Road Trip 2007 author Daniel Terdiman hit 3,000 miles in the Infiniti QX56 he's driving just after starting a slow, winding road back home.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com)CHAMA, N.M.--We all like milestones and round numbers. That's why, during all the driving I've been doing on Road Trip 2007, I've made a point of pulling over and documenting the most important ones.
When I hit 1,000 miles, I couldn't stop. It was late at night, and it was dark, and I couldn't see a place to pull off. But I was within a few miles of Arizona's Meteor Crater. And I thought that was cool, especially since last year, on Road Trip 2006, when I hit 2,000 miles, I was at an overlook with an incredible view of Washington state's Grand Coulee Dam.
Last week, I hit 2,000 miles on this trip out in the middle of nowhere near the tiny town of Three Rivers, N.M. There was a gorgeous sunset, and I was only about in the middle of the whole trip.
Now, I'm at 3,000 miles, and I've begun to slowly head toward home. There's still days to go and much to see, but I'm no longer getting further away. I turned left at Taos, N.M., and homestretch it is. And at 3,000 miles, I was once again in the middle of nowhere in New Mexico, though this time it was raining and about to turn into a maelstrom.
Last week, I asked where I'd be at 3,000 miles. I know that answer now. There's at least another thousand to go, though. Where will 4,000 be?
The 3,000 mile point was just south of the town of Chama, N.M.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com)
Black Rock hot springs, near Arroyo Hondo, N.M., are a lovely set of two pools nestled right up against the Rio Grande.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com)ARROYO HONDO, N.M.--There are few things in life I enjoy more than soaking in a natural hot spring.
That's why, despite my being late getting started with my day and having hundreds of miles to drive to get to my next stop on Road Trip 2007, I couldn't resist stopping in at Black Rock hot springs near this tiny town.
These are two stone pools on the edge of the Rio Grande, and with amazing views of the Rio Grande Gorge. During my visit, in early August, the pool farther from the water was a perfect temperature: Hot, but not too hot, even on a sultry summer day. The pool closer to the river was colder, according to the visitors who tried it out.
Apparently, during winter and spring, this hot springs isn't really usable because the river is too high and overwhelms it with cold water, even washing it out completely. Then, when the river recedes, the locals come back and rebuild the pools. Thank you!
This is a popular spot. It's a bit of a trek, including many twists and turns on a narrow dirt road, and then a five minute walk down a rocky dirt path. But thanks to my hot springs bible, Marjorie Gersh-Young's Hot Springs and Hot Pools of the Southwest, I had little trouble locating it.
For me, finding local hot springs is a big part of every road trip adventure I take. And thankfully, the American West is brimming with them. Yay Earth!
From Black Rock hot springs, you get an amazing view of the Rio Grande Gorge.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com)
An earthship is an entirely off-the-grid, fully sustainable house that can keep a steady inside temperature regardless of how hot or cold it is outside.
(Credit: Daniel Terdiman/CNET News.com)TAOS, N.M.--I really want one of these.
These are earthships, a form of entirely off-the-grid, fully sustainable houses that are made from natural and recycled materials, and which can provide a family with a steady, comfortable interior temperature regardless of how hot or cold it is outside.
I've come to visit the Earthship Biotecture world headquarters near Taos, and have come ready to be impressed. I'm as into green technology and architecture as the next guy, and what I'd read had me expecting an introduction to a form of housing that is self-sufficient, affordable and attractive, all at the same time.
And that's just what I got. And more. The buildings are really interesting to look at, not least because there are plants everywhere, since including greenhouses in every earthship is a major component of the concept.
I'd come as part of Road Trip 2007, my search for the best science- and technology-related destinations in the Southwest. And this definitely counts. I plan to post a full story and gallery on Tuesday, so stay tuned for that. But in the meantime, I want to make it clear that while earthships aren't the immediate solution for all communities--cities, in particular, are likely to resist this kind of off-the-grid thinking--for many, they are.
I heartily recommend checking out earthships' site and thinking about how one of these buildings could fit into your future.
The infrastructure of an earthship includes walls built of tires packed with dirt. The tires, which can weigh 350 pounds, provide thermal mass, which stores heat.
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