Kansas City, MO

  This is one of the older neighborhoods in AMARILLO, TEXAS -  we haven’t seen brick paved streets since Albany, NY.    This photo is near old Route 66.  (So you can get your kicks – on brick paved streets!)

Next photo is the “Great Plains” as we drove across Oklahoma.  The sky was so beautiful and the fields were green.  The cattle were grazing right along side the oil well pumps – it didn’t bother them!

My main purpose in visiting Kansas City, was to go to the Harry Truman Presidential Library in Independence, MO.  Downtown Independence has these wonderful post signs of Truman – as he is remembered taking his daily walk.The museum shows Truman’s  wife Bess, daughter Margaret and  Harry as they campaigned by train across the USA.   My photo with Harry -  I didn’t realize that he was so tall!    

The last photos are of us taken at the Elks Lodge #26 – one of the oldest in the nation.  We were made to feel very welcome – and we enjoyed our time in Kansas City.

After we left Kansas City – we headed straight home – doing about 300 miles a day and we were lucky to have good weather.  All the interstate roads were excellent, except for Indiana.  It was wonderful to see all the spring trees in bloom.

We drove east on I-90, along the southern shore of Lake Erie.  It was a clear day and we could see miles of vineyards and the Lake looked like an endless  ocean.  Once we entered New York State – as you may (or may not) know, there is no place to stop – especially in the spring – before the campgrounds open.  Our GPS sent us off onto old Route 20 – and we found Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church.  It' was an amazing Polish Church with all hand carvings on the interior. 

That was our last stop and now we are safely home, thank God. Don drove a total of 5,634 miles on this wonderful trip. 

Amarillo, Texas

Amarillo’s landscape is flat, flat, flat.  It’s part of the Great Plains of the United States.  And remember the song about “where the wind comes sweeping down the plains”?  The song was about Oklahoma which is next door.  40 to 50 mph is common here, even though it tips over the 18 wheelers.  Amarillo is an old “cow town”, which you can smell if the wind is right.  Some say it’s the smell of money, but I don’t care for it. 

Our free “Oasis RV Resort” is wonderful!  Large concrete pads & patios – free 50 amp service – free wi-fi – 50 cent washers & dryers in every comfort station – swimming pool & beautiful club house – Just amazing!

“From Wikipedia:  Cadillac Ranch is visible from the highway, and though it is located on private land, visiting it (by driving along a frontage road and entering the pasture by walking through an unlocked gate) is tacitly encouraged. In addition, writing graffiti on or otherwise spray-painting the vehicles is also encouraged, and the vehicles, which have long since lost their original colors, are wildly decorated. The cars are periodically repainted various colors (once white for the filming of a television commercial, another time pink in honor of Stanley's wife Wendy's birthday , and yet another time all 10 cars were painted flat black to mark the passing of Ant Farm artist Doug Michels or simply to provide a fresh canvas for future visitors. The cars were briefly "restored" to their original colors by the motel chain Hampton Inn in a public relation sponsored series of Route 66 landmark restoration projects. The new paint jobs and even the plaque commemorating the project lasted less than 24 hours without fresh graffiti.” ------- Don & I walked out into the field and took these photos – notice all the discarded spray paint cans that were left on the ground.  A woman was letting her champion greyhound go for a run and I couldn’t resist a photo of him OR of the painted sneakers that someone left on the barbed wire fence.

Eating out in Amarillo gave us lots of new places to explore.  Some of our favorites were: The Blue Front Cafe on old Rt. 66 – in business since 1946. Here’s the link: http://amarillobluefrontcafe.com/. Another favorite was the restaurant at the Cattle Auction , where we both had our first steak & eggs for breakfast. I didn’t realize the owner/chef was a graduate of the CIA in NY.   He made us welcome and offered to show us around Amarillo.    http://www.texashighways.com/index.php/component/content/article/49-dining-a-tastes/6066-th-taste-youngbloods-stockyard-cafe. We also ate at the “Big Texan” but we didn’t go for the BIG one!  Check it out: http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/3087

