Adventure 676: Sunrise Boat & RV Storage/McCarran Airport

Another wildly successful adventure is almost in the books. We're sitting in the airport (air conditioned) in a soft little corner thinking about making out. Our Lyft driver, Melissa, sprinkled us with soft rhythm and blues music all the way to the airport. If I had no propriety at all, I might have snuggled bugged all the way with my Bunny, and even through these covid masks it would be worth it. But alas, not a quiet corner to be found in this busy airport. I slept fitfully last night, partly due to the excitement of ending another trip, partly because of the heat, and partly because that's my world now. Fitful sleep in snips and snatches seems to be the new normal. I wake up fairly refreshed, but my watch rarely records a sleep duration of over three hours; mostly I get close to two hours, experience a break of 2-5 minutes-repeat. I also dream quite vividly, and who knows what subliminal depths these visions come from. Last night, tennis legend John McEnroe served, did a split step, rolled his ankle, and screamed, "You've got to be kidding!" I rushed from the stands to provide therapy: ankle wrap, ice, and a cold massage. He was able to get up and finish the match victoriously. I can't tell you what inspired that dream. At breakfast, the Wiley Cager continued her unusually successful run. I'm now down well over six dollars for the month. With eight days left, I think it's likely I'll be springing for the coffee and some very exotic sweet treat at the Rockwood Bakery. So it goes, but it's an uncomfortable position to find myself in. After breakfast, we took a five mile walk around the town of Boulder City. Quite pleasant and historic. It's amazing to think that between 1931-1936, the workers on the dam lived in tents, both through the blazing heat of the summer and the interminable cold of the winter. After our walk, we closed up the trailer and drove the thirty miles to the storage center. We put Frac away with ease, got a fabulous recommendation for lunch from Angie, the manager, and drove to this very compact strip mall where a tiny place called Los Antojos is located. We ordered Mole enchiladas and a coke. It was simply fabulous, and there's no way we'd ever have found the place without Angie's recommendation. We'll hang out in the airport until our plane leaves, and sit back on the flight, grateful that life is good, especially today.

I tucked Frac in B-89 with a first try perfect arc. Quite happy about that. The yellow Mercedes next to us is the property of a German couple who had planned on visiting the states a year and a half ago. They were very nice, very excited to be in America, and planned to visit Utah before heading to Mexico for the winter.

Boulder City is replete with metal sculpture.

My Bunny perusing the menu.

Selfie of the day: Frac tucked neatly in his spot after a ten day trip covering @2,200 miles. Highlights included dinner with cousins in Provo, a stroll around Helper, Utah where my mom's family lived for a few years, a train ride up Cumbres Pass out of Chama, New Mexico, a return to Cafe Pasqual in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and lunch today. What an adventure!

Good morning, Nevada.

This guy, a little reminiscent of the Spys in Mad comic books, caught my eye.

Live to ride!

Holy Mole this was good!

Everybody is a star, no matter who you are.
 

Adventure 675: Canyon Trail RV Park, Boulder City, Nevada

Judy woke up early as is her won't, so she got to witness the morning sunlight bounce its way up the side of Mt Eldon. Because of the cool mountain air, and our no need to rush off, I slept in until seven. By then the sun had drenched the mountainside and moved its way to uncover other shady areas. After breakfast, and another sound beating at cribbage (The Wiley Cager is now ahead $6.32 for the month), we did a deep clean on the trailer. We had a little hiccup. When I went to make the bed, I discovered we had no bottom sheet. Then we both remembered that we'd thrown the sheet away because it had torn. The Flagstaff mall is just two miles from the campground, and Judy thought that malls open at ten, so we walked down only to discover that the Flagstaff mall opens at eleven. As a result, we left Flagstaff about an hour earlier than planned. Our drive for the day, mercifully, was uneventful except for our run into the Walmart at Kingman, AZ to buy new sheets. That itself was also uneventful, but we shake our heads as to why nearly forty thousand souls would live in a place like Kingman. After we turned onto highway 93 to Las Vegas, I realized the answer: Laughlin Airforce Base. The entire drive today took a little over four hours. We arrived at our site, hooked up, and took the laundry to be washed. Judy hung out in the air conditioned laundry room since it was 97 degrees out. Meanwhile, I cooled off in the pool, which was very refreshing. We came back to the trailer, turned on the air conditioning, and had our last dinner on this adventure. It consisted of  a stir fry of every vegetable we had left in the fridge. Pretty yummy, actually, I think because of the half stick of butter I threw in. Tomorrow, we'll proceed to the storage unit and put these ponies to bed for a few months. If all goes well, we'll be home by ten PM tomorrow night, rested, recharged, and grateful that life is good, especially today.

