New Mexico, April 2018

Three Rivers Petroglyphs (near White Sands)
and Trinity Site.

Thanks to a fellow camper, we took a drive to this quaint country chapel several miles down a gravel road in the middle of no where.

Services are still held here, must be mostly ranchers because there are no towns for miles around. 

About a mile from the church are stations of the cross with a large cross perched on top a small mountain. The large cross can be seen for miles. We hiked up to several stations. Beautiful and serene.

Three Rivers Petroglyphs Site...

Looking at the map and our route to White Sands we saw the White River Petroglyph Site, decided to stop and check it out. Several miles off the highway, we were surprised to find out they had camping sites, one was available. Our plan was to stay closer to White Sands but this little spot was just too good to pass up. The small camping area was very peaceful, beautiful views and easy hiking to the petroglyphs. Our camping site was very spacious, we loved it so much that we ended up extending our stay. We’ve seen petroglyphs in the past but not like this. The vast numbers, interesting art and accessibility all incredible. We hiked that ridge several times and found new petroglyphs every time.  

The rocky ridges rising above the Three Rivers Valley contain over 21,000 petroglyphs, including masks, sunburst, wildlife, handprints and geometric designs. These petroglyphs were made by a group of Native Americans that archeologists determined to have lived here 1,000 years ago. The rock art seems to reflect a strong supernatural and religious connection to their environment.

Above appears to be a big horn sheep pierced with arrows. Maybe communicating hunting grounds. 

High up on a boulder was one of my favorites.

I like the eyes up on the boulder top, they're overlooking the valley below. 

Researchers are quite certain who made the petroglyphs 

but what they mean is up for much debate.  

Another of my favorites. This figure was drawn with ear rings.

McDonald House - Trinity Site 

The world’s first nuclear bomb was assembled and tested here at the Trinity site on the White Sands Missile Range. The bomb was assembled at the McDonald ranch house about 2 miles from where it was detonated on July 16, 1945. 

The McDonald Ranch house was taken over by the Army as part of their training grounds. The McDonalds were paid a minimal amount and vacated the ranch under protest, they hoped the ranch would be returned to them after the war (which did not happen).

The Army opens the Trinity Site to the public two days a year, once in spring and once in fall. We were camping a couple hours away but decided a unique opportunity to visit, we were on the road at 5:30am as we heard cars line up for miles to get through the security gate. The gates close at 2:00 sharp, if you’re still in line and waiting to get through, too bad. Not your typical tourist attraction, but very interesting and historic. There were informational signs posted on fences and volunteer guides to answer questions. 

The cone shaped monument is ground zero where the bomb was detonated.

Interesting side note…On our drive to Trinity we saw a very out-of-place looking animal, we later learned it was an Oryx. The Oryx is an African gazelle, quite large, black and white in color with long straight horns. We later learned the Oryx was released in the white sands area back in the late 60’s as an idea to attract big game hunters. The Oryx has since multiplied to the point where numbers are considered problematic by ranchers. They have no natural predators in the White Sands area. 

  

Ending the day with a sunset from the top of the petroglyph ridge.

New Mexico, April 2018

April 4, after spending much of the winter in AZ, it’s good to be on the road again. Heading east on NM Hwy 60 we found Pie Town, curiosity got the best of us and we do love pie…we just had to stop. Pie Town has a population of 60, we saw 3 little diners, all highlighting their pies. That’s about all there is to Pie Town, didn’t see any stores or gas stations. When we first walked into the Gathering Place diner we thought we entered through the wrong door, we were in the midst of ladies covered in flour rolling pie crusts and assembling pies. The ladies were joyfully welcoming and assured us we were in the right place. We bought a small white chocolate cherry pie for the road, however once we got out to the RV (Shorty) we just had to sample it. The pie was the most delicious cherry pie we've ever tasted, so good we went back in and bought a butterscotch blueberry. This is going to require some hiking.

White Sands National Monument...

White Sands....best kind of "snow", looks like snow, glistens in the sun like snow, and is plowed with a road grader like snow. Kids bring their flying saucers and slide down the dunes. BEST PART, it's warm, no boots, mittens or long johns needed. 

We welcomed the partly cloudy skies, the sun reflecting off the white sand is very bright. 
Little vegetation survives on the wind blown dunes. The sand has blown around this lone clump of bushes making for an interesting scene.

The sand is irresistible to scoop up and let it run through your fingers, it feels like a mix of sugar and flour. According to the park brochure, it's actually not sand but gypsum, the water table is shallow which keeps the dunes cooler compared to sand dunes in other parts of the country. One can go barefoot hiking in these dunes. 

