Today I went to the Anthem Veterans Memorial Park.  I saw this on Facebook around Veterans Day, I wasn’t close enough to get here for Veterans Day.  At 11:00 am on Veterans Day the sun shines just right to light the emblem on the ground in front of the monument.  It was partially light when I got here.

The Park is beautiful, it has a pond that you can fish out of, walkways all around, a train that goes around the park, a play ground, basketball court, hockey area, ice cream stand and I’m sure I missed a few things.  After I walked around and enjoyed the park I found a bench in the shade (88 degrees) here today!  LOVE IT….  I started to research and find a hotel.  Nothing in the area, Thanksgiving has everything booked!

Interest Trivia

Did you know that a cactus doesn’t grow any arms until they are at least 75 years old?  I didn’t!

Here are some others I took while out and about.  You can tell I’m not from around here as I’m fascinated with all the different types and shapes.  Notice that two had hearts within them. 💕💕💕

The whole state of New Mexico is having extremely cold nights, 20’s and 30’s.  This morning Taos was 11 degrees, glad I got out of there when I did.  The nice thing it does warm up during the day.  With the extreme cold, the days only hit highs of about 58, maybe 60 if you are lucky.  I’ve decided to head down past Albuquerque, and then work my way over to Arizona for awhile.  Not sure at this time where, time will tell.  They have areas that are hitting the 80’s during the day – now that sounds good!

Today’s travel had a lot of mirage’s, I kept leaning forward and straining my eyes to see.  It really plays games with your eyes and mind.  When I came around a corner and down a short incline there were more windmills, and it looked like they were placed in marshes, or swamp land.  When I got up close it was solar panels not wet lands – more eye games!

I looked down at my speedometer and saw this so I pulled over to take a picture.  Am I past the break in period?  It had 6 miles on it when they delivered to my house in March. When I got into my hotel for the evening, I looked up what 7’s mean.

Always good to know that I’m on the right path, I felt I was, but always good to get the confirmation.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Thanksgiving, whether with friends, family or whatever your tradition may be.  I’ve been reflecting over the past week of all my blessings.  I have two beautiful sons and a daughter-in-law who I love with all my heart.  I am blessed to be retired at 54 years old and health enough to take this wonderful journey this winter on my motorcycle.  I have so many people following me and contacting me during this trip, I am overwhelmed and blessed.  Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I have met a lot of people along this journey.  Most of my conversations happen while I’m loading or unloading my bike at a hotel.  They start by saying they like the color of my bike, and then they either notice my license plate or ask where I’m from.  When I tell them I’m from Maine they are amazed that I’ve ridden my bike that far and by myself.  It’s been fun to see everyone’s reactions.  Everyone of them have wished me safe travels.

I am Thankful, Grateful and Truly Blessed.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I left Taos, New Mexico early this morning as it’s supposed to get windy this afternoon.  Looking at the weather it looks like I will miss any snow that they are predicting in surrounding areas.  I want to hit the Four Corners Monument, and then go over to the Wave in Utah.  After that I will head to Arizona.  On my way out of town I saw this, a rainbow!

About 50 miles in it started to sprinkle, no big deal.  Well I climbed a mountain and the weather changes, it changed to sleet.  I kept driving for a few more mile.  Then it was staying on the roads and I realized it was a lot colder.  Well, as much as I wanted to see those two locations, it’s not worth the risk.  So I turned around.  When I got back to Taos the winds had picked up like the forecast had said.  By now I’ve done 111 miles, so I decided to check back into the hotel I was in last night.  I will regroup and figure out where to go and take off in the morning!

I stopped and took a couple of pictures of the scenery, so beautiful!

I passed a community that re-uses and recycles everything.  I took a few pictures of the homes, very unique.  Check out all the bottles/cans.  They go by Earthship Biotecture.

The Taos Pueblo is over 1000 years of tradition.  The Adobe structures are mudded  every year.  The homes are generally passed down from one generation to the next with, usually, the eldest son being the sole owner.  The homes are the connection to their way of life and to their ancestors.

