2016 – A new phase in the Southwest

Amy: There is just something special about a road trip. Throughout our travels over the past eight months, we have put in many miles (or kilometers) on four wheels. In Phase One, our international leg, we explored Iceland, Austria, Germany, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand with rented vehicles and soaked up unexpected moments when something amazing popped up around the corner. In Phase Two, we hunkered down and enjoyed some time in familiar landscapes. For Phase Three, we decided to start a road trip of the American West and attempt to live out of our 2006 RAV4, now dubbed G2. The adventure continues…

Deciding on our first stop was easy. We’d head into New Mexico for a long overdue visit with our friends Karli and Mark. Not only are these two a blast to spend time with, they also are magnificent hosts with a beautiful and comfortable home at the base of the Sandia Mountains in Albuquerque. After a stop to explore the unique center of Santa Fe, we were warmly greeted by Karli and Mark, and their adorable 7-pound maltese-poodle mix named Remington.

Karli helped us find some local gems to explore during the week and decided to accompany us for part of the trip as well. With 2016 being the 100^th Anniversary of the National Parks, many of our explorations would be to the parks and monuments that are abundant throughout the West.

The first stop at Tent Rocks National Monument let us navigate through a narrow slot canyon to get to a view of large triangle spires and the distant mountains. Karli then joined in and showed us around El Malpais (meaning Bad Land) National Monument with a picnic at La Ventana Arch, a large natural sandstone feature, and a hike through the blackened lava fields.

We capped off our time in Albuquerque with being hosted by Karli’s family for some delicious dinners and with preparation of G2 as our new living quarters. We then hit the road with Karli and Remington and toured Smokey Bear Historical Park and stayed at the funky Sitzmark Chalet in Ruidoso.

The next morning we continued south toward White Sands National Monument, with a requisite stop to pose with the world’s largest pistachio. White Sands lives up to its name. The newer dunes almost look like white snow drifts, which is an interesting contrast with the warm temperatures. Some strong winds prevented us from doing a longer hike in the rolling dunes, but didn’t dissuade us from sledding down one of the taller banks. The laughs were worth it and we left with some fun memories and lots of snow white sand between our toes…and in our ears…and everywhere else.

After one more night of card games and local beers, Karli and Remington headed north while we pointed G2 toward Roswell on our way to Carlsbad Caverns. The aliens didn’t abduct us in Roswell, but our hearts were sort of taken by the colorful desert flowers near our campsite at Brantley Lake State Park.

At first this park looks like a barren desert not far from the oil fields in southeastern New Mexico. However, the desert is a place where you need to look closer. A bike ride through the Chihuahuan Desert highlighted spring-time blooms in shades of yellow, purple, and white that lit up against the beams of the setting sun. Huge jack rabbits scattered around the many cactus and flowers as we pedaled through the area. There is so much life in a place that can look empty at first glance.

Our stay at Brantley Lake State Park was our first night bunking in G2. The conversion of our small SUV to our living space was relatively easy. We brought an inexpensive futon mattress for the back, put most of our gear in a car top cargo box, and used clips and towels as curtains to block the morning sun and provide some privacy. Not the luxury of a proper RV or trailer, but affordable! And also small, really small. As we have lived “on the road” for many months, we have noticed more patience with crowds and adjusted to fewer daily comforts and everyday conveniences. However, the small living space in G2 would be a good test to those changes.

The next few days were jammed packed with a hike into what seemed like a different planet at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. We toured a similar cavern in Vietnam, but Carlsbad was on a different scale entirely. The Caverns are deep and enormous. The limestone formations create a scene that is other-worldly with thousands of spires plunging downward and fascinating shapes jutting up along the winding paths created for exploration. We found that some visitors had stayed away as the elevator that usually whisks people back up to the surface was being repaired. This was happy news to me. I have an aversion to elevators and enjoyed a second pass through the caverns on the hike back up.

With our visit to the depths of the caves complete, we found ourselves traveling across state lines into Texas. Other than a stopover at the Houston airport, this was my first visit to the Lone Star State. Just over the state line is yet another National Park, which is home to the highest point in Texas at the summit of Guadalupe Mountain. We camped at the base of the mountain and arose the next morning to take on the peak. A good eight-mile hike with nearly 3,000 feet of elevation showed varying landscapes with many desert flowers, cactuses, and trees, along with extensive views of the flat plains far below. A great introduction to Texas.

Our next big objective was to see the Saguaro cactuses during the spring bloom (on Jon’s travel wish list), so we were on the move to Arizona. Heading through southwestern New Mexico after a night of camping in Las Cruces, we recognized how close we were to the Mexican border. After a stop for supplies, Jon cut his index finger pretty badly while opening a package. We thought a visit to urgent care might trump our lunch in Mexico, but Jon’s Wilderness First Responder training kicked in and he was able to stop the bleeding and get the wound covered.

Down to Columbus, NM we went and strolled over to Palomas, Mexico for a tasty lunch and some window shopping at The Pink Store. A Corona with a lime and some fresh chips and salsa always taste like vacation to me. There is a difference between long-term travel and vacation. We have to be pretty budget-conscious while traveling and many things that we might do while on a shorter-term vacation, we must forego. However, this lunch felt like a little getaway within our larger adventure.

With lots of unique sights and experiences to remember, we moved on from New Mexico and Texas. Next we head into Arizona for more desert and mountain exploration.

(Dates: April 12-23, 2016)