Ruidoso-Day 2

We woke up this morning trying to figure out exactly what time it actually was considering we had traveled into a new time zone, and our phones had not automatically updated.  Either way, even with the Fred and Ethel bed, we slept much later than usually. 

We got ready, and enjoyed a continental breakfast outside on the porch. Even though we had to wear a jacket our coffee sure good as we enjoyed the breathtaking view before us. Before we hit the road I packed us a picnic lunch for our trip to the Lincoln National Forest. 

Luckily, it was only about five minutes away. We drove around for a few minutes, and then double backed to the hiking trail. We hit the trail, and enjoyed walking through the forest spotting a Stellar Jay, the western cousin of the Blue Jay, along the way. Luckily,  trail was an easy one for two sixty plus hikers. After our hike we drove over to the picnic area, and enjoyed our lunch in the beauty of the forest. 

We stopped by the Ranger Station to check out the gift shop, but found it closed for lunch. We decided we would return later in the day.

We headed next to Sudderth Drive to visit the local shopping boutiques. We had a great time checking out the shops, and buying souvenirs.  Chuck got a cool tee shirt, and after much looking we finally found the required thimble for my collection. We also purchased a Christmas ornament, a really cute wood carved black bear, and a book of Aesop’s fables, and another Golden book for my collection. 

After leaving we drove to Grindstone Lake where I snapped a quick photo before we returned to the Lincoln National Park gift shop. We were able to pick up some Smokey the Bear gifts for the boys, and the park Ranger gave us three little Smokey the Bear license plates for the boys bikes. 

We left the gift shop, and stopped by Albertsons to pick up some more groceries for the house. We had decided we didn’t want to eat every meal out, so we picked up a couple of dinner options, and some eggs and sausage for breakfast. 

After returning home we were able to meet our neighbor who was out feeding his chickens. He told us he was from Lubbock and had retired and moved to Ruidoso with his wife. He said they really enjoyed the outdoor activities found in the area. 

We went inside and watched another episode of Suits, and then hung out on the porch enjoying the cooler weather and the beautiful view. After a dinner of yesterday’s leftovers we played a game of Scrabble, and returned back inside to watch a little tv.