The area in front of this building is where they hold their feasts, everyone gathers and two men climb up to the top of this pole and lowers the meat that is up there for the feast.  They put in doors in recent years, there use to be only small windows.  They climbed ladders to the top of the buildings and entered through the roof.  They would pull the ladders up so no one else could get up.  The turquoise doors are a color they believe is good luck and will keep predators away.

This is the old church and cemetery which was build in 1680.  It was burned down in 1847 with over 100 women and children inside.  The cemetery we were told has many people buried here, they buried them one on top of another.  You will see the pile of crosses leaning on what’s left of the old church.  They have fallen down through snow and storms so they didn’t know where they belonged to put them back up.

This is the new church, which was built in 1850, it is still being used today.

This is a Horne structure,they use this to bake food in it.

Other structures around their community.  I walked around on my own after the tour and talked to a few members of the community, one was from Tina Kitchen Restaurant, he makes all his own flours and authentic Pueblo cuisine.  He talked about when he was a boy they would go to town and trade stuff they grew, but no one does that anymore.  His mother would give him .25 to run over to his uncles and get eggs and milk for breakfast.  It was very peaceful there, didn’t really want to leave.

The bridge was started in 1963 and completed in 1965.  This bridge is part of Route 64, a major east-west road.  The span is 1,280 feet across, and is 565 feet above Rio Grande.  This is the seventh highest bridge in the United States.

The bridge

Looking across the bridge

These are at every lookout and each side.

Looking straight down

The bridge

It was pretty scary walking out to the look out spots, I did ok as long as I had one hand on the rail.  I’ll tell you, it’s really freaky when a tractor trailer goes over the bridge, the whole thing shakes….HOLY POOP!  My legs wanted to give out….  I was out there when another one when through, but got off after that.  It wasn’t bad riding the bike across, which surprised me.

So, my night in the hostel was interesting.  The parking was in the back of the building and to get there you had to drive around the block and behind some buildings.  I then had to lug all my stuff around to the front of the house and up two flights of a winding staircase.  To get my bags that can’t lock and then computer up it was 5 loads – phew I got my cardio in.  I hung out in my room and went to bed early as I had another headache.  It’s a good thing because at about 2:30 am there were people out front yelling and whishling.  Right after that a couple cars when by with loud rapping music on.  I’m still on Maine work time and waking up between 4 and 5 am every morning, so I didn’t get a lot of sleep.  Then it was time to pack up and get ready to go, yup you got it – 5 trips down and around out back.  Again I got my cardio for the day.  When I went to back the bike up to leave there were to many rocks and I couldn’t really move it.  I went back inside two different times looking for someone to help me push it out, with no luck.  I finally noticed a door open from one of the other building, so I walked over.  Just outside the door was a dog (ugh I hope he’s not mean) I saw a man back to so I said hello.  I asked if he could help me push my bike back so I could get out.  He said he thought something was wrong, because he heard me start the bike a couple of times.  He was fantastic, I thanked him a couple of times I was so grateful to be leaving.

So, most hostels are in town with little to no parking, multi levels, no TV, all my gear.  I have decided it’s worth the extra $20.00 to be on ground level and most of the time I’ve parked right outside my room, along with my own bathroom.  If I travel with little gear, like one bag.  I will definitely try this again.

I put in my gps Taos, New Mexico and then put the preferences “twisty”.  While I was in the city it had me turn at each block (I chuckled and said, this will take me forever to get there)  it eventually got me on the highway for a short distance, then it took me through the mountains on a beautiful winding road.  Here are a few pictures along the way to Taos.

Last night when I was gassing up in Moriarty, New Mexico I decided it was time to stop as Albuquerque was about 45 minutes away.  I found a nice little hotel, checked in then went back to the gas station as they had a diner there and had supper.  It was 30 degrees when I got up and went for breakfast at about 8 am.  I had frost on my seat.

