Day 2 HW152 Eastbound

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What a glorious road. Shades of the road into Yosemite. Running water through this granite canyon and as we climb the rock formations and high, high desert separate and break out into huge vistas. Today we are scouting out camping sites for a future trip to Bosque del Apache when the Sandhill Cranes are migrating through. This is an internationally appealing place to be when the migration happens. East of I-25 and south of Socorro, Bosque is world class birding year round. We were treated to blue heron, red-tail hawks and masses of smaller species. The other treat of the day was following the Salt Missions Trail into Manzano State Park. It takes time to follow the Salt Missions Trail but if you take the time you will be rewarded with wide vistas, deep red rocks forming shallow canyons on the mesas, and finally a trip back in time through the old land grant areas east of interstate 25. Untouched by progress, people keep an eye on each other and the strangers coming through. Miles of black-eyed susan, indian paintbrush, some small lupine – for a wildflower enthusiast it is heaven.

Camping at Manzano was a particular pleasure – very cool temperatures, the night sky of high altitudes and perfect calm and quiet mixed with the smell of alligator cedar being burned. Life doesn’t get better.



I think that it is important to note that on Day 2, my husband fell in love with another woman. I wholeheartedly approve of her. She’s one of my sheroes – Stephanie Miller the progressive mouthpiece from Sirius XM. I am so happy to share a bit of my guilty pleasures with him <3.

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