2013-10 Santa Rosa New Mexico

Blue Hole springs, Santa Rosa NM

2013-10

Santa Rosa New Mexico

campground:  Santa Rosa State Park.  Elect/water  reg price $14.  I’m paying $4 after purchase of the yearly camping pass.  4 over the air TV stations.  3g Verizon. 

Santa Rosa State Park, NM

                   

Before I headed out on Tuesday, I was able to fit in a visit with my friends Kathy and Randy.  It was Kathy’s birthday and we celebrated by going to The Range, a most fab restaurant in Bernalillo.  Great food, atmosphere and prices.  Randy wasn’t eager to go on the tram ride to the top of the Mt overlooking Albuquerque so Kathy and I ventured onward and upward.  It was a perfect day as the there were no winds, something one wants when ascending almost 4,000 feet in a tram dangling from two cables.  The views as always were awesome and a drink in the lounge at the top was pretty cool too.  Actually it was friggin warm in the restaurant/bar area but the cool drinks helped.  

Kathy on her Birthday, wish I could have taken a better pic.  

Distance traveled  145 miles

Santa Rosa

I kind of hated to leave Cochiti Lake campground.  It’s a great location for touring and I didn’t do half of what I had originally planned, but I did get a chance to meet up with many friends in the area, though not all of them, darn.

On my last day in the Abq/Santa Fe area I had a Dr’s appt to finally have a sebaceous cyst removed from my back, which I should have had done while in Tucson, but oh well, at least the little irritant has finally been removed.  Making for much more pleasant driving down the road without having that irritating pain in my back.  Of course in two weeks I’ll have to drop into a Urgent Care type place to have the stitches removed, but that won’t stop me from heading on down the road.

I headed out around 8:30 this morning and traveled along hwy 285 (between Santa Fe and I-40) which is just one of those perfect secondary roads that we RV-ers love to drive on.  Very little traffic, nice wide paved shoulders on either side of the smooth two lane road.  The views of the prairie with it’s golden yellow close-cropped grasslands, dotted with low growing juniper trees stretching from horizon to horizon.  Finally reaching Interstate 40 where I headed east towards Santa Rosa for another 60 miles.  I was able to get to Santa Rosa State park just as the winds started to pick up.  The final drive being a winding road and finally a breathtaking crossing over the top of the earthen and rock covered dam.  A wedge shaped dam a thousand feet high with a strip of asphalt pavement across the top. 

late afternoon shot through the Ramada at my campsite

Santa Rosa Army Corp Earthen dam

I’ve really gotten spoiled with the low camping rates here in New Mexico and will hate to leave the state eventually.  The most I’ve paid this past month has been $4 -$10 a night.  Much less than my budgeted amount of around $18 a night.  The Santa Rosa State Park is actually owned by the Army Corp, who built it along with the earthen dam here along the Pecos River.  The Army Corp has leased the campground out to the New Mexico state parks for operating it.  

The Santa Rosa St pk is only 7 miles from town, but is truly high desert prairie and you’d never know you were that close to town.  Although there may not be that much to explore in this area, I’m enjoying the prairie type scenery and the feel of a small town of only 2,800.  The only national commercial businesses are a McDonnells, Family Dollar and a new Dollar General.  With a number of good motels and all the local historical Route 66 restaurants.  Even a couple Rv campgrounds right on route 66 in town.  

Santa Rosa is one of those way stops that so many highway drivers end up at either for the night or a meal along the way.  Being half way between Albuquerque and Amarillo tx. Rv-ers will love the wide road through town and the numerous places to pull off the road near restaurants etc.  

historic route 66 signs

The one attraction here in Santa Rosa besides Blue Hole springs is the Route 66 Auto Museum.($5).  I’ll dedicate this section to my friend David “Butch” Bird as he’s a real car nut.  I can just see him drooling over all the cars.  I just wish they had some placards with details on each of the cars on display, as I don’t know that much about these classic cars and I’m sure some have a great history as to the original owners etc.  Still I enjoyed seeing some really great antique cars.  

Did Elvis sign this car?

I’m not sure I’ll have anything to write about next week as I’ll be in this area for another week and touring looks pretty limited.  But at least I’ll enjoy the beautiful sunny days and perfect temperatures this time of year.  

more photos on Picasa

The adventure continues.....