New Mexico and Texas
Fall colors along highway 17 traveling east from Colorado into New Mexico. we got luck and say the the Cumbres & Toltec scenic
railroad heading back to Chama in the afternoon.
If we had gone according to our original plan, through Pagos Springs, we would have crossed the continental divide twice more.
Camped at Heron Lake State Park, NM with some wild Turkeys. Elevation 7202 This was a large park and almost empty.
One of the sink holes that forms Bottomless Lakes State Park, NM. Elevation only 3471. The lakes are actually fairly
shallow. There a re several different tales as to how the early settlers gave them their name.
Sunset skies at Bottomless Lakes
After Bottomless Lakes we made a 2 day trip down into west Texas to meet Jennifer and Phil and to go swimming in a unique pool
Camped at Davis Mountain State Park, TX
This 1.3 acre pool was made by the CCC during the depression. It sits on top of a spring that pushes water up in the bottom of the pool and
then runs out in a nice little creek. It holds about 3.5 million gallons. Supposedly it always 72 degrees. It was a fun stop in our trip.
Back in New Mexico we stopped at a great BLM site, Aguirre Spring. It is located high on a
hill overlooking the White Sands Missile Range and, further out, White Sands National Park
A brief stop at White Sands National Park
Another BLM campground, this is Datil Well. From the BLM, “Datil Well Recreation Area Campground
includes one of 15 water wells along the old Magdalena Livestock Driveway. The old cattle trail was
established in the 1800s and stretched 120 miles from Springerville, Arizona, to Magdalena, New Mexico.”
Our last stop in New Mexico, El Morro National Monument
