Voyager America  

These are a few of our favorite things.... Part I

A FEW OF KAREN'S FAVORITE EXPERIENCES AND PLACES:

For many years West Virginia has captivated my imagination, though I had never stepped inside its borders until October 2020. My curiosity was two-fold: reading Rocket Boys as a young teenager, trying to image the difficult life of a coal miner and his family living up a "holler" in the mountains of West Virginia, and listening and singing along to John Denver's song, Take Me Home, Country Roads. It's a gorgeous state with a rich history that played a critical role in the industrialization of our country.

Our mountains are beautiful...they're rustic and unforgiving...yet safe and guarding of us who live in these nooks, crannies, bottoms, and hills. Our starry nights shine down upon us as we sleep in the valleys beneath towering mountains like millions of angels peering down to watch. The warm night air wraps itself around your body like a blanket. Nature sings us to sleep and wakes us up in the morning. From Holler Girl - The Story of a West Virginia Native

Big Bend National Park seems to be at the end of the earth in the southwestern part of Texas bordering Mexico, and the Rio Grande River creates the border between the two countries. It takes a really long time to get there, but it is totally worth the trip and any inconvenience. The towns of Terlingua and Study are within about 10 miles of the main entrance of Big Bend. The next closest towns of Marathon and Alpine are over 100 miles away. Big Bend is a diverse natural area of river, desert and mountains, and a land of extremes - hot and cold, wet and dry, high and low. The author Fredrick Gelbach described these borderlands as a "carpet of interacting plants and animals deftly woven on a geological loom." Quite an image!

"The Window" in the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park

Sandhill Cranes in the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in San Antonio, NM

Lovely Sandhill Cranes winter along the Rio Grande River valley in New Mexico. They migrate from as far away as Siberia, Alaska and Canada, with some birds even migrating from the northern Rocky Mountains. The Greater Sandhill Cranes stand 46 inches tall with a wingspan of 77 inches. The Lesser cranes are about 41 inches tall with a 73 inch wingspan. They are delightful to observe....moving so gracefully, many eating quietly, while others are quite gregarious and noisy, flapping their wings and dancing to express themselves. They make a very interesting sound...a loud, resonant, wooden rattle-like sound. They migrate to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico by the thousands every year and was the reason for our trip to NM at this time to behold this amazing spectacle of the natural world! We were NOT disappointed.

Fall in the Bosque

Ever since I saw my first wind turbine years ago up along the Northeast Extension of the PA Turnpike I was in awe. Besides signifying the push toward alternative energy and saving our planet, the immensity of these structures has always fascinated me. Well, on this journey out west, coming down the interstate one day...and I can't remember exactly where we were....were 3 tractor trailers each hauling one gigantic blade of a wind turbine. David stopped the car and I jumped out to take this photo. The very end of the blade is supported by another vehicle at the end of a very long trailer. Two other times we saw 3 blades in a convoy coming down the highway. It is an amazing sight to behold.

On our return trip east, driving out of Brownfield, TX, which is a very flat and unadorned landscape, we were literally blown away to see what appeared to be over one hundred plus wind turbines as far as the eye could see on both sides of the road for miles. Wind turbines can be very large reaching over 460 feet tall with blades 180 feet long. (We have no idea how long these blades are in the photo). We also saw huge bales of cotton which surprised us. We had no idea that cotton is such a huge crop in the US these days and Texas is the largest producer of cotton. It accounts for approximately 45% of our country's cotton production. Worldwide only China and India produce more cotton than the US. Texas, along with California, Arizona, Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisiana are the main cotton-growing states.

Other worldly and totally magical......White Sands National Park in Alamogordo, NM

Northern New Mexico in the Santa Fe region has some of the best trails we have ever hiked with breathtaking scenery. The scenic drives are also terrific. One day we took a drive on the Enchanted Circle...the 85 mile Taos-Red River Loop...and truly became enchanted with the natural beauty of New Mexico. We also drove the High Road from Santa Fe to Taos. It is a wonderful back road route through old Spanish villages and the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountain. Stunning!

Along the High Road in the village of Truchas.

