Thanksgiving Adventure to Durango and Mesa Verde National Park

(Durango, Colorado) 48 degrees, clear blue skies

Silverton - Durango Train

We had four days off during Thanksgiving and decided to spend the weekend in Durango Colorado.  It is about a 450 mile trip one way and for such a short weekend we decided to leave the motorhome at White Sands and stay in a hotel.  We packed up a few warm clothes and Jimmy and took off back to Colorado.   The scenery quickly changed and soon we were looking out over the beautiful snow capped San Juan Mountains (14ers) and breathing in the deep scent of pine.  It was a glorious drive. 

Downtown Durango

Durango is a pretty town located along the Animas River with brick streets, quaint shops, and great restaurants.  We stayed at the Durango Downtown Inn and they recommended Christina's for Thanksgiving dinner.  It was a huge buffet with all the traditional items, plus lots of fresh seafood.  Everything was delicious. 

The next day we had reservations on the Durango - Silverton Cascade Winter Train.  This is an abbreviated five hour trip offered in the fall and winter.  Lots of folks had suggested this train trip to us.  The scenery was breathtaking.  Watching the train arrive and hook up to the cars was fun. I loved listening to the train whistle each time we came close to an intersection.  Each car was decorated for the holidays, however, we spent most of our time in the open car.  The weather was moderate and we had unlimited mugs of hot chocolate. 

Open Car

We climbed about 2000 feet in elevation and soon the ground was covered in a light dusting of snow. 

We stopped for about 45 minutes.  You could hike an easy trail along the river or you could spend time around a big fire.  Some of the kids built snowmen. 

The trip back was just as delightful.  We met a nice couple (Mike & Kathy) and later on we had dinner together and even went Christmas caroling. 

In the evening there is also  a Polar Express train for kids of all ages.  Most folks arrive in pajamas and there is a short train trip to the North Pole.   We saw this depart later in the evening and it sure looked like fun. 

The next day we drove to Mesa Verde National Park.  It was about an hour drive. During this time of year only the Spruce House cliff dwelling can be toured.  It was a beautiful drive up to the museum with spectacular overlooks. 

Trail down to Spruce House

We stopped at the museum and watched a good movie that told us all about the cliff dwellers.   The museum exhibits were rather dated and dimly lite. However, a new visitor center will open next summer.

You can walk down to the Spruce House without having to climb any ladders or crawl through tunnels (like some cliff dwellings). It is actually wheel chair accessible, however, it would be a tough push back up the half mile trail. 

The ruins were discovered in the 1880's by some ranchers.  The Ancestral Puebloan's lived here for about 700 years from 600-1300 AD and hid their homes among the cliffs.  They must have been very busy constructing over 600 dwellings in the area.  The Spruce House is the best preserved cliff dwelling. 

Kiva (originally would have had a roof)

There was a ranger down at the site who told us about the ruins.  There were probably about 40 to 50 people who lived here. There were always fires going.  Evidence of the smoke were very obvious.  There were several kivas that were ceremonial gathering rooms. 

The Puebloans  believed that they arrived from another world to this one from a small hole in the floor.  You entered and exited the kiva by ladder and it was amazingly well ventilated. 

It was a tough existence and water was very scarce.  It can also be very cold in the winter.  It is not known why they left but it is thought to be due to a climate change.

Ceremonial Kiva

Foot and hand holes used to climb cliffs

We also drove the Mesa Loop Road that had ten overlooks that view small cliff dwellings, mesa top dwellings, and the amazing Cliff Palace.  We enjoyed our visit and would like to return to visit more of the cliff dwellings. 

Cliff Palace

Pipe House

Far View House

We enjoyed our trip and celebrated John's anniversary of his last day at the post office.  We certainly are enjoying retirement. 

Three Rivers Petroglyph Site - Over 21,000 Prehistoric Drawings To Find

(!7 miles north of Tulorosa, New Mexico) 62 degrees, clear blue sky

Yes, you read the title of our post correctly.  There are over 21,000 "glyphs" at this site.  We decided to visit Three Rivers Petroglph, near Tularosa, New Mexico, and see how many we could find.  There are wonderful examples of sunbursts, wildlife, masks, birds, and many mythical rock carvings.  They were pecked about a 1000 years ago by a group of prehistoric Native Americans known as Jomada Mogollons. 

A rugged 1/2 mile trail leads up into a huge jumble of rocks.  They are everywhere and only a few are marked.  We crawled among the rocks for a few hours and enjoyed finding some of them.  Be sure to take a hiking stick and keep an eye out for rattlesnakes.  There are more carvings off the trail too.

Very little is known about the meaning of the rock carvings and there appears to be strong disagreement among scholars.  It is thought that they worshipped nature and had a strong connection to their environment. There are certainly lots of them with a mystical quality. 

Trail (1/2 mile one way)

This is a BLM site and there two RV sites available (water only) with nice restrooms and a camphost on the premises.  There is also a very nice National Forest campground seven miles further down the road.  The sites are primitive and there are nice trails leading up the mountains.  We would not recommend these sites for motorhomes due to the rugged roads.  However, the BLM sites would work well due to the road being paved to the visitors center. 

