My computer is back! It turned out that only the bent connector on the power cord was the problem due to Dorothy dropping it. Thankfully the computer missed my toes - buy only by milli-meters.
I always wanted washboard abs. But I also always seem to want some baby back ribs. Washboard abs are hard to get. Baby back ribs are $8.99.
Thursday, August 12 - Over the last week, I spent several hours trying to figure out where I wanted to go. I never settled on a route. I knew that driving to Durango and shopping would consume half a day and that is enough activity for us. I noted the Sky Ute Casino was just 30 minutes SE from Durango. I could do with some pampering after boondocking for the last month. And pampered we will be. Full hookups, wifi, and a pool for $25.
Friday, August 13 - I washed KoKo. Dorothy cooked. We went to the pool. Relaxed. I sat in my chair and fiddled with my memories.
Saturday, August 14 - Washed the Jeep. Dorothy made pork chops, turnip greens, and sweet potato casserole. Went to the pool. Relaxed. Went back to the pool while the laundry tumbled.
Sunday, August 15 - We were quite enjoying the Sky Ute, but I thought it was time to move along. Just not too far. We drove 45 on CO 151 enjoying the pastoral scenery. The speed limit was 60, so there was a bit of passing the old folks from Alabama. We stopped at Chimney Rock NM. It kinda resembles a chimney, but I really doubt the Ute call it a chimney. They are constructing a building there, but work is stopped. Quite a few people were in the area where you can get a guided tour. The chimney is about 3/4 mile from the parking area, so I figured a good mile up a fairly steep slope. Well beyond our abilities. I read a few signs about how the tribes in this area were part of the larger Chacoan culture.
Dorothy was not feeling that great this morning and I am having a low energy day. So that was the reason for only driving an hour. The Southern Ute CG on Lake Capote offered electricity, I opted to pay for it. No wi-fi, no pool, no pavement, but still $25. No usable cell signal either. We are the only ones here. The CG is only open Thursday-Sunday. The guy asked it if was for one-night, then followed with "You will be leaving in the morning". Assured that was the case he said he could accommodate us. And said the gate might appear to be locked in the morning, but it would be a fake lock. Guess I passed his smell test.
A word about the Southern Utes. They are like no other tribe we have encountered in the US. The casino is a huge property. Makes the ones in Las Vegas look like poor cousins. The homes are well kept. The farms are productive. They have a three-story glass building to house the workers that manage their mutual funds.
Monday, August 16 - I was ready to dive into New Mexico. I screwed up again and drove 7.5 hours from Chimney Rock to Questa. I was not able to force Glenda into showing the direct route. She wanted to take us south to Santa Fe and then north. Eyeballing it, it did not seem so far. Like I said I screwed up again. Dorothy is still not feeling all that good, so I did not impose on her to drive. On arrival, I was barely able to stand.
The High Road to Taos. I know the phrase refers to a route from Santa Fe to Taos. But the route we took from Tierra Amarilla must also qualify. US64 gradually climbs to 10,500 and then runs along the crest of the mountains for miles where several shades of bright green, mostly aspens and spruce, and lush green meadows. There are a few pullouts where you could park, but I did not stop. Bad decision. It's one of the few smooth road surfaces in the whole state. However, it goes back to bumpy when you get down on the east side.
BTW, smoke from distant fires remains. This is now the third month of smoke.
We made it to Wild Rivers, a familiar haunt to us. Our first visit was on the trip home when we picked up KoKo in 2007. They are doing road work and closed the CG where we usually stay. We landed in Montoso. It has four sites and two are for RVs. It's on the rim of the Rio Grande gorge. Not bad for $3.50 a day.
Tuesday, August 17 - We drove to Red River to eat at one of several suggested restaurants. I wanted New Mexican fare. Only one offered that and it was not open for lunch. Dorothy had a too large Rueben and I had a too large Hatch Chile burger. Good, but overpriced food in an almost sleazy tourist town. The dining experience could have been better, they had the windows open so you heard all the street noise competing with the too-loud music playing. Then a Harley guy fired up his machine and he and his gf took turns taking pictures of each other while the engine rumbled. I turned around and gave him the evil eye and they left. Harley's louder than a rice bike should be crushed.
Woke up from my nap hot and it got worse. I set up a fan on the table and that provided some relief. Our neighbors joined us for a bottle of vino and good conversation soiled by 4,756 flies who all bit my ankles. I killed several dozen.
When we came in to escape the flies it was 92 inside, so we collapsed under our fans. Neither of us got to sleep until 10.