Art shot of the day.

Judy, easily the coolest chick in the park.

Flagstaff is around 7,500 ft. Las Vegas is 2,400 or so. We passed varied flora and fauna on the way down.

One stretch was six miles of six percent.

Good night Fric.

Good night Frac.

Adventure 674: Flagstaff KOA, Flagstaff, Arizona

We left  Santa Fe before sun up this morning, cruised through Albuquerque with the morning commuter traffic, and drove West on I-40 the whole 415 miles to Flagstaff. The  perfect weather coupled with favorable traveling mercies found us well rested when we rolled into Flagstaff at noon. I'm always amazed at the number of "Big Dogs" on the road. We spent some time noticing several different groups of twelve semi-trucks pulsing East. I like to stay out of crowds on my side of the road; still, several big dogs whooshed by us. I-40 gets so much traffic that it's in less than pristine condition, which means there's some pot holes, some patches, and not a few swells and bumps that caused Fric and Frac to buck and bounce occasionally. Nonetheless, the drive was easy. We stopped at the Arizona border for lunch. The Wiley Cager, who's up $5.36 this month continues her run of obnoxiously fortunate luck. I'm taking a dim view. One game yesterday, I scored a dozen points on every hand and still lose by $.36. Very depressing. But the tide will turn now that we're in Covid-Arizona where masks are optional and the elections are rigged. With these guys help, I might get a recount to my liking. After we set up, we took a four mile hike on the trails behind the KOA. Last time we were here, we hiked all the way up to the look out. Judy remembers the boulders we climbed; I only remembered the snow at the top. Today, we took the fork that kept us from climbing the vertical face, and had a very pleasant walk through the lower forest. We'll dilly-dally here tomorrow because the weather is so nice (It's over ninety in Las Vegas). Tomorrow morning we'll do a deep clean of the trailer before heading to Boulder City, a mere four hour drive. As for now, Judy is reading in the back with her eyes closed, and I'm watching a Mark Walhburg movie out of the corner of my eye. So, clearly, life is good, especially today.

We chose the Lower Oldham trail today.

Such fresh air, mild weather made for a pleasant hike.

We like Flagstaff, although this time we won't spend any time down town.

Selfie of the day: Happy hikers.

My Bunny "reading".

Adventure 673: Trailer Ranch RV Resort/Post B

What a difference a day makes! Downtown Santa Fe felt deserted this morning when we drove in to have breakfast at Cafe Pasquals. We first ate at this restaurant some years ago when we were in Santa Fe. It was so good then, we bought their cook book on the spot. Today didn't disappoint. After breakfast, we toured the Loretto Chapel, which is famous for its spiral staircase, a so called miracle. It looked much like any other Catholic Church to me, but perhaps my dissolution with the church has jaded my opinion. The highlight of our day was our stroll through Santa Fe's botanical garden that is sprinkled with native plants and exquisite sculptures. The morning was cool, the light perfect, and the crowd small. I saw several pieces that provided me with inspiration. We also drove through some adobe neighborhoods, always a treat. I just can't get enough of New Mexico's architecture. I'm sure the small houses we saw were priced at astronomical numbers, since they were walking distance from the downtown core. The homes further out, while pleasant in many respects, seemed more like imitations of the quaint structures on the old Santa Fe trail. Regardless, one of our greatest joys on these adventures is to turn off the GPS and wander aimlessly around the area. The perspective of a place, much like the curtain in Wizard of Oz, changes a bit once you get off the beaten path. We randomly looked for a local food truck for lunch, and ended up having a scrumptious lunch at a family owned establishment quite far from the city center. So, in all, it was a very good day. Tomorrow, we will ride hard for four hundred miles to Flagstaff for the night. We'll pray once again for traveling mercies, and be glad that life is good, especially today.

