PUPPY PATHS (RVing Travel Blog featuring recent travels in Utah, New Mexico & Arizona)
Steve C said
10:25 PM Jun 17, 2015
My wife, Evin, and I started our blog, PUPPY PATHS (www.puppypaths.blogspot.com) on July 3, 2011. It is more or less a photo journal and a way for us to remember where we have been, whom we have met and what we have seen of interest to us. Some blogs that I regularly follow really have been of help to us when we travel into a new area. They list area attractions and give directions on how to get there. This month I have published several posts about our travels on or near New Mexico's Enchanted Circle. Like the blogs I follow, I tried to do a better job of telling how to get to attractions and activities that one may miss if they are a newcomers to an area. I now been on the Enchanted Circle four times and I am still learning of activities, attractions and good food restaurants that I missed.
The PUPPYPATHS'post titled "Angel Fire: Day 3 of An Enchanting RVing Destination" tells of us meeting a couple at the closed Visitor Center in Cimarron, New Mexico by chance. They were on their way to Taos and had no idea what they had already driven by and were about to miss in Cimarron and Angel Fire if they just drove straight on U.S. Highway 64 West to Taos. You will see why I stop at all Welcome Centers and talk to locals for area advice. Hope this post and the others I have done this month will help if you get to this wonderful area. If you like flowers please check out "Rio Grande del Norte National Monument Beauties". Locals tell us that is the best year for flowers in almost 40 years.
We hope our June posts are of some help to you if you get to New Mexico's Enchanted Circle. We found Angel Fire to be a lot less congested than Taos. It is a good launch point whether you are going to Taos, Eagle Nest, Red River, Questa or Cimarron. It is only 65 miles to NRA Whittington Center near Raton. And there is a lot to do in Angel Fire. I plan to include that soon on PUPPY PATHS.
-- Edited by Steve C on Monday 22nd of June 2015 02:13:47 PM
-- Edited by Steve C on Monday 22nd of June 2015 02:17:06 PM
heyjohnm said
09:29 AM Jun 18, 2015
Enjoyed looking at your Blog....superb photography!! Safe travels, John & Ginny
Steve C said
11:50 PM Jun 18, 2015
Thank you Ginny & John. Hope our PATHS cross down the road.
Steve & Evin
Steve C said
09:48 PM Jun 19, 2015
Debbie, I received your kind comments on PUPPY PATHS and when I tried to publish it disappeared. Thank you for your comments. If any readers like pottery I just published a post, "ENCHANTED CIRCLE POTTERY", that features the gallery that was selected number one in New Mexico.
Steve C said
01:59 PM Jun 21, 2015
Although Evin had been to several hot air balloon festivals and been a member of chase teams, my first hot air balloon experience was this weekend at Angel Fire Resort. I just did a "rough draft" post at www.puppypaths.blogspot.com of some of the photos of my first balloon launch. Hope you enjoy. Evin could see the activities from the new Angel Fire RV Resort where we are currently staying.
Steve C said
11:50 AM Jun 22, 2015
On the MSN.com website today in the Travel section is a post "Cheap Must-See Attractions In All 50 States". It gives some really good ideas of places to see and things to do while you are traveling in your RVs, similar to the day trips on the Enchanted Circle in New Mexico that I posted at www.puppypaths.blogspot.com.
This past weekend Evin and I attended a free hot air balloon festival (Evin saw Balloons Over Angel Fire from our campsite at Angel Fire RV Resort), a few miles down the road at the ski mountain we really enjoyed (again free) the Chile Challenge Pro-GRT Mountain Bike Races and we also drove 28 miles to Red River for their annual Wine & Art Festival where we heard some really great music and saw some great artists' work.
When Evin and I travel into a new area we always stop at local Visitor Centers if there is one. We also go to the Chamber of Commerce and find out what is going on the area. This way we get much more bang for our traveling bucks.
