Harvest Hosting our Way from New Mexico to Kansas to Tour Frank Lloyd Wright Structures

Now that we are in the final weeks of our summer travels, we are focused on visiting additional structures designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, overnighting at a variety of Harvest Host locations along the way.

 

We left Maxwell, New Mexico traveling along US-64, and we crossed into Colorado utilizing roads that followed the Santa Fe Trail, which was a major route for trade and commerce until the railroads arrived in 1880.

We arrived at our Harvest Host for the evening, Prairie Ridge Buffalo Ranch in Limon, Colorado.    Prairie Ridge is a great overnighter, with various options for patronizing the business: take a tour ($20/person), partake in a combo tour and cookout ($40/person), or purchase buffalo meat.  When we stayed here in 2022, we were the only guests.  This time, there were 5 rigs on the property.  This prompted Dad to comment to the owner that things appear to be going well for Prairie Ridge as a Harvest Host.  The owner proceeded to tell Dad that he doesn’t make any money on it.  He opined that, after his expenses, he only makes about $9 for every guest who spends the $30 minimum purchase suggested by Harvest Hosts.  He said that guests would have to spend $100 for him to net $30.  Now is it just me or does anyone else think this is inappropriate for a host to say to a guest?  Should guests be expected to spend $100 to boondock in a field?  Ironically, we usually spend way more than the minimal purchase suggested by Harvest Hosts (especially at bison/beef ranches because Mom is a real carnivore.)   So, despite the delicious bison meat Prairie Ridge offers, the owner’s comments left a bad taste in Mom’s mouth.  She spent $140 to exceed the owner’s expectations.   But Mom informed Dad that as nice as this place is, she would not book here in the future.  (We ran into this situation previously with the owner of Legendary Alpacas in Maypearl, Texas.  We barely had time to park before she escorted us into her gift shop.  She showcased a $100 product and stated that it was what “most of her Harvest Host guests purchased”.  Mom did not buy the showcased product.   But Mom got the message of what she was expected to spend and purchased a shawl for my Aunt Laurie for $125.  Mom vowed never to stay at another alpaca farm). 

 

Our next travel day ended at Prairie Rose Inn, a Harvest Host in Wakeeney, Kansas.    Prairie Rose is a cute little motel with tavern/restaurant that also operates an RV Park.  Full hook up sites are offered at $58/night.  Since Harvest Host guests receive no discount at the RV Park, we opted to boondock for free in the gravel parking lot behind the motel and fulfill our obligation by purchasing dinner at the bar/grill, which was quite tasty and reasonably priced.  Those traveling with canines will enjoy the dog park across the street.  We have no dog to walk, but Mom and I visited the part of the park that contained military exhibits.

Mural at the motel.

The next day we arrived at Air Capital RV Park in Wichita, Kansas.  This was a small family-owned RV Park that had been acquired by an investment firm earlier this year.    We paid $65/night for a pull through site that barely fit Big Boomer/Suite Retreat.  But all the roads are paved, the sites are all concrete, and we could park the Jeep in a spot right next to us.  Air Capital offers free Wi-Fi and cable, and it has super clean laundry and restroom facilities.  The Park is well lit and uses security cameras, but that did not protect our neighbors, whose locked bicycles were stolen overnight right off the rack on the back of their rig!  (This situation was extra sad to me, since the family of 5 had only been full timing for 10 months.)   The Park is located behind a strip mall off 47^th Street, which is a busy thoroughfare, so perhaps this provided the culprits with a quick get-away.  The Park also has a storm shelter, which I nearly visited.  You see, one day during our stay we withstood a torrential rainstorm with wind gusts of 50+ miles per hour that I thought might develop into a tornado.

 

While in Wichita, we booked a private tour of the Allen House, a Frank Lloyd Wright design.  Though more costly than the 1.5-hour public tour, the 3-hour private tour focuses on so much more than house design.  Furthermore, it permits photography, which is prohibited during public tours.  Our docent, Barbara, was terrific.  Having visited nearly all his existing public structures (and several privately owned ones, too), Barbara is well versed in Wright’s design principles, his personal relationships, his bigger-than-life personality, and his idiosyncrasies—of which there were many. (One example is that he kept a key to every home he built.  This was to facilitate making unexpected visits to ensure homeowners were adhering to his décor designs).

 

The Allen House is a 4,000- square-foot “mansion” built between 1916 and 1918.   Wright designed/built the home for a $30,000 fee for Henry Allen (politician and owner of the Beacon newspaper that serviced the Wichita area), his wife Elsie, and their only surviving child, Henrietta.  The family lived here until the mid-1940s.

This was the last of the Prairie-style homes Wright designed.  All Prairie-style homes were in the shape of a crucifix (to pay homage to Wright’s father who was a minister), they all were 1 room deep to take advantage of cross breezes, and they all were state-of-the-art at the time of construction.  For example, the Allen House had sound-proofed rooms (insisted upon by Elsie), a security system that was monitored by Western Union, and double-action doors Wright invented to accommodate Elsie’s request for extra-large closets.  Built around the same time as Wright's Imperial Hotel in Japan, the Allen House has many of Wright's Asian-inspired design elements.  Here's a small sampling of photos of the Wright-designed interior.

