Back to the Beach

Note: I am posting this after we have returned home, as we prepare for our next adventure.

MARCH 2015
Now, back in glorious Carpentaria, lolling on the beach and reveling in sunshine, surf and spectacular sunsets, it is hard to believe how much we did and saw the past few weeks.

That’s the thing about travel, the days tend to be rich with new, or at least, different experiences. A week can fly by with a month’s worth of stuff having happened.  So briefly to catch up:

After we left Clovis, NM we drove over 300 miles, climbing in elevation all day, and arrived in Tijeras New Mexico , not far from Albuquerque.

Nearing the RV Park we had selected, we noticed snow on the ground in shady areas along the road. But it was warm and sunny – tank top and sandals weather. 

I am always surprised at how different RV parks can be. Some are parking lots with a bathroom, service hookups and laundries, others are communities where many people live full time in their RV's.  And lots of things in between. This place,  just off the main road, behind a gas station, was a community, at least in winter when there are fewer travelers.

Here, the campsites stretched up a mud and gravel hill, woods stretched out in two directions. The office was large and inviting, and had a varied collection of books and CDs. The price was good and we were tired.

As we walked the dogs we met a park resident who reminded us that we were just miles from Santa Fe, and the Georgia O’Keefe Museum. He also said something about the park being kind of muddy when it rained, but we were standing in full sun ….

We awoke to 21 degrees, a frozen water hose and SNOW!Not a day to travel up to even colder temps and higher elevations. So, the lobby library worked out well.

We spent the day cozy in our camper, reading, eating, napping and watching a video.  As the snow melted, the dirt turned to mud, so thick it was almost impossible to walk around – the mud clogging the soles of my shoes (don't even ask about the dogs).



The next morning was so cold that the mud had frozen.  The sun was shining. We were able to head  up the Turquoise Road 40 miles to Santa Fe, climbing so high we were above the clouds. 

But first, Trader Joe's appeared on the horizon. From there, knowing that our larder was once again full,  I spent the morning at the wonderful Georgia O'Keeffe museum. I loved seeing the paintings, looking at photos of the artist, and especially, seeing her actual tools, view and work space. Mine is much messier.

We had a great lunch, and walked around the shops and galleries, and admired the architecture against the cobalt blue sky. Then, though I'd have loved to spend more time here, we were both hating the altitude and dryness.  It was time to head south to warmer temperatures.

That night the park on our route was Red Rocks State Park in Gallup New Mexico. Once more, we were awed to just wind up in a place so awesomely unique and beautiful, and just in time to see the incredible color of rock formations before the sun set. 

In the morning, our map showed that the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest was just ahead.  This was a site I have always wanted to see. I was not disappointed. What moved me the most, among the stunning shapes and colors and the sheer empty enormity was the rock with hieroglyphics from an ancient native American..

This stunning scenery did not even begin to prepare us for the magic of Sedona, which we arrived at on a Saturday morning. The place was so crowded that lines of traffic stretched for miles on the road coming in from both directions. We spent the day, fighting for parking, crowded among people, and finally drove on - it was hot and we were ready to get back to the beach.

Driving out of Sedona heading east took us along more stunning and terrifying roads at the edge of cliffs, but we made it to a campsite by dark, and were back on the road in the morning. One more night, back at the desert camp near Joshua Tree National Park, and a half day more on the road, and we were back at the beach.

 See the next post for the final installment of Snowbirds Winter Adventure 2015.

Then I will have to begin the next adventure - Cross Country Summer . ... coming soon