Oct 24 Tuesday-6 of us go into mexico-Ojinaga, we take passports insurance papers etc. It takes 3 hours; next we change our dollars into pesos. Then we settle down to a great meal. Back to the RV park It starts to rain around 7pm. There will be 10 paying customers going. Ojinaga is a layed back Mexician town no vender hassling you like in Nogales or Algadones. A typical poor Mexican town.

Oct 25 Wednesday-Today we get our truck and RV inspected and numbers put on. Bill is impressed as they gave him # 10. We have happy hour at 4pm and get to meet some of our fellow caravaners.


Oct 26 Thursday-We take a rollercoaster ride into Big Bend National Park. We stop at a movie set site, Contrabando. Here they shot Rio Diablo, Streets of Lora do and Gambler V to name a few. We also stop and visit another ghostown Terlingua- Mercury mines. We follow the Rio Grand River the boundary between USA and Mexico, all roads end here. We only have time to go to the Chisos Basin. What great views.

Oct27 Friday- We have our first briefing. There are 6- 5th wheels,5 moter homes and 1 camper van. One couple from Ontario the rest fromUSA. We have only 1 couple with a dog. Today we go for lunch as a welcome get aquainted party.

Oct23 Monday- Prisidio Bill is feeling much better so we drive back to Marfa and find a library to use WIFI. Today we meet our wagonmaster and tailgunner. WE are to only 2 here yet for the caravan. Weather is holding up. Our satalite dish is working we just can’t get globle but we get CBC or Alberta’s globle.

Oct 22 Sunday- Bill is catching a cold so spent most of his day in bed. We did take a quick trip into town ,but nothing much there. It is in the 80,s

Yep. It happened again only on the left side this time.  

Oct 21 Saturday- Today we travel to Presidio Texas. You will not believe this but we have another blow out. This time on the left side. Thankfully it was on the hwy. with a descent shoulder. We were only 20 miles from Marfa where we got 2 more new tires and spare replaced. We are 69 miles from Presidio. There is another caravan customer there before us. Our wagon master and tailgunner will arrive Monday. It was in the 90’s when we arrived so on went the air conditioner.

Kings Highway in Carlsbad
caverns NM-Stalacites & stalagmites & popcorn
Queens Chamber- Draperies Carlsbad NM
Temple of the Sun- Carlsbad NM- in the Big room
We walk down 790 feet. We zig zag for 1 hour to the bottom and take the elevator back up 

Oct 20 Carlsbad Friday- A few changes we decide to stay here another night as it might be the last time I get WIFI. We do not know what is in Presidio. We tried to book Ehrenberg after Y uma but we couldn’t get all the days we wanted so we booked Indio instead. January 15-29. Today we go back to the caverns and do the Natural entrance beside the bat caves. We hike straight down to 790 feet in 1 mile .It takes about 1 hour to zig zag our way down. It is very hot today going into the 90’s but cool in the caves. We stop at White City on our way back and take in their museum. Oodles of interesting things, it just needed a tidying up

we get there early . A ranger will give a talkmon bats before they exit the cave.
Can you imagine 300,000-5000,000 bats coming out of this cave? It takes any where from 20-90 minutes for them all to leave. They return about 5am 

can you imagin 300,000-5000,000 bats the size of sparrows coming out of this cave? Pretty impressive
A ranger gave a talk while we waited them to come out 

Oct 19 Thursday- sunny again today. We stock up for Mexico at the Super Wal-Mart here in Carlsbad. Tonight we go to watch 300-500 thousand bats immerge from Carlsbad cave. It takes anywhere from 20min-90 min for them all to come out. What a sight, they circle counter clockwise before taking off. No pictures were allowed when the bats came out of the cave..

Carlsbad Caravan NM- We go through many narrow places
the thin lines are called soda straws Carlsbad Caverns NM
We see many different shapes
Well worth going to- Carlsbad Caverns NM 

Oct 18 Wednesday. We tour the Carlsbad Caverns –first we do the Kings Palace , a ranger guided tour. It was just about 2 hours . It was very good, it was 1 mile. Then we did the self guided tour of the Big Room 1.2 miles. So we got in a bit of walking. We stayed for a talk on the Bats of Carlsbad.

Torrion- a place were they hide from the enimies

The Tunstall store Lincon City NM 

Oct 17 Tuesday-Today we move to Carlsbad New Mexico. It is sunny. We pass a small herd of pronghorn antelopes about 10. They sure are beautiful animals . We pass them too quickly so no pictures. We stop at Lincoln on our way. This is where Kit Carson was gunned down. We toured the towns many historic buildings and artifacts. The Carlsbad RV park has free WIFI. We check in for 3 nights.

