we’re baaaaack!

After 5 long hours, we went from 70 and 80 degree weather to 100+.

But no complaining, we’ve arrived!

 

 

we found a space ship

Be sure to scroll through the pages, as new posts and pics have been put up for yesterday and today. 

we’ve stopped in Tucumcari to brace for the storm (again). We’ll be back midday tomorrow.

Having driven down mostly back routes and non-National roads the past couple of days, when we hit I-40 at Santa Rose we had found civilization. Then we got on the high way and found some traffic. Not a lot, but still 10x more than we have seen on the past highways.

About 4 miles from that little diner, was the Valley of Fire State/National something or other. We didn’t stop, get out, and look around, mainly because it was still raining. But from what we saw, there used to be volcanoes here in New Mexico and the ground around the area was completely covered in dried lava – and a lot of plants.

Actually, they think they were from some Native Americans. Along this looong road, we came across the “three rivers petroglyphs”. We got to walk up this trail/mountain and see a bunch of rocks. Rocks. And on a lot of these rocks were drawings from 600+ years ago. Mom says there are apparently 2100+ documented pictures. But then, when we were on our way up to the highest part, we turned around and saw a curtain of rain coming for us. Needless to say, we high tailed it back down the trail and left, for other people to explore the wonders of the Native Americans – or aliens…

Well, the sands were the end of the main fun – except for the car ride home. During this car ride, it has rained a little, been sunny, and then some more rain. We stopped in Carizozo, where the owner offered to sell us the restaurant for $280,000. So, if you’re looking to buy a nice little diner in the middle of New Mexico, tell them Pat sent you. (actually, the food was really good- Carson even had fried pickles).

No, not Dolly Parton. Dolly the Hurricane. It had been our original intention to go back to the sands and slide down the dunes. But, we didn’t account for the rain we got in the morning. So, we went to breakfast and then headed over to the dunes. It was raining HARD the entire time. Until we got to the visitor center, and then the rain basically quit. We got a sled and went out to the dunes. Crawled our way up the dunes and one by one slid down. It was heck getting back up, but over all, lots of fun. And get this: once we got in the car after cleaning ourselves off, the rain started again.

After dinner, we decided to take a trip to White Sands National Monument. Which is basically just some big piles of white sand and some plants. Actually, it was really cool. We got to hike around, and climb up the dunes and then Aaron and I rolled down the dunes. Which was fun, until we had to clean sand out of crevasses we didn’t even know we had (also out of the pockets and electronics-which was not fun).

To Alamogordo we went. It was fun going through the Sacramento Mountains (since we don’t have any in OK). Although Carson and I slept through most of it, Carson decided he wants to move and live in Cloudcroft. Which is in the center of them all.

We accomplished a lot of firsts that day. Going to the bathroom below ground was one. Walking that far down was another. Taking an elevator ride up (and down) that far was another. And then for lunch, we ate down in the cavern. We got sub sandwiches and were able to actually eat 750 feet below ground, which was kind of cool.