Abiquiu Lake, Riana Campground

We spent one night at Abiquiu Lake. Before leaving Saturday morning, we had dinner with Ariel Thursday at El Pinto.



Abiquiu Lake is a reservoir controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers in the heart of Georgia O'Keefe country. Imagine her landscapes and you know the panoramas around the lake. We decided to go there because it's about two hours from our home, it has showers, and the temperatures should be mild this time of year.

The Riana campground sits on a mesa above the lake. It is not forested, mostly cedar and small pine trees. The temperature during the day reached the mid or upper 70s (in mid September) and there was a cool breeze as we set up the tent. The evening was cool but always comfortable. There was a slight rainfall as evening approached.

I took on the cooking duties. I grabbed some food and ice Friday night at the grocery store after work, so I had some ideas about meals. (I loaded up the gear Saturday morning, and since the gear is at hand ready to go, and since we've had some experience now, and since we were only staying one night, packing was easier and lighter.) Cyndi loved the meals. Grapes and watermelon on our drive. "Bratwurms" when we arrived around lunchtime. Barbecued chicken on the campfire ring in the evening. Homemade chocolate chip cookies Cyndi made before the trip. A hearty breakfast in the morning. After the tent is up and Jackson blows up the mattress, Cyndi sets up the sleeping quarters, and she cleaned up after the meals.

We did some exploring, but Cyndi did much more exploring on her mountain bike. She loved it. A nice workout for her, and a little alone time for a change. We brought some bikes and "scooters" for the boys, and they said the best part was riding them (at high speed) down the hill to the playground and shoveling and climbing and spinning on the merry-go-round.

We drove the switch backs down below the dam (it turns into a pleasant dirt road along the river) and down to the boat launch. We checked out Ghost Ranch on the other end of the lake. We didn't go swimming or fish. (The boys need some good, simple rods.) There were a few boats on the lake but very few. There are two roads down to the lake, with some picnic areas and family fishing spots, along with the boat launch and a dock, between the turnoff for 96 and the campground. The visitor's center next to the dam was closed.

There are basically three loops of sites at Riana. Some beautiful spots nearest to the lake, numbered in the low to mid thirties, and some nice walk-in tent sites with "pads". I think all sites have a table, a grill, a campfire ring, and a lantern holder. Two shower facilities in all. Very clean campground. We chose our site at one of the highest spots for the view, a short walk to the showers, and the cover over the picnic table. We were next to the park attendant, who was very nice. The sites on this loop have water and electric, and Jackson was able to play his computer with the car parked next to the outlet. Mostly RVs on this loop. We had a few neighbors, but it was not crowded at all. One neighbor played music at night, but at least I liked the songs. There is a strict quiet hours policy between 10 and 6, the gate closes at 10 at night, and there's a clear prohibition posted against alcohol. Needless to say, we were very discrete with the bottle of wine we brought for dinner.

With the rainclouds all around, we didn't get to see a huge display of stars at night, as we expected. There was a little wood left at the site to burn and Jackson and Rylee gathered up some dead twigs to add to the fire. The chicken cooked perfectly over the coals in the ring. I brought a sauce I conjured up in a small grape jelly jar while packing the cooler in the morning to brush on the chicken. We had an old package of jiffypop leftover from a prior trip, and we were able to pop some of it and not set it on fire. The boys played with their glow sticks. Mostly, we sat and watched the glow of the sun setting.

After coffee and breakfast, a long bike ride adventure for Cyndi, and a trip to the playground, we took down the camp, packed the car, showered and changed into clean clothes. On our return, we stopped in Abiquiu (about 15 miles) and had an excellent lunch (and the boys split a rupidebeer float) at the Abiquiu Inn.

There's a general store called Bode's (gas pumps, and maybe some firewood?) in Abiquiu, which is in a beautiful small valley with many signs for art studio tours. We saw a small vineyard along the road. We toured the grounds of the Inn, and it looks like they have some very nice accommodations. There was an eclectic sculpture garden. The food really was prepared very well. The restaurant is casual and pleasant. There's some wonderful art hanging, a gift shop, and a gallery upstairs.

