Weather Wins for Now

Our next leg of the trip took us through the remaining parks in Utah, with a plan to hit up New Mexico and some of Colorado.

Gas prices continue to grow, and the app GasBuddy has become more important.  At first, I only used it to find the closest gas station that had diesel.  Now I use it to find the lowest price diesel.  In the same town, we can find prices anywhere from $4.20 to $5.50 a gallon.

We ran into snow and cold in Moab, UT, and attempted to escape to New Mexico via Colorado only to find more cold and more snow.  The weather continued for the duration of our trip.

The biggest concern was low temperatures.  The van does fine when the lows dip into the mid-teens.  Anything lower, and there is a major concern of water pipes bursting.   So, we tried to strategically move and avoid the super cold temps.  But by the time the major snow event made its way across the US, we needed to just stay put for a bit and ride it out. 

And the excessive snow and cold kept us away from several of the National Parks we hoped to visit this trip in Colorado.  We ran into a situation where we pulled up to Mesa Verde only to find a gate and a sign letting us know the park was closed due to weather.  No notifications on their website, facebook page, phone system, or twitter.

So, weather wins, as Mother Nature does, with all her power.  The best laid plans turned into modified plans and making the best of it.  Less time in nature, and more exploring some cities that were new to us.

It was all good, and we enjoyed the newfound adventuring.

Who Knew Moab was so Amazing?

I didn’t really know what to expect when we made our way to Moab.  My first thought was hot and desert.  What I found was a funky town with a lot of energy.  A very cute downtown area with great food and friendly people.  I was surprised to learn the varying temperatures in the city, from a high of 40F in January to a high of 95F in July.  What a great city to spend several days in, with the added benefit of two beautiful national parks close by.

Gotta Love those Arches

Arches National Park has over 2,000 natural stone arches, as well as balanced rocks, fins, and pinnacles. There are over 300 million years of deposits and erosion over many layers and different colors – the signature red rocks along with sandstone and Bettina greens.  The park is accessible to all, with the scenic drive revealing many viewpoints directly from the road.  It reminds me a bit of Monument Valley, but much more spread out and organized.

I did make the Delicate Arch hike, probably the most famous view and hike in the park.  Iconic on its own, massive yet fragile.  Since 1970, 43 arches have collapsed due to erosion and gravity.  I was glad to be able to see this one while it is still standing.  There are so many photogenic locations around the entire park, but this by far was my favorite.

Epic Canyons in Canyonlands

Canyonlands is not very far from Arches, but with a smaller crowd…less than half the visitors of Arches.  The canyons, buttes, rivers, colors, and depth of erosion are all so primitive and beautiful.  We were making our way quickly through the park along the loop road, trying to take up as many sites as we could before the impending cold temperatures and snow.  

We made our way to Mesa Arch, where the arch frames distant canyons in deep pinks, blues, and purples. The sky was the brightest of blues, and the sun was shining down on the entire landscape.

This was the park where we came head on with the power of the storm making its way across the park deep into the canyon.  In a matter of minutes, we were in a snow squall, only to travel about 20 miles and be completely out of the raging storm.  

The Warmth and Sunshine of New Mexico

As Moab was being blanketed in deep snow and cold temperatures, we decided to make our way to New Mexico.  We tried to stop at some parks in Colorado on the way, but there was too much snow to access any meaningful views.

Four Corners, because Why Not?

We were so close, that we made the drive over to four corners.  This is the only place in the US where four states intersect at one point – Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado.  The location is super remote in the Navajo Nation, with a marker for picture taking and vendors all around the perimeter selling jewelry.  Not something I would go out of my way to visit, but we were right there, so why not!

All Things Albuquerque

This was our first visit to Albuquerque, New Mexico’s largest city.  We spent some time in the Old Town shopping district, took the Sandia Peak Tramway 2.7 miles up for views of the city, and decided to track down shooting locations for one of our favorite TV shows – Breaking Bad.  

