A dramatic end to an incredible journey.

On the morning of March 16th we left camp early headed to Santa Fe to view museums and art galleries.  At 10:00, Louie was hanging out with Mike and looking around.  Then he went to sleep on the backseat.  I am so glad he was in back!

At 10:15 we were crossing an overpass over Interstate 40 at Cline's Corner (former site of Route 66) and first a white SUV turned in front of us to enter the freeway so close to us that Mike laid on the horn.  We were almost ready to say "whew" when we noticed the black SUV behind the white one was going to cross in front of us very close behind the black one.  Mike said, "I'm not going to be able to miss her" and we crashed into her right rear quarter panel.  Without steering, we would have gone into oncoming traffic, but Mike steered us straight down the hill on the other side of the road, through the guardrail and avoided rolling us down the hill.    Great driving Mike!

We were tossed around and have some soft tissue injury and bruises.  I had black lips for a few days from the airbag. The woman we hit has a sprained wrist.  Considering that we were going between 50 and 60 miles an hour, we are all incredibly lucky to walk away.  We were all taken by ambulance to Albuquerque about 50 miles away to be checked out. One can see the truck is obviously totaled.  The trailer frame, despite all my research on strong frames, buckled and had to be trailered rather than towed to the wrecking yard.  Louie was taken to an animal shelter to be cared for.  He was not hurt at all.  The local sheriff witnessed the accident.  We couldn't have a more credible witness and he determined that the accident was 100% the other driver's fault.

We spent three nights in an Albuquerque hotel.  We went to the wrecking yard to collect our belongings, but were given only two hours by the yard supervisor so were not able to get everything.  We shipped home what we could get, and flew home.

However, our house is still leased out.  We have been staying with wonderful friends, and beginning in April are renting a beach cabin on Whidbey Island until our tenants can find another place to live.  We are still in shock over the unexpected end to the journey.  We are trying hard to adjust and to remember how very lucky we are to be alive and healthy!

The offending vehicle.

We will have to take another trip to see Santa Fe, Taos, Arizona and Death Valley!

Three Rivers Petroglyph National Recreation Site

We traveled through the Lincoln National Forest crossing over hills of dwarfed pines, oak scrub and cactus. We headed north on Highway 54 running parallel to the White Sands Missile Range.  We kept our heads ducked and did not run into any errant missiles.  In many places, you could see the band of white sand next to the Jornado Del Muerto (mountains) range.  We arrived at the National Recreational Site in the early afternoon and had plenty of time to explore.

More than 21,000 glyphs of birds, humans, animals, fish, insects and plants, as well as numerous geometric and abstract designs are scattered over the northern Chihuahuan Desert. The petroglyphs at Three Rivers, dating back to between about 900 and 1400 AD, were created by Jornada Mogollon people who used stone tools to remove the dark patina on the exterior of the rock. A small pueblo ruin is nearby .  Anthropologists believe that this location was a crossroads for tribes that would leave messages for each other and tell stories with the petroglyphs.

The road was straight, straight and straight.

Valley view from the campground.  White Sands is near the mountains in the distance.

We chose to follow the no dogs on the trails rule.

Is this an older version of the cuts of meat diagram in many cookbooks?

Man with beer belly.

In several places people have chipped away the petroglyphs.

Vana of the petroglyphs!

An obvious eagle.

When studying children's art in college, I learned that all children go through a progression of objects before people and then the same progress with people.  This circle with a cross in it is one of the shapes drawn by children before they draw people.

Roadrunner?

Reconstructed footprint of an older home.

This house is a little newer.

This is the newest type of house found on site.

The campground had only two RV sites and a few unoccupied tent sites.  The evening was warm and we were able to enjoy a long and dramatic sunset.  After dark, the stars were just as spectacular.  And it was soooo very quiet!

Carlsbad Caverns

 Carlsbad Caverns National Park is in South East New Mexico up in the desert hills.  You drive up a winding road through sage brush and cacti in a landscape that says nothing about caves.  The main cave that visitors see is only one of several caves in the area.  One immense cave was only discovered in the 1980s and is still being explored by the professionals and not yet open to the public.  The most known cave has the visitor center on top, and then you take an elevator 750 feet underground.  Mike and I were worried about  claustrophobia, but the cave is so immense that we did not feel closed in at all, though by the time we got up, Mike was ready to see the sky!  I usually try to walk at least two miles a day and this day I accomplished that completely underground. 

Most caves are formed by air bubbles trapped in rock formations.  Not so for Carlsbad caverns.  These were formed by water underground with a high acid content.  Then, once the caves were formed, thousands of years of drips have formed many of the "decorations" in the caves.

Landscape approaching the cave entrance.

Inside caverns.

This is hanging down from the ceiling.

This column is about 15 feet tall.

This hole goes to a lower chamber that was explored in the 1920s.  Those explorers left behind this ladder.

All of the pools we saw had incredibly clear water.

I think that these are aliens standing by a pool.

Everyone would stop and snicker at this formation.  I wonder why!

These stalactites are about 8 feet long.  I think they look like Rapunzel's hair.

Monster teeth.

Walrus?

The view from the parking lot looking towards Texas.

I am enchanted by the cactus blossoms.  I think if we could stay a month longer, we would see lots of blossoms. 

If you ever get a chance to see these caves, don't pass it up.  They are amazing.  I am reading a book by Nevada Barr named Blind Decent.  Ms. Barr is a former National Park Ranger and writes mysteries that take place in national parks.  This one takes place in a cave in the Carlsbad National Park.  After being in the cave, it is fascinating to read about the challenges of exploring a new cave and read her descriptions of the cave formations.  She has many books.  If you are going to a National Park, look for one of her books dealing with that park.  I guarantee it will be a fun read!