-- Edited by Steve C on Monday 22nd of June 2015 02:02:10 PM
carolanndwyer said
06:48 PM Jun 23, 2015
OMG! Steve Conrad! I just spent an hour at your blog, Puppy Paths, and was blown away by your captivating writing style and stunning photos. You should be publishing your own magazine, you and Evin. I especially loved the article on Enchanted Circle Pottery, and the photos on the Angel Fire Balloon Festival. Your flower photos are to die for. You should be publishing greeting cards for Hallmark with those flower photos. I will be going back to Puppy Paths regularly. Thank you so much for your effort!
Steve C said
11:08 PM Jun 25, 2015
Thank you Carol Ann. You're so kind. Today I updated the post, "Angel Fire: Day Two of An Enchanting RVing Destination". I added current photos of one of your and "Big" Steve's favorite restaurants, Michael's Kitchen in Taos. I like Michael's so much that I am going to do an individual post for Gina & Derek. I also came by Taos Pueblo the light was finally right despite a dust storm. I will be doing a separate post on Taos Pueblo as well. So, please keep checking back. I have met a lot of people that are doing my suggested "day trips" from Angel Fire and they seemed to be very satisfied.
-- Edited by Steve C on Thursday 25th of June 2015 11:09:31 PM
-- Edited by Steve C on Friday 26th of June 2015 05:15:37 PM
-- Edited by Steve C on Friday 26th of June 2015 05:50:15 PM
Steve C said
03:36 PM Jun 27, 2015
If you are in the Taos area or plan to be soon, you might want to check out Michael's Kitchen. It is probably the restaurant in Taos that most of the locals eat at most often. As I promise above, I just posted more photos and information on a separate post, "Michael's Kitchen -- Taos, New Mexico". Thanks again Carol Ann.
mds1 said
08:40 AM Jun 28, 2015
Bookmarked your blog for future reading. It looks interesting and I recognized a few followers.
-- Edited by mds1 on Sunday 28th of June 2015 08:41:02 AM
Steve C said
10:44 PM Jun 28, 2015
Thank you msd1. I just posted an incomplete "Taos Pueblo" piece. It was shot in a dust storm and we ran out of time. Hope to go back and take some photos of the artist and cooks. As I said in the post, Taos Pueblo is a very special and spiritual place. Hope you enjoy PUPPY PATHS and thanks for taking the time to comment.
-- Edited by Steve C on Monday 29th of June 2015 01:12:25 AM
Steve C said
03:25 PM Jun 29, 2015
Hi Mark,
I just went to your blog, Our Future In An RV, which I enjoyed. I tired to send or "Post Comment" two times. Each time, everything I typed was lost. A couple of hours later I am reaching out to you by responding again to you comments here on the RV-Dreams Forum.
Evin and I have owned three new RVs since 2010. In 2008 we were where Karen and you are now. Before buying we drove from North Carolina to Indiana and spent a week touring six RV manufacturers factories and watched them being built on the line. Despite this, we made some very poor buying decisions. You might like to read the only half negative blog post I have ever published on PUPPY PATHS (www.puppypaths.blogspot.com) since I began the blog in 2011.
What happens after you buy, in my humble opinion, is much more important than the floor plan or brand you select. The RV Industry almost went under in 2008 and many lost key employees that never returned. Many, many RVers that buy "new" spend the first couple of years fixing installation issues and manufacturing defects. In our 4 years of full-timing we have spent well over seven months at the factories or in repair status at dealerships or waiting on mobile repair services to get parts. Some factories no longer take appointments or there are long waits. Most dealerships we have gone to did not have parts in stock and were looking for experienced and factory trained service techs.
I tried sending you my email but was unsuccessful. Mine is sfconrad@msn.com. Send me an email with your phone number and I will call you and answer any questions that you may have.
Good luck on Karen's and your journey.
Steve
mds1 said
07:32 PM Jun 29, 2015
Steve, thank you very much for the information. Sorry about your comments not going through on the blog. Not sure that has ever happened in the past. I never even received a notice to approve the comment. I'll test it later to see what's up.
I'm shocked to hear how much time you have spent having things repaired. I'm still reading through your blog but thought you all have a DRV for the second time.
I'll send my email your way.
I also subscribed to the topic so I don't miss another post.
