Cold

 2/18- Carlsbad NM Brantley Lake State Park

   The day commenced with a ride through Lincoln National Forest. This was a really pretty trip with the junipers and cedars scattered across the rolling hills. The road wound up to the mountain pass and we crossed the Indian Divide. I have no idea what this means but they had a sign declaring it so…

    We came into the little hamlet of Capita where we stopped at the Smokey Bear State Park. I was expecting this big park with camping etc but it turns out that it was just a single building in the middle of town. This park is near where they found the half burned cub they turned into Smokey the Bear. They have a nice garden walk which leads to the place where they buried the bear after 25 years of service to the National Park service. 

   We then headed down from the 6500 feet we were at until we hit the town of Lincoln. This is a town that is a recreated western town.  All the buildings are true to what was there a 150 years ago. The courthouse here in town is especially famous for once holding Billy the Kid. This whole area is steeped in a history that is just old enough to be interesting but not so old as to be unfathonable. I mean in 1880 they had cars and electricity but this was still the Wild West. 

   Next we came down out of the foothills and buzzed along Area 51 in Roswell. We have both been here many times but it’s always fun to see how the town embraces their alien neighbors. 

   Alayne wanted a Mexican lunch so we stopped down the road in Artesia which is an oil drilling town. The directions to the restaurant took us through an area that caused us to be concerned. There were burned out trailers and junk cars all over the place not to mention the piles of trash just lying around. This didn’t look like a neighborhood that would have a restaurant. Lo and behold around the corner was a sheet metal building with a restaurant sign. We hesitated and definitely locked the tv but once inside it was a very nice restaurant with great food.

Speaking of junk cars I have never seen so many junks. Almost ever yard has a dozen or so junks. I guess with the climate they don’t break down so people have every car they’ve ever owned. And in that vein Roswell is huge junk yard for American Airlines and their planes. 

   Finally we pulled into Brantley Lake SP and got a site a bit out of the wind. One thing that had surprised me is that coming down out of the mountains and it got colder the further south we got. It’s was only about 45 out when we got here. It is expected to get down to the lower 20’s by daybreak. What is going on here????  Here’s hoping we don’t freeze our water tonight. 

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