Trip Diary: Day One

Day 1

Drove from Flower Mound to Villanueva, New Mexico. On a tank and a half of gas and a Gordon Lightfoot anthology.

Observations: The drive was a long one, though for some reason I expected it to feel longer. Maybe the excitement of finally going someplace new (or long lost) was making the town-to-town journey more bearable. I like driving in populated parts of the country, where you know that every 30 miles there is going to be another town or city and the chances of finding a gas station are good.

The northwestern portion of North Texas isn’t very scenic by most standards. Just field after field of farms, flat as can be, with a few trees scattered about every few miles. When I was driving, I couldn’t help but notice how far I could see. Trees and buildings really block my view in the suburbs. Out on the prairie I could see for 20 miles or more. Around Quanah there are four or so strange hills jutting out of the ground, sticking out like four sore thumbs. They appear to be natural formations but the ancient Comanches thought them to be medicine mounds, homes to spirits who could drive out illness. As a result, the mounds are sacred sites to that tribe. I didn’t have a chance to explore due to time constraints but may on my way back home.

Amarillo was… well, Amarillo. Flat, flat and more flat. But about 20 miles west of Amarillo, the whole landscape changes dramatically. I was floored. I had never been west of Amarillo on Interstate 40 (that I could recall) and missed quite a bit apparently. After miles of flat land, the whole landscape drops off into a large washbasin. The floor essentially gives way and the highway dips a hundred feet or more into a landscape of mesas, buttes and rolling hills. The soil changed, too. Gone was the rich farmland with dark soil. Here was red and orange sand, with semi-arid desert plants. There were yucca and creosote plants, mesquite trees and cactus. It was remarkable.

I wanted some scenery and I got it throughout eastern New Mexico. I wasn’t to the mountains and canyons yet but the mesas and hills were quite a change from what I was used to. At Santa Rosa, I ventured south along old Route 66 to another small highway. I wanted to check out what the official New Mexico state map called “Site of Coronado’s Bridge.” In my research I knew that there was a legend that Spanish explorer Coronado had led his exploring gang across the wild Pecos River at some point in that area and this small village of Puerto de Luna claimed to be the spot. So I went to check it out. It was only nine miles to the village.

Funny thing, this advertising business. When I got to the village of Puerto de Luna I found a historical sign in the middle of town. It talked about this village being one of the oldest settlements in eastern New Mexico. It talked of Billy the Kid and Wild Bill Hitchcock. Coronado? Nope. Nothing. Nada. I did find a “Coronado Road” but no evidence the Spanish explorer was ever there. Many times going off the beaten path pays off. Sometimes it doesn’t. Funny thing, this advertising business.

As I type this I am sitting in my tent at Villanueva State Park, nearly 11pm MDT, and fighting off gnats. They aren’t as bad here as back home but they sure are pesky things! Any source of light or heat brings them in. Some got stuck in my tent when I set it up. Their fault, I say!

Villanueva State Park is located about 20 miles north of I-40 in a beautiful canyon along the Pecos River. When I got here I found the park crowded with people but it was too late to go anywhere else. So I picked a spot on the upper level, pitched my tent and settled in for the night. It is very beautiful and peaceful here. I can’t wait for what the morning may bring. I hope to capture the sunrise in the canyon on camera and then go walking to some old Spanish ruins they have in the park. There’s a rumor that Coronado was here, too….

Tomorrow I also go to another Spanish site: three old mission ruins in and around Mountainair. Spanish missions are more up my alley than phantom bridges. It's called Salinas National Monument. Here's an internet picture of one of the missions I found:



Good night from the windy, semi-peaceful canyon!

— John


UPDATE: As I post this, I'm sitting in a McDonald's in Moriarity, NM, eating hot cakes. I woke up this morning at 5:45am local time and noticed it was getting light. Afraid of missing another sunrise in the desert (or canyon), I got up and quickly dressed and climed the canyon wall for what I thought would be a magical sunrise. It wasn't magical (some clouds hid the sun) but a nice hike. My sunrise photography record is wishy-washy, at best. By the way... I woke up this morning with Gordon Lightfoot's "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" running through my head. I still can't stop thinking, "There was a time in this fair land when the railroad did not run...."

... "The wild, majestic mountains stood alone against the sun..."

... "Long before the white man and long before the wheel..."

Ugh.

"When the deep, dark forest was too silent to be real."

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