Oklahoma - Black Mesa - 4,973 Feet - September 19, 2012
New Mexico - Wheeler Peak - 13,161 Feet - September 21, 2012
Texas - Guadulupe Peak - 8,749 - October 4, 2012

This page describes a three week trip to the southwest that includes three highpoints.

The short story from Missy...Got back early this morning from a lovely southwest vaca with my dad. We climbed to high peaks and down deep canyons to the Rio Grande, saw ruins in Chaco Canyon and Bandelier, explored a modern native shanty town, gambled, won, walked across pure white sand dunes, saw adaptation at its fastest and finest, explored Carlsbad Caverns, saw 200,000 bats fly out to feast, prairie dogs, tarantulas, antelope, mule deer, pikas, marmots, lizards galore, sunsets, moonrise, 5 shooting stars and drove cross country. Pictures to be posted soon!

Monday, September 17, 2012 - We drove I-70 across Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and half of Missouri, where we stopped at a truck stop at exit 58. A girl at the truck stop directed us to Knob Knoster State Park to camp. It was about 20 miles off the interstate. There was no way to pay, so we got a free night of camping.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012 - Drove through the rest of Missouri and a large part of Kansas into Oklahoma. Our route used I-35 from Kansas City to Wichita, US54 from Wichita into Oklahoma, and US64 in Oklahoma. We stopped at Black Mesa State Park. We saw our first tarantula this day.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 - Drove to the Nature Conservancy parking lot for Black Mesa and parked. It was a warm day. After the hike, we drove up the road to see the dinosaur tracks in the creekbed. We saw two more tarantulas in the evening.

On Top of Black Mesa	Black Mesa Monument
Horned Lizard	Tarantula

Thursday, September 20, 2012 - Continued on to Cimarron Canyon State Park's Tolby Campground, passing many prairie dogs. We stopped at Capulin Volcano National Monument and hiked around the rim. Cimarron Canyon is a popular fly fishing area. We took a short out and back hike on Tolby Creek Trail.

Friday, September 21, 2012 - Drove through Taos and Taos Ski Valley to the trailhead for Wheeler Peak. The plan was to just hike to Williams Lake, but since it was such a nice day, we continued to the top of Wheeler Peak. We saw a marmot near the lake and a pika further up. After the hike, we drove to Wild Rivers Recreation Area's La Junta Campground.

Williams Lake	Taos Ski Valley from Wheeler Peak
On Top of Wheeler Peak	Wheeler Peak Plaque

Saturday, September 22, 2012 - The La Junta Campground is high above the confluence of the Red and Rio Grande Rivers. We hiked down to river level and the confluence of the rivers and then up river along the Rio Grande. We were hiking along the section known as the Upper Taos Box. We saw two guys recovering a kayak. They had a long hike out with the boat, up the Big Arsenic Springs Trail, which we took. Little Arsenic Springs Trail, downriver a little, is the normal takeout.

Confluence of Red and Rio Grande Rivers from La Junta Campground	Confluence at River Level
Kayak Recovery	Rio Grande Gorge

Sunday, September 23, 2012 - Went out US64 a couple of miles to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, then went into Taos. We were going to tour Taos Pueblo, but it was closed due to a death in the pueblo, so we went to the Millicent Rogers Museum. There was a lot of jewelry, including a huge turquoise necklace. We got a campsite at Taos Valley RV Park and Campground and then walked around Taos and saw Kit Carson's home. We ate at Ricky's, which was good New Mexican food. After dinner, we went to Kit Carson's grave.

Rio Grande Gorge Bridge	Rio Grande Gorge
Kit Carson's Home	Kit Carson's Grave

Monday, September 24, 2012 - Drove to Chaco Culture National Park's Gallo Campground. The last 20 miles of this drive is over heavily washboarded road. The trick to driving on it seemed to be to go fast. Chaco is well worth any rough driving. In the evening, we hiked out to Wijiji Great House.

