Gila Cliff Dwellings, Silver City, NM

Author: Our granddaughter, Lucie, age 11

My two bothers, Jack, Lincoln, and I are camping at City of Rocks State Park (CoR) with my Grandma and Grandpa. Today we drove to the Gila Cliff Dwellers about 72 miles north of (CoR). It was quite a trip up the mountain, twisty and “twirvy” the whole way. When we got there, we went to the visitor center. I got a couple post cards, watched a terrific video about the place (The best I have seen yet.), and we acquired three Junior Ranger books. The Center also had a Senior Ranger book, but my grandparents did not feel like doing it. (hee hee) Anyway, we went on our hike up to the cliff dwellings. The view was just gorgeous from the top. Whenever one spoke a word ever so loudly the beautiful canyons would echo each other and make a wonderful sound. There were no tours today, but there were two interpretive guides already up there to give quite a bit of information. We learned about how three holes in the rock could have possibly been used for grinding nuts with a stone. After that we went to other caves and explored. We paused in one of the caves to do some work in our Junior Ranger books. One of the activities for us to do in the book was to write about why the dwellings were special to us, and I wrote, “Because of the gorgeous view, how the sturdy, amazing, homes lasted for over 700 years, and how it is so preciously preserved by the National Park.” We finished writing, and we looked at a few more rooms in the last cave, and then headed down the ladder to continue our hike down the mountain. I thought that the descent was a bit easier and shorter than the way up. When we got down, we drove over to an area in the park where numerous ancient petroglyphs are still visible. While we were there we worked some more on our Junior Ranger books. The activity this time was to sketch a few of the petroglyphs. This was one of my favorite activities. When we completed the books, we turned them at the desk in the visitor canter to get a CD, a badge, a certificate, and the Junior Ranger Gazette newspaper. Momma, our home-school teacher, would be so proud. It has been a wonderful experience to camp here at (CoR) with my amazing grandparents. --Lucie

Rock Hound State Park, Deming, NM

Author: Our Grandson, Jack, age 13

Today we are on our way to Rock Hound State Park (RHSP) and its sister park, Spring Canyon. Rock Hound encourages visitors to hunt for rock and geodes. Just before we got to the park entrance, we stopped at a small adobe building with a sign that said, “Rock Shop and Museum.” Outside the building were piled separate mounds of large and small unbroken gray rocks. There were also two tables of rocks that had been sawed open revealing the impressive geodes and thunder eggs on the inside. We walked into the dusty, crowded building to find it jam-packed with rock specimens collected and polished by the owner, Christopher. He introduced himself and told us all about the rocks in the area, how to collect them, and their mineral content. He said to bring back the rocks that we collected from the mountain, and he would tell us what he knew about them. We drove over to Spring Canyon for a picnic lunch. The Canyon was a place among the Florida Mountains between two steep rocky faces. My brother, Lincoln, and I took a hike up the steep side of the mountain next to our picnic table. We returned to RHSP and looked around the visitor center and watched a video that told about the park and the rocks that we would be allowed to take with us. We found lots of rocks with traces of quartz and some jasper but no geodes or thunder eggs. We also found volcanic rocks, one was basalt and the other two were black. The definitions were given to us by Christopher when we stopped after our hike. We then drove to Deming for refreshments and back to camp for a relaxing evening. --Jack

City of Rocks State Park, Deming, NM

Author: Our Grandson, Lincoln, age 9

At the City of Rocks State Park there are large rocks about 30 feet high. The rocks are stuck in the ground like enormous icicles. When we first arrived at City of Rocks (CoR) to meet our grandparents, I had no idea that there would be so many snakes. During our trip at the CoR we did a lot of hiking and climbing. One time Jack, Lucie, and I climbed to the highest point of the park. That evening we went to a stargazer party. Before the stargazer party my family and my grandparents had a hotdog roast over the fire. At the stargazer party we learned about certain constellations and planets. After we left the party we all had smores. They were so good! On Sunday we went to First Baptist Church, Deming. We had Sunday lunch at Si Senor. It was tasty. When we got back to the park we did some hiking and bouldering. Then Lucie, Grandma, Grandpa, and I played a game of spades--Lucie and Grandpa won; they beat us 313 to 163. Tomorrow we are going to Rock Hound State Park. -- Lincoln

