Northeastern New Mexico

Ute Lake State Park, our first stop in New Mexico, great place to relax and nice facilities. It sits pretty much all alone on a high desert plain with the Canadian river running through it. We had the whole campground to ourselves, nice part about camping after the kids are back in school. 

Nice long pull thru sites are always a plus! 

                                                      Beautiful sunsets over Ute Lake!

  While staying here we drove into the little town of Tucumcari which is on part of old Route 66, it has seen better times.  For anyone of my generation the TV series and song get your kicks on route 66 pop into your head.  Every-time we cross its path it give me a thrill! 

 Randy had to check out the local feed and ranch store.  We visited with a very interesting couple who have been running it for 32 years.  They do a little bit of everything to try to keep it going.  The husband bakes bread, donuts and makes coffee at 3AM and smokes Barbeque for lunch. You can sit at the corner table next to the feed supplies, eat a bite and visit with the local ranchers.

                                                   The pictures say it all!

Leaving Ute lake behind we head along Route 66 toward Las Vegas, a lot of open land and I caught a lucky snapshot of antelope as Randy barreled on down the highway.

Camping outside of Las Vegas at Storie Lake. This part of NM had been in a 7 to 10 year drought and until a week ago you could walk across the lake. They started to get heavy rainfall amounts the week before we got here and now flooding is a real problem.  We have lucked out and missed the bad weather as we travel west.  I guess our delays getting to this area was a good thing.  You can't help but notice how green things are!

Planning on staying in this area for awhile as there is so much to see. 

                                            Las Vegas Plaza a history stop on the Santa Fe trail.

Will make that another story.  Hope you enjoy and will see whats over the next hill and around the next bend!