Happy Cows and Race Boats

(2026 Wild West Wander Ep 5)

(This week I behaved myself: no border crossing dramas and my hat has stayed on my head. Who knows what future RabbiTRAILS will bring! Ed)

Sky Islands

There’s a term we learned as we journeyed across New Mexico and Arizona – sky islands. Sky Islands are isolated mountain ranges that rise up from the surrounding desert landscape. Because of their isolation, sky islands can have unique plants and animals.

Chiricahua (pronounced cheery-cow-a) is one such sky island in southern Arizona, close to the New Mexico border.

Our travels took us to both sides of the happy cow mountain range.

We stopped at the ranger station surrounded by the scenic mountains of Cave Creek Canyon

The Elusive Trogons of Cave Creek Canyon

On the east side of the range campsites weren’t available. We boondocked nearby on the side of a small creek near Cave Creek Canyon. We were totally off-grid where it was peaceful and quiet, except for the occasional vehicle passing by on the bumpy and very dusty dirt road.

The area is popular with birders – this is why the campground was full. Birders are persons who enjoy seeing, hearing and identifying their feathered friends.

An older bearded gentleman told us birders were at the canyon to spot elegant trogons, 12-inch-long birds that migrate from Central America and Mexico. They have a red-orange chest and deep green back, and a very distinctive call – like the bark of a dog!

The elegant trogon is beautiful (Wikipedia)

As Pat and I hiked along mostly dry Cave Creek, we stopped and listened. Bark, bark, bark. We wondered if it was a trogon.

Two younger birders hiking by confirmed the call was indeed from a trogon. The four of us scoured the nearby trees and brush for several minutes with no success. Later, they told us they sighted both male and female trogons.

We extended our Cave Creek Canyon hike up the Burro Trail to a volcanic formation of red rocks – we’d give the seven-mile hike four out of five boots

BTW, if you have aspirations to become a birder or are just someone who enjoys birds in your back yard, Merlin is a phone app that can be used to identify birds not only by their appearance but also by their call.

Chiricahua National Monument

We circled the range and approached the Chiricahua Mountains from the west.

I was ahead on the winding trail, and Pat took this photo of me below

My photo of Pat looking upward at the same formation

The trail wound through the layered Echo Park pinnacles

We camped in Chiricahua National Monument and drove the seven-mile Bonita Canyon Scenic Drive to hike to amazing rock pinnacles. We descended nearly three miles on the Echo Canyon trail, where the formations have names like Echo Park and the Grottoes. We came up with our own names for some of the unnamed formations – Homer Simpson, the potato and the skull.

The Echo Canyon Trail is 3.5 miles long with a 550-foot elevation change and lots of great scenery. We rate it five out of five boots!

Chiricahua became a national monument in 1924 after being donated by a family whose parents from Sweden settled in the area in 1888. Their homestead, Faraway Ranch, is part of the monument.

There’s some talk about Chiricahua becoming a national park in the future – perhaps it will be #64.

We bought lunch from a food truck in Willcox, AZ, a town between the east and west sides of the Chiricahua Mountains. We were in search of a Sonora dog.

A Sonora dog is a grilled hot dog wrapped in bacon, topped with pinto beans, onions, tomatoes and mayonnaise, with a jalapeño on the side; it originated in Sonora, Mexico. The verdict? Delicious but the pepper was insanely HOT!

The next big rock in our itinerary is Death Valley National Park (next week’s episode). Enroute, we decided to explore the lower Colorado River.

Three Dams

There are three dams along the lower Colorado River.

The massive Hoover Dam between Arizona and Nevada (Wikipedia)

The 726-foot-tall Hoover Dam was completed in 1935. The well-known concrete arch-gravity dam generates electricity for millions of homes. Behind the dam is Lake Mead, the largest US reservoir. The lake is popular for recreation and provides water for 16 million people across the southwest. We toured the dam in 2001 with Liz and Phil, our children.

We visited the two other dams on the Colorado River as it flows between rugged mountain ranges.

Davis Dam is an embankment dam 70 miles downstream from the Hoover Dam. The dam is a huge pile of rocks and landfill more than a quarter mile wide and 200 feet tall. Lake Mohave backs up from the dam. The dam includes a large spillway where water is directed into hydroelectric generators.

Compared to the massive Hoover Dam, the Davis Dam was called “a dwarf – an ugly duckling of the dam family” when it was completed in 1951.

Parker Dam is between Arizona and Colorado

Parker Dam is 88 miles further down the Colorado River. Completed in 1938, the 320-foot-high concrete arch-gravity dam has the distinction of being the deepest dam in the world, with 235 feet of the dam built below the riverbed. 45-mile-long Lake Havasu backs up from the dam.

We visited Oatman, AZ as we traveled between the Parker and Davis dams; Oatman is an old mining town on Route 66 where burros roam freely

This burro found lunch in front of a store along a narrow street that runs through town

London Bridge in Arizona?

We camped several nights near Lake Havasu. The lake and town by the same name are popular recreation destinations.

The town has an interesting distinction – the London Bridge!

The REAL London Bridge in Lake Havasu, AZ complete with a British phone booth

The London Bridge was moved in pieces from England and reconstructed on Lake Havasu in 1971.

Crowds and Fast Boats

The waterways were crowded near the London Bridge during the Desert Storm boat parade

Boats in the boat parade included a number of powerful ‘cigarette’ boats

Traffic and crowds were very heavy as we drove into the town.

After parking near the London Bridge, we asked a bystander why so many people were at the waterfront. They said a boat parade was about to begin.

Dozens of large, high-powered boats rumbled under the London Bridge. Smaller boats paraded by as well. From time-to-time prop planes trailing smoke and helicopters flew overhead.

The parade was part of Desert Storm, one of the largest performance boating events in the western US.

We camped in Kershaw-Ryan State Park for several nights before continuing to Death Valley and hiked to the top of a canyon; the view from the four-out-of-five boot trail was beautiful

This gnarly horned toad crossed our path

Next Week

Death Valley Days

Crazy Things Ed Does While Pat Watches!

Featured

(2026 Wild West Wander Ep 4)

Our Wild West Wandering continued early on a Sunday morning as we began the long drive to Guadalupe Mountains National Park in far west Texas. We were thankful for Ed’s successful return from Mexico and for the pleasant temperatures while we were dry camping in Big Bend. We even had a couple heavy rain showers the evening before we left.

