Tag: travel

The Petroglyph cliff. The Mother Road episode 17

Still in Santa Fe and still just loving it here. Another hike was in order, again not a particularly long or challenging one but still good to get out and stretch some limbs.

This selection from Alltrails was La Cienaguilla loop and from the reviews it was not a huge elevation but did promise some pretty decent petroglyphs on the cliff face of the mesa.

It was a short drive from the campground….almost convenient…. 😁.The trailhead parking lot was mostly empty when we arrived…… (we definitely appreciate having the trails to ourselves when it happens..!!)

Despite reviews that say this is a hard trail to follow……we found our way fairly easily…… a flat sandy path along the base of the mesa….and then pretty much straight up…..

It was steep and rocky, but not terribly far to reach the base of the cliff….

Once there at the base….not the top…..the petroglyphs were numerous… it put me very much in mind of the pictographs in Skaha, British Colombia.

The pictures were quite fascinating…..apparently they age between the 13th and 17th century. To view more of them we had to edge our way along a rocky ledge path….

….but the further up we went, the more glyphs there were…..

Eventually we made our way up onto the top of the mesa… not a huge elevation but the view is still pretty impressive….

Taking a bit of a break from the graphics, we followed the Alltrails path around the mesa and down the other side…….

and a couple of crows that were making me very nervous as I gingerly made my way across the slope….just waiting for one of them to clonk my head……they did not……but they did keep the blogtographer amused.

Then….as we made our way down we found even more petroglyphs….

They were all just so cool……!!! and for a site that is so open they are so unspoiled. We had expected to see some more recent graffiti….but if there was any we did not see it…..and were very pleased not to.

As the day wore on the temperature began to climb….and time to call it and head home to the brave little air conditioner that could…. 😂….and a shower…!!!

Extra Pix

Nambe Badlands. The Mother Road episode 16

The old route 66 does a loop up through Santa Fe, adding time and distance to the journey. Even although this is the original route there was still a little bit of debate whether we should do this loop or not. We were conscious of the increasing temperatures in some of the destinations ahead of us, and the urgency of having that a/c unit repaired.

In the end we were so glad we decided to do it. We fell instantly in love with Santa Fe with its cooler climate in the mountains particularly welcome, especially with just the one air conditioner working.

The cooler clime created the opportunity to get the old legs stretched out again and Alltrails offered us a couple of likely candidates. The downside of a trip like route 66 is a lot of time sitting and driving and this far into the summer months…..the heat adds to the disincentive to be particularly active.

We picked a hike on the road up toward Taos, (Taos is on the list for a return visit 😁) Nambe Badlands. We have seen many different badlands landscapes by now but never tire of them…..they are all incredibly beautiful, and all so very, very different …

It’s a loop trail……

and we had lots of water….it was cooler than Tucumcari….but still pretty hot…!!!

There was really no shade for the truck….

….also no real hope of any shade for us on this particular trek through the coulees…….

…..and up onto the plateaus and mesas…..

……. taking every opportunity for a little shade…..

The path was well laid out and easy to follow ……..

….and the views were suitably spectacular…..

..as per the landscape we went up,

then down,

then up and down again….

…and again……

We kept up a steady pace and drank lots of water……

..it really is a spectacular landscape…breathtakingly beautiful…..and then….on the way down we met one of the local residents. Our first sighting of that old Western movie favourite, the Diamondback rattler.

I did not get anywhere near him despite encouragement from the photographer (“it’s for the blog..!!!!”) I circled around the bush. He may have been stretched out lazily in the heat, but I was not about to find out how quickly he could coil….!!!

Finally….hot, sticky and dusty we sighted the truck again……it was good to be out……but good to be done…..

……now home for a shower…!!!

Extra Pix

On the Road again…..2024 travels kick off.

First stop, a quick farewell trip to the neighbours…..

……..off we go again……

After receiving an invitation from friends which inspired a three day ‘shake-down’ trip to Aspen Crossing 45 minutes south east of Calgary, the 2024 travels adventures were underway.

