September-October Update
My
computer died and I’m now using Terry’s Lenovo-Windows 8, so I am in a learning
curve. Fortunately Terry recovered all my files for me. I got behind on my
notes and I must “write it to remember it”, so it’s catch-up time!
Tulsa was loads of fun for us,
while visiting Jean and family. We toured around the sights, walked in the
park, dined at some yummy restaurants and visited in the family homes. Tulsa
has a large collection of Art Deco architecture from the “big oil money” days
and we enjoyed witnessing and learning about it. A volunteer docent at the
Boston Avenue Methodist Church, a showcase example, gave us an extraordinary guided
tour. The days were cool and clear, just perfect for our visit.
Tomorrow is Monday, October
6, and we head to our winter work at Clark County Shooting Complex, in Las
Vegas.
We had a Picnic Lunch at Oklahoma
City but it was too hot to explore so we headed to higher elevations. We
crossed the old Chisholm Trail- old cattle-drive route from south Texas to
Kansas railhead. We camped at 1875 Fort Reno, established on the
Cheyenne-Arapaho reservation, where the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes are still
trying to re-acquire their land. We met a couple from the Oklahoma Panhandle, who
were heading for winter quarters in the Rio Grande valley of south Texas, and
they shared a lot of information about it. Apparently it is very economical to
winter there.
We camped at Amarillo for two
nights and enjoyed the surroundings. I talked to a line crew preparing to leave
the campground and head for a new project. They had worked for several months
around Amarillo, building transmission lines for the huge wind farms developing
around the area. The Charles Goodnight Ranch was just north, the old home of
the real “Lonesome Dove” cowboys. Amarillo (yellow in Spanish) has lots of
yellow wildflowers blooming, so it lives up to its name.
Moving on, we crossed the remainder
of the Texas Panhandle and entered the high plains of New Mexico. We observed a
(cheeseburger-size) tarantula crossing the road and wondered if he was in the
process of migrating, hibernating, feeding or mating. Given the circumstances,
we assumed it was most likely the second choice. Both of us were excited to be
back in the western states, with open spaces and mountain views.
We camped at Tucumcari, right
on old Route 66, and were surprised that much of the old structures still
exist. Old motor courts or tourist courts with the car-park garage are still
standing, along with the diners. Television was unique because sister stations
in the Central and Mountain Time Zones can be watched, with the same shows
one-hour apart.
We discovered the “Blue
Spring” on the Pecos River, at Santa Rosa, a scuba divers mecca. Who would have
guessed! Wind and rain from a storm in the Pacific accompanied us most of the
day.
Our next camp was at
Albuquerque, on the west side of the Rio Grande valley. Albuquerque straddles
the Rio Grande and the valley is a beautiful garden, in the high desert. We
have a panoramic view of the entire valley and the Sandia Mountains to the
east, from our RV Park. We toured Petroglyph National Monument and hiked the
three-mile trail into Piedras Marcadas Canyon. Here, the petroglyphs are 4-7
hundred years old and some are 2-3 thousand years of age. Also, 1600’s-1800’s
explorers left their names and dates in the volcanic basalt boulders.
Additionally, we saw a “Mickey Mouse” image that was much more recent but quite
well done.
We toured around the old
town, along the Rio Grande, and Route 66, followed by dinner at a local Albuquerque,
New Mexico establishment. I had the “real” Chile Relleno! The Albuquerque
International Balloon Fiesta is going on this weekend, so the area is super
busy. With mass ascensions, balloon glows, races, and special ceremonies, the
balloon park draws huge crowds. I-40 and I-25 were backed-up for miles at
daylight because the parking lots filled and visitors were turned away.
Our dogs have a lot of
frustration with time zone changes, heading west, because their little
“internal clocks” say it’s time for dinner an hour early. They just bark and
complain like it’s our fault! Unfortunately, we enter Pacific Time tomorrow and
they’ll have another adjustment!
No comments:
Post a Comment