Texarkana to Santa Fe

As you know we avoided the I-40 corridor in Oklahoma to hopefully miss predicted bad storms and flooding in that area so we dipped down into Texas for two days including a rest day. From there we had two and a half days of driving to get to the Santa Fe area but before we left the 90 degree warm weather there we enjoyed a nice dinner and sunset on the Wright Patman Lake.

First stop was at another Corps of Engineer (COE) Park (Chisholm Recreation Area) on Waurika Lake in Oklahoma - I know, we were trying to avoid Oklahoma but this was right near the Texas border and we thought it would be alright. There had been severe weather and flooding all over this area of Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas. When we booked our sites the day before we didn't know if we were on the lake or back from it....turns out Kathy and I were almost in the lake as the water was way out of it's banks. To top that off there were additional tornadoes in Oklahoma that night and two people were killed in El Reno - as it turns out just 99 miles north of where we were....enough already with the bad weather.

Needless to say we made an early departure the next morning heading for Amarillo, Tx for what was to be a maintenance stop....laundry & some shopping. We contemplated spending a night there but the nervous weather lady reported that Amarillo predicted strong storms that afternoon and evening. Since we left Chisholm so early we were arriving in Amarillo in the early afternoon - we decided to do laundry and push on down the road but not before a pretty significant thunderstorm rolled into Amarillo. Guess what the name of the Laundromat was?

Before we could depart the Amarillo area we had to get the Cadillac Ranch checked off our list. You can read about it here: Cadillac Ranch
On our way (short drive) to the Cadillac Ranch Kathy and I read about some folks who had slogged through mud to get to it and we decided up front we were not doing that since it had just rained. Well when we got there we were amazed that there were a lot of cars/campers stopped and slogging through the mud to get out there so off went. Crazy but fun!

Click here for a short video of Deb dealing with the mud

Leaving the Cadillac Ranch pointed west with plans to drive until evening and bed down in a free camping area - either Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or a New Mexico rest area, both are legal here. As we entered New Mexico you guessed it - the skies turned dark so we began tuning into the weather more closely and as we approached Tucumcari, NM there was a tornado warning....we survived but it was pretty scary for awhile. We never actually saw a tornado but it was definitely a sever storm and scary event for us. After getting through that the next welcome/rest area was the perfect spot to spend the night. We were the first to set up in this area but woke up to many camping neighbors the next morning.

Click here for a windshield view of the storm

After a good nights rest we moved on into the Santa Fe area and set up camp at a COE park called Tetilla Peak Campground. Friends we'd met back in February in Big Bend N.P. (Jim and Cindy Blair) who live nearby visited that evening and gave us tips on what to see in the area - more than we have time to but we set out to explore this area for a couple days and see what we can.

Tetilla Peak Campground View

Tetilla Peak Campground

Feeling the need for exercise and beautiful scenery we headed out to the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument that offered a really cool four mile trail that included a slot canyon and it was a great outing. The temps here are very cool overnight and nice (no humidity) dry during the day with temps near 70 degrees so it made for some really nice hiking. We hiked through the slot canyon, enjoying some really cool rock formations, and up to the top for a beautiful view before returning.

Heading into the slot canyon trail

View from near the top of trail

Next stop was a small town on the Turquoise Trail called Madrid. It is a quaint little town with a few bars and more than a few shops and art galleries. This is also the town where at least part of the movie "Wild Hogs" was filmed so there is a draw for the motorcycle folks. Donald and Debbie, being the bikers they are, were interested in the diner in the movie called "Maggies"s Diner" - all geared up for an ice cream or some other diner delicacy they were disappointed to learn that in reality it had no kitchen and was now only a tee shirt shop - it had been built just for the movie and it never was a real diner :-(

Diner without a kitchen

Movie Set

Our friends said this would be a better place to buy turquoise jewelry than Santa Fe as it is very expensive there. They even mentioned a particular shop called Cowgirl Red and the girls were on a mission but unfortunately it was closed. Debbie did manage to find a bracelet in another shop but for Kathy the search continues.

