Planes, Trains & Automobiles

Our last day on the road for this trip & it was a very stormy , rainy night. I went to bed about 12:30, after that great meal at The Big Texan & it had let up a little. KK came to bed at ? & it wa still raining & there were tons of trains rolling down the tracks. They were about 1/2 mile north of us & I'm sure that KOA picked this spot because of its proximity to the tracks..it helps you sleep sooo well. (It seems to be a trait of these campgrounds.) I guess you get used to them, but theh first night anywhere is usually tough. Anyway, we're up about 8:00..central time!...and man, is it wet out, but we've got blue skies & no wind! We'll be on the last leg of our journey today..east on I-40 to Harrah, but first, a nice bike ride in the flatlands, while the camper drys out a little. The roads around here are really nice & we ride north, and east, by the jack rabbits, the prison & fields of plowed furrows. we ride about 17 miles, but I flatted, so KK went on back as I fixed the flat and blasted on back. We've got to tear down & get on the road! we're out by 11:15 & headed to a DQ! It's a good thing we didn't go far at first as I had not hooked the the trailer correctly & it was bouncing around. Ok, fixed that & now we head out with our dripping medium dip-cones. Now we're on I-40 and on to the Oklahoma State Line! Some construction but not too bad & we stop in Texola at a "Home Cookin'" restaurant for a couple of good burgers & fries. No more stops until we need gas..the Flyin' J in Yukon-only 40 miles from home, but it's 5:15 and some rush hour traffic & the very bumpy crosstown. One wreck at Anderson Road, but we slip on by and make it to Harrah/Newalla Road & on north to the cul-de-sac. Unhook the trailer & unload everything, before we crank up the camper to air it out & unload it too. 4314 miles of driving & averaged 17.8 MPG..not bad for pulling the popup most of the time. Six states & five National Parks, no bears or mooses, but a lot of wildlife. There were a few issues: the broken windshield, the damaged camera lens, lost sunglasses, but al-in-all it was a good trip. Where to now? The Edgar Cruz concert in Harrah Park on sat eve...

Where's the Beef?

We slept in 'till almost 8:00, as a little rain shower made it easier to stay in bed, all covered up. It's about 65 degrees this am still a few sprinkles around, but I'm outside under the awning, and a hummingbird comes in & checks out the 'mingo & whizzes off..cute! I then dump a lot of water off of the awning & have some coffee & cookies-there's a fly in my coffee & he's crunchie. Ok, let's get going, start packing up & tearing down-it's almost 9:00! I do finish off the breakfast dish before we leave & then we finish packing & folding up the camper. Off we go down highway 285 toward Clines Corners..I should have ridden this! It's about 40 miles to I-40 & eastbound for Amarillo-we dropped from around 6900' to 5500' at I-40. Absolutely no trees, but a lot of pencil cactus & scrub bushes. We pass a lot of DQ's but we're not in the mood yet & when we get hungry, there's not one around. We do stop for lunch & have some Squawkers Chicken at a Stuckey's--it's ok -KK gets a burger. On to Amarillo and to the KOA-our Nav system works!- about 4:00 & set up pretty quick & get the a/c going. It's warm, about 91 & sunny & this time we're right by the showers & bath. I suit up & go out for a 17 mile ride, while KK heads for the pool. The ride is fun & I explore a little & up to the old airport (airbase) terminal, where WW II pilots trained on the B-24's..it was "English Field" at that time. I get back, but KK has left the pool as the skeetters are bad. I get my suit and go for a quick swim & don't even see a skitter. Now, what do we do for supper? We find out that the "Big Texan" supplies a free shuttle service to & from their restaurant to the KOA! We've see the sign for the "Free 72 oz steak" for years so let's give it a try..not the 72 ouncer, just the restaurant. A stretch caddy limo comes for us & Don takes us to the front door. Oh, and while we're waiting on the limo, a guy walk by and sees we're OSU fans & says he was with Mike Gundy last week in Steamboat..I said, WHAT?" turns out he grew up with Mike's mom & knows all of the family & of course, Blas too. What a small world we live in..his name? (.....) back to the restaurant..we wait 30 minutes for a table & we're in a huge room, like an old time saloon, with an upper deck all around, noisy, with a 3-piece band playing cowboy tunes. And more "dead" animal heads, horns, etc than you can imagine. Is it a tourist trap or real good food? Well, the food is really good & we don't buy any "stuff" so I guess it all worked out fine. KK got the 9 oz filet, cooked to perfection, with a huge salad plus macaroni with cheese. I got the ribs, with coleslaw & potato salad & a couple of drinks..the "Laughing Margarita", and Amber ale. This is the 50th anniversary for this place, so I guess it really has to be good or people would quit coming here. They're famous for their "free 72oz steak"..if you can eat it & the trimmings in 1 hour. if not, the price is now $72! The record time is 8 minutes & 52 seconds..unbelievable! Anyway, it was a good time & we had 5 people from France next to us & they were having a ball. Then the limo ride back to the KOA about 10:30 & it's starting to rain a little & a storm is brewing..must have followed us from NM. Now it's just after 11:00 & the wind is kicking up with thunder, lightning & heavy rain. Now it's 12:11 am and it's still storming, but the rain has letup a little. On my ride today, I found 40 cents, a socket & an open end wrench & saw a few jack rabbits up on Folsom Road..right by the prison. We also got a glimps of "Cadillac ranch" just west of town. tomorrow, it's pack up and head east for Harrah, America..how much mail will we have?..even better, the POKES start practice on Friday!