Church along the Turquoise Trail

Valle Grande...the largest of several grassing valleys within the Valles Caldera

This photo unfortunately does not come close to capturing the immensity and beauty of Valle Grande about an hour west of Santa Fe. It is the largest of several grassy valleys within the Valles Caldera (or Jemez Caldera) which is a 13.7 mile wide circular volcanic depression in the Jemez Mountains of northern New Mexico that was created 1.25 million years ago from a spectacular volcanic eruption. It actually has 11,000+ foot Redondo Mountain within the caldera, along with huge mountain meadows, abundant wildlife including herds of Elk, meandering streams, evergreen forests. Valle Grande is the only grassy valley accessible by a paved road. This photo shows just a section of this grassy valley. When we came around the corner and saw this huge valley and we each gasped. Far off in the distance we saw 2 separate herds of elk and I would have needed a high powered zoom lens to get any semblance of a good photo.

Hiking along the Jemez River Trail

View from the back of our casita in Magdalena.

We rented a lovely little casita in Magdalena, NM, for about 3 weeks. What could have been a catastrophe....our original Airbnb reservation was canceled 5 days before our arrival....turned into a gift. The new place was further west than our original place, but the 25 mile drive into the Magdalena Mountains is stunning and we loved every minute of this beautiful drive...especially the two days when we saw a herd of Pronghorn Antelope. 

Today, Magdalena is a far cry from the vibrant, bustling town it was in the late 1800's into the early 1900's, but it is steeped in interesting history. In 1885 a railroad/spur line was built from Socorro to Magdalena to transport cattle, sheep, wool, timber and ore. Thousands of cattle and sheep were driven into town (cowboy style) from western New Mexico and Arizona each year, using the 125 mile "Stock Driveway", aka "Hoof Highway." The original stockyards in Magdalena are still intact and really interesting to see. The Stock Driveway was in use from 1885 through 1971. In the peak year of 1919, 150,000 sheep and 21,000 cattle were driven on the Hoof Highway to the stockyards and trains of Magdalena. 

Some businesses and homes appeared abandoned or closed in Magdalena.
Some of this was clearly due to Covid.

Heading down through the Magdalena Mountains to Socorro and the Bosque was one of my 
favorite drives. The sky is so big and you can truly see and feel the breath of this stunning land.

Sunrise on Jekyll Island, GA. 

From New Mexico we headed back east along a very southerly route (even dipping into Florida a mile or so just so I can say I was in Florida too), arriving at the Atlantic Ocean on Jekyll Island.

 Voyager America  

These are a few of our favorite things.... Part II

We arrived back in Philadelphia last Sunday (12/13), just in time for a good Nor-easter snow storm!  We travelled just over 10,000 miles in our trusty VW Golf and visited 16 states.  We crossed over the Mississippi River twice and went back-and-forth over the Continental Divide.  We remained healthy throughout the trip and feel quite lucky for that and for the chance to make this journey. We travelled during our Presidential election and as COVID surged almost everywhere in America. On the road in the pandemic we managed our lives much like we do at home:  keeping almost exclusively to ourselves, always wearing masks and keeping proper distance to others, being outdoors most of the time, and not eating in restaurants.  What a place America is. While America's contradictions and the pain they cause are brutally clear, there is much goodness and the land we call our country is beautiful beyond measure. When possible, get out and experience as much of it as you are able----and keep working to make our country a place that can be legitimately good for all of us.  

Thanks so much to all of you who followed us and wished us well.  We are going to end our blog posts by sharing a few of our favorite moments and/or places.  Of course, we will always be ready to share more photos and adventures whenever asked.  Peace be with you.... 

A FEW OF DAVID'S FAVORITE EXPERIENCES AND PLACES:

I love rivers and following watersheds.  This trip took us over the James River, the Rio Brazos, and the Pecos, but the most exciting for me was crossing the Mississippi twice and following the Rio Grande from Big Bend up north of Sante Fe. The Rio Grande helped forge the Rio Grande Rift Valley in New Mexico, which was formed 70 million years ago by two separating faults. It was at the center of most of the life and history of the region and it is why the Cranes return each year.  It was a thrill to move with these rivers. 

The Rio Grande in Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend

The Rio Grande in the Rift Valley, NM

Red-winged and Brewer's Blackbirds.  Notice the Northern Harrier hunting in their midst.

Life in the Bosque del Apache was another highlight of our trip for me.  I came to see the Sandhill Cranes and never knew that Snow Geese (including Ross's Geese) and Red-winged and Brewer's Blackbirds all migrate together.  This tri-fold migration is like the migration of the wildebeests, zebras, and Thomson's Gazelles that takes place annually in Tanzania on the Serengeti. Certain parts of the Bosque even reminded us of the Serengeti.  And with this teaming life comes predators, local life that stays all year, and other migrants.  To stand in the midst of such life in full and constant motion is a dream come true. 