Four tacos: two Carne Asada, two Al Pastor with beans to die for, a roasted jalapeño, and guacamole-ten bucks! (Probably three times that downtown.)

Sculptures everywhere.

This covering idea will inspire me to cover our patio.

Stamped metal.

It does seem like folks burning in the flames.

Loved this artist: He had several versions of these suspended glass squares.

The other half of the stamped metal doors that led to another part of the garden.

Green with envy.

This was my favorite piece.

Selfie of the day: A couple of happy campers.
 

Adventure 672: Trailer Ranch RV Resort/Post A

We left Sky Mountain this morning with our hearts light and warm. It had rained all night, but in the morning the place felt washed and our spirits lifted. The short, two hour drive into Santa Fe was uneventful, gloriously scenic, and we pulled into our spot just after noon. We ate lunch and proceeded downtown for a walk through the historic core, which is now, and maybe always has been a hub of capitalist activity. Hawkers stood at each storefront beckoning tourists in their shrines to capitalism. Being Sunday afternoon, the streets were crowded. Maybe half the people we saw wore masks as they walked around, perhaps because New Mexico is suffering a statewide surge in Covid cases. We soon grew tired of the crowds and made our way to the outer blocks of the old town where we found many examples of my favorite architecture. Today for me it was all about the doors that led to the unseen inner courtyards.

And maybe it's the metaphor of the day, or at least the question. What are behind the doors of our future? If we remain ensconced inner silos, left or right, we are likely afraid to walk through any new doors lest our sacred beliefs be questioned (and perhaps debunked). As for me, I've always felt we're more alike than we are different, and if we chance the moment to experience another's perspective, the door we walk through may just be enlightening. My favorite sight today was a statue of the The Corn Maiden, a tribute to the Pueblo Indian Culture's reverence to corn, which they considered the symbol of life. The Corn Maiden represents the fruits of our creator's blessings, which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These nine qualities represent the full circle of life. Maybe we should take some guidance from an ancient culture and work on our own personal "circles". At any rate, I felt an affinity viewing this statue because surely she believes that life is good, especially today.

Selfie of the day in front of the cathedral of St. Francis.

Some doors are open.

Behind some lie sustenance.

Behind some lie the mystery of darkness.

Some doors are fortified.

But every door beckons: Will you walk through?
 

 

Adventure 671: Sky Mountain RV Resort/Post C

Last night in Chama, and what a nice stay it's been. After breakfast this morning we mounted the bikes and left the train station just after the 9:30 train pulled out. We chased it up highway 17 toward Cumbres Pass. We caught it three times, and sorry I am to report that this blog doesn't support video. It was nice to get another perspective of our trip from yesterday. We used ample electric power on the way up the pass, and none coming down. The road, which I thought would be rough, turned out to be quite manageable. On a sad note (At least for me), the Wiley Cager increased her cribbage lead at lunch. She's now ahead $4.92 for the month. At a penny a point, nickel a game, that's quite the lead. She skunked me so badly at lunch (45 pts.), I feel like a skinned polecat. And worse yet, I've caught the fours. I haven't seen a double figure hand in so long, I'm wondering what kind of shenanigans she's pulling over there. I haven't resorted to anything funny myself yet; rather, I'm taking my beating like a whipped potato, hold the butter because I can tell you this, her crown is slippery. The month ain't over yet, Dewey. But enough of that, let's talk about Sky Mountain. First of all, when we made the reservation they said, "We work on the honor system around here." You can just settle up when you get here. It reminded me of the time when Steve and I rode across country. We bought some sausage from a local German man. He said, "I'll send you some sausage when it gets a little colder, and you just send me a check." It's nice to know that the honor system is still alive, at least in some parts. The park is well appointed, immaculately kept, and the proprietors, who have owned this park for fifteen years, are not only honorable, they're very gracious and accomodating. We're in site 14, which is on the edge of the narrow leaf cottonwood grove next to the river. We've got shade all day, and our neighbors are friendly. Nearly everyone around us come here every year for a month or more. Most are from Texas. Many seem to know each other, perhaps from home, or maybe from just being here. While Chama itself is a bit rugged, this place is a little piece of heaven. We prefer to stay in state parks when we can, and most often we stay in private RV parks on one night stands on our way to some other place. This park could prove an exception if it weren't so very far away from us, and for the fact that we already live in heaven in the summer time. Nonetheless, these folks are proving once again that life is good, especially today.

