New Mexico

Hi y’all, Bethany here subbing in for Mom. I was able to get this week off from work and flew down to Midland, TX last Friday. Mom and Dad picked me up from the airport and we drove straight to the RV campsite. Once I was inside the RV, I was amazed by how spacious it is! It’s easily four times bigger than where I’m staying right now. I just have a single room in a former convent in Boston, with a shared kitchen and bathrooms down the hall. Here, there’s a master bedroom with a washer/dryer, a living room/guestroom with a half bath, a full kitchen, and even a fireplace! What luxury I’ve been living in this week!

I’m glad that I got to see a bit of west Texas, but man there’s really not a lot to see. It was just oil fracking for miles in every direction and completely flat. We didn’t stay long, but instead woke up bright and early Saturday morning and drove to Carlsbad, NM. I got to help Dad with the process of emptying the grey and black water, unhooking the water hose, unplugging the electricity, and hitching up Greenie, our Kia Soul, to the back of the RV.

Almost immediately after crossing over the border in New Mexico, the topography became more interesting. The ground was no longer completely flat, but instead had an almost bubbly appearance, like sand dunes covered in desert bushes. We passed through a few very small towns, the type where if you blink you’ve missed it. In between the towns there’s nothing. It was either a little village or empty space with some fracking every so often. Once we got to Carlsbad, we started seeing more familiar businesses, with mountains off in the distance. We parked the RV, hooked up to the power and water, and then drove to Carlsbad Caverns before the engine had completely cooled. 

The drive there took us through some beautiful mountains. We kept on climbing until we got to the top of one of the larger peaks, only to take an elevator down 750 feet to the caverns themselves. I still forget whether it’s the stalagmites or stalactites that hang from the ceiling. Inside the caverns, there’s a loop that brings you around to the different rooms. These caverns are huge, and the loop is over a mile long. There are still passages being discovered and passages that are not open to the public. Scientists who have explored them believe there are organisms within which may be able to cure types of cancer. We thoroughly enjoyed walking around the caverns, but did not enjoy waiting an hour and forty-five minutes in line for the elevator back up to the surface. We were relieved when we finally got back to the campsite that the KOA delivered a barbecue dinner right to our door and we didn’t have to cook or do dishes! We slept well that night.

When I woke up Easter morning, Mom told me that I had just missed the Easter Bunny. Apparently he had just come and left me a package of Russell Stover chocolate covered marshmallow eggs, my favorite! Naturally, I didn’t get them all to myself, though. 

When we had first gotten to the KOA, we had been told that one of the best sites in the Carlsbad area was Sitting Bull Falls, so that’s where we decided to spend Easter. We drove to Lincoln National Forest, the “land of many uses,” passing many bulls and cows grazing in the area right along the road, without any fences. Since I had landed in Midland I hadn’t seen a whole lot of water. Going to the falls and dipping my feet in the water was heaven, especially since it was in the 90s. I didn’t leave them in the water for long though. The water was spring fed, even the water at the top of the falls, so it was quite chilly.

Monday was our day to relax a bit. We needed to wait until the mail arrived with the replacement credit cards before we could pack up and head off to our next location. Luckily, they arrived before 11, so we quickly threw the RV together (Mom stopped to vacuum) and drove up to Ruidoso. The road to Ruidoso was mostly flat for most of the way, but a steady incline. As we approached the town, the mountains got higher and higher and we felt more like we were in the Rockies. I’m not sure if these mountains are officially part of the range or not, but being from NH, it felt very comforting to be nestled between the hills and not surrounded by the desert on all sides. Ruidoso was mainly just a place to rest our heads for the night on the way to Albuquerque, but it was one of my favorite parts of the trip. 

