A New Winter Home

After leaving Gallup, New Mexico we entered Arizona and drove past Petrified Forest National Park. At Holbrook we turned south, crossing the Mogollon Plateau, over the Mogollon Rim and through parts of Tonto National Forest. A summer fire in the Saguaro Lake area had blackened the landscape; the damage to plants was still evident.  Then it was on through Phoenix and south to our winter campground.  

New this season is moving into a park model home at the RV resort.  This will be the first winter in about 10 years that we have not lived in our motorhome!   As with any move, the challenges of finding a new place for our old "stuff" soon became evident.  But we are gradually getting settled...

Aztec Ruins National Monument

Designated a National Monument in 1923, and a World Heritage Site in 1987, this large settlement planned and built by the ancestral Puebloans centuries ago rivals Chaco Canyon sites.  Located near Aztec, New Mexico along the Animas River, ruins include a huge Great House which may have been up to three stories high, and included some 400 individual rooms.  The Great Kiva has been reconstructed on the original site, so one can enter and observe the engineering used to form these great ceremonial structures.  

A self-guided walking tour takes one around the site, through the ancient doors and inside intact rooms.

Chimney Rock National Monument

 Designated a National Monument in 2012, the twin pinnacles of Chimney Rock can be seen for miles. Many centuries ago this land was home to ancestral Puebloans.  They left behind stone structures including a Great House Pueblo, a Great Kiva, multi-family dwellings and pit houses, all viewable from trails leading through the site.

In later years, the towering formations served as  landmarks for explorers, settlers, and prospectors heading into the rugged country now known as Colorado.

Located just 17 miles west of Pagosa Springs, a day trip offered us a chance to experience this unique monument.

Lobo Overlook Colorado

Lobo Overlook, advertised as being "as close to the top of the world as you can get by vehicle",  was a drive manageable even for our our CRV.  From the summit of Wolf Creek Pass on US highway 160 (elevation 10,857) access to the overlook area was via a 3 mile dirt, tower access road.  At the top, the Overlook elevation is nearly 12,000 feet above sea level.  A section of the Continental Divide Trail is accessible from here; picnic tables and a pit toilet are available.

Colorado Scenic Drives

 From Pagosa Springs there is access to numerous scenic drives taking one deep into the forests and wilderness areas.  Often access is via windy, narrow dirt roads that snake their way through the trees.

One drive took us south of town along the San Juan River, through rolling meadows, where we saw these deer.  Remnants of early settlements, no longer inhabited, were passed along the way. Often just a cemetery remained.

Another drive took us on Mill Creek Road, east toward the Nipple Mountain area, and panoramic views of the upper San Juan Valley.

Pagosa Springs Colorado

Pagosa Springs, located in southwestern Colorado, is know for its hot springs.  Deep geothermal hot springs provide pools for soaking; a rich sulfur smell is in the air.

The San Juan River runs through downtown; the San Juan Mountains and national forests surround the town.

About 20 miles east is Wolf Creek Ski area.

We spent about a week here, in a campground along the river just outside town.  The October weather was warm and sunny, with abundant golden foliage on trees nestled among the pines.

Munsinger and Clemens Gardens

Not far from our Minnesota campground is the city of St Cloud.  A short car ride led to Munsinger and Clemens Gardens, located along the Mississippi River across from St Cloud State University.

Munsinger Garden, built along the river on the site of an old sawmill, was started by Joseph Munsinger, first park superintendent. Plants were grown in an on-site greenhouse.  Shade loving hostas and other plants are nestled among the trees.  Paths, ponds, and stone fountains were built by the WPA in the 1930's.

Clemens Garden, started by William and Virginia Clemens, was donated to the city following the death of Virginia, who had a long battle with multiple sclerosis. The gardens are formally arranged, with paths and fountains interspersed among the flowers.  In 1990 the Rose Garden was constructed; roses being Virginia's favorites.

2020 Social Distancing & Facemasks

 It all started while we were still in Arizona for the winter...something called the corona virus.  First we were instructed to "social distance": keep at least 6 feet apart when socializing with friends.  Resort Activities were restricted to 20 people, then 6 people, then no activities at all.  Offices closed.  Residents started leaving to go back to their home country or state.  Facemasks were recommeded.

We stayed in Arizona until the end of April.  Finally we got word from Minnesota...our seasonal campground would be opening for the summer.  We drove the RV back, stopping at familiar campgrounds along the way.  We had no problems obtaining fuel, or picking up a few groceries along the way.  But, we could not stop to visit friends and relatives as we usually did.

When we arrived in Minnesota, we self-quarantined for 14 days.  Not too hard to do, when living in the RV.  We learned there would be no activities here either.  Facemasks were recommended. We have not traveled anywhere with the RV this summer, the year of  the pandemic.