 

Notice those double-action doors on the closet that Wright developed to accommodate Elsie's extensive wardrobe.  

One of the 5 bathrooms in the home.

We learned that another Wright design existed in Wichita, the Corbin Education Center, located on the campus of Wichita State University.  We were disappointed to see that the back of the building was undergoing renovations that prohibited the public from entering for tours.

 

The front of the Corbin Education Center was the only section which was not hindered by construction equipment, tarps, etc.  But this photo does not showcase the many unique architectural features of the building which include 2 towers, balconies, spires, and fountain.

But we filled our time with a visit to the Great Plains Nature Center.  We enjoyed hiking along the trails there and checking out all the “residents” within the pond.

 

The turtles sitting on the log, an egret, and a blue heron are all cohabiting peacefully.  If only humans could do the same. 

Our final night in Kansas was spent at the Happy Basset Brewery, a Harvest Host in Topeka, Kansas.  Gretchen, our Garmin GPS, directed us incorrectly to their new storefront location (it is so hard to get reliable help!  I can get us lost just as well as Gretchen).  So, we had to backtrack a few miles to arrive at their warehouse location.  They have a big gravel lot in which to park, though a portion of it slopes downward.  And I will warn you that the property is near the railroad tracks, so you will hear choo choos going by all night long.   But what a cool place!  First, everything about it incorporates the canine theme--from photos on the wall, to beer taps, to the names of all the craft beers.  There is an outdoor patio, stage, and huge dance floor.  I wish we had arrived on a Friday or Saturday when a band played, but alas, we visited on a Thursday.  The staff is friendly and efficient, and we enjoyed our dinners from their small but tasty food menu entitled “Bassett Bites”.  Staying at the Happy Basset Brewery was a good way to close our time in Kansas.

 

How cool are these beer taps!

Speaking of closing, it is time for me to sign off.  But I’ll talk to you again soon!    

 

 

Visiting Bandelier National Monument, Jemez Historic Site, Valles Caldera National Preserve and Santa Fe National Forest - New Mexico

During our stay at Cochiti Lake, New Mexico, we toured several areas, starting with Bandelier National Monument. Though much smaller in size than Mesa Verde National Park, (which we visited in Oct 2017: https://ramblingrvrat.blogspot.com/2017/10/lone-rock-beach-lake-powell-utmesa.html), Bandelier National Monument is an equally important site in the history and culture of the Ancestral Puebloan People.  Bandelier’s annual visitation is significantly less than Mesa Verde’s, too, so for me, it provided a more intimate, immersive experience. 

 

Situated between the Rio Grande River on the East and Cerro Picacho Peak in the San Miguel Mountains on the West, more than 2/3 of the Monument is designated as “wilderness”.  But to today’s Puebloan People, it represents holy and sacred ground, because built within the canyons above Frijoles Creek are the remains of the 800+ year-old homes of their ancestors.  Frijoles Creek starts 10,000 feet above sea level at Certo Grande Peak.  It travels for 14 miles, descending to a 4,000-foot elevation, before entering the Rio Grande River.  

Looking down upon Frijoles Creek.

We traversed the Pueblo Loop Trail to view the cliff dwellings.  It is fascinating to walk in the footsteps of history, view petroglyphs, and envision the daily lives of those who called these pueblos “home”.  The handiwork of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) is on exhibit here, too.  The road, Visitor Center, and lodge (now used as Staff housing and storage) are all due to their efforts.  Sadly, Alcove House and its trail were closed for restoration.  So, we could not visit this 2-story, 23 room pueblo and kiva.

Lots of rock art left behind by the prior owners of these "homes".

I guess I must have been hungry, because the holes within the tuff rocks, created by the forces of wind and rain over time, made the mountains look like Swiss cheese.

Fortunately, Mom is very astute—she got my message it was time for our lunch.  So, we ate al fresco at Sirphey, the lovely little café at the Monument.  We enjoyed elk and bison burgers, cooked medium rare, with side salad.  The food was fresh and tasty, proof it was prepared by a local restauranter rather than by an institutional food provider hired by the National Park Service (i.e., Aramark, Xanterra, ExploreUS, Delaware North).

The outdoor seating for the cafe.  The Lodge can be seen in the background. 

This little fellow wanted to join us for lunch.

After lunch, I got deputized as a Junior Ranger.  Then, we visited the Tsankawi Unit, a separate area of Bandolier National Monument off NM-502 outside of White Rock.  We followed a primitive 1.5-mile-trail of moderate difficulty to visit this unexcavated prehistoric pueblo site within Bandolier National Monument.  Originally, the trail took you right through the ancient site.  But it has been rerouted now for preservation purposes to take you around the site rather than through it.  What an enlightening, spiritual adventure we had.