-- Edited by mds1 on Monday 29th of June 2015 07:40:26 PM
Steve C said
07:33 PM Jul 2, 2015
Just had a comment on PUPPY PATHS from a new full-timer about coming to New Mexico for the WINTER!! Where we are, Angel Fire, is over 8,400' and the ski mountain is 10,677'. The new RV Resort plans to be open during the Winter but we won't be here. We will be in Southern Arizona or Southern New Mexico. I learned that there are RV Resorts in ski areas that stay open in the Winter, Tiger Run in Breckenridge, Colorado is one. If I still skied I might think of it; but the torn meniscus in my right knee no longer allows that. Oh, well!!
Steve C said
03:23 PM Sep 2, 2015
Just added a post, "Angel Fire RV Resort", on www.puppypaths.blogspot.com that shows the inside and outside of Angel Fire RV Resort in Angel Fire, New Mexico. Good Sam's gave the resort a 10/10*/10 grade and rated it in the Top 100 in North America. It rated it #1 RV Resort in New Mexico. It is a great high altitude (8,400') place to escape from hot weather. We've been here since June 1st and most days the high is in the mid-70's and the low is in the mid-40's. Angel Fire is not what thinks of when they think of New Mexico.
-- Edited by Steve C on Wednesday 2nd of September 2015 03:26:09 PM
-- Edited by Steve C on Wednesday 2nd of September 2015 03:26:40 PM
-- Edited by Steve C on Wednesday 2nd of September 2015 03:27:31 PM
My wife, Evin, and I started our blog, PUPPY PATHS (www.puppypaths.blogspot.com) on July 3, 2011. It is more or less a photo journal and a way for us to remember where we have been, whom we have met and what we have seen of interest to us. Some blogs that I regularly follow really have been of help to us when we travel into a new area. They list area attractions and give directions on how to get there. This month I have published several posts about our travels on or near New Mexico's Enchanted Circle. Like the blogs I follow, I tried to do a better job of telling how to get to attractions and activities that one may miss if they are a newcomers to an area. I now been on the Enchanted Circle four times and I am still learning of activities, attractions and good food restaurants that I missed.
The PUPPY PATHS' post titled "Angel Fire: Day 3 of An Enchanting RVing Destination" tells of us meeting a couple at the closed Visitor Center in Cimarron, New Mexico by chance. They were on their way to Taos and had no idea what they had already driven by and were about to miss in Cimarron and Angel Fire if they just drove straight on U.S. Highway 64 West to Taos. You will see why I stop at all Welcome Centers and talk to locals for area advice. Hope this post and the others I have done this month will help if you get to this wonderful area. If you like flowers please check out "Rio Grande del Norte National Monument Beauties". Locals tell us that is the best year for flowers in almost 40 years.
We hope our June posts are of some help to you if you get to New Mexico's Enchanted Circle. We found Angel Fire to be a lot less congested than Taos. It is a good launch point whether you are going to Taos, Eagle Nest, Red River, Questa or Cimarron. It is only 65 miles to NRA Whittington Center near Raton. And there is a lot to do in Angel Fire. I plan to include that soon on PUPPY PATHS.
-- Edited by Steve C on Monday 22nd of June 2015 02:13:47 PM
-- Edited by Steve C on Monday 22nd of June 2015 02:17:06 PM
Steve & Evin
On the MSN.com website today in the Travel section is a post "Cheap Must-See Attractions In All 50 States". It gives some really good ideas of places to see and things to do while you are traveling in your RVs, similar to the day trips on the Enchanted Circle in New Mexico that I posted at www.puppypaths.blogspot.com.
This past weekend Evin and I attended a free hot air balloon festival (Evin saw Balloons Over Angel Fire from our campsite at Angel Fire RV Resort), a few miles down the road at the ski mountain we really enjoyed (again free) the Chile Challenge Pro-GRT Mountain Bike Races and we also drove 28 miles to Red River for their annual Wine & Art Festival where we heard some really great music and saw some great artists' work.
When Evin and I travel into a new area we always stop at local Visitor Centers if there is one. We also go to the Chamber of Commerce and find out what is going on the area. This way we get much more bang for our traveling bucks.
