El Malpais and El Morro National Monuments

Aside from a few quick passthroughs, I haven’t spent much time in New Mexico. Though home to only one national park, the state has many less well-known natural and historic sites that offer beauty and solitude.

Yesterday, after driving from Austin to Albuquerque on Monday, I explored El Malpais and El Morro National Monuments in Central New Mexico. My ultimate destination on this road trip is California, where I’ll spend the holidays with my family. But I’m taking my time getting there.

El Malpais National Monument, just south of Grants, is Spanish for “the badlands.” It’s named for the sinkholes, trenches, cinder cones, and caves dotting a vast lava field forged by volcanic activity over the past 100,000 years. The volcanos are now dormant.

I began my day by hiking the three mile El Calderon loop, stopping to venture into Xenolith Cave, hollowed by lava flowing through ash and rock, and the cinder cone marking the spot of multiple eruptions. Then it was on to El Morro.

Spanish for “the headlands,” El Morro National Monument was once a popular rest stop for travelers because of water collecting at the base of the sandstone cliff--the only water source for miles.

Inspired the by Petroglyphs of ancient Puebloans who lived atop the cliffs, thirsty travelers dating back to the 1500s inscribed their names on the soft stone, making El Morro a far-spanning guest book of explorers, missionaries, military expeditions, and pioneers.

Before heading back to Albuquerque for the night, I visited a different section of El Malpais National Monument to see the lava field from sandstone cliffs high above and Ventana Arch, the second largest natural arch in New Mexico at 135 feet long.

Lost Maples State Natural Area

I got up early on Black Friday and drove out to Texas Hill Country. Destination: Lost Maples State Natural Area. My Thanksgiving micro-vacation. Hill Country is a place of hypnotic beauty. Rolling, green hills that upon closer examination are actually cracked limestone hulks cloaked in dense vegetation.

When I arrived, I asked the ranger at the entrance where I could see the changing leaves. On the ground, he said. They come and go in an instant. A chill had just blown through and the leaves had changed and fallen in days. A few trees were ablaze in color, but most were not.

I hiked the West Trail, along a ridgeline then down through Mystic Canyon. After some lunch, I did a portion of the East Trail to the park's highest and most central lookout. By the time I left in the afternoon, a line-up of cars was waiting to get into the park. Lost Maples is understandably popular.

UT Football

A couple Saturdays ago I attended my first Texas football game. The Longhorns played the Kansas Jayhawks. Going to a game had been on my Austin bucket list. UT has a storied football history studded with two Heisman winners, four national championships, and 32 conference titles.

I'm glad I got to experience the sea of 100,000 fans drowning Darrell K. Royal Stadium in burnt orange, but I think I prefer to watch the games away from the crowds. At least the outing was a victorious one. Texas trounced Kansas 35-13.