Route 66 Day 23 Oct 31, 2019

So the day before I was talked into checking out Bandelier National Monument, which was only about 30 miles north of Santa Fe. So extending my visit in Santa Fe for one more day. It was horrible cold the night before, but as always, once I get under the blankets, my car camp is just fine. Waking up was hard though. Unfortunely, my bladder was insistent on me getting up, so I was up. Checked the GPS for Bandelier so I wouldn’t get there too early befor they open, and I realize that it probably is 30 miles as the crow flies, but around the mountains it was going to be over an hour drive. I looked at the brochure again and I decided to go anyway. It looked like an amazing park and I wanted to explore it. So at 8am, I was off. It was an interesting drive and I ran into a herd of mule deer when I got close to the park.

I was one of the first handfuls of cars through the gate and was able to get good information from the Park Ranger. There is a main trail that all new comers do. It takes you past the ruins of a previous community of valley buildings, cliff dwellings and petroglyphs. I was excited. I took my time and got some excellent shots of all of the above. Struggled to get some shots of the local birds, which didn’t make it easy. I found more mule deer and I even found a lizard. There are two types of squirrels in the park: rock squirrel and abert squirrel. I found the rock squirrel but I couldn’t find the abert, and the abert was so much cuter. It has big fuzzy ears.

 

I spent a good portion of the day here and was able to swing by the campground in order to enjoy the privacy of a bathroom to myself where i stripped down and did a super scrub. Changed my clothes and everything. Went out to my car and opened a soda and it exploded all over me. Figures.

When I left, i still have a couple hours of sunlight and there as a sign for the Valles Calderas National Preserve. It was 16 miles away and I would’t have a lot of time, but enough to take a look at the preserve. It was nice, there was no wildlife. There was cattle, some obvious evidence of fires over the last few years and some really beautiful landscape. Spent an hour in the park (they closed at 5:30) and had about half an hour of light on the drive to Albequerque. I took the road out of the Preserve and jumped on the highway and it took me right back to Route 66 pre-1937 alignment. I had missed the segment between the turn off for the first National Monument and Bernalillo, but it was less than 50 miles, and I made up for it by doing a chunk of the post 1937 route east of Albuquerque. I’d forgot it was Halloween, and I saw lots of kids in the Bernalillo area dressed up in costume. Lots of people at Walmart too. There are lots of Walmarts in Albuquerque, but only one open 24 hours that allows overnight parking. I jumped inside, took care of my bathroom business. Picked up some supplies and headed to bed. This was a late night for me. I ususally stop when it gets dark. I don’t want to miss any photo ops because its dark, and it gets cold. So, the sun sets, I crawl in the back of my car and watch some NCIS until I fall aslep. This night I was driving a couple hours after dark and I was really ready for bed.