Exploring the American Landscape
East of El Paso, in a remote corner of the Chihuahuan Desert, two national parks straddle the border between Texas and New Mexico. Since we were in the area, we made sure to plan a visit to the almost-adjacent Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Camping at Guadalupe Mountains The only campground … Read more
Driving from T or C to our next destination in Alamogordo was a challenge, because a weather front brought us 20 mph winds that whipped up the fine New Mexico sands into fog-like sandstorms. Despite the inauspicious start to our stay, we ended up really enjoying Alamogordo. We took our cues directly from our friends … Read more
As certified science geeks, we could not visit northern New Mexico without making a stop at Los Alamos, home of the scientific laboratory component of the Manhattan Project which created the world’s first nuclear weapons. The extreme secrecy of the project’s purpose and location – personnel, supplies, and mail all arrived in Santa Fe – … Read more
After a somewhat jarring few weeks on our second Habitat stint, we headed to the mountains near Crested Butte to spend a week hiking, reveling in wildflowers, and listening to soothing river sounds. Fortunately, this has brought us back to our happy place. Taylor Canyon Our parking spot for the week was yet another lovely … Read more
After thoroughly enjoying our first experience volunteering as Care-A-Vanners with Habitat for Humanity in Pagosa Springs, Colorado in June, we adjusted our schedule for the summer to return to the very same place for another two-week commitment. We knew that the experience could be very different because of the composition of a new volunteer group, … Read more