Revisiting our old stomping grounds in Alamogordo, NM, we were in time to take in a sunset stroll through nearby White Sands National Monument Park.

Alamogordo, literally meaning, "Fat Cottonwood Tree," was established in 1898 by the Eddy Brothers who owned the El Paso and Northeastern Railroad, even though the area has been habituated by humans for 11,000 years!

The economy revolves now around Holloman AFB, which houses a Fighter Wing, the Stealth Bombers and the German Air Force. We were stationed at Holloman on three separate occasions and loved this place all the more.

Only a few miles out of town, the White Sands National Monument Park is a great attraction for visitors and locals alike!  With events happening throughout the year and an informative Visitor Center gracing the entrance, anytime is a GOOD time to be here!

It looks like I took a picture of a BUSH, but it is actually the top of a cottonwood TREE!  The drifting sands have slowly been burying almost the entire TREE!

About BURYING, did you know that a documentary was filmed in Alamogordo based upon the massive burial of ATARI games in an old trash landfill? Called, "Atari: Game Over," it was seen on Xbox Live on Nov. 20, 2014. The production company, Xbox Entertainment Studios, was shut down the previous July due to reorganization of Microsoft that fired 18,000 employees!  Bad luck all around, yes?

Why is this store so fascinating?  Well, this is where we were married the second time and THIS time had some wedding VOWS!  It's a long story, so, if you are interested in hearing about it, leave a comment below the post!

This beautiful, decorated horse can be found just outside the "Eagle Ranch Pistachio" farm, just outside of town.  Their shop and visitor center called, "Heart of the Desert," contains interesting Southwest curios and of course, LOTS of delicious pistachios.  My favorite is the Chocolate Pistachio bark!  Yum!

In my opinion, this Donut shop in Alamogordo has the BEST DONUTS IN THE WORLD!  Tasty Creme, you PALE in comparison!  Try it yourself and be prepared to NEVER be satisfied by another name brand!

Looking forward to continuing our journey, we enjoyed ourselves in this enchanted land of beauty, delicious meals, and precious memories.  May you enjoy all your days too!  A Hui Hou! (Until we meet again!)

Picking up our shipped car in Dallas, TX, we finally crossed the state line into Southeastern New Mexico passing through the border town of Hobbs and nearby town of Artesia.

Travelling down the main street of Hobbs, I saw this prominent structure and surmised that this may be an oil town, yeah?  HaHa!

Winning 17 State Boy's Basketball Championships, Hobbs High School has the most championships in New Mexico history!  Besides having talented athletes, their coach Ralph Taskor, was known for employing a "full-court press" the ENTIRE game!  This technique is grueling, but, effective!

By the way, I think that the state has one of the PRETTIEST license plates!

Seen from one of the light posts, this is one run-in I'm glad that I wasn't involved with!  HaHa!

While driving through Artesia, we came across Abo Elementary School.  What is so interesting about this school?  Well, the school was built TOTALLY underground to double as a fall-out shelter!

Constructed in 1962 at the height of COLD WAR fears, it was designed to withstand a 20 megaton blast 10 miles away!  Why Artesia, you say?  Well, just up Hwy 280, Atlas Missile silos dot the landscape and was placed there by SAC in the early 1960's.  Therefore, it was a potential enemy target.  Also, 30 miles south is the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, (WIPP) one of the world's few underground DUMPS for the permanent disposal of transuranic radioactive waste.  It's stored 2000ft. down in a salt rock formation.

Another interesting fact about Abo Elementary is that it was used to incarcerate 600 mothers and children seeking asylum during war in Central America on August 31, 2014!

I'm hoping that you now realize, that the tiny towns you may pass on your journeys, can be a place of fascinating facts or history!  Don't judge a place by it's size!  IMUA! (Go forward!)

Hiking in the "pasture for the clouds," in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, it would have been an easy stroll of 2.2 miles if the altitude of the trail didn't start at 8,467 feet with an elevation gain of 320 feet!  Rated as a MODERATE level hike, the OSHA TRAIL is a popular destination for nearby residents and visitors alike!

Always a good idea to take a break when an opportunity presents itself, this collapsed tree was ingeniously cut and carved to be a comfortable and cute resting place! 

Cloudcroft, situated within the Lincoln National Forest rests at a breath-taking (literally!) 8,600 ft.  The altitude makes for mild summer weather and a cool break from the sweltering temperatures of the high desert communities footing the Sacramento Mountains.  Trains brought tourists starting in the early 1900's to the two resorts built to accommodate them, the Pavillion and the Lodge.  As automobiles became the more popular way to travel,  the rail line began to lose money and passenger service ended in 1938.  Behind us is the remnant of the rail line which has been partially dismantled on both ends to prevent thrill seekers from walking across it and possibly fall to their deaths.

