Exploring Our New Digs

First thing Saturday morning, we wanted to explore. There are 3 trails from the visitor center and we wanted to do all of them...this helps with visitation.

This one is only a little over one mile with signs naming the plants.

There are nice benches for those who need a break. The tree is a one seed juniper.

We saw a few lizards and cottontails...no snakes!!!

This is the Nature Loop.

The visitor center and maintenance building in the background from the trail.

Sunday morning we start out early to do the Mesa Trail, we are headed to the little hills in the background. The Mesa Trail is 3.8 miles in length. The weather is nice, we think we can make it before it heats up.

Can you find the cottontail?

The first wildlife we see as it scampered across our trail.

We are on top of the mesa looking down on the facilities.

There are buildings for the UNM (University of New Mexico) where there is research going on, our visitor center, maintenance shop and where we live.

I just had to take my diamond willow walking stick with me!!! 

Wallace just knows there is a bench up here somewhere. We found it eventually and sat for a spell...took in the surroundings.

The Rio Grande River flows through the refuge, the lush green in the background running North to South making its way to the Gulf of Mexico.

You can get a glimpse of where we are parked to the right of the photo.

We are making our way down on this nice trail.

You can't get lost as there are no trees to speak of, and you can see forever!!!

Off in the distance we see these big enclosures and several people milling around.

We found out later it is research about lizards conducted by the UNM.

I am delighted to see this collared lizard waiting for us near the end of the hike.

"Here's looking at you kid."


What a wonderful hike with some beautiful scenery with an ice cold watermelon waiting for us when we got back to our abode.

Until next time...