Moving on, our next stop was Socorro, New Mexico for a short stay. We stayed at the City of Socorro Rodeo & Sports Complex – RV Park & Horse Stall which we found to be a very nice campground.
Socorro, New Mexico was founded in 1598 by Juan de Oñate, who named it after the Spanish word for "help or relieve”. Socorro was an important stop on the Camino Real, the Spanish trade route which connected Mexico City to Santa Fe and is home to the San Miguel Mission, which is one of the oldest churches in the United States.
It was built in the 17th century by Spanish missionaries and was founded in 1627 by Franciscan missionaries. The church was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970 and is a beautiful example of Spanish colonial architecture. It was unfortunately closed while we were there.
Also nearby was New Mexico Tech, a public research university in Socorro.It was founded in 1889 as the New Mexico School of Mines, and it is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the state. We enjoyed a nice stroll around the campus.
One afternoon we went to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. It is a 57,331-acre wetland and is home to a variety of wildlife. Established in 1939 to provide a critical stopover site for migrating waterfowl it is a popular destination for birdwatchers and photographers
We drove the nature loop in the park. We saw lots of birds and a nice mix of grasslands, shrublands, and woodlands. There was even a lone snow goose and a family of Canadian Geese still hanging out at the refuge. We were about half way through the loop when it began to rain and then hail on us. Yikes!
Socorro, New Mexico is a great place to go hiking. There are many different trails to choose from, ranging from easy to challenging. The trails offer stunning views of the surrounding mountains, valleys, and rivers.
Another day we went hiking on the Box Canyon Trail. This moderate trail is located in the Cibola National Forest. The trail follows a creek through a canyon and offers beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. Box Canyon is also very popular with rock climbers in the area.
We even found a nice brewery in town called Box Canyon Brewery where we would often end our day on a good note…
Box Canyon Brewery ... indeed a nice ending to a day's adventures!
ReplyDeleteYes, it most cetainly was..
DeleteThat photo of the storm was very dramatic!
ReplyDeleteFortunately that one skirted around us... and yes, it looked very dramatic!
Delete