So much white, climbing each dune only left us with more ahead.

A fellow hiker.

The red stakes mark a trail. There are miles of dunes, up and down hiking. After the first dune we lost sight of the parking lot, it would be easy to get turned around.

The outskirts of the dunes are more suitable for vegetation growth. 

All for now.

This is Wisconsin -  Aug/Sept 2017

Once again my blog is falling behind, but have no fear, we're still traveling, living full time in our motorhome and loving this adventure we're on. I plan to go back and post a few blogs from our time after San Diego to present here in WI. 

Those travels included time in Yosemite, Sequoia Nat Park and the Owens Valley in northern CA. We spent a week in Bishop and attended Mule Days. Explored ghost towns and found some great hikes. These were amazing travels. 

This is WISCONSIN, born and raised, and will always be home. 💗

My brother in law checking his corn back in July. Now in Sept it is well over our heads. The crops look very good this fall. Maybe too good, we hear corn prices are down. 

Camping at the home farm.

My sister and brother in law always offer us a spot to camp at the farm. They have switched to crop farming...the cows are gone and the old barn sits empty. Sad to see the small dairy farms becoming a thing of the past.   

DOOR COUNTY, one of the most beautiful places in WI.

Cave Point County Park on the Michigan Shoreline has beautifully colored turquoise water. The caves in the limestone cliffs make it a popular spot for kayaking.

PEACEFUL....my favorite cairn along the Cave Point shoreline. 

DULUTH MN, Canal Park is a great place to watch ships come into port.
The Indiana Harbor is a 1,000 foot long ship, one of the longest on the Great Lakes.  

As a thunderstorm was brewing, this dramatic sky unfolded. 

WI is known for small town festivals, horse pulls and tractor pulls.

Being die hard Packer fans, a trip to Green Bay was in order. The Packer's open practices are popular and draw a huge crowd.
A favorite tradition is the players riding kids bikes back and forth from the stadium to the practice field. Bikes are lined up waiting for the end of practice. As practice ends, kids stand by their bikes and hope to be chosen. 

One happy young lady.

Said to be the world's largest scrap metal sculpture...standing amid a collection of sculptures in the middle of WI.
We enjoy the unusual, and this sculpture garden fit the bill. Tom Every worked as an industrial wrecker taking down old factories and buildings. He retired in 1983 and decided to create from what was considered trash. He earned the nickname Dr. Evermor and named this massive sculpture the Forevertron. One could spend hours looking at all the different pieces incorporated into his art.   

My favorite bird. 

There is a full orchestra of creatures with different instruments.

Tha's all for now, will be heading southward soon, fall weather is setting in.  

San Diego, May 2017

My blog is lagging behind...will try to do some catching up. 

The first week in May we met up with our son, his wife and our little grandson in San Diego. 

Our campground at Carlsbad State Park...our rig sitting on top the cliff.
What an amazing view we had. 

Carlsbad beach.
This beautiful beach goes on forever and we walked and walked daily.

Our son is always up for quirky things (actually we are too)...so we set out for a day trip to Salvation Mountain and Slab City. Slab City is hard to describe...it's inhabited mostly by free spirits (hippy type) squatters living on an abandoned navy base. All that's left of the base is the cement slabs where buildings once stood, hence the name Slab City. People living there are often referred to as Slabbers. Slab City is totally off the grid, no running water, electric or garbage pick up. The "yard art" displayed throughout is apocalyptic, creative, mad-max, twilight zone and interesting.

The library at Slab City. 
Quite a selection of books, albeit a bit dusty. 

One of my favorites at Slab City is the wall of old TV's and computer screens. Interesting notes painted on the screens. The row of chairs all had remotes on them :).

 Just so happened a man was sitting there reading the screens when I snapped this photo. 

Around the corner from Slab City is Salvation Mountain. The work of a very dedicated Leonard Knight who built a mountain with his own hands and funds, all to share his faith. There's a pathway with steps one can climb to the top by the cross. The mountain is made from straw, tree limbs, old tires, windows and adobe clay. Knight passed away in 2014.  
A quote fom a brochure I picked up...Leonard often said, "Love is universal, Love God, Love one another and just keep it simple."   

It takes alot of paint and volunteers to maintain the mountain. 

Our next interesting stop was the Jacobs School of Engineering. The campus has several unique "sculptures" that were commissioned by the school. This tiny house rests on top a 7 story building. I couldn't stop looking at it.

