Went on vacation last week

[Rafter S]

My wife and I drove to Red River, NM last week. We got there on Wednesday afternoon, and stayed until Monday morning. The weather was perfect, with it getting down into the 30's every night, and low 70's during the day, and no rain. The leaves were just starting to turn colors when we left.

We saw a lot of pretty country. I'm 60 years old, and that was my first time seeing mountains, but I don't intend it to be the last. We had a very good trip, and enjoyed everything about it.

We went through Fort Worth and spent the first night in Amarillo, then drove on to Red River, and coming home we took a more southerly route, coming into Texas at Mule Shoe, and spent the night at Post, the first town past Lubbock. We saw some lonesome country in New Mexico, with towns 50+ miles apart, and some of those were very small towns.

 

[HDRider]

Were you camping any or hotels the whole way?

 

[Rafter S]

Were you camping any or hotels the whole way?

Hotels. My wife and I are at the point in our lives where we don't mind spending $100.00 per night for a nice hotel room, with AC and a bathroom.

 

[Lee VanRoss]

There are a thousand and one places to go once you leave the driveway. At the moment the North Rim of the GC, headwaters of
the Missouri and the Athabasca come to mind but wait 5 minutes it might be the Hudson River Valley, the coast of Maine
or visiting with the neighbor. In my opinion lonely New Mexico is better than a red light in rush hour traffic anyplace!

 

[Rafter S]

There are a thousand and one places to go once you leave the driveway. At the moment the North Rim of the GC, headwaters of
the Missouri and the Athabasca come to mind but wait 5 minutes it might be the Hudson River Valley, the coast of Maine
or visiting with the neighbor. In my opinion lonely New Mexico is better than a red light in rush hour traffic anyplace!

I won't argue with that. Although we've been married for 33 years, and lived in the country the whole time, my wife was raised in cities, and was a little uncomfortable on those stretches of empty road with no phone service or internet access. I told her that although there wasn't much traffic, there was some, and if the car broke down we could flag someone down and we weren't going to just die out there.

 

[greybeard]

The farthest I've been in N.M.is Alamogordo. Spent a Saturday helping a friend work on his mother's house in Cloud Croft then we drove down out of the high country and White Sands spread out in front of us. It was impressive.
There wasn't much between Hobbs and Cloud Croft at that time.

 

[sstterry]

It is hard for us that grew up around mountains to imagine people that have never seen them. I just can't imagine having never seen mountains.

There are a thousand and one places to go once you leave the driveway. At the moment the North Rim of the GC.....

I would like to hike the North Rim to the South Rim someday, but I doubt it will ever happen now that I am older and so out of shape. My son and I did South Kaibab to the bottom and spent the night and then back up Bright Angel about 10 years with a group of Boy Scouts. If any of you are physically able, a trip to the bottom of the GC is a surreal experience and a bucket list item you should do. But it is physically taxing, to say the least.

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

I'm totally surrounded by mountains. But I think driving through those big flat areas is different for a change.

 

[greybeard]

And just think Named em Tamed em, at one time, none of those mountains were there. Just flat land until the mountains were pushed up by plate tectonics.

 

[Chevy]

There are a thousand and one places to go once you leave the driveway. At the moment the North Rim of the GC, headwaters of
the Missouri and the Athabasca come to mind but wait 5 minutes it might be the Hudson River Valley, the coast of Maine
or visiting with the neighbor. In my opinion lonely New Mexico is better than a red light in rush hour traffic anyplace!

Oh my goodness YES!! Take 4 hours at least from our driveway to get anywhere to see anything worth seeing. Yes, I agree I'd rather be any lonely place than traffic and people. I like exploring places that don't have 100s of people crammed up your butt or riding your butt.

 

[Chevy]

It is hard for us that grew up around mountains to imagine people that have never seen them. I just can't imagine having never seen mountains.


I would like to hike the North Rim to the South Rim someday, but I doubt it will ever happen now that I am older and so out of shape. My son and I did South Kaibab to the bottom and spent the night and then back up Bright Angel about 10 years with a group of Boy Scouts. If any of you are physically able, a trip to the bottom of the GC is a surreal experience and a bucket list item you should do. But it is physically taxing, to say the least.

Just do it!!! Ask your son to go with you it be a good bonding time. You never know how far you can push your body until you push it to the limit.

My brother ran the Rim to rim to rim this year in like 18 hours. He said people were throwing up, quiting, and everything. Some people just did it for social media or to try to get sponsors with Nike and such. I say just do it for yourself.

 

[Chevy]

It is hard for us that grew up around mountains to imagine people that have never seen them. I just can't imagine having never seen mountains.


I would like to hike the North Rim to the South Rim someday, but I doubt it will ever happen now that I am older and so out of shape. My son and I did South Kaibab to the bottom and spent the night and then back up Bright Angel about 10 years with a group of Boy Scouts. If any of you are physically able, a trip to the bottom of the GC is a surreal experience and a bucket list item you should do. But it is physically taxing, to say the least.

If you want take your time if it take a month who cares. Just do it. If all else fails they do have helicopters they can come get you. the what ifs just go for it. I'd say unless you smoke alot if your a farmer your most likely in pretty good shape.

Most people I know think they are going to died if they have to park at the end of Walmart. I park at the end of Walmart and forget about it, extra steps isn't going to kill me. I am thankful to be able to walk. If I was to ask most people to go hiking they would think I lost my mind. Why would you want to walk. Same people that spend their weekends riding side by sides. Don't get me wrong that can be fun, but physical able to hike place is different feelings.

 

[D2Cat]

And just think Named em Tamed em, at one time, none of those mountains were there. Just flat land until the mountains were pushed up by plate tectonics.

Starting a new conspiracy theory?

 

[greybeard]

nope. Science.

 

[Named'em Tamed'em]

And just think Named em Tamed em, at one time, none of those mountains were there. Just flat land until the mountains were pushed up by plate tectonics.

Exactly, the Olympic mountains and the Cascades are relatively "young "mountains.

 

[Bigfoot]

Glad you enjoyed it. Go again, if it brings you joy. I doubt this ever changes, but I have never really been on vacation. Never went too far, that wasn't work related.

 

[Brute 23]

It is hard for us that grew up around mountains to imagine people that have never seen them. I just can't imagine having never seen mountains.


I would like to hike the North Rim to the South Rim someday, but I doubt it will ever happen now that I am older and so out of shape. My son and I did South Kaibab to the bottom and spent the night and then back up Bright Angel about 10 years with a group of Boy Scouts. If any of you are physically able, a trip to the bottom of the GC is a surreal experience and a bucket list item you should do. But it is physically taxing, to say the least.

I'm one of those people. I can stare at mountains for hours and hours. I'm the same with wide open country. I have lived my whole life looking down a ROW, or to the tree line, or in the open pocket. A hay field is the closest thing to open country for me.

 

[Brute 23]

Hotels. My wife and I are at the point in our lives where we don't mind spending $100.00 per night for a nice hotel room, with AC and a bathroom.

Those hotel apps are pretty convenient. I use them all the time. Just turn your location on and you can see prices, reviews, etc of all the places around you.

 

[greybeard]

I'm one of those people. I can stare at mountains for hours and hours. I'm the same with wide open country.

It's the biggest & most overpowering reason I want out of East Texas and go back more to the West part of Texas.




It tasks me..

 

[Brute 23]

It's the biggest & most overpowering reason I want out of East Texas and go back more to the West part of Texas.
View attachment 8946

View attachment 8947

It tasks me..

I agree. I know the area of those pics well. WTX has really grown on me. From where I use to work we could see the Guadalupe mountains on a clear day.