The observation deck at Sandia Peak is at 10,378 feet, offering 360 views of the Cibola National Forest, Rio Grande Valley, and the Land of Enchantment.  The trip is all about the scenic views.  Apparently, another highlight is the recent story of the tram getting stuck on NYE with employees on board that had to be rescued the next day via helicopter.  A story newsworthy enough it was picked up by the New York Times.  It was cold, but thankfully we got down safe and sound.

Finding Walt

We did a self-guided tour of the Breaking Bad sites, although the town has an actual RV tour (original home of the meth lab in the show) you can take.  We stopped at Walt and Skyler’s, Hank and Marie’s, Saul’s office, the car wash, and the restaurant Los Hermanos.  A fun thing to do if you are a Breaking Bad fan.  It looks like the owners of Walt’s house have been overwhelmed with visitors.  They have put up a iron fence around the entire perimeter of their property, changed the exterior colors of the home, and have signs up about trespassing and taking pictures.  From what I read; they have had people throw pizzas on their roof as well as enter their pool in the backyard.

Bandelier National Monument, a Mini Mesa Verde

The 36,000 acres of Bandelier preserve the homes and territories of the ancestral Pueblo people.  The homes date back to 1150 to 1600 CE, and were sophisticated and well thought out architecturally.  We were able to climb into the caves and homes, and get a glimpse into their areas of congregating and worship.  And the views along the drive were spectacular as well.

Sunny Santa Fe

We spent a ton of time in Santa Fe, our last stop on the trip while we waited out the storm.  The state capital with 325 sunny days per year, best known as one of the great art cities in the US.  And we made the most of it.  From walking Santa Fe Plaza to the Railroad District, popping into as many galleries as we could along Canyon Road, taking in the beauty of Georgia O’Keefe’s work from the perspective of her hometown, and the modern creativity of Meow Wolf.   Santa Fe didn’t disappoint, and I am so glad we made the time to check out this creative city.

Canyon Road Galleries

From traditional, to abstract, to contemporary, original artwork from hundreds of artist is on display along the many galleries in the city.  Art house after art house up and down the entire street.  Each gallery may be home to 20 or more artists, all of which take turns running the gallery on their designated day during the month.  People from all over the world display their art in Santa Fe.

Any George R R Marin Fans out There?

We stumbled upon his Beastly Books bookstore, movie theater, and coffee house.   He has pledged a ton of money to the town of Santa Fe to support the Railroad district, the train revitalization, Meow Wolf, and art in general.

The Immersive Art of Meow Wolf

Meow Wolf is an art production company that creates multimedia art transporting the audience into creative spaces.  You will find visitors of all ages here, people that like the whimsical and odd, people that want to be transported to a place that doesn’t exist.  It is beautiful and creative, fun, and fulfilling to the senses.  If you are in Denver, Santa Fe, or Las Vegas, go.  

The Final Relax

This entire trip, we haven’t spent time at any hotels or focusing on self care, so we decided to splurge on a spa visit.  Ten Thousand Waves has private outdoor hot tubs with attached saunas and cold pools.  We spent one and a half hours of luxury moving between the hot tub, to the cold pool to the sauna. And while we were enjoying the scenery, the most magical snow began falling.  I couldn’t help but think about my time in Finland, learning from my co-workers about the benefits of the movement between heat and cold to the physical body, and appreciating the mediative state.  Truly a beautiful and memorial end to our journey.  

Head East, My Friend

Given John’s upcoming surgery, as well as pre-surgery appointments; accompanied with the very cold weather and snow we keep coming up against, we have decided to head home and take a break from the road.

Weather wins, but we will be right back at it when the temps are higher, the days are longer, and John’s physical body is healed.

We are looking forward to spending more time with our family and watching the first green shoots of spring enter Ohio.  The change in seasons is such a special time. Growth, rebirth, connection.

Thanks for following our journey! Hugs!