2-10 February 2019 Spring Planning

Its been a busy week again. David was in Alburqerque all week for business. Leslie caught what ever David brought back with him from Washington DC the week before and spent the first part of the week sick. But by Thursday she was well enough to make her hair appointment and Friday she got to babysit Olivia for four hours. We think Cynthia has now caught it from Leslie! That night Leslie set up for the perfect bath experience.  One must start with good soothing music from the sonos, lots of hot water, lavendar epsom salt for soaking, a very fragrant candle and a new razor. What a wonderful bath!

While stuck in Alburquerque traffic, David learned from a podcast that the Bureu of Land Management (BLM) has areas it sets aside as National Monuments that are different than the National Park Service (NPS) National Monuments and that there were two BLM NM within a half hour of Los Cruces. Dripping Springs and Prehistoric Trackways National Monuments are part of the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks BLM district. We decided we need to change up our plans a bit so we can have some extra time in Los Cruces to see these NM.

We finally laid out our plans for getting back on the road for the next several months and got reservations lined up. We know we have to be in Alburqueque in mid-April for some of Davids work meetings and in Junction City Kansas at the end of April to get some modifications made to the Wanderer. Were going to stop first in Kerville Tx for some wine tasting and hiking in Lost Maples State Park. Then down to Del Rio Tx, on the border with Mexico. Leslie and her father used to go there frequently and Leslie wanted to stop there to relive some memories. We are also going do some hiking, kyaking and fishing. Next stop will be in Alpine Tx in the Big Bend area. We wanted to stay down close to Big Bend NP but due to it being Spring break for the west Texas colleges, all the RV parks down by the park are booked solid for the month of March. But Alpine gets us close enough to pop down for day hikes and visiting our favorite places as well as visit the Davis Mountains Observatory and Fort Davis State Park. From there we will go up to Carlsbad NM to visit Carlsbad Caves NP, Sitting Bull Falls and Guadaluple Mountains NP. Then it will be on to Los Cruces where we plan to visit the NP and BLM National Monuments in the area (Gilia NM, White Sands NM, Dripping Springs NM and Prehistoric Trackways NM). After that, we’ll head up to Santa Fe to visit Bandelier NM and Capulin Volcano NM in that portion of NM before heading back down to Alburquerque for David’s meetings. Then its on to Junction City KS where we will have New Horizon add slide out awnings and another shade awning to the Wanderer as well as get some warruanty items fixed. It seems like a lot but we will be in each location for at least a week. Were still talking about where to go from there, but we are thinking that we will head for the northwest and work our way down the west coast. Anyone want to join us?