internet access remains patchy. This update is being sent from Doug's cell phone.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Big Bend National Park, Texas
When you want to “get away from it all”, then Big Bend National Park is a place you should consider.
We arrived here on March 21st after spending three days in San Antonio and a day traveling to get here. The contrast could not be starker. The enveloping quietness of west Texas, produced in part by large open spaces and very few people, carries into the park. Nights are astonishing for their brilliant star display and the total quiet that surrounds the campground. Days are warm – getting to 95F near the Rio Grande River but a little cooler at higher elevations. Evenings cool off pleasantly and are nearly completely bug free (at least at this time of the year). We’ve been sitting outside for dinner and leaving the windows open on the van to let in cool, refreshing evening air while we sleep.
Big Bend has proven to be one of those places where a photo cannot do justice to the amazing 360 degree vistas. It is seemingly impossible to capture the true impression of a 1,000 foot canyon wall, or the winding Rio Grande River, or the 5-6,000 foot spires that surround the Chiso Basin campground, or the magnificent sunsets that paint fire on the clouds and redefine the color of sky blue, or the constellation of stars seemingly within reach because they shine so brightly… Big Bend is definitely a place you experience by being here.
While we’ve stayed at campgrounds easily accessible in our van it’s apparent that 4WD camping inside the park would give access to some incredible back country experiences. We’ll save those for another day.
We have made the most of some shorter (less than 4 mile) hikes enjoying the abundance and variety of cactus plants as well as seeing and hearing some of the more than 450 bird species that frequent the park. Our favorite is the ever present Road Runner. Fortunately, rain that fell in the park two weeks ago combined with the shift to springtime has brought blooms to some cactus – much to Denise’s delight.
Our favorite hike: the Window Trail. For nearly 2 miles we descended from our Chiso Basin campground at 5,400 feet elevation basically following a water course that wound its way through an ever-changing terrain – from open grass lands with cacti, into treed forests and further down into rocky, high-walled canyons – where the ancient water course had scoured away the sides of the canyons and large boulders to a smooth, polished finish. The water course is the only way water escapes from the high mountain basin.
At the end of the trail, the small creek cut through narrow canyon walls (the Window) and emptied over a 200 foot sheer cliff drop. Upon arrival Ruth ran off to see where the creek ended. Luckily we were able to convince that she should stop (IMMEDIATELY). Hearts in our mouths, Ruth stopped. Then she realized that the next few yards of her run took here over the cliff – something we’d noticed but she seemed to have missed. After a short stop we began our climb out of the valley and back to our campsite. The girls loved the Window Trail hike.
Other hikes have taken us along the Rio Grande to a natural Hot Springs where we spent some time soaking in the late afternoon. We also explored a few canyons carved over thousands of years by the Rio Grande. Apparently the Rio Grande flooded wildly back in September last year when hurricanes in Mexico dumped a deluge of rain inland that made its way to the Rio Grande. There were signs of silt and debris all on the river banks and around the lower campgrounds. In some places where the silt had not yet been cleared it was 6 feet deep.
We were saddened to realize that a rich Mexican cultural experience that lies literally a stone’s throw across the Rio Grande has been made impenetrable from recent years of fear-driven policy to prevent border crossings. Small towns immediately across the Rio Grande thrived by supplying arts, crafts and authentic Mexican meals in their small village restaurants to Big Bend visitors. They are now dying off. In a bygone era the craft sellers (and restaurateurs) would ferry tourists across the Rio Grande in their small boats. Today they leave their goods displayed on the US side of the river, near main trails, with a payment jar nearby. We can see and hear the Mexicans moving about on the other side of the river – even singing and chatting - but no physical contact is permitted.
If we were to cross the Rio Grande, an easy wade in some places, a US citizen runs the risk of being barred from re-entering the United States. Correspondingly, any Mexico national from the nearby villages caught crossing into the US would be fined, jailed and eventually returned to Mexico. As an arbitrary means to enforce the invisible wall, all Mexican made arts and crafts purchased by Big Bend visitors are declared contraband – with fines and loss of property imposed for anyone caught with them. (So much for the US-Mexico free trade agreement).
The irony is that, in an area where plants and animals don’t recognize this artificial border, a very porous border relationship has successfully existed for more than 100 years allowing trade and services to flow freely between those who live and work in the area, on either side of the border. This has now ceased. Overall, this unusual situation is quite at odds with what we saw along the shared US-Canadian border.
We celebrated 7 months on the road here at Big Bend National Park by lashing out on a “room” and dinner at the Chiso Mountain Lodge.
Our room is one of the Roosevelt Stone Cottages. These small stone buildings were built in the 1930’s for officers of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Apparently there has been some very famous people stay here, including Lady Bird Johnson and Franklin Roosevelt. Our cottage has 3 double beds and a spectacular view looking toward the west from high within the Chiso Basin, and toward The Window. The thick stone walls keep the room cool during the day and warm at night. The 3 foot high stone wall railing that forms part of the verandah has been worn smooth over the years from the very many people who did just as we did yesterday – sit on the wall and watch the sunset. Given that we’ve been camping every night since leaving San Antonio, we were most appreciative of the shower and fresh towels!
Today we head onward to Fort Davis and for a “Star Party” at the MacDonald Observatory on Friday night. Our travels take us into New Mexico over the weekend and another time zone change – to Mountain Time. Internet and cell phone coverage remains sporadic on this part of the journey.
