Home!!!
Last drive in Addie!
Yayyyyy!!!!! Lunch with Shaye!!!!! LOVE!!!
Sunset.
Home!!!!!
Well, I now know what it means to “smell the barn!” It means when one is so close to home, one keeps driving! So, after walking around Mesilla, NM, and taking a peek at Saguaro National Park, AZ, I kept driving. And driving. And driving. Until I felt fuzzy brained, pulled over, and found a nearby Elks to camp at tonight. 🙂
Mini-basilica in Mesilla, NM.
Gazebo and trees in Historic Mesilla.
Aha!
Scenery from an Arizona rest area.
Saguaro National Park.
Sunset from Addie.
Sunset.
Addie and me, ready to unwind at the Elks in Indio.
I left the BIG state of Texas this morning after a week exploring this diverse – in so many ways – state. After buying groceries in El Paso, I drove to the 62nd out of 63 national parks, White Sands National Park. Signage calls it both a national monument and a national park; it switched from its 1933 designation to its new title in December 2019.
Tonight, I’m camping at Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, one of many delightful state parks I’ve had the pleasure of staying at during my adventure.
Sadly, I received a phone call last night from a former AMA president that one of our past board officers was killed on Saturday night by a drunk driver. So very hard and tragic…
Otherworldly.
Sunrise from Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
Into the caverns…
Sunset from Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
A 3D day!
Delight: The overnight chill woke me up early this morning, allowing me to see the gorgeous sunrise!
Disappointment: The town of Marfa boasts galleries, however, all were closed this morning. I walked around a bit, noticing hints of previous glamor.
Discovery: Searching for a campsite near Carlsbad Caverns National Park, I made a two-night reservation at Pine Springs Campground. Surprise! This campground is not in Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Instead, it’s in Guadalupe Mountains National Park! The small campground – really, blacktop with white paint marking campsites – shares trailheads to 85 miles of trails. Of course, I had to explore one once I got set up!
Sunrise from Cottonwood Campground, Big Bend National Park.
Sunrise from Cottonwood Campground, Big Bend National Park.
Marfa Courthouse, built in the 1880s.
Marfa building with intriguing tile work.
Doors painted just for me!
Guadalupe Mountains National Park trail.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park trail.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park trail.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park trail.
Sunset from Pine Springs Campground, Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Sunrise and sunset in the same day!
Following my ranger’s instructions, today I hiked the Window Trail to one of the most gorgeous granite overlooks ever! With sparkling geologic formations, the trail rambled into a canyon, along a stream, over stone steps carved into rocks, and to a magnificent view on slick granite. Sitting at the window, looking over the green valley, I chatted with one retired couple from Cleveland and an environmental scientist from Austin. I shared how much I enjoyed the Underground Railroad Museum in Cleveland and Holocaust Museum in Dallas, two places these “blue” travelers have now added to their lists of places to see.
Leaving the window, I hiked the window overlook side trail, which took me above the window with an even more expansive view of the valley.
Perhaps due to the dry desert heat and to the WiFi available at the trailhead’s visitors center, I sat in the shade for awhile following my hike to rehydrate and fiddle with my phone.
Sunrise from Cottonwood Campground.
Window Trail.
Window Trail.
Window Trail.
Window Trail.
At the window.
The window.
A waterfall!
View of the valley from the Window Overlook Trail.
Window Trail.
What a wonderful day, a returning to camping as I started… BTW, Fort Stockton…no need to visit unless you need a stopover. Nothing exciting or interesting there – IMHO.
For one of the first times, I felt a bit anxious about going to Big Bend National Park. The distance spooked me. Lack of knowledge of the park had me on edge. Cottonwood campground sports no hook-ups or dump station. However, knowing that I could turn around if my anxiety turned to fear, I loaded up on water, dumped my waste tanks, filled up on gas, and drove the many miles to Big Bend.
At the entrance, the young ranger greeted me sweetly, gave me my maps, and directed me to the nearby rustic visitors center saying the rangers are very helpful. I walked in and spoke to the kindest most-understanding ranger, a woman around my age. I explained that I’m a solo traveler, I’ll be here for two nights, I’d like to hike 5-8 miles on not too strenuous trails as a solo hiker safety precaution. She showed me exactly which trails she recommended for me and explained why. I so appreciate rangers who listen and provide individualized guidance!
I saw the Fossil Discovery Exhibit, per my ranger’s instructions, and then walked around Castolon where I viewed the remains of a cotton growing establishment.
I then checked into my campground, Cottonwood, a beautiful camp with two of the warmest camp hosts ever! Not only did they welcome me, but they also showed me the group of javelinas roaming the campground. When I left, I mentioned I was heading to Santa Elena Canyon, and, upon my return, the sweet woman asked me how I enjoyed the canyon.
Santa Elena Canyon mesmerized me with its magnificent rock formations, desert flora, and Rio Grande calmly flowing between the canyon walls. The red rocks and desert scenery reminded me of my adventures in Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Nevada, Arizona, Utah…it was like “home.”