-- Edited by Steve C on Monday 22nd of June 2015 02:02:10 PM
Thank you Carol Ann. You're so kind. Today I updated the post, "Angel Fire: Day Two of An Enchanting RVing Destination". I added current photos of one of your and "Big" Steve's favorite restaurants, Michael's Kitchen in Taos. I like Michael's so much that I am going to do an individual post for Gina & Derek. I also came by Taos Pueblo the light was finally right despite a dust storm. I will be doing a separate post on Taos Pueblo as well. So, please keep checking back. I have met a lot of people that are doing my suggested "day trips" from Angel Fire and they seemed to be very satisfied.
-- Edited by Steve C on Thursday 25th of June 2015 11:09:31 PM
-- Edited by Steve C on Friday 26th of June 2015 05:15:37 PM
-- Edited by Steve C on Friday 26th of June 2015 05:50:15 PM
Bookmarked your blog for future reading. It looks interesting and I recognized a few followers.
-- Edited by mds1 on Sunday 28th of June 2015 08:41:02 AM
Thank you msd1. I just posted an incomplete "Taos Pueblo" piece. It was shot in a dust storm and we ran out of time. Hope to go back and take some photos of the artist and cooks. As I said in the post, Taos Pueblo is a very special and spiritual place. Hope you enjoy PUPPY PATHS and thanks for taking the time to comment.
-- Edited by Steve C on Monday 29th of June 2015 01:12:25 AM
I just went to your blog, Our Future In An RV, which I enjoyed. I tired to send or "Post Comment" two times. Each time, everything I typed was lost. A couple of hours later I am reaching out to you by responding again to you comments here on the RV-Dreams Forum.
Evin and I have owned three new RVs since 2010. In 2008 we were where Karen and you are now. Before buying we drove from North Carolina to Indiana and spent a week touring six RV manufacturers factories and watched them being built on the line. Despite this, we made some very poor buying decisions. You might like to read the only half negative blog post I have ever published on PUPPY PATHS (www.puppypaths.blogspot.com) since I began the blog in 2011.
What happens after you buy, in my humble opinion, is much more important than the floor plan or brand you select. The RV Industry almost went under in 2008 and many lost key employees that never returned. Many, many RVers that buy "new" spend the first couple of years fixing installation issues and manufacturing defects. In our 4 years of full-timing we have spent well over seven months at the factories or in repair status at dealerships or waiting on mobile repair services to get parts. Some factories no longer take appointments or there are long waits. Most dealerships we have gone to did not have parts in stock and were looking for experienced and factory trained service techs.
I tried sending you my email but was unsuccessful. Mine is sfconrad@msn.com. Send me an email with your phone number and I will call you and answer any questions that you may have.
Good luck on Karen's and your journey.
Steve
Steve, thank you very much for the information. Sorry about your comments not going through on the blog. Not sure that has ever happened in the past. I never even received a notice to approve the comment. I'll test it later to see what's up.
I'm shocked to hear how much time you have spent having things repaired. I'm still reading through your blog but thought you all have a DRV for the second time.
I'll send my email your way.
I also subscribed to the topic so I don't miss another post.
-- Edited by mds1 on Monday 29th of June 2015 07:40:26 PM
Just added a post, "Angel Fire RV Resort", on www.puppypaths.blogspot.com that shows the inside and outside of Angel Fire RV Resort in Angel Fire, New Mexico. Good Sam's gave the resort a 10/10*/10 grade and rated it in the Top 100 in North America. It rated it #1 RV Resort in New Mexico. It is a great high altitude (8,400') place to escape from hot weather. We've been here since June 1st and most days the high is in the mid-70's and the low is in the mid-40's. Angel Fire is not what thinks of when they think of New Mexico.
-- Edited by Steve C on Wednesday 2nd of September 2015 03:26:09 PM
-- Edited by Steve C on Wednesday 2nd of September 2015 03:26:40 PM
-- Edited by Steve C on Wednesday 2nd of September 2015 03:27:31 PM