[b]Update/Photos: Bandelier, Valles Caldera, Chaco Canyon - Finishing up my New Mexico Tour and heading to Phoenix[/b] Hi all, Im in Gallup, NM now. Ive been here before, but forgotten that its a dumpy ghetto town that looks low class with strange vibes that make me feel uneasy for some reason. Plus the train runs through here a lot, which is annoying. Anyway, after Los Alamos, I went to Bandelier National Monument, which was nice. It had a series of cliff dwellings and beautiful brown canyons. Here are some images of it: nps.gov/band/index.htm [img]img1.sunset.timeinc.net/sites/default/files/image/2010/05/monuments-bandelier-l.jpg[/img] [img]protrails/images/areasections/60.jpg[/img] [img]nps.gov/band/photosmultimedia/upload/tyuonyi%208.jpg[/img] After that I headed to Santa Fe for a few days to see some museums and eat at some vegan restaurants and salad bar buffets. There is an Indian cultural museum I would recommend on Museum Hill, away from the downtown area on Old Santa Fe Trail. Its very big and has a lot more Indian artifacts and exhibits than the museums downtown. indianartsandculture.org After that, I went back on scenic byway 4 to see Valles Caldera preserve. It turned out that the whole thing is an attraction for geologists because it used to be inside a volcano. The visitor center is sloppily organized, even though their staff are very nice and friendly. Heres the strange thing. This preserve looks very beautiful from afar, but when you enter it, you can only drive up to the visitor center. Then when you enter the visitor center, you are told that the road is closed to the public and cannot drive any further. At that point, most people simply turn back. So how are you supposed to enjoy this preserve or park?! Wtf?! It was only after I did a short hike there, that I found out that there were guided tours there daily, which I asked about before I left. But by then, it was already too late. The last tour left at 4:30pm so I would have to wait til tomorrow. And on the weekends, there are longer more extensive tours. But you dont find out about any of this unless you ask about it. Otherwise, they tell you nothing, except that you cant go any further. And at that point, people simply turn around. Huh?! I mean, if a park has guided tours, shouldnt they be advertised on a sign or billboard in the visitor center? Thats basic common sense. Well they are not. And the staff dont mention it either, unless you ask about it. But most people will not ask because they will assume that if they arent told about it, then it doesnt exist. Isnt there something wrong with this picture?! (confused and scratching head) I mean, whats the point of a visitor center if all they do is tell you to turn back around? Very strange. The other visitors coming in were not told about the tours either. All they were told was that the road was closed to the public from here on. The only way you know about their guided tours is by asking. Otherwise, they dont mention them. But by the time I asked, it was already too late. Had they told me about it when I came in, I would have gone on it. But I didnt want to drive all the way back the next day and delay my trip another day. I plan to contact their administrative office and complain about that. Youd think that a park that gives daily guided tours at set times everyday would mention them in their visitor center. Geez. But the staff dont tell you unless you ask, and there are no signs or billboards about it. Ive never seen such a lack of basic organization and common sense. It also defies basic logic -- I mean, why would you sell or offer something, but not advertise it or mention it anywhere? Very odd. Doesnt make sense at all. Here is the official site of Valles Caldera preserve: vallescaldera.gov I guess New Mexico, although laid back, is sloppy and inefficient when it comes to basic things like that. There seems to be a lack of consideration of basic things. Its a poor state with many ghetto towns after all. Next, I headed to Chaco Culture Canyon, in the northwest corner of the state and stayed there two days. My friend Mr S recommended it to me. It has the largest concentration of Indian pueblo ruins in the US, and was even featured in the History Channels Ancient Aliens series. It definitely was very interesting and spectacular. And the ranger program at night in the amphitheater was great. They let us see the surface of the moon through their big telescopes, and the rings on Saturn too. nps.gov/chcu/index.htm [img]3.bp.blogspot/-Nw9VyLEXMwA/Tns5i4WaX6I/AAAAAAAAAvk/l5tMP8_a314/s320/chaco%2Bcanyon.jpg[/img] I did feel a little spiritual energy there, as Mr S told me I would, but it was not as peaceful and sacred as the Indian pueblo ruins on Wupatki National Monument and Sunset Crater, a little north of Flagstaff AZ, which I highly recommend. Theres a feeling of peace and sacredness at Wupatki that I cant explain in words. You have to go there and feel it to understand what I mean. Here are links about it: nps.gov/wupa/index.htm tripadvisor/Attraction_Review-g60971-d108883-Reviews-Wupatki_National_Monument-Flagstaff_Arizona.html yelp/biz/wupatki-national-monument-cameron-2 However, Chaco Canyon was very hot, and the way there consists of rough gravel roads that go for many miles, on both ends of the park. There are ridges on those gravel roads, which causes your vehicle to shake up and down a lot. Its not a pleasant ride and is very wearing on your tires. Plus it takes a long time to drive through because you have to drive so slow. I dont get why they dont pave it. I guess no one wants to pay for it. Another thing is that its out in the middle of nowhere with no gas or food or lodging. So you have to camp there and bring your own food and have plenty of gas. But they do NOT tell you any of that when you head into the park. Again, sloppy inconsiderate management in New Mexico. When you turn off the road to go there, there ought to be a sign telling you that theres no food or gas for many miles. Thats something important people need to know. Otherwise, they run the risk of running out of gas there. I entered the park from the northern end. But when I left out of the southern end, I almost ran out of gas. I entered the park with 60 percent of my gas tank full, which I assumed would be enough. But after driving slowly on miles of gravel road (which is very fuel inefficient) and driving the loop in the park several times (with the air conditioning on all the time because it was so hot, which eats up more fuel) I only had half a tank of gas left. And we all know how the second half of the gas tank goes down a lot faster than the first half for some reason. Then when I was leaving the park, I had to go through many miles of gravel road again, which ate up more gas. By the time I got onto the paved road, my gas was low. There was no gas station around. So I headed toward Gallup, NM, which was 55 miles away. With low gas, I wasnt sure if Id make it. It was very close and getting really low. When I got closer to Interstate 40 though, I finally found some gas stations. It was a relief. What a close call. The problem with driving in New Mexico is that there are long stretches of road with no gas stations for hundreds of miles, but they do not tell you about it like they do in other states. Its very inconsiderate. So if you dont calculate it right, you could run out of gas. Thats why I always refill gas here when its only half full. Im going to contact the National Park Service and bring these things to their attention. Anyway, Im in Gallup now, which is in the northwest corner of New Mexico, right next to Arizona. Im going to rest here for a while and then head to Phoenix. If any of you are down there and want to meet up, let me know. After that, Ill probably go to a Buddhist retreat center for a while to recharge spiritually. P.S. Here are some new revelations and insights I gained while traveling, contemplating and meditating: happierabroad/forum/viewtopic.php?t=23301
Posted on: Mon, 09 Jun 2014 05:59:49 +0000