The scenic highlight of the area is the Palo Duro Canyon, which is just south of Amarillo.  I made a picnic lunch for our trip to Palo Duro canyon State Park. We were there many years ago, but it was so foggy that we couldn’t see anything. This time it was sunny and we got some great photos. It’s 800 feet down into the canyon and there’s lots of 1800’s history. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Palo_Duro_Canyon 

The Don Harrington Discovery Center is one of the best (children’s) science centers that we have ever played in.  The Space Theater has a 360 degree screen for viewing – we saw a show on the planets.   On the grounds of the center is the HELIUM time capsule.  Helium is stored here in Amarillo for future use.  The photos include one  ofDon with his hand in the “clouds” and my favorite – the black & white square tiles that give an optical illusion.   Spring is just starting here in the Texas Panhandle and although it’s very, very windy a few trees are in bloom.  We wish everyone a very Happy Easter!!

FMCA Convention & Rally – Albuquerque, NM

The reason that we’re here in Albuquerque is to attend the FMCA Convention.  We were here 6 years ago for this rally and it was warm – this time we had our fill of cold and snow!

Early morning temps were in the low 30’s – and sometimes the sun warmed up the afternoons.  Not my cup of tea! 

Of course there’s all the new Motorhomes on display, but we really enjoyed seeing the vintage, 1950’s, trailers and the restored cars that pulled them.  Here’s a peek into some Airstream & Shasta trailers. A blast from the past!

We took a ride to the Sandia Indian Resort and Casino – at the base of the Sandia Mountains.  It’s a beautiful and busy spot where we put a few quarters in the machines.  The exterior photo shows the outdoor swimming pool and Sandia Mountains ; inside shot shows the hotel lobby.

We attended some great seminars and enjoyed perusing the vendor’s booths, but the highlight was Alice’s winning a “free camping”  drawing for ALL OF 2010 – at the Oasis RV Park in Amarillo, Texas!    I still can’t believe it!  We’re headed to my new, free campground, where even the laundry is free.  Amazing!

Albuquerque, NM – it’s all about Art!

We left Alamogordo while it was sunny and no wind. Half of the trip to Albuquerque was on 2 lane, scenic roads. On Rt. 54, we saw an active archeological dig alongside the road and a sign that said “this is Billy the Kid Country”. On US380, we stopped at the Valley of Fire Lava Beds. The black stones were quite a contrast to the tan & red sand. In the distance were the snow covered high peaks.

 

 

 

 

The New Mexico motto is: Land of Enchantment – how true. As we approached Albuquerque the bridges and overpasses are painted a vivid coral and blue. The artwork has begun.

We visited The New Mexican Museum of Art and I especially enjoyed the “modern” art that had such amazing creativity. 

We also went to the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. We did the “Walk through Time” – from how the universe was formed through the age of dinosaurs. There was a smaller “astronomy” exhibit and then we saw a film “The Wild Sea”. It was filmed in 3D – on the coast of South Africa.

Across the street from the University of New Mexico, is the famous Frontier Restaurant. The fresh tortillas roll off – hot and puffy – and are put right on your plate. We both had Mexican – some of the best we’ve eaten. Art works are everywhere – inside and outside the restaurant. A delightful experience.

Alamogordo, NM – seeing the sights – Elks Rally

The FMCA Elks Rally was for 5 nights.  The mornings were in the low 30’s, but the sun quickly warmed us up.  Breakfast and dinner was catered and we had a wonderful bluegrass band on Sat. night.  One fellow Elk – named Bill – looked amazingly like another Bill you may recognize.  Souix (80)and Bob Smith(81) (she’s the blonde) – are  very active in FMCA and are a lot of fun. Here are some photos from the rally.

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Alamogordo is at the base of the Sacramento Mountains.  One evening, our group drove up to Cloudcroft – elevation 8,650 ft. – for dinner at Big Daddy’s. Another day, we caravanned to the National Solar Observatory -

. It was a beautiful ride through the Lincoln National Forest. The higher we climbed  - the more snow.