Marfa, Home of Mystery Lights and More

Our route took us past Marfa, TX, a remote and rather interesting west Texas town.

A few miles outside of town there is a rest stop and viewing area for the Marfa lights. The lights, visible on many clear nights across the Chihuahuan Desert near Marfa, appear in various colors as they move about, split apart, melt together, disappear and reappear.

^{Photos of Marfa lights (Google)}

The Apache believed the lights were stars dropping to the earth. In 1883, a young cowboy reported seeing them, thinking they might be campfires. Since then, there have been many speculations – UFOs, ranch house lights, vehicle headlights, St Elmo’s fire, and so on. The lights mystery remains unsolved.

Our arrival was in the morning, so the only light we saw was from the sun. Perhaps we’ll do a nighttime visit on a future trip.

Marfa, although a very small town, is known for its arts community and several renowned restaurants. There are galleries, murals and artwork throughout the town and on highways approaching the town.

Standup murals on the edge of town depict several famous western movies

Another Marfa art creation is made from shipping containers…helped by a tornado, perhaps?

About 40 miles west of Marfa (we thought it was in town) there is a Prada store. Similar to world’s smallest Buc-ees we came across east of Marfa (No Gas Pumps. No Brisket. Buc-ees?), the small building, containing shoes, handbags and other items, is an art project modeled after a Prada boutique. It doesn’t function as a place of commerce – the front door can’t be opened.

Reflections in the Prada Store window west of Marfa

Space, The Final Frontier

That afternoon we spotted a cluster of buildings several miles to the east. A highway sign indicated it was the Blue Origin launch facility, where Amazon’s New Shepard rockets are launched to the edge of space. From this location, William Shatner, Jeff Bezos, Katy Perry and others have been launched for a 66-mile-high view of earth.

Blue Origin’s remote launch facilities near Van Horn, Texas

Guadalupe Mountains National Park

Looming ahead was Guadalupe Mountain, an 8751-foot-high peak that is part of a mountain range that juts up from the west Texas flatlands.

Approaching Guadalupe Mountain NP from the south

From the national park campground, hikers are challenged with a strenuous nine-mile, 3000-foot elevation gain trail to the top of the peak. A neighbor of ours encouraged us to give the hike a try, but this trail was a bit much for us.

Instead, we chose to hike the McKittrick Canyon Trail (shorter and much less elevation change) to Pratt Cabin. The stone cabin, built in the early 1930s by Wallace Pratt, and surrounding land, were donated in 1961. We were intrigued by the roof of the building – flat pieces of stone grouted together – and were appreciative of rocking chairs on the front porch, where we ate our lunch.

Hiking the McKittrick Canyon Trail in Guadalupe Mountains NP

Relaxing on the porch of Pratt Cabin before our return hike to the parking lot

Lots to See In Las Cruces, NM

In west Texas and near Las Cruces, NM there are huge groves of pecan trees. The trees are flooded so they flourish in the desert

A large roadrunner statue in an eastbound I-10 rest area near Las Cruces is made from recycled items

World’s largest Chile pepper (Ed added for scale). The 47-foot pepper is next to a Las Cruces hotel – the Big Chile Inn of course!

Evening view in the Rockhound State Park

New Mexico Rockhounds

Continuing west, we camped at Rockhound State Park, located on the rugged slopes of New Mexico’s Florida Mountains. Park visitors are encouraged to take home samples of rocks and minerals.

Pat transformed into a ‘rockhound’, complete with hand shovel, gloves, arm protectors and collection bag. We searched for agates, geodes, opals, jasper and other rocks amidst prickly pear clumps and desert bushes along the two trails in the park.

Pat had a great time searching for rocks

There is a variety of cacti throughout the park, many with colorful blooms

Gila Cliff Dwellings

The next day we drove north to Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. We followed a 25-mile winding road with views of the remote Gila Wilderness area to reach the park. It was established in 1907 by Theodore Roosevelt to protect prehistoric materials and culture of Mogollon people and others who inhabited the area.

A half mile trail leads to the dwellings that are tucked in caves in the sides of a cliff. Similar to cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde NP, one can walk along stone walls into various rooms and peer into other rooms via strategically placed ladders. There is even a storage area containing corn cobs more than 800 years old!

A view across the largest of the cliff dwellings

Pat descends a ladder from the largest of the dwellings

The dwellings, lived in by around 40 persons, are in excellent condition, with more than 80% of the original structures still intact. The Mogollon people moved from the dwellings around 1300 AD, possibly due to changes in the climate.

Hat Rescue

We descended a 20-foot ladder to the trail that would take us back to the parking lot. A sudden gust of wind blew off my hat and we watched it roll down the canyon side. It’s gone for good, we decided.

The arrow shows where my hat landed after being blown from my head

Fortunately, the hat landed on a ledge about 50 yards below us, not far from a steep dropoff to the canyon floor.

I resolved to rescue the hat. With nothing to reach or snag it, Pat anxiously watched as I passed by an area with loose stones and made my way down a gentle rockface just above the hat. I laid down on my back and after several minutes of scooting past cacti and large rocks, I finally reached the hat and safely tucked it into my shirt. Pat guided me as I scooted back up the rockface and finally stood on solid ground.

I carefully scooted back up the slope after rescuing my hat

Hat retrieved, I make my way back to safety

My hat (and I) live for another day!

Next Week

Happy cows and race boats.

Stranded in Mexico?

(2026 Wild West Wander Ep 3)

Our 2026 Wild West Wander continues with a three-day visit to Big Bend National Park.

Big Bend is remote, rugged and beautiful

There’s a border crossing to Mexico in the park. After eating lunch in Boquillas, a small Mexican town across the Rio Grande River, we returned to the US. At the US border control building, I handed the border agent our passports. He checked a computer screen and handed my passport back to me.

“Mr. Thompson, I am sorry you don’t have a valid US passport.”

Mild panic started to set in as I sat there. Would I be stranded in Mexico?

Find out below!

