No Rest for the Wicked

The Traveling Hillbilly wasn't back home from Colorado very long before it was time to hit the road again.  This time to Ruidoso, New Mexico.   Time to relax in the mountains, kick back and enjoy the views.  The cooler temperatures are a plus as well!  It was tough adjusting to the heat and humidity back home after the cool Colorado temps!

Ruidoso is a small mountain town with so much scenic beauty to offer.   There's nothing like having your morning cup of coffee, or evening glass a wine with a mountain view!  Or going for a morning stroll around the lake. Or when you’re feeling more energetic, a long hike in the Lincoln National Forest.

The grounds at Inn of the Mountain Gods are beautiful as well.  If you’re not staying there, it’s a great place to go have a drink or a meal and just enjoy the view.

Inn of the Mountain Gods

If it’s not ski season, you may want to consider a drive up to the top of Ski Apache for even more breathtaking views. 

Top of Ski Apache

There are a couple of lookout points along the way.  Just remember while it's only a few miles up the mountain, it will take about 45 minutes to get to the top.

Ruidoso is  a place the Traveling Hillbilly visits often and enjoys the ability to instantly feel relaxed upon arrival.  It’s a place that is always hard to leave.  The only thing that makes leaving bearable is the thought I’ll return again soon.

Amazing Moose Sighting!

The Traveling Hillbilly lucked out and on the first morning exploring Rocky Mountain National Park, had the best moose sighting! It was such a great angle and the zoom lens on my simple camera allowed for some great shots.



It’s surprising that as big as they are, they are still quite difficult to spot. They like to hide deep in the bushes and seem to be able to blend right into nature.

 

Peek a boo

We heard him first. You could hear the antlers brushing against the trees. The sound of branches breaking was right out of a movie. Sounded just like a dinosaur stomping through the woods. Then the trees started to sway. The antlers emerged first, then we get a glimpse of the snout as he munched on the trees.

As he continued to dine, more and more of him emerged from the trees, until we finally got to see all of him. What a huge and beautiful creature. While I think Elk are quite majestic, that is not a word I would use for a moose. They are remarkable creatures but seem more like a chocolate lab; big, gangly and kind of goofy. Don’t get me wrong, they are still wild animals and deserve our respect and fear. But being able to watch them from afar is a sight to see.

Nom, nom

Look at my green teeth

Just snackin'

The Traveling Hillbilly could spend hours watching and admiring these great creatures. This particular one, we got to watch for at least an hour before he went back deep into woods. I guess he got tired of the paparazzi and wanted to finish his meal in peace.

Can't a moose dine in peace?!

Estes Park, First Impressions

As many of you know, the Traveling Hillbilly loves Colorado. Around every turn is a sight more scenic than the last.  After spending some time in Grand Lake, CO back in May, I decided to head back to Rocky Mountain National Park on the Estes Park side.  I was hoping to see moose again, but this time with some antlers.  

I had read that Estes Park is for those looking for a little more hustle and bustle and Grand Lake is for those looking for something more low-key.  That is a great way to describe it and hand’s down, I’m more of a Grand Lake person.  I arrived on Sunday evening, hoping a weekday post labor day  stay would avoid the crowds.  There was quite a bit of traffic and people everywhere.   Way more packed and crowded than my trip to Grand Lake.   I was immediately worried about the crowds I would encounter at Rocky Mountain National Park.   If the city was this crowded, I expected the park to be crazy.

 

storm rolling in

Lucky for me, I like to go to the park early and later in the evenings, when I have a better chance of spotting and watching the wildlife.   This did help avoid some of the crowds.  Just about the time, I was leaving the park in the morning, the crowds were coming in.  It was still quite crowded when I returned in the evening, but luckily the park is quite large so no one particular area was too crowded.   Well that is, unless some sort of wildlife was spotted.   You could usually tell something had been spotted by the crowds standing in the road, cameras up.  This is not a judgement, as I was in the park for the same reason.   But the crowds sometimes made it difficult to watch the wildlife safely.  

Now maybe Grand Lake is just as crowded this time of year, but when I come back to RMN Park again, I’ll choose Grand Lake.

Back in in the Land of Enchantment

Time to escape the miserable heat and humidity and head to the mountains of New Mexico.   Nothing like getting to spend the 4th of July watching fireworks from the deck with temps in the 60s instead of the 90s!

Given the 4th is on a Tuesday this year, we arrived on the Saturday before and were quickly greeted with sightings of a bunch of elk and their baby calves.   

But the best thing about this trip, is getting to spend time with family and good friends.  Even the dogs get to have fun meeting up with their cousins.   The only thing that makes a vacation better, is being able to bring the 4-legged family members along.

Puppies on Vacation (3 of the 4 anyway)

Scenic Colorado

 

The Traveling Hillbilly was excited to see lots of the wildlife Rocky Mountain National Park had to offer and was happy to not run across any bears along the way.  There  were lots of elk, some moose and even a large rabbit!

Rocky Mountain National Park is more than just wildlife sightings.  The scenery does not disappoint!  

It lives up to the beauty standards Colorado continues to deliver.   It’s simply stunning.  

The beauty of Colorado never ceases to amaze the Traveling Hillbilly!

                     

Rocky Mountain National Park - Moose Sighting!

 After some brief research, the Traveling Hillbilly booked a place in Grand Lake Colorado for a couple of nights.  The hope was to see some moose!  In all the Traveling Hillbilly’s adventures, I have yet to see a moose.  The place I rented turned out to be perfect, it was less than 10 minutes from the Kawuneeche entrance to the park, making it easy to come and go into the park multiple times a day.

The Traveling Hillbilly was in luck and spotted a moose just minutes after entering the park early the next morning!  Not just a moose, but a mama moose and her baby calf.

Time to Hit the Road

There’s nothing like a road trip with an open itinerary.   Giving yourself the flexibility to stay in a place longer or going to an entirely unexpected destination can be incredibly freeing!  The Traveling Hillbilly suddenly had a few open weeks and decided it was time to hit the road.  After the nightmare of the Christmas road trip, the Traveling Hillbilly needed some time to recover, but recovery period over!

First stop, a little relaxation in the mountains of New Mexico.   Morning walks around the lake, wine on the deck in the evenings and overall, just slowing down the pace. 

And of course, the wildlife sightings.  The Traveling Hillbilly never gets tired of spotting the deer, elk and wild horses that roam around town.   Ahhhh am already relaxed.  The Land of Enchantment is good for the soul.