This article is not specifically about photography or cameras. It is more about my (our) first love – TRAVEL. A selection of photographs from the trip will scroll across the home page until a more current batch is called for. The images referred to in this article will be among those images scrolling across the home page. The two not referred to in this article are a shot from the Taos Pueblo and another from the old wooden gate at Santuario de Chimayo.
My wife and I left Tow (Llano County) Texas on Labor Day, headed for another Southwestern adventure. I am writing this in the Rio Grande Gorge (Orilla Verde) BLM Recreation Area near Taos, New Mexico. We hosted a campsite here in 2005. The natural beauty of the gorge has changed little since then. The legend of Taos Mountain has worked its magic on us.
We spent our first night in Lamesa, Texas. The city of Lamesa maintains free electric and water hookups for travelers and overnight visitors to their city. The RV Park is in the city park, surrounded by shady trees, grass and family picnic and play areas. There is no checkin/checkout. You simply pull into the RV area and connect. It is a wonderful way to welcome visitors to your city and to attract customers to local businesses. It wasn’t until a few miles up the road that we learned several West Texas and Panhandle cities had adopted the practice. If you are an RVer, it would be well worth planning a stop along the roads through Lamesa, Brownfield, Levelland, or Littlefield. The highways through these towns are an excellent choice for North/South travel through this part of Texas. It is a smooth, flat pull with little traffic.
We entered New Mexico through Clovis. Hard times were evident in the city but farms and ranches were green and looked healthy. Driving such open and seemingly desolate roads leaves me in a dream world, imagining the times when horses were the main mode of travel. Or, powered transport was in its infancy.
The railroad opened the west to the world. The high, wind-swept plains of New Mexico are laced with tracks. Railroads are resurging, replacing the 18-wheeler as commercial transportation’s mode of choice. Trains passed us frequently, loaded with transport trailers from J.B. Hunt and others, traveling east and west through the wide-open spaces of our great southwest. The price of fuel has made train transport much more economical than highway travel.
The dusty rose haze in the background is the remains of a passing dust storm. The isolated ranch is testimony to the hardy souls who have inhabited this area since it was opened and developed by generations of forefathers. They have endured dust storms, drought, freezing winters and untold struggles with human issues as well as the weather. These are the real conservative Americans; the folks who have practiced and do practice the culture mouthed by so-called “conservative politicians.” We stopped along the Llano Estacado for lunch. This Historical Marker is on the far side of the highway from the ranch and railroad track. The sign documents the wild and rugged history of the area. The windmill and stock loading pens in the background speaks to the success of the men who brought cattle ranching to the area.
Our second day on the road was much longer than planned, probably because we made very few stops. The light was not very good. I passed on many picturesque scenes because of it. Rather than spend the night in Tucumcari or stop before Santa Fe, we decided to push a bit and arrive early in Pilar – site of the Rio Grande Gorge Visitor Center. I would liked to have photographed the gorgeous homes of the fortunate few who live on the outskirts of Santa Fe but let anticipation of arrival preempt some excellent lifestyle scenes. That was a mistake. I know that such opportunities should NEVER be missed. I must learn to give priority to my photographic instincts. It’s not the destination, Dummy! It’s the Journey. 
I’ll speak more about the Legend of Taos Mountain in the next article. Maybe the next article will be more about photography. L8r