But the real reason we wanted to stop in Madrid is because we'd heard so much about the Green Chile Cheeseburgers at the Mine Shaft Tavern....and after our four mile hike we were ready for some good food and a cold beverage. In the southwest chile is on everything, almost and this hamburger was no exception. This was a 1/2 lb angus burger that luckily we each (both couples) decided to share and it was very good and a good decision! The bar was pretty cool too!

Mine Shaft Tavern

Madrid, New Mexico

Back at camp for some rest and cleaning up before we headed out to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant called Los Potrillos that was recommended to us. The Mexican fare here is much different than the Mexican restaurants back east but is very good (better). This was a great way to end what was my 64th birthday - Life is good!

Shopping as hard as I can go in Madrid (read the sign behind me)

It was a Happy 64th Birthday!

Day trip on our last touring day in this area - our plan was to make a large loop that has numerous possibilities of things to see and do and we had a couple in mind that we wanted to do for sure and several others if time permits.

First stop was Puye Cliff Dwellings. Kathy and I had seen them before in Mesa Verde Colorado and found them very interesting. These were not quite as spectacular and the visitor center while nice, was not comparable to the National Park in Colorado. The tour they offered didn't start until noon and we were on a tight schedule with a lot of miles to cover so we opted to view the dwellings from the visitor center and watch their movie - very interesting/informative about the Pueblo Indians but not very much info about the cliff dwellings themselves.

Puye Cliff Dwellings

Next on our loop was Los Alamos - this was maybe my favorite spot here in this area as far as educational/museum visits go. We went to the visitors center where we watched a short film and got information about the various sites of interest as it related to the Manhattan Project and the development of the bomb.....all very interesting!

At that time (World War II) the U.S. government took over a boys Ranch School and the entire area for the project. Some of the old buildings are still there and available to see, a couple different museums including one that is more scientific - looking back it is amazing what happened there and how it changed the world and continues to influence the world.

The part of Los Alamos where the laboratory still functions today is a secure area (no stopping, no photos, & no left turns) that you can drive thru but really can't see much since it is all in the secure area so we didn't plan to do it but on our way out we took a wrong turn and ended up at the gate - so we ended up driving thru anyhow - turned out to be a good thing because as we drove along Debbie scared the bejesus out of all of us when she saw a bear near the side of the road as we headed up over the mountain - it was fun to see one and we all got a good laugh (remember, no photos)

Leaving Los Alamos we headed over the Jemez Mountains en route to Jemez Hot Springs.....we planned to end our day with a soak in the springs since we would likely be worn out tired AGAIN! The drive was really pretty with many scenic stops along the way.

Jemez Hot Springs

Soaking those aching muscles

One hour in the springs was a perfect way to end our loop drive....water was very clean and pretty hot and relaxing. It also turns out that is how we are ending our stay in the Santa Fe area as we move on westward with areas around Flagstaff, Arizona (Sedona & Grand Canyon) in sight....come along!

Additional photos from this area below:

Soda Damn - Highway stop

Santa Fe Cathderal

Tent Rocks Hike

Tent Rocks Hike

Jemez Hot Springs

Tent Rocks Hike

Tent Rock Hike - Happy Campers

Memphis - Elvis, BBQ & Museums

So, at the Oliver rally in Lake Guntersville the folks camping next to Don and Deb were from Memphis - since that was our next planned stop we asked them for the low down on Memphis.....the guy (Jeff) said the low down on Memphis is the by-pass on the west side that takes you around Memphis. He was not a proud resident.

We also talked to others who were cautioning us about different parts of town (Beale Street after 10:00 for example) and offering recommendations of where to go.

We headed there with cautious optimism but determined to see some things (Graceland, Bass Pro Shop, and Beale Street....maybe more) and as it turns out to stay long enough to wait out a significant weather system that is spawning tornadoes in Oklahoma which is the next scheduled stop. Our weather lady (Kathy) is very nervous of the weather reports we are seeing so good or bad we will hold up in Memphis for three nights.

