“I have decided that we shall stay here.” – C-3PO, Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi
Tonight we’re staying in the hotel that we stayed in last night. I know! For the first time in 8 days we didn’t pack up and get in the car first thing. Crazy. Our historic hotel is not exactly luxe, quiet, or even particularly quaint (despite being in the heart of Silver City’s Old Downtown area). But it has one special amenity – a private room for Padawan Learner. We’re all enjoying a little time apart at the present. PL is watching NCIS until his eyeballs glaze over and Dad Windu is “reading” (napping) – and neither is having to bend to the other’s wishes for a few moments. Now that’s luxury.
PL and I covered a few hours of lessons this morning at the corner coffee shop while DW walked around town and scoped out the old buildings. He met a curmudeony local bookseller that said, after hearing that he was looking for a book on local history, ”I can tell you all about Silver City’s history. They mined silver here and they treated the Chinese people very badly.” Well OK then. We all took a little stroll through downtown, with DW acting as tour-guide with his new found knowledge of the town courtesy of his new book, Built to Last: An Architectural History of Silver City, New Mexico.
After lunch we headed to the Fort Bayard National Monument this afternoon. What a disappointment. There’s a National Cemetery and a few plaques scattered roundabout covering the myriad uses of the Fort’s land over the years (protective fort for silver miners and settlers, training camp for one of the Buffalo Soldier units, Army TB hospital), but nothing is open. Even the windows are closed up and covered. Oh, well, our first strike out. Attached to the site is a trail for one of the many hiking areas in the Gila National Forest, so we spent a couple of hours there instead.
Another hiker said we had to follow the Big Tree path. “It’s a lovely trail and there’s just the most enormous tree at the end of it.” It was a nice trail – moderated difficult with varied terrain, enough hills to make you glad to find another downward slope, and the (empty) promise of a potential wolf sighting. After the two miles out, we saw this:
our not so gigantic tree at the end of the trail
Sometimes you need that time apart after so much time together, no matter how much fun you’re having.
Pretty trees. You’re right – not quite so gigantic. Heh. Anti-climatic.
Well, you know, size is relative
. Enjoy your time apart.
LOL at that tree, how funny!
A few years ago we went on a 3 week RV trip and I tell ya . . . sometimes I just went and sat in the (tiny) toilet to get a moment to myself. But it was SO MUCH fun other than the extreme lack of privacy.
Y’all will remember this trip, always. Not a week goes by when one of us doesn’t start off a sentence with “Remember when we went on that RV trip . . . ”
Precious memories.
I have been reading along with your trip and I have to thank you for all the details. I feel like I’ve been traveling too! I agree with Mom#1, this trip will be with you and remembered forever. Have fun!
Every trip is required to have at least one “downer” day…guess this one was yours. But even weird adventures are adventures just the same! Keep on truckin’!