A Week of Rest at Heron Lake State Park

ptjiftqvizWe are presently at a gorgeous state park (7000 feet high) among the tall Ponderosa pines of the Chama Valley in northwest New Mexico. In the distance, from our perfect campsite, we can experience the sunsets over Heron Lake. As we entered the park on Sept. 16, we learned that the volunteer campground host had just departed Site 25. It is one of the few with full hookups; the ranger assigned it to us for the next seven days. She knew that we had volunteered for three months two years ago in another NM state park. What’s more, we had a certificate from our 2006 City of Rocks experience for a week of FREE camping. Our cell phones work (with a bit of coaxing) as does our satellite TV. We even have a metal canopy covering our concrete patio. Campfires are permitted, and last night as we roasted hotdogs, the sunset created great silver linings and many colors in the abundant clouds. We are surrounded by myriad colorful wildflowers that are a vivid purple, yellow and white. Insects are few. The temps are moderate, the breezes are gentle, and the nights are chilly. The sun shines brightly in the mornings and evenings, and during the afternoons we usually get a welcome hour-long shower often followed by an awesome rainbow. The high desert flowers seem to smile in response.

We have given ourselves an entire week of catching up on writing, reading, hiking, etc. There are warning signs to not wander around after dusk or before sunrise, as there have been a few cougar sightings, but all we have seen are a couple of deer. We manage to take at least one long hike each day. On Saturday, we moved the truck for the first time to take a drive around the lake and visit three small neighboring towns. Before leaving the lake area we had coffee and delectable apple pie at the quaint old Stone House Lodge near the dam. Firewood, bakery items, Native American gifts and guided fishing trips are available there. The lodge is located near the Apache Indian Reservation. There are neither sizeable population centers nor department stores near here. Los Ojos is a run down little town that once had thriving businesses to include wool processing. However, the big sheep ranches are no more. The Catholic Church and post office are about the only buildings that are maintained. Nostalgic remnants of old adobe buildings are still present. Tierra Amarilla, the Rio Arriba County Seat, appears void of prosperity, but the two government buildings and juvenile detention center are well maintained. Chama, located 15 miles from the park, has a Dollar Store, Laundromat, several gift stores, a few motels, and several restaurants and saloons, half of which are no longer operating. We had a wonderful dinner at the rustic High Country Restaurant. The biggest attraction in Chama is the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, which is funded by the states of CO and NM and managed mostly by a volunteer group. The scenic ride is 65 miles long and costs only $75 per person. Since we had just done the Durango ride, we passed this one up, but it is on our to-do list for 2010.

Granite that pushed up through the surface thousands of years ago formed huge cliffs of various interesting, craggy profiles around Heron Lake. All of this majesty by the Creator makes this an ideal haven for campers, boaters, hikers, swimmers, and fisherman. The big lake is fed by Colorado snowmelts, which are collected behind a 1250-foot dam. There are few cars on the main road leading to Heron Lake, and the air is fresh and clean. Life does not get much better than this! Most campsites here are huge, and 70 of them have water and electric, so put this one on your RVing itinerary. We may come back here to be campground hosts for six weeks beginning late April 2010 on our way to Gillette, WY for the International Airstream Rally.

Mesa Verde National Park

Today we are driving 35 miles west of Durango to tour Mesa Verde National Park. As early as 1854 white men had entered the Canyon but had not explored the Cliff Dwellings. In 1874 W. H. Jackson entered the first Cliff Dwelling. He named the two-story structure on Ute Mountain, Cliff House. Then in 1891 a Swede by the name of Gustaf Nordenskiold was the first scientist to visit the Cliff Dwellings; he collected more than 600 specimens. A national park was established in 1906 to preserve the archeological heritage of the Ancestral Puebloans both atop the mesas and in the cliff dwellings below.