Packed up and ready to go

Rubber ducky at hotel

Frost on seat

When I got to Albuquerque I went to the dealership, Thunderbird Harley Davidson to see when they could do my 5K service.  They said drive it in and we will get right on it.  Wow, didn’t expect that!  I also had them check the shocks, with all my gear I think they were a little low and adjust my cruising peg.  This dealership had a large variety of helmets so I checked them out and bought a full face helmet.  Boy did it cut down on the wind noise I was hearing.  Helmets have a 5 year life span, and I’ve had mine for 7 years.  I was waiting to get to a large dealership figuring they would have more to chose from.  Plus they took money off for trading in my old one.

So tonight I am trying my first hostel….

Here is a picture of my room.  I opted for a single for $10.00 more, I’m still less than the hotels I’ve been staying at.  Notice I had to stand outside the room to take the picture -lol!  The bathroom is even smaller, you have to straddle the toilet to shut the door!

As I was driving along, I saw the sign saying Billy the Kids grave stone just ahead.  It was 3.5 miles off the main road, but another fun thing to visit.  His tombstone was stolen twice, now they have it behind a fenced area all locked up.

Billy the Kid (William Bonney) was killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett on July 14, 1881.

I rode about 300 miles today, ended up getting a room in Moriarty, New Mexico. I’m in another time zone, now 2 hours different from home (Maine).  It was in the mid 70’s when I got here at 3 pm.  Feels good, it was 50 when I left Amarillo, Texas this morning.

Different things a biker deals with, along with interesting signs that we don’t have in Maine….

Road Kill, the smells and signs!

When there is road kill, we have to try and avoid it, especially fresh kill, it will splatter up on our bikes and even our legs, along with being dangerous if we hit it.  I have seen a lot of road kill along the way, some looked very fresh.  There were a couple of times I almost got sick from the sight.  I have seen deer, skunks, rabbits, squirrels, fox, coyotes, birds, possums,  armadillo, porcupines that I recognized.  A lot was unrecognizable!

If it’s old and rotten, we smell it! And it isn’t good.  I passed a farm the other day it was a cold damp day and they were spreading the manure in the fields.  OMG did it stink and it lingered for a good mile.  (there manure smells different than what I’m use to). I came back through the same spotwhen I was heading back to the hotel – ugh it was gross!  We smell skunks, sometimes before we even get close.  Along with whatever else we pass.  We are out in the element, not inside a vehicle that you can close the windows to help with eliminating some of the smells.

Signs in a car mean just keep an eye out, on a motorcycle can be scary.  “Watch for Falling Rocks”, “Mud Slide Area”.  When I saw a couple of rocks along side of the road about 15” in diameter that got my attention.  When it was raining hard for a couple of hours and I saw the Mud Slide sign I knew that was the right ingredients to make that happen.  Puts us on a higher alert that’s for sure.

I just can’t get enough of this red rock.  Spent the day hiking and believe it or not driving my bike into the canyon and down to the bottom.  If you look carefully at the next two pictures you will see a camper coming down the windingy road that I had just come down.  (Going up was a little more nerve racking, no guardrails).

Here are the other photos I took while at the park – Enjoy!  Down at the bottom they were  having mountain bike races, it was paced with people.  There was also camping spots along the way (hence the campers coming down the mountain).  I didn’t feel like there was much room around those corners, I can’t imagine coming down or going back up with a camper in tow.

The park had a thermometer on one of the trails, and it read 80 degrees.  It didn’t feel it, was very comfortable!

This is one of those off the wall attractions, it really isn’t much but whimsical and fun!  Out in the middle of a field are these cars sticking up out of the ground.  People are encouraged to spray paint on them.  Some of the paint is so thick, check out the back of the cars in some of these photos.  I met a nice couple from Oklahoma, this was the first vacation for them in a while.  We talked about how things don’t happen by chance,  along with vacations and retirement.  They were going horseback riding down into the canyon later that day – how cool is that!  That might be on my bucket list for part of the Grand Canyon.

