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Author: Nathan

Sugarite Canyon State Park and Raton, New Mexico

Sugarite Canyon State Park and Raton, New Mexico

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The town of Raton in northeastern New Mexico has earned a reputation among travelers as a welcome rest stop during a long journey. As early as the 1700s, semi-nomadic tribes of Apache, Ute, and Comanche moved into the area in search of fertile land for crops and abundant wildlife as food. When the Santa Fe Trail opened in 1821, many Americans moved west following this route that connected Independence, Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. The trail became a major…

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Cimarron Canyon State Park and the Once Wild Town of Cimarron

Cimarron Canyon State Park and the Once Wild Town of Cimarron

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After all the excitement with the tornado in Eagle Nest, we were hoping our next stop would provide a less evening-newsworthy atmosphere (and it did – no rare weather occurrences to report). Cimarron Canyon State Park is located less than ten miles east of Eagle Nest making for a very short travel day. We planned only a two-night stay at Cimarron Canyon, attempting to time our future park visits around the upcoming Labor Day weekend as well as pending reservations…

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New Mexico’s Enchanted Circle and Eagle Nest Lake State Park

New Mexico’s Enchanted Circle and Eagle Nest Lake State Park

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We’ve grown accustomed to rapidly changing weather conditions since New Mexico’s monsoon season started. Strong winds, heavy rains, and noisy hail have become nearly everyday occurrences. We were not, however, expecting to see a tornado blow through a state park at 8,200 feet elevation next to the sleepy little town of Eagle Nest surrounded by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. On Thursday, August 9th, the day after we arrived at Eagle Nest Lake State Park, the now typical afternoon storm…

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Coyote Creek State Park, Guadalupita NM

Coyote Creek State Park, Guadalupita NM

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Thin pines cover the surrounding mountains, stretching upward in an effort to greet the sun. A gentle morning breeze carries the subtle scent of wild mint mingled with pungent undertones of decomposing vegetation from somewhere deeper in the wilderness. Water burbles over fallen tree limbs and around exposed rocks, as buzzing insects skim the stream’s surface leaving expanding ripples with every touch. Hungry fish gulp after the flying creatures, temporarily leaving the comfort and safety of their underwater abode to…

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Storrie Lake State Park and the Storied Town of Las Vegas, New Mexico

Storrie Lake State Park and the Storied Town of Las Vegas, New Mexico

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Storrie Lake State Park is conveniently located about five miles outside of Las Vegas – no, not that Las Vegas with all the flashy casinos and abundant entertainment; we’re talking about the original Las Vegas in northeastern New Mexico. While we anticipated spending a week or two at Storrie Lake within easy biking distance of the city, we only used the park as a one or two-night stopover between locations on three separate occasions. The park is heavily used –…

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A Practical Guide to RVing for Beginners Part 2

A Practical Guide to RVing for Beginners Part 2

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Thanks for joining us for Part 2 of this guide introducing beginners to the wide, wonderful world of RVing. We covered utilities and the basic monitoring system in Part 1, so this installment will address some additional considerations not quite as pressing as electricity, water, and sewer. Also, I’ve added an update to Part 1 at the bottom of this article regarding alternators and charging house batteries, so you may want to skip to the note at the very end…

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A Practical Guide to RVing for Beginners Part 1

A Practical Guide to RVing for Beginners Part 1

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So you’ve been following the #rvlife and #vanlife tags on Instagram and the photos of people adventuring in beautiful locations and apparently traveling wherever and whenever they want have inspired you to consider buying, renting, or borrowing an RV. Maybe your friends or neighbors have a camper and you’ve taken enough trips with them to know you’d like one of your own. While RVing doesn’t have to be a complicated endeavor, every new or prospective RVer needs to be familiar…

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Villanueva – Following the Trails of the Pecos Pueblo and Spanish Conquistadors

Villanueva – Following the Trails of the Pecos Pueblo and Spanish Conquistadors

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Some locations speak to you, whispering quiet invocations carried on the wind and translated through rustling tree leaves and whistled songs of brightly colored birds. Time passes at that spot as it always does, but your perception of that passing seems to gently stretch, the hours in a day languidly slipping by instead of racing to an artificial end marked by minutes ticked off on a clock. The area might take on a vaguely mystical quality while not offering a…

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The Return to New Mexico – Hitchhikers, Yarn, and Recycled Tires

The Return to New Mexico – Hitchhikers, Yarn, and Recycled Tires

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Colorado bid us farewell with a parting glimpse of the Conejos Canyon as we headed south to New Mexico. Hidden at the edge of the Rio Grande National Forest, the canyon was created by the Conejos River running through the valley and the area remains one of Colorado’s last few wild areas. According to the information boards at the overlook, the canyon was home to prehistoric hunters and gatherers during the past 12,000 years who relied on the rich natural…

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Scenic Small Towns in Central Colorado

Scenic Small Towns in Central Colorado

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The big city of Denver slowly receded into the background as we motored south with the intention of returning to New Mexico for the summer months. We chose to drive along 285 to the smaller towns in the mountains south of Denver, rather than making miles over Interstate 25 through Colorado Springs. With reservations in the Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area outside of Salida, we enjoyed a leisurely drive before stopping in Buena Vista for the afternoon. As we’ve experienced in…

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