96 Hours in New Mexico — DAY 2

MONDAY AM

mornings at casa blanca inn are the best. 

the smell of fresh made breakfast rolls through the courtyard and into the casitas

beckoning guests out of bed. it's worth waking up for. 

the spread is perfection (even if you're a finicky gluten-free/vegan eater like me!),

and it's all complimentary for guests.

casa blanca inn is not a big place, nor does it have a tremendous breakfast space.

it's quintessentially cozy, giving it a sunday-morning-breakfast-at-home kind of vibe.

sleepy travelers roll in, grab a plate, a cup of coffee, and chat you up like you're a second cousin they haven't caught up with in a while rather than a complete stranger. 

this place made me remember that there are people in the world that are genuinely kind,

genuinely interesting, and genuinely interested in genuine human connection.

(can you guess the word of the day? it's genuine.)

casa blanca inn, you're breakfast was transformative. 

it was a nice refresher course on humanity.

i wish there were more interactions like this on a daily basis. 

i also wish we had been able to have more than just one morning at casa blanca inn,

but the road, the trails,

and on this particular day, an untamed stretch of wildlands,

pulled us from our breakfast nook

and out to our expedition (the car, and the actual expedition of the day)...

THE ADVENTURE

we're headed to bisti badlands!

(also known as bisti/de-na-zin wildlands)

in my opinion, you should visit the bisti badlands in one of two ways:

ONE:

having really done your research, and knowing what it is you want to set out to find

.....or

TWO:

not doing much research 

(well, best to do just enough so as not to find yourself in a real pickle in the middle of nowhere)

and seeing where the wild leads you. 

we did something in the middle. 

some fast facts about bisti:

▴ there are no fees to get in

▴ its open all year, all seasons! (i highly recommend visiting in september weather-wise!)

▴ there are no trails

▴ there is no real "map" save for this one (pictured above) just beyond the parking area

▴ there are no water fill stations

▴ there may not be a single other soul there when you arrive, making the place a little eery

▴ dinosaurs once roamed these lands!

most important fact:

it's vast, and strange, and wild

(three of my most favorite things)

what you should consider bringing with you:

◦ a GPS — with no trails it can be very easy to get lost

 a GPS or some form of tracking device will prove to be really helpful! 

(we have a Garmin and love it...it's helped us through quite a few tricky trails)

◦ water, water, and more water — there is pretty much no shade. anywhere. 

no matter what time of year, cooking under the sun = sweating = you're losing hydration. be sure to bring more than enough water as there is no where to fill up. 

if you ask me, it's better to have too much than not enough. 

◦ sunscreen — see above, no shade. 

◦ snacks — because hangry hikers are not fun. 

◦ portable charge — especially if you're using your phone for tracking!

a portable phone charger will be super helpful / necessary. 

(linked to the one i have and love, it's a little clunky, but its charge lasts a while.)

GETTING THERE:

if you're coming from farmington, like we were,

follow these directions from the BLM:

"To reach the Bisti Access Parking Area, Drive NM 371 just under 36 miles south of Farmington (from the San Juan River crossing) and turn east on Road 7297 (a gravel road). Drive Road 7297 for approximately 2 miles to a T-intersection and turn left. Drive just under one mile to the Bisti Access Parking Area, which is just south of a broad wash on the east side of the road. There is another, smaller parking area 1/4 mile further north."

EXPLORING THE WILD:

in the little research that we did do, we found consistently that people were always referring to the 'wash' as a point of reference for direction once in the wildlands. 

people suggested either sticking to the left, or right, of the wash. 

and we were like ok. noted. the wash, good, got it. 

and then we got there and looked at this hugely open space behind a small fence with a sign that said “wild lands beyond this point” and realized we didn’t know 

what the fuck, 

or where the fuck, 

the wash was. 

still not sure if this is the wash....but it is pretty rad. 

so, we chatted with some canadian RVers who gave us a little bit of advice on a direction to head in, and made our way out into the wild. 

we took the directional advice from our new canadian friends for about 30 paces before we were like, “OMG THIS PLACE LOOKS LIKE THE MOON! 

NO, MARS! 

WHAT’S OVER THERE!? 

LETS CLIMB THIS HILL! 

WE ARE ALLOWED UP HERE, RIGHT!? 

TAKE MY PICTURE! 

DO YOU THINK ALIENS ARE REAL? 

DID DINOSAURS HANG OUT HERE!?

DO YOU THINK DINOSAURS MIGHT STILL EXIST!?

ARE WE LOST ALREADY?

THIS PLACE IS WILD!”

And so on. 

Sensory, adrenaline, and excitement overload. 

the ground was a strange cross between super crunchy dirt and gravel. it didn't leave footprints,
which made following your own tracks extra difficult (hence the need for a GPS)

the landscape changed so dramatically so quickly it was like entering a new dimension every 1/2 mile. this land was like nothing we had ever seen, or hiked, before. 

otherworldly seems like a gross understatement to describe was bisti was like. 

we randomly came across a trail that must have been left by a herd of cows, so we followed that for a while. it felt kind of nice to have a little trail to follow for a change. 

we spent a good few hours wandering around the wild, 

taking in all of the crazy scenery that unfolded before us. 

we only tackled a small portion of the bisti badlands,

and now that we know camping is allowed here,

i have a feeling we'll be back to do some more exploring someday. 

imagine what the stars would be like here!?

MONDAY PM

we packed our tired bodies into the car and made our way back to civilization.

we had about a 6 hour drive to our next destination...

a motel, 

2 patio chairs,

2 mini bottles of jameson

a shower, 

and a bed awaited 

and we couldn't wait to get there.