Colorado back roads

We left Questa, NM. elev. 6,200 ft. elevation, for Colorado Springs today. We took these back highways due to I-25 section being closed because of fires and smoke. Look what's up ahead! EGAADS.
We climbed over N. La Veda Pass (9,413 ft. elevation) in the Culebra Range Mtns. on the way to Colorado Springs, CO.  The drive in the Mountains was breathtaking !! (in more ways than one)

Santa Fe to Colorado Springs

Today we left Santa Fe NM. for Colorado Springs by way of Questa NM. elev. 6200 ft because of fires along I25.We took back roads to Questa, this was our first real mountain driving. Downgrades of 6% for about 4 miles and then also 6% climbs. Traveled along the Rio Grande river & gorge. You could look down and see white water rafting trips in action. The campground is in a valley with a beautiful mountain view. Tomorrow on to Colorado Springs.

On to Santa Fe. N.M.

We left Amarillo TX. elev. 3670'  today heading for Santa Fe N.M. elev. 7095'. We had planned on going further West on I40 but there are too many fires along that route.  We did all highway driving on I40 to Hwy. 285 into Santa Fe.   While here we made a day trip to down the Turquoise Trail to Madrid where they filmed the Wild Hogs movie with John Travolta. Interesting little town that time forgot, everyone there looked like 60's hippies or old gold prospectors. After that we went on to Albuquerque. It had a nice old town area with the local Navajo Indians selling their wares. We walked all over the town. The next day we visited  the Santa Fe. Old Town Plaza area, shopped saw the big Cathedral, ate lunch at a really cool old hotel "La Fromage". We really liked Santa Fe, the Old Town was nice and clean.
Interstate I25 is closed from Raton N.M. to Trinidad Co.   

Amarillo Tx Palo Duro Canyon

Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest in the cannon system in the U.S. 120 miles long and 26,275 acers. Unlike the Grand Canyon, you can drive through it to the bottom and look UP.  We stayed in the Canyon until 8:30 for the 2 hr. TEXAS show (musical history of the settling of the panhandle of the state) which is performed in an outside ampitheatre under the stars.  Elevation 3670 feet.

Monday June 13 elevation 7095 feet!!!

We're in Santa Fe, NM.  Interesting drive here in 30 knot winds ( Broadside) with gusts to 44 knots, this is apparently very normal.  We had one gust hit us so hard that we thought we had a blow out!

We passed a huge cattle processing plant with thousands and thousands of cattle waiting to be, you know what.  Lucky us, we just happened to be downwind and even though we had the A.C. on recycle, the smell was so bad that it woke up the dog!

    




                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

We're in the great state of TEXAS !!!

When we were in Mobile, Al. we went to see the USS Alambama. We did a tour of the whole ship it took about 1 1/2hr. to see it all. We also visited Bellingrath Gardens and House built in the late 1930.
We spent two days in Biloxi ,Ms. Went to the Beau Rivage Casino looked around while some people donated some money to the casino. Lots of shrimp boats on the coast. Left Biloxi on June 8. Went to W. Monroe La. 1 night. Then to Denton, Tx for 1 night. Today we are heading to Amarillo, Tx its about 325 miles, remember we're only driving at about 58-60 mph. Lots and lots of corn being grown out here, should be keeping all the "ethanol" farmers happy. It will be our third day in a row of driving. We will be in Amarillo for at least two days, longer I hope. All I can say is Florida has really good roads compared to these other states. 1201.5 miles so far.

Florida Caverns

Were in Biloxi

Before we got to Biloxi,MS we stopped, two nights, at Florida Caverns State Park. That was a beautiful campground it had large sites with just the right amount of shade. We had an alligator show up at one of our sites around dinnertime. We did a tour of the caverns that was pretty neat. Some parts were just about 4 1/2 feet high(that was a challange) and about 2' wide (we brought a jar of Vaseline, just in case). We also made a stop in Mobile Al. there we visited the Bellingrath Gardens and home built about 1930. Then we took a tour of the USS Alabama. Very interesting to see how they lived on board. 
    Biloxi is pretty neat, still a lot of evidence of Katrina present, the Casinos are amazing...Beau Rivage, Hard Rock and many others. 
   Plan to buy shrimp off one of the boats today and take a drive over to Ocean Springs.