Chimayo Churches

I woke up to a chugging auto at 6:30..where are they going? I just lay there for a while & enjoy the peacefulness. Ok, I'm up & start the coffee & make my morning "walk." It's a little cloudy & cool this am & the coffee (my blend) tastes great! Tom had sent an e-mail with the directions to their house, but Mapquest was being very stubborn. I stayed with it & finally got the right address & directions, once I figured out what his zip code was. We'll drive over there after breakie & a bike ride. I suit up and head out for a 12 miler & meet KK out on the road..Good Girl! The road isn't too good, but she rides about 4 miles, and then we clean up & head out, about 24 miles, to the Mcneight's Mountain retreat. It's a good thing I wrote down the mapquest directions, as our Nav system took us on the wrong road, or at least the long way around thru the plan. But we persevere & get to the correct gate & Tom lets us in their gated area. We get a tour of the house & have a drink & visit for a while, as they are having a locksmith replace a lock on the front door. Ok, now we are going up to Chimayo for a side trip of the countryside. A nice drive up there and we have lunch at The Rancho De Chimayo. Very nice place & the Mexican food is great! KK & Joyce get the cheese enchiladas, Tom the chicken Enchies & I get the shrimp pesto, blue corn Enchies..Great! We all have margarets & enjoy the day. Then it's up to the famous church- Santuario de Chimayo (1813)- where the dirt is supposed to heal you of your ills. KK rubs a little on her shoulder, so we'll see. there's a few shops too, and of course, Catholic gift shops, with all kinds of religious stuff. Joyce buys a couple of things and we check out the river, which is flowing briskly. back in the car and toward Santa Fe, where Tom takes us up Canyon Drive, a famous road with 100's of art studios & shops. Santa Fe is the 3rd largest Art city in the USA! And property on this street is very pricey. We don't stop, but just cruise around & it looks like a whole different trip if you want to see this area. Back thru town & to their house, where we relax a bit & visit before heading back to the KOA. Thanks Tom & Joyce for a great tour! Come & see us sometime! We look around for other places to shop but nothing out our way but eatin' joints. Into the camper as a storm is brewing around us and we check e-mails, blog & book a KOA for tomorrow eve in Amarillo, TX...hope they have a pool! see ya there.

