We stayed a few days at Clayton Lake State Park, a small and cozy-feeling park on a small and cozy-feeling lake.
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| Spud, feeling a little put-out. |
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| You-know-who |
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| Some guy. |
Evie told me about a volcano we could see, but she didn't mention I'd want to throw myself in. The Rim Trail is one mile of Hell interspersed with amazing views. Old people with crutches, rolling oxygen tanks, overtook and passed me. I begged them to just save themselves.
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Capulin (say "cah poo LEEN") Mountain National Monument
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| There are several trails you can "enjoy." They called this one "moderate." Please "enjoy" in "moderation." |
This is a trick. I fall for it every time. "Just another 1/4 mile!"
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While we enjoyed the outdoors, our friend bounced up and napped next to us.
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Kayaking here was the highlight of our stay. And a bunny.
Time and chance took us to Dalhart, Texas, which I won't even try to glamorize. It does have a very nice McDonald's, and a tire store. We were back at Ute Lake State Park before evening fell.
I left out Sugarite State Park somehow. These beautiful parks with no internet signal get lost in my memory. We wandered in on Friday night and got the last site in the campground we wanted; this has been a motif. We said to the host "We're lucky people!" and the host glanced at me and said to Wolfgang "You are the luckiest man in our campground today." Some people know how to give a compliment. I'll be going back.
Ute Lake is hopping with youts today. It was 99 degrees F yesterday, with a dew point of 55 degrees. That meant it also felt like 99 degrees. We're in the Yucca campground with nice, long pull-throughs.
Ute Lake State Park does have sporadic wifi, but no usable Verizon signal unless you go further up the road and find a picnic table overlooking the water. So, do that.