The National Solar Observatory is located at a height of 9,200 feet in the Sacramento mountains. It overlooks White Sands Missile Range in the Tularoasa Basin. The dry air of the southwest, isolation from any major source of air pollution, and plenty of sunshine make this an excellent site for observing the Sun.

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Another side trip was to the Toy Train Museum in Alamogordo.  They have converted the old train station into a museum of miniature trains.  Remember the old Lionel train set under the Christmas tree?  Well, it’s here.

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The New Mexico Museum of Space History was a neat tour.  The museum overlooks Alamogordo and you can see the White Sands Desert in the distance.  The museum traces the history of space flight and honors astronauts from all over the world.  Even Carl Sagan got mentioned! 

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One afternoon, Don & I headed toward Sierra Blanca Peak – elevation 11,973’ – because it’s snow covered peak was so attractive.  We were soon driving through the Apache Indian Reservation and arrived at The Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort and Casino. We parked in the parking garage and took the elevator to the hotel lobby and casino.  It’s a beautiful resort and I won $10.00 at the slots.

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White Sands National Monument took us on an amazing 15 miles drive.  The sand is blindingly white and with the amazing blue sky I have some of my best photos, ever!  We watched the  kids using plastic saucers to slide down the dunes.

From the Brochure: White Sand - A rare form of sand. The common mineral gypsum (CaSO4*2H20) hydrous calcium sulfate, is rarely found as sand because it is soluble in water. The rains would normally carry it to the sea, but there is no outlet and so it settles in the Tularosa Basin.  The White Sands Missile range surrounds the park and is the testing ground for our rocket program.

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That wraps up our touring around Alamogordo, New Mexico.  We’ll soon be on our way to the FMCA Rally in Albuquerque.  Hope you enjoyed this blog! 

West Texas & New Mexico

Typical of Texas, this is the Valero oil refinery in Three Rivers.  It’s on RT.281 on our way north to San Antonio.

Everyone has to stop at the Border Patrol Inspection station.  I’m always amazed by the “Texas Proud” paintings that we see – and this trailer is a good one.  Ahead just a ways – the guards were loading bales of marijuana into another trailer.  Too bad I missed that shot.

. On Sunday, Don drove 300 miles – all on I-10. The speed limit was 80mph, but we went much slower. Some may say it’s boring, but we encountered steep hills and during this trip we’ve climbed from sea level to over 3,000 ft. We saw miles of power generating windmills perched on top of the plateaus. The landscape is mesquite and cactus. There’s a song that says it all:

“When I die I may not go to heaven - I don’t know if they let cowgirls in,

So when I die just let me go to Texas – ‘cause Texas is the closest that I’ve been.”

We finally joined “Passport America” discount camping club. The first time that we used it was  in Balmorhea, TX at the Saddleback Mountain RV park for $10.00 – one night only. EZ on/off I-10.  A good stop.

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On Monday,there was a strong wind blowing from the west. As we headed north into New Mexico, the wind was 40mph + against the side of the motor home. Don kept complaining about the wind and I kept saying – why don’t you go faster? We were going 42mph in a 65 mph zone. Well, it was a long slow trip against the fierce wind, which I came to appreciate when we stood outside to unhook the car at the campsite.

We are now in Alamogordo, NM at the Boot Hill RV park and in the Mountain Time zone. This park is quite new and well kept. We have free wifi and TV. It’s time to rest after the long long drive.  New Mexico has a beauty all it’s own – even the highway system has artistic touches.  The night sky is very dark and the stars are amazing!  Note the snow on the mountain.   

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It’s good to be settled here in Alamogordo after our long – 3 day trip.  I baked a quiche – couldn’t resist a photo.  And there’s a large Pistachio farm and store (with free samples) across the street, which we visited today. We’re here for the FMCA chapter of Elks and I’ll write another blog about that.