We arrived at Cloudcroft on a special day, October 23, 2014, right at the time of a PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE.  Sunspot, a nearby community, houses a SUN telescope which records sunspot activity.  But on this day, scientists from everywhere were at sunspot watching the eclipse!  Lucky for us, the concierge at the LODGE had a sun viewing box that he lent us to watch the eclipse.  I tried to photograph the event, but, my iPhone did not have the capability to capture the image in the direct sun!

Oops!  I didn't mention that we lodged at "The Lodge!"  Climbing the narrow staircase to the TOWER, we were rewarded with a 360 degree view of our surroundings!  The middle photo shows WHITE SANDS National Park in the distance!  Yes, famous people also etch "we where here" into things!  Judy Garland and Clark Gable visited this place.  By the way, CONRAD HILTON, a native New Mexican, born in San Antonio, was the hotel manager of the LODGE in 1930!

Not to mention that this place is HAUNTED!  In the early 1900's, a beautiful redhead chambermaid called, Rebecca, disappeared from her quarters after her lover found her in the arms of another.  Since then, guests and employees have seen her wandering down the halls, lights turning off and on, doors slamming, objects moving and the fireplace catching fire with no one else around.  She is not malevolent, just mischievous.

After receiving a coupon for a discount from the shop within the hotel called, "The Mercantile and Seasons," I decided to check it out.  Finding some cute apparel, I wanted to try it on!  This redesigned hotel safe was my dressing room.  Did I feel a little claustrophobic?  Yes, I did, especially when she closed the safe's door.  I had to knock on the door for her to open it when I was done, as I couldn't open it myself.  I'm glad that REBECCA didn't decide to pay me a visit while I was in there!  HaHa!  

The Lodge also has a 9-hole Golf course, at the altitude of 9000 feet, it is one of the highest in the world!

Named by FODORS as the # 3, "Most Overlooked and Underrated Destination Spot," in 2002, you now have the inside scoop where you can hike, golf, see sunspots, see a ghost, snow mobile, cross-country ski and just CHILL in a beautiful locale.

 If you were wondering if we saw Rebecca, NO, we didn't, but, we were expectant!  Well, maybe next time!  E Malama Pono! (Take care!)

Just two chicks hanging out together!  HaHa!  Standing in front of Zehnder's Famous Chicken Dinners Restaurant in Frankenmuth, Michigan, I was about to satisfy my hunger for delicious chicken.

Having 10 dining rooms and seating for over 1500 guests, Zehnder's is known as America's largest family Restaurant!   With servers dressed in traditional German garb, you can get the all-you-can eat dinner which includes; coleslaw, cottage cheese, buttered noodles, liver pate, sliced bread, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, chicken noodle soup, CHICKEN and ice cream for dessert.  Are you full yet?  I'm usually so stuffed, you have to ROLL me out!  HaHa!  Actually, I burn it off by shopping downstairs with the many curio shops and the bakery!

Wilkommen (Welcome) to Frankenmuth, Michigan!  Also known by the nickname,"little Bavaria" or "Muth," this place was settled in 1845 by Lutheran immigrants from Robtalarea of Franconia (now part of Bavaria.)   Still dominated by people of German ancestry, 53% still live there today!

My husband is standing on the Zehnder's Holz Brucke (which means, "wooden bridge") that spans the Cass River.  Though looking very rustic, this 239 foot long covered bridge, was built in 1979 and leads to the Bavarian Inn Hotel.

 

 Bronner's Christmas Wonderland, a store that is a city block in size, where you need a MAP to navigate, is "The World's Largest Christmas Store!"  My husband's pocketbook is in REAL DANGER when I enter this establishment.  Anything and everything related to Christmas can be found here, whether it be decorations ( indoor and outdoor), costumes, Nativity scenes, miniature towns, faux Christmas trees,  faux wreaths, Advent calendars and custom tree bulb engravings.

Not only do they have Christmas themed items, they also have Halloween miniatures and Easter items!  My creative juices flow here, as there are hundreds of themed, decorated trees everywhere with all the trimming for sale nearby!

With busted bellies and wallets as we leave with arms full of purchases from Bronner's and Zehnder's, and tummies full of chicken, we leave Frankenmuth in joyful anticipation for our return visit next year! (I need more ideas, you know!) HaHa!  Aloha! (Lots of love!)

Connecting the Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, The Mackinac Bridge spans 5 miles from shoreline to shoreline.  Was I swimming to get this shot?  No, I was on a ferry to transport me to Mackinac Island.  Opened for traffic on November 1, 1957, this is a toll bridge on I-75 costing $4/car.