It turned out to be a good move, as we awoke the first morning to find the bathroom floor swimming in water and an enormous puddle under the trailer. 😮

At first it was a bit of a horror………but turned out to be three different ironically simultaneous issues. The inlet valve for the toilet ( now 11 years old) had cracked and leaked water onto the bathroom floor (CLEAN water..!!!)….the water heater that we had just de-winterised and cleaned needed another couple of turns of plumbers tape on the valve……and the third one………we remembered a ‘BANG’ in Lethbridge…….something had kicked up off the road and hit the underbelly of the trailer leaving a dent right beside the edge of one of the inspection hatches on the black tank (the water in there was also clean from drawing water through the system to de-winterise)

All three issues solved relatively easily (said the person who didn’t have to crawl around under the trailer in the muck…..!!!)

While in Aspen Crossing we also managed to do a side trip to Vulcan (really…who could resist.) The town had the name before Star Trek became a ‘thing’……but the town has embraced the connection quite tastefully !!!

I especially loved the little Enterprises on all of the lamp posts in town….

Scott found some aesthetically broken down barns on the way home….( 😂 )

After saying our goodbyes to some old friends and some new ones (Hi Mike and Leslie…!!) off we set for next stop…a Harvest Host at Cypress Hills Winery just off the Trans Canada in Sasketchewan

Cypress Hills make a variety of fruit wines and as overnight guests (in the windswept and completely exposed parking lot) we were obliged to taste test their product. The rhubarb honey wine was quite acceptable…!! 😋

Next stop, after crossing possibly the smallest Canada/US border port (it was a bit like going through a Tim Hortons drive thru to be honest..LOL)…..was another Harvest Host ...The Teachers Lounge in Fortuna, North Dakota (we have since discovered that even people elsewhere in North Dakota don’t know where Fortuna is…LOL….Their loss….. it was a tiny town (popn 30) but the Teachers Lounge bar was one of the most interesting and ‘atmospheric’ bars we have been in. Super friendly……. a little gem that is totally worth the stop…even if it is a little out of your (really anyone’s) way.

The bar….

The town…..

Fortuna is a surprisingly well-put-together little town for its small size….but it is on the edge of the oil fields.

It was a delightful stop and gave us great hope for the entertainment which awaits us down the road.

Spectating at Writing on Stone

With one of our host of visitors still with us (good friend Bev as part of her Solo at 70 tour) and looking around for an event to visit, we spotted a small rodeo event at Writing-on-Stone advertised on their Facebook page. The weather was making promises of being warm and sunny, so we took advantage and headed down there with cameras at the ready.

As we pulled down into the valley where the rodeo grounds are located, we were approached by a lady coming to inquire if we were lost (LOL). Turns out that it was a very small event, mostly a practice run for some of the smaller kids barrel racing, and some team ropers trying out technique and horses who had not run with live calves before.

We three were the only spectators…!!!

We gladly made some donations adding to the prize pot for the kids barrel racing and sat ourselves on the bleachers for some entertainment. …and we were duly entertained.

We were told that the kids riding today had not had great results at the official WOS rodeo as nerves got the better of them with a full crowd. So just the three of us were considerably less intimidating.

It was an informal but still highly competitive little gathering.

The riders ranged from seriously skilled (and fast)

To determined and learning the skill.

To little tiny people being introduced to something I am sure they will come to love……

After the morning session of barrel racing, the team ropers showed up. These guys were mostly adults, from young to….well….experienced….!!!

…and I have to say…this whole idea of team roping…….it looks completely impossible…….

…but every so often……there is a team that cracks it….

Amazing stuff……..

The photographers were both doing their bit, laying in the dirt mostly…taking the action shots. I stayed mostly in the bleachers watching the trainers work with riders on skills. (mostly fine communication with some incredibly talented horses…….subtle body hand and foot movements to ask these big four-legged critters to do the dance). I do love watching skill happen….. 😁

What an entirely unexpected day out, terrific people and animals and all so handily close to home.

Extra pix