Big Bend Geography

Take a look at a Texas map. Big Bend National Park is located where the Rio Grande River makes a big U-turn through southwest Texas. On one side is the United States, on the other, Mexico. The headwaters of the Rio Grande are in Colorado, far from the river’s passage through Big Bend. We were surprised that not much of the river is from US sources because of irrigation, dams, agriculture, manufacturing and evaporation. The water in the river that one sees in the park is primarily from Mexico’s Rio Conchos.

Big Bend is remote, rugged and beautiful. The park is more than 80 miles south of Marathon, a small town that is remote itself. The highway takes you past Chihuahuan desert scrubs, prickly pear cactus clumps, and gangly ocotillo stands, with rugged mountains in the distance.

Windshield view of mountains on the way to Chisos Mountain Basin

We visited Big Bend in 1986 in a converted Chevrolet van, our first RV. Notice the mountains above are similar to those in the prior photo

After nearly two hours of driving, we continued up a winding, steep road to reach an area in the midst of the mountains, the Chisos Mountains Basin.

Pat and our daughter Liz eat dinner during our first visit to Big Bend in July 1986

The basin is a popular destination during the late spring and summer because the temps are noticeably cooler than those in the desert below. A lodge, restaurant, campground and great hiking trails are welcome amenities.

Before sunrise the next morning we arose to hike a challenging trail to the Window, a narrow, V-shaped area between the mountains that has a view of the desert below. Sunlight touched the tops of the mountains as we ate breakfast sandwiches prepared the night before. After admiring the view for a few minutes, we began the steep hike back to the campground.

The sun touched the mountain tops as we descended to the Window

Posing at the Window, with the desert far below us

We took a short side trail to get a broader view of the desert and saw four Aoudads (Barbary sheep) across the canyon. Later that day, a ranger told us that Aoudads were introduced to area game ranches in recent years and are now being removed because they are considered to be an invasive species.

Two Canyons

On the western side of the park the Rio Grande flows through Santa Elena Canyon, an impressive limestone gorge with 1500-foot walls. We hiked into the gorge where it is was shaded and cool. People were wading across the river and touching the walls on the other side, thus becoming impromptu visitors to Mexico.

Further into the Santa Elena Canyon hikers waded across the Rio Grande

At the opposite side of Big Bend, the river exits through another limestone chasm, Boquillas Canyon.

Souvenirs from Mexico along the trail to Boquillas Canyon

Along the trail to the canyon there were assortments of Mexican souvenirs, each with locked cashboxes for payment. Nearby Park Service signs warn that visitors could be fined if they purchase the illegal trailside items!

Wild horses cross the Rio Grande to Mexico

Nearing the gorge, we watched a chestnut mare and her white colt graze on underwater grasses. They waded across the river to a beach on the Mexican side and we wondered about their country of citizenship.

Javelina in the Rio Grande Village campground

That evening we camped near Boquillas Canyon in the Rio Grande Village. As we ate dinner (inside Pap), nearly a dozen javelina wandered about nearby. We read they can be ferocious, but these wild pigs seemed at ease among the tents and RVs.

A large number of dinosaur bones have been found in Big Bend and are on display

Cast of Alamosaurus femur found in Big Bend – the long-necked, plant-eating dinosaur was up to 80 feet long and weighed up to 65,000 pounds!

Lunch in Mexico

Like dozens of Big Bend visitors each day, we walked from the US border control building to the Rio Grande. A young Mexican man walked us across the river in less than five minutes.

We were in Mexico!

Boquillas, our lunch destination, is a small town about a half mile up a dusty dirt road from the river. While others ride burros or horses into town, we chose to walk.

Some visitors ride burros into Boquillas – we walked

Christian, a Mexican boy in fifth grade, was our guide to Boquillas. He spoke no English and we only knew a few Spanish words

At Boquillas Restaurant, one of two restaurants in the small town, we sat with a couple from Arkansas where we shared our mutual travel experiences. Lunch was tortilla chips, salsa and amazing guacamole, and a combo plate that included carnitas tacos.

Carnitas? Goat, of course.

We ate lunch on the front porch of Boquillas Restaurant

Marvelous chips, salsa and fresh guacamole (with jalapenos on the side)

After lunch we browsed several souvenir stands along the dusty street and made our way back to the river crossing.

Stranded in Mexico?

Back at the US border control building, we learned my passport had expired. We wondered and prayed about the outcome.

Would I have to return to Mexico? Send Pat home to get my valid passport? Pay a big fine? Something else?

After the border agent helped several others reenter the US, he made a call and then had me enter information about myself on his computer. He submitted the information and we waited several tense minutes for an outcome.

My US return was approved! We breathed huge sighs of relief and praised God as we were welcomed back to the US.

(Before leaving on our Wild West Wander, I retrieved the two passports on top of the other items in our safe deposit box. Somewhere further down is my valid passport. We resolved to VERY carefully check passports and other documentation before future trips)

Next Week

We continue west to New Mexico. Pat searches for rocks and I retrieve a wayward hat in the shadows of an ancient cliff dwelling.

Mesa Nada

Featured

(2025 Balloons and Beyond Ep 12)

We left Black Canyon of the Gunnison bound for Mesa Verde, several hours away in southwest Colorado. Our route took us near Telluride, a former mining town that is now a popular tourist destination and ski resort, and across several mountain passes, where the Rocky Mountain fall colors were on full display.

Brief Reunion

Pat’s brother, James, met us for the night near Cortez, CO. We enjoyed dinner outdoors and compared our travel experiences since parting ways in Wyoming several weeks prior. He was returning to Florida after traveling further west in Wyoming and Idaho.

The day ended with a beautiful fiery sunset over the San Juan Mountains.

Pat’s brother, James, met us as he returned to Florida

Green Table

At Mesa Verde National Park the next morning, we stopped at the visitor center to check on tours of the park’s ancient cliff dwellings. The park rangers were unsure how the US government shutdown would affect the three tours we booked during our stay. They said it was even possible we might have to leave the park.

The Mesa Verde entrance road zigzags up iconic Point Lookout on the way to the pueblos and cliff dwellings

While setting up at the national park campground, we took Pap off Percy. We often do this when staying two or more nights as it is easier to maneuver and park the truck without its piggyback friend. The gas mileage also is much better.

