Colorado Road Trip - Day 3

Day 3 – Monday, October 8, 2012

Raton, NM


Each place we stayed offered a great breakfast and we took advantage of that.  The Holliday Express in Raton also offered sandwiches with fixings each afternoon.  So we really enjoyed our stay there.
 

Each morning we would meet at breakfast and make our plans for the day, and enjoy one more cup of coffee before we hit the road.

“Where the deer and the antelope play.”

Traveling southwest from Raton, toward Cimarron, we saw many antelope in herds grazing in the pastures. This herd was close to the fence, so we stopped to get some close pictures. We were thrilled to spot wildlife as we traveled.



In the town of Cimarron we stopped at the St. James Hotel. This hotel is advertised as a place where western history and the spirits of the old west come alive!

It was established by Henri Lambert. 

It felt like stepping back in time as we entered.  Here Lucille signs in at an old roll top desk. 

The name “Cimarron” is Spanish meaning wild or unruly and the Village of Cimarron lived up to that description. There are still bullet holes in many of the rooms in the hotel.

This was an original roulette table with old dice turner baskets.

There was little if any law enforcement. Arguments were settled with bullets and in many instances justice was a result of vigilantes.



The parlor was furnished with beautiful furniture, chandeliers, and fine art, and wild animal trophies mounted on the walls.



This was a picture of the original safe located next to the parlor.  Notice the very thick outer doors, and then other doors for the interior section.

These were the ornate swinging doors into the hallway.  The rooms are still rented for overnight stays.  The rooms are named for many famous people like Bat Masterson, Jesse James, Annie Oakley, Wyatt Earp, Zane Gray, Remington, etc.  That, too, makes the hotel intriguing.
 

This is looking down one of the hallways leading to some of the rooms.  Some believe the hotel is haunted, like hearing children running down the hall when there are none in the hotel;  smelling the scent of rose perfume but no one is there, and more.

The saloon is now part of the restaurant; many colorful western characters frequented the saloon and or stayed in the hotel.

The Earp brothers stopped here on their way to Tombstone, Arizona.
Buffalo Bill Cody became a friend of the Lamberts.
The Gentleman Gunfighter, Clay Allison, frequented the hotel where he killed almost a dozen men in the saloon.
Outlaws such as Jesse James and Black Jack Ketchum also rested in the hotel.



We enjoyed a morning dessert, a cup of coffee, and ...

...the ability to say we’ve been in the historic hotel!



After our time in the St. James Hotel, we headed south out of Cimarron on HWY 21, to another site Daddy wanted us to see, Philmont Scout Camp.

The road passed through a very pretty valley that is the setting for the Philmont Scout Ranch.

A roadside historic sign gave a summary of the ranch.

The welcome sign at the property entrance.

We drove all around the property.  Here we see the frames of cabins.  Resting on each cabin frame were a lot of wild turkeys.

More turkeys were seen as we drove around.

There were also a lot of Mule Deer walking around the grounds.  We enjoyed driving around the Boy Scout training center, and wondered if Martin had ever been here or knew about this camp.  It was a wonderful facility.

After leaving the camp, we stopped to make some pictures of the road and the picturesque scene.

Next, we headed west from Cimarron, noticing the beginning of the Aspen colors and higher mountains.

We found one spot for a photo stop at the beginning of the canyon.

The sign gave information about the area we were entering.

Aspen viewing was the reason for the trip, so we began taking pictures as we traveled into the mountains.

With high cliffs all around us, called the Palisades, we pulled off the road for a stop to view.  Here we needed a group picture.

The information signs, along the way, were a big help in understanding what we were seeing.

Spectacular!

Awe inspiring!

Gorgeous mixture of textures and color!

Looks like a postcard!

Driving out of the Cimarron Canyon, we headed to Eagles Nest.

 

Very different land, it looks like its name...an Eagles Nest.

Beautiful lake right in the middle of the valley.

Red River came next.  It was so easy to get to...no more scary Red River Pass!  We found the mountain roads much improved and easy to travel on.

A little snow already on the ski slope.

