We departed Albuquerque to visit a few more places within NM, including Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in San Antonio. We were hoping to see the migratory sandhill cranes. We stopped first at the Visitor Center. Not only was the Center open, it had a terrific interactive display that was both entertaining and informative. I learned cranes are the oldest bird species on record, with a fossil found in Nebraska dating back 10 million years. And the sandhill cranes are the most abundant subspecies. The Rocky Mountain variety are most prevalent in this region. They are monogamous but may take a new mate if their original partner dies. While both parents share incubation of the typical 2 eggs laid, the Mamma does it 70% of the time. Once hatched, the youngsters stay with their parents for a year, learning the ropes. Then large extended families unite for migration. They can travel 500 miles in 9-10 hours at elevations of 3,000-12,000 feet. So, armed with all this knowledge and the fact that several were reported to be in the area, we hiked to the viewing blind to glimpse these fascinating creatures. We heard them in the distance. But we were looking for them in the wrong places. They weren’t at ground level in the wetlands or ponds; they were miles above us in the atmosphere flying to their next stopover! So, I didn’t get a good photo, but I enjoyed watching them fly in formation. It always amazes me that they never seem to crash into one another. They should give humans some safe "driving" lessons.
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| Great interactive display. Hit some buttons and the sandhills fly, the coyotes howl, and the deer roam. |
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| Can you spot the hawk in the tree? |
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| At least THESE sandhill cranes posed for a photo. |
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| Big Boomer and Suite Retreat parked in the distance. |
We continued to Hatch, NM, where we stayed overnight at Hatch RV Park. The village of Hatch hosts a chili pepper festival each September that purportedly attracts 30,000 guests, earning this small enclave the “Hatch Chile Pepper Capital of the World”. We walked through the center of town and stopped in all the shops. Couldn’t leave without making some fresh roasted and dried Hatch chili pepper purchases. We stopped at the Hatch Museum only to find it closed. So, we went to the renowned Sparky’s for lunch (surprisingly, they had a veggie burger for Dad). Sparky’s has a retro interior and exterior with great photo opportunities. And I got some fun, unobstructed pics since we arrived at 11:15 a.m., before the place got crowded. We stayed for the first set of the musical entertainment provided by locals Bonnie and Clyde, whose varied repertoire ranged from calypso, to rock, to pop. Interestingly, Sparky’s obtained a liquor license recently. Yet, it is only open till 5:30 p.m. Yes, this is one quiet, sleepy town in the evenings.
The next morning we traveled I-25 to US-70, destination Boot Hill RV Resort in Alamogordo, NM. This is a lovely, gated Park with easy access, spacious, level pull-thru sites, clean laundry facilities, and friendly and helpful managers who came to greet us even on their day off. Even better, it is right across the highway from Pistachioland and its roadside attraction: the world’s largest pistachio, standing 30 feet tall. After making our pistachio purchases, we took the pistachio grove tour, well worth the nominal $3/person fee. I learned that pistachio trees originated in the Middle East, which makes sense since they require little water. Male trees are taller and less colorful than females. There is a ratio of 1 male tree for every 20 females among the 14,000 trees on premises. While most people associate pollination with bees, it is the winds here that pollinate the pistachios. And it takes only 20 days to pollinate each year (those boy trees sure have an easy gig). A female tree does not begin producing nuts until it is 7 years old, but thereafter yields 25-30 pounds each year. Fascinating!
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| Boot Hill RV Resort--great gated Park |
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| This guy got planted on Boot Hill. |
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| I wholeheartedly agree with this statement! |
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| I hitched a ride with some friends in this restored Studebaker. |
Since we had visited Alamogordo previously, we didn’t do any other touring there. Instead, we departed Boot Hill RV Resort on a crisp, Autumn morning heading toward Lincoln, NM. To avoid mountain passes, we opted to travel along NM-54. The town of Carrizozo on this route looked like a movie set or even a ghost town. There were structures, but all the businesses were shuttered. This undoubtedly is attributable to MAJOR road construction which cut off access to most enterprises. Very sad to see a small town of under 1,000 residents (and the Lincoln County seat to boot) just die.
We arrived at Smokey Bear Historical Park near Capitan, NM. We couldn’t fit in its parking lot with our set-up, but it had curbside parking as well. One would almost think they reserved that area for us, ‘cause no one else was parked there and we fit perfectly taking up the entire section. The Forest Service first used the fictional character “Smokey Bear” in forest fire prevention ad campaigns in 1944. Little did they know then that the fictional character would be brought to life in 1950. That is when a REAL 3-month-old orphaned bear cub who suffered burn wounds would be rescued from a tree he climbed trying to escape an actual forest fire. That cub became an icon, and he received millions of visitors at the National Zoo in Washington, DC until his death in 1976. He was brought back to be interred right here in Capitan, not far from where he was rescued 26 years earlier.