Monday night, Mom was feeling tired, so while she rested in the RV, Dad and I went to go check out the town. The Inn of the Mountain Gods is a resort and casino not far from the hotel. Mostly we wanted to check out the buffet. I’ll give it a 6 or 7, though the rest of the resort seemed wonderful. We did make a point of wandering around the mostly deserted casino. What can you expect on a Monday in April? We ended up chatting with the five guys guarding the craps table, where I was taught the very basics. When you roll the dice, 2, 3, or 12 are immediate losses. 7 and 11 are immediate wins. Any other number is what you’re betting on. If you don’t roll that number again before you roll a 7, you’ve lost that bet. Standing around the table, there are likely to be other people betting on the same number as you, so the energy around a craps table often gets really high, with people cheering each other on and rooting for them to roll a specific number.

When we woke up on Tuesday, we drove to Albuquerque. This drive took us through Lincoln, Billy the Kid country. We continued west, crossing through the Valley of Fires, in Carrizozo. If you look on a map of New Mexico, you will see a strip of black ground, which is basalt lava. It’s fascinating to see rock so solid that looks almost liquid still. After arriving at the KOA in Albuquerque, we were starving. The lady at the front desk recommended we go to a nearby diner called Owl Cafe. The food was delicious and I got to try chicken fried steak for the first time. 

Dad was tired from such a long drive with the RV through the mountains and up to Albuquerque, so he wanted to take a break from driving on Wednesday. We decided to head into Old Town and see the different shops. One of the first stops along the street there, Four Corner Pottery Jewelry, had beautiful jewelry and we enjoyed talking to the wonderful saleswoman, Donna. While she showed my Mom some of the different pieces, Dad and I walked over to a little guitar shop, where the guitars were all made on site. We meandered further around the little neighborhood until we were hungry and decided to find a nice Mexican restaurant for lunch. We walked a block out of Old Town to Monica’s El Portal. There I got to try carne adovado, a specialty of New Mexico, and also sopapillas. They’re like fried dough and are served warm with honey on the side. Absolutely delicious, especially when used to soothe your tongue because carne adovado is a little spicier than you can handle. After lunch we wandered back up to Four Corner Jewelry and Pottery because Donna had shown Mom this beautiful necklace and wanted to Dad to see it. Dad was walking a bit ahead of us because we had gotten distracted in another store, but when we caught up to him, we found him sitting on a bench outside Four Corner talking to Donna. Apparently, she had seen him coming, and had said, “Don’t I know you?” and had pulled him into the shop to show him the necklace Mom had fallen in love with earlier in the day. Once she and I joined him in the shop and she tried it on, we both agreed that she shines in it, especially when she wears the matching earrings. I can’t wait to see the different ways she wears her new presents. 

Thursday Dad was ready to drive again, so we drove up to Taos and Taos Pueblo. The closer we got, the more beautiful the landscape became as we climbed further into the rockies. Taos is a beautiful little city, where most of the buildings are in a sort of adobe-inspired style. When we got to Taos Pueblo, we got to see more traditional adobe buildings. Taos Pueblo is one of the 19 pueblos of New Mexico, still has over 50 people who live there full-time, and is over a thousand years old. The buildings themselves have been modernized slightly in that they now have some windows and doors, but it’s not possible to add plumbing or electricity. Originally, the only door was a hole in the roof. Our tour guide in the pueblo was a girl in her fourth year of college who had grown up living in the pueblo. She told us that their language is passed down orally, not written down. However, she and many of her peers still strongly wish to carry on the culture of their heritage, so they make sure to learn everything they can, so that they can eventually pass it on to their children. 

Friday we drove north again, this time driving east of the mountains which overlook Albuquerque, taking a road known as the Turquoise Trail which took us up through Madrid (emphasis on first syllable, like in Berlin, NH). This route was again stunning, but unfortunately along the road, a car passed us and kicked up a stone which cracked our windshield. When we reached Santa Fe, we scheduled a repair for Saturday, and went to Red Lobster. Dad had mentioned a few times that he was looking for a belt buckle set, similar to one he had seen in Cody, Wyoming. He had seen an ad for a shop off the Turquoise Trail, Mortensen Silver and Saddles, that we decided to check out. When we pulled up to the shop, we were greeted by a very friendly doorman named Sully who wouldn’t let us pass without giving him a scratch behind the ears. While I was busy giving him a belly rub, Mom and Dad walked into the shop, letting Sully’s friend Pepper out who wanted a belly rub as well. I eventually joined Mom and Dad in the shop where they make custom saddles in addition to belts. They were just about done deciding on the one they wanted, so I sat down with Pepper to make sure I’d get my fill of puppy love. 

