
El Morro National Monument, New Mexico
In late May 2018 we left the emerald lush greens of the Pacific Northwest and started our journey south. We took a ferry from Coupeville, Whidbey Island, to the pacific coast – hoping to finally see the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate, it was a typical foggy day on the Olympic peninsula. We instead headed towards Hood River, for an impromptu visit with my father in law’s Aunt.
From Hood River we headed south east, towards Boise, ID, spending the night in Mountain Home, ID. The next night, Monticello, UT. We had thought it would be easy to find lodging but it turns out it might have been graduation weekend – which complicated things slightly, in addition to having a dog along. It’s getting harder to travel with a pet.
We traveled through some of the most stunning landscapes I have seen in my life. The sky stayed turquoise blue, the landscape dried out and we were welcomed by the beautiful red rockscapes of the high desert. We arrived in Gallup, NM on Sunday, May 20th, and closed on our home the next day.
Unlike our mere year and a half in Western Washington – we are making a definite effort to get out and see the sights. Two weekends ago we visited the Wolf Sanctuary near Ramah, NM. Last weekend we hiked El Morro National Park and Monument. Yesterday my daughter and I went to the Navajo Nation Zoo and Botanical park. I am happy to give my little girl some amazing experiences.
My husband started work right after Memorial Day, in Window Rock, for the Navajo Department of Justice. I spent time getting paperwork together for my daughter’s new pre-k, and trying to find the Arts Community.
We attended an amazing Arts Crawl on the second Saturday in June, and I joined a local arts Coop. Here’s to new beginnings in the high desert, right off of Historic Route 66. This small town is brightly decorated with amazing public murals, and other handpainted art works. Did I mention we live off of highway 491 – which was originally Highway 666? (well, not since 2003)