Sandia Peak Tramway in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  We took the tram to the top of Sandia Peak. We went from 6000 feet to over 10,000 feet and then had dinner.

Cadillac Ranch

On our way to New Mexico and while still in Texas we just had to stop off and visit one of those road side weird sites, the Cadillac Ranch. This is were there is nine buried Cadillac's in a field and anyone can come and paint what every they want on them. Sandee was hard at work.

Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument

Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument is located near the town of Fritch, Texas and near Lake Meredith National Recreational Area.   Archeological traces of prehistoric Indian campsites, workshops and homes dot this area  of the Texas Panhandle and the Canadian River region.  Natives worked the area for flint for their personal use and for trade to other Native tribes for 12,000 years. The flint was of vital importance in their everyday life. Even before the Great Lakes were formed, Indains of the Ice Age Clovis  Culture used Alibates flint for spear points to hunt Imperial Mammoth.

Alibates flint is of excellent quality and beautiful in color. Colors range from maroon, cream, chocolate and gold look like candy or slabs of bacon. Flakes mottled with indigo and emerald resemble jewels. The flint lies below the surface at the ridge level, in a layer up to six feet thick.  Indians dug flint by hand or with sticks or bone tools.

  If you visit this site be sure to call the visitor center the day before to arrange a tour of the site as visits are by appointment only. On the day we took our hike up the ridge we were the only ones with the Ranger led hike.

 

 

Palo Duro Canyon State Park- Texas

Everything is bigger and better in Texas and after camping at Palo Duro Canyon State Park, I can honestly say I truly believe this is an apt moniker for the state. Located approximately 31 miles south of Amarillo, Texas  the park is known as the  "Grand Canyon of Texas." After staying two nights in this park I can see why.  The park is the second largest park in Texas and officially opened  on July 4, 1934. 

  Palo Duro Canyon is 120 miles long and 800 feet deep which makes it the second largest canyon in the United States. The canyon was formed less than 1 million years ago when the Prairie Dog Town Folk of the Red River first carved its way through the Southern High Plains. The rock exposed a geologic story which began about 250 million years ago. Some of the oldest rock layers are part of the Quartermaster Formation.  Most of these rocks are located at the bottom of the canyon are noted for their bright red claystone and white gypsum.  The next layer of rock one notices are the yellow, gray and lavender mudstone which are part of the Tecovas Formation. The sandstone and coarse gravel of the Trujillo Formation can be seen as you further ascend the canyon.  The last layer of rocks are from the Ogallala Formation which consist of sand, clay and limestone.

  Given the many trails of hiking, biking and horseback riding one could spend weeks in this park  exploring.  Animal life is abundant, in our camp we had wild turkey roaming in and out of the individual camp sites without a care in the world, we even saw a mother turkey out walking her clutch of chicks, a dozen or more. We were told there are wild big horn sheep in the canyon as well, but did not see any during our visit.

    Weather you drive an RV or like to tent camp, Palo Duro has it all.  Modern, clean restrooms with showers and running hot and cold water. There are six campgrounds to choose from, we stayed at the Sagebrush camp area in site 143.  Each site has a very nice covered picnic table and plenty of room between sites.

  There is a visitor center, horse stables and an opportunity to ride horses through the canyon ran by private operators just outside the park.  The Trading Post in the park sells food and runs a small concession stand, the food is good but a bit pricey.

  A visit to this park is a must if you are in the area. For veterans with a rated 60% or more disability you get in free along with your spouse if you have your VA paperwork with you. In fact, if you show the park authorities this you will get a lifetime entrance card to al Texas State Parks. Like I said before, everything is bigger and better in Texas, and I believe it now.

Washita Battlefield National Historic Site

On November 27, 1868,  Lt. Colonel Custer, the infamous Cavalry Officer who received his just end at the Battle of Little Bighorn, attacked the small band of Cheyenne under the leadership of Black Kettle along the Washita River in Oklahoma. The Washita Battlefield National Historic Site stands as a testament to the events of that day to what happens when two different cultures clash. 