When we were done in there, we got ready to drive back to Albuquerque. I had been looking at the different routes that we could take back. We’d taken i25 twice the day before and the Turquoise Trail that morning, so I wanted to see if I couldn’t find a new adventure for us. Well, I did. I had a found a road that wound around behind Sandia Peak, east of Albuquerque, but I had neglected to check on the condition of the road. We made poor Greenie take us down a class 6 road for a few miles until it finally got so bad that we had no choice, but to turn around. We’re lucky that crack in the windshield didn’t spread!

Today is Saturday and is my last full day here. After we got Greenie’s windshield fixed, we drove over to the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History. We saw the exhibits outlining the development of the atomic bomb in the 1940s and talking about the cold war. I found it most interesting to read about an event and then turn to Mom and Dad and ask, “Do you remember this?” and hearing their perspective. 

Now I’m sitting here on the couch in the RV as the wind blows around us. It’s been so wonderful to have this week with both of my parents to visit a state I’ve never been to and meet new people. From the men guarding the craps table, to a man selling blue corn fry bread in the Taos pueblo, to the guy building a saddle, this trip has been colored by striking up conversation with complete strangers and learning about something they are experts in. These conversations are invaluable to me and I will never forget them. Tomorrow morning I fly back to Boston, and it’s back to business as usual. I know, however, that I will never stop traveling and I will never stop searching for new stories. As Mom told me the other night, “It has gone by so fast, and it has been so much fun.”

Hill Country/San Antonio

Hi, you'all! We said goodbye to Dick & Linda in Harlingen, TX., and drove north to see our friends Dori & Clyde Kimball in Hondo, Texas, located in the picturesque Hill Country. Dori was our real estate agent in New London, NH, and actually found the house we have lived in since 1998. As the 4 of us ate dinner outside that first night, we did our best to catch up with each other. Later, as it grew dark, we continued to chat as we sat around a warm fire pit, with their family dog trying out everyone's lap.

The next day we drove into Bandera, had lunch with Dori, visited her new real estate office, and did a little shopping. Bandera, TX is the Cowboy Capital of the World, and it is not uncommon to see a cowboy on his horse during the weekend. After the Civil War, the town had become the primary southern terminus of the Great Western Cattle Trail, which ran north to Dodge City, Kansas, (remember the TV show Gunsmoke?) into Nebraska, and, for a time, clear on up to Deadwood, South Dakota.

On Saturday we drove through the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, in Stonewall, the birth place and final resting place of LBJ and his wife, Ladybird. The ranch is 1570 acres in area, and was known as the "Texas White House" during LBJ's administration. On permanent display at the ranch is a JetStar plane in a hangar, with a mile long airstrip, built after LBJ acquired the ranch in 1951. Interesting, Air Force One never landed at the ranch because it was too heavy for the runway. LBJ would fly from Washington to either San Antonio or Austin, and then make the short hop to the ranch by helicopter or car. Also seen on the ranch are his parent's and grandparent's homes, and a one-room school house LBJ briefly attended. This working ranch with it's many cattle, green lawns and white fences is in impeccable condition.

Later we took a really nice country drive on the famous 13 mile Willow City Loop, on the lookout for Bluebonnets and other wild flowers. We saw some, but unfortunately the season had peaked a week earlier. There were other wild flowers, notably Indian Paintbrush, Mexican Poppies and Winecups. We learned that any fences painted with purple posts on the top seriously meant THEY SHOOT TRESPASSERS! We didn't stop. At another point there were  Cowboy and Cowgirl boots on the wooden fence posts for as far as the eye can see. Nice touch!

