Colorado to New Mexico

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Colorado’s natural beauty offers so many outdoor activities, so appealing to us. Marie and Richard made sure we had a hike or bike every day during our stay in Montrose. That includes a steep and rocky (did I say ROCKY??) trail that Terry and I were falling all over, literally. No injuries, just our pride. We biked on a ROCKY dirt road between Ouray and Ridgeway, 2 very old and interesting towns. No falls this time, just a great time with great friends on a lovely fall day. Otherwise during our stay we enjoyed yummy dinners, good conversation and just girls shopping the sales.

Our friends took us to see a beautiful memorial to Dennis Weaver, the actor, who died a few years ago. We were taken with the poem dedicated to him. If you are interested click on the plaque to read the words.

We drove to Durango in the motor home over Lizardhead pass on the San Juan Scenic Byway. The pines were covered with snow and it was oh so beautiful! We visited friends Jeff and Wendy who we met and traveled with in Alaska. They offered us their long and flat driveway to park. Very nice “camping” for 2 nights. We enjoyed two exciting hikes with them in the mountains and a very nice visit. More great food.

On to Santa Fe for a few days where we enjoyed the Governor’s Palace. Native Americans sell their handmade jewelry along the square. Since we bought there at our last visit we passed this time. Lots of tempting shopping for artwork in Santa Fe.

We stopped in Albuquerque for a bit of RV work, just a small window replacement. We never miss a Costco and this was no exception, picked up our mail, and did other errands. We treated ourselves to a hike at Petroglyph National Monument called Rinconada Canyon. There are 200 images “pecked” in stone some 500-700 years ago. Some are recognizable as animals, insects, people and crosses and others are more mysterious. Only the carvers know the petroglyph’s true meaning but we enjoyed guessing.

After considering the weather report (which included that four letter word beginning with “S”) we headed south to Deming, NM and were rewarded with warmer weather. We enjoyed a day’s trip to Gila National Forest and a hike in the mountains. Unfortunately the Gila Cliff Dwellings, which include 40 rooms inside natural caves, were closed for bridge repairs. On the way, Route 15 was a beautiful winding road and took us 2 hours to drive 37 miles and it was worth it. We will soon be meeting in Las Cruces longtime friends from Michigan, friends we would not otherwise see. Another great advantage to full-time RVing. More to come as we travel to Sedona, AZ.

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