From high desert to higher….

 

Chilis in paradise!

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We left the Valley of Fires to head south stopping in Hatch, NM to partake in what they are famous for - Hatch Chilis! We shopped at a small chili market to stock up on dried chilis and salsa and then headed to Sparkys, a local burger joint famous for its green chili cheeseburger! It was early afternoon on a Sunday and the line was out the door - but they are pretty efficient and we were inside and seated within 30 minutes. The burgers, served with thick fries (and a fortune cookie….????) were delicious and the green chili topping was perfectly roasted. We split a mango chili milkshake as the over-the-top, not necessarily needed, accompaniment. Neither of us could finish our meal at that time and we enjoyed the rest for dinner.

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Oliver Lee State Park is located just south of Alamogordo and up in the foothills of the Sacramento Mountains. The campground, dry, rocky and punctuated with a variety of cacti and desert grasses, offers amazing views out over the southern portion of the Tularosa Valley. The park has a few trails that looked interesting but the one day we had open turned into a rain day.  However, the mountains behind us glowed each night with the reflection of each sunset.

One day we explored White Sands National Park. Covering 275 square yards it is the largest gypsum dune field in the world. Unlike other types of dunes, gypsum dunes remain moist even during the longest droughts. The moisture prevents the dunes from blowing away. Grabbing handfuls of sand you can feel the moisture and see how the grains cling together. We hiked along the Dune Life NatureTrail, some of the Alkali Flat Trail (which is definitely NOT flat) and drove the Dunes Drive stopping at spots to gaze in awe at the scale and scope of these dazzling white sand dunes! We encountered very few other people along our hikes although did see many others in the far distance - some even enjoying using park sold sleds and zipping down the dunes. 

The experience was other worldly. Pictures cannot do it justice- it’s about the experience. 

However, I cannot imagine braving the dunes in the summer….. On the day we went it was probably 50 degrees, full sun with some patchy clouds, and a good breeze. You definitely needed sunglasses, water and we kept removing layers then re-adding depending on how sheltered we were by the dunes. Also…. I would not want to get lost out there! 

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We capped the day with a stop at Ceezy’s Tacos, a very small restaurant located in a small, nondescript cement block building. The tiny sign, no windows and dirt parking lot was not welcoming- however, I had done my research and was warned not to be fooled! Inside was a small Formica counter, a menu board and  approximately 5 tables - we were doing take out.  Ceezy himself took our order. 

The tacos were delicious. And the roasted chilis that came as part of the order…… Sublime!

Our lunch cost $11.86

And the obligatory picture with the largest pistachio in the world - and some pistachio ice cream! 

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Climbing into the Gila Wilderness 

Gila Hot Springs

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From the flats of the Tularosa Basin @ 4,300’ we climbed skyward. The Gila National Forest is known for the diversity in its terrain. There are peaks rising to over 10,000’ along with deep canyons, meadows and alpine deserts. We were heading to the Gila Cliff Dwellings , just north of Gila Hot Springs @ 6,000’. The ride up the mountain was spectacular as we witnessed changes in the landscape, flora, and weather as we climbed and dropped and twisted and turned around each range. When we began our ascent the map said our destination was 40 miles away. It took us over 2 hours but we enjoyed every hairpin turn. 

We spent the evening at a small horse campground that, during the warmer seasons offers mountain trail rides on their beautiful Tennessee Walkers. 

The next morning we headed up to the cliff dwellings. The sun was shining bright and the full trail up to the dwellings was totally open after a few days of closure because of ice. The steep and rocky 1 mile loop trail climbs @ 180’ above the canyon floor crossing over the Gila River numerous times. In one section of the trail there were @ 600 steps! 

This day was a mind blowing experience……

Breathtaking! 

There are about 40 rooms built inside 5 natural caves. Visitors are allowed into 3 of those caves. Archeological evidence shows that many different groups of people inhabited this area over several thousand years and most only stayed a few decades. 