The canyon trail ends at the Rio Grande. If one crosses the river, one is technically in Mexico. So, duh!, I switched to my water shoes, asked one of the young women watching friends (and choosing not to cross) to take my photo, and ventured into the water. It felt a bit like The Narrows at Zion! I walked along the wall, holding onto it out of an abundance of caution. A young man, sitting on the sand spit with a few of his friends, saw me and how the water was over my waist. He suggested I cross to the middle where the water wasn’t as deep. Great advice! I walked to the spit and then touched Mexico! He took my picture – will text it to me in the next day or so when he has cell service.
I returned to camp, and the camp hosts showed me, along with other campers, where two horned owls where hanging out.
In summary, due to the kindness of strangers and, I admit, my willingness to push myself a bit past my comfort zone, I had a phenomenal day!
Castolon
Javelina
Santa Elena Canyon
Millipede
Driftwood in the canyon
Returning from Mexico!
Rio Grande in Santa Elena Canyon
Canyon
Owl #1, the larger owl
Owl #2, the smaller owl
Added the photo texted by one of the young men on the spit. I’m in Mexico in this pic! 🙂
Texas is a big friggin state! Today’s long drive got me through windy, dry, and hilly Texas to the gateway of Big Bend National Park, where I’ll be for the next couple of days. (I have no idea about cell service, so my Big Bend posts may be delayed.) Now, I’m camped at a dusty West Texas RV park, with a friendly owner, clean showers, and western scenery.
Sunset from my RV park.
“Indian Scouts” metal silhouettes located across the highway from the RV park.
Addie curious where the tall green trees and lush grass went…
I had so much fun taking pictures today! Not only did I enjoy snapping photos of The Alamo (free admission today for all veterans – thank y’all for your service), but I also had a blast capturing images of water fountains, flowing streams, and natural frames on San Antonio’s famous River Walk.
Don’t forget…
Alamo archway
Fountain on my way to the River Walk
One of many bridges over the water
River Walk
Locks and dam
River Walk
River Walk
Beer break!
The old Pearl Brewery
Pearl Brewery Plaza
Pearl Brewery Plaza
River Walk
River Walk
River Walk
Maverick-Carter House
When I imagined Austin, I thought about the funky South Congress Avenue area and the river. I did not think about parks, hikes, and waterfalls. However, given my appreciation for state parks, I reserved a spot at McKinney Falls State Park – and hiked around the park to the Upper and Lower Falls before moseying into town.
Totally cool? I arrived, at dusk, at Congress Avenue Bridge where I saw people gathered under the bridge on the river’s shoreline. Being curious, I walked down the staircase and asked what was happening. Little did I know about the BATS!
“Austin’s resident bats are Mexican free-tailed bats, which migrate each spring from central Mexico to various roosts all over the southwestern U.S.
On their nightly flights the bats eat anywhere from 10,000 to 30,000 pounds of insects, including mosquitoes and harmful agricultural pests.
At the end of the season, you can see roughly 1.5 million bats ascending into the summer sky.”
https://www.austintexas.org/things…/outdoors/bat-watching/
Desert climate for sure!
McKinney Falls State Park hike.
Upper Falls: “Water cascades through natural channels within a massive bed of exposed limestone and volcanic ash.”
Old cypress tree.
Prehistoric Rock Shelter: “Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this limestone overhang provides shelter for Native Americans for more than 8,000 years.”
Onion Creek.
Lower Falls which “flows over limestone ledges to the pool below.
Horse Trainer’s Cabin: “Two-room structure built in 1950s for Thomas McKinney’s horse trainer.” McKinney, a racehorse breeder and one of Stephen F. Austin’s original colonists, owned this homestead.
Funky South Congress Avenue district of Austin.
View of the city from underneath the Congress Avenue Bridge.
Bats! All of those flying dots are! (Click on photo for a six-second video.)
Sunset from the bridge.
Breakfast: Addie and I headed from our campground in Arlington to a crepe restaurant in Dallas to meet my friend and colleague, Laura, for breakfast. So good to catch up on life, family, and work!
Grassy Knoll: I crossed the river and parked by the Reunion Tower so I could see the Grassy Knoll, where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, by Lee Harvey Oswald. Oswald shot Kennedy from the sixth floor window of the nearby Texas School Book Depository. Although I wanted to tour The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, it is closed on Tuesdays.
Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum: Over dinner last night when Susan and Len suggested I visit this museum, I nodded politely and thought to myself, “No way am I going to another Holocaust museum!” Wow, I am so glad I went! This museum pulled together all of the elements I’ve been ruminating on during this road trip adventure. I’ve seen Native American locations, considered Americans’ treatment of slaves and African-Americans, experienced sites focused on immigrants, … all leading me to reflect on how we “otherize” people so we can dehumanize them and treat them poorly. This museum not only shared the history of Anti-semitism and the resulting Holocaust, but moved the conversation forward to human rights violations in general and genocide in particular. The final gallery presented stations allowing participants to select their own personal Call to Action. This is exactly what I’ve been looking for! What can I do??? The Call for Action kiosks provided direction and inspiration. The only bummer is the information is only available at the museum – not on their website or in any of their printed materials. Regardless, I feel – surprisingly! – optimistic that I will be able to find something that I can DO to help make this world a better place.
