08/10/2014
Since we can not simply travel from point A to point B without at least a couple tourist stops, we decided to get in 2 we have had on our list for many years.
Just a bit west of Raton, NM is the Capulin Volcano National Monument. This is a great little park well worth the time it takes to visit.
The second stop was down the road a bit at Fort Union National Monument. This fort served those following the Santa Fe Trail. It started small but grew as the needs changed.
Again, New Mexico delivered some great places to visit.
Yes, we love our National Parks. You just never know what you will find when you take the time to stop at some of the smaller venues.
Capulin Volcano is one of those gems. It is small but that means you can see the entire thing in one day, which we did.
This is a cinder cone volcano that rises up from the plains. You can walk the rim loop, go down into the plug, then do a few extra hikes depending on your time.
This is the volcano you see across the plains
Apparently you can see it from Colorado at times
Welcome to Capulin
The road up to the rim
The path around the rim is paved
Some great views from the trail
Mule deer like to rest in the shade along the path
George - proof he was on the trip
Lady bugs come here to breed
Not as many lately as in past years
It is a Sphinx Moth. They do not stay still, at least not for us
So I downloaded a picture of one so you can see what they look like - besides a blurr
Another view from the trail. That is the Visitor Center off in the distance
That is the plug at the bottom of the volcano. There is a trail down to it as well
We were hiking Boca Trail - just one of the short hikes in the park and saw some really nice rocks
Mule Deer were here as well. They just stand and stare at you. Nice posers.
George contemplating rocks
The views are so nice. Volcanoes do leave some wonderful rolling mounds
Just a shot of the nice foliage along the trail
That little spec on the top of the rocks turned out to be a vulture
Obviously people lived here in the past
More nice views of foliage
Loved the windy knoll
This is actually the remains of the third Ft. Union. The first was a collection of log buildings built in 1851 shortly after New Mexico was annexed to the U.S. Nothing remains of those.
The second Ft. Union, built in 1861, was a massive earthwork fort in a star shape, it had ditches, parapets, and bombproofs to withstand a Confederate invasion. It fell into disrepair after the war.
The third and final version was built in 1863 and occupied until 1891. More like a small city, it stood out on the plains as a welcome sight to travelers along the Santa Fe Trail.
We really wanted to spend more time here but it was getting late in the day and then there was that huge thunder storm coming across the plains. Very dramatic.
Fort Union National Monument
A nice view of it as you drive up
You can imagine how grateful travelers were when this loomed up from the plains
There is our ominous cloud
The walkway on the right is original construction
The hospital. It was extremely modern and large for the time
Some of the buildings in the laundress quarters
The jail. Love the dark cloud hulking in the background.
Company Quarters
Some of the buildings
Part of the mechanics corral
More ruins
Storehouses
Artsy shot through the storehouse doors
Notice the buttresses supporting the wal
Another artsy door shot
Some of the original stonework
The walls were pretty thick
Quartermasters Office - and those dark clouds. I tried to get the lightening striking but never did
A cictern
The transportation corral. If they didn't put the wagons in it you would not know
Officers row
There were several quarters and a shared kitchen
The chimneys are impressive
Those little white square blocks held up the porch posts. All these buildings had large front porch