If you ever get to travel in the northern part of New Mexico, it will be well worth your time.  For now...Good-bye New Mexico, and hello Colorado!

We traveled north from Red River and headed to Colorado.

At Fort Garland, CO, we traveled west toward Alamosa, CO.  Outside of Alamosa, we saw the sign for the Great Sand Dunes!

We decided to drive by and take a look.

There they were, stacked up against the mountains!  A geographical oddity!!!

Back in 1966, on the Patterson family vacation to Wyoming, we camped one night at the Great Sand Dunes.

We had the time, so we had to see the dunes 1st hand.

We HAD to climb them! 

It was a challenge and by the time we made it to the top of this hill, the sand was starting to heat up! We barely made it back down to the bottom before it was too hot for our feet!  Who knew???  It is funny to look back at the pictures.

This year on the way out of the park area, the mountains on the east had snow on the peaks!  Very pretty.  We stayed in Alamosa that night. 

Colorado Road Trip - Day 1 & 2

In late August, my dad had been reminiscing about their past trips to Colorado during the changing of the aspen leaves and was sorry they wouldn't be taking anymore of those types of trips. I told him if he and Lucille really wanted to go, I would be glad to drive them on a road trip. So, plans were made and I invited my sister Marcene to come along.

Day 1-Saturday, October 6, 2012
We got to Daddy’s by 8:30 AM and found he and Lucille ready. His black Ford Taurus was out in the driveway and ready to be filled. We began loading the luggage, took a group picture and pulled out of the driveway by 9:00 AM.

I did the driving, with Daddy in the front passenger seat. Lucille and Marcene sat in the back. We drove out Jacksboro Highway and headed northwest. We all were so excited and began chatting and laughing as we drove. At Wichita Falls, we took a break, got a snack and filled up gas. On we went, traveling across Texas. We made it to Dumas and we wanted an afternoon break. We stopped at McDonalds and there inside was a sign saying “Ding Dong Daddy From Dumas”. So, we had Daddy stand beside the sign with his cowboy hat on! It made a good shot.

On we went, headed to Dalhart, passing around Amarillo on the loop 335. In the distance on the outskirts of Amarillo, the massive wind turbines were viewed.

Arrived in Dalhart and found a Holiday Express to stay in for the night. After a full 1st day of travel we were ready for a good rest. We weren’t very hungry, so we just stopped and got some crackers and peanut butter for a light snack that evening.

 

Day 2-Sunday, October 7, 2012
Sunday morning we enjoyed a complementary breakfast and then drove up the highway toward Texline, arriving in town a little before time for worship, so we drove around and took some pics of the landmarks and signs. As we drove around we talked about the memories we had, and how important it was in our lives.

It was a very windy cool morning, so we waited in the car before services were to begin. As we were parked waiting to go in, we saw a few little snowflakes fluttering around. However, the temp was in the 40’s, so they didn’t stay.

(pic 9-4-11)

We were greeted by ones we knew, and visited for a while before services began and caught up on all of the others who had moved away. The number of people in attendance was greatly diminished from the past years. There were only about 30 in attendance and everyone sat in the back right section of the auditorium. The preacher was a local schoolteacher, and did a good job. Daddy then led the closing prayer.
Afterwards, we took photos to remember the day.

Before leaving Texas, we had to stop for the traditional Texas photo, and changed our watches for the Mountain Time Zone.

Stopping for lunch was next on the agenda, so we chose the Dairy Queen in Clayton. It was nice and we felt refreshed to continue on our journey.

 

 From Clayton we drove to Raton, NM. One of the sights to see along highway 64 was Mt. Capulin. It is an example of an extinct cinder cone volcano that is part of the Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field. A paved road spirals around the volcano and visitors can drive up to a parking lot at the rim. Hiking trails circle the rim as well as lead down into the mouth of the volcano.

By the time we were traveling north from Clayton, it was the middle of the afternoon. So, we made it to Raton late in that Sunday afternoon and decided to stay the night there. We found the Tourist Information Center in Raton, for maps and interesting brochures, and then went to the motel, Holiday Inn Express.