LaFonda Lunch

A pretty good sleep for our new surroundings..a few dogs barkin', but no trains & light traffic. Up to a clear blue sky & 55 degrees...the covers felt good! Start the coffee & when KK gets up, we cook a "Mike's Skillet" & plenty left over for tomorrow. I clean the dishes & then suit up for my first bike ride in New Mexico. It'll be short as we are awaiting a call from Safelite Autoglass & the replacement of our cracked windshield. I get in 4 quick miles & come back to see if the guy is here yet..here he comes! A good kid, who best friend played baseball for our POKES! He gets right with it & in just under one hour, he's done..total job...293..not bad..I'm sure the dealership would have been 700. So we're ready to head into Santa Fe & hit the Plaza! Into town pretty quick & park & shop! But first we stop at the St Francis Cathedral, celebrating 400 years of service-it's been completely redone & is beautiful! We're a little hungry at 2:15, so we try a few places but see the LaFonda Hotel has a 10.95 lunch buffet, in their Fiesta Lounge. A great deal & the Mexican food is good..enchiladas, soups, tacos, with all kinds of sauces..and a brew & a margret. Back out to the Plaza to shop, look around & sightsee. Lots of local artists & silversmiths pushing their wares, in addition to the shops. Then we walk to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum & get a quick 15 minute walkthru..no charge..real nice! This place is loaded with museums, so you can spend days in them if you wish. Then over to the "Five & Dime" store (an old Woolworth's store) for a sodie & cooling off, before going out onto the Plaza for the evenings festivities. It's National Night Out & the Plaza is hoppin'! All of Santa Fe's Best are out..the fire dept, the police, the EMT's, the Special Weapons unit & the El Dorado Hook & ladder with the Stars & Stripes on the top! A band is playin' and lots of activities for the kids & free stuff too! popcorn, snow cones, spin your own cotton candy & a few 1000 people enjoyin' the blocked off Plaza area. A great time had by all! (even the dogs.) So, by 7:15, we were ready to head out, looking for a local market on the way. We finally find one that the Safelite kid told us about, just about 7 miles from the KOA, but it was tough find. we get a few things, and especially ice & some "Annie's Shells"! (supper) That's about it for Tuesday..14 miles of biking for me & KK just rode in the KOA. tomorrow? a trip with Tom & Joyce.

The Santa Fe Trail

Well, what did I say about the rain? It did stop during the night and made for good sleepin', but it's still cloudy and Tut-tut, looks like rain. I'm up at 7-ish, hoping it doesn't rain until we get packed up, but nooooooo, here it comes, light at first, then torrential downpours. So we get everything ready inside that we can & wait for letups in the showers We have a little breakie while we're waiting. Then a break in the rain so we get with it-two different times-before we get the camper cranked down & ready to roll. Goodbye Durango! A right turn onto 160 headed for Pagosa Springs, then a right turn onto 64 toward Santa Fe. We stop in Chama, NM for a visitors center map & a lunch break at a local diner-Fina's Diner.."Friends Gather Here"-it's so-so, enchiladas. Back on the road and into the Santa Fe Area, and once again our Nav system fails..it "says" destination on right" but it turns out we're 6 miles from the KOA, and it's on the left! (What gives?) We call the place and get final directions and there it is, the bright yellow sign. Of course, they put us in the back, it is shaded, but no pool! Get set up so it'll dry out and even put up the awning. I attempt to call Tom & Joyce to tell them of our arrival & try to plan an evening dinner..the circuits are busy! WHAT? Finally we get connected and plan a 7:15 date at the Plaza in downtown Santa Fe. We wash a few things..the sheets mainly..and finish setting up before getting ready to go. We get together on the Plaza & park at the "LaFonda Hotel" garage. A little chat on the corner and then up to the "Pizzeria on the Roof Top" for some delicious pasta. I get the meatball linguine, with red sauce & everyone else gets the lobster linguine with garlic butter sauce..FAB! We discuss a lot of things and make a date for Wednesday to go out to their house and then go on an afternoon trip. Tom grabs the bill..he's much faster than me..and hey, THANKS TOM! It's a fun evening. Now, to find our way outa here and back to the KOA..Tom leads us to the main road and away we go..thanks again! We make it fine & man, look at the stars! The Milky Way is awesome out here! A shower, some facebookin', bloggin' and the journal. The Windshield man will come tomorrow and fix-replace-the glass & we'll just pay for it as it's cheaper than our 500 deductible..go figure. No biking today, but I'll do my first NM ride tomorrow.