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| The REAL Smokey Bear Cub. |
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| Smokey's final resting place. |
We continued along US-380 to Lincoln, NM, which hasn’t changed much since its founding in the mid-1800s. It is known for its Lincoln County War, a feud between 2 rival land/cattle/mercantile owners vying for “territory”. This was serious business in this Wild West town, and gunslingers like Billy the Kid were recruited to “resolve” the matter. Though we enjoyed learning about its colorful history and viewing many structures that date back to the 1880s, what drew us to Lincoln was an opportunity to visit with our dear friend Sylvia, with whom we volunteered in 2020 at Dworshak Dam in Idaho. We savored lattes during great conversation and exchanged hugs that warmed our hearts (and our bodies on this damp, chilly day) until we meet again in AZ next year.
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| Structures from the 1880s... |
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| Reunion with Sylvia. |
We returned to the road, destination Sunset Reef Camp-ground. Operated by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), this is a terrific boondocking site within 10 miles of Carlsbad Caverns National Park. With fire pits, grills, sheltered picnic tables, trash receptacles, pit toilet if you need it and 5 level, big-rig friendly pull-through sites (and equal number of tent sites), this small camping area is a gem. We had an excellent Verizon cell signal as well, earning this place a coveted Rambling RV Rat 5-cheese award. Unfortunately, stays are limited to 5 days.
We headed the next day to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As we drove Big Boomer along the entrance road, we were treated to a group of big horn sheep out for their morning stroll.
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| Mural in White's City outside Carlsbad Caverns National Park. |
We made our on-line timed-entry reservation for 10:30 a.m. to hike into Carlsbad Caverns. This self-guided tour takes you along the Big Room Trail and the Natural Entrance Trail. Along the trail down, we enjoyed chatting with Cheryl who was leading her Escapees Hangout group in a volunteer clean up activity there. The Caverns have fine examples of stalactites, stalagmites, and speleothems like popcorn and soda straws, though my photos don’t do the Caverns justice.
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| Entering the caverns... |
By the time we finished hiking, Dad was hungry. But the “restaurant” at the Park had nothing for his plant-based diet other than a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at the insane cost of $6.50 per sandwich. Thankfully, Mom’s purse is like Mary Poppins’ bag—she pulled out a few protein bars and bags of nuts to satisfy his belly until we got back to the campground.
We tried to get tickets on-line for the King’s Palace Guided Tour at the Caverns. But there are only 2 tours daily, and all on-line tickets were sold out for our 2-day visit. I got my hopes up when we learned from the Ranger upon arrival for our timed-entry reservation that only half of the 24 tickets for each King’s Palace Guided Tour are sold on-line in advance. The Caverns hold back 12 tickets for each tour for walk-ups. We arrived early the second day of our visit to score those walk-up tickets. Alas, it was not meant to be. The Rangers eliminated 1 of the 2 tours entirely. So those with reserved tickets for the second tour were moved into the first tour, thereby eliminating any walk-up ticket availability. Sadly, of the Caverns’ half million visitors annually, less than 5% get to view the King’s Palace.
We perused the Visitor Center so I could finish my booklet and get sworn in as a Junior Ranger. I received a patch in addition to the standard issue pin.
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| Me taking a breather after earning my Junior Ranger pin AND patch! |
In the early evening, we watched the swallows return to the Cavern from their daily activities. And then the bats emerged—hundreds of thousands of them! We left after an hour of watching, and they were still pouring out! The Park Service prohibits taking any photos of the phenomenon, and we were instructed to turn off ALL electronics, including phones, Apple watches, etc., since these supposedly interfere with bat flight and their sonar. Meanwhile, the Ranger was using a blue tooth sound system and had on her walkie-talkie. A fine example of “do as I say, not as I do.”
The next day our kitchen faucet bit the dust. Fortunately, it happened while we were inside the rig, so minimal leakage occurred. Off to Lowes we went. Of course, it took 2 trips back and forth since the connections on the residential faucet are not the same as those in the RV. Thankfully, Dad got the faucet installed properly and quickly once he had all the correct parts. I think his handyman talents is one of the reasons Mom keeps him around.
Well, time for me to sign off. I’ll talk to you again soon!
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