Magdalena Mountains, New Mexico

Benson, AZ, Library



    Here are three photos taken on W 4 May 2016 during a planned trip from Socorro, NM, to Eager, AZ, which I aborted when my truck transmission began slipping. While the area is mountainous, it has several large plains.

 

 

 

 

    I don't think the prominent mountain in the first photo is South Baldy since it's to the north rather than the west. However, the New Mexico Scenic Marker names one of the plains in the area, calling it La Jencia Plain. Farther to the south are the Plains of San Augustin.

    Another sign which I did not photograph indicated that there was a Bureau of Land Management Campround in Water Canyon. So, if you're tired of parking at Walmart in Socorro, and especially if you're a senior with a Senior InterAgency Pass, you might want to inquire about the Water Canyon Campround at the BLM Socorro Field Office; its address is 901 S. Highway 85.

    Incidentally,a National Radio Astronomy Observatory VLA (Very Large Array) is on US60 near Datil.

 

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Links:

• Wikipedia article on the Magdalena Mtn in NM
• NARO Very Large Array

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Routes:

Problem getting Blogger to display previous [Actual] Routes
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• M 23 May Actual Route: Love's Truck Stop - W/M - Lib - Love's Truck Stop
• T 24 May Route: Love's Truck Stop - P.O. - Lib - W/M - Lib - McD's - Love's Truck Stop
...
• M 30 May Actual Route:- Las Vegas Lowe's - Blue Diamond Lib - Red Rock Rd bd
• T 31 May Actual Route: Red Rock Rd bd - Las Vegas - Beatty - Death Vy NP - Independence County Pk
• W 1 Jun Actual Route: Independence County Pk - Big Pine - Bishop City Pk Lot
• Th 2 Jun Actual Route: Vons - Bishop City Pk Lot - Pioneer Cem - E Line Cem - Bishop City Pk Lot - Vons
• F 3 Jun Actual Route: Vons - Bishop City Pk Lot - Lake Crowley - Sonora Jcn - Sonora Pass - Mill Crk bd
• Sa 4 Jun Actual Route: Mill Crk bd - Strawberry - Sonora Lib - Safeway - NF Tuol River bd
• Su 5 Jun Actual Route: NF Tuol Riv bd - W/M - Lib Pk Lot - Twain Harte Coin Laundry - Sonora SfWy - NF Tuol Riv bd
• M 6 Jun Actual Route: NF Tuol Riv bd - W/M - Lib Pk Lot - Tuol Lib - M-Wuk Lib - NF Tuol Riv bd
• T 7 Jun Actual Route: NF Tuol Riv bd - Sonora Lib - Twain Harte Lib - NF Tuol Riv bd
• W 8 Jun Actual Route: NF Tuol Riv bd - Sonora Lib - Safeway - NF Tuol Riv bd

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Finding Campgrounds:

• RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
• Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
• Free campsites website
• Info on finding BLM Campgrounds

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

Socorro County Catholic Missions, NM

San Pedro Library, Albuquerque, NM
    Santa Fe, NM, was founded by Spaniards (likely priests -- see links below) in 1609, roughly 11 years before the Mayflower arrived in Massachusetts.
    But there were already other Catholic Missions further south along the Rio Grande River such as this one in San Antonio, NM. [Despite the date of this post, this photo was taken on 10 May 2014.]

 

 

 

    As one who, along with my four siblings, grew up in a mission town in California (Santa Cruz) I think of El Camino Real as a busy road from Santa Clara up the San Francisco Peninsula to Mission Delores in San Francisco. But there were other roads of the same name wherever the Catholics established churches.

 

 

 

 

    Old San Miguel Mission in Socorro, which was founded in 1598 -- 199 years before the mission in my hometown. And it is still in active use judging by it large parking lots. However, the San Antonio Mission is now used part-time as a school and has a relatively small parking lot.

 

    And since two of my sibling married Catholics and converted, I'm expected to include as many missions in this blog as possible.

 

 

 

    A look a San Miguel Mission from from the north-east; workers were just cleaning up before heading for lunch.
    Incidentally, my paternal grandfather was born in San Miguel, CA, where one of the 21 mission from San Diego to Sonoma is located.

 

 

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[Return to the top of the page]
Links:

• Wikipedia article on San Antonio, NM
• San Miguel Catholic Church website
• Wikipedia article on Socorro, NM
• Wikipedia article on Santa Fe, NM

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Routes:

F 2 May Actual Route: Wyoming Blvd W/M - Peytroglyph NM - Taylor Ranch Br Lib - High Desert RV Pk

Sa 3 May Actual Route: High Desert RV Pk - Peytroglyph NM - Taylor Ranch Br Lib - Radio Shack - Family Dollar - Wyoming Blvd W/M

Su 4 May Actual Route: Wyoming Blvd W/M - Juan Tabo Br Lib - Best Buy - San Pedro Br Lib - Wyoming Blvd W/M

M 5 May Actual Route: Wyoming Blvd W/M - Erna Ferusson Br Lib - San Pedro Br Lib - Belden W/M

T 6 May Actual Route: Belden W/M - Belden Lib - Salinas Pueblo (Abo) Mission - Mountainair - Manzano Mtns SP

W 7 May Actual Route: Manzano Mtns SP - Mountainair Lib - Salinas Pueblo (Quarai) Msn - Salinas (Gran Quiviria) Msn - Carrizozo - Socorro W/M

Th 8 May Actual Route: Socorro W/M - Old San Miguel Msn - Truth or Consequences - Las Cruces W/M

F 9 May Actual Route: Las Cruces W/M - Memorial Medical Ctr - Truth or Consequences W/M

Sa 10 May Actual Route: Truth or Consequences W/M - Ralph Edwards Civic Ctr - Socorro W/M

Sa 10 May Actual Route: Truth or Consequences W/M - Ralph Edwards Civic Ctr - Socorro W/M

Su 11 May Route: Socorro W/M - Lib - ABQ San Pedro Br Lib - Wyoming Blvd W/M

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Finding Campgrounds:

• RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
• Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
• Free campsites website
• Info on finding BLM Campgrounds

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.