Friday, April 13, 2007
The drive to Oliver Lee SP just south of Alamogordo was rather boring, as is much of this part of New Mexico. That said, the view from our campsite over the Basin to the west is rather dramatic. We are at about 4400 feet. The CG is on the side of the Sacramento mountains which is a great back drop.

It was cloudy most of yesterday, perhaps the remnants of the storm that dumped late snow in the southern Rockies and will drop temperatures for the second week in a row back home. We had an early evening shower here. We went outside afterwards and noted a light snow on the peaks above us.

Saturday, April 14, 2007
After a yummy breakfast, we got a late start and drove to White Sands NM on a bright and mostly clear day. We took our chairs and a blanket up a dune and had lunch and a short nap. We could have spent the whole day there. Why didn’t we?

Back at the CG, we had another nap and then did cocktails with the Wood’s, Lindstrom’s and Kate and Terry of “Choula Red”. Dinner was another round of the sausage and red cabbage we snared in Fredericksburg.

Sunday, April 15, 2007
I spent most of the morning doing camp chores and we got away at 10:15 and drove up to Ruidoso to see some old sailing chums who have retired there They have a fine condo with a great view of Sierra Blanco, the local 12,000 footer. We stopped at Chileo’s for lunch, which was very delicious and cheap. It snowed two days ago in Ruidoso, but today was thoroughly delightful weather. We took the route back through Cloudcroft which is the first mountain road we have been on this trip.

Monday, April 16, 2007
We drove back up in the Sacramento mountains, first to hike the Osha Trail that Delorme suggested. It was an OK trail, but lacked dramatic views. The 2.5 miles was good for the heart tho. Next we drove the Sunspot Road to the National Solar Observatory. Who knew we had one? Our tax dollars at work. It was started by the Air Force to study the effect of solar flares on communications so we could always be able to launch the big one even during a solar storm. [Did you know what we now call the internet had a similar purpose?] Anyway, the exhibits were well done and educational. You could go into two of the working observatories and see grad students plodding away on their thesis.

Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Terry and Kate of Choula Red invited us to join them to see the Hubbard Museum of the American West in Ruidoso. How could we pass up someone driving us? The exhibits were worthwhile and the trip was fun. We had lunch at Chileo’s, again.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007
It’s laundry and shopping day. Surprise the Laundromat has wi-fi!
Tomorrow we will move west to Percha Dam SP, still in NM.