Traveling Alone

I love the idea of traveling with the ones you love and creating a shared experience and memories you can all cherish.   When I was biking yesterday, I often thought of how much my sisters and their husbands would have loved biking the trail.   They would have loved the beautiful scenery as much as I did and would have been just as excited and in awe of the moose!   My one brother-in-law would have captured some truly amazing photos that we would all be able to admire later.  It would have been nice to be able to recount our ride over lunch and talk about the adventures to come. 

I had hoped we would all come to Alaska for the first time together because it’s on their bucket lists as well.  I asked about it a year or so ago and got an astounding yes, it’s a place we want to go!  But life happens, they had other trips to plan and I didn’t want 3 years to go by and we had yet to put something together.   So, I decided to make it happen this year for me.  

I like to travel “off-season” to avoid the crowds.  Given the weather in Alaska, there is a very small should season.   If you want to avoid the summer crowds and weather, you basically have the end of May and the first two weeks of September and that’s about it.   I was originally looking into September but the more I researched the more excited I got.  When I had an opening in the calendar to potentially make this work in May around Memorial Day, I started trying to put something together.  Over a weekend, I got to work trying to make this trip a reality and was able to develop an itinerary that would have me leaving in just 6 days!

So here I am.   I find myself in Alaska having this amazing experience that I would love to be sharing with my family.   However, traveling alone creates its own magical experience.  I travel alone quite often, and I highly recommend it to those who are hesitant to do it.  While not all destinations are suited for solo travelers, many are.  You meet strangers, who quickly become friends, some will be friends just for a moment, just for the trip, but if you’re really lucky, you’ll stay in touch for years to come and meet up on occasion for more adventures.  

In your hometown you may find yourself hesitant to start up a conversation with a stranger.  But have you ever noticed how many strangers are chatting it up at an airport bar?   Maybe they are sharing their frustrations over flight delays, a bad travel experience, or their excitement about their trip to come.  Maybe they make the flight delay less frustrating, the flight go by faster or they get you even more excited about your trip because they are sharing their experiences.  These encounters with strangers just add something special to the trip   Every time I’ve traveled alone, I have at least one great encounter with someone I would have never met had I been traveling with a group of folks I know.

I’ve already met several interesting folks on this trip.   Post about some of those interesting folks coming soon.

What an Amazing First Day and...

 It’s only 2p.   Despite my early am arrival, I still woke up a the crack of dawn.  Given it was almost 9a my time, I decided to get up and get the day started.  I figured I’d walk to find coffee and then come back to my room for a morning nap and get a later start to my day.   However, that plan was quickly adjusted. After my early morning walk  for  and a beautiful lake view while enjoying my coffee, I was inspired and ready to start my day.

I decided to rent a bike and ride along the coastal trail.   It runs from downtown Anchorage to Kincard park, with several parks and lookout points along the way. https://anchoragecoastaltrail.com/

After my travel hassles yesterday, what a magical way to start this adventure.   It’s like you are biking through a forest of aspen trees but then go around a bend and there are beautiful views of snow covered mountains on one side and coastal views on the other.

Technically I had seven, yes, seven moose sightings.  The first one was very far away, across a busy road right before I got on the trail, so that one doesn’t really count. But then about 30 minutes into the ride, I came across a group of women with several dogs stopped off to the side of the trail. I slowed down as I approached them, and they gave me a heads up there was a moose on the path up ahead. I stopped and stepped aside as well and watched the moose slowly make his/her way along the path, toward us before ventured slowly into the woods. I was a little nervous considering there were 7 dogs watching, any one of which could potentially spook the moose.  But they were all quiet as church mice, respected its size and didn’t bark or charge.  I was able to snap  a couple of pics before he ventured deeper into the woods. 

I continued on my journey  and stopped in Kincard park to enjoy a protein bar before heading back.  On my way back I spotted a mamma and two calves in the marshy area below the trail.  They were quite far away, so I was able to admire them from a safe distance.    Such a site to see!

After I spent some time admiring mama and her babies, I hopped back on to the trail.  I had only been on the trail about 15 minutes, when I spotted a couple stopped off to the side of the trail and two moose munching on some shrubs, inches from the trail.  I stopped as well, as I did not want to bike by these huge moose that close!  A few folks biked right past them without a second thought and the moose didn’t seem to mind.  However, I still waited until the moose turned away from the trail and continued to nibble on the shrubs before I moved on.   As I was biking away, a family came walking up the trail and the dad shouted “moosu” to his kids and they started running toward the moose.   He screamed for them to not get too close but I was still nervous they were going to spook the moose and hoped they wouldn’t charge at the kids.    

I was planning to take the path all way to downtown Anchorage before heading back to my hotel, but the gears on the bike stared to catch and I didn’t want to wind up having issues with the bike and potentially having to walk several miles to get the bike back.  So I headed back to the hotel for lunch.  

Feel so good to back on a great adventure!  It's been way too long since the Travelling Hillbilly has been on an epic adventure.  It feeds my soul.

All and all a great start to my first day.  Not it's time for lunch and an afternoon nap.   Maybe I’ll rent another bike and finish the ride to downtown later.  Given it doesn’t get dark here until after 10 or 11p, I could squeeze in a another ride after dinner.

Day Trips

Cloudcroft is always a favorite.  The old train trestle is a sight to see.    There are also lots of trails to explore in the area, offering even more scenic views.  It’s at an even higher elevation than Ruidoso, so the temps are slightly cooler.   For those who like to shop, there are some small shops along Burro Avenue.  Noisy Water also has a tasting room along the strip, if you need a little refreshment after your exploration.

But the Traveling Hillbilly’s favorite stop is the Cloudcroft Brewing Company, for some delicious wood fired pizza!   It never disappoints. 

White Sands National Park is another place worth your time.    You wouldn’t think white sands dunes would be all that extraordinary, but it is a site to see.   The white sand dunes, with mountains as a backdrop make it a unique place to visit.   Just be sure to check and make sure they aren’t doing any missile testing before you go.   Otherwise you can face an hour plus delay to get to the park. 

Don't forget to stop at McGinn's PistachioLand for some delicious pistachio ice cream!  You can also get a picture of the world's largest pistachio. 

Oh the Wildlife

 

In addition to the beautiful scenery, there is lots of wildlife to see as well.  There’s deer and Elk roaming throughout the city.  It’s not unusual to experience a Ruidoso traffic jam, as cars patiently wait for deer or elk to cross the street.   Guess the grass is greener on the other side of the road.   If you’re truly lucky, you’ll get the chance to see the wild horses.  There are a couple of herds that live in the area that can often be spotted near the school and golf course.

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.