March 2014 - USA and South America

chasing the armadillo for a photo while walking Sweetwater Trail in  Blackwater State Forest FL....

31 March 2014 Monday
Return drive to Bogota for flight to Armenia area.....

30 March 2014 Sunday Villa de Leyva Colombia
Wonderful free time day for walking the cobblestone streets and visiting museums and galleries and the Casa Terracota.

29 March 2014 Saturday Bogota to Villa de Leyva Colombia
A driving day to visit the Salt Cathedral at Zipaquira and the Paso Fino farm near Sopo with overnight at Villa de Leyva.

28 March 2014 Friday Bogota Colombia
Busy day with walking tour of the city and museums (Botero and Gold )and lunch at Museum of Gold.....

27 March 2014 Thursday - flight ABQ to Bogota Colombia
Two weeks travelling in Colombia South America visiting Bogota, Villa de Leyva, Armenia, Medellin and Cartagena with return to ABQ on 9 April.
Flight was fine Albuquerque to Houston but delayed about two hours out of Houston so did not get to sleep until after midnight.

21 March 2014 Friday - Villanueva to Santa Fe NM (64 miles)
2000 miles from mum's in FL to Santa Fe NM.....and much colder here! Decided to winterize my van for the time that I am in South America because the nights can get into the 20s here!

20 March 2014 Thursday - Conchas to Villanueva NM (136 miles)
Happy Spring......beautiful morning drive on route 104 to Las Vegas NM where I explored the town square (many films have been made in this town!). Visited the natural hot springs at Montezuma and had planned to camp at Storrie Lake State Park but not the greatest.....so continued down the road to Villanueva State Park which is 12 miles south of I25 and had great camping site among the cottonwood trees on the Pecos River. And enjoyed a two hour hike which was a healthy climb up the sandstone bluffs for beautiful views of the valley.

19 March 2014 Wednesday - Logan NM to Conchas NM (70 miles)
Driving down through route 66 in Tucumcari NM taking photos of old gas stations and heaps of murals.....stopped and visited with Nancy at the Blue Swallow Motel where the rooms have garages.....built in the 1930's! Yesterday in TX, I stopped in Adrian which is midway point on route 66....1139 miles to LA and 1139 miles to Chicago! Great overnight at Conchas Lake State Park.


18 March 2014 Tuesday - Quanah TX to Logan NM (258 miles)
Unfortunately, after over three years of no mice, a little critter awoke me at about 2am this morning....and of course I am not going back to sleep! I do not like driving in the dark but decided at about 5am, it was time to go and I hoped that he did not jump on me while I was driving route 287 to Amarillo! As I crossed into NM on I40, there was a severe wind/dust storm so am glad that I had gotten an early start. I am now camping at Ute Lake State Park (where the wind continues to blow dust so that you cannot see the lake) and have not yet heard the mouse? And I now have hookups for my electric heater because it may dip into the 20s this eve.

17 March 2014 Monday - Plano to Quanah TX (231 miles)
Happy St Patricks Day.....on the road again....overnight at Copper Breaks State Park near Quanah TX with time for afternoon hike.

15 March 2014 Saturday - Plano TX
Happy Ides of March! A bit of shopping and Mexican food for lunch!

14 March 2014 Friday - Tyler to Plano TX (115 miles)
Happy Pi Day!
Visiting my friend Sheila near Dallas for the weekend......and a good time to stop as the weather has changed from sunshine to rain for the weekend.

13 March 2014 Thursday - Chatham LA to Tyler TX (231 miles)
Visited Martin Creek and Tyler State Parks and both were full due to spring break in northern TX! Yuck for me.....too many noisy kids running around.....ended up a private campground which still had quite a few folks but found a spot in the back that was a bit more quiet....but their internet was broken.

12 March 2014 Wednesday - Lux MS to Chatham Louisiana (238 miles)
Rain has ended but still heavy cloud as I drove west on route 84 to Natchez, where the sun came out and the winds picked up.....they forecast up to 40 mph wind for Mississippi but I was in Louisiana by the time that they hit! On the backroads of routes 15/128/4 to camp at Jimmie Davis State Park on Caney Lake.....lovely spot in the sunshine.....short walk on the Boggy Creek Nature trail....getting cooler as I head north!

11 March 2014 Tuesday - Munson FL to Lux/Hattiesburg MS (213 miles)
Heavy morning fog then rain here in Mobile Alabama....drove route 4/21/31/I65....will exit 5B to route 98/49....stopped at exit 13 Hampton Inn to use internet.The General WK Wilson bridge on I65 over the Mobile River is one of the longest bridges in the nation at over six miles....a great architectural sight!

10 March 2014 Monday - Perry  to Munson FL (220 miles)
Drove west on routes 98 and 20 to Blackwater State Forest in Florida panhandle. Great overnight at Kruls Lake ....just me and the birds! And wonderful three mile hike on the Sweetwater Trail that follows the Sweetwater River.

9 March 2014 Sunday - Seminole to Perry FL (212 miles)
Early departure from mum's although this daylight savings change did not help! Drove north on route 19 with side trip to Steinhatchee and Keaton Beach but found no place worth camping at.....continued to Perry and now at Rockys just west of Perry on route 98. Heaps of trucks covered with mud....found that they were at a mud bog at Ironhorse Mud Ranch Athena.
Plan to be in Dallas by next weekend to visit a friend then on to New Mexico.

8 March 2014 Saturday - Seminole FL
Early morning wash of my van and then a bit of time at the pool....a gorgeous day!

6 March 2014 Thursday - Seminole FL
Heavy rain with lightning and thunder and tornadoes and hail....yuck!

3 March 2014 Monday - Bradenton to Seminole FL
Moving back to mum's for a few days with a stop first in Sarasota at Trader Joes and Whole Foods! Drove the road down Anna Maria Island to Longboat Key then over the Ringling Bridge.

2 March 2014 Sunday - Bradenton Florida
A woman from Juneau who now lives in Port Townsend WA is visiting her brother at Holmes Beach Anna Maria Island....he married a Holmes girl! Susan and I biked the island in the morning and then spent the afternoon walking at Emerson Point and Desoto National Memorial, along the beaches.

1 March 2014 Saturday - Bradenton Florida
Just when I was getting comfortable here on the water on Perico Island Bradenton.....the president of the HOA informs me that no campers are allowed, even though mine is a van that fits just fine in the driveway! She suggested that I put it in storage a few miles away and rent a car? So I guess that I may just return to mum's!