We were sad to leave Mesa Verde, CO after such a long and wonderful stay. Unfortunately on our last night there one of our RV neighbors couldn't get his motor home started so I offered him help. First I lent him our portable jumper box which didn't work for him so then I drove the truck over to give him a jumpstart. Turns out he was trying to jump the wrong battery! Once he figured that out, it started right up. Well, good deed done I jumped in to drive back to our site and what do I do???? I cut through an empty site being careful of the obvious electrical box but didn't see the flower barrel protecting the water faucet!!!! AAAAAHHHHH after a loud crunch and a scary Peg face I stop and get out to find the barrel on its side wedged under the running board of the passenger side. And I mean wedged; couldn't move it, couldn't move the truck and couldn't break it apart. I had to bring in the park owner, manager and maintenance man and they used a pick axe to remove the rocks under the barrel which was enough to allow it to move. We were able to bend the running board back into place, so the only thing permanently damaged is my pride!
The drive from Mesa Verde to Santa Fe was smooth and easy. Talk about a change in scenery! We went from snow covered mountains to the desert of New Mexico. The RV park has nice big sites surrounded by dirt and gravel, but there is a walking trail all around the outside of the park. We drove to downtown Santa Fe to take our favorite trolley tour. It is a very historical city with strict building codes so that everything looks like adobe pueblos; which means everything is very square and brown. The city is home to the oldest church in the country and the church that has the miraculous staircase. This is a great story about a group of nuns that prayed for a staircase so they wouldn't have to climb a ladder to the choir balcony. An unnamed man showed up with a saw, hammer and square and built them a beautiful spiral staircase without any supports. He disappeared afterword without requesting any form of payment. It is also the city of galleries. Every type of art imaginable. We fell completely in love with a sculpture of two Puebloans climbing up a cliff to their dwelling. It was a good couple of days back in the city, but let me say that the drivers in Santa Fe are crazy.... fast, rude and too many of them.
Loretto Chapel
Miraculous Staircase - The banister was added later at the nuns request
The wood was beautiful
San Miguel The oldest church
The pueblo stones inside the walls are a few feet thick
Inside of San Miguel
These are two of the bronze sculptures we were so impressed with, the details are amazing
Palo Duro Canyon, TX October 24 - 28, 2013
We finally made the trek to Palo Duro Canyon in Texas. Another easy drive and the park was adequate. The first spot they gave us was narrow and our slide-outs were going to stick out into the road so I asked to be moved. We got another spot which was much better and we didn't have any neighbors yeah. It is a little weird to be back in Texas after so long.
We drove into the state park to check out the visitor center and drive thru to see the sights. Palo Duro is known as the grand canyon of Texas. It is beautiful and is a great spot for a camping weekend. They have lots of hiking and mountain biking trails. We chose a trail that was built by the CCC that goes from the rim of the canyon down to the bottom. A really pretty trail and hike.
No shortage of whatever this guy likes to eat!
These formations are named "Spanish skirts"
Zoe and Calcite love to hike!
View from a peak in the middle
Overlooking the canyon
Our truck is way over there
Steep and narrow trail with great views
Coming soon..... Oklahoma City and Allen, TX to see Alex and Jacob
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