Hiking, not dancing in the Rain

Well, another month shot to hell-or maybe it was Purgatory, but July was pretty good to us, so let's move on to August. A cool morning-60- & sunny. The coffee is good in my new Colorado Mug . We have a quick breakie-cereal for KK & a sausage sandwich for me. Pack up a cooler & hiking stuff for our trip to Mesa Verde National Park. It's about 40 miles back west to the park & we see lots of cyclists on the way..a benefit ride for peace. There's some of these riders who are already struggling with the climbs..that's why they have sags. At the Entrance by 9:45-senior pass!- but it's a 15 mile, twisting road drive to the visitor center at the Far View Overlook & that it is. There's a long line to purchase tickets for guided tours of the Cliff Palace & Balcony House. I'm not standing in line for this, so we opt for the self-guided tour. Off we go for the Spruce Tree House, it's a short hike, down hill & back up for these ruins. It is very neat & was built by the Anasazi Tribe (The Ancient Ones) in the 600-1200 AD time-frame. We are told that about 100 people lived & worked in this spot. By the way, the Park is packed & parking spots are primo. A few Ranger Ricks are around to answer questions & keep the idiots where they are supposed to be. Back up to the car to have a little picnic & there's a nice big rock by the auto that is perfect. Now we prepare to hike the ridge to some petroglyphs. It's a tough 3-hour hike, over rocks, around big rocks, down steps, up steps, climbing, and now it's raining too. (Where's our jackets?) Oh well, there's plenty of rock overhangs to stand under. We have a nice Park booklet to guide us & explain all of the plants on the way, and then the Glyphs! We almost miss them as some one has moved the marker, but a dear lady tells us to go back & see 'em. So, back down to #24 & the gylphs..they're amazing! We climb back up and now we're on the Mesa & a pretty level walk back to the museum & car. Head out of the park, with a couple of stops & thank goodness there's no construction today since it's Sunday, as they are re-doing the "Ruins Road". I've brought my bike and hope to ride part of the way back..if the weather co-operates. I get out at the last "hill" of the day, and face a 10 mile downhill into Durango! Now that's the "payback" I like. KK goes on & I circle around and head down..WOW!..44.5 mph & I 'm riding the brakes on this 6-7% grade. It was 61 degrees at the top-8250'-and into town at 6500' & a little more comfortable. A few bikers climbing up and the traffic is so-so. I make a left & find the bike path & head toward the camp, looking for new paths. I have to walk down to one portion but it's worth it...all the way up to Home Depot, before getting out on the main road the last 4 miles. (A few coins here and there.) I get to camp with 22 miles for the day & that 500' climb. Hit the showers & we head north looking for Sweeney's--Karen, please note!---I had seen it on our bus trip on Saturday. Their sign out front says" Fabulous" food, and it was! I had the prime rib special, grilled, with a cajun/peppercorn sauce , garlic potatoes & veggies. KK had the salmon special, with horseradish sauce & crusted almonds, their famous brown rice and the bowl of salad with house dressings! And a couple of drinks and great service. (Thanks Karen! It was worth it!) A great way to end our stay in Durango. As we head back, there is massive lightning to the south, toward our KOA & about a mile away it starts to rain, & then a torrential downpour. Into the camper without getting too wet & start blogging, e-mails & postcard writing. Looks like a good sleep with the rain still coming down at 11:00..where's my umbrella? Hope it stops by morning..we're on to Santa Fe tomorrow. A great day in and around Durango!