HBGALLAVANTERS

  Today we left New Mexico and headed for Texas.  Our stop today was in El Paso.  It was the Chamizal National Memorial.  This Memorial commemorates the 1963 Treaty for which it was named.  It was a milestone in diplomatic relations between Mexico and the US, resulting in the peaceful settlement of a 100 year boundary dispute between neighboring countries.   This memorial and park explores the cultural aspects of this borderland.   These markers used to designate which country you were in. One side in English the others in Spanish. These markets show where the old border was. Before the treaty was signed.  A nice rest stop on our way east. The contrast of this park which literally sits on the Rio Grande next to the giant wall that now marks the current border is a stark one.      

  Today we headed out early to explore White Sands National Monument just a little north of Las Cruces, NM. This section of NM is home to the army missile testing site as well as other numerous test facilities for space a missile experimentation.  We came here because dogs are allowed anywhere in this park as long as they are on a leash. We did a tour on the dunes and lucky for us it was overcast so it was not too hot.  We walked on the dunes and were able to find lots of wild flowers that had somehow managed to bloom in this harsh environment. We then went out and did the driving tour to check out the folks sledding the dunes.  The landscape is so different than anything I’ve seen before snd we go out on the dunes in Pismo Beach but it’s not like this.  The sand is so white and fine that it is more like a snowscape. Great place to spend a day  

 Today was a repositioning day. Moved further east to visit some places in NM before heading to Texas. No sightseeing today so instead some info about where we are going and why.  Some of you know that I’ve been visiting National Parks, Memorials, Historic Sites, Monuments.... all to collect passport stamps. Several years ago after I’d been collecting stamps since the 80’s, the Department of Interior came out with a new passport book and it’s a whopper. So I bought it and I’m now on a mission (snd I’m dragging a phil along) to visit as many places listed in this book as possible.  Listed in this book are places all over this country and in US Territories where you can visit snd get a passport stamp.  As we travel we try and hit some of these spots. Some are historically significant - like battlefields- and some commemorate significant events - treaty signings - we are going to Chamizal National Monument this week.  Many are just plain beautiful places in our country.  At each location

Today we started out to visit Chiricahua National Monument located in southeast Arizona.  Based on the hour plus drive to get there it did not look like we would see anything that exciting.  Boy were we surprised.   The visitor center was built by the Conservation Corp in 1934. It sits at over 5000 feet high in a beautiful ponderosa pine forest.  You drive through a high desert and come around a curve to arrive at this lush forest. There is an amazing drive to the top of the mountain that allows you to see the reason why this area is protected -  “tuffs.”  These are geological phenomena created over 26 million years ago after a volcanic eruption in this area. These “tuff” structures make this destination a must see.  There is a visitor exhibit at the top of mountain that explains what you are looking at in every direction. This is the land of the Apaches - Cochise snd Geronimo.  Where settlers were massacred for encroaching on Apache land. The vistas are amazing. From forest fire looko