Petroglyphs at Chaco's Wijiji Great House

Tuesday, September 25, 2012 - Toured Chaco. There was a presentation on the history of the park in the evening followed by stargazing through the park's telescope. Chaco is amazing. It was occupied betwee 850 and 1250 CE.

View through Window at Hungo Pavi Great House	Wall of Hungo Pavi Great House
Great Kiva at Chetro Ketl Great House	Chetro Ketl Great House
Pueblo Bonito Great House	Pueblo Bonito Great House
Pueblo del Arroyo Great House	Kin Kletso Great House
Casa Rinconado Great Kiva	Campsite

Wednesday, September 26, 2012 - drove to Bandelier National Monument. This site was occupied a little later than Chaco, with peak population around 1250 CE. We hiked Tyuonyi Overlook Trail in the evening.

Thursday, September 27, 2012 - toured Bandelier and hiked the Falls Trail to the upper falls of Frijoles Creek. There was an opera rehearsal at the campground amphitheater in the evening. The singers were affiliated with the Santa Fe opera.

Tyuonyi Pueblo	Cliff Dwellings
Cliff Dwellings	Cliff Dwellings
Climb to Alcove House	Alcove House
Upper Falls on Frijoles Creek

Friday, September 28, 2012 - went to Palace of the Governors and the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe and saw Billy the Kid's spurs. We got lunch from a Mexican food vendor on the plaza. In the afternoon, we drove to Cochiti Lake Campground. Cochiti Lake was created by damming the Rio Grande. Very little water was being released. There was no water at the campground. They were having trouble with their well.

Saturday, September 29, 2012 - went to Kasha Katuwe Tent Rocks State Park and Tinkertown Museum. We then drove west from Albuquerque trying to find a campground near Acoma Pueblo. There were only RV parks near the interstate with no shade and shared bathrooms with nearby truck stops. We got a room at the Sky City Casino Hotel. By getting a free player's card, we saved $35 on the room and got $25 of free slot play. We ran the $25 up to $50 and quit. The buffet was very good.

Tent Rocks	Tent Rocks
Slot Canyon	Tinkertown Museum
Tinkertown Museum	Tinkertown Museum

Sunday, September 30, 2012 - I thought a visit to a pueblo would give us a better picture of Indian culture. What a joke. The Acoma Pueblo charges $20 to hawk trinkets. Pickup trucks and porta potties are everywhere. Generators are allowed. There was a tv antenna. I felt like a rube. Never again. Afterwards we drove to Oliver Lee Memorial State Park near Alamagordo. We watched the moon rise. It was spectacular.

Acoma Pueblo	Acoma Pueblo

Monday, October 1, 2012 - It was off to White Sands National Monument and a five mile hike over the dunes. On the way back to the campground we stopped at a pistachio farm / winery. They had free tastes of many different flavors of pistachios and wine. I bought some garlic and green pepper flavored pistachios and Missy bought Angie a bottle of pistachio wine.

White Sands National Monument	White Sands National Monument

Tuesday, October 2, 2012 - We drove to the campground at Guadalupe Mounatains National Park. It is about 35 miles south of Carlsbad Caverns.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012 - Toured Carlsbad Caverns.

Carlsbad Caverns	Snack Bar / Gift Shop 800 Feet Below Ground
Carlsbad Caverns	Carlsbad Caverns

Thursday, October 4, 2012 - We climbed Guadalupe Peak. In the evening, we went back to Carlsbad Caverns and watched the bats come out, about 200,000 of them.

On Top of Guadalupe Peak	Looking toward Mexico from the Top of Guadalupe Peak

Friday, October 5, 2012 - We started home, stopping at Cadillac Ranch on the outskirts of Amarillo and continuing on as far as Foss State Park in Oklahoma. Foss State Park is off of exit 63 of I-40, between Amarillo and Oklahoma City.

Texas Sunrise	Texas Sunrise
Cadillac Ranch	Cadillac Ranch

Saturday, October 6, 2012 and Sunday, Octobr 7, 2012 - After 19 hours of driving, we arrived home at 4 am.