On the Road to Colorado

So here we are.  No man's land in NM.  Great morning to start some ball play and a walk with the dogs.  Tom takes charge now.  So much land there is.  We do this to tire out the dogs for the long road trip ahead.

As you can see, it works.  Luther is sleeping, listening and feeling the roll of the wheels beneath him,  

The long road ahead.

BuddyJack, not so much.  He is always looking for more.

I was fortunate to have Tom drive.  We closed up the gate behind us and took a left (East, actually North) towards Colorado.  My intention was to have us there within the day.  "Nothing to see here."  "Want some pie from Pie Town?"  No, ok.  "Stop at the VLA?"  No.  Stop!  

VLA in the background

Great visit (sarcasm).  Termites surrounded the sign explaining what was around us.  I say termites.  There were f'en termites.  Everywhere!  They were all over the sign below and then all over us and eventually after running away from them, a few got in the car.  No fun!

We smashed the few that kept on flying around in the car.  Even a number of miles down the rood, we would feel something itchy.  Smash another one.

We finally got rid of them and headed down the Route 60.  We had to take a left somewhere to get to Santa Fe, so we hopped onto I-25.  The interstate was busy and fast so we decided to stay on 60 exiting only a few miles up the road.

About 20 miles West, Tom saw the sign for Abo at Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument.  Tom wanted to check them out, so we pulled into the road leading up to a beautiful mission ruin.  We stopped at the Visitor Center and were glad to hear that dogs could walk around with us.

It was getting warm, so we loaded the dogs out of the car and into the heat.  It was either that or forgo the visit as there was no way to we would be able to leave the dogs in the car.

The ruins were great.  There were still many rooms around the compound which you could look into.  Placards along the way telling you what was what.  We took a number of shots along the way including a few with BuddyJack and Luther.

We left Abo, lovingly in the air conditioned car as we continued our way to Santa Fe.  We arrived mid day and the sun was beating on the capitol city.  We found the capital building and where to park.

Dogs out of the car again.  Leashes, hot weather, dogs looking for shade.  They romped on the grass for a bit, located on the SE corner of the property.  It was then time for me to go inside the building and have our Capitol Collection book stamped and to check out the dome, the Senate and the House.

I've been to a few capitals, so I knew what I was looking for.  Santa Fe did not disappoint.  Upon entry was the Great Seal and above it was the "dome" which was more of a skylight, keeping with the traditional architecture of the area.

Along the 1st floor walls were some beautiful quilted artwork from the native population.  The 2nd floor offered more sculpture including the buffalo you see below.

I left the building opposite from where I went in to capture a few more sculptures and also to find Tom and the dogs waiting for me under a tree in the shade.  They all looked very content sitting there, so I took a few more shots.

Morning Prayer, 1987

We left Santa Fe with a couple of panty dogs.  They settled in after a few miles up the road, enjoying the AC as much as us.  We headed North on Route 285 towards Alamosa, CO.  From there we decided to stop at a Roadside America found on my app of the same name.  It was Cano's Castle - Beer Can Folk Art in Antonio, CO.  After our visit at the Beer Can House of Texas, we thought it would be fun.

The sun was setting behind the house as we arrived in the run down area of the "castle."  It was definitely unique, but worth the drive?  Not really.  A few shots below, including the best part of the folk art design, the barky dog in the yard peering out of the fence.  Cute dog, but he must have been hot.  It was warm enough to leave the car running so the dogs would not perish.

We headed further North towards the Great Sand Dune National Park.  We had been there before, but there was a campground at a state park to the East which we thought would make a great stop.

This was our first incident of Siri and Apple Maps steering us wrong.  Take left, Tae right, you have arrived, now walk to your destination.  We were in the middle of a road with no campground in sight.  Turning back towards the main road, we took a right on more gravel until we found the entrance to San Luis State Park.

It was fairly quiet and empty.  There were a few motorhomes and lots of empty spaces, so we found one that seemed to offer some nice views and solitude.  Unpack, set up tent, blow up mattress.  It only took 10 minutes before we were complete and Tom started to work on some dinner.  It was great!

Until...  The Full Moon was rising over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, offering a beautiful display.  The dogs were eating, water was boiling.  A car pulls up real close to us and idles for a few minutes.  Why must they camp so close to us if there are so many other sites available.  They must have agreed as they left after a few minutes.  I filled out the paperwork for the campsite and proceeded to place the tags in their appropriate places.  All was great until I went to the place the placard on the tent site pole.  "Reserved!"  Uh, Tom...this site is reserved for tonight.  I think that was them who reserved it.

We started to move everything to a nearby site, thinking the reservists would be back.  Dogs, kitchen, car, and then the tent.  Moving a 12 person tent without it collapsing is not an easy task, bit we did it (with a few grumble grumbles between the two of us.  

