Petrified Logs

Petrified Wood and Ed, originally uploaded by Edgee.

We stopped at the Petrified Forest National Park in northern Arizona to see the beautiful landscapes and the petrified wood that the park is named for. The landscape was reminiscent of Badlands National Park in South Dakota. We saw petroglyphs, which are drawings on the rock faces left by the people who lived here long ago. We also had the opportunity to observe a small group of pronghorns grazing for food. It was a windy and cold day, but the sky was clear and we could see miles in any direction.

UFO House

UFO House, originally uploaded by Edgee.

We stayed in Albuquerque for a few days with some old friends. They were kind enough to show us around town. This building is commonly called the “UFO” house designed by the architect, Bart Prince. We also went into the mountains and we saw homes with old cars in the yard. On one property, there was a London style double-decker bus. I didn’t take as many photos that I would have wanted to, but maybe we’ll come back to Albuquerque so I can take some more pictures. As long as the cats we stay with don’t mind.

Above it all

Tramway car, originally uploaded by Edgee.

Today we went up into the Sandia Mountains the easy way, by tramway. We rode the world’s longest tramway to the top of the 10,378-foot Sandia Peak. It’s a great way to see the scenery of the mountains and the city of Albuquerque by floating above it all. On top of the peak, we rambled around the lodge and ski area. It was a clear day with a beautiful view, but there was little snow. There were only patches of ice in shady areas with no snow on the slopes.

White Sands National Monument

Ed goes down, originally uploaded by Edgee.

I’m having a little fun at White Sands National Monument. The sand is made of gypsum, which makes it the softest sand that I ever jumped in. We were on our way to Albuquerque, New Mexico when we stopped here to play in the sand. We passed through a border patrol inspection station just before we arrived at White Sands. After seeing our large, orange kayak on the roof of our car, the border patrol agent kindly reminded us there is no water in White Sands. Our kayak is too large and dangerous to use on the dunes, but other visitors to the monument were sledding down the dunes with other equipment, even snowboards.

Ed and the mountain

Ed and the mountain, originally uploaded by Edgee.

We traveled to the Guadalupe Mountains from Austin to go camping again. After driving all day from Austin, we arrived at the National Park at night. It wasn’t until morning that we saw the beautiful surroundings. The area reminded me of the mountains around Tucson except without any Saguaro cacti. I’m standing in front of a large rock formation called El Capitan, which is part of the southernmost portion of the Guadalupe Mountain range. Behind El Capitan, out of view, is Guadalupe Peak, which is the highest peak in Texas with an elevation at 8,749 feet above sea level.

Austin, Texas

Univ of Texas Tower, originally uploaded by Edgee.

The people of the University of Texas and the city of Austin are still celebrating UT’s victory at the Rose Bowl. The University Tower is illuminated in UT’s colors and the office lights are turned on to form the number 1. The tower was such an attraction that there were many people taking pictures of it. Go Longhorns!

Oklahoma City Snow

Snow on Ed, originally uploaded by Edgee.

The day that we were leaving Oklahoma City, the weather treated us to a morning of snow. We were excited to see snow and Oklahoma was happy to see any precipitation at all. It hadn’t rained or snowed for many weeks in Oklahoma and the snow will help with the severe drought conditions here.