It takes fewer than 15 minutes to lower Pap’s four side legs so the camper is above the truck bed, drive the truck from beneath the camper and then lower it about halfway to the ground onto four screw jacks. In case you were wondering, putting Pap back onto Percy takes about 30 minutes.

That evening we drove the 15-mile narrow and winding road to the mesa top and cliff dwelling areas. From the park’s highest point, we could see how Mesa Verde got its name. Ahead of us was a relatively flat expanse covered with green pinyon pines and junipers. It looked like a green table – translated to Mesa Verde in Spanish.

Square Tower House, is a four story, 27-foot-tall structure surrounded by 24 rooms

We viewed the Spruce Tree House and Square Tower House cliff dwellings from the mesa top and wondered, like many visitors, about the ancient Puebloans that built and lived in the structures. How did they get from the mesa tops and canyon valleys to the dwellings? Where did they get water and food? Why was the area abandoned around 700 years ago?

We hoped to learn answers to these and other questions during the tours.

Mesa Nada

Unfortunately, the tours were not to be.

We rose the next morning before sunrise and drove to the meeting location of the Square Tower House tour. Almost there, we were stopped by a gate with road closed signs. We learned the US government had indeed shut down. All of the Mesa Verde’s historic sites were closed and our tours were cancelled.

From past travels we’ve learned that changed plans often yield unexpected surprises and blessings.

We were thrilled to see lots of mule deer and four black bears in the campground area.

A couple of the many mule deer near the campground

A mama black bear and her two cubs seen on an early morning drive

Later, we hiked to the top of Point Lookout, the iconic geological formation that towers above the park entrance. From the point, we were rewarded with views of the distant San Juan Mountains and valleys below.

Climbing the steep and rocky trail to Point Lookout

View of valley and distant mountains from Point Lookout – we were right on the edge!

Answers to the questions above?

Most of the pueblos and cliff dwellings started around 600 AD were abandoned by 1300 AD following prolonged drought and social upheavals. The residents subsisted by growing maize on the mesa tops and by hunting. Narrow, steep trails connected the pueblos and cliff dwellings to the mesa top and sources of water.

Perhaps we’ll learn more complete details during a future visit to Mesa Verde. That is, of course, if the US government isn’t shut down!

The original auto route to Mesa Verde’s mesa and cliff dwellings was described as a knife edge

Onward to the Balloon Fiesta

We left Mesa Verde a week before the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. We ate lunch in Farmington, a sizeable town in northern New Mexico with a HUGE Walmart, and continued southwest to a remote Harvest Host location.

Navajo Mission

The Navajo Brethren in Christ Mission ministers to Navajo communities

Numerous buildings and a small church are part of the Mission

Our stay at the Navajo Brethren in Christ Mission revealed various ways the mission reaches out to Navajo residents in the area. The mission offers food, clothing, education assistance and the hope of Christ through their church ministry and fellowship programs. We camped a quarter mile from the Mission where the quiet sagebrush and cactus covered camping area was interrupted by passing water trucks, squeaking oil well grasshoppers and mooing cows.

Cows and oil wells from our remote campsite

Abiquiu and the Georgia O’Keefe Connection

Our travels continued.

We camped several nights at a Corps of Engineers dam near Abiquiu, NM. Our campsite had a great view of the Abiquiu Reservoir and the red rock canyons and mountains in the distance.

Abiquiu Reservoir and distant red rock canyons and mountains

Abiquiu is best known for its connection with artist Georgia O’Keefe, where she had a home and studio. Her work was inspired by colorful and dramatic landscapes in the area that include the Abiquiu Reservoir and Ghost Ranch, a nearby education and retreat center.

My Front Yard Summer by Georgia O’Keefe (1941) captures the beautiful landscapes near Abiquiu

We hiked to a beautiful lookout overlooking Ghost Ranch. The flat top mountain in the background is in the painting above

A daunting reminder of the wilderness around Ghost Ranch

Ghost Ranch locations have been used in many movies including City Slickers (1991), Cowboys vs Aliens (2011) and Oppenheimer (2024). This cabin was used in City Slickers.

Santa Fe and Meow Wolf

Our final night before the Balloon Fiesta was in Santa Fe (click to see RabbiTRAILS Ep 6 / Ep 7 / Ep 8). During prior visits we walked around the historic downtown square and toured nearby Los Alamos and Bandolier National Monument. We’ll save those for future RabbiTRAILS blogs should we visit again.

Meow Wolf is an unusual attraction in Santa Fe

This time, however, we wanted to visit Meow Wolf, an unusual attraction formed in 2008 as part of an art collective of more than 135 local artists. The venue is a 20,000 square foot immersive art experience, where visitors wander through dozens of rooms and secret passages, attempting to unravel the mysterious disappearance of a family that experimented with interdimensional travel to bring back a deceased family member. (crazy, huh!)

Meow Wolf can be described as a combination of huge escape room and Disney Imagineering. It has been replicated in Las Vegas, Dallas, Houston and Denver. Each location has a distinct theme and narrative.

We weren’t quite sure about the meaning of this and several other rooms

Pat prepares to go through the refrigerator portal to another room. There were also fireplace and dryer portals.

An interesting robot in the Meow Wolf parking lot

Next Week

From Santa Fe’s immersive Meow Wolf experience and Albuquerque’s colorful Balloon Fiesta, our route turns eastward to six state parks in Texas. As we cross the Lone Star State, the RabbiTRAILS vary from deep canyons to mountaintop telescopes to big thicket swamps. And one with a creepy tarantula that crossed our path just before sunset!

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Deep, Dark and Stark

Featured

(2025 Balloons and Beyond Ep 11)

As September came to a close, we left Great Sand Dunes National Park and the Colorado alligators for Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, a lesser-known national park about a half day’s drive away.

Lots of 5 Bs BBQ – we split a lunch special

We stopped in Gunnison, CO to resupply and to refuel Percy. Lunch was at 5 Bs BBQ, named for members of the Brown family who started a Gunnison catering business in 1991, expanded to a food trailer, moved into a gas station and settled into their current building in 2022. Their restaurant story is as great as the Q they serve!

Tummies, truck and pantry full, we discovered our route through town was blocked off for a high school homecoming parade. After a quick detour, we were back on the road.