That same day we also visited Fredericksburg, TX. The town is notable as the home of Texas German, a dialect spoken by the first generations of German settlers who initially refused to learn English. We enjoyed lunch in a German restaurant and did some shopping, and Steve found his Cowboy Hat, LBJ style!

On Sunday (Palm Sunday) Dori and I went to Cowboy Church in a large converted barn. I fit in with my jeans, suede jacket, and of course, my Cowgirl Hat! A full band played for about 20 minutes, very harmonic and enthusiastic, successfully getting the whole congregation joining in. Then the pastor got up and spoke for 40 minutes in his cowboy getup. Very enjoyable. Dori told me that on Christmas Eve they parade animals, including camels, from one end to the other. Sounds like fun!

Steve and Clyde met us after church. On the way they drove by some ranches that raised exotic animals....zebras, Black Buck (a type of African Antelope),  emu, and others. Some of these exotic animals are hunted, for a price. Afterwards, Steve and I drove to San Antonio. We toured the Alamo, (Remember the Alamo)? The Alamo had been the scene of a siege on March 6, 1836, between Mexican General Santa Ana's 1,500 troops and the 250 volunteer defenders. Among the Alamo volunteers, who defended the garrison to the last man were Jim Bowie, renowned knife fighter, and Davy Crockett, famed frontiersman and former Tennessee congressman. One volunteer, Robert E. Cochran, came from New Hampshire.

Afterwards we walked to the San Antonio River Walk, where we took in a narrated history on the River Boat Tour. The cruise was 35 minutes long and covered one and a half miles. Our captain kept up a monologue about the history and growth of the riverwalk. The 1968 San Antonio's World's Fair brought about many changes, and today San Antonio is the country's 7th largest city.

The next day we said goodbye to Dori & Clyde, and drove to San Angelo, TX. While parked there, we got an unfortunate email from our local bank. Our Visa cards had been hacked!  The culprits were caught trying to charge $500.00 on it at Walmart. Still, we had to arrange for new cards to be sent to us, which is a little difficult to do when you are on the road. We managed to figure out where we would be on the day the cards would arrive, the bank mailed them, and it all worked out, eventually.

We are sooooo excited to have our daughter Bethany join us for 9 days later this week. We will pick her up at the Midland/Odesssa Airport and then drive onto New Mexico. See you next week!

Rio Grande Valley

The next part of our trip takes place in the Rio Grande Valley, an area located in the southernmost tip of South Texas. We drove about 300 miles south to Harlingen, Texas, and set up camp at a very nice and friendly RV site. On the East Coast, we refer to those who leave the cold to spend the winter in Florida (or other warm places) as "Snow Birds".  In the west, many folks flock to southern Texas to stay toasty, and they are commonly called "Winter Texans".  Most of these seasonal renters at the RV site had already left for their northern homes a few days before we arrived, but several of those who remained came over to our RV to made sure we were all set. The office was closed on Sundays, the day we arrived, (which we were aware of from our phone call when making our reservations) and it was a little confusing as to exactly where we should park. Many sites had permament motor homes parked on them, with patios, plantings and covered foundations. But thanks to these kind residents, we soon got squared away, and called our friends, New Hampshire transplants, who now lived just down the road.

Dick and Linda DesRosiers left Manchester, NH in 2004. They absolutely love it down here, and set out to show us everything they could during the 3 days we had allotted ourselves to stay. That night they invited us to have dinner at their home. Over dinner we talked on and on, trying to catch up on each other's lives. It was almost time to leave when the strangest thing happened, something they had never seen in all their time in Harlingen. It hailed! all of us rushed out to bring some potted plants inside. Now at this time I'm thinking about the hail we just experienced a couple of days ago, and I'm hoping and praying that it's not going to stalk us on this trip. Spooky!