 

The weather in New Mexico is perfect right now and the surrounding countryside was so beautiful.  Be sure to stop at the trading post as you exit off the freeway.  We enjoyed some ice cream after our hike and there is beautiful native jewelry and artwork for sale. 

Visit To A Weird And Interesting Site - Very Large Array

(Socorro, NM) 52 degrees, blue skies, very windy, elevation 7400 ft

Over the weekend we also visited a very unusual site called the Very Large Array, an astronomical radio observatory.  There are 27 antennas spread out over the desert about 50 miles from Socorro.  It is definitely in the middle of nowhere.  Each antenna is 82 feet and they weigh 230 tons.  Our tax dollars are at work here with the initial cost being 73 million dollars.  It was dedicated in 1980. 

Scientist monitoring all the antennas

There are 12 guided tours each year that tour the control center.  We were lucky and happened to be there for one of them.  We were told that radio astronomy is the study of celestial objects that emit radio waves. With radio astronomy, scientists are able to  study astronomical phenomena that are often invisible in other portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. They can also probe the “Dark Ages” before the onset of the first stars or galaxies, and study the earliest generation of galaxies.

You can also take a self guided tour at any time.  The control center, however, can only be seen on the guided tours (first Saturday of the month). We were able to ask the scientist questions for only five minutes.  However, I am not sure I understood his answers. :)  They speak a different language here. 

Radio astronomers from all over the world analyze and explore the black holes that live at the hearts of most galaxies. These antennas can process 380 billion bits of information every second.  Whew, that is a whole lot of data. Scientist propose and bid for permission to use the antennas.  Sometimes they only can use them for a few days or hours or for several months. 

The antennas move along railroad tracks and can be arranged in four different configurations.  Currently they are in the D configuration (darn close together) and they are studying a project involving the sun. They change positions about every four months or so. 

It was worth the effort to visit this strange and unusual place. 

A Visit To The Spectacular Bosque del Apache NWR

(San Antonio, NM)  56 degrees, clear blue skies, windy

Snow Geese and Sandhill Cranes

We packed up the motorhome and left White Sands National Monument for the weekend.  We have Friday-Sunday off each week and had heard about a bird watching rally that was about 2 hours away.  While we were at the FMCA rally in Farmington we joined a local club (Cuatro Estados) that has rallies in the four corners area.  We were very impressed with the campouts that were  planned for 2012 and decided to join.  This is a very active club and they offer lots of activities and side trips.   

We arrived at the Bosque Birdwatchers RV Park.  It is a very basic campground with full hook ups (mostly 30 amp).  Sites are gravel and level with very few amenities.  However, it is very convenient to the wildlife park and only $20/night.  We then drove out to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Park and went to the visitors center to get some information.  We were greeted by a very friendly volunteer who told us all about the area and where to find the birds.  There was also a very interesting 15 minute movie and a gift shop with everything a birder could ever need. 

Irrigation canals

This park has 15 RV campsites and three apartments designated for their volunteers.  It is a very active and popular program.  You need to apply in March for the winter season and it requires a four month commitment. 

The best time to visit this park is November - February.  The sandhill cranes, white snow geese, and lots of ducks have started to arrive for the winter.  The goal of refuge management is to provide habitat and protection for migratory birds and endangered species and provide the public with a high quality wildlife and educational experience.  There is a 15 mile loop to drive around the area and view the birds.  There are numerous decks to walk out onto and they also suggested using your car as a blind.  The park encompasses 12,900 acres.

Snow geese



Mule Deer

We saw irrigation canals that provide water flow and flood certain fields on a rotation basis.  Daily monitoring, mowing, and clearing keeps them functioning. The movie told us that the water levels are lowered to  create moist fields and promotes growth of native marsh plants. Marsh management is rotated so that varied habitats are always available. When mature marsh conditions are reached, the cycle is repeated. Local farmers and the refuge staff grow crops to feed and attract the birds.  This park was instrumental in saving the whopping crane from extinction. 




Angry Red Tailed Hawk

The best time to arrive is before dawn or just before sunset.  This is when the birds take off for the day and return to roost at night.  It is spectacular!  In the evening the sandhill cranes arrive in small groups announcing their arrival with lots of strange honks.   We were told that the birds trachea is 40 inches long and waves back and forth in its throat creating a very squeaky sound.  They are a very large bird but land very delicately in the water.

Sandhill cranes landing

Soon after the sandhill cranes are settled the snow geese come in.  They arrive all at one time and it is really hard to describe in words how amazing this site was to behold.  It is almost spiritual and something we will always remember.  Over 1500 birds landed all at one time in a matter of a few minutes. 

We went back the next morning and were greeted by this double rainbow.  It was beautiful and lasted a very long time.  What a great time we had here.  Next weekend is their big event where over 50,000 people arrive for the Annual Festival of the Cranes.  It is held each year on the weekend before Thanksgiving.  There will be lots of seminars and tours and reservations are made in September.  However, there were very small crowds this weekend.  I think we timed this just about right. 

We also made a side trip out to the Very Large Array.  I'll tell you more about that strange place in our next post.