Trip #131 (62): Land of Enchantment: New Mexico Bike Tour & Billy the Kid

 Trip #131 (62): Land of Enchantment: New Mexico Bike Tour

 October 14 - 22, 2023

Saturday, Oct 14
The Saturday after coming back from balloons on Tuesday. Annular eclipse day, which hit in full power about 10:30 am, when we were off I-25 fueling up at Black Canyon. Perfect weather, in the 60s. Going to McGaffey to ride bikes again. Hit slow construction traffic east of Gallup so didn't arrive until almost 3. Oh yeah, also stopped at Walmart in Grants. Took a short ride, just in case they close this cg as the web says, but no signs here. Rode 5 miles. Had a fire, then a great steak dinner, couple downloaded podcasts, and early to bed. Got down 28 degrees!!

Sunday - (rode several trails some beyond our level, but rode a lot)

Monday - 37° but felt colder

Tues -biked 7.7 miles  one big uphill  rained  drove around  35°

Wed - drove from Alpine to Socorro via the road that came out at detail. They have all the telescopes lined up. What's sad about. 38 in the morning and 84 in the day in Socorro camped at number five at the city Escondido Lake parking lot campground but full hook ups for 22 bucks. So nice to have electric again went to town. Accidentally found a plaza! Got dad a birthday gift drove around a bit and had an early dinner at Box Canyon Brewery. No big whoop but I did like what my food was served in so then we went to Walmart. Got some of those bowl-plates! Came back walked over to the lake and went to bed early because I didn't sleep much the night before being so cold. Rosalie's produce, got a beautiful 3 foot Ristra for $45. I didn't do it I probably should have I still can.... (and did next morning)

Thurs - woke to 38° this morning. What the hell the Apple phone isn't even close. But we had electric for the heater so I slept all the way through which is rare. Drove to Carrizozo from Socorro after a stop AGAIN at walmart. Warming up, 77

Fri - Rob Jagger CG for 2 nights (busy this time around) 42 last night but with a heater and new blanket. Slept great again! Rode bikes to Fort Stanton, focused a lot on the German POWs this time, as we stumbed upon their construction projects - pool, gym, etc - as we rode bikes in from the back way. Later drove to Lincoln, my next fave little place up there with Tombstone. All the Billy the Kid history in such a small place. (Note: the drawing of Big Mouth by the artist I bought at estate sale Kusianovich). Things have changed a little since our last visit, great museum that we probably just missed last time, but enjoyed that, and their movie.

Saturday - Moved north to Fort Sumner, later would camp at Sumner Lake, a more God-forsaken place you will never find. Probably won't go back to this place unless Portales is full. Anyway, back to Old Fort Sumner, this time to do the Bosque Redondo Museum, which, unbeknownst, was also the same as the Fort Sumner location -- as well as the shooting site of Billy the Kid. We came to this museum many years before but for some reason didn't do it -- maybe it wasn't open? As i recall, Willard had no interest, but we have learned a LOT since then so knew what this was about: the 1864-1866 incarceration of thousands Navajo and Apache for a few years, the Long Walk. Very nice museum, tho too dark...  but that's their message so it works for them. Anyway, we wandered out back to find all the fort stuff along the river, very nice, seeing very little of what remains. meaning very little remains of the fort. However, I wandered further afield as Willard didn't want to, and what do I find? a small plaque on the ground saying Billy the Kid was shot here. Didn't even know it would be there, glad I have a wandering compulsion for things around the bend. The big Maxwell house made from part of the fort is long gone, but x marked the spot. so that was that, went to the hideous campground (actually it is a lot like many other NM CGs) and headed home the next day.

Sunday headed back home

RIP: Suzanne Somers, Paulie