I enjoy the peace of driving on these trips, but driving through Espanola is still not very pleasant. I was hoping it had changed. Going north on 84/285 there's a left, a right and then another left in town, and the directions are not that well marked. (This is also the way to Ojo Caliente until the road splits outside Espanola.) Once in town, keep a sharp look out for arrows to Chama on the way up, to Santa Fe on the way back. We stopped at a produce stand on the way back just before getting into Espanola.

I remembered again how I didn't like this stretch of driving. When we go to Taos, there's a little bypass we take to avoid most of Espanola (I always forget where it is exactly but always manage to find it) or we drive the longer, slower high road, which is one of the most beautiful drives anywhere, taking you through Nambe, Chimayo, Truchas, and Penasco. The stretch through Pojoaque is built up now, too. Good for the pueblo, but also a bit sad. The Lottaburger there is long gone. And the newly constructed highway taking you past Tesuque and the opera still is unnerving even though the view of the Sangre de Cristos is beautiful if you are a passenger. I had a lot of time to reflect on all of this (and more) on the drive. Once you are close to Abiquiu, though, you remember why you came.

Jackson was a tremendous help in setting up the tent and taking it down. I foresee a day when camping will be much easier with the boys' help. Jack's great. He loves being involved. It was fun to work with him and I realized how much he can do now. He packed the poles away when we took the tent down. Together we folded the tent and the ground tarp, walking the corners together. I asked Jackson to sweep away the dirt and rocks from the tarp, and he took it on energetically. When Ry wanted to help, too, Jack left him a small pile of pebbles to sweep away. Ry tried to help set up the tent, too, as Jack placed the poles around the tent. Poor guy smashed his finger with the rubber mallet, pounding in a stake. It wasn't bad, just a short cry. As Ry likes to say, "It's okay."

I have an old Swiss army knife that Jackson likes to see when we camp. I hardly ever use it, but it's nice to know it's there. I keep it in a tool chest with other emergency, repair, and spare stuff I almost never need. Jack's still too young to have a knife, but he carried it in his pocket most of the time and now we keep it in his tackle box, along with his flashlight. I told him when we were driving home to put it there for next time.

He thought he lost it when we got home. He looked all around the car, moving seats and his stuff, while I unpacked everything. He didn't tell me what he was doing, but I knew. Some things I put back on shelves in the garage. Others went inside, where Cyndi quickly unpacked them and started a load of laundry. When he couldn't find it, Jackson went in to tell Cyndi in dread. Cyndi helped look while I unpacked the last items from the rooftop carrier. (We've got our money's worth with that carrier; holds the miscellaneous odds and ends, such as folding chairs). It didn't take long for her to find it. (He told me offhandedly later that it was in his pocket the whole time; he must have known I knew.) Cyndi didn't say anything, either. Jack was really relieved.

I was thinking while this was all happening that there was a lesson here, but I also knew that he was suffering with worry. Jack really treasured the knife and he knew I had trusted him with it. I think my dad gave it to me, not when I was a boy, but later, and what's more all the tiny tools worked and nothing was missing. It looked almost brand new. We had talked several times about taking care of it, mostly for safety reasons. Honestly, I knew I wouldn't really miss it. My camping box has other tools I'd grab long before I'd ever pick it up to use. "It's okay," as Ry says philosophically.

So I didn't say anything while he looked for it. I admired him for looking so hard on his own, stoically searching, not saying a word. Of course, Cyndi had faith that it would be found. He doesn't know it yet, and won't for a while, but it's already his.

I know this is off-topic, but I'll mention it anyway: I've been trying to wrap my thoughts around the current economic crisis. It makes all the fuss about Palin seem so insignificant now. I can't help thinking, as I try to sift through it, that the costs of Bush's policies are bankrupting us and that there will be many who will benefit from this while many more will pay the price, all the while we are told we cannot afford basic needs, like health care. That's my general reaction for now. I suppose there's opportunity somewhere.