Crawford Camping

We endured more than 30 miles of winding highway and finally arrived at Crawford State Park, our campsite for the next three nights while we explored Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

Colorado’s Big Four

Utah’s big five national parks are on many travelers’ bucket lists. Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands are not to be missed!

Colorado has its own bucket list combination of four national parks that are more diverse than those in Utah: Rocky Mountain, with incredible views at the top of the Rocky Mountains, Great Sand Dunes, with the tallest dunes in North America, Mesa Verde, the location of antient Puebloan cliff dwellings, and Black Canyon of the Gunnison, where the Gunnison River has carved a deep and narrow slit in the earth.

North Rim of the Black Canyon

We visited the remote north rim of the canyon, a dozen miles from the campground. The clear and cool weather couldn’t have been any better as we undertook a 3.2-mile round trip hike to Exclamation Point.

Starting at the ranger station, our first view of the canyon came after hiking about a half mile along the mostly level trail. The trail continued along side arms of the main canyon. We finally reached a viewpoint where we could see the Gunnison River, a tiny ribbon nearly 2000 feet below!

Full canyon view with the Gunnison River far below

Fourteen of the canyon’s 48 miles are located within the park. Varying from 1750 to 2700 feet in depth, the canyon has been carved by the Gunnison River as it falls an average of 95 feet per mile. No other canyon combines the depth, narrowness and sheerness of Black Canyon.

Trails to the bottom of the canyon, called wilderness routes, are steep, unmarked and unmaintained scrambles. We wisely continued hiking the trail at the top of the canyon.

After posing for a selfie at a sign pointing us to Exclamation Point, we continued to a broad rock outcropping where the rugged canyon was visible from three sides. We found shade under a pinyon pine and enjoyed the view as we ate our backpack lunch.

Black Canyon with the Gunnison River far below

The next morning, we returned to the park’s North Rim Road where several short trails took us to breathtaking views of the canyon. At one overlook we could see people, buses and cars on the south rim of the canyon, just .2 miles away!

Next Week

We travel to our fourth national park in Colorado, Mesa Verde NP, anticipating ranger-led tours of several cliff dwellings. Unfortunately, our plans had to change due to the US government shut down.

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Gators in Colorado?

Featured

(2025 Balloons and Beyond Ep 10)

Buena Vista

Bad weather and early snows behind us, we continued south through central Colorado. We spent the night and did laundry in the small town of Buena Vista, where we were awed by incredible views of the Collegiate Peaks. Princeton, Yale and Harvard are three of fifteen 14ers (mountains over 14,000 feet) in the range across the valley.

We had a true Buena Vista (good view).

Alligators in Colorado?

The next morning, we drove Colorado route 17 southward toward the cutoff for Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. To our left were the jagged peaks of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. We saw a brownish blur at the base of the mountains and realized it was the dunes – more than 30 miles away.

A road sign caught our attention, and we turned around for a closer look.

How could there be gators in Colorado? A tunnel from the Everglades? Holdovers from prehistoric times?

Nope.

The gator haven, located north of Alamosa, CO, started as a tilapia farm in 1977. In 1987, 100 one-year old gators were purchased to dispose of fish-processing waste. The fish (and gators) flourished in the 87-degree water from a 2050 foot deep geothermal well, and as the gators grew, visitors wanted to see them.

Gators in the snow (from Reptile Park website)

The farm, now the Colorado Gators Reptile Park, was opened to the public in 1990 and has become a home of unwanted, abused and even dangerous gators and other reptiles.

Great Sand Dunes

An hour or so later we arrived at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.

From our campsite we could see the dunes, the tallest sand dunes in North America, some as high as 750 feet!

The dunes were formed from sediments from surrounding mountains blown by southwest winds toward the base of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. The dunefield is approximately 30 square miles in size!

We started our dune hike along the top of a ridge

The next morning we hiked a half mile to the dunes. In the spring and early summer, the Medano Creek flows along the base of the dunes and visitors must wade across the shallow creek to reach the dunes. It was late September during our visit, and the sandy creek bed was dry as we began our hike.

We hiked up several ridges and spotted tiny Pap and Percy far off in the campground. As we topped each dune, still higher dunes appeared. People above us were making their way to the top.

Although we had climbed nearly 300 feet, it was still a long way to the top

During a visit to the park in 2004, our son, Phil, took some beautiful pictures from the top of the dunes. The dunes are best photographed in the early morning and late afternoon when the shadows make the dunes stand out from the tall mountains beyond.

A photo from the top of the dunes taken by our son, Phil. in 2004

Viva Zapata!

A ranger at the visitor center recommended a nearby hike to Zapata Falls. The falls’ Spanish name refers to a settlement in the San Luis Valley started by Mexican families in 1864.

Wading the cold waters of South Zapata Creek

We hiked a half mile up a steep and rocky trail to South Zapata Creek. For the final 75 yards, we scrambled over rocks and waded through the VERY cold creek.

Taking a video of the rugged gorge and falls

The marvelous 30-foot falls are hidden in a narrow, shaded gorge.

We thought about how refreshing the falls must be on a hot summer day and how stunningly beautiful they must be when frozen during winter.

Our main concerns, however, were carefully hiking down the creek from the falls and thawing our feet when we changed from water shoes back to hiking boots.

Pat’s feet were pink from the VERY cold water

Happy to have warm feet as we returned to the parking lot

Next Week

We visit Black Canyon National Park, a deep and narrow gorge in central Colorado.

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October in August!

Featured

(2025 Balloons and Beyond Ep 1)

After enduring brutal summer heat in Florida, we left home on a rainy Saturday to visit family in Georgia. We often do this when we travel.

^{_{We enjoyed visits with Henry, Josh, Emilia and Liz, and with my sister, Kitty, and her husband, Mike.}}

Christmas in July. Breakfast for dinner. October in August?

Family visits behind us, we were surprised the next morning with brisk temps (50 degrees) as we camped in Cherokee National Forest near Knoxville, TN. We fired up Pap’s furnace, arose and cooked breakfast to begin the day. Out came our jackets!

From our remote campsite on the North River we moved to Indian Boundary Campground, just 16 miles away, for the next three nights. On the way, we stopped to enjoy Baby Falls and Bald River Falls, and later rode our bicycles around Indian Boundary Lake. We continued to wear jackets in the cool October in August weather!

