I'm Baaaaack!

Returned to the land of big churches today, from a week-long visit to New Mexico. The state's motto is Land of Enchantment, and the slogan is dead-on.

This was my first visit to the state, although I did drive across I-40 on a return drive to California. But I was tired of the road and ready to be home, so didn't appreciate the beauty of the drive.

This trip included a stop in Tucumcari where we (the wife and I) found the Route 66 icon Blue Swallow Motel closed and seemingly for sale. A drive through Santa Rosa resulted in the discovery of a second Route 66 landmark gone, the Club Cafe with the Smiling Fat Man now on another restaurant. The Mother Road was still fun for the portions we were able to drive. We discovered a cow calmly grazing on the side of the road, somehow finding its way out of a fenced pasture. A short time later we spotted three mule deer grazing in a field until we stopped to watch them. After watching us watch them watch us for a few minutes, one walked off over a hill followed soon after by the other two.

We took many drives to see as much landscape as possible. I am amazed at how beautiful the desert can be. We chose an excellent time to visit the state with much flora in bloom. The juniper and pinon trees were richly green, the cacti were flowering, even the scrub brush looked green and healthy.

And then there are the mountains and mesas and rolling hills. The shear, smooth cliff walls of sandstone, and the inclines speckled with the rocks and boulders that fell to form those walls. Bands of rich color that a geologist could use to explain the age of the land. And in the middle of a mountain range, a high, expansive valley of grasses gently waving in the breeze.

We visited the Very Large Array astronomical radio observatory on the plains of San Agustin west of Socorro. The VLA appeared in the 1997 movie "Contact."
An amazing sight visible from several miles away. They even repositioned one of the 25 meters (82 feet) in diameter dishes while we stood beneath it.

Next was a visit to El Malpais National Monument, an area full of volcanic features such as lava flows, cinder cones, pressure ridges and complex lava tube systems. Black lava rock covers the area, with a surprising amount of vegetation growing out of it. The lava butts up against sandstone mountains, creating a dramatic, visibly sudden change in topography.

We took an evening ride on the Sandia Peak Tramway, the world's longest aerial tramway. The 2.7-mile long tramway rises from the desert floor to the top of 10,378 foot Sandia Peak. A storm was rolling in to Albuquerque as we rode up the mountain, and we were able to watch mesmerizing lightning strikes across the city. The temperature at the base of the tram was in the high 80s, but only in the low 50s at the top!. Fortunately, we had coats for our stay on the mountain. The storm provided some gusty winds, making photo taking a bit shaky. The storm also dropped snow on us, which melted quickly, but made for a unique visit to the peak!

A scenic drive up U.S. 550 and New Mexico 4 included a stop at the Coronado State Monument, the partially reconstructed ruins of the ancient Pueblo of Kuaua. We also viewed the Soda Dam, a 300-foot long natural dam formed from mineral deposits of calcium carbonate, located in the Santa Fe National Forest. And we drove through Los Alamos, the once-remote mountain city where the nuclear age was born.

We also made a day-trip to Santa Fe which included the Plaza, the Palace of the Governors, St. Francis Cathedral, and the Loretto Chapel with its mysterious spiral staircase.

It was a relaxing, wonderful, and much-needed escape from Springfield. Photos will be posted soon.