For the bridge buffs, the design engineer, David B. Steinman included stiffening trusses to support the bridge deck and an open-grid roadway to reduce wind resistance.  The road deck is shaped as an airfoil to provide lift in a crosswind and the center two lanes are open gird to allow vertical air flow, which fairly precisely cancels the lift making the roadway stable in winds of up to 150 mph!

Only open to pedestrian traffic once a year for the "Mackinac Bridge Walk," the 58th Annual Bridge walk, led by the Governor of Michigan will be held on September 7, 2015, starting at 7:00am from St. Ignace to Mackinac City.  I'm going to try to make it for this one and will wear my "the Walking Hawaiian" T-shirt!  This walk is free and requires NO registration!

By the way, this bridge separates Lake Superior and Lake Huron.  At this point, I was on Lake Superior!

 Hopping off the ferry on Mackinac Island, it was unusually cold for September and we had to bundle up in anticipation of our loop around the Island by bike! 

With an area of 3.8 square miles, a residential population of 492,  this Island is known for it's listing as a National Historic Landmark, State Highway M-185 being the only highway in the United States that is WITHOUT motorized vehicles, and it's delicious FUDGE with some confectioners operating for more than a CENTURY!  It also is listed as the second National Park, as Yellowstone was the first!

Of course, there are always exceptions to the NO MOTORIZED VEHICLE rule!  Usually, the Island can be reached by private boat, ferry and small aircraft. (There is a 3500ft. runway located in the  center of the Island!) But in the winter, you can use a SNOWMOBILE by travelling on an ICE ROAD on Lake Huron!  In addition, emergency vehicles and service vehicles are exempt!

Pausing for a photograph on our 8 mile perimeter bike ride, we stopped in front of "ARCH ROCK!" Soaring 146 ft. above the ground, this limestone arch is one of the most popular geologic formations on the Island.

Making their nationally, well-known FUDGE, yes, we did relent and indulged ourselves in this delicacy!

Starting as a habitation for Indians, then a fur trading center, turning into a Military residence, (Fort Mackinac), now a resort and a National Park, this Island has been through many transitions! 

Riding the ferry back to Mackinac City, we  spent the day recalling a past where life is unhurried, quiet, (no loud machinery or cars) and enjoying being with one another!  Remember what is really important!  A Hui Hou! (Until we meet again!)

Oh, what to do with that leftover grease from cooking?  Pour it down the drain?  Throw it in the trash?  How about instead to save it and make candles?  Now, that's recycling!  The photo above is a reshaped cotton ball (100% cotton) and some melted beef tallow!  Really!

These are three different ways to make a wick out of an extra large 100% cotton ball. The ROPE wick, the TOOTHPICK wick and the HERSHEY KISS wick!  

To make the ROPE wick, pull and gently lengthen the cotton ball to a long, skinny rectangle about 12 inches long.  Start by twisting in the middle until it curls on itself.  Pinch in place with thumb and index finger.  With other hand, continue to twist towards you and then overlap piece over to you, pinch down on this part and continue till you run out of material.  It should look like the object on the left! (Maybe even better than that!  HaHa!)

The TOOTHPICK wick requires a sturdy toothpick and make sure that the pointy end will be at the bottom.  Take the cottonball and gently pull and stretch till its in a flat square shape.  The shape should be longer than the toothpick as the extra length will be on the top.  Put the toothpick on the edge of the cottonball with excess on top and the pointed end of the toothpick showing.  Roll tightly like a sushi roll till you get to the other end.  Twist the top to make a pointed end and twist bottom to secure.

The HERSHEY KISS wick is the easiest to make as all you need to do is flatten the cottonball a little, then pull up the other side and twist.  Super simple!

Use any heat resistant container (use your imagination!) and some pliable wire for the rope wick and the toothpick wick.  For the rope wick, twist wire to hold the twisted end of the rope and coil the rest of the wire to hold the wick high in the container and to stabilize the wick.  

For the toothpick wick, coil the end of the toothpick with wire to stand vertical and coil the rest of the wire to stabilize the toothpick in the container.

The hershey kiss wick should be placed in a low container as the top of the wick needs to be free of the fat.  Just place the wick inside and you are ready for the fat!

The fats that you use can be beef tallow, bacon grease, butter, lamb fat or any fat that solidifies when cooled!  You're thinking that it must smell awful when burning!  Actually, I don't really smell anything until I blow it out!  That's when I cover it with a lid!  HaHa!

Fat solidifies in three sections.  The top contains impurities, and the bottom is sediments.  So, the middle area is what you want to use.  Scape into microwaveable container.  Microwave until the fat becomes liquid.  Pour melted fat over the wick in the container and fill, but don't cover the wick top.  Light with lighter.  I have learned that the pointier the wick, the easier it is to light.  

Enjoy what you have created with your own hands and feel proud that you have made use of materials usually thrown away!  Are you seeing the light?  HaHa!