We checked into the campground at T.O. Fuller state park where we were greeted with very friendly folks in the park office and a nice campground with water and electric hook-ups for a reasonable price. The roads and neighborhoods leading into the park are not the best - one way in is through an industrial area and the other is a residential area that wasn't the best but when you're in the park it is pretty nice!

Memphis Day One - we head out to see the Bass Pro Shop and spend nearly three hours there to include having lunch. It is an amazing building shaped like a pyramid that includes two restaurants, a hotel and many square feet (on two levels) of outdoors retail merchandise....enough to keep us busy awhile. We reluctantly paid the $10 each fare to ride the elevator to the observation deck and the restaurant that is in the top of the building - good choice and nice lunch. Donald is not a fan of heights and the open glass elevator did not impress him at all.

Bass Pro Shop in Memphis - quite and attraction

Taken atop the BPS

Top of Bass Pro Shop

View across the Mississippi from Memphis to Arkansas

Leaving there we thought it'd be a good idea to visit the Memphis Visitor's Center and see what advice they might have for folks with two (actually now less) days in town. There we met Eric who was a pleasure and he helped us plan out the remainder of our time and saved us some money doing so....he was very good at his job and we had fun talking with him.

We left there with tickets to the STAX museum, tickets to the civil rights museum, information on how to get the best value (and price) at Graceland, Memphis BBQ restaurant recommendations, and a plan of attack for an evening of Blues on Beale Street. Yes - only a day and now a couple hours left to do all this.

Note - when I went to pay for the tickets I realized that I had left my credit card at the restaurant at Bass Pro Shop so I called and the manager was very nice and said he had it and we could pick it up anytime until 10:00 - now we had to add that stop to the list :-(

When we left the visitors center we went to the STAX museum as they were closing at 5:00 and it was now approaching 3:30 but we were assured it would only take about an hour and a half to do. The museum is an old recording studio turned museum with many historical artifacts from the early soul (Sam Cook, Otis Redding, Ray Charles, Isaac Hayes.....) era and a lot to learn about...we took them to closing time and really enjoyed it - Kathy especially liked the old Soul Train television video that was running non-stop. A lot of great old music and the history to go with it.

Isaac Hayes ride - it was on a rotating platform

From there we went BACK to the Bass Pro Shop to fetch my credit card.....it didn't seem to suffer any extra damage while out of my control and for that I was thankful!

Next - Eric had recommended a few BBQ restaurants but we decided to try the one nearest to the Bass Pro Shop since we were getting pretty hungry at this point. It is called Cozy Corner and as we pulled up it was one of those places where you think "if not for a recommendation it is not likely that I would just stop here to eat". We even double checked our notes to confirm we were at the right place - food was excellent!

Cozy Corner - Fine Dining, Memphis style :-)

Memphis Day Two - We had a plan for the day that seemed perfect. First we would do Graceland and be there when they opened (0900) and it would likely only take until noon. Then back to the campground to cool off, eat lunch and rest before heading out to the Civil Rights museum that is located near Beale Street - first one, then the other.

We arrived at Graceland soon after it opened and began what was a pretty nice tour of the house, the automobiles, the planes and more Elvis memorabilia than one thought even existed. The tour of the house was well done with an audio equipped laptop that was a great way to do it and tell about it. We literally went through almost all parts of the house with a guided narration....ending at the memorial garden where he (and several other family members) are buried. By the time we finished there it was nearing 3:00 and the Civil Rights Museum was closing at 5:00 - there went our original plan :-(

Graceland

Two of many admiring fans there

Jet named for his daughter

We hustled from the Graceland tour and moved on over to the Civil Rights Museum. The museum is in two parts - one is attached to/built around the Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr was killed. It is a well done and well laid out history of many tragic/embarrassing events that eventually led up to the murder of MLK on that balcony. The museum leads you through these events in an unsuspecting way that ends up at the hotel room and balcony where he died.

The second part of the museum is across the street where the shot was fired and focuses more on the crime, evidence, apprehension and prosecution of James Earl Ray to include some of the conspiracy theories that go along with the story.