Bald River Falls in Cherokee National Forest

Pick a Parkway

Perhaps you have driven the Blue Ridge Parkway, a 469-mile scenic highway that winds through the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina and Virginia, or perhaps the Skyline Drive as it continues another 105 miles from the end of the Parkway through Shenandoah National Park, just 70 miles west of Washington DC.

How about the Cherohala Skyway? It connects Tellico Plains, TN and Robbinsville, NC through Cherokee NF in Tennessee and Nantahala NF in North Carolina. The 43-mile scenic road rises to more than a mile high with mountain vistas, numerous overlooks and sweeping curves popular with motorcycle riders! (it’s very close to the well-known Tail of the Dragon motorcycle route)

Pat views the small waterfall after our steep downhill descent

At one overlook, we hiked three miles to a small waterfall. Nearing the falls, we tightly held onto tree branches, roots and rocks as we descended the final quarter mile. We ate lunch to the sounds of rushing water and gave thanks for God’s wonderful creation!

Cades Cove

The next day we left for a two-day visit to Cades Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Cove is known for its 11-mile loop road with historic homesites and churches, and diverse wildlife (see Critter Count below).

A misty early morning sunrise along the Cades Cove Loop Road

We have visited and camped at the Cove several times in the past, and although the loop road and campground were busy this time with Labor Day visitors, we enjoyed our two drives around the loop road.

^{A number of historic cabins and houses (above) and barns (below) can be toured in Cades Cove}

Critter Count

Deer – 8
Black bear – 2 (plus a couple other we just missed as evidenced by two bear jams)
Turkeys – 10
Glow worms (bioluminescent larvae of fungus gnats) – lots
(faintly glowing on the ground at North River Campground)

^{Deer and black bear were among the critters we saw in Cades Cove}

Next Week

Our travels continue to a deep and very ancient gorge, and we watch dinosaurs and sharks under the moonlight.

Waterfall Views and Mountain Hues

Featured

(2024 Heartland Ep 13)

We left New England enjoying the warm, hazy days and cool nights of mid-August.

We endured several days of heavy rainfall as we crossed Vermont and New York. While camping on the St. Lawrence River, we watched big ships and wondered if any would be traveling nearly 2500 miles across the Great Lakes to Duluth, MN, a stop we made earlier this summer.

Camping on the St Lawrence River. The far shore is Ontario, Canada.

The next night we camped close to where the St Lawrence flows out of Lake Ontario. Our campground was covered with large puddles and the ground was squishy everywhere. We left our shoes on the back step of Pap to avoid tracking mud into the camper!

Fishes and Falls

The next morning, we visited a fish hatchery nearby on the Salmon River. The hatchery was opened in 1981 to raise king and silver salmon and trout.

^{_{Salmon River Fish hatchery: stream where fish are directed to fish ladder, room where eggs and milt are harvested, developing fish are raised in indoor tanks and then transferred to outdoor tanks before being released}}

Millions of eggs are collected from adult fish, hatched, raised and released throughout New York’s Great Lakes and the rest of the state. Egg harvesting takes place in the spring and fall, so it was quiet during our visit (mid-August). We were reminded of hatcheries visited on past trips to Alaska and Oregon.

The Salmon River Falls were nearby, and we decided to check them out.

Salmon River Falls, swollen by the recent heavy rains

The falls were amazing! Swollen from the recent rains, we could hear the falls nearly a mile away. We carefully walked down a steep trail towards the base of the 110-foot falls but had to turn back to avoid being soaked by the falls’ mist cloud!

Salmon River Falls at normal water levels

More Waterfalls

Our travels continued south into Pennsylvania, enroute to Ricketts Glen State Park.

Percy and Pap posing at Tunkhannock Creek Viaduct

Aerial view of the viaduct (image from Google)

Passing through Nicholson, PA, we stopped at the Tunkhannock Creek Viaduct. Completed in 1915, the half-mile long viaduct was the largest concrete bridge in the world at the time and regarded by some as the ninth wonder of the world. The impressive structure is nearly 300 feet tall and still in use by Norfolk Southern freight trains.

22 Falls at Ricketts Glen

If you have a wish to see waterfalls, Ricketts Glen SP is the place for you. In just over five miles of rocky, steep trails you can view 22 named waterfalls. At 94 feet, the park’s tallest waterfall isn’t the size of Niagara (or Salmon River) Falls, but it and the other falls are beautiful.

Our 3.5-mile waterfall hike went past 18 of the falls (the others are on a side trail that we didn’t take). It was raining when we started, so we carefully descended nearly 500 feet down steep slick stairs and across large boulders. The falls were various sizes, and we stopped at each to enjoy the peaceful tranquility.

^{_{Various photos of our hike to 18 waterfalls at Ricketts Glen SP}}

The rain had stopped by the time we reached the bottom of our descent. We paused for a snack and enjoyed talking with other hikers, comparing the falls and reviewing trail conditions.

Stopping to look at another beautiful waterfall

The return part of the trail was a little easier. Conditions were drier and, for us anyway, it always seems easier to climb a steep trail and stairs than the opposite.

The park has other trails and a nice lake. It is well worth a visit if you travel through central Pennsylvania.

Harper’s Ferry

We drove southward from Pennsylvania into Maryland, then a tiny bit of Virginia and finally West Virginia.

We visited Harpers Ferry National Historic Park at Harpers Ferry, WV. The town is at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers where Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia meet. It is interesting looking around the well-preserved historic area.

We learned the town was the northernmost point of the Confederacy during the Civil War. It is also where abolitionist John Brown led a raid on the federal armory in 1859, hoping to start a slave rebellion.

1993 Visit to Big Meadows with Pat’s sister and family

Driving the Shenandoah Skyline

Some of our favorite vacations over the years have been driving the Skyline Drive in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina.

This trip we camped several nights at Matthew’s Arm campground at the northern end of the drive. We hiked several short trails that took us along the Appalachian Trail. The views of nearby valleys and distant mountains were nice, but not spectacular due to haze from fires in the far west.

Pat examines a band imprinted with trail information

This hazy view of the valley and distant mountains was still beautiful

We stopped for lunch at Big Meadows, midway on the drive, as we continued south. Maintained by periodic burning, the 136-acre meadow is the largest open area in the park. It is covered with a variety of flowering plants as well as blueberry and blackberry bushes.

