Lodi: Better marketing

When I started the coffeeshop around 2004, the local Chamber of Commerce wanted me to sign up for membership.  It was quite expensive for my shoestring budget so I declined.  I couldn't really see any benefits to my shop.  Lodi's downtown has struggled for many years.  Many, if not most people, do their shopping in Madison, thirty minutes away.

Back then, the Chamber marketed Lodi as a peaceful valley with full service banking and a grassy airstrip. 

The Ice Age Trail Alliance installed new signs this week just off of Main Street.  While the Appalachian Trail is blazed with white stripes, the Ice Age Trail is blazed with yellow stripes.

Much better. Makes me proud to live in the Lodi Valley.  It sure isn't the grassy airstrip or full service banking.  

In other matters, Julia tested positive for Covid and is nearly recovered after experiencing mild symptoms.  I have tested negative twice, and keeping my fingers crossed.  The Scamp in the driveway makes an excellent place to hide from viruses.

New Mexico: Canyon National Recreation Trail

 From February 2022

We left South Valley after breakfast and coffee, headed for Las Cruces. We planned to stop at Bosque del Apache Wilderness and maybe have lunch in Truth or Consequences.  

At Bosque, the loop road offered a chance to drive through for a fee and see the wilderness area.  We just wanted to stretch our legs so we parked at the trailhead for the Canyon National Recreation Trail.  There is a small parking area off Hwy 1--a couple of miles south of the Bosque del Apache Visitors Center.  

The 2.5 mile trail was quite beautiful and a good introduction for us to a more desert-like terrain, compared to the Sandia Mountains.

The loop trail rises above the flat terrain for long-distance views from the top.

Just what we needed to take the edge off the drive and get some exercise. In going back through my photos and information at Alltrails, I just noticed that dogs may not be allowed on this trail.  Oops.  We didn't encounter any "no pets" signs, people, dogs or wildlife, so no harm, no foul.

 

In Truth or Consequences, quite a few restaurants were closed that Monday. We walked the main drag without really getting any feel for the town, except for the unusual name.   We ended up at the Grapevine Bistro, which seemed to cater to mixture of tourists and locals.  I had a Hatch Green Chile cheeseburger.  Not the best, not the worst. Service was good, and the place was clean.  On to Las Cruces!

New Mexico: Last Day in Albuquerque

On February 6th, we decided to walk along the river, starting with the Chris Chavez Trail which ran into the Rio Bravo Trail.  Then we continued on foot to Old Town.  The weather was warming up and the snow was pretty much gone by the end of the day.  We ate lunch at the Church Street Cafe. 

 

 

On the next day, we were on the road to Las Cruces.

New Mexico: Sandia Foothills Open Space

On February 5th, we were off to hike in the Sandia Foothills Open Space via Trail #365.  

The skies were so blue, and there was just a bit of snow--in the beginning. As we climbed in elevation, the snow became heavier.  We didn't bring our snowshoes or spikes on this trip, so we didn't hike as far as we planned. Julia has a crappy knee; getting down is the issue.

But we hiked high enough for a view.

 

Rock Carvings and Lunch

I was up early on February 4th, making coffee and toasting a couple of Hatch Chile bagels.

Julia was sleeping in, and Callie, who is not allowed in the bedroom at home, was taking full advantage of the vacation situation.

After breakfast, we headed to the Petroglyph National Monument.  One advantage to unseasonably cold weather was the lack of crowds; we had the trails to ourselves at the Volcanoes Day Use Area.

There were a scattering of folks on the man loop trail near the Visitors' Center, but not many.  

 

Dozens of petroglyphs were visible along the trail.  Our phone cameras didn't do them justice.

 

After hiking we stopped for lunch at Lava Rock Brewing Company.  I had a lava burger, which was an open-faced cheeseburger smothered with red chile with an egg and fried onion ring on top.  I was so hungry that I honestly don't recall the beer.

 

New Mexico: From Adobe Casita to Pole Barn

 From February 3, 2022

The thing about Airbnb is you never know quite what the experience is going to be.  We were delightfully surprised by our upgraded adobe casita  in Pojoaque.  But sometimes there are surprises in the other direction.

Our rental in the South Valley area of  Albuquerque was a DIY converted pole barn.   The bedroom was partitioned off from the rest of the barn.  A gas blower noisily blew hot air into the bedroom.  The result was that the bedroom was too hot, and the rest of the living space was too cold. The owner told us that the extreme cold weather was quite unusual, and we should have been there last week for the better weather.  A propane truck was arriving that day to make sure we had fuel for the furnace.  She was worried about running out.  

The main space was the rest of the pole barn.  It was huge but also cold.  A small space heater sent a small amount of heat to collect up in the rafters.  It did have a nice kitchen, where we had breakfast and most of our lunches.

We stayed there for four nights.  Thankfully, however, we had lots to explore, so the rental was mainly for sleeping. 

As soon as we got unpacked, we headed off for a walk along the Bosque Trail towards downtown.

Resilient Sandhill Cranes

 

After our long walk, we were ready for sustenance and stopped in for a stout at Rio Bravo Brewing Company's outdoor covered space.