This weekend I needed to get out for a bit, and earlier in the week, someone in the Facebook “American Southwest” group gave me my excuse. Curiously enough, they had posted an image of a page from an old NM travel guide (1969’s “101 Trips in the Land of Enchantment ” by Betty Woods)...
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Traditionally, each July 4th, I’ve found myself yearning to get out and find somewhere to visit or a trail to hike. This year was no different, except I am not sure of the mental state of this docile midlifer on Independence Day when, on Monday morning, I arose fairly early, wavered a while about...
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I needed to get out today, so about noon I got my stuff all in the truck and headed for NM-14. Why NM-14? I have no idea. My original plan was to end up at Santa Cruz Lake by Nambe at dusk, and I guess NM-14 was a more interesting way to get there....
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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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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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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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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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When I went to bed last night, I was considering a morning road trip, just to get out of the house a bit with the camera, with some hopes I might find some lovely snowy scene to photograph. I wasn’t committed, but it sounded like a nice morning pursuit. When I awoke around 6...
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Tonight after work I decided to head back down to Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge to check in on the birds. I knew the Cubs game played this evening was blacked out locally, so I couldn’t go home and watch it. And I also didn’t feel much like going home to sit around....
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If September 2nd rolls around and you are in central New Mexico looking for something to do, consider attending the Feast Day of San Estevan at Acoma Pueblo. I offer this up as a native New Mexican who, up until three Sundays ago, had never attended a formal feast day at any pueblo before....
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Last weekend, my parents and I took a wonderful morning ride that rolled over into a full day trip, bringing us from Albuquerque to Jemez Pueblo, and then from there on up to Soda Dam, and then a drive through and stop at various points in and around the Valles Caldera National Park. Hungry...
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The day started at 5:45 this morning when my eyes opened 15 minutes before the alarm went off. Today was Bosque del Apache day. I was on the road by 6:20 after I got clothes and camera gear together and the cats taken care of for the day and the coffee made. I figured...
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I wasn’t sure what my day would look like this morning, but it became a rich one. Following breakfast and an enjoyable time at church (sermon point: give to bless loved ones in your life, not out of obligation), I visited the Gate of Heaven Catholic Cemetery right next to my neighborhood, chiefly to...
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I awoke early this morning having considered last night taking a drive up to the Valle Caldera to check on the trees, but at 6AM, that particular urge left me. I went back to bed and enjoyed another hour and a half of needed sleep. The morning passed in gross misappropriation. By 1, I...
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I wanted to see some fall colors, so I decided to drive out to the Jemez northwest of Albuquerque today. My drive dropped me first at Perea Nature Trail, a hidden attraction at the corner of 550 and the turnoff to San Ysidiro and the Jemez Valley. The trail offered a nice walk through...
Read more →I wanted to get out today with the camera, but my original idea to go down to White Sands and Alamogordo lost its luster when I learned White Sands was closed for sunrises, except on special photographer days twice a year. I just felt I’d do better going down there on one of those...
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