Making blueberry jam at Big Meadows in 1989

We recalled a trip with our children 35 (!) years ago when we picked blueberries and made jam at our campsite.

Further along we passed the trail to Bearfence. Over the years we scrambled over large, exposed boulders to a magnificent view of the distant mountains and Shenandoah Valley. One rock scaling adventure in 1993 is captured above with a photo of our children and nieces.

We spent a night at Lewis Mountain Campground, a new campground to us. The next day we ended our tour of the Skyline Drive with a hike to Turk Mountain. The 2.2-mile trail was steep with a 690-foot elevation gain. It ended with a short rock scramble to an outcropping with wonderful valley views. We caught up with a group of college students who passed us earlier and learned about their plans for the future. One of them took our picture to prove we made it all the way!

_{Photos taken at Turk Mountain viewpoint}

Skylines to Blue Ridges

At the end of the 105-mile Skyline Drive the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway begins.

Iconic Mabry Mill at MP 176 on the Blue Ridge Parkway

We stopped at several favorite landmarks as we drove south on the parkway and made an early morning stop at picturesque Mabry Mill. The iconic landmark was built more than 100 years ago and was both a sawmill and grist mill. It is one of the most visited sites on the parkway.

Our final stop on the parkway was at Puckett Cabin. We marveled at the story of “Aunt” Orelena Hawks Puckett, who lived in the cabin during the latter half of her 102-year life. She had a long career of midwifery, where she assisted at the births of more than 1000 babies. What an impact she had on the people in that area!

Puckett’s Cabin at MP 189 on the Blue Ridge Parkway

A few miles beyond the cabin, we left the parkway to begin the two-day trip home.

Our original plans were to spend more time in New England before returning home in late September or early October. Because of hazy conditions throughout the east, we moved more quickly than expected though.

Accustomed to longer trips, we wondered if we were going home early for some reason. We found out soon enough.

A few days after our return, intense weather struck our area.

After two evenings of considerable rainfall, the small creek in our back year rose above its banks. The creek flooded our backyard and continued to rise until it crossed the road next to our house. This has happened only one other time in nearly 40 years.

Although the rising creek never hit the house, rising groundwater began to seep into our semi-basement downstairs room. The sump pump we installed years ago (and tested right before our trip) had failed.

After an emergency late evening trip to Lowes to purchase a drill-powered pump, we drained the sump pit and began the timely process of drying out the room over the next week.

Had we not returned earlier than expected, water would have covered floor of the room. Carpet and furniture would have been damaged, and we would likely have had to deal with mold and mildew.

Giving Thanks

We are thankful!

God is our refuge and fortress in whom we trust for safety and protection – during our 2024 Heartland travels, trips in the past and journeys yet to come!

Bent Leg Blues and Catching Up (part 2)

Featured

(2024 Heartland Ep 2)

In recent years we have made several late-winter/early-spring camping trips to the Florida Keys. This year’s trip has some interesting surprises.

Robert is Here!

Fist-sized green Emu eggs would make a rather pricey omelet!

Our Florida Keys journey began with a stop at Robert is Here, an amazing fruit stand near Homestead at the start of the Keys. Dozens of local and exotic fruits and vegetables, and amazing fresh fruit-flavored milkshakes, can be purchased.

The attraction was named for a sign Robert’s dad made to get the attention of people passing by his six-year-old son’s small fruit stand in 1959. That day all of his produce was sold by noon and Robert’s lifelong fruit stand business was born!

On to the Keys and John Pennekamp State Park

From Florida City on the Florida mainland to its end in Key West, the Overseas Highway counts down 126 miles. There’s lots to see and do all along the drive!

Our first stop was at mile marker 102.5 near Key Largo to spend a week at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. The park is known for coral reefs located several miles off the ocean side of the island. Excursion boats carry snorkelers who view the coral and various sea life, and scuba divers who swim to a well-known underwater statue of Christ.

Underwater statue of Christ at John Pennekamp SP (from Fla State Park website)

Due to choppy sea conditions, we opted for a glass bottom boat tour. Unfortunately, the reefs were seriously damaged by high water temperatures last summer (as high as 101.1 F) and the reef views were disappointing. One can only hope the reefs will recover with more normal ocean temperatures.

We did enjoy bicycling and hiking several short trails in the park and nearby. A highlight of our visit was kayaking some very interesting ‘water trails’ in the park mangroves.

Pat kayaking in the mangrove canals at John Pennekamp SP

Crocs, Gators and More in the Everglades

We took two day trips to Everglades National Park. At the northern boundary of the park, we bicycled the 15-mile Shark Valley loop road, passing herons, egrets and numerous alligators. The highlight of the ride was a viewing tower from which we could see expansive grasslands and hammocks. The tower reminded us of a similar structure at Clingman’s Dome in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Viewing tower at Shark Valley in Everglades NP

^{Shark valley views – biking, birds and trailside gators}

The next day we drove to Flamingo, a developed area deep in the heart of the national park. They have an excellent visitor center, campground, other accommodations and marina.

At the marina boat landing, a park ranger kept curious visitors at a safe distance from two large snarly-toothed crocodiles that were sunning themselves. We learned the Everglades has crocodiles AND alligators – both are rather ominous! Meanwhile, several manatees swam at boat docks not too far away.

^{We hiked along an overgrown canal to Florida Bay; the tall white feathered fellow blocked the path}

Later, we hiked along an overgrown canal trail to a viewpoint of the Florida Bay. We saw many birds, including one rather tall white egret that blocked the trail for a bit, and a number of stealthy alligators trying to hide nearby.

Elevation 3 feet – the Everglades are flat!

As we exited the park that afternoon, we stopped at Rock Reef Pass, elevation 3 foot. The Everglades are remarkably flat, indeed!

We tried a cinnamon bun at Doc’s Diner in Key Largo – it was 4+ (out of 5) sweet goodness

On to Bahia Honda State Park

Bahia Honda sunset seen from the campground

From Pennekamp SP we continued on the Overseas Highway past the busy towns of Islamorada and Marathon, and across the seven-mile bridge to Bahia Honda State Park, mile marker 37.8. The park is one of our favorite places to camp.

