More Buffaloes

I don't need to mention again that I like buffaloes.

I went somewhere where you get to feed them. The big guy came right to me and ate out of my hand... as did some females before he arrived. He would grab the hay pellets with his tongue just like a giraffe. That was pretty neat. You can see his blue tongue below.

I enjoyed every minute of it and I didn't want to leave.

The question I mostly get about this post is: what are you feeding them. I was feeding them grass/hay pellets. Obviously they like them.

Another Brief Stop in Albuquerque

I stopped briefly in Albuquerque again, mostly to do a bit grocery shopping, and I manage to take the time to hike to the small volcanoes which are part of Petroglyph National Park.

Holbrook - Arizona, Meteor Crater and Gallup

I just downloaded pictures from my camera and realized how much I actually have done in the last little bit.

I spent a while in Holbrook, Arizona, and did day trips from it.
The first two pictures below are photo of Holbrook itself

And those are from the surroundings of Holbrook 

A Navajo hogan, below.

I also went to Meteor Crater. Mostly I went there because I wasn't far from it and because years ago, the only other time I was there, I could not afford the entrance fee. So this time I wanted to see it.

 This is what the area around the crater looks like. Beautiful settings really.

Then I went to Canyon De Chelly, a fantastic place.

Spent sometime in Gallup. And my big discovery there was the Saturday morning market on 9th street North. I highly recommend the visit. I ate some really good Lamb done in Navajo style and really got a better sense of the Four Corner people than anywhere else. I wish I had taken photos of the people but I don't like taking pictures of people, it feels somewhat disrespectful.

Salt River Canyon

The highlight of that part of the trip for me was Salt River Canyon. It was the worst and the best drive of this tip so far (though Colorado and its snow storms, both ways now, is coming pretty close second on the worst drive competition).
The first thing is of course that the cabin is by the Salt River (and the Slave River), so that made it special to me. The other thing about this drive is had I planned at all I would have realized that the roads were going to be too twisty and too steep to drive comfortably with the camper. But since it was a last minute turn off the most obvious route it ended up being a surprise....worth it though.

I promise you the photos do not do it justice. There was about 2,000 feet of elevation difference between the top of the canyon and the base. There was miles of 6% gradient, and 6% is a lot steeper than it sounds.

 See what I mean? this is the road I took going down.

The canyon looks a lot deeper than this is real life.

You can sort of see it in this photo... the day was overcast so the grey light does not help.

Some guy offered to take my picture, and since it was Salt River I thought it would be nice.

Organ Cacti and Some California Poppies

The next day I saw awesome looking organ cacti.

The first one I saw was at Pima's post office and I stopped to tak a photo not realizing that the rest of the day I would see many more.

There was gradually more and more by the side of the road, and then there was a forest of them on the side of a hill.... and no more, none at all after that hill.

This time of year the desert also had spots covered in California Poppies. Orange is my favourite colour so obviously I love California Poppies

Roper Lake State Park, Arizona

In the end I was quite happy about my missed turns since the little bit of driving and camping I did in Arizona was great. In fact this is where I had the only hot day I had over the entire trip. That was the day I stayed at Roper Lake State Park. A great spot and the lake attracts a lot of birds which was great.

You can see the camper in the distance on the photo below. I really a great camping spot.

 After a hot day, them mountains to the west (which had snow at the top) got rain and in them morning I could see that they also had a bit more snow. And eventually the rain reached us and it rained most of the night

Brief Stop in Las Cruces, New Mexico

I spent some time in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

I went to the Saturday morning farmers market.

Which happens to be right by a great second hand bookstore (CAOS...is their name) right on Main street.

And this is my favourite grocery store in Las Cruces. They have great fresh products at a good price and a deli counter/restaurant type thing with excellent Mexican food ... at least from my non initiated point of view)

Then I drove west intending to possibly end up at City of Rock State Park...but somehow I missed my turn TWICE. Well, once I missed it because I was at the time looking for a bank and passed the turn in the process, and once the signs somehow died out and sent me back on the interstate so I took it as fate not wanting me to go there,  and this is why I usually travel without plans. Anyway, I ended up in Arizona.

Internet and/or computer are difficult today that this will have to be for another post another day.

Brief Stop in Santa Fe, New Mexico

I passed the border near Glacier National Park and the first thing I saw was this statue by the side of the road.

I saw some buffaloes and of course stopped to take photos.

I stopped a Little Bighorn National Park

And now I am in Santa Fe.

Lots of good art in Santa Fe.