Snow and Ross's Geese and Sandhill Cranes

The movement of humanity is another "river" I like to follow. The Rio Grande Rift region saw humans arrive at least 10,000 years before Christ.  Over time, these native peoples created the Camino Real, a major trade route that spanned from present Mexico City to Santa Fe. The idea of actually walking from Mexico City to Santa Fe is mind-boggling to me.  The Spanish, and later Mexicans, used this route to colonize the region.  They have left a Mission culture that has fallen into ruin in some places, but is still quite vital in others.  The Spaniards forged a second trail to the Pacific and white settlers added the Santa Fe Trail from Santa Fe to Kansas/Missouri.  These trails, like the Rio Grande River, are the actual movers of the region's history.

The first peoples' marking their way....

Chimayo: A Mission and pilgrimage site in much use today.
We were here late in the afternoon all by ourselves.   

The place of worship in Chimayo Mission

Salinas Pueblo Mission at Quarai built in the 1620's. Regional natives had returned to pueblo life by 1600 and the Spanish military and clergy built three very large churches (the central nave was 100 feet long and the structure was 4 stories high) in the pueblo stone-style using native labor.  6,000 natives were living in Quarai when the Spanish arrived. Spanish control over these pueblos lasted only until the 1670's.  We did not know these structures and this history existed before we came here.  It adds a major piece for us in understanding the region's pueblo history that exploded beginning in 1100 AD. 

Staying in Magdalena, NM, for 3 weeks was also a highlight for me.  Because the Santa Fe railroad came here in 1885, this was a wild-west town that was a major steer and sheep transport hub well into the 1930's.  Several of the buildings from its heyday, like the Magdalena Hotel, still exist. It was said that 2,000 people lived here and there were at least four houses of prostitution.  

The Magdalena Hotel.  They are still serving food here; we got take-out from the Hotel several times.

Thanks again for your friendship and fare thee well....

Until our roads cross again....

We wish you a New Year filled with much 

Peace, Happiness & Good Health

Voyager America  

Where the Wild Things Are....

The driving force for our trip was traveling to New Mexico to witness the winter return of the Sandhill Cranes to the Bosque del Apache.  This was a first for us both. Slowing down to see birds leads to all kinds of fauna and flora sightings and adventures.  In all, we saw just over 200 different birds and saw 14 birds we had never seen before (life birds).  We saw about 15 mammals (20 if we count the road kill species), a tarantula, several lizards and turtles, a Desert Kingsnake, and an American Alligator. Certain moments when we encountered these amazing creatures will stay with us forever.

Life birds:  Ross's Goose (including the black variant), Montezuma Quail, Rough-legged Hawk, Red-naped Sapsucker, Dusky-capped Flycatcher, Rose-throated Becard, Clark's Nutcracker, Townsend's Solitaire, Crissal Thrasher, Chestnut-collared Longspur, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Black-chinned Sparrow, Cassin's Finch, Black Rosy-Finch.

Life mammals and reptiles: Aoudad (relative of the bighorn sheep), Albert's Squirrel and Desert Kingsnake.

Life bird: Clark's Nutcracker

Life bird: Black Rosy-Finch, along with Brown-capped Rosy Finch and Gray-crowned Rosy Finch.

American Dipper in the Jemez River

Gambel's Quail standing guard for the rest of its flock.

American Snipe in Big Bend National Park, Texas

Just a blur with a deafening sound....Blackbirds by the thousands fly up in the Bosque

Coyote in the Bosque

Pyrrhuloxia, member of the Cardinal family

White-winged Doves

Young buck Mule Deer

Cactus Wren

Two Javelina

American Alligator and Slider Turtles catching some rays at Jekyll Island, GA

Spotted Towhee, male and female White-crowned Sparrows, and Red-winged Blackbird body

Albert's Squirrel on Sandia Mountain near Albuquerque, NM

Acorn Woodpecker on Davis Mountain in Texas

Pronghorn Antelope on the grasslands outside of Magdalena are one of our favorite mammals in
North America. Next to the Cheetah, they are said to be the second fastest mammal on the
planet and are always beautiful to behold.

Wintering Sandhill Cranes in the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, NM