 

This rock had eyes!

We had to climb this ladder at the start of the trail.

Me coaching Mom--"don't look down!"

More of a climb up the trail.

Had to suck in my belly to fit through the narrow rock walls along the trail.

We reached the top of the trail...

...and took in the magnificent views.

The next day we traveled along NM-4, seeing some wonderful sites like Soda Dam, Battleship Rock, and La Cueva Picnic Area. 

Soda Dam is formed by calcium carbonate that bubbles up from an underground stream. 

Battleship Rock.

La Cueva Picnic Area.

We also visited the Jemez Historic Site.   Known as Gisewa in the 16^th century, the Jemez Historic Site was the ancestral home of today’s Jemez Pueblo People.  Sadly, the Spaniards arrived and colonized the area in the 17^th century, forcing their way of life on the Puebloans. The Puebloans revolted, briefly regaining their homeland.  But eventually, the Spaniards returned, and the Jemez Pueblo People moved permanently to their present location.

 

We continued along NM-4 to Valles Caldera National Preserve within the Jemez Mountains.  Let me tell ya, you don’t need to go to crowded National Parks to see the wonders of nature and the works of our Creator!  Valles Caldera National Preserve receives few visitors (only 80,000 annually), but it is packed with history, culture, geology, and volcanology. Valles Caldera was formed a million+ years ago, when a volcanic eruption, 300 times more powerful than Mt. St. Helen, occurred.  The eruption spewed ash all the way to what we know today as Kansas, Utah, and Wyoming.  Afterwards, the volcano spewed magma, emptying its chamber, and creating a 14-mile-wide ground depression when the land collapsed.   Subsequently, new magma refilled the chamber, causing the caldera floor to flex upward, forming Redondo Peak, the highest dome within the Preserve at 11,254 feet above sea level.

A view of Redondo Peak.

Humankind has inhabited these lands for millennia, from Indians who hunted, gathered, and made tools from obsidian (volcanic glass), to Spaniards and other Europeans who used the land for sheep grazing and ranching.

We hiked around Cerro La Jara, one of several lava domes. 

It began to downpour just as we finished our hike.  But we were determined to continue exploring.  So, we drove up to the Cabin District, representing the private area where the Baca family ranched in the late 1800s for some 150 years.  We enjoyed chatting with the Ranger, perusing the small museum, and photographing the historic buildings.

I am very proud to say I took this photo myself!  It almost looks like a painting!

But the coolest and most fun thing we did was take the “back country” drive along Caldera Road.  We were required to get a permit to do so, but there was no fee involved.  We merely registered and received a code to enter the gated area.  Caldera Road offers scenic vistas, diverse ecosystems, and a great way to understand the historical, scientific, and cultural importance of these lands.

 

The next day we did some Jeeping within Santa Fe National Forest.  We started out on NM-485, viewing the Guadelupe River and its surrounding canyons.  Then we entered the Gilman Tunnels, which were blasted through the Jemez Mountains in the 1920s for train transport of lumber.  We continued to FS-376, where we noticed tons of primitive camping and boondocking for smaller rigs.  Though I saw lots of beaver dens, I failed to spot even one of the industrious builders who constructed them.

 

We also did some back-country Jeeping along Canyon Road to Waldo, which was once a train depot.  The 14-mile road led us to Cerillos Hills.  (Cerillos Hills looked very familiar to me and Mom, though Dad said we were mistaken.  Well, sure as this RV Rat rambles, we visited here previously, when we volunteered at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta in 2022 : https://ramblingrvrat.blogspot.com/2022/10/touring-albuquerque-nm.html)  We perused the town’s farmer’s market and then headed back to Cochiti Lake via the Turquoise Trail Scenic Byway.

 

The only thing left of the depot town of Waldo is this sign along the tracks.

This rock formation is known as Devil's Throne.

The church at Cerillos Hills.  This structure was a reminder for Mom and me that we had visited this town previously.

Views from...

...Turquoise Trail.

We departed Cochiti Lake the next day and had an uneventful 3.5-hour drive to Maxwell, New Mexico—that is until the last 10 miles of our trip along NM-515.  Through ranch land and open range, it was a narrow, rural road that was so uneven, it felt like we were on a rollercoaster ride!  We arrived finally at Colfax Tavern and Diner, our Harvest Host for the night, located right at the intersection of NM-515 and US-64.   What a cool place—wish I had a spare half-million bucks to buy this joint that is currently on the market.  In addition to indoor seating, there is a huge outdoor venue that includes a stage, volleyball nets, and horseshoe pits.  Managers/bartenders Melissa and Tina were friendly, efficient, and customer-service oriented.  We parked across the road in a large gravel area (there are other parking options available for smaller rigs), and we were treated to a magnificent sunset.

                 

Well, I sure enjoyed my time exploring New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment.  But tomorrow we are onward and upward to tour more states.  I’ll talk to you again soon!