White Sands

Well hello everyone.  We finally made the trip out to White Sands Monument.  Oh was it worth the time.  It was one of those things that you cannot describe.  It has to be seen to feel the impact of all those sand dunes - in the desert no less.  One of the locals told me that they have the prettiest beach in the US, just no water to go with it.  Actually, it is not sand, but gypsum (the stuff sheetrock is made of).  However, it has been blown so much by the wind that it is so fine in the dunes that it really feels like sand.  And it goes on for miles and you see the mountains in the background between dunes.  It's just amazing.  We took a lot of pictures but like most wonders of the world, they don't start to do justice to the sight.  It was totally overwhelming.  Will try not to bore you but here are some pictures:

Sign at the beginning

Front of the Visitor's Center

Starting our drive

And farther

Bob in front of the boardwalk trail!



Looking Back down the boardwalk

Another boardwalk view

Bob walking back to our truck.

Another boardwalk view

The pavement has ended as we go farther into the mounds

And farther

In the circle starting back

Another picture from the circle.  The head of a 2 mile trail.

We didn't take it.

So far this has been the highlight of our trip.  And, can you believe we only have 4 more weeks left here before we start back to Tuscaloosa.  It'll be over before we know it.

Later, Judy





Disappointment - son's visit cancelled!

Well, no pictures last week.  We absolutely did nothing but cleaning and shopping.  Of course we worked our two days on Friday and Saturday.

Our youngest son was supposed to fly out Saturday to spend the weekend with us but his flight got cancelled due to bad weather.  They had a later flight for that day but it was already booked so his trip got cancelled.  We were sure disappointed.  Had planned to go back to the Mexican Restaurant with him that we had been taken to the week before.  And, we were going to White Sands on Sunday afternoon.  So, we had hamburgers for supper and napped Sunday afternoon.

Planning on going to White Sands tomorrow if nothing happens.  Our time is drawing short here and there are lots of things still to see and do.  Will take pictures to put on our next post.

So, we really have nothing to write today.  Just wanted to stay in touch with everyone who follows us.  And soon, we'll be traveling again.  We're looking at March 20th for our departure date.

Until later with pictures,

Judy

Busy Week

We've had a real busy week but took no pictures.  Besides cleaning our living area carpet, we went to two musseum.

On Tuesday afternoon we visited the Otero County Museum located at the Visitor's Center and by the Chamber of Commerce.  It was a real nice free little museum which covered some of the history of this area.  Old timers called it inhabitable - the land of cracked skin - with nothing here but cactus and rattlesnacks plus no water.

Then Thursday we went to the New Mexico Space Museum.  It tooks us four hours to do it all including the IMAX theatre and the Planetarium show.  It was all really nice.  The museum is four stories with lots of space history - lots of it taking place right here in southern New Mexico. At the IMAX theatre  they were showing the documentary, "Everest".  It was about a group of people climbing Mt. Everest.  Personally I think they were a little crazy.  Then we also saw the Planetarium show on the planets.  Everything was all very good.  There is alot of outside exhibition stuff which we didn't really have time to explore.  I guess we'll have to go back another day and do that.  You can see this stuff without having to pay again.  It was a very enjoyable afternoon.

Then last night, the owners of the park here took us out to eat at a very nice Mexican restaurant.  We ate things we had never had before.  The food was very good and the evening very enjoyable.  James and Cindy are really great people and if you're ever out this way stop and spend a night or two with them - Boot Hill RV resort between Alamogordo and Tularosa.

It is hard to believe that our time is almost half over here.  And our list of things to see and do is still very long.  However, we do not believe that the dry climate here agrees us.  We're actually missing the humidity back east.  We both have fingers cracked open and they're sore.  I have my right thumb and that makes it difficult to type.

So, until next time ----

Judy

Sitting Still

Well, we're sitting still and it's kind of nice.  We didn't do any sightseeing this week so their really isn't much to write about.  We kind of just stayed home - Judy did some cleaning and Bob did some repairing.  Living full time in an RV is just like living in a house.  They have to be cleaned and there is always something that needs to be fixed.  But, oh how we love the freedom of having our home on wheels.  We are actually working today as our days are Friday and Saturday.  There are 3 workamping couples here and we each do two days with the office being closed on Sunday.  That tells you something about the owners.  They're really nice and this is a great, clean park.