Lorraine Motel with a wreath marking the spot where MLK was killed

To Beale of not to Beale? - So back at the campground now getting late, needing supper, and feeling tired. All of us wanted to do Beale Street but we were all also pretty tired at this point and I think somewhere between beer number one and two we decided that we were really too tired to enjoy it, especially since we were departing the Memphis area in the morning.....sorry BB King, we will have to catch your place next time.

Speaking of departing Memphis - our weather lady had advised against Oklahoma City area so those plans have now also been altered. Instead we opted to take amore southerly route via Texarkana, Texas and spend two nights and one restful day at the Wright Patman Lake and Corps of Engineer campground there. Other than some Walmart shopping we are committed to resting a day. From here we have two drive days headed to Santa Fe New Mexico where we intend to anchor down for a few days of exploring.

Wright Patman Lake - Piney Point Campground

Wright Patman Lake - Rocky Point Campground

Brothers Converge on Lake Guntersville, Alabama

The first stop on the trip and our rendezvous point is the Oliver Rally being held in Lake Guntersville, Alabama. This is the second year in attendance for us but the first year for Don, Deb, and Ron.

We (Kathy and I) volunteered for some of the rally work (created slide show, ran golf tournament and helped with registration) so we needed to be there a bit early and arrived on Tuesday, May 14th while Don and Deb arrived with their new Oliver Travel Trailer on Wednesday and Ron on Thursday.

Ron is awaiting the delivery of his camper (July) but still met us for the rally and stayed in the lodge.

The slide show that we put together was intended as an introduction - your trailer, who you are and where you live - below are the photos of us:

That Wednesday night (before Don, Deb, & Ron arrived) the local Lions Club set up in the campground and offered "free" hot dogs, chips and homemade ice cream for all campers which was a very nice gesture and welcome event. We got to talk with several of the local residents and enjoy their offerings. The ice cream making operation was really cool - it was powered by an old (John Deer) hit and miss engine - quite entertaining.

John Deer driven ice cream machine

It was great for us brothers to be together for a few days and the rally was both fun and educational - we met and made friends with several other Oliver owners and we even plan to visit a couple on this west coast trip - California and Nevada residents.

Ron, Don, Debbie, Kathy & Darrell on the deck of the Lake Guntersville Lodge

(with drinks in hand)

Lake Guntersville State park is a beautiful setting for the rally and a wonderful park - I'd recommend a visit even if you don't camp as they have a beautiful lodge/restaurant and bar overlooking the lake. As we walked (or drove) around the park either early morning or late evening there were deer by the road everywhere that didn't seem to be alarmed by our presence. The camping sites are all located near the lake although the closer to the lake you get, the less shade available. We were near the lake and loved it - each evening offered beautiful sunsets.

Campground Sunset

Lake Guntersville Lodge View

The rally had several events scheduled and each night we were totally exhausted from trying to do them all. Kathy and I ran a golf tournament that included 18 golfers who participated - it was great fun and Don led his team (or they carried him) to the overall victory. Everyone had a great time and vowed to help make it bigger and better next year.

Oliver Rally Golf Tournament

Golf Tournament Winning Team

Denny, Jim, DeAnna, Don, & Bruce

We visited a winery in the area one evening for some sampling and some really good brick oven pizza. The pizza was better than the wine in my opinion - they served too many sweet wines that I don't really care for but we all enjoyed one called "White Trash" - go figure :-)

Closing ceremonies included a nice prime rib dinner, oldies music and so many door prizes that it actually took too long to get through them - the evening concluded with a grand prize - a portable Zamp Solar panel.

Saying good by to all of our friends (new and old) and sending Ron off for his drive home we (Kathy & I and Don & Debbie) headed west for our next stop scheduled for Memphis, Tennessee. We plan to arrive in Pebble Beach California in time for the US Open golf tournament but have many stops planned along the way there....stay tuned!

Sunset

Don & Deb

Roadside spectator