State Capital building built in a circle to form the zia sun symbl. A wonderful collection of art on the 4 floors all opened to the public. well worth the trip.
Santa Fe Canyon Road- Old historic adobe buildings that are now art gallories. Blue doors are a symble of good luck.
Canyon Road Lots and lots of art gallories. 

Santa Fe's famous Loretto church miraculus staircase-(no support holding it up) railing were added latter
Santa Fe Plaza chilli stands- strands were 10-20 dollars
Palace of govenores1610-native artist display their goods on 68 stalls. All wears must be made by venders 

Oct16 Monday Santa Fe -Sunny Today we go back into the plaza to take the walking tour. It is very informative. We especially enjoyed the Fonda Hotel, and the adobe buildings with their charming courtyards. Canyon road next. This is a game trail in ancient times and an art colony in the 1920. It is famous for its art galleries now. There are more than 250 art galleries in Santa Fe. Many are in historic buildings and sculptured gardens are a common feather. It is much larger than Taos. tomorrow we move to Carlsbad New Mexico for 3 days I should have free WIFI there.

Oct 15 Sunday- It rained last night but cleared up by the time we hooked up. We are Santa Fe bound. We get caught up with the Albuquerque balloon festival as people are heading home but stopping at Santa Fe on their way. So the first TV park we try is full ,but they phone ahead and find another park 11 miles from town. We have time and head to the Plaza and the Palace of governers-1610 the Spanish headquarters, the oldest public buildings in the USA. We were her before and enjoyed it . This time we go into the Loretto church with the famous miraculous staircase. We walk around old town we just love all the adobe architecture. The center is packed with people.

Wheeler mt. ski resort Taos 

Oct.14 Saturday-Taos – another sunny day. Today we take a circle tour around Wheeler Peak 13161’ Taos ski area. The road is very windy. We see a lot of watch out for elk and deer but we do not see any only hunters with guns. We have to do another circle tour south of Taos called the High roads tour. Both have beautiful scenery.

E I Couse painting studio with grandaughter and husband
son's michanical workshop in the Couse complex
couse was famous for his native paintings
Kit Carsons Adobe 

Oct.13 Friday another beautiful sunny day. Today we do the town of Taos. It has many old adobe buildings that now are shops and galleries that were once homes of some of Taos leading citizens. We luck out and get a personal tour of the Couse home (1839) by the original desendence. Couse’s granddaughter Verginia, Couse Leairt and her husband. E.I. Corse was the founder of Taos art colony and the first president of the Taos society of artist. The house is still complete with original studio and furnishings. He is famous for painting native models. One native started at age 10 and worked with him until Course died in 1936. Their son Kebbey built the prototype for a mobile machine shop in the garage which was also opened for viewing. There was also a chapel ,the oldest structure on the complex (1835). This was the original painting studio with larger windows installed. A centaury old bank vault sat in the back corner. It was used as a secure storeroom when not in residence .There was evidence of the local Penitentes self-flagellation rituals carried out in the chapel. It was a very enjoyable tour. Next we visit the Kit Carson House a single story adobe home. He was the famous Mountain Man. The house contained furnished period rooms, Mt. man relics and guns. We are off to the Main Plaza next 1615. Again influential adode buildings now mostly art galleries and gift shops. We have lunch at Doc Martins another old hacienda now the Taos Inn. He was the first doctor in Taos. Next off to La Hacienda De Los Martinez 1804 . This place had 21 rooms and 2 courtyards. It was an example of the late Spanish adobe home. The house had typical adobe mud floors made with mud boiled linseed oil ox blood and ash. This made a hard non-dusting floor. Only the grand salon had hand adzed wood floors especially made for Flamingo dance parties.

Tao's Pueblo 10000 years old . a continusly lived in community.
hono Adobe bake ovens . these pueblos restricts the infraction of electricity & running water.Msingle family dwellings much like our condo's only recently were doors used. Entrance was through a hole in the roof and ladders 

Cumbres & Toltec narrow gauge steam engine
What a view . We were a little late as all the silver trees were bright yellow in Sept.

 

Oct. 11 Wednesday –We wake up to frost and had to scrap the windows of the truck to go to the Cumbres & Toltec steam narrow gauge train ride. We take a bus first to Antonito and boarded the train. We stopped for 1 hr. for lunch at Osier. We climb up 10,000 ft ,and go in and out of Colorado and New Mexico .(lots of switchbacks) .Now I know why JohnDenver sang about his Rocky Mt highs. It was a beautiful Fall day. Note Bill has long pants on. We arrived back at Chama around 430. Tomorrow we leave for Taos New Mexico. The visitors center at Chama has free WIFI. But I couldn’t get it to work

thought you might like the map of where we arein New Mexico
gift shop in Durango
Katchina dolls in gift shop