The first Puebloans first came to Mesa Verde (meaning “green table” in Spanish) around 608. They had been nomadic people but were beginning to lead more settled lives. As hunters and gatherers, they began to clear land, plant crops on the top of the mesas, and hunt for their meat. The women tended the fields and grew vegetables. They became known as the Basket Makers, but the quality of their wonderful baskets lessened as they later learned to make pottery. By trading with people traveling through their villages, they acquired the bow and arrow.

Early Puebloans lived in pithouses dug a few feet into the ground with timbers sunk into the four corners to support the roof. Inside firepots had air deflectors. Winters can be quite harsh in New Mexico. After about 600 more years (1100-1300), they began to build rather elaborate homes of stone and mud in the protective alcoves of the mesas. Some of the dwellings were built 3 stories high with inner passages. Amazingly, it would take a man about a day to fashion just one building stone with his primitive stone tools. Many structures were erected from under the mesa, but the rooftops were above ground. Archeologists have documented the ceremonial rooms (kivas), kitchens, and meeting rooms. Ceremonial rooms were gathering places for various purposes and visited by neighboring tribes. These talented Native Americans moved on south around 1300 to what we now call Southern Arizona and New Mexico. There is no record as to why they left. Perhaps it had to do with a severe drought or with political or social issues. Maybe they heard about warmer climates in the South. They were eventually assimilated into other tribes. Today’s Pueblo people are descendents of these early cliff dwellers.

There are four tours offered in this park. One must be on a ranger-led tour to visit the cliff dwellings. We visited Cliff Palace, along with 30 French tourists. The dwellings ranged from one-room cottages to the Cliff Palace with 150 rooms. Everyone was gracious and our ranger well informed. We walked up and down many steps, and then had to climb five or six ladders just as those Ancient Puebloans did. Gloria climbed them all like a pro with no mishaps or residual shoulder pain. After the tour we drove around the edge of the huge gorge and viewed many of the cliff dwellings from the opposite side of their locations. The artifacts in the visitor center were all found in the gorge. This magnificent national park is a “must-do” if you are traveling anywhere near Northwest New Mexico.

The Famous Durango Train Ride

Our drive from Grand Junction to Durango was quite a challenge. One mountain climb was 13 miles from the base of the mountain. There were high cliffs, many hairpin curves, and no guardrails. The highway was fairly narrow. Our Toyota Tundra rose to the occasion, as we frequently shifted through all six gears up and down the mountains. Thankfully, the temperature gauges for the engine and transmission barely moved. At one point we pulled off the highway to give our brakes a rest. We were surprised and a bit uneasy when the bearded man who had been following us in a small SUV pulled off with us and approached our truck. With a big smile, he identified himself as Mike, a fellow Airstreamer who lives in Silverton, Colorado. We enjoyed a wonderful chat and swapped many Airstream stories. Mike said he was impressed with the way our truck was towing such a big trailer up and down the mountains. So were we, as this was its biggest test since we purchased it four months ago.

The most interesting town we passed through was Ornay. It is a ski village and appears to be prosperous. The historical old buildings are in good shape; the architecture is quaint and interesting, depicting a bygone era. We stopped for coffee and a cookie and walked the mainstreet of the village from one end to the other.

For several years we have been trying to get to Durango to experience the famous round-trip scenic train ride from Durango to Silverton. We finally made it, and the Alpen Rose RV Park, had handled our train reservations before we arrived. Our scenic ride on the rails day provided us with fun, great photo opportunities, a terrific lunch at Silverton’s Brown Bear Café, and a walking tour of the town. The train creaked and groaned up and down several steep grades through the mountains and whistled at each little crossing where small groups of homes were located. We wondered how the huge puffs of black smoke emitted by the old stack could have possibly passed EPA scrutiny. Al Gore never rode this train! We stopped twice to take on water. There were narrow roadbeds, sharp turns, high cliffs, and the rushing Animas River along the tracks. We saw cattle, wild flowers, and quaint old homes and ranches with outhouses and satellite dishes. Ah yes, every child and every adult who has a healthy child within will enjoy a day on the train.

