New plans

For months I've been saving the month of May for a visit from my Niece and her family, who are coming from Germany.  They originally had said that they wanted to come to a camping area which had a playground and a lake or river so that her young children would be entertained.  She said that she would like to stay in one place rather than be on the move (also due to the children).  So I was thinking that this would be the format of our visit! ( They said that they would be  bringing a big tent for their family and would have a rental car.

Superintendent Ranger Andrew Armendariz

I told my state park ranger that I was not available to volunteer till June 1 due to my niece's visit.  He was very understanding and agreeable.

NOW, I have received a copy of their itinerary and it is all totally different from what they had said.  They are renting a motorhome and driving all over from San Francisco, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and Northern New Mexico, on their way to Denver (they will fly back to Germany from Denver).

Itinerary from my niece!

The itinerary looks to me that it will be a breathless time on the road, and in order to spend a bit of time with them, I will try to catch up with them in Gallup NM or at Meteor Crater , AZ, and travel around with them for about 5 days while they are in the general area.  They want to go the Meteor crater, petrified forest, Mesa Verde, Aztec ruins, Santa Fe, Orilla Verde and Taos, and then on to Denver!  I believe it's going to be exhausting for us all, but of course they are going to be a lot younger and more energy filled than I am.

I am feeling a bit unsettled by the change in plans, so I contacted the ranger at Bluewater state park, and he said that I was welcome to come the first part of may and then leave when my niece comes and return after they leave.  I liked that and so I will go to Bluewater lake state park in early May.

After thinking about it for another few hours, I decided to contact my "boss" in Santa Fe to see if she needed some volunteer help in her office for a couple of weeks before May.  She said"Yes, Yes, Yes!"  So I am going to Santa Fe this weekend and will volunteer at the office in Santa Fe till early May.