Taos Ski Trip

We left Mission on January 16, to slowly move west, planning to end up in Sacramento for a couple of months beginning mid-February. Since we aren’t on a strict schedule, we decided to make a couple of side trips along the way. Our first stop was back to Bernalillo, New Mexico (right next to Albuquerque) to position ourselves for a trip to Taos Ski Valley for a two day ski trip. Taos Ski Valley is about 125 miles from Albuquerque, but at 10,000 plus elevation, nowhere we wanted to take our 5th wheel. Bernalillo sits at about 5000 feet, and was cold enough! We had a couple of mornings down into the mid teens, and the highs no more than the mid 40’s. This was quite shocking, after spending six weeks in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas with highs mostly in the 70’s and 80’s! So, we left the 5th wheel in Bernalillo, and drove to Taos Ski Valley for a mini ski vacation. The place we stayed was a Bed & Breakfast of sorts called Austing Haus, a charming chalet-like lodge located just about a mile from the ski resort. (I’ve included a picture of Austin Haus with this post.) We arrived on a Tuesday night following a few days of fresh snowfall. Wednesday was bright and sunny, very cold (low at zero, high only 24), and a perfect day for skiing. We hit the slopes at 9:30 and skied until 3:00 with only a couple of breaks for coffee and lunch. We had tentatively planned to ski Thursday as well, but it started snowing overnight, and Dan twisted his knee skiing some bumps, so we decided to call it done after the one day. We did a little shopping in the ski village, and headed back to Bernalillo. Dan had been to Taos Ski Valley several years ago, but this was my first trip. This was somewhere he really wanted to return to and was excited about sharing the experience with me. Although the trip was brief, it was fun and well worth the effort.

Next stop: Mesa, Arizona!

Mission: Accomplished!

Anyone who happens to be reading this probably already knows that Dan and I are full time RV’ers, which by definition, means we travel full time. Granted, we’ve only been doing this for 5 months, but I am already recognizing certain patterns, an ebb and flow to this lifestyle. For most of my life there have been long stretches of time between moves to new places. Eighteen years in one house growing up, and then after brief moves when first leaving home, 5 to 10 year stretches between moves. And, most of my life has been spent in one town – Sacramento. So, I really didn’t know what I would feel when embarking on a way of life that has us pulling up roots every month or so. What I have found is the transitions are hard.

First I thought it was just the arriving. That’s hard because you don’t know the town, the stores, the people, what there is to do, and what is the area code, for heaven’s sake? Are you driving on freeways, highways, expressways, or business roads? And what is an F.M. road? (Found out that means “Farm to Market”). And pulling into an RV Park and a town for the first time always makes me apprehensive. I can’t always tell if the vibes are good. Is it a “nice” town? A safe RV Park? Will there be noise at night? Will I be able to take my runs without being chased by dogs? But then I discovered leaving is also hard.

Depending on how long you stay somewhere, you may have just learned all those things I mentioned above, and then its time to move on. Or, you may have developed some friendships that will be difficult to leave behind. Apprehension of another kind sets in. Where will we end up each night as we travel to our new destination? Will the truck and trailer be okay on the road? Is everything road-ready? Thinking about packing everything back up for traveling can also be overwhelming, as you have most likely become fairly spread-out during a several week stay somewhere. And there is something just sort of sad about leaving a place that you have called “home”, even if only for a while.

We are leaving Mission in two days. I’m not sure if we will ever be back, there is so much to see, so many places to go. We don’t want to establish a pattern of returning to the same place each year as many folks do. Maybe in a few years when we become weary of the road; when we find a place that seems too good to be true, and want to settle down there. But for now, we are “On the Road Again”, and I recognize why I am feeling a little blue, a little gloomy. I know this is the transition period, the Traveling Blues, and is only a launching point to our next new adventure.

South Padre Island

Dan and I didn’t really know what to expect when we got here – having never been to this part of the country, and coming here only on the recommendation of other travelers who find the winter weather here very pleasant. And, the weather has been wonderful, as promised. Warm for the most part, a couple of cool days every once in a while, but usually warms right back up. No rain since we’ve been here, and most days are shorts and T-shirt weather. What we have discovered is the “Winter Texan” community. Most of the people at this and other RV parks in the area (and there are a LOT of RV parks around here) come for the winter, usually arriving in December or January and staying through March or April. Many folks are here from the mid-west and Canada. Once here, they form their own temporary community, and some people meet up here every year. Most people have a fixed residence they go back to, unlike Dan and me. There are some full-timers, though.

On December 28th, we took a drive to South Padre Island, the true southern-most tip of Texas on the Gulf of Mexico, to celebrate our “real” retirement date. South Padres is a very small beach community, mostly geared towards the tourist. The day we went happened to be cool and breezy (wouldn’t you know), but it felt like a real ocean climate. We walked on the beach, did a little window shopping, looked at the boats, had a nice dinner out, then came home. I attached some pictures from that visit.

There are lots of activities sponsored by our RV park; we get a monthly activity calendar with many different things to choose from, including outings (movies, lunch, trips to Mexico, shopping), crafts, game nights (Pokeno, Poker, Bingo), line dance lessons, potlucks. You could be busy every single day if you wanted to. Dan and I have participated in a few things – I made cookies for the Christmas cookie exchange; we came to the Christmas dinner potluck; and we attended the New Year’s Eve party. And, as shocking as it was to me, Dan and I sang a karaoke tune together at the New Year’s Eve party!! And, it was my idea!! And, even more unbelievable, this morning Dan and I came up to the club house for line dance lessons. We learned a few basic steps and danced to “Electric Glide” and “Achy Breaky” heart. Six months ago, you could not have told me I would be doing this, I would never have believed you! But it was fun, and great exercise!! Well, like they say, “When in Rome…”. We will be leaving this area in a couple of weeks. Who knows what we will find ourselves doing at our next stop!

Next Stop: Back to Albuquerque, NM, for a brief ski trip in Taos.