Trips

Sky City - Acoma Pueblo

          On Tuesday (10/10) we bused to the Acoma Pueblo's Sky City Cultural Center 50 miles west of ABQ.  On arrival, we were served a lunch of chicken wraps, pasta salad, soda/water, and chocolate chip cookies in a room in the conference center. After lunch we were driven up to Sky City on the top of the mesa where a group of farming Indians from the north built their pueblo in 1180 AD.  Our young guide, Megan, took us around telling us of their history and the evils of the Spanish Conquistadors.  Many locals were selling beautiful pottery and jewelry but we only bought some wonderful fry bread with honey.                     

	Mission Church
Pueblo architecture	Pueblo architecture
Ladders to the Kiva	Outdoor oven
Cistern	The views of the surrounding territory from the top of the mesa are spectacular.
View from Sky City	View from Sky City
View from Sky City	View from Sky City
October 10-11, 2017 – Albuquerque to Raton, NM           After going to see the mass ascension this morning, we returned to the camper and just as we were preparing to leave, unfortunately, our toilet broke.  The cable that allows it to flush pulled loose.  To make a long story short (5 hours) we drove out to Camping World, bought a new toilet, came back and removed the old one but couldn’t hook up the water to the new one because the inlets weren’t the same.  One of the Fantasy staff went with us to Lowe’s and helped pick out the flex hose and couplings we needed and fixed it well enough to get home. We finally left Albuquerque at 2:30 and pulled into the Good Sam RV park, Summerlan, in Raton, NM at 6:40.           We stopped in Raton, NM because we have wanted to drive out (30 miles east) to Capulin Volcano National Monument so in the morning we drove up to the crater rim and took the path around the rim.  It was spectacular.  We could see the snow on the Sangre de Christo Mountains 60 miles away.  The highest point is 8,182 feet and higher than everything around.  We looked down and out across the grasslands and could see other smaller extinct volcanoes.  We ate our picnic lunch up there and then Gale walked down into the plugged vent in the center of the crater.
	Capulin Volcano
Map of the Monument	Center of the crater
Center of the crater	From the crater rim trail there are wonderful views of the surrounding countryside, including other extinct volcanos and the Sangre de Christo mountains 60 miles west in Colorado.
View from the rim	Little Capulin
Snow capped Sangre de Christo mountains in Colorado	View from the rim
Two mule deer in the crater	See below

October 13, 2017 – Raton, NM to Estes Park – Beware Friday the 13th!
            Beware of Friday the 13th.  On the way up Raton Pass in NM the tread flew off of the right rear tire of the truck.  We were able to safely pull over at a scenic viewpoint at mile marker 1 in Colorado.  The tread stripped off like the tire was a retread which it was not supposed to be.  The tread bashed in the fender of the truck.  We called AAA for roadside service and a nice man, Bobby, came from Trinidad, CO in less than an hour.  Thank goodness for cell service and AAA. He changed the tire with our spare and put the bald one –bald down to the steel belt – in the back of the truck.  We were able to get home safely.
            Marge called State Farm when we got home and started the insurance process.  The estimated damage to the truck is $3,800 plus at least four new tires - so they all match.

            The balloons were wonderful and very colorful and we managed to handle the odd things that happened to the camper and truck. As always, it is good to be home!