We bicycled to see the remains of a railroad bridge built by Henry Flagler. The railroad to Key West was an amazing engineering feat for its time. Completed in 1912, trains made the trip for 23 years before the bridges and rail lines were seriously damaged by the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935. The railway was turned over to the state and converted to an automobile highway in the following years.

There are beaches on both sides of the island – an oceanside beach faces the Strait of Florida and Cuba, and a gulf-side beach faces Florida Bay and distant Everglades. There are places to camp on both sides of the island.

^{Construction workers and supplies were staged on Pigeon Key during construction of the 7 Mile railroad bridge}

Pigeon Key – A Tiny Island with a Big Story

One day we visited Pigeon Key, a small island visible from the seven-mile bridge. We took a tram nearly three miles on the original Bahia Honda bridge to the island that was used as a work camp when the original railroad bridge was built. Photos and relics in Pigeon Key buildings give an interesting history about the railroad.

Pap Gets A Bent Leg

We have been blessed with relatively few issues with our vehicles and campers as we have traveled over the years.

We had an unfortunate accident when arriving at Bahia Honda. As we entered the campground, the front camper jack hit a post that protected the campground entry keypad. The jack, used to raise the camper, was significantly bent. Pap had to stay on Percy until we got home and the jack was replaced. It was an unfortunate and expensive lesson.

Next Week

Our heartland journey begins as we travel to Huntsville, TX for a week at Camp Cedarbrook Texas.

Badland Raves and Mammoth Cave

Featured

(2023 Alaska Revisited Ep 29)

Our trip home included visits to two national parks.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

After the death of his wife and mother on Valentine’s Day 1884, Teddy Roosevelt sought solitude and healing in the North Dakota Badlands. The rugged landscape and strenuous life that he experienced there helped shape the conservation policy we benefit from today.

His ranch and two nearby areas are now part of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

The Little Missouri River winds through the park

We spent three days in the park and marveled at the weathered landscape and the Little Missouri River that winds through the park. Two scenic drives provided plenty of viewing opportunities of deep, layered canyons that cut into the grassed prairie and a wide variety of Great Plains wildlife, including bison, pronghorn antelope, elk, bighorn sheep and wild horses.

God owns *bison* on a thousand hills… (Psalm 50:10 paraphrase)

This brute eyed us from atop a drop-off. We kept our distance!

We hiked two miles along a small canyon to hard packed bottom land. The trail passed small dirt piles with a few prairie dogs scurrying about. We were at the prairie dog suburbs.

Ahead, we came to many, many more dirt piles and hundreds of the yapping terrier-sized critters that announced our arrival. Some scurried in and out of holes, and others sat or sprawled lazily, watching us closely. This was TRNP’s prairie dog city!

_{^{Citizens of TRNP prairie dog city}}

Later we saw a number of unusual cannonball-shaped rocks along the base of an eroded canyon wall. These were spherical concretions formed by mineral deposits dripping through gaps in the sediment.

^{Unusual cannonballs jut out of the eroded hillsides, some more than four foot in diameter}

A Close Encounter of the Bison Kind

We saw telltale evidence of bison throughout the park. Individuals and small groups wandered up and down the hills and valleys, including one group of nearly a dozen bison that walked in the middle of one of the scenic drives. Several passed within feet of our truck!

Several bison walked on the road right by our truck

Our mid-September visit to TRNP was enjoyable: the scenic drives and trails weren’t crowded, campsites were available in the park and the weather was pleasant. If you pass through North Dakota on Interstate 94, the park is a great stop.

We visited the monument of the Lakota Indian holy man and leader Sitting Bull. It is located on a remote bluff above the Missouri River near Mobridge, South Dakota.

From TRNP, we continued south, visiting many of the roadside attractions mentioned recently in RabbiTRAILS episode 27 and episode 28.

Mammoth Cave National Park

Closer to home, we visited Mammoth Cave National Park in south-central Kentucky. Explorers have surveyed and mapped 426 miles of the cave, making it the world’s longest known cave system.

Our last visit to the cave was in 1991, when we took several ranger-guided cave tours with Liz and Phil, our (now) adult children. 32 years later, our tours included the Extended Historic Modified Tour and Violet City Lantern Tour.

Percy and Pap would easily fit in some Mammoth Cave passages

Something to ponder: when does graffiti become a historic artifact?

Mammoth Cave’s bottomless pit is actually 105 feet deep

We hiked a steep trail down to the cave entrance where we entered the cool cave and walked nearly two underground miles on the two-hour Extended Historic Modified Tour. The tour included many of the historic areas that originally made the cave famous – visits to huge rooms that gave Mammoth Cave its name and much tighter places deep inside the cave. We endured the narrow passage through fat man’s misery and welcomed the underground restrooms in great relief hall that followed. The tour also included a side trip to the site of the 1840s Mammoth Cave experiment to treat consumption.

Getting ready for the big squeeze on the way to *great relief hall*

The next morning’s Violet City Lantern Tour was exclusively by lantern light. For nearly three hours, we followed the dimly lit three-mile trail as it wound through huge, broad tunnels. We climbed and descended several steep hills on our way to the cave exit. The exit was several miles from the original cave entrance and a bus took us back to the visitor center

^{The three-hour tour was illuminated with kerosene lanterns}

Mammoth Cave has few flowstone formations typically seen in caves. The formations above are at Wondering Woods Cave, a separate cave a few miles from the main cave

Pat walks the mat to save a bat. At the end of each cave tour, we walked across a bio-security mat that kills fungus spores that cause white-nose syndrome fatal to cave bats

Mammoth Cave tours are moderately strenuous. Some of the trails include series of stairs and a few steep climbs. The rangers do a great job providing interesting historical and geologic details. Before visiting, we recommend researching the cave tours and buying tickets in advance, as many tours sell out during the busier late-spring and summer months.

Critter Count

bison – many
pronghorn antelope – 36
wild turkey – 11
deer – 16
wild horses – 20
sandhill cranes – 2
prairie dogs – many
snakes – 3
skunk – at least 1 (by the smell)

Next week

We wrap up our 2023 Alaska Revisited trip with a by-the-numbers recap. Pat and I will compare our answers to several questions that include best trip experiences, favorite places camped and most amazing views.

And we will reveal our pick of the best cinnamon bun of the trip!