Right off I-40 on the old Route 66 mother road through Santa Rosa, New Mexico is a low-slung building that hides a lot of fun if you’re any kind of a car buff. I should have known it would be good, there were three shiny new Corvettes in the parking lot when I pulled in with my road-dusted Ridgeline. Paid my five bucks at the door and then had one of the most fun museum visits in a long while…
New Mexico
A Winter in the Southwest
I spent way too long in the southeast and eastern parts of the US (thanks, pandemic) the last few years. So once I got out to the west, my plan was to spend the winter exploring places in New Mexico and Arizona. Here’s a wrapup of my winter: what I saw, where I went, and some tips for fellow travelers.

Eastern Plains of New Mexico
I’d driven all over New Mexico, except for the eastern plains, sometimes called the high plains. If they didn’t post state line signs, you’d think you were in west Texas already. But you’re not…
Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, NM
I’ve been criss-crossing the Rio Grande this winter, from Santa Fe to Truth or Consequences and Las Cruces. So when I got to Taos, how could I resist the short drive to see the Rio Grande Gorge? Short answer: I couldn’t!
Sunday Serenity: Sunset Scenes
So much going on in the world today, the news is full of war, shootings, slaps, and other violence. I can’t change all of that, but I can post what brings me peace at the end of a hard day: sunset scenes in New Mexico.
Oliver Lee (Again)
Of all the state park campgrounds in New Mexico, this one is my favorite. It’s been two years since I was here and things have not changed one iota. And I am totally fine with that. It’s exactly what I expected, and all I needed.
Critters in the Hood
This blog title should actually be “critters UNDER the hood” but it doesn’t sound as cool. I’m here to tell you that actual critters under the hood of hour vehicle are not cool. Not at all…

Tularosa Basin Museum, NM
So far, 2022 for me has been about visiting local museums that are a bit off the beaten track. No Met or Getty for me. Today’s feature is the Tularosa Basin Museum of History, in the small city of Alamogordo, New Mexico. I’m kind of falling in serious like with museums run mostly by volunteers, where the exhibits are labors of love and the history is a hodge-podge of old odds-and-ends and interesting stories.
NM Museum of Space History
Way up on a hill on the north end of Alamogordo, you’ll find the New Mexico Museum of Space History. I’ve been to Cape Canaveral, the Smithsonian space museums, and the Seattle Museum of Flight, so I wasn’t sure how this place would compare. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much. Then I stepped into the elevator and suddenly I was in the Space Shuttle!
Rockhound Redux
New Mexico has state parks in some really beautiful desert locations, making it hard for me to pick a favorite. Rockhound State Park, about 10 miles out of Deming, is probably in my top three so far. Every time I make the final turn towards the campground and see that familiar view ahead, I can’t help but grin.