Fort Union was a military fort in Northeast New Mexico; it was established in 1851 to protect the Santa Fe Trail which thousands of travelers used each year. The Santa Fe Trail was around 800 miles long, stretching from Independence, Missouri, to Santa Fe, New Mexico.
I photographed more than the typical number of kiosks and signs for inclusion here. (I saved those images as extra-large, so the text is readable.)
This site had a small but very nice visitor center, and all the indoor and outdoor signage was well done. It was hot the day I went so that made things a bit more challenging as there is no shade; nevertheless, this was among my favorites of the “small” NPS sites.
I headed toward the Guadalupe Mountains next. This national park is in a very remote area where fuel–along with everything else–is hard to find. I ended up staying in an almost-empty, privately-owned campground that I found by literally driving by. No one was there but I peeked in at a brand-new bathroom with showers as well as a small but also brand-new laundromat. In the middle of nowhere, those were a very welcome sight, so I decided to stay. It took a little work to find out how to pay. I came to find out the owner (whose house was a few hundred yards off the highway behind the campground) was on vacation in Alaska(!) but I called & was able to pay him over the phone. He was extremely nice and he told me his uncle was keeping an eye on the place while they were gone. I later met Dave, the uncle, who was also very nice. It’s so comforting to find good folks when one is in the middle of nowhere! Their place was some distance from the Park but still served well as a base while I explored the area. I ended up staying an extra day because, of all things, a sandstorm which dangerously affected visibility on the highway leading to the Park.
At the campground, I met a young German man named Philip who was/is exploring the U.S. He was very nice also and we found we had photography in common. His work is very good.
This area counted among the top three or so of the “most remote”, especially when it came to fuel. The tiny town of Dell, several miles away (opposite direction from the Park), had one or two mom-and-pop stations with either limited hours or limited paying options. It was definitely different but doable with help/info from local folks.
The Park was different, too, as it doesn’t have any roads *through* the Park. It is accessed only through formidable hikes. After visiting the visitor center (which was good), I took a short hike on the outskirts and explored an interesting historic ranch. The other hikes were too long for me, and Sadie wasn’t allowed on any of them, anyway. Maybe return at a cooler time of year & when I’m in better hiking shape…?
Also, the wind was absolutely crazy here. I don’t know if it’s always like this, but no matter how tight my ballcap was “fastened” on, it still kept blowing off. Had to go around with hat hair. An example of the wind is included in the video after the gallery, below.
(more info in captions)
TEXAS. MAY.
First, an interesting mountain ridge on the route, Second, tremendous wind at a rest stop looking back at the Guadalupes, Third, Sand!
In trying see as many national park sites as possible, I headed toward Big Bend next. It was starting to get hot, so the park and campgrounds weren’t crowded. And I was pleasantly surprised by all the wildlife there–many of which I saw right in the campground. I went on only one hike but drove all the roads in the park. If I ever go back, I will make a rafting trip part of the plan.
After Olympic, we headed up to North Cascades National Park on the Canadian border. The most striking part about this park is the colorful Diablo Lake. An explanation of this surprising color is in one of the photos. Sadie and I took a hike that also overlooked Diablo Lake. I happened on what I thought was a particularly beautiful roadside cascade one day, too. The usual PNW moss, ferns, and wet was everywhere. Beautiful area.
Mount Rainier NP was a surprise. I knew very little about it before I went and found it to be very, very beautiful. When I visited in June of the year, there was still a good bit of snow and water flowing *everywhere*. Also, lots of wildflowers, which I love. The only wildlife I saw were marmots, but I always enjoy seeing them. It was also very crowded at that time, so I don’t know if a different time of year would be better for a visit. I definitely recommend a visit at some point, however. (no photo captions this time; I may add some later)
At first, I tried to disperse camp for my visit to Crater Lake, but the road into the location I found online looked too dicey for my rig. Instead, with the help of employees of a state park, I found myself at the Forest Service Williamson River campground. To my delight, when I arrived, I discovered they weren’t yet charging a fee, but that changed later on in my short stay. It was a basic but nice campground. Crater Lake was amazing. I’ve never seen water so blue. Remarkably, my visit during the first week of June was still too early for all the roads to be opened. (The yearly average snowfall is 41 feet!) One advantage of road closures was that we were able to walk on the Rim Road–and I was able to take Sadie. It was great to see so much snow but I want to go again later in the summertime so I can explore the entire park. After my Park visit, I found another route to the dispersed camping area and moved there before proceeding to my next destination.
Next, I headed into Oregon, first to see the National Park site, Oregon Caves. Found a nice, basic forest service campground called Grayback just down the road from the Caves. May was a good time for strong water flowing through the adjacent “Sucker Creek” and also for blooming dogwoods. The cave tour was worth the time & money, in my opinion. Pretty area.
Certainly, the Redwoods state and national parks and coastal areas are beautiful but unfortunately, my bad California luck continued in a big way here. The memories are still fresh several months later, so I will not choose to record those unfortunate events here since the goal is to ultimately forget what happened. Instead, I’ll only mention the good–and usual beautiful–parts and then we’ll move on. (More info in the photo captions.)
After being fortunate enough to grab a campsite at the Valley’s North Pines Campground, I enjoyed a full day in the Valley plus a little more time as I made my way out of the Park on my last day. Part of the reason I left when I did was a forecast of a wintry mix–which did happen. Spring is a great time to visit Yosemite because of all the water, but I will probably choose another time of year next visit, if for no other reason than to have access to all roadways. What a beautiful, beautiful place. ‘Can’t wait to return and visit the parts I didn’t see on this trip–and to see the same parts again! I highly recommend a visit. Just be prepared for the inevitable sea of humanity. Reserve early and also leave early each morning. Enjoy! (I plan to have one more Yosemite post with videos)