The rightful owners of the campsite never came back.  We moved for nothing, but it did offer something to laugh about after the fact.  After dinner, we played a few games of cribbage and then went to dream world.  Tomorrow, up the spine of the Rockies towards Denver.

A Stop at Melody's Barn in Quemado, NM

So recap it is.  We got back to Los Osos on Saturday night (Sunday morning, actually) and took a few days to visit friends here and also some time to rest.  28 days on the road, 10,000 miles, Two Dudes and Two Dogs, we all needed some time to decompress.

So where were we...

We awoke in Phoenix to a clearer sky than the night before but still weather in the sky.  The dogs were still very excited for more car ride, so we loaded in and headed down the road.  Gas stop first before we head towards the Capitol of Arizona, Phoenix

New Co-Pilot?

Where are we going?

Those familiar with our vacation last year and our calendar know that we were all about the Capitol Dogs.  Heck, we decided on Alaska so we can get to Juneau.  Actually I decided, but I digress.

We arrived on a Sunday, so the capital building was closed.  This was okay with us as it kept the area clear of gobs of people, workers and constituents alike.  Sure, there were a few tourists around, but plenty of parking and lots of clear space to check out the many monuments on the grounds.

The first we noticed after the building itself was a reproduction of the Liberty Bell.  In 1950, 55 replicas were ordered by the US Dept. of Treasury and were cast in France by Fonderie Paccard.  Many of these bells are sited near the State Capitol buildings as well as Washington, DC and US Territories.  It's become sort of a treasure hunt trying to find them.

The obligatory shots of the dogs were taken in front of the building before checking out the many monuments on the capital grounds.

Off to the left of the front doors was a small sitting area showcasing the local flora, cactus.  As well as the cacti, there was the necessary homage to the Petrified Forest National Park by placing a large piece on either side of the main entrance.

It was a Sunday, but they had some lighting in the foyer, enough that I could take a shot of the foyer through the windows.

The Great Seal of Arizona

The grounds located in front of the capital building was mostly parking lot, but it also had a multi layer space with grass and a multitude of monuments commemorating importing happenings in the state.

The first I approached was the statue dedicated to the Navajo Code Talkers.  What I noticed first was the color of the skin on this memorial.  It was definitely not caucasian, but more of brownish color offset by the green patina of his uniform.

The next statue I saw was the Arizona Law Enforcement Canine Memorial.  The dog was standing regally with gun, radio and holster by his feet.

The Daughters of Utah Pioneers erected "Arizona's Pioneer Women" in 1968, honoring the women who helped settle the west at great costs.

The Arizona Workers Memorial, "El Pasaje" honors Arizona's men and women, from the earliest territorial miners to present day workers, who have suffered permanent injury or death on the job.

Tom asked me to take the next 10 sculptures, The Bill of Rights, the third and final of our founding documents, ratified on December, 15, 1791.  The Bill of Rights thus completed the framework begun with the Declaration of Independence in 1776, and secured the formalization of a new government, and the nationhood of the United States.  This monument was dedicated on Bill of Rights Day, December 15, 2012

We left the capital and headed towards Quemado, NM which was going to be a highlight for the first leg of the trip.  We were headed to Mel's barn.  Melody was to have full house as on top of us, she was also hosting her sone and wife, their newborn child and Mel's two grandchildren.  All of this in a two story barn.  We decided to camp outside.

The dogs have been here before, but there was snow on the ground then.  This time there were kids,  balls, bones everywhere from dead animals found around the property and space, lots and lots of space.  Needless to say, they may not have settled in too quickly, but they were occupied.

Life at the Barn can be very relaxing.  As you can see below, It's so easy to recline on the chair and cuddle with a stuffed squirrel tail and take a nap.  Or at least try to while Tom is click clicking with his phone, making me smile.

Below is Melody and the new born Pearl.  I don't think it is her real name, but it was what Mel called her.  I held her once during our visit.  I note it only because I tend not to be holding babies much these days.  I understood the smell of babies at that point, though.  The sweet baby smell.

The second floor's porch offers a great view of the "Biscuit", an ongoing point of reference for me and Mel.  To know the biscuit is to know the barn, and Melody.

Tom and I set up the tent for the first time on this journey.  The kids helped with tying it down and I took the opportunity to repack the car a bit.  Finding holes for some extra gear that was tossed in the car last minute in Los Osos.  What normally takes 10 minutes took us more than double.  No worries.  We'd have it down to 8 by the end of this trip.

Dinner was made by Melody.  Wine served and great conversation between the adults.  The monsoons started again, but not as heavy as the night before.  The dogs were settled and ice cream was served for dessert.  Just a splendid day.  So splendid, that Tom did not want to go any further.  Maybe next time we could stay longer and have the Barn be our final destination rather than a destination for the night.  For tonight, though it was bedtime with plans of heading North towards Colorado in the morning.

Thank you, Melody!  See you soon!