Lessons we have learned so far in New Mexico:

• Nic: It’s possible to do a pretty quick fuel filter change at 9,000+ feet elevation without getting dirty enough to need a shower.
• Homer: Don’t sit on a cactus.
• Katie: Leftover boiled water from the Instant Pot tastes like dinner the night before (some variation of garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and cumin most likely).
• Luna: The generator and heater fan are terrifying, but that terror results in lots of lap time and extra cuddles.

We kissed Kansas goodbye, made our way through a few miles of Oklahoma, ignored Texas half a mile away from our route, and made it to New Mexico two days ago! So far, we are indeed enchanted.

Our route began in Clayton, a tiny town of very friendly people and an amazingly stocked hardware store. Pretty much every town of over 1,000 here has a hardware store and at least one dollar store, and we have been regularly frequenting the former. We drove into the high desert plains over the next few hours, watching as vistas of extinct volcanoes, high mesas, snowy peaks, and scrubby grazing land unfolded in front of us. We were especially surprised when the majestic Sangre de Cristo Range appeared out of nowhere on the horizon. It made this trip feel real to be nearing the Rockies and traveling through a familiar longitude.

Morning walk in Colorado

Morning snooze in New Mexico

After arriving in little Raton, we stocked up on expensive mountain-town groceries (favorite purchase: freshly made tortillas) and headed out to Sugarite Canyon State Park. We had to mind our manners that night, since we finally had a few neighbors. We paid a little extra for hook-ups, and we enjoyed the chance to charge all our electronics and run some heat. We have had lots of strong sunshine in New Mexico so far, but we’ve also been staying at over 7,000 feet. Nights get into the 20s or 30s, and a little bit of heat goes a long way. Sugarite Canyon provided some great trail runs for Katie, warm showers, and a beautiful morning walk for all four of us over the border into Colorado.

Nice place to change a fuel filter

We continued west yesterday over Bobcat Pass (the highest mountain pass in this state at 9,820 feet) and through charming mountain towns along the scenic Enchanted Circle. Just before reaching the pass, the RV began giving suspicious signs of dysfunction. You just can’t go up a mountain pass when the gas pedal doesn’t give you any power. An hour later, Nic had whipped in a new fuel filter like a boss and solved our issue. He is a genius!

Rio Grande gorge

We filled up on gas in Questa and headed out to the Wild Rivers Recreation Area, our home for two nights. This area is a spit of land towering over the confluence of the Rio Grande and Red River. With huge gorges on either side of the park and mountain views on the eastern horizon, the setting couldn’t be much more striking and scenic. We arrived at the sun-kissed hour, what we call those moments just before sunset when the sun’s glow bathes everything in gold and then pink and purple at times. Sun kisses mountains partially blanketed in snow in a way that forces you to stop what you’re doing and just watch for a time. We are so thankful for our safety thus far and for the amazing beauty we are blessed to see each day. We’ll be watching those mountains again tonight.

The sun-kissed hour