As I mentioned in the comments to my last post we decided to stay in the Artesia area one more day to let the wind die down. Friday dawned to no wind and clear skies so it was a perfect day to travel. We left Artesia and headed west over the Sacramento Mountains through Cloudcroft. I have a vivid recollection of stopping in Cloudcroft when we made the trip west in the winter of 1958. We stopped the silver and blue bus at a pull out or service station there and the white sands were visible in the valley below.
Yesterday we did not stop in Cloudcroft and the area is quite a bit more built up than it was 50 years ago, but the view is the same. We dropped down through Alamagordo and stopped at White Sands National Monument for lunch. It sure was fun driving up to the gate and showing the ranger my Senior Pass. He gave us a brochure and waved us through. I think I am going to like this! I think I remember having birthday cake while we were there about 50 years ago. Was that Donnie's birthday? (I know you are Don now but you were Donnie then.)
We had lunch in the sand dunes and took a short walk, then continued west to Deming where we spent the night in an Escapee park. This morning we got started late and only drove 150 miles to Roper Lake State Park near Safford. It is a very nice location and will leave only another 150 miles to travel tomorrow. We came this way in November so it will be nice to see Globe from the other side.
I don't remember Cloudcroft 50 years ago, but we nearly always stayed in Deming when we had the fifth wheel the first night on our way to Edgewood. We could have made the whole way if we had started early and pushed, but Tucson is 100 miles farther than Mesa. Isn't it great not to have to stick to a deadline!
ReplyDeleteThe park we stayed in, in Deming was on the north side of Main St. with good pull throughs and fairly good restaurants in walking distance. I wonder if that one is still there.
I have a movie of Donnie's fifth birthday; I think it was on the road from Benson (or Willcox) to Bisbee. In that movie, you kids are picking cotton, and tow headed Dale is running down the road, just running. How nice to be able to run like that, just for fun.
The film of my birthday is on the Lafferty DVD. I think it was in White Sands but I would have to look to be sure. I can't quite recall the actual event. ;)
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