It has been 3 years since we camped and hiked in New Mexico, and last did an epic summer drive from Detroit to the Rockies. This was our 35th trip to New Mexico and the Southwest, and the 7th round-trip drive. We managed 4 fine hikes and 3 fun camping nights over a total of 12 days. It was our shortest road trip of the seven, but we packed a lot into it.
Driving 1500 miles to see a mountain is not everyone's cup of tea. It used to be mine, but not so much any more. Traffic volumes increase every year, and more and more transport trucks clog the system. Road construction is always a major pain. The worst way (for me) to get there is via the Interstate system, a semi-efficient but soulless way to go. However, we now know of many wonderful oases on route, and they help us to survive the hours of driving agony.
I drove westbound alone, with Deb joining me 3 days later in Denver. I spent a night in Vandalia, IL, another in Salina, KS, and finally met up with Deb on the 3rd night in Denver. Here are a few photos of my solo westbound journey.
One of the places we always stop, eastbound or westbound, is Whole Foods in Indianapolis. After that, it's on to Mogger's Pub in Terre Haute, Indiana. They have a great beer selection, a very funky interior, and a decent veggie burger. I was still more than an hour from my evening rest, but I needed the stop (and the Samuel Smith beer they had waiting for me!).
The Wabash River flows through Terre Haute, IN, and separates it from Illinois. There is a lovely riverfront park, but an annoying "rock festival" was in progress so I didn't stay long (it was a Saturday night). I would like to return at a quieter time.
Midway between St. Louis and Kansas City sits Columbia, MO. This is a really fun university town with a full-fledged downtown filled with shops, pubs, an art house cinema, cafes, and Main Squeeze, a really great veg restaurant. I dined alone today, but was joined by Deb for the eastbound journey. Next door is Lakota Coffeehouse. I ate lunch here on my second day of driving west.
Downtown Kansas City was my Sunday afternoon coffee stop. Once past Kansas City, the Midwest is quickly left behind. The Great Plains lie just ahead.
Maple Hill Rest Area, Kansas. There is a hiking trail to the top, where a sculpture can be seen, along with this view looking back east. The highway is I-70, my home for 5 days on this trip.
Strength of the Prairie is the name of the sculpture atop the Maple Hill Rest Area hiking trail. It is supposed to be an homage to the old fashioned western windmills.
I stayed my second night at a cute little well-run motel in a seedy part of Salina, KS. The downtown was pretty cool, and featured Blue Skye Brewery. I opted for a pint of Watermelon Crawl, a seasonal ale offering with a ton of real watermelon added to the fermentation. It was amazingly good! They also had a very decent in-house bean burger.
There are several very fine sculptures spread through the downtown area in Salina. One of my favourites was The Shaman. I liked several more, too, but the evening light was not good for photos. Being a Sunday, only two restaurants were open. There was an art house cinema, along with a restored theatre. The town would be worth a return visit.
As usual, our journey was planned around a waxing and full moon (read my astronomy blog to find out why). The above shot was taken from the front door of my motel room in Salina.
On the third day I got so sick of the Interstate highway that I went out of my way and took a two-lane back road, much more to my liking. US Highway 36 took me from near Colby, KS almost into Denver. It is a beautiful but lonely road. Once in Denver I checked in to our Hilton Hotel to await Deb. Next day our hiking and camping adventures would begin....
Part 2: Into the Mountains
Our first hike was only a fifteen minute drive from our Denver hotel. It was a flat walk on the grounds of an old military site, and it's called Rocky Mtn Arsenal Wildlife Refuge. It's really a walk out on the plains. Even though we were done by around 11 am, it was sunny and hot by the time we finished. The trails were quiet, with some of them running along two small man-made lakes. We had planned a flat hike as our first one to help us get use to the altitude. We covered four miles today, and it was easy walking.
It was a beautiful morning for a walk, and after driving extensively for 3 days to finally reach the mountains, one was badly needed. It was quiet and peaceful. A few people were fishing. The park is huge, and far from traffic noise.
Rocky Mtn Arsenal Wildlife Refuge, Denver.
The proverbial snake in the grass.
Downtown Denver was several miles away, and the mountains were seen faintly in behind. Smoke from western wildfires was creating a hazy smog through much of Colorado. After our hike we headed south, stopping in Colorado Springs for lunch. This was Day 4 of driving for me, and yes, it included more Interstate. However, once near the border with New Mexico we were able to drive along beautiful mountain two-lane highways all the way to the Taos Ski Valley, where our first night of camping in over three years awaited.
Colorado City, downtown looking west.
New Mexico had a wildfire going near the top of Cerro de la Olla.
Deb is working hard to make our campsite comfortable. Except for a woman in a sleeper van, and her little pooch, we were alone here tonight, along the bustling Rio Hondo. We were close to tomorrow's mountain hiking adventure. The site was beautiful and amazing, and the rushing water sounded for us all night. I awoke at 4:45 am, peeked out at the brightest starry sky I'd ever seen, crawled out of the tent and did some naked eye observing for a while. Before that we made dinner, cleaned up and were abed early. A busy day lay ahead!
This little campground buddy was in for a chilly night! We were sleeping at 8,000' tonight. I love how he matches our chairs, set up alongside the rushing river. He was gone in the morning.
Parts 3 and 4 are next!
Mapman Mike
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