High Plains Raceway - Race Against Kids' Cancer

 

This is the third time Stephen has attended the Race Against Kids' Cancer sponsored by the the Rocky Mountain Vintage Racing club at High Plains Raceway in Colorado.  This year, 6 racers from the Southwest Motorsport club in Albuquerque attended.  They all parked their trailers in the same area at the track so they could hang around together and help each other with their cars.  The SWMS guys were in three different run groups based on the type of cars they were fielding, so they got to watch each other's races, which was fun.  Stephen and I stayed in a hotel on the outskirts of Denver and drove to the track each day.  We had chairs set up in the trailer and a cooler full of drinks and snacks (and my lunches -- no vegan food at the track).  

Speaking of vegan food, we broke up the trip to CO with a stop in Trinidad where Stephen had chosen a vegan cafe for lunch.  It was delish!

Before we left Albuquerque, we had to stop at a small airport near Sandia Raceway for aviation fuel, which is what the Formula Ford uses.

Once at the track, it was time to unload the car.

 

 

Then the trailer becomes the changing room, hangout spot, computer station, toolbox, lunchbox, etc.

Our neighbors...

 

Getting into all the gear.

Ready for the first practice.
 

 

 This race was the first event for the 263 Formula Ford since Stephen has owned it.  It ran well for a while, then pushed out the front seal, leaking oil.  As is frequently the case, there were plenty of people willing to help with expertise and even free parts, and Stephen was able to replace the seal and go out for another run.  Unfortunately, the fix didn't last and the car pushed out the second seal.  It didn't hurt the car, and Stephen was subsequently able to redesign the seal so that it won't happen in the future, but that would be a repair to be done at home in his machine shop.  The 263 would be finished for the weekend, but the fun was not over.

Another member of the SWMS group offered to let Stephen drive his Formula Ford to get some track time and give his opinion of the set-up.

We also got to watch the other race groups, including a thrilling battle between one of the SWMS guys and an RMVR racer. 

 

 

And, of course, Stephen used his mechanic skills to help other drivers.  This is his friend's car, but he also rebuilt a transmission for a kid who just happened to be parked across the row from us and was going to give up for the weekend until Stephen offered his assistance.

And what was I doing for four days?  Well, watching races, getting Stephen strapped into the car and helping him out, taking tire pressures after every run, taking pictures, relaxing in the trailer reading books, talking with other drivers and their family members, attending the drivers' meetings, walking around the track, and enjoying the atmosphere.  It is a friendly group of people and a warm community, especially when you consider how competitive all the drivers are!  It was a really relaxing way to end the summer before going back to school.

Chloride, NM and Silver City

 We continued our pandemic ghost town tour with a visit to Chloride, NM. 

The 20 current residents of Chloride live in a former ghost town. It was originally established in 1880, two years after Briton Harry Pye chanced upon silver ore, a discovery he initially kept secret. Word eventually got out, prompting a boom.

Chloride, in its heyday, had nine saloons, a general store, a dry goods store, a millinery shop, a restaurant, a butcher shop, a candy store, a pharmacy, a Chinese laundry, a photography studio, a school, and two hotels. The Black Range newspaper was printed in Chloride from 1882 to 1896.

The demise of Chloride began with the Silver Panic of 1893 and was hastened by the presidential election of 1896, which resulted in a drastic decline in silver prices.

 Today, the remaining buildings are used as a museum, a coop art gallery, a historic cabin, a cafe, and 2 cabins that can be rented for short stays.  It is a long drive from the nearest town, but on our way in we saw this roadside food truck and stopped for lunch.  There were some folks just leaving who told Stephen he HAD to try the tacos.  We got our lunches to go and ate them in the picnic pavilion next to the Chloride museum.

After we explored Chloride, we headed for Silver City, stopping a few times along the way to take pictures.

As in most places, restaurants in Silver City are having trouble ramping up their staffing to meet the new demand for indoor dining.  We found a restaurant with space on their patio, but it took 45 minutes to get food.  Fortunately, the waitress was upbeat and doing her best and the food, when it came, was delicious.  

We stayed at the historic Murray Hotel in Silver City.  Stephen loves to find us interesting places to stay!  This one has an art deco vibe and a retro look.

Silver City's small but cool historic district is sort of Old West meets Art Deco.  I loved walking around!  There are galleries and used book stores and yoga studios and restaurants and antique shops and gift shops.  The museum wasn't open when we were there, so we'll have to plan another trip.  We had a special hike planned to break up the drive home, but a thunderstorm squashed that plan.  Another reason to revisit this place.

Bike-In Coffe and Jazz

I met my friend at Kit Carson Park to bike on the Bosque Trail, knowing that we would not be doing a long hard ride today.  She was still recovering from her second Covid shot and I was just flat-out tired from a stressful week (OK, 4 days) of school. We decided to ride as far as the nature center and then on the way back, to take the side trail to Bike-In Coffee.  I had heard of it but never been there.  It turned out to be the most delightful experience!  All outdoors, lots of fun choices of food and drink available, and plenty of space to social distance.  As we were ordering, I noticed people with instrument cases walking toward a canopy in a park-like area.  It was the Rio Grande Jazz Society Friday jam!  I had no idea this existed.  My friend and I took our drinks to a table nearby and listened to several songs.  Eventually we rode back to Kit Carson Park for a modest 10.5 miles but a huge amount of fun.  Live music!  Bikes! People!  Yay!