The next day was sunny, in the 90's, and the 4 of us drove the 30 miles to the Mexican border. With passports safely in our possession we parked on the American side, and walked across the bridge to Nuevo Progreso, dropping 2 quarters in the turnstile. We immediately knew "we were not in Kansas anymore."

As we made our way out to the walkway, we passed by heavily armed Policia Federal agents. Beggars were pushing baseball caps through the bridge walls, wailing in Spanish for handouts. We walked on towards the crowded streets. Vendors were on the street side of the sidewalk, selling all kinds of goods, none with prices listed. They were pretty aggressive in their sales approach, calling out their wares, pushing items at us and making it somewhat difficult to get by, touching us on the arm at times, and doing their best to get our attention.

Even more interesting were the shops on the other side of the sidewalk. Outside of the many doctor's offices, dental clinics and pharmacies were paid employees dressed in scrubs, hawking these services.
These were walk-in facilities, and our friends have used them to save mucho dinero. While dental procedures might cost $800.00 in the US, it may cost as little as $150.00 in Mexico. The pharmacies were also eye openers. One can purchase 90 days worth of a prescription med for a fraction of what the same med is sold for in the US. One doesn't even need to show a prescription, but they do ask to see a driver's license.

We enjoyed a nice Mexican lunch, and then the women left to go to a salon to get their nails done. A pedicure cost $11.00 dollars, a manicure $8.00. Add the customary $1.00 tip, and you were (cheaply) on your way!

On our way back to the US, we dropped 1 quarter this time into the turnstile, and showed our passports to the US Customs. No one asked to see our purchases or receipts, or asked us questions. Each visitor is allowed $400.00 worth of duty free goods for personal use every 30 days.

The following day, also sunny and in the 90's, we went birding for a while, something neither of us had ever done. Among the birds we saw were bright red Cardinals, vivid yellow Orioles, Mourning Doves and a large hen-sized bird called a Chachalaca (cha-cha-la-ca). They were feeding on orange and apple halves nailed down on feeders.

After lunch we went to the Museum of South Texas History in Edinburg, Texas. It features exhibits on the history of the Rio Grande Valley, as well as the rest of South Texas and Northern Mexico. One exhibit we were interested in was of a map that showed how much of Texas had once been under water.  Our friends confirmed this by telling us they occasionally dig up shells at their home when they till their gardens.

Our last day was supposed to be a beach day on South Padre Island, but it was much too windy and the beaches were flying red flags. We did take off our shoes and waded up to our ankles, just to say "Why yes, we have been in the Gulf!" Later on we sat on benches away from the blowing sand and soaked up the rays while our feet dried. We went to a different place for birding this day, and walked the boardwalk near a wetlands. There we saw a flock of wading Roseate Spoonbills, a large white bird with brilliant pink and red on its wings, and a beak that looks like, well, like a spoon, sort of.  It's apparently useful for sweeping side to side in the water, creating mini-whirlpools that pull up small prey from the muddy bottoms of shallow ponds.  Among the other birds we recognized were Egrets, Herons and red-winged Blackbirds. There was also a butterfly garden where we found a shady bench to relax and watch the fluttering visitors. Lastly, we ended our day with a stop at Sea Turtle Inc. Their mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, and release injured sea turtles, educate the public, and assist with conservation efforts for all marine turtle species. Our friends are volunteer members of this organization, and walk the beaches during nesting season patrolling for fresh mama turtle tracks. These may lead to sand pits where the turtle eggs have been deposited and covered with sand. They then carefully relocate the nests to a safe, enclosed location, free from predators. The primary sea turtle that nests on these beaches is the Kemp's ridley.

We really enjoyed our time in Harlingen, but now it was time to say goodbye to our friends.  We needed to get ready for our next day's travel to Bandera, Texas, about 300 miles northwest. Our photos are already posted, so we'll catch y'all in a few days.

Steve & Sue Geenbaum