Very Large Array

We spent April 3 - 6 in Magdalena, NM, 27 miles west of Socorro, NM, with mom and the grandchildren mainly to visit the Very Large Array, VLA, located on the Plains of San Agustin fifty miles west of Socorro, NM. If you've ever seen the movie "Contact", this is the place. Unfortunately it was cold and windy the day of the tour and none of us were really up to freezing that day. We still were able to experience a lot. You can read more about the VLA at http://www.vla.nrao.edu/.

We found, what we consider, the best hamburger ever. In Magdalena, there is what else but the Magdalena Cafe. They serve what's know as the "Magdalena Burger". From this small town cafe came this very very large burger. It was 18 ozs of great tasting hamburger with Hatch, NM green chili and cheese. All this for just $6.75. Needless to say we split it in four and had 2 full meals from it.

Magdalena really is a neat town to stop and visit. We went to visit the old Kelly Mine above the town taking in the breath taking views of the surrounding countryside. Went to see a highschool ball game, walked to the old corral where cattle were brought for shipping, the old train cars and much more.

We were especially blessed by a visit from Fr. Andy Pavlak. It's hard to believe how much time has past since I attended his ordination in St. Louis, MO. A lot has happened in his life already. It was great to see and visit with him and then attend the mass he celebrated at the local church.

We also had a visit from Charles, one of Roseann's former workmates at the VA, and his 2 dogs. He has a small cabin south of Magdalena and caught Roseann up to date on some of the most recent happenings. She's just wondering who's cleaning the break room dishes? Gosh, will she ever quit worrying about the break room?

Sunday it was back to Albuquerque to take the grandchildren and mom home. We still have a little more packing & cleaning out to do to clear out of our house. It's still hasn't sold though. The right person just hasn't found it yet. Oh well, it's just a matter of time.

The Full Time Rv'ing Adventure Begins

And so the journey begins. It's time to pack it up and head out for the country that Tim spent years defending. It's about time to see it and experience the wonders of it all.


It's also going to be a time to reconnect with our family & friends. We are looking forward to catching up with everyone.


This is not exactly what I had in mind for the 1st day of FT RV'ing, but Tim & I spent the day going through Endeavor II, our 5th wheel, and seeing exactly what's in it and what's not. There was also a lot of reorganizing. Going from part time RV'ng to FT really requires different thinking. There's no more, "we'll get that from the house for next time we go out". There won't be a house to come back to. We'll have it with us. I'm sure we'll have many changes along the way. Thank goodness we're flexable.