I woke up to a purple sunrise over the Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge off I-25. I had stopped for the night for a few hours at the Larimar reststop bordering the refuge, but then didn't realize that I was not supposed to walk on that land with Zeke. NO TRESPASSING signs were only on the southern edge of the rest stop and I was on the northern edge.
I had walked through an opening in the fence and walked up a hill to get a better view of the rising sun. I only walked a mile around the cactus. This is a dry river valley studded with cactus hills and distant buttes. Interstate traffic blared nearby, but get away from the traffic and it's easy to imagine what this land was like before white settlers came. Hues of browns filled the landscape like a watercolor painting. There was still dust blowing in the air and it was still windy.
I had wanted to make it to Albuquerque (ABQ) for the night and had to make up for the 66 miles. I like stopping in Albuquerque, but instead of turning east on I-40 I was continuing north on I-25. I stopped for breakfast just north of ABQ, in a small town called Bernalillo on US Hwy 550. This town is on the Rio Grande, on the northern edge of the Cibolla National Forest. The Sandia mountains tower to the east as one drives north on I-25. The lush green willow trees along the river beckoned me to stop here and walk around. I needed my exercise.
I walked into a colorful coffee shop called Bad Ass Coffee on the south side of the highway. (Across the street was the impressive Bosque Brewing Company, with ample outdoor seating) This was more than a coffee shop, as there were couches, an outdoor patio, and the general feeling that this place is a hang-out. It even offered free internet. Kona coffee is brewed here and that is some potent java! I last had Kona coffee in Anchorage at the air force base. This coffee today was just as good: full-bodied without the bitterness. I ordered a breakfast burrito and the bill came to over $13 (a bit steep for breakfast) but I got two meals out of the deal. The barista told me there was access to the river just a block east and I took her advice.
The Rio Grande flows north-south, down the river valley toward Mexico and west of the Sandia mountains. Heavy development mars the scenery, with traffic sounds overpowering the view. The river here is badly scared by ATVs, trash (both from passers-by and transients) and what looked to me as recent flooding over the banks. There was too much mud along the shore that I opted to bypass. The walk wasn't nearly as nice as I had hoped because of the man-made destruction along the banks, but it was still nice to get out and walk a bit before resuming the drive. I even sat in the shade of the dog-friendly Bosque Brewing patio and used the wifi. I had been to the Bosque Brewing taphouse in ABQ a few times (it's off the historic Route 66), but here is where the beer is brewed. The owner came out and offered to give Zeke some water. I will have to make an effort to come back to this place during opening hours to experience the riverfront at night. I'm sure the patio is crowded.
The rest of the drive was along I-25. It was still windy but not as bad as yesterday.
One nice surprise today was stopping at the Pecos National Historical Park southeast of Santa Fe. This was once a busy Pueblo of around 2000 people. The archeological site is just six miles off the interstate and makes for a nice break in driving. It's free and dogs are allowed on the path. This was a perfect excuse to walk the mile loop Ruins Trail and enjoy the scenery. There is only one adobe building still standing, a 300-year-old Spanish missionary, but several circular foundations (kivas) are still intact. It's not a very big site, but it's worth stopping in. The 7000' elevation is cooling and it smells of wet pine, unlike southern New Mexico that smells of dry sage.
Nearby is Glorieta Pass, where a Civil War Battle took place in March, 1861. There is also a short hiking trail there but I didn't walk that one. I'll make sure I do this trail the next time I drive through.
I stopped again in Las Vegas to walk the shaded town square, but didn't stay long. My next destination was Trinidad in Colorado, an old coal mining town right off the interstate and on Purgatory Creek. The nice part about that town is the drive over Raton Pass into the town. The town has a nice riverfront, but today there were too many transients begging for money. They left me alone when they saw Zeke. I walked a mile around the historic district (El Corazon de Trinidad), with many preserved Victorian buildings of the 1880s, past mining monuments and muraled walls. I have stopped several times now in Trinidad, and saved my evening walk for Pueblo, CO.
I had never been in Pueblo before and went straight to the short riverwalk in the downtown area before stopping at Brues Alehouse. There were quite a few people along the canaled Thomas Phelps Creek. This Creek flows into the Arkansas river. The paved walking area reminds me of downtown Indianapolis, another city which has seen a revival in its city core. I only did another mile, saving exploring Pueblo for another visit. (I really ought to spend a summer exploring Colorado's many small mining towns!) I could have stayed in town longer, but wanted to make it to my planned destination of Colorado Springs and Fort Carson.
I'll be back in Pueblo. I liked what I saw. But as soon as I got back on the interstate to head north, a heavy rainstorm burst open. At least I had gotten some walking in and the rain held out while I was in Pueblo. I would have hunkered down in Pueblo had it rained while I was in town as I-25 along the Colorado frontal range is a busy north-south corridor. The cities are only 45 miles apart and are very different: while Pueblo developed as a major railroad and transportation town with a rundown skyline, Colorado Springs's economy is heavily dependent on two military agencies, tourism and its former image as a resort town for English aristocrats. There is a lot of wealth in Colorado Springs and I've always enjoyed stopping here for the night and hiking in the nearby mountains. This was my third time in the area.
I found the gym and showered there, then found the lodging area and camped there for the night, enjoying a sunset but coming too late for a meal as everything on post was closed. The new Ironhorse Sports Complex is impressive, and even at night it towers over the area. It has an indoor pool, basketball and racquetball courts, weight rooms, indoor track, indoor rock wall. Why wasn't something like this available when I was active duty? The complex is open 5am-10pm during the week; I figured something this big would be open 24 hours, like many gyms are on air force bases.
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