Photo Blog with Waterfalls, Hiking, Outdoors, and other Adventures
Today’s breakfast called for getting some kicks along Route 66 in Amarillo, Texas at the Cadillac Ranch. You’ll find it off the frontage road along I-40E – just look for the graffiti and hordes of tourists. Access is very easy, just park off the shoulder and take a short walk past the locked gate. The … Read more
Boca Negra Canyon is another site within Petroglyph National Monument and is easy to find just a few minutes drive north from the visitor center along Unser Blvd. The location is more developed as compared to Rinconada Canyon with a small restroom and some picnic sites. On a weekday early afternoon there is enough parking … Read more
Second attempt at the Rinconada Canyon Trail area of Petroglyph National Monument. First try was on the weekend, and the signs posted from the park service warning about thefts & break-ins plus the local crowd told me to move along; today on a Tuesday at noon I nearly had it to myself. Be sure to … Read more
The final destination for me completing my visit at Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument was at the Quarai site, located just 10 minutes north of Mountainair, New Mexico on NM-55 in the small unincorporated community of Punta de Agua. The visitor center / museum is currently closed for remodeling. This is a smaller site and … Read more
Two more sites to visit for Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument and both are a bit more remote. The next closest is a 30-minute drive south from Mountainair on rural State Road 55 (aka NM-55) to reach the Gran Quivira Unit. Again, the visitor center is closed today but that’s expected since it’s Monday in … Read more
From Abó the drive to the quiet town of Mountainar, New Mexico is just a few minutes on US-60. Make sure to get fuel if you can before heading out to this remote area, you’ll pay a premium at the local station if you forget. In a town of about 900 residents it’s fairly hard … Read more
Starting my return home now after enjoying a week with my family. I decided to head north and visit a few sites I didn’t have time for on the outbound trip. First stop was at Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument in Abó, New Mexico. This national monument consists of three separate locations with remnants of … Read more
Did some off-road exploration and just playing in the desert with my dad. Had heard there was a natural arch somewhere over in the Doña Ana area but wasn’t fully sure how close you can get to it on 4 wheels versus hiking so we took a look. The answer is…closer than I thought in … Read more
There’s good reason why I prefer not to plan my solo road trips. Yes, there are times when the chaos ends in sub-optimal results. Other times though, you get to do things you wouldn’t normally see otherwise. Case-in-point: Upon leaving El Morro my only destination was “head east back towards ABQ”. I had no idea … Read more
Continuing from the Headland Trail you’ll naturally connect to the Inscription Rock Trail that leads along the bluff and observes the other significant focus of the monument – several ancient petroglyphs and hundreds of historic rock inscriptions. A careful eye will notice several petroglyphs on the large vertical faces of the cliff where big circular … Read more