We have really appreciated our stay at Alpen Rose RV Park. It is a clean, effectively managed RV park, located a few miles north of Durango. We were glad to find that it has a terrific laundry. One of the highlights of this park is a home cooked, all-you-can-eat breakfast feast served daily by a volunteer couple for only $6.95. Partake liberally and you will not need lunch.

Grand Junction, CO: A Piece of Family History

We left Salt Lake City on 9-11. American flags, flying at half-mast along our route, sadly reminded us of that horrible, unbelievable day seven years ago when we were leading an Airstream caravan (15 rigs) on remote Manitoulan Island in Ontario, Canada. We did not know how many days it would take on our return to get our caravan past the stepped up security at the U.S. Border. It turned out that we had few problems getting back as scheduled a few days later. We will never forget our emotions surrounding that terrible attack on our nation.

Back in December 1995, Jerry and a couple of our children and their spouses stopped in Grand Junction to see the old rail depot on their way to Moab, UT. That station, built in 1906, has special meaning to Jerry. His parents stopped there in 1918 on the way to their 160-acre homestead near La Sal, UT south of Moab. They had begun their long journey from their native Ohio and changed trains in Chicago. When they arrived in Grand Junction, Jerry’s mother could not wait to see if her dog was OK in the baggage car. They then transferred to a narrow gauge train on the Denver & Rio Grand line, traveled to Thompson Springs, UT and were taken from there to Moab on a wagon by Jerry’s Uncle Merl. The dog made the trip just fine. The train they rode on is of the same vintage as the restored one in the above photo. These cars are still operating on Denver & Rio Grand scenic tours in Colorado, but not in Grand Junction. We hope they enjoyed a sumptuous meal at the old railway restaurant as we did on this trip. One can enjoy the best biscuits in the world there. The chef was allegedly offered $50,000 for the recipe. Jerry had been told during his visit in 1995 that an entrepreneur had a grant and was restoring the historic, old station. We discovered on this trip that the ornate, nostalgic building is still in a sad state of repair and is for sale. There is still an Amtrak ticket office in one wing, and the restaurant appears to be prosperous.

Jerry's parents would return to Grand Junction from time to time before they finally returned to Ohio in 1932, victims of the Great Depression. Grand Juction was nearly 100 miles from their ranch and sawmill, but it was the nearest city of substance for supplies, and it housed their nearest doctor. At one point Dad traveled there to purchase a new Model T with mother's turkey money. With it's solid rubber tires, it was the car of choice for rough mountain roads. However, Dad, being a sporty guy, decided to purchase a new Star touring car with balloon times. He had multiple flats on the way home to La Sal, and Star soon went out of business. Mother never let him forget it.

The historic district of Grand Junction contains many fine shops. There is also a small historical museum, which we toured. We were disturbed that there was no mention of the lovely old train station and reminded the ladies who worked there that without the railroad, Grand Junction would probably not even be on the map. Maybe the historical society will do something, as the station is on the historical register.

The best tourist attraction near Grand Junction is the Colorado National Monument managed by the National Park Service. John Otto discovered the canyon in 1906 and campaigned tirelessly to have it designated as a national park. Some thought he was a bit wacky. He lived alone in the canyon and built many trails and paths virtually on his own until the early 1930s in order to help visitors appreciate the magnificent landscape. In 1911, the canyon was designated a national monument. Otto was rewarded by being named caretaker for the park and earned $1.00 per year for his efforts until 1927. The 23-mile, scenic, Rim Rock Drive was built by the CCC boys during the Great Depression. It offers breathtaking views and fascinating insights into our geologic past. There is a fine visitor center, museum, and over a dozen viewpoints. The drive is supposed to take about an hour, but we took four hours with many stops for taking photos and reading nearly every plaque. America’s economy may be sour, but our history and landscape are rich.