A couple I met from Oklahoma

This is from the road

Because of the time of year I hit this, the fields were cut.  I think it would have been neat to walk up through the fields to get to these.  I was thinking the stocks were small for corn.  After I left here I came to a field that hadn’t been cut yet and it was wheat, make more sense to the size of the stock I was seeing.

I’m sure at some point all these Cadillacs looked as nice as these do way back when.

On a side note, I am averaging about 214 miles a day.  Mornings have been chilly, so I don’t get started until 10 am or after.  Plus it doesn’t get light out this way before 8 am (Maine time).  I am usually done for the day by 4 pm at the latest.

I must be to late, no ones here…..  🤠

Traveling from Oklahoma towards Amarillo, Texas the winds were gusting between 20 and 25 mph.  Not as bad as the other day, but still strong.  I only rode for about 120 miles, I was beat.  I came across all these windmills, very surprised they weren’t all spinning really fast with all the wind.  I guess they have to be positioned just right to turn.

I also came by a part of Route 66, not much here, mainly signs here and there.  Maybe one of my trips will to do all of the old Route 66. Hmm, time will tell, right now I’m not tired of any of this!

It’s sad that they have renamed the old route.

what a surprise, I came up around the corner and I saw a Butte – I was so excited!  I stopped and took these pictures.

Then down the road a ways there was a sign saying Gloss National Park.  I stopped, it was just along side of the road and free (even better).  One car was there, but they were getting ready to leave.  I was the only one there – sweet!

A lot of stairs

The long climb up

Ledge and rocks on way up

From the top

From the edge

On the edge

The view looking across from top

More views

You read it!

The view looking up

New hiking gear!

Treasures

Just so neat!

This was just what I needed a nice hike, good for the soul.  I loved looking out for as far as the eye can see.  Things work out, I turned around last night and went back to Enid, Oklahoma for the night.  If I had kept going i wouldn’t have been able to do this hike as it was getting dark.

It’s 45 degrees here this morning in Eurka Springs, Arkansas.  It’s overcast, but supposed to clear later today.  At 8:30, I’m packed and ready to go!  I’m heading to Joplin, Missouri or so I thought…  After driving for about an hour, my fingers are freezing.  I got thinking 🤔 what am I doing?  Why am I going north when it’s colder?  All this for Harley poker chips?  Um, I don’t think so, so I pulled over and put a new destination into my GPS.  I don’t know why, but for some reason I keep heading north.

The further south west I got, the clearer it got and the sun was out.  I haven’t seen that since I left Maine.  I stopped on the side of the road to try and get a picture of the endless road in front of me and behind me – not the greatest, but like I’ve said before there isn’t always a place to pull over.  This stop was almost not good, the side was very rocky and when I put the kickstand down my bike was leaned almost too much for me to pick back up.  It was a struggle, but I did it (thanks to my personal trainer for getting me prepared).

Oklahoma were miles and miles of flat long straight roads, with farm lands on both sides of the road.  In the middle picture, if you enlarge it there are windmills.  They are huge, and many in one area.  I came up to three different areas with them.  After the last incident with having trouble getting my bike up, I just took these pictures while sitting on my bike.  I’m being more careful about that now….

I ended the day much later than I usually do, I was still out when the sun was setting.  I had just booked my hotel and looked up to see this, so it’s in a parking lot but still a beautiful sunset!

I put on 344.6 miles today, long day!  Eureka Springs, Arkansas (in to Missouri) to in Enid, Oklahoma.

After driving two and a half hours in the pouring rain and they are predicting more rain tomorrow I decided to take an extra day here in Eureka Spring, Arkansas.  I went to Cosmic Cavern and did a cave tour, I have never done anything like this before.  It was so cool!

After the tour I got a picture outside of where the cave is, you wouldn’t know it from the outside.  Or at least not from this side.

Before the tour I took a picture of owners and some history of the cave.

I noticed that the hotel had a washer and dryer before I left.  After my adventure and exploring of the cave, I went back to the hotel and did my laundry and relaxed.  This was much better than going to a laundromat.  Hopefully tomorrow is dry, now to figure where to next!