Baby, It’s Cold Outside! 😳

Posted byWhere's Wendy? Livin' in the Edge!Posted inUncategorized

Another FLASHBACK! 😁

October 20-22, 2021

After leaving the city of Santa Fe, I decided to check out the Santa Fe National Forest Campground. The transition was like going to another planet! The city had been crowded & bustling. The forest was quiet & peaceful. 💝

The temperature difference was significant, too. When I bought the fruit in the city, I was concerned about keeping it cool enough for a few days.

Excessive heat was not an issue… 😳

Maddie, it’s cold outside!
We really can’t stay!
Maddie, it’s cold outside!
We gotta go away!
Maddie, it’s cold outside!!!
🥶
(My apologies to the original musicians! 🤷‍♀️)
This was the sunset on our first night at Big Tesuque (pronounced “Tess-U-key”) Campground at an elevation of 9700 feet. It was beautiful, but extremely cold!
The fruit all froze SOLID overnight in the tent! Luckily, I was able to thaw it enough to eat & make “smoothies”.
This is the same view during the day. It’s gorgeous!
I don’t know if there was a campfire ban in place, but it was definitely too windy to use an open 🔥 flame safely!
Sunset❣
I love this photo & the one below! It was long after sunset, but the moon was lighting up the entire campground. I edited both of these photos to brighten them up, but this is what I was actually seeing.
It was a spectacular moonlit night❣
Moonglow❣
Have I mentioned that this is a FREE Campground? 😁
At first glance, I thought these were enormous birch trees, but they’re aspen. The brilliant yellow leaves & bright blue sky made most of my photos in this area look washed out.
Maddie & I walked this trail each morning to warm up & it was good exercise for us, too. On the top right is the stream that flowed by our campsite. The bottom right photo is the ice that formed on the path overnight.

We only stayed at this campground for two nights because it was just too cold to be comfortable. We were about 50′ from the stream & I think it added a lot of dampness & chill to the air. The first night, the temperature was forecast to drop to 28°, although another tent camper told me that their indoor/outdoor thermometer read colder than that. 😳 The kiwi fruit was frozen solid, so it was COLD! I hadn’t pulled out our winter gear, so I was happy to know we’d survive in that temperature! We slept in the car the second night because it was supposed to drop to 24°, minus the wind chill. 🥶

After we thawed out in the morning, I packed up & drove up the road to Aspen Vista. I was pleasantly surprised to find that most of the aspen trees were at peak color! I’m not sure why some of the leaves in the center photo below look orange because they were BRIGHT YELLOW. The panoramic view from up there was definitely worth the drive.

Despite only staying at this campground for 2 nights, I met some more nice people. Our campsite was the first one up the hill from the parking lot, so almost everyone passed by us to hike or get to their campsites.

Maddie & I usually sat at our picnic table, enjoying the scenery & the warm sun, while I read about future destination options. “We” said hello to everyone going by because Maddie became the official greeter for everyone! I met a woman from MA & several other people who were just passing through the area. One hiker gave me a beautiful Origami paper crane. He makes them to share & I love mine. “The crane has always been a strong symbol of success & good fortune in Japanese culture & when folded into origami, it is believed that your heart’s desire will come true.” I’m keeping my crane safe! 🤗

When I’ve told people about our journey, they’ve been very supportive. I’ve found that most people out enjoying the fresh air & sunshine are kindred spirits.

“If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere.”
~ Vincent Van Gogh ~

Published by Where's Wendy? Livin' in the Edge!

On May 2, 2021, I departed from Massachusetts in my 2017 Ford Edge (Breezy Blue) with my 13.5 year young pup, Maddie, to fulfill a lifelong dream of a road trip across America. Our departure was delayed by a month, but we're making up for lost time now! My goal is to be out and about for a year.

2 thoughts on “Baby, It’s Cold Outside! 😳”

  1. Absolutely beautiful pictures!!! Wow!! You and Maddie are definitely having an extraordinary experience!!
    Can’t believe it was that cold, and you could sleep! Glad you only stayed there a few nights.
    Beautiful story about the man who gave you the paper crane! How thoughtful and very special!
    Sending you a big hug! Take Good Care, and Stay Safe!
    Love,
    Karen (:

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    Reply

    1. Hi Karen🌷 I’m currently reviewing my past comments & replies. I missed quite a few, due to poor or non-existent internet. 🤷‍♀️
      Our stay at Santa Fe National Forest was definitely COLD, but I’m still glad we did it. It was a beautiful location & I met some truly kind people there. I LOVE my origami crane!
      I saw on the news yesterday that fire🔥 is endangering the forest now. 🥺 It breaks my heart because it’s such a special place. Hugs to you. 🤗💕🤗

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