We arrived here on March 21st after spending three days in San Antonio and a day traveling to get here. The contrast could not be starker. The enveloping quietness of west Texas, produced in part by large open spaces and very few people, carries into the park. Nights are astonishing for their brilliant star display and the total quiet that surrounds the campground. Days are warm – getting to 95F near the Rio Grande River but a little cooler at higher elevations. Evenings cool off pleasantly and are nearly completely bug free (at least at this time of the year). We’ve been sitting outside for dinner and leaving the windows open on the van to let in cool, refreshing evening air while we sleep.
Big Bend has proven to be one of those places where a photo cannot do justice to the amazing 360 degree vistas. It is seemingly impossible to capture the true impression of a 1,000 foot canyon wall, or the winding Rio Grande River, or the 5-6,000 foot spires that surround the Chiso Basin campground, or the magnificent sunsets that paint fire on the clouds and redefine the color of sky blue, or the constellation of stars seemingly within reach because they shine so brightly… Big Bend is definitely a place you experience by being here.
While we’ve stayed at campgrounds easily accessible in our van it’s apparent that 4WD camping inside the park would give access to some incredible back country experiences. We’ll save those for another day.
We have made the most of some shorter (less than 4 mile) hikes enjoying the abundance and variety of cactus plants as well as seeing and hearing some of the more than 450 bird species that frequent the park. Our favorite is the ever present Road Runner. Fortunately, rain that fell in the park two weeks ago combined with the shift to springtime has brought blooms to some cactus – much to Denise’s delight.
Our favorite hike: the Window Trail. For nearly 2 miles we descended from our Chiso Basin campground at 5,400 feet elevation basically following a water course that wound its way through an ever-changing terrain – from open grass lands with cacti, into treed forests and further down into rocky, high-walled canyons – where the ancient water course had scoured away the sides of the canyons and large boulders to a smooth, polished finish. The water course is the only way water escapes from the high mountain basin.
At the end of the trail, the small creek cut through narrow canyon walls (the Window) and emptied over a 200 foot sheer cliff drop. Upon arrival Ruth ran off to see where the creek ended. Luckily we were able to convince that she should stop (IMMEDIATELY). Hearts in our mouths, Ruth stopped. Then she realized that the next few yards of her run took here over the cliff – something we’d noticed but she seemed to have missed. After a short stop we began our climb out of the valley and back to our campsite. The girls loved the Window Trail hike.
Other hikes have taken us along the Rio Grande to a natural Hot Springs where we spent some time soaking in the late afternoon. We also explored a few canyons carved over thousands of years by the Rio Grande. Apparently the Rio Grande flooded wildly back in September last year when hurricanes in Mexico dumped a deluge of rain inland that made its way to the Rio Grande. There were signs of silt and debris all on the river banks and around the lower campgrounds. In some places where the silt had not yet been cleared it was 6 feet deep.
We were saddened to realize that a rich Mexican cultural experience that lies literally a stone’s throw across the Rio Grande has been made impenetrable from recent years of fear-driven policy to prevent border crossings. Small towns immediately across the Rio Grande thrived by supplying arts, crafts and authentic Mexican meals in their small village restaurants to Big Bend visitors. They are now dying off. In a bygone era the craft sellers (and restaurateurs) would ferry tourists across the Rio Grande in their small boats. Today they leave their goods displayed on the US side of the river, near main trails, with a payment jar nearby. We can see and hear the Mexicans moving about on the other side of the river – even singing and chatting - but no physical contact is permitted.
If we were to cross the Rio Grande, an easy wade in some places, a US citizen runs the risk of being barred from re-entering the United States. Correspondingly, any Mexico national from the nearby villages caught crossing into the US would be fined, jailed and eventually returned to Mexico. As an arbitrary means to enforce the invisible wall, all Mexican made arts and crafts purchased by Big Bend visitors are declared contraband – with fines and loss of property imposed for anyone caught with them. (So much for the US-Mexico free trade agreement).
The irony is that, in an area where plants and animals don’t recognize this artificial border, a very porous border relationship has successfully existed for more than 100 years allowing trade and services to flow freely between those who live and work in the area, on either side of the border. This has now ceased. Overall, this unusual situation is quite at odds with what we saw along the shared US-Canadian border.
We celebrated 7 months on the road here at Big Bend National Park by lashing out on a “room” and dinner at the Chiso Mountain Lodge.
Our room is one of the Roosevelt Stone Cottages. These small stone buildings were built in the 1930’s for officers of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Apparently there has been some very famous people stay here, including Lady Bird Johnson and Franklin Roosevelt. Our cottage has 3 double beds and a spectacular view looking toward the west from high within the Chiso Basin, and toward The Window. The thick stone walls keep the room cool during the day and warm at night. The 3 foot high stone wall railing that forms part of the verandah has been worn smooth over the years from the very many people who did just as we did yesterday – sit on the wall and watch the sunset. Given that we’ve been camping every night since leaving San Antonio, we were most appreciative of the shower and fresh towels!
Today we head onward to Fort Davis and for a “Star Party” at the MacDonald Observatory on Friday night. Our travels take us into New Mexico over the weekend and another time zone change – to Mountain Time. Internet and cell phone coverage remains sporadic on this part of the journey.
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