CITY OF ROCKS 2.
Day 89 – The low last night was 39 degrees, certainly better than the teens! The high today was 54 degrees, and unfortunately the wind gusts returned. Glad we weren’t on the road, but our friend, Cathie, was; she and Pete arrived and set up camp this afternoon around the rock corner from us.
This morning we took a drive on a dirt road to a second set of rocks. It was part of the State Park lands. At the top of the hill, you could see for miles in all directions, and you could look down over the campground from the distance. It made the rocks that had been towering over us seem inconsequential. For future reference when we come back here again, there is a bike trail on a packed-dirt road that leads from the hill to, and beyond, the campground.
“City of Rocks gets its name from the incredible volcanic rock formations found here. The park encompasses a one-square-mile-area in the scenic Chihuahuan desert region of southwestern New Mexico at an elevation of 5,259 feet. The “city” is a geologic formation made up of large, sculptured rock columns, or pinnacles rising as high as 40 feet and separated by paths or lanes resembling city streets. These rocks were formed about 34.9 million years ago when a very large volcano erupted. Then, erosion over millions of years slowly formed the sculptured columns seen today, creating a stunning, otherworldly landscape.” from the Park website.
Cathie came over with her dinner and joined us while we ate our dinner. We had after-dinner cocktails and caught up. It was a good visit. We compared notes and saw that we were generally headed in the same direction (across southern Arizona). So we’ll see each other again on the road.
As a final note for tonight: do you remember when we went to PistachioLand in Alamogordo? We wanted to mention that the other day, we opened up a bag of pistachios that we’d bought there. They were by far the best we’d ever eaten, large & tasty, fresh, and the shells weren’t nearly as difficult to get off as they usually are. If interested since you are probably nowhere near Alamogordo, NM, you can order them by mail at: McGinn’s PistachioLand, www.pistachioland.com or (575) 437-0602. Unlikely, but if you happened to be in the area, visit PistachioLand at 7320 Hwy 54/70, Alamogorda, NM.
For more detailed information about City of Rocks State Park, click here.