Angel Fire, New Mexico

This is our first day out from Fort Collins. We met Beth and Tommy for lunch in Colorado Springs. We brought down the bridesmaid dresses. Holly, one of the bridesmaids, also joined us for lunch. Then we continued down I-25 to New Mexico, turning off on US 64. It didn’t take long for the countryside to completely change from dry plains to mountain valleys. We went through a state park for about 10 miles, encountering quite a few fisherman on the river. Things have been dry here, the entire park is posted with no fires, no charcoal. Then we reached the top of the valley, opening into a wide mountain park. Our primary stop for the day was the Vietnam Memorial State Park. This is a family memorial to a son, which grew over time to a memorial to everyone who served in Vietnam. It’s primary feature is a chapel, but there is also a small museum, which was closed by the time we got there. We stayed at the Monte Verde RV camp, which had just opened for the season. Their office area was still filled with boxes as they moved in.