Our February West Coast Swing

or

"FLAT-CLEAR-and-COVER"

 

 

The most unplanned trip we have ever experienced. Several days prior we made a few phone calls, like stop the paper, secure the dog and made some tee times and off we went west.

Feb 5

Glen Ellyn to Joplin MO

Headed towards St Louis via I-55 to avoid some rain over the plains and the rockies. Passed alot of flat land in Illinois and alot of limestone in the northestern section of Missouri. We are half way to the beginning of the real sightseeing. Temperature has been in the sixties today. Not bad for February as it was in the mid teens leaving home this early morning.

 

 

Feb 6

Joplin MO to Tucumcari NM

We used I-44 across Missouri and the Oklahoma turnpike across Oklahoma to Tucumcari. The temperature near 75 with some tornadoes just south of Oklahoma City. The sky to the west was full of virga but no chance for a picture. High plains with thousands of cattle roaming about. Cattle pictures later. Found one of the best Holiday Inn restaurant in the US. So good we stopped there on the return.

 

Feb 7

Tucumcari NM to Sante Fe NM

We left Tucumcari early Sunday morning with our goal to view the Taos ski area. Picked up our first ding on our new car just west of Tucumcari from a stone kicked up by a pickup truck. We will need a new windshield. It was a Marlboro man - we left him alone. Checked in at Sante Fe about eleven AM and unloaded our car for its first climb up a mountain. We headed for Angel Fire, Taos, and Eagle Nest Lake. Always very serene looking from 35000 feet but kind of tacky in the close-up real world.

 

 

Continued up and around the Taos Mountain to Eagle Nest with twisting and turning through the forest. The view below is looking south from the village of Eagle Nest towards the Angle Fire ski area. Have crossed over this area hundreds of times. We had lunch down the road just north of the ski area.

 

 

We back tracked around the mountain, back to Taos and found the county road 150 to the ski area. A beautiful through more forests to the Taos ski Valley as viewed below. Many black diamonds overlooking the main lodge.

 

After Bev bought a sweat shirt we joined the Sunday afternoon rush down the hill and back to Santa Fe NM.

 

 

Feb 8

Sante Fe NM to Holbrook AZ

 

We headed northwest out of Santa Fe crossing New Mexico highlands to Farmington and Shiprock NM. Crossed the continental divide mid morning with wide open views of rock, lava,and forests. Followed the SanJuan river to Shiprock just like the native americans, the frontiersmen and aviators have been doing for many years. Shiprock stands above the valley over 1700 feet and can be seen for miles. It's what is left of an old volcano as the San Juan river ate away at the surrounding valley.

 

 

 

Have been looking at shiprock from 35000 feet for 30 years. It's usually lunch time when I pass overhead.

 

 

Neared the four corners area on the back side of Shiprock. Dropped crumbs along the roadway as mining roads were not in our machine. The onboard map display had all the satellites working overtime to find our way back to the main roads.

 

 

After viewing shiprock we headed south towards Gallup and past old Red Rock. This was just southwest of Shiprock. Nobody was home.

 

Window in the Rock formed by the retreating sea millions of years ago and smoothed by the wind.

 

 

Our goal today was Winslow but had to stop short in Holbrook as rule number two was going to be broken.

So we found a room in Holbrook after driving 600 miles just to see a couple of rocks. That night at dinner came across some folks from Ohio last seen in Tucumcari several nights back. Tonight we will plan tomorrows travels through the canyons on the Colorado.

 

Feb 8

Sante Fe NM to Holbrook AZ

more to follow

20 days to go