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So we ended the day, after a refreshing stop in Silver City for a late lunch, at City of Rocks State Park. As we came over the crest into this valley surrounded by hills there was just a “city” of rocks. Sitting in the middle of this vast valley were HUGE rocks. Very Stonehenge like… just pilled randomly in the center of the valley - the campground surrounding it. Geology just kills me…. 

We are spending a few nights here because it is so beautiful and the wandering is glorious!

Next stop Tuscon. 

New Mexico - oh how I have missed you.

A Very Large Array

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Fleeing the subzero temps that plagued us through Texas we finally arrived in the high desert of central New Mexico. This state holds a very special place in my heart. It was here that as a young couple, with a new baby and two dogs, we were able to find a sense of place and begin to stitch our lives back together after a, seemingly insurmountable, loss. Sometimes I feel that the vastness of the horizon, the magical colors of the sunsets, and the clear view of the heavens above made us that much stronger.  

Every time we return to this area I feel comfort in the red clay earth, the pinion and juniper, and the snow capped mountains that rise above the high Chihuahuan desert. And there is nothing like the sweeping expanse and the drop dead, picture perfect sunsets! 

Valley of Fires Recreational Area

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We are currently staying the week at the Valley of Fires Recreation Area which is maintained by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Located just outside the town of Carrizozo, NM and at an elevation of 5,200’ the days are sunny, averaging between 50/60 degrees, while the nights can dip below 30. Surrounded by the Sacramento Mts to the east (snow capped Sierra Blanca rises to 11,973’) and the San Andres Mts to the west we are sitting in what is known as the Tularosa Valley. This valley is also home to White Sands National Park, located @ 60 miles to the south, and the Trinity atomic bomb site, @ 25 miles to the west. 

Lava folds

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Within this large valley sits the Tularosa Basin and it is here where the Valley of Fires is located. Approximately 5,000 years ago lava spewed from volcanic vents at the northern edge of the valley and flowed into this basin creating what is now called the Malpais Lava Flow. This lava flow is the youngest flow in the continental U.S. and is 4-6 miles wide, 160’ thick and covers 125 sq. miles! From a distance the Valley of Fires looks like barren black rock. However, as one walks through the nature trails you see many varieties of cacti, trees, flowers and bushes that have sprung up from the many collapsed lava bubbles, pits and fissures. The area is also home to many species of birds including roadrunners, cactus wrens, great horned and burrowing owls and golden eagles.

Happy campers! ❤️

A 400 yr old juniper tree

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An array of The Large Array

Yesterday we drove 2.5 hours west to visit the Very Large Array (VLA) run by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. It was a long ride for a day trip but well worth it! 

The VLA is made up of 27 HUGE white dish shaped antennas that together create a huge “telescope”. These antennas are tuned to a kind of light on the spectrum that eyes cannot see - this invisible light comes to us in the form of radio waves. Cosmic radio waves are very faint and can travel for billions of years across space and can give scientists the data necessary to construct a timeline of the universe. 

The VLA project began in 1972 and had 6 working arrays by 1977. By 1981 all 27 were completed. The antenna were all recently retrofitted (2012) in order to replace the old wiring with fiber optics and a new super computer was added. Each dish  measures 82’ across and stands over 90’ tall. Motorized drives can steer them up and down in order to point them in the precise direction needed. Every 4 months transporters lift and relocate each dish to one of 72 new positions along a Y- shaped railroad track adjusting the scientific capabilities as needed. 

Built on the Plains of San Agustin, at over 7,000’, the natural fortress of the mountains that ring the area protect the site and keep out much of the radio interference that can occur from cities even hundreds of miles away. As a visitor you are told to turn off all cell phones, watches, GPS, Wi-Fi, and other devices. 

I guess I never fully understood that radio waves could be seen….. 

mind exploding. 

The night sky has been phenomenal this week and it has been so quiet and peaceful here. It will be a bit sad to leave ….. but we have more to discover! 