Wednesday, August 18 - It masks up in New Mexico. The last time I stopped in Taos was in 1994. I was the only straight male in town. We passed through a few years back on our way to Eagles Nest. The traffic was horrible. We came today to eat. It was a decent meal. We had shrimp tacos at Guadalajara Grill. There was one other white couple there - a good sign.
New Mexico is a poor state. The roads are mostly in serious need of repair. The businesses and homes along the highways are in a sad state of decline. We drove through one of the residential sections of Taos. The road was a goat trail and homes looked like places where goats would not be happy to live.
I looked and looked online for a place to park that had hookups. I found nothing. Nothing! OK, then we saw two RV parks along the road near Questa. I would be ashamed to stay in them.
It was warm when we got back. 87, but surprise at mid-afternoon the wind picked up and it dropped to 76.
Thursday, August 19 - It was a day. After much back and forth we decided to leave Wild Rivers for Abiquiu. It would allow us to fill the larder before going to Chaco canyon and eat at the Mexican restaurant favored by our friends. Abiquiu is the only place known to us in the area to park.
An hour after we left we got a text from some friends, who only decide where they are going a few minutes before starting the engine, that they had arrived a Wild Rivers. Well all they do is hike and there are numerous trails there, so they don't need us, but we could have some Happy Hours with them.
I tried several times to make reservations at Abiquiu, but I could not find the button to reserve a site. When we got to Abiquiu, we saw a sign that you could not come in unless you had a reservation. There was a woman in the booth and a man standing outside next to a park attendant car holding a handheld radio. Never a good sign.
We were sent to the dump to turn around. I decided to dump while I was there. The Nazi campground attendant came down in his car to inform us that only registered guests could dump. I said no problem, as I had already dumped. There was another guy at the dump and he asked him his site number and name. He then radioed to verify the information. [Keep in mind, you had to have reservations to get in] These kind of people never had any authority in their work-life and want to flaunt it in retirement.
We proceeded west on a near-deserted road. We found a fine boondock site on a Forest Service road near Coyote. The landscape had Carmel and Estrada sandstone exposed. It looked just like the Arizona Strip. We had four hot bars.
Friday, August 20 - We backtracked east to Espanola to get groceries and eat at a recommended restaurant - Rancho de Chimayo. The food was excellent. We had to wait an hour as we did not have reservations and there were several dozen in an Airstream party. [Dorothy and I are usually the best dressed in t-shirts. Not so with the Airstream crew. They were bespoke, many with newly acquired woven Indian vests) We had a margarita while we waited and Dorothy lost her fingerprints halfway through hers. We both had the same diner. I finished mine. Dorothy brought half of hers home.
We spent a little time at the Santuario de Chimayo church. It was built in 1813.
There are no RV parks in this area. We were too tired and a little tipsy to return to the spot we had last night, so we are in a casino parking lot with the generator running for ac for two hours. It cooled off and we had nice breeze by 5:30.
Gasoline is $2.94 here. The last time we saw it under $3 was two months ago in Great Falls.
Saturday, August 21 - We headed back to Abiquiu Lake. Stopped for lunch at an overlook. Dorothy made tomato and onion salad and our new recipe of sautéed cauliflower, spinach, zucchini, onions and yellow squash. We took a short nap and continued west through red rock country.
I found an RV park in Cuba. Filling the water tank was my prime objective. However, Teresa's Beauty Shop and RV Park was full. Not much of a place. About 10 long-termers in sites jammed together. Teresa made two calls and found us a place in La Jara. I have no idea the name of the place. It has a small sign on the road that says RV Parking. The park mistress told us on the phone the gate was closed because the horse was out, but to come on in and find a place and she would be back around 6. All the sites are sloped, but I managed to get the front end up enough to be comfortable. The power pedestal has two 50amp and two 20amp but no 30amp outlets, tho one breaker is labeled 30 and there was a 30amp outlet on the ground in the weeds. One water hydrant and a 100-foot hose to serve everyone. I guess I will disconnect the hose from the RV it is connected to in the morning and fill our tank. Then somehow position the rig close to one of the clean-out tubes. The park mistress lives in a mobile home that is covered with a tin roof and has a porch. I can't wait to find out how much this is going to cost. ($20) PS The horse, Shorty, is 27, but still handsome.
Sunday, August 22 - Headed to Chaco canyon. Managed, with great difficulty, to make reservations at Chaco. See Chapter 10 for Chaco.
I watched a couple haul endless items to their tent site. I remarked to Dorothy that the woman had two small dogs. I call them foo-foos. Bacall said she had an ugly dress. I observed that the dress matched her and that he did not look like Tom Selleck. Bacall retorted "Of course not or I would not still be here".
PS, fire smoke continues.
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