A collection of summaries about road trips enjoyed or endured.
My friend Chris and I took an opportunity to visit our old friend Steve up at his family’s cabin in Westcliffe, Colorado, this last weekend. The opportunity bubbled up quickly, albeit a month ago, when an idea became three yes’s, and a near future date was set. Chris and Steve and I have all...
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Early Sunday afternoon, I had some time, so I set out towards a sunny west, originally planning to visit El Morro and see Juan de Oñate’s cursive on Inscription Rock. After a few long glances at the landscapes off of I-40 around Mesita, I called an audible and thought I’d stick around in this...
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Last Sunday, I had some free time, so it was a good day for another day trip. I knew I wanted to spend more time “with the birds”, so my primary goal was to head south and visit the Bernardo Waterfowl Area again at sunrise. After that, I figured I’d find somewhere else interesting...
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Last Sunday, persuaded by the start of the fall colors show on my drive the previous weekend, I had an ambitious plan. I thought I would drive up to Abiquiu again, and from there, head on north towards Tierra Amarilla, where I would hop on US-64 east and climb into a sea of golden...
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This last Sunday, with the knowledge that fall was arriving this week, and with it, the spread of color down the Rocky Mountain chain and beyond, I figured it was a good day to reconnoiter how some trees looked up north. After getting up early and getting a green chile stew stewing in the...
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As last Monday was the last day of the Labor Day weekend, I didn’t feel right not using it to go out somewhere, and the first destination that entered my mind was the Ah-shi-sle-pah Badlands, home of the King of Wings and Alien Throne rock formations. My enthusiasm for that trip was tempered by...
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This last Saturday, I had the need to get out of the house for a while, and with it being near the end of August (and, with my small chile crop faltering late in the growing season), a destination for a day trip became clear. Despite being a native New Mexican, I had never...
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This day trip was prompted a few weeks ago when I ran across the photo someone had taken of a unique church standing in a field. I learned the church was near the town of Mora, New Mexico, and with a visit to an old churches of New Mexico book I have, I learned...
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After about two months of shutting in at home, I called for a pandemic break yesterday and hopped into my truck early and pointed it north for a spell. I wanted to see some nature, some new churches, and to take a few photos. Thankfully, it turned out to be a really nice day....
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I had two major aspirations for 2020, besides the basic health and life stuff. The first was to improve at writing (hopefully, by actually writing some this year). The second was to improve in my photography understanding, skills, and technique. To improve in photography, it means I have to get out and take some...
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I had heard earlier this week that there were a lot of birds at the ponds and fields in Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. If I was a little more aware, I would have also know this coming weekend is the Festival of the Cranes down there, which celebrates the return of the...
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After a quick trip to Kansas last weekend to partake of the annual autumn Arkalalah Festival and to celebrate an aunt’s milestone birthday, I came back with a cold. I muddled through Monday. I coughed through the work day today. Still, caught in my constant war to try and figure out how to use...
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I’ve not been writing much for the last half a year, largely because I have just had a hard time thinking I had anything to write. Well, they say when you can’t think of much to write, write anyways, so this is a leap in that direction. This last weekend was deeply enjoyable for...
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I had an opportunity this past Saturday to join my friend Tammie and some of her family for the closing activities for the Archdiocese of Santa Fe’s “Pilgrimage for Vocations” week up in Chimayo. Tammie has a daughter that participated in the week’s event, and for me, it provided me with an opportunity to...
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A few weekends ago, I took New Mexico’s Highway 76- “the High Road to Taos”- north to do some church photography. It was a fine decision, because Highway 76, a 30-mile loop off of the normal route between Santa Fe and Taos, takes you into rolling picturesque hills on the west side of the...
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I went to bed last night itching to go somewhere this morning. With reports of possible snow in eastern Arizona, I heavily considered going to Canyon de Chelly near Chinle. After all, in fine weather, it is just a three and a half hour drive from Albuquerque. But then the alarm clock went off...
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