There are so many things out here that we want to see and do that we are having a hard time setting our priorities to be sure we get the most important things in before we leave.  However, we will be here until the latter part of March.  We may just have to toss a coin each week.  Weather permitting, I think we are going to go to White Sands this next week on our day out.

I've got to share that I woke up this morning thinking about those dreary, all day rainy days in Alabama.  Sure wish we could have one of those here.  I'd love to wrap up in a blanket, stay inside and read all day.  It just doesn't rain here.  I think we have had one rain in a month and it was at night.  Water is precious here in the basin.

The phone is really ringing with people checking on availability.  Looks like I'm going to get really busy this afternoon.  They'll probably all arrive at 5:45 and the office is supposed to close at 6:00.  Oh well, the business is good.  Maybe we'll fill up the park tonight.

Guess I better stop and start getting myself prepared for what appears is going to be a rush.

Later, Judy

Beautiful Views

This week we took another trip up to Cloudcroft and then took another highway that took us to Ruidosa.  The views were absolutely gorgeous.  Had a great lunch at a Mexican restaurant their called Le Hacienda.  It had snowed the night before up there so we saw alot of snow.  However, the road was cleared but snow was piled on the side.

Yesterday we were out again for Judy to get a haircut and we saw a man riding a longhorn cow.  Couldn't believe it so had to get some pictures.  So be sure to look at all the pictures below:

Some of the snow scenes

Mountain drive

Mtn Drive with view of white sands in the distance

Another Mtn view from drive

Looking thru mts at white sands in the distance

Snow piled on side of road

View from Kmart Parking lot

Bob with truck that the Eagle Ranch founder learned to drive on as a young lad

Cow Horse in middle of Alamogordo



Later, Judy & Bob

Cloudcroft, NM

We are settling in here and beginning to feel at home.  Our work is not hard and it's only 2 days per week.  And, Judy is not busy all day so she can carry our paperwork, etc., into the office with her so that saves on what she has to do when off.  She just has to be there in case someone comes in.  So she now has a new laptop and is portable with her computer.

Thursday we rode up to Cloudcroft.  It is up in the mountains east of us and is at just over 8000 feet high.  The trip up and back was breathtaking at times.  And, I say that in more ways than one - the view and looking down over the side of the mountains from the truck.  There was snow up there and it is only 16 miles up  from Alamogordo.  We took a bunch of pictures but they're not downloaded yet.  Soon, I'm going to shock  everyone and do a posting of just pictures taken since we have arrived here.

We have mountains on both sides of the basin here - part of the Rockies.  I was not aware they came this far south but they do.  The ones to the east which are actually in our back door are called the Sacramento Mtns.  Of course these are very rocky and barren but when you get way up there, many are covered in evergreen trees (and snow).  When we were up there this week, we could see the white sands between us and the mtns. on the west side which are a little farther away.  We can stand outside our RV and see mountains in both directions - east and west.

Life is great,

Judy

New Mexico

Well folks, we are finally getting settled here in New Mexico where we will be until the end of March.  We are volunteering 2 days a week for a campground, Boothill RV Resort so hope to have plenty of time for sightseeing and rest once we're caught up.

Amazon and Kentucky were terrible.  We won't make that mistake again.  On our way here from there we detoured back thru Alabama for Bob to see a doctor.  The report was good so here we are.  Had some truck problems on our way but made it all the way and that is now fixed.  We stopped at the Ford place in Lubbock, TX to attempt to have the truck repaired.  They wanted $2,000 so Bob told them to put a bandaid on and he was going to Alamagordo.  It made it here and the repair was $200.  That is quite a big difference.

Boothill is a nice campground and if you are ever through here.  The owners are wonderful and thanks to him, we found the garage that fixed the truck.  We got here on January 3rd and have mostly just been getting ourselves familiarized with the town and catching up from working at Amazon.  Have tried the locally grown pistachio nuts and they were wonderful.  Can't wait to stop and get some more.  Will take some pictures of the groves and post here.  Judy has taken a few pictures but haven't gotten them downloaded yet.  Will get that done next week and post.

We don't promise to post daily but will post at least weekly while we are here. We thank our followers for being patient during times of no posting.  Hope you will continue to follow us thru our journeys.  God has been good to us and we know he will continue to be as we journey thru this beautiful country of ours.

That's all for now,
Judy