Monday, Monday what a beautiful day!

Sunny and warm with a light breeze
just wonderful.
Don't know what we are going to do today
after finding a bank (quarters for laundry)
filling the water jugs
trying to find the pizza place on base
and laundry getting done.
I'm sure we will go out and do something fun.

Take a wild guess and see if you can figure out where we went yesterday (Sunday)?

Was fun, but I used to think photos in the snow was hard to get right,
this was a challenge.

There was some vegetation (at the Visitor's Center)

Don't know what it is,
and I have seen this in
other desert areas.







This is more typical and fairly easy to photograph when there is some vegetation present.

Gets harder and harder the less vegetation present.

You can see by the above photos, lots of people are out stomping around in the sand.
Oh yeah, the "sand" is not the typical quartz/granite sand seen elsewhere.
It is gypsum sand and it gets to be more like a powder on the downwind side of the area
and of an individual dune.
And of course, I had a little fun!

I really like the last one here and call it "Crossing Paths"
Three different tracks crossing, probably not all at the same time.
I expect the mammal tracks belong to a predator and the other two
might not have been able to continue where they were going.

Here is one of the parking lots.
I still don't know if there is pavement under,
or if the desert was just scraped away to make the lot.
The gypsum under the moving dunes seemed pretty stable,
due to the water table being high.

So bright, even with sunglasses, almost needed a second pair over the top.
Then there was the gypsum cliffs.

Look like something that was done in black and white in the Grand Canyon.
Only thing is these "cliffs" are only about 12-18" high.
Lots of fun formations when you start looking.

After a long day in the sun
headed to check out pistachio farms and wine tasting.
Sound funny together, but the Pistachio wine is quite good.

And the company was excellent!

Time for new adventures
Make your day great
Hugs
Tom and Millie

Good Morning!

Hi all
Saturday came and went and we relaxed
Millie got back to quilting
and I spent the day getting the truck washed
and the windshield retreated with RainX like product.
That part was a pain in the ..... you know what.
Relaxed on the patio
and had an adult beverage.
Millie made a great meat loaf for supper
and I helped eat some of it.
A nice sunset

Watched a little TV, walked the dogs
and went to bed.
So a great day to recuperate and recharge.

Today we are making a picnic lunch and heading for
White Sands National Monument
Will get lots of photos and make some memories.

Y'all have a wonderful day and make yours great.
Hugs
Tom and Millie

New Mexico Space History Museum

Hi all
Friday (yesterday) went to this great facility
If you are in the area, plan a few hours to enjoy the indoor and outdoor displays
The I-Max was fun, but had little to do with the NMSHM except location.

More of the exterior.

There is actually 4 floors of displays
Was nice because you take the elevator to the top
and make your way down.
All on ramps so my old knees appreciated the design.

A Nike missile.

I should have had Millie stand next to this so you could relate it's size.

Millie enjoying the spacious comfort the astronauts had.

Then inside I did not take a lot of photos
I was reading and enjoying the displays
So much I lived through in the 50's and 60's
Loved this stuff as a kid.

So much inside, like I said, it is worth the time.
The rumble display of what different rockets sounded and felt like
during take-off was great, especially the Saturn V

After enjoying the museum we went to the I-Max Theater (the little blue roofed structure)
about a block away on the grounds.
Watched a fun movie about extreme caves.

On our way back to Alamogordo
caught this sign of spring.









Then back to base for groceries and water.
We get filtered water for coffee, otherwise so far
we have had pretty good water throughout our journey.

When home we sat and enjoyed the patio with the fur kids
until the temp dropped after the sunset.
Welcome to the desert!
Supper and some light internet surfing
and called it a day.

No plans for Saturday
may just use as R&R

Make your day great
Hugs
Tom and Millie

Alamogordo and Cloudcroft

Hi all
Beautiful morning with lots of sun and a chill in the air.
Started out the day with Alamogordo
drove the highway through and back again.

Town is really spread out.
Stopped at the Visitors Center and gathered information.
First off the
Tularosa Basin Historical Society Museum
right on the main street.
Great local museum and well done.
This is for Millie for ideas

From there we decided to go toward Cloudcroft
and stop at the Old Apple Barn for lunch
and look at tourist gifts.
Had a pretty darn good hot dog and
home brewed Root Beer, good lunch.

