Melting Points

By the numbers...

• 3057 miles
• 8 states
• 15 new NPS units
• 38 NPS passport stamps
• 19 NPS Centennial stamps
• 2 state capitals
• 6 smushed pennies
• 4 cans of spray paint

Show Me the Way to Go Home

You know that song that Brody, Hooper, and Quint sing on the boat in Jaws? Call that our theme music for today. Well, except for the drinking part...

Show me the way to go home.

I'm tired and I want to go to bed.

I had a little drink about an hour ago,

And it’s gone right to my head.

Wherever I may roam,

On land or sea or foam,

You can always hear me singing this song.

Show me the way to go home.

Today's route: 460 miles

Stick a Fork in Us

Today's route: 305 miles

In order to get to our last new unit (#140 for me, #139 for R, and #136 for M and J) of the trip, we took NM-53 through the other side of El Malpais National Monument this morning instead of staying on I-40 west. 

Land of Fire

Another recently designated unit was our first stop this morning. Valles Caldera National Preserve was added to the National Park Service in October 2015. Because most activities are in the backcountry (hiking, biking, horseback riding, etc.) and only 35 vehicle permits are available each day in the summer, I hadn't planned on spending much time here.

 

Pueblos and Project Y

Today's route: 140 miles

We didn't have to drive very far today, but it was probably the least efficient route that we will take this entire trip. It kills me to backtrack, but we didn't have enough time to visit Pecos National Historical Park on our way up to Santa Fe yesterday.

Flint and Spray Paint

This morning we were up early again and on the road to our first destination, Lake Meredith National Recreation Area. The park offers ranger-guided kayak tours on Monday mornings, so M was disappointed that we were visiting there a day too late. (He really enjoyed the one we did in Whiskeytown NRA in 2014.)

I had made reservations for a 10:00AM ranger-led tour at nearby Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument, so the extent of our visit to Lake Meredith consisted of stopping by the visitor center (for my passport stamps) and then heading over to see the lake. From the boat launch, it was very apparent how much the water level has dropped.