You may be wondering where in the world Santa Fe Vol. 2 got to. Well me too…After days and hours of slowly plugging away the blogging website we use crashed and the post reverted back to a draft from days ago…so I am patiently waiting to hear back from the website if there is anything that can be done before I start all over again. So in the spirit of moving forward, rather than alternating between hyperventilating and ugly anger sobbing, here, without further ado is the next installment after we left Santa Fe. I promise to go back and re-tool the Santa Fe Vol. 2 post because it is a good one….I just need a minute and maybe a nap and a glass of chocolate milk.
From Santa Fe we motored on down to Elephant Butte Lake State Park outside of Truth or Consequences, NM. Interestingly, Truth or Consequences changed it’s from Hot Springs in the 1950’s as part of a radio show contest. Wisely, in my opinion, they opted to keep the high school named Hot Springs.
We originally planned to head further south to Carlsbad, Guadeloupe and Big Bend National Parks, but decided against this route due to the extreme temperatures. We opted to push these plans to a different phase of the trip in pursuit of cooling waters and slightly cooler temperatures.
Here we had some rain that cooled things down, but in general our most active parts of the day still remained mornings and evenings when the temperatures were lower.
The view from our campsite was stunning and each evening and morning the sky put on a magnificent display for us.
Our campsite was enormous and we were one of the few rigs in the whole park. It felt good to stretch our legs and spread out a bit after our stay in the city.
The weather continued to be hot so we were very thankful for accessible swim-able waters.
Although I don’t think the cheap thermometers we use to monitor the temperature in the RV when we are away are very accurate in the great sunny outdoors this does show: 1. It got hot as “H”, “E”, double hockey sticks and 2. That you always have it made in the shade!
We saw a fair amount of wildlife here including this coyote down by the reservoir scouting for dead fish.
He quickly booked it out of town once we arrived on the scene.
At this reservoir you can drive your vehicle down onto the sand. We spent several warm mornings splashing the sandy, shallow waters. The water was warm, but still refreshing and it was so nice to just sit back and relax.
B2 has turned into quite the water bug and has developed the highest tolerance to cold and therefore outlasts us all in the water.
B1 dug out our snorkels from the swim bucket and cruised around the shallows looking for treasures.
There was not a bad seat in the house at the lake! Beautiful views all around. AJ and I parked our camp chairs down in the water and kept our tootsies cool while the kids swam to their little hearts content.
If it weren’t for the direct scorching sun we would have last out here for hours.
B1 enjoying some float time!
I read about a place online that said the pies were so fresh they couldn’t keep the doors to the pie case closed or they would fog up. So of course this was on our to do list.
The food was delicious and pretty to boot.
We spent a day exploring the dam and seeing the full breadth of the lake. The rock structure behind B1 supposedly looks like an elephant - hence the name Elephant Butte.
Elephant Butte reservoir was created by damming a section of the Rio Grande River.
Here is the dam and where the water is being released back into the Rio Grand.
You can see in the background, the water marks on the rock. By those markings the reservoir was looking pretty low.
We could not get over the color of the water. So much beauty to be seen all around.
The cutest sightseers I know!
This was where a little muddy creek joined the bigger river and you can see the contrasting waters meeting.
Each place we visit I look up “Best Things to do While Visiting…” And the weekly Fiddlers Dance showed up at the top of the list!
So the kids suited up in their finest western wear and we went to a dance!
Despite being the youngest in the room by forty years and the kids immediately being swarmed by the q-tip crowd we had a surprisingly good time.
It was a big band- with lots of instruments but only one fiddler than was pushing centurion status. What an incredible thing and probably part of what keeps him ticking to still be doing what you love every Saturday night.
This guy loved playing the fiddle even if he wasn’t quite on the same page as the rest of the band. I repeatedly heard him being told- no man- we already played that one- move on the the next song.
I did a lot of clapping and stomping my foot along with the music - so fun to hear live music!
B1 played it shy for a little bit before his sister coaxed him into the dance floor.
B2 was feeling the music and loving dancing in her cowgirl boots.
B2 wanted to be on the dance floor for every dance and expected to have a partner with her to swing her around.
B1 was a good sport and let his sister move him around the floor.
B2 even got her dad in on the action. His dance speed was set to tortoise while B2 was geared up into jack rabbit.
That is the face of a child wired for sound! She could not be stilled!
The best dressed dance partner I have ever had!
No doubt in my mind which of these two was the boss on the dance floor.
Love that smile!
Look at those moves!
I could not hear their conversation but I imagine it went something like:
Dad: move your feet back and forth like me.
B2: No, dad - you move your feet like me and don’t forget to dip me when I wildly spin out of control in 3, 2, 1…
A good night out for future cowboys and cowgirls to show off their duds and practice their best moves.
We found a little park along the river and spent one of our mornings playing in the river.
The kids practiced their stone skipping skills seeing who could get the most skips and make it to the other side of the bank.
It is pretty amazing the bond these two have formed in the last two years. They truly love each other and each other’s company.
“Mom, don’t I look handsome with my river mustache?”
Sometimes floating, but mostly racing each other in the current.
B2 enjoying sitting in her chair in the river.
Sadie the bathing beauty♥️
And B1 king of the river!
So much energy!
Here are some of critters we saw!
A tarantula. The kids were out riding their bike when they came tearing back into the driveway. “Mom, we need your phone! We just spotted a tarantula in the road! B2 almost ran it over with her bike!” Not my typical conversation with the kids!
A quail.
This handsome capped fellow visited us a few times during our stay.
These little guys zipped around our camp site on their tiny little legs.
And our coyote friend!
Next stop Hi Ho Silver City!
Love you all and your adventures.-MPL and THL