El Malpais National Monument, Grants, New Mexico

El Malpais is Spanish for "the badlands."  El Malpais National Monument encompasses thousands of acres of wilderness. El Malpais lies in the high desert lands midway between Gallup and Albuquerque. To the east are lands of the Acoma and Laguna people; to the west are those of the Ramah, Navajo, and Zuni.

Our first stop was Sandstone Bluffs Overlook. Notice the variety of plants and the different striations of the sandstone.  It was really incredible being up on top of the bluffs.

New Mexico Mining Museum, Grants, New Mexico

The inspiration for the New Mexico Mining Museum came from a casual conversation between Marian Barber and Ray Gunderson in 1964. Ray was discussing a problem with an old leaking swimming pool.  At some point in the conversation, Marian got the inspiration for creating the only Simulated Uranium Mine in the World. The mine was never built on top of the old swimming pool, but the inspiration from that conversation opened the doors for the creation of the New Mexico Mining Museum.

Petroglyph National Monument, Albuquerque, New Mexico

The Petroglyph National Monument is on the west side of Albuquerque, so it was a must stop while in the area. There are a few areas of petroglyphs, but we just went to the Boca Negra Canyon area. The images were carved by American Indians and Spanish settlers 400 to 700 years ago, however, American Indians believe these images are as old as time. Some images may be 2,000 to 3,000 years old. Beginning in the 1600s Hispanic heirs carved crosses and livestock brands into the rocks. 

Tinkertown Museum, Sandia Park, New Mexico

What a fascinating museum we went to called Tinkertown Museum.  It was started by Ross Ward in 1983 and over 40 years he carved, collected and constructed his museum. This museum was the inspiration for another quirky museum we visited in Abita Springs, Louisiana, the Abita Mystery House.

Stonewall, Colorado

Many years ago we vacationed in Stonewall, Colorado with the Mars Family.  We had a great time, rented a cabin in the mountain side and in the morning there were bear claw marks on the front door. We hiked up the mountain behind the cabin and then drove around Monument Lake and the Cuchara Pass.  Yesterday Jim & I decided to take a trip back in time and drove to Stonewall.  We did see the cabin we rented but the gate was up and we could not get into it.  We stopped at a small store just down the street and took some pictures of the area and of the lava dikes. 

 

Santa Fe Trail: Franklin, Missouri to Santa Fe, New Mexico

Part of the Santa Fe Trail runs through the NRA Whittington Center. There is a plaque and a statute of "The Scout."  Charlton Heston posed as The Scout, providing everlasting vigilance over the Santa Fe Trail and sacrifices made along the way.  The historic Santa Fe Trail linked routes originally followed by American Indians and Frontiersman, developing into the most important trade conduit in the United States, the trail played a critical role in the westward expansion of the United States as well as trade relations with Mexico.

Kit Carson Home & Museum, Taos, New Mexico

Christopher (Kit) Carson was one of the most dramatic and controversial characters of the American West. He was a trapper, scout, and rancher, officer in the United States Army, transcontinental courier and U.S. Indian agent. He was also instrumental in discovering the passageway to the Pacific Ocean. He was a rugged frontiersman who understood the ways of tribal Native America. An enigma, Carson remains to this day a revered yet misunderstood historical figure. 

Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, Taos, New Mexico

While we were in Angel Fire, we took a trip to Taos along US 64 through the mountains.  Even though it was only 24 miles, with all the twists and turns, it took us around 45 minutes to navigate.  Taos is an artsy fartsy city - not what we look for when visiting a city.  There are too many art and clothing stores, so we did not spend much time there. Our main purpose was to go grocery shopping, but we stopped at the Kit Carson Museum and Rio Grande Gorge Bridge before shopping and heading back to Angel Fire.

Taos, New Mexico

Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Angel Fire, New Mexico

This Vietnam Veterans Memorial was the first memorial to be constructed in the United States. It was built by Dr. Victor Westphall to honor his son, 1st Lt. David Westphal, who died in combat in a 1968 ambush in Vietnam.

Route 66 Auto Museum, Santa Rosa, New Mexico

We stopped in Santa Rosa, New Mexico for the night on our way to Colorado. There is not too much to see in Santa Rosa - the biggest attraction is the Blue Hole, which is an 81-foot deep, crystal clear artesian spring.  There were people lined up to go into the Blue Hole and there was also another swimming area, just jam packed with people.  So, we opted not to go there, but went to the Route 66 Auto Museum instead.  This museum is dedicated to the preservation of Route 66 memorabilia with more than 30 classic and custom cars on display.

Norman & Vi Petty Rock & Roll Museum, Clovis, New Mexico

I found the Norman & Vi Petty Rock & Roll Museum on Roadside America, which is a site I look at a lot to see if there are any unusual, out of the norm, things to see in an area. The museum is located at 105 East Grand Avenue in the Chamber of Commerce building. The museum is designed to complement the Norman Petty Studios where musicians such as Buddy Holly, Buddy Knox, Roy Orbison and other early rock & roll greats recorded their hits.

The Petty Trio