   Black Kettle was known as a "Peace Maker" among his people and it was because of his peace overtures with the white man, that Black Kettle, his wife  ( Medicine Woman Later) and many others of his band died on that day.  Before this attack, four years before, Black Kettle and his band where attacked at Sand Creek Colorado by militia units.  At the time Black Kettle had led his band to the area thinking they were under the protection of the U.S. Army while he pursued peace negotiations. Over 150 Cheyenne and Arapaho were killed in this attack,  which led to a year of retaliation by the tribes ending in the Peace Treaty of Medicine Lodge of October 1867.

  During the winter of 1868, many of the Arapaho and Cheyenne, to include Black Kettle's band, moved into the Washita River valley. Black Kettle was shunned by the other bands and was forced to move away from the protection of the others further down the river to an isolated area.  It was this area that Lt Colonel Custer and the 7th Cavalry attacked at dawn.  When the attack was over, Black Kettle, his wife and many other of his band lay dead on the field. The next order was to burn everything in the village, supplies, clothes, tools and to kill over 800 horses the tribe depended on for survival.

   After two hours of fighting, 30 to 60 Cheyenne and 22 U.S. Soldiers lay dead. With re-enforcements from the surrounding camps coming to the aid of the Black Kettle band, the 7th Cavalry and Lt Colonel Custer moved out of the area to safety, with a rendezvous with his own destiny to fullfill.  

 

Hot Springs NP

  This is our second visit to Hot Springs National Park. Once again we had to stop off for a meal at the Ohio Club, one of the oldest bars in Arkansas. Back during Prohibition this was a hot spot for the likes of Al Capone and members of other gangs.  While most know Hot Springs, AR as a place folks came to rest, relax and take in the healing waters, it was also a den of sin for gambling, prostitution and general mayhem.
  During our visit last year the Larmar Bathhouse was closed for renovations, but since that visit it has reopened. We only had 15 minutes before it close so we were only able to visit the first floor.  Since there are two other floors, I guess a re-visit will be in order in the future.
  The first floor has all the comforts of a spa. private baths, hot showers and steam boxes. Looks like the rich could afford to loose weight in style.  The main feature of the first floor is a beautiful stain glass mural in the ceiling.  It was so huge I could not get it the entire glass in my frame and I had to lay down on the floor to get what I did.

 

 

 

Military Aviation Museum

  While this is not a National Park, this is one of those little known museums that if you like military aviation history it is what I consider a "must see".  Located in the city of Virginia Beach, Virginia about 6 miles from where we live it is much more than your average museum filled with air planes. ALL of these airplanes are in working order and fly regularly.

  The museum is filled with airplanes from the First World War and the Second World War. The exhibits cover military history from the First World War through the Korean War.  For just $12 for adults the museum packs allot and well worth the price of admission.  This past Sunday Sandee and I took another trip to the museum as it was a nice sunny and warm day it was good to get outdoors to revisit.

  Throughout the year the museum plays host to a number of events. In May the museum puts on its own air show and re-enactment. This entails flybys by most of the planes in the museum plus a number of Confederate Air Forces planes who participate in this event. In addition, there are a number of re-enactors dressed up in US, Italian, German and British regalia. And if you like the music from the World War II era, you can relax to the live sounds re-created by the Andrew Sisters look and sound a likes.

  There are a number of other events as well, big dinner and dancing nights and flybys of aircraft to the sound of classical music just to name a few.

Anyway here are some of pictures of the aircraft you can see. In addition, the German World War hanger is REAL, not a re-creation. It was shipped to Virginia Beach, VA in pieces and put back together. In fact, you can even see the REAL bullet holes from Allied attacks on the hanger.


                                                              P-51 Mustang

 

                                                  

                                                                     Corsair

                                                              British Spitfire

                                                       Russian  Lavochkin  La 9

                                                     WWI  German Folker

                                              WWI  German Folker ( the type "Red Baron" flew

                                              German Junkers Transport Aircraft

 

 

                                                 Actual bullet holes in German Hanger