Friday, September 16, 2022
Decided to check out various historical places on the Eastern plains of Colorado. Jumping off spot is Colorado Springs. Gas here is $3.39 per gallon. I think it’s the lowest we’ve seen since leaving LA. A little further down the street and we saw gas for $3.37!!!
Sunday, September 18, 2022
Eastern Colorado is basically treeless, but rolling prairie. Camped out on the prairie at the Sand Creek Massacre Historic Site on Friday night. Beautiful spot. Heard the meadowlark evening and morning. Locusts and crickets at sundown too. Heard the coyotes yipping once the moon rose. Lately we have seen coyote, buffalo, lots of antelope, turtles, turkeys, deer, badger, and rattle snake.
The massacre site was very sobering. They posted copies of letters from two officers who refused to fire upon the Indians and had their troops stand down. But plenty of other soldiers fired, kliled, and mutilated people and then looted the camp before burning it. The camp was flying a US flag plus a white flag of truce before the troops raided it at dawn. As a historic site, the tone was one of respect and healing. It was incredibly upsetting, though.
On Saturday night we slept out in a canyon just south of the New Mexico border. Beautiful country all around as we drove away this morning. Ate breakfast in Raton, New Mexico, where everyone in the restaurant seemed to know each other. Some people walked from table to table greeting friends. One fellow bought an elderly couple’s breakfast and they came over to thank him. It was uplifting to watch.
Headed now for Roy, NM, where Grandma Porterfield’s people are from and then on to a country cemetery to look for Livingstones and Laughters. We have been following the Santa Fe trail off and on the past few days.
Thursday, September 22, 2022
Today is the Autumnal Equinox. We have gone south in New Mexico where it is warmer. Camped out in the desert next to a cow pasture. This morning the cows all walked over to the fence to check us out and see if we had any food treats for them. Saw a bull elk in a field beside the road a couple of days ago. So majestic, until he decided to run away from us. He didn’t run like a cow, but sprang away, leaping like a deer or antelope. His gait did not seem to fit his size–a bit funny to watch.
Drove into Taos yesterday, but were disappointed. It was a lot like being in Carmel. Lots of tourists and art galleries. Had a great Mexican breakfast plus the only hip coffee place I’ve ever been to that offered “Golden Milk” made with turmeric, honey, and oat milk. Pretty yummy. Had dinner at an old-timey place called the Rialto in Las Vegas, New Mexico–another town where ancestors lived.
Saturday, September 23, 2022
Slept last night in a pull out up a mountainous gravel road. You’d have thought nobody much went up there, but there were cars and trucks up and down throughout the night. It’s hunting season, and a weekend, so I guess the hunters are all out. Most of the campgrounds in this area (Cloudcroft, NM) have closed already and the remaining ones are full, so we went into town and set up at a picnic table in the city park so we could cook breakfast. Also cooked some rice and chili verde for later. The town cop parked across the road with a good view of us, so I guess we are under surveillance. Clearly we have to move on before dark. Pleasantly cool here right now, so hate to drive back into the lowlands where it is much warmer.