Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument

Silver City, NM: Picked up Floyd and Terry this morning at 10:00 and headed to the Gila Cliff Dwelling National Monument. Was a long drive but really scenic. We stopped at the property they bought in Membres, NM, which is about 30 miles north of Silver City. They have 10 acres and are going to put a house on the property next year. Really pretty area. Had lunch at a really cute restaurant on the way and then continued on. The hike up to the cliff dwellings was not as strenuous as the Cat Walk and it was a really pretty day for a hike. We saw a few forest fires on the way up there. And the gusty winds today didn’t help anything. After hiking around the cliff dwellings we headed back to Silver City and had some drinks at a restaurant in the old historic part of Silver City. Then back to our place and played Hearts until about 9:00. Tomorrow we leave for Tucson. Today is the 65'th anniversary of D-Day.

Floyd on the trail

Terry coming off the suspension bridge

Silver City, NM: This morning we picked Floyd and Terry up and drove up to a place called “The Cat Walk”—about an hour’s drive from Silver City. This is a neat hike through a canyon formed by the San Francisco creek. The trail followed the original pipeline built in the late 1800s which provided power for the copper smelter and drinking water for the town. After our hike we had dinner at the Red Barn in Silver City and then Floyd and Terry came over for jokers and spades. Think I will sleep good tonight. 88 today and partly cloudy.

Will Greenshield and Cisco

Truth or Consequences, NM, to Silver City, NM: We had a short drive today so not in any hurry to get going. A guy from the motor home two sites over from us was out walking his dog and stopped to chat. He’s a decorated Vietnam vet—Green Beret Black Ops. Was awarded 6 purple hearts before he received a head injury from a RPG which put him out of commission for a while. He’s also a full-blooded Lakota Sioux and his wife is Blackfoot and Seminole. He’s an artist and in fact won a scholarship to attend art school. We meet the most interesting people in our travels. Would love to see some of his art work. His name is Will Greenshield. Left on our way to Silver City at a little after 11:00. Took Rt. 25 south—again following the Rio Grande. Left Rt. 25 at Hatch and headed west on Rt. 26. After leaving the Rio Grande, it really got more and more dry. We are really in the desert southwest now. Arrived in Silver City about 2:00 and got set up. This RV park is a really nice one. Large sites with lots of privacy. Wonderful smelling cedar trees all over. We got together with Floyd and Terry who we know from our winters in the Keys. They’re staying here also. After spending some time at their place, we switched to our place and played jokers for a while and then Spades. Fun time. Tomorrow we’re going to explore a little. Silver City sits at about 6,000 feet. 86 today. Nights down into the 50s. Great!.