Are you tired of seeing photo after photo of my Airstream, beautiful campsites, and natural beauty?
Too bad.
Here’s another one.
Other than the Milky Way, there’s very little light pollution
And this campsite was free.
El Morro was just the second National Monument named by Theodore Roosevelt in 1906, following Devil’s Tower. After an overnight visit, I can see why it was near the top of his list.
Petroglyphs, 16th-19th century inscriptions, great hiking trail, a hidden waterhole…
And a dee-lux Puebloan apartment in the sky – Atsinna. Just imagine the 13th-century Zillow ad:
360-degree views abound in this sprawling 60,000 square foot Zuñi pueblo. Open concept, sunken kivas, prickly pear garden, and good schools make Atsinna the planned community for you. Just 250 stairs down to a hidden infinity pool. Some deferred maintenance, in a transitional neighborhood, and somewhat prone to graffiti. Interested parties may chisel their contact information next to our petroglyph at the base of the mesa.
Then there’s the campground. It has nine sites. Nine. First-come, first-serve. No electric hookup or dump station. A few water spigots. Vault toilets. They warn there’s a 27-foot length limit (bumper to bumper), but a few sites seem to accommodate longer trailer/car combos. For reference, I’m about 40 feet total.
Did I mention they were free?
Free.
Thank you, Teddy Roosevelt. Good work.
tabadabadoo 
8/16/2022 Tuesday 10:12 pm PDT
Sent from Mailhttps://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986 for Windows
How cool! I was there, but didn’t have enough time to take the hike to the top. Thanks to your photos, now I know what I missed. I didn’t trust being able to get into the campground, so left the Airstream in Gallup.
Roll on!
I figured if it was full, I could always go back to Grants/Gallup and find an alternate. I was there mid-week. Only 4 or 5 spots occupied.
Hi Dan,
Loved the travel map. I have a world map on my office wall.
I put in push pins to mark my travels. Your stickers are much more interesting.
And I am in awe of the El Morro pictures especially the one with the Milly Way vaulted over your camp site.
This trip has been so full of extraordinary sights and memories.
Continue to enjoy.
Safe travels.
Peace, Jo-Ann
I’ll bet you have quite a few pins! I did a similar pin map when I was an international student adviser. I had the student put their pin in during orientation. Maybe that’s where I got this idea.