No fudge or cider, trying to keep calories down.
Then continued on toward Cloudcroft
and stopped at one of the Cloud Climbing rail trestles.

This old RR climbed from Alamogordo to Cloudcroft
24 miles by rail and climbed more than 4000 feet
a 5.4% grade. Even had a switchback that was so tight the train had to back up to make it.
I suspect using a siding or two to accomplish that.

Great view from the trestle overlook.
Millie even went out to the end.
Had open grating for the floor so you could see below.
Then on into Cloudcroft

Main street with lots of little shops
and my accomplishment

8767 feet above sea level.
That makes a 9000 foot difference
from here to Death Valley.

Now granted I did not
do any marathons
but, I didn't pass out either.





On the way back down on a day when it was 53° air temp

Water was seeping out of the rock and freezing, or at least not melting
and was on the North facing wall so no sun to warm it.
There was no ice or snow on the other side of the canyon.
And a stop at a viewpoint

Looking at the valley floor,
Alamogordo and White Sands National Monument with White Sands Missile Range

All in all we had a great day
Found the gas station on base so we won't run out
and will be making decisions on what to do tomorrow
after supper.
Early bed night as that elevation tires me out pretty quick.

Hugs
Tom and Millie

Big travel day!

Hi all
Got up and got going pretty well this morning.
On the road by 10:30
Finally pulled into Holloman Air Force Base, NM about noon
About 65 miles and we took our time.
Things to do here and we wanted on base as price is right
$90 for 7 nights
Pretty good deal for full hookups in a gated community!
Here is our new campsite

And the view from the patio window at sunset

Spent the afternoon looking over the info about the area
lots to do here so staying a while.

Supper now and early to bed
Gonna make memories tomorrow, since neither of us have ever been here before!

Make your day great
Hugs
Tom and Millie

Millie's hint

Campers are made as cheaply as possible, don’t believe that anything is insulated, waterproof, durable, etc.  You will need to remodel, upgrade, add the essentials, upgrade to average! 

Stay put day

Groceries, dog food and laundry pretty much made our day. Still working on getting rid of Millie's share of the cold. Tomorrow, Holloman Air Force Base and White Sands Missile Range. Short drive and hope we can get a space.
Hugs
Tom and Millie

Las Cruces

Hi all
Went a bit further than we planned
due to the 40- 50 mph tail wind
was also nice to get 15 mpg's
and the gas is so cheap.....

Still plenty of desert to enjoy
when we set up I checked and the humidity was 10%
no wonder my skin feels so dry.

Coming into Las Cruces

The haze is the dust that the high winds have stirred up.
Not sure what we are doing tomorrow.
Will have to pick up a few groceries
Walmart, Petco/smart and maybe some looking around.

Oh, forgot to post photo of our friends Doug and Cheryl
Spent some great time with them in Tucson and hope to get together
in the summer at the lake.

Make tomorrow great
we will
Hugs
Tom and Millie

Sabino Canyon

Hi All
Great day today with Doug and Cheryl
Went out for breakfast

Yep, went to Millie's Pancake Haus

and Millie didn't even have to cook.

Thanks Doug and Cheryl, potato pancakes were great.

Then we went to Sabino Canyon

Great day as we rode the shuttle

with very little walking we all stayed fresh

Temps were nice and warm so the ride was nice.

This is an isolated canyon with flowing water almost the entire year.

The surrounding is typical Sonoran desert.

The bottom of the canyon is different.

Interesting how that much water has so little influence on only a small buffer.
Getting more than 50 feet from the water and the desert returns.
I guess that is how important rain is for less desert like.
Can't all come from a creek.

Get away from the creek and........

Life wants to succeed and will take hold where ever possible and some not so possible. 

And a little closer for some interesting views

And at the end of the adventure

Home for a short nap and some packing 

Out to dinner with Doug and Cheryl

then back to getting ready to head out for new adventures tomorrow 

Sleep well

Hugs

Tom and Millie