After our visit to Roswell, we headed north up to Santa Fe. I had spent time there with my parents back in the 70's. My mother and I LOVED the city, the culture that has been preserved, and especially the architecture. We visited museums and spent much time in the Old City.
I was amazed how much the city had grown along the outskirts. It looked so different from what I remember from my visit decades ago. I wanted to visit the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, but to our dismay, the streets were too narrow and there was no parking for a large RV, let alone one towing a car like we are. We decided we would have to forego this as one of our stops, and opted to head over toward Albuquerque.
We pulled in to the KOA campground around 8 pm. It had been a long drive, and we decided to stay one night and then head on over toward Flagstaff, Arizona in the morning.
Starting late in the morning, we headed out of Albuquerque and saw the sign for the National Petroglyph Monument. Gary suggested we stop at the visitor center and take a look around. Bear and I were looking around at the items in the center when Gary said, "Let's go. There's a trail up to the petroglyphs we can hike just a little ways up the road."
RV parking is just outside the park, and it was just a short walk in to where the trail begins. The park ranger reminded me of Wilford Brimley, the actor in "Cocoon". He took a look at Bear and began to tell us the park rules. He said we had to stay on the trail, don't touch anything, watch out for rattlesnakes, mean squirrels and the mean men at the top with clubs and guns. (There weren't any - he just wanted to tease Brody and paint a picture of the wild, wild west. :-)
We climbed up Boca Negra Canyon Peak and had a stunning view, not only of the petroglyphs along the steep rocky terrain, but an awesome view of the Rio Grande Valley and the Sandia Mountains on the other side of the canyon.
If you tilt your head a bit to the left, you can see the shape of the heart.
Next post will feature the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest
I was amazed how much the city had grown along the outskirts. It looked so different from what I remember from my visit decades ago. I wanted to visit the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, but to our dismay, the streets were too narrow and there was no parking for a large RV, let alone one towing a car like we are. We decided we would have to forego this as one of our stops, and opted to head over toward Albuquerque.
We pulled in to the KOA campground around 8 pm. It had been a long drive, and we decided to stay one night and then head on over toward Flagstaff, Arizona in the morning.
Starting late in the morning, we headed out of Albuquerque and saw the sign for the National Petroglyph Monument. Gary suggested we stop at the visitor center and take a look around. Bear and I were looking around at the items in the center when Gary said, "Let's go. There's a trail up to the petroglyphs we can hike just a little ways up the road."
RV parking is just outside the park, and it was just a short walk in to where the trail begins. The park ranger reminded me of Wilford Brimley, the actor in "Cocoon". He took a look at Bear and began to tell us the park rules. He said we had to stay on the trail, don't touch anything, watch out for rattlesnakes, mean squirrels and the mean men at the top with clubs and guns. (There weren't any - he just wanted to tease Brody and paint a picture of the wild, wild west. :-)
This is what we climbed. It looks like it's smooth and easy, but it is a fairly steep and very rocky climb.
Here are a few photos I took with my iPhone of a few items along the trail of Boca Negro Canyon.
We climbed up Boca Negra Canyon Peak and had a stunning view, not only of the petroglyphs along the steep rocky terrain, but an awesome view of the Rio Grande Valley and the Sandia Mountains on the other side of the canyon.
If you tilt your head a bit to the left, you can see the shape of the heart.
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