 

Some days are simply perfect.

Tom’s Wall

The last few days have been like that - perfect in every way. Our first morning in this NW corner of Alabama arrived with the sun shining and balmy temps perfect for exploring the area around the city of Florence along the Tennessee River. Our second day here began with rain but ended in a picture perfect sunset. 

Bookends.

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Our first stop was Tom’s Wall. The largest un-mortared stone wall in the U.S. and the largest memorial to a Native American woman, this wall was built, over a period of 30 years, by the great, great grandson of Te-lay-nay, a member of the Yuchi tribe. 

The Yuchi tribe lived along the banks of the Tennessee River, which they called the Singing River. Between 1830 and 1860 over 60,000 people from the 5 tribes that lived in the southeastern part of the country were forced to “relocate” to the Oklahoma territory. This 800 plus mile walking journey is known as The Trail of Tears. Te-lay-nay, a young girl at the time, was one of those people. When she finally arrived in Oklahoma she said that the streams and rivers did not sing to her and she longed for her home and her own “singing” river. It took her five years and many obstacles but she made it back. 

In the 1980’s Tom Hendrix, her great, great grandson, whom had heard all the family stories met with members of the Yuchi Tribe to have her journals translated. It was then he knew how to honor her. 

The wall stretches out, circuitously, for a mile. The height varies anywhere from 3’ to 5’ high with multiple widths along its path. There are stone benches set in small curves and there are many personal offerings left by visitors along the way. Each stone that he laid represents one step of his great, great grandmother’s journey. The changes to the shape, height, and width represent the various obstacles that she encountered along her route. In the process he "wore out three trucks, 22 wheelbarrows, 3,800 pairs of gloves, three dogs and one old man.”

Our visit was inspiring, humbling and emotional.

 "All things shall pass. Only the stones will remain."

Yuchi Tribe elder

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Our next stop was the Rosenbaum House. Built in 1940 this is the only Frank Lloyd Wright house in Alabama and (I believe) the only Wright house that commissioned Wright to add an addition to it 8 years later (adding 4 kids will do that!). Needless to say, it was spectacular! 

Living room

Dining room

Long hall to the master bedroom

The 1948 addition included this 4 bunk bedroom / play room for the children

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Mary Wallace Kirk 

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We saw a sign advertising a quilt show at the Kennedy-Douglas Center for the Arts and decided to make a stop there. Located in downtown Florence right next to a small park the center was housed in two adjoining buildings that were once stately homes. There were two exhibits going on - The Piecemkers Quilt Guild Exhibit and an exhibit, This House Was Full of People, by a local artist, Mary Wallace Kirk (1889-1978). Kirk’s etchings and engravings were detailed renderings of her rural surroundings. Although devoid of people each one of these small etchings were so full of life! I wish I could render the world like that……

Mary Wallace Kirk 

Mary Wallace Kirk 

The quilts were also amazing. Mostly from a private collection many were dated between the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. 

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Next on our itinerary was to visit the home and factory of Alabama Chanin. I have been obsessed with this designer, Natalie Chanin, since at least 2010 when I saw a collection of hers at Barney’s NY. All the construction, printing/painting as well as the finely detailed handwork is done entirely by local artisans. She has evolved; sells her clothing only online now and runs a makers workshop, and has continued to keep it all local.

No close up pics of the clothes….. go check it out online…. They are AMAZING!

As we toured the factory and store we “ran into” Natalie - (I was kind of gob-smacked) and we just chatted away about kids and downsizing and what is really important in life.  Yeah growing older really centers us all. 