Selfie of the day: Chug-a-chug.

I can only assume that Julia, the owner, needs to keep herself busy in the winter. The park is replete with cute art.

A fast bit of weather moved through this afternoon, but by dinnertime, the puffy white clouds dotted the azure sky once again. Last year it snowed a foot on September 9.

Camp more, worry less. Put your thought here:___________, worry less.

Chama valley.

Art shot of the day: Narrow Leaf Cottonwoods.

You can bear it.

I think the reason we caught the train is that it only travels about 10-12 miles per hour. Our power on demand can muster a bit more than that, and I had my throttle flat out.

Never seen or heard of a yellow watermelon. The local fruit stand guy, replete with his purely Western handlebar mustache said he held a blind taste test for folks and they couldn't tell the difference.

The Cumbers-Toltec train pulled by engine 484. Come ride if you can.

Who? That's you, who.

OK, I'll stop bugging you now.

Adventure 670: Sky Mountain RV Resort/Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad/Post B

Treated to a drop dead gorgeous day, we ventured up highway 17 toward Cumbres Pass to check out the route the railroad would take. Along the way we stopped to chat with a self-proclaimed "rail fan" named Bill who was waiting for trains to pass by. His encyclopedic knowledge held us in sway for over forty-five minutes, and I'm sure he could have talked longer. Currently living in Denver and employed as a CAD designer for a heavy equipment company, he spends his weekends photographing trains all over the west. It proved serendipitous for us because he expounded on the history of the Cumbres & Toltec train line which has run daily since 1880. It helped bring our trip alive. At eleven-thirty (or so-trains don't run on time, except in Japan) we boarded our car for what was supposed to be a two hour trip to the summit of Cumbres Pass and back. The trip took an extra hour not only because we left the station late; we also had to delay at the top waiting for another train that had engine trouble on the way up. Every part of the experience delighted us: the scenery, the ambience, the sweet lady docent who babbled facts, and the surprise meeting of a couple of former teachers from New Jersey. Of course we bonded as professionals, but just as pleasant, we exchanged the hopes, dreams, and experiences of the freshly retired. Phil, a former teacher turned elementary principal had retired earlier than Janice, a middle school Language Arts teacher, who said if not for covid she would still be teaching. Clearly, she loved the "action". They had planned a full trip last year before covid struck. Sadly, that adventure was cancelled, but they had the gleam of first day seventh graders in their eyes as they described the stops they planned to make on this renewed attempt. Chatting with them added to our wonderful experience on the train. It's always nice to meet former teachers who did the job because they loved the kids. Truth be told, I've met a few teachers who groused a bit about the profession. Having said that, I'm happy to be retired. In my thirty-one years, the job was hard. In present times, it seems impossible. Mostly, we enjoyed the views, the weather, the sharing, and the privilege we enjoy. It verifies once again my working theory that life is good, especially today.

Phil and Janice Schmidt, fellow teachers and new found friends (Sorry for the poor photo).

My Bunny riding the rails.

The rail yard at Chama, beaming with action and littered with cars of all types.

Just prior to our departure, the engineers linked the engine to the cars with a gentle but solid mechanical clank.

Passengers waiting to board.

Loaded in our assigned seats, we took the selfie of the day.

Chama rests at 7863 feet above sea level; Cumbres pass is 1015. One view up the three-four percent grade.

The station at Cumbres summit.

We were first to board. Elaborate oak wood with chamfered edges, routed inlays, red velvet chairs and a glossy embossed tin roof.

Our brakeman taking a sip of water as we left the station

Opinions vary as to the altitude. Railway engineers say one thing; road survey crews say another.

Snow shed at the summit of Cumbres Pass where the train backed into a Y turn out before heading back down the grade.

Art shot of the day.

Not only can't the pictures capture the grandeur, but just imagine the chug-a-chug of the coal fired steam engine, the belch of the smoke from the stack, and the smell of burnt coal.

This little guy followed us all the way up just in case of fire.

Quite a few movies have been filmed on this stretch. This is what's left of the water tower used during the Indiana Jones movie where Harrison Ford jumped from the water tower to the train. Word is he did his own stunts.