New Mexico!

 Wednesday I worked my way from Oklahoma to New Mexico. I saw a whole lot more of those windmill farms in Oklahoma, running US 60 to route 412, heading northwest to Raton, New Mexico. As I got closer to Raton, a rain storm was brewing over the

mountains. Any motorcycle road warrior knows the look of far off rain, an apparent wall of water ahead can be an unwelcome view ahead. It is about that time that you say to yourself, screw the speed limit...get to your destination  as soon as possible. 

I actually made it to Raton too early for check in at my lodging, in the start of the rain,

but I did find a Denny's a half a block from my hotel, where I settled for my first full meal since leaving the Kid's place. Surprisingly, Denny's has a teriyaki chicken and vegetable plate that was super good and very, very generous.. enough to provide two more meals later from left overs! Oh yeah, and a shake made from real ice cream! 

This was my first time staying at a Wyndham Microtel. It was the best "value" when I was searching lodging so I wasn't sure what to expect. They had guest laundry facilities, which I used Wednesday after I got settled in. The room wasn't bad...just not quite what I had experienced at other hotels. Thursday morning at 4am I was woke up by a fellow traveler who apparently got locked out of his room that he was sharing with another individual and a dog. When he started knocking on the room door, the dog went crazy barking. The person in the room must have been sleeping soundly  because the banging and hollering increased, with the guy in the hallways claiming he was with the fire department! And that's what got me out of bed! By the time I was awake enough to look out into the hallway, they were gone. And...I was awake. WTF?

So I got up and waited for the 6am breakfast before heading out for my day ride. I

was looking forward to some twisty mountain riding working my way up to Eagle's Nest, a valley community with a huge lake. Before getting to Eagle's Next, I took a very straight two lane highway to Cimarron. Along the way, a roadside historical plaque and sign to the Dawson Cemetery caught my eye. Dawson was a community that grew to a population of 6000. At it's peak it was the largest mining town in New Mexico. Workers were primarily immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe and Mexico, with two schools, two churches, a hospital, store, hotel, golf course and other modern
amenities. The town was abandoned and razed in 1950 when to coal mines closed. I never knew there were coal mines in New Mexico!

The road I was on, route 64, is on the Santa Fe trail and in the middle of nowhere, I came over a rise to Cimarron. Once frequented by Jesse James and Buffalo Bill, the town maintains some of the old west feel and is the gateway to Cimarron Canyon State Park. The park is located in a canyon popular with campers hikers and fly fishing, and is an awesome winding road to Eagle's Nest.

In Eagle's Nest I turned off and headed towards Taos. But my more important stop was the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial at Angle Fire, about 10 minutes away. The location is high on a hill that Victor Westfall had purchased to develop houses and a golf course. In May 1968 Victor and his wife learned their son, David, was killed in Vietnam with 15 others in an ambush and changed course. The project started with a chapel and a memorial museum. The DAV helped with the project over the years. The  museum, chapel and grounds are no cost, other than the piece of your heart you will probably leave there when you are

done visiting. The flag in the photo is a rare North Vietnamese  Army flag tattered in a firefight - the stains are blood from a wounded service member when the flag was used to wrap the serviceman during the battle. During the war, 226 native Americans were killed, 36 of them from New Mexico. I have some photos here and will include a link to their website if you are inclined to learn more. The last time I was there was probably 35 years ago and it affected me as much today as it did back then. There is a movie that tells the story of how our country got involved in Vietnam (we were not the first country to try to help South Vietnam). If you are ever in the area, I strongly encourage a visit. 

As I walked out of the museum, I met Dale, a local veteran who visits the memorial occasionally. We chatted at the water feature outside about service and war and the importance of maintaining this memorial so that people never forget, as veterans are slowly starting to pass away. BTW, Dale's walking stick caught my eye and I complimented him on it. He said he had carved it from his canibus plant he had grown! 

As I left the memorial, I headed towards Taos. More twists and turns for the ride and

when I got to Taos, I was reminded of when my sister had taken me to Laguna, in Southern California the last time I was there. Taos was super crowded Parking was a challenge. I stayed long enough to walk a couple blocks, have a cup of over priced ice cream, then turned back towards Raton, with another afternoon thunderstorm forecasted! 

Mother Nature cut loose about five miles out of Raton, not really justifying stopping to suit up. Of course, it's New Mexico, so there was no place to do so anyway! Let's hope the "fireman" idiot doesn't come back tonight or I might have to stab him. 

Please and Love all. Tomorrow I head to Colorado!

Bobbi

https://www.vietnamveteransmemorial.org/about-the-memorial/