Imagine our surprise when the owners of Henion Bakery in Amherst, MA, came walking into our campsite at City of Rocks State Park in New Mexico! They were looking for petrogliphs shown on a map, and one happened to be in our campsite. We had just finished setting up Site 10, a sweet little spot surrounded by voluptuous boulders and set away from other campsites. Glen recognized David Henion from when they both lived in Leverett. We visited with them for a while before they headed off on their hike.
These unusual rock formations are the result of volcanic activity and millions of years of erosions. Cool, right?
City of Rocks was not initially on our trip plan, but having decided we would not go to the Organ Mountains, we booked two nights here. I'm so glad we did! This nifty little park is quite unusual and well worth the drive.
There are all kinds of nooks and trails through the rocks. At night, I had to dismiss thoughts that it might be a good place for a horror movie! : )
Cooke's Peak can be seen off to the east, and has a markedly different character from the landscape of City of Rocks.
The striking rock formations are the result of volcanic activity 1,000 larger than that of Mount St. Helens back in the 1980s (?). The campsites are tucked into the nooks and crannies.
In spite of the unrelenting wind, we hiked around the park, taking in the gorgeous golden colors of the Chihuahuan desert, a backdrop to the deep brown volcanic boulders.
Twyla celebrated her gotcha-day - eleven years since I adopted her!
We've never had a campsite quite like this one!
The full moon rise over the mountains was spectacular, and the silence of the night remarkable.
We watched the full moon rise of Table Mountain. The light from the moon cast shadows throughout the park.
What a gem indeed. And this is the time of year to be there. I imagine it's not nearly as appealing in the heat of summer!
What a glorious night sky! And what a gem of a park. So glad your travels took you there. It's wild that you met someone from MA!