We were intrigued and made our way up to the 7th floor. Unfortunately, the door going out to the tiny house was locked. There are set times that it is open for tours, how cool would that be. I loved the garden and yard. 

Another work of art "sculpture" on the Engineering campus.

All from San Diego. It's on to Owens Valley and Bishop CA. in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. 

Boron CA & Laughlin, NV... April, 2017

Viewpoint overlooking mine.

The small town of Boron is famous for borax mining. It's an older town with a museum/visitors center that's worth a stop. The museum highlights local and mining history. We had lunch at the 20 Mule diner across the street...tasty Mexican food. After lunch we drove to the mine a few miles out of town. The mine also has a visitors center with informational displays and a short video about this huge mining operation. Viewpoints outside provide an overlook of the mine…a massive hole in the ground. I liked the piles of rocks in the parking lot…rocks/minerals from the mine, visitors could take a favorite or two. I was in rock heaven…but our RV and DH (dear husband) keep me in check. I did get a couple small ones to add to my rock jar. :) 

We learned a great deal about borax that day...

1881- Borax is discovered in Death Valley and mining begins.

Borax was transported out of Death Valley to a railroad hub near Boron using mule power. These were the 20 Mule Team years. These great mule teams traveled 162 miles from Death Valley to the railroad point. Their route took them through some of the most forbidding land on earth, summer temperatures ranged from 136-150 degrees. They covered approximately 16-18 miles a day, the one way trip took about 10 days. The wagons were built big and strong, the rear wheels being 7 ft high with steel tires 8” wide. A mule train consisted of two big ore wagons, a water tank wagon holding 1,200 gallons and necessary supplies. A fully loaded wagon train weighed approximately 36 tons. The Harmony Mine in Death Valley was closed after rich deposits were found in the Boron area, close to the rail lines.  
Borates (borax) are used in cleaning products, glass to increase strength, fertilizers, fiberglass, wood treatments, nutrition and additives in many other products.
The mine in Boron is California’s largest open-pit mine and the largest borax mine in the world. 

Retired truck from the mine, on display at the town museum. The museum host told us this is a "baby" truck compared to what they're using today.

Have you ever seen a speed limit at 37 1/2? 

This was posted on the road into the borax mine. 

Caught our attention which is probably the point.  

 Laughlin, NV

Davis Dam on the Colorado River in Laughlin. There was a beautiful walking and bike trial from the casino strip to the Davis Dam, the city has done a nice job providing outdoor recreation as well as the casino attractions. The road across the top of the dam is closed to vehicle traffic, it's open to pedestrians and bikes. We rode to the top and found a good view and informative signs about the dam. 

We loved talking evening strolls along the River walk, it runs between the casinos and the river. Many of the casinos have large outdoor patio areas, we enjoyed a blues music festival one evening.

We took a narrated cruise on the Colorado, beautiful evening skyline.

Laughlin has an interesting history, the town was started in 1966, hard to believe looking at the hustle and bustle today and think we’re older than this town! Yikes. :)

In 1964 Don Laughlin (from Minnesota) bought a boarded up 8 room motel and built it into the Riverside Resort which opened in 1966. The area was once home to the construction crews that built the Davis Dam, when the dam was completed the workers moved on, the little settlements dried up. Old foundations can still be explored along the walking/biking trail. From what we’ve read, Don Laughlin has donated millions to the community in which he still lives and can be seen frequenting his establishment and chatting with customers.  

A most legendary story about a Laughlin resident. Mrs Lafferty, in her 70’s, had a home on  the Colorado River. Happened to be on the strip where casinos were building. A casino/resort wanting that bit of property offered her $250,000, then $500,000 and later $1million tax free, all to which she refused. It was said she loved her home on the river and claimed there was no place she’d rather be. Then came a offer she couldn’t refuse…$2.5 million tax free, plus a suite on the top floor of a yet-to-be-built hotel tower at the Edgewater Casino, where she could live rent free for life. While the Edgewater was being built she spent some of her new fortune traveling the world and picking out furnishing for her new home. But she was never able to enjoy her new suite, she died a couple weeks before work was completed in 1991. Out of respect for her, the suite has never been rented on a permanent basis, it sits empty most the time. Her suite has the only balcony on the river side. (At the top left and you can make out her balcony.)

Grapevine Canyon… 

A few miles out of town is a great little hike into Grapevine Canyon, a natural spring flows thru the canyon keeping it lush and provides a water source for birds and big horn sheep. On the higher canyon walls are some well preserved petroglyphs that indicate the presence of ancient inhabitants.