With Laura
Dealey Plaza
The window from which Oswald shot Pres. Kennedy.
No comment
My mother’s mother and father’s father were both from Łódź, Poland, leaving before the Holocaust. Out of the 164,000 Jews in Łódź at the start of WWII, only 877 survived.
Powerful exhibit with explanations of each phase highlighted by examples from around the world, such as Armenia, Rwanda, Cambodia, and so many more.
Throughout the museum, voices of Dallas survivors made the unreal real. This wall showcased the murdered family members of those survivors.
I only took one photo of my Call to Action suggestions.
I rode the Reunion Tower to the top. Just like in Nashville, they take free digital photos of guests.
View from the top of Reunion Tower. These freeways and Dallas drivers? YECH!
Some interesting scenery on my drive… I’m now noticing the lack of green as I’m moving into drier climates…
After two errands – Trader Joe’s (small and crazy parking lot!) and Jiffy Lube (nice service with a pit rather than a lift) – I had a FABULOUS evening catching up and having yummy Indian food with Susan and Len, friends from San Luis Obispo who now live in Dallas. One of the gifts of this adventure is spending time with friends and family!
Sad, powerful, poignant: Oklahoma City National Museum and Memorial.
I went with Plan A-/B+ today! Plan A: Massage and taking the waters. Plan B: Hike. Instead, I took the waters at Quapaw Bath and hiked the Peak Trail to the Mountain Tower. No massages available today.
A few observations:
The last time I took a bath similar to the one at Quapaw, I was in Budapest, August 2019. The bathhouses in Hungary delighted me with their opulent architecture and big range of water temperatures. The inside design of Quapaw left a lot to be desired, and the cold water wasn’t cold enough nor the hot water hot enough. Regardless, I ultimately meditated, relaxed, and enjoyed the bath.
Ugh! Many cranky kids yelled and screamed while I walked around the village. My guess is they were tired, hungry, and disinterested in the sights. Although I feel bad for them, their whines grated.
Hiking the Peak Trail brought me back to my center; give me a forest trail, some water (in this case, searching for hot springs!), and I am in my happy place!
The Quapaw was built in a Spanish Colonial Revival style and sits on the site of two previous bathhouses. It was established in 1922 and named after the Native American tribe that once lived here.
Inside the Quapaw – I carefully framed this photo to not show any bathers out of respect for their privacy.
Looking at the mountain from the Promenade Trail behind Bathhouse Row.
After taking the elevator up 216 feet, making the observation deck at the top 1,256 feet above sea level, one sees the Ouachita Mountains, Hot Springs Mountain, and Diamond Lakes area.
View from the tower.
In search of hot springs! Around 15 springs were capped in one field.
Found! (Click on photo for three-second video.)
A butterfly mural similar to Nashville and Michigan!
Fordyce Bath, 1915, now the Visitors Center and museum.
The Assembly Room in Fordyce where men and women could reconnect after their baths. This museum highlighted the roles of Black Americans, who took care of the clientele yet couldn’t bathe.
Steam cabinets in the museum.
Superior Baths, more modestly designed than the others, operated as a bathhouse until 1983 and is now a brew pub.
Hale Bathhouse, built 1882, now a hotel.
Buckstaff Bath, continuously operated since 1912.
Maurice Bathhouse, built in 1911 in Mediterranean style, currently unoccupied.
Ozark Bath, 1922, mission style. Now cultural center.
On the drive up to Little Rock (and elsewhere in the South), I saw many cotton fields with the product rolled up into pink bales. No photos since I didn’t want to pull over on the highway to take a pic.
I have a mixed reaction to the Clinton Presidential Library. On the one hand, the building is designed well, the displays along with the Clinton-narrated self-guided tour are informative, and the garden with its public art with globes showcasing artists’ interpretations of sustainability are beautiful. On the other hand, his impeachment was downplayed as “politics” with no mention of Monica Lewinsky and Clinton’s infidelity.
Following the library, I found Little Rock’s Trader Joe’s where most people wore masks.
Now, I’m at Crystal Springs Campground, part of Hot Springs National Park. It’s beautiful here! I’m going to try to get a good full night’s sleep so I have the energy to explore Hot Springs tomorrow. Plan B? Hike around this campground and relax a bit… Not a bad Plan B, eh?!
The Oval Room filled with reproductions including the Resolute Desk.
Cabinet Room. On the back of each chair is a metal plate with the cabinet person’s title. President is in the middle on one side with Secretary of State on his right and Secretary of Defense on his left.
Presidential seal – eagle facing toward peace.
According to Clinton, he had a good relationship with Mandela.
A list of accomplishments.
Railway bridge turned into a pedestrian walkway.
The library itself with one of the 26 sustainability globes, each created by a different artist.
Another view of the bridge.
Addie at Crystal Springs, Hot Springs National Park.
Sunset at my campground.
