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Published: December 20th 2013
September 28 – an unexpected event - September 28 – It was my intention to explore Santa Fe some more today and more of the local area but I really couldn’t think of anywhere else in New Mexico that I hadn’t been to before that I could get excited about. I was having a serious case of “been there and done that”.
I considered that I could go to the Rest area next to the “High Bridge” that goes over the Rio Grande Gorge.
http://highestbridges.com/wiki/index.php?title=Rio_Grande_Gorge_Bridge It is quite impressive and I have overnighted at the Rest Area next to it before. From the rest area it is a short walk over to the bridge and various overlooks. It is on Hwy 64 where it crosses over the Rio Grande canyon. I could overnight free in the rest area while I checked out the canyon and then continue on to Taos the next day.
But something happened to me. It was like in Forrest Gump where he just stopped running in Monument Valley, and said “Think I’ll go home now”.
Also something came up that would require me to stay in a motel instead of "boondock" as I usually
do to hold down cost. I got to thinking that as the balloon fest didn’t start for another week staying in a motel would be expensive. Also I got to thinking how much it would actually cost to attend the balloon fest being charged for parking and entrance fee both morning and night each day and my frugal side just rebelled. Since I had already been to the balloon Fest before I didn't want to invest all that much money in seeing it again.
I started heading home. I went North on I-25 (which going out of Santa Fe actually goes south around the mountains then heads North) and then exited on Hwy 285. Here I pulled over and actually thought about if I wanted to head back home of just try to hang on and still go to the balloon fest. After about 45 minutes I sighed and headed southeast on 285. I stopped at the intersection of I-40 and 285 at Clines Corner to look around a bit and make a “pit stop”. They have the usual assortment of tourist items for sale. However I did find a nice cap with the New Mexico logo on it
and splurged on it. It would make a nice functional souvenir of my trip to New Mexico.
Then I headed southeast again on Hwy 285 to Encino and then East on Hwy 60 to Ft Sumner. I had intended to stay at the “Billy the Kid Inn” there which I had stayed at before, but it was full so I got a room at the Coronado Inn in Ft Sumner for $33.79. Nothing fancy but it had what I needed for the night. And it also had decent internet.
So I stayed at the Coronado Inn for the night and decided I would see if I felt like continuing on heading home in the morning. I could still explore the Ft Sumner - Lincoln area and swing around west towards Albuquerque if I felt like it later so I was keeping that option in my pocket.
29 September – I drove out to the Ft Sumner State Monument and Bosque Redondo. I had visited the museum there but checked it out again and then walked behind the building to look at the graves again. Billy the Kids grave and that of his two outlaw friends are side
by side in a caged in area to deter vandals and souvenir gatherers. In addition his tombstone is encased in iron straps for the same reason.
In another section of the graveyard is the grave of Pete Maxwell in whose house and room Billy was shot. Also in the graveyard is the grave of Lucien Maxwell who was the largest landowner in New Mexico until he sold most of his holdings to the railroad and other interest. He then bought Ft Sumner for $5000 and moved in. During his lifetime Lucien updated and improved the property but after his death his son Pete was merely interested in taking care of his mother and living off his father’s money till he died.
Pete Maxwell disapproved of Billy the Kids attentions to his daughter but was afraid of “the kid”.
In any case nothing of Ft Sumner remains having been washed away by flooding of the Pecos River.
The Bosque Redondo museum is here as well. The place is laid out so as to funnel you towards the museum where you will have to pay to see it but the museum can be avoided by taking a small
dirt road around it.
After touring the Old Ft Sumner Museum I went to the Bosque Redondo and after going in the gate I avoided the Bosque Redondo museum by taking a right onto a small dirt road which went around the edge of the property and to the Ft Sumner area.
At the ruins of Ft Sumner I checked out the various signs and plaques including one which was on the location of Pete Maxwell’s bedroom where Billy was shot. From the way it appears the Pecos River is still trying to wash the place away in flood season.
After touring the museum I headed back towards Texas. I stopped in Roswell to think it over once again whether to keep on going home or swing west again back towards Lincoln, Capitan and back to I-25 and headed back to Albuquerque. This was pretty much my last chance to do so this trip.
At length I decided to keep on heading home. I stopped in Post, Texas at a motel and then continued on back home the next morning.
It was nice to be home again, knowing once again that I was “safe” and
had made another trip without any major problems. I settled in for a bit to a problem free life of comfort and ease.
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Going home can be comforting.
You've been on the road and exploring a lot since you retired in 2010. The beauty of retirement is you get to do what you want when you want. So, if you need to have roots for a while and hang around the house, enjoy the comfort, enjoy friends and family we understand. It has happened to all of us at one point. You'll get the itch when the time is right.