Happy July and welcome, sweet friends, Whoa! June just flew by especially for me. I just got back home from a 12 day fun filled, boondocking camping adventure. It was a fabulous trip.
Highlight include a caravan of camels in Maxwell, NM ...
and 4 spry antelope at Maxwell national Wildlife Refuge . They were more than happy to pose for a few photos and
some very hungry prairie dogs at Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge in Indiahoma, OK. Isn't he the cutest?
Of course there were many more animals that we saw, but these were some of my favorites.
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| Can you see the hanging wooden flume on the cliff walls? |
We enjoyed beautiful scenery like the Dolores River Canyon, in CO.
The cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde National Park
and the Colorado National Monument.
I can not say we enjoyed lots of sun , but there was rain which this area needed- See how dry the lake is at Abiquiu Lake in New Mexico.
Of course no trip westward would be complete without a stop at Whataburger in Texas and Blakes Lotaburger in New Mexico. Yum Yum.
Oh I have missed the yummy jalapeno burger at Whataburger- My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Each night we slept in a different location as we wove in and out of New Mexico and Colorado.
Oh there were some hair raising adventures - like a snake slithering less than 5 feet from me at Chimney Rock , CO
or like the "shooters" at Canon City , CO who decided to come in late in the evening and do a little target shooting. Yikes- I hid behind my vehicle in fear of a stray bullet. There were lots of rocks in the area and a ricochet could happen😳😬. We also had our usual flat tire- (just a hazard of driving in rough areas - so we were well prepared for that). Hubby swerved for a elk who took the opportunity to dash across the road.
We had no set plans this trip - just fly by the seat of our pants and stop when we found anything interesting. Picture me as Clark Griswold from National Lampoons Vacation searching for the biggest house of mud. Lol. We visited 9 National parks and monuments and 5 national refuges. One of my favorites was Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site in La Junta, CO. A very nice educational fort with reenactors.
I did take a bit of stitching along with me and got some done, but I had vacation journaling to keep me busy too. Now I am back and home and it is time to get to the exciting laundry adventure. I am thinking 4 or 5 loads will get er' done.
I hope these last 2 weeks have found you in good health and spirits. I have missed ya'll. We rarely had any Internet service when we were driving and none when we were camping. I was able to pop into a few blog but unable to leave a comment since, I was using my phone.
Now that I have some time to rest. I think it is time to pull out the old needle and thread and get to work on some stitching and quilting . Hmmm what will I start with? Aah I will figure it out soon enough.
Thank ya'll so much for the sweet well wishes and messages. You made my day. Big hugs and as always...
Happy stitching and quilting, ya'll,
Melisa
"Take a few minutes of every day to fantasize about how you would wander, travel, or explore if you could"
I do this every day.
Hugs and Stitches,
Wow, what a trip you had! Love all the sweet critters and amazing landscapes you experienced. Those canyons are amazing. Why, I almost expect to see John Wayne riding out of some of those locations.
ReplyDeleteOh thank you so much, Kim.It was amazing. We usually go there every year. I am just drawn to the western states . I love everything about them. Lol we did see a few cowboys which is always delight especially when they are moving the cattle. And I feel very lucky that we saw all of those critters. Have a blessed weekend, dear.
DeleteEverything looks exciting, especially the snake. I am terrified of snakes and that would of done me in. I would never get out of the vehicle again!!!
ReplyDeleteLol I am the same way, Heather. Hubby had to take the photo. I was ready to run to the car. Lol. Thank you so much for the sweet visit.
DeleteIt looks like you had a wonderful adventure, Melisa. Loved your pictures (well, minus the snake). Such beautiful country out west.
ReplyDeleteAah thank you so much, Robin. That was one critter that I did not want to see.We seem to have a snake incident every year, but most of the time hubby tells me about the encounter after the trip if I didn't see it. Lol.
DeleteYour vacation sounds like a wonderful trip! Thanks for sharing with us. Have a great weekend with some happy stitching!
ReplyDeleteOh it was wonderful, Gretchen. We stayed on the move and saw lots of things which is just the way I like it. Have a great weekend.
DeleteWhat a great vacation and camping! I love camping and my son always accommodates me at least once a year!! Love that Son! You were pretty close to my home state of Arizona. Would have love to see some rain, we need it badly. We are also in the fire season, so that is scary. Love all of your pictures and wow, not so happy about the snake, but he was probably not happy with you guys, either! Welcome back, take some time and rest and think of your trip.
ReplyDeleteAah thank you so much, Mary .That is awesome that your son takes you camping each year. It is fun to get out in nature and see what it has to offer minus the snakes. Lol. We were going to go to Arizona this year but decided to wait. We have got over half of the national parks completed in AZ and hope to finish them up soon. It is a beautiful state . Hubby jokes that whenever we go camping rain is sure to follow and lol it does . Maybe we should have came to AZ. Lol. Hope you get the much needed rain soon. Happy July 4th.
DeleteBeautiful vacation photos, Melisa! Well except for that snake. I'd so love to visit Mesa Verde some day. I've only been out west twice and there is so, so much more to explore. Glad you had a great trip and arrived home safely--there is no place like home :)
ReplyDeleteAh you've made me homesick, especially for my years of full-timing with my dear husband. We loved the Delores River. Almost as much as the area of Chama, NM, one of our favorite fall stops. You saw a lot in 12 days! I miss those traveling years so much, but this reminded me of how wonderful those experiences were, and that they will always be with me. I'm so glad you got to go and to have a good time.
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