New Mexico from Las Cruces to Capitan to Socorro, Fall 2017

Blog Resurrection ...

I haven't updated this Blog in seven years, and we have been to so many NEW places in these past years that it seems prudent to do so now. So let's continue from Texas.

We have spent a fair bit of time in New Mexico on previous trips, visiting White Sands National Monument near Alamagordo, and Valley of Fires Recreation Area near Carrizozo. In November and December 2017, we visited a few new places.

	Our friends were campground hosting at Aguirre Springs Recreation Area Campground, and invited us for Thanksgiving. There are several nice hiking opportunities in the park and on the west side of the Organ Mountains at Dripping Springs Natural Area. Photo'd here is Brad on the Pine Tree Trail. I love the jagged peaks of the Organ Mountains.
	Just south of Socorro is the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, a bird migration stopover. We saw numerous species of ducks, sandhill cranes (pictured), bald eagles, and snow geese (tens of thousands flew overhead while we were there). What a spectacle! A road allows visitors to drive the perimeter of the refuge.
	The Quebradas Scenic Byway is an unpaved 24-mile road near Socorro. It passes through colorful geology and benches above the Rio Grande. We really enjoyed this drive.
	The Three Rivers Petroglyph Site is just off Highway 54 between Tularosa and Carrizozo. Over 21,000 petroglyphs adorn this basalt ridge. There is a small campground and a hiking trail.
	As a child of the 60s, I grew up with Smokey Bear (NOT Smokey THE Bear) encouraging us to help prevent forest fires. So when I learned that he was buried nearby in Capitan, I had to go. At 6,350 feet above sea level (1,935m), Capitan a good long climb from Carrizozo, and a lot colder once you get up there. But I'm happy to have honored this little hero with a visit. Back story - Smokey was found as an orphaned cub clinging to a tree with burned paws after the Capitan Gap fire in 1950. He was nursed back to health, became a symbol of fire prevention and lived his life out at a zoo in Washington, D.C. before passing away in 1976. He is buried in Capitan's Smokey Bear Historic Park. "Remember, only you can prevent forest fires."

San Antonio and the Hill Country of Texas, Fall 2017

Blog Resurrection ...

I haven't updated this Blog in seven years, and we have been to so many NEW places in these past years that it seems prudent to do so now. So here we go.

We left Ontario in early November 2017 and drove straight to Waco, then to San Antonio and into the Hill Country of Texas.

	The Waco Mammoth National Monument in Waco is a wonderful park displaying the first and only find of a nursery herd of ice-age Columbian Mammoths in the U.S.
	We camped at Braunig Lake Park, and during a stroll along the water I discovered a Northern Harrier tethered to the reeds by a fishing line. Who knows how long the poor bird had been trying to escape, but I could see it was exhausted. A quick call to a local Wildlife Rescue brought freedom, although it was quite a delicate task untangling the line from its wing.
	No trip to San Antonio would be complete without visiting the Alamo. This fabulous museum details the account of this famous 13-day siege and subsequent battle.
	San Antonio is also famous for its Riverwalk, and I was expecting something very different. The river and its shops and restaurants are below street level, which I found cast a very dark, cold and gloomy atmosphere. Perhaps it is brighter in the middle of summer when the sun is higher. We did have a very tasty lunch though.
	We loved exploring Pedernales Falls State Park. I can see how this would be a summer destination.
	Pools at Pedernales Falls State Park.
	Longhorn Cavern State Park was a nice surprise. The caves are quite attractive.  Friends Robbie and Alice joined us for this tour as they were staying in nearby Austin.