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Bunyan's

So you can’t be in the south - or traveling with us - without searching out the best local barbecue. Bunyan’s Bar-B-Q hit all the marks. Pretty much just a take out place, I had read that the line at lunch time was always out the door and into the parking lot. We arrived around 3 to order and pick up dinner and there was a constant 4-5 people waiting at all times. The pulled pork was perfect - smoked dry and so full of flavor. Our new discovery was hot slaw! Hot as in spicy. Crazy that we have never come across this before! Based on what I have read so far it originated in this area of the south probably starting in Tennessee. Chopped cabbage, carrots, and peppers with a strong vinegar based dressing of mayo (?) and hot sauce. So so good!!

Brew master Zach!

Singin’ River Brewing Co. is the ONLY craft brewery in this entire area. Brew master, Zach, a chemical engineer by degree, was a terrific afternoon companion at the bar as well as a really great brewmaster. Tim and I each had a flight of 4 beers and there was not a one among them that we did not enjoy immensely! Both Zach and the woman who poured our beers, a Seattle transplant, were so friendly. It was such a pleasure to spend the end of the day with them. 

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Our final stop was  Muscle Shouls Sound Studio. So much of the music that was recorded in this tiny cement block studio is the background music of our lives. The studio was founded by a local group of session musicians called The Swampers. Their distinctive sound can be heard on recordings by Aretha Franklin, Etta James, The Rolling Stones and so many more. 

Muscle Shouls Studio

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We tried to visit Green Ivy, the birthplace and home of Helen Keller, but it was closed for renovations. Maybe next time….

Thank you Alabama. 

Oh the places you will go!

 

Home Depot

Bowling Green, Kentucky 

Ahh, those gorgeous Instagram #vanlife posts. 

Picture this - a rumpled cottage core quilt wrapped around you as you gaze out the wide open back doors of the van looking out upon that perfect sunset over (fill in the blank) a crystal clear ocean, a pristine mountain scape of snow, the deep lush woods of the PNW. 

NOPE!

We have been traveling, on and off, in our van for 8 years. Yes, there are lots of times that you need to pinch yourself to realize that you are actually witnessing something so breathtaking. We would not keep traveling this way if that was not the case. However…. In probably equal proportion are the moments when you just want to slap your head in disbelief because of the part that broke or failed.   

   Case in point. The day before we were scheduled to leave New England we had a major part failure. The inverter for the onboard solar system died. It was only 2 months old! Knowing that if we had a new one shipped to us it would not get there in time to get us out of dodge before the approaching storm! We had it shipped to a friend’s home in Nasville which was on our planned itinerary. For the 2 nites on the road prior to our arrival we would rely on propane heat. All seemed good and off we went.

But the van gremlins had mayhem up their sleeve. Stopping at a truck stop to empty the waste water tank the hose unspooled and came totally unattached! Oops. Frantic opening of some back walls, removing the busted spool, capping off ends….. and frantically trying to figure out how to solve this problem.

The next morning found us in a Home Depot parking lot. It took 2 hrs but we got it done. 

We are a good team. 

The other part of #vanlife that never gets discussed is all the time necessary to plan the routes, check the weather conditions along the way, and find interesting places to explore. We are always looking for good prices on gas, places to dump the waste tank and fill up on fresh water and propane. An entire day can be spent just on this kind of infrastructure re-stocking! It’s definitely not glamorous or Instagram “ready”! 

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Once we did make it to Nashville we did get to spend 4 wonderful days with our friends -  catching up and getting to know their four boys ages 9 to 1, their dog and their 23 chickens. Needless to say, we were both quite tired at the end of each day! Wow!  But it was so much fun! 

Our new inverter arrived on schedule and it was a straightforward swap out with no issues. On our way out of town today we repackaged and sent back the broken one. Fingers crossed for smooth sailing.

Ummmm….. seems one of the wires for our rear view mirror camera has gone kaput. Wire ordered from Amazon and we’ll pick it up at a drop box in Little Rock, Arkansas on Saturday. Every step……

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Tonight we find ourselves in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The sun has finally come out for the first time since we have been on the road and the night sky is perfectly clear. Tomorrow will be sunny and in the mid 50’s - perfect exploring weather. 

Keep on moving on. 

❤️