As we drove along Highway 40 to north Texas and back again, we passed so many light-brown signs along the road pointing toward different state parks. I felt some serious twinges of regret every time I spotted the familiar color-coded indicators, wishing we had time to stop and explore each park. New Mexico alone has 35 state parks — Ute Lake, Sumner Lake, Manzano Mountains, Bluewater Lake, and Villanueva State Park all tempted me sorely as I drove past. But we did have the chance to very briefly check out the dam and lake at Santa Rosa State Park when we stopped in town overnight. The park’s elevation is 4,751 feet/1,448 m; and while the lake level was extremely low, we still had a fantastic view of the landscape from the top of the overlook structure, which was both impressive and handicap-accessible.

Santa Rosa Lake is formed from the Pecos River; that name is familiar to me from old Hollywood Western movies, but here was the real thing, albeit rather diminished in mid June. I’ve said it before, but New Mexico really is a beautiful state, and I would love to see much more of it, especially in the winter and the early spring.