Moonset and Sunrise at Ghost Ranch

So the sun was going down, and we needed a place to stay.   Well, we weren't far from Ghost Ranch, and we knew they had some nice hiking trails, so we decided to head back (just a few miles).

We got there after the office had closed, so we just picked one of their camping spots and settled up in the morning.  Dinner tonight consisted of homemade pizza using a pizza kit from COSTCO.  The recipe is at the bottom of the post.

Leveled Up and Plugged In, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Pizza Anyone?, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

One of the reasons we went back to Ghost Ranch was we had learned about some of their hiking trails.  The one recommended by the office, when she saw my camera, was Chimney Rock Trail.  So I woke up before sunrise (as is the norm), and headed out.

Early Horse Gets the Grass, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Full Moon before Sunrise, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Chimney Rock Comes into View, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Sunrise on Chimney Rock, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

I knew this would be a scenic hike, but I figured I would probably just get a good view, like above.  But the further I hiked, the higher I got, and pretty soon I was standing on that mesa you see just to the right of Chimney Rock in the picture above.

Mind the Gap!, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Steve's Shameless Selfie, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

So Close You Can Almost Touch It, Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

This was an amazing place, and I was all alone, just soaking up the sun and the scenery.  Let the record show, there are still places left in this country where you can kill yourself buy getting too close to the edge, or stepping back while taking a photo ;-)   Somehow I thought we had become too protective as a nation -- maybe back East, but not out here, that's for sure.  It was quite exhilarating.

If you have the bandwidth, here's a short 50 second iPhone video to give another view of where I was standing.

And here is Carol's vegan recipe for pizza.  We try to keep a pizza kit on hand because it makes for a pretty quick and easy dinner, when we pull in late for the night:

Crispy Vegan Pizza Recipe

Pick up an Organic Molinaro's Pizza Kit from COSTCO (less than $8 for four pizzas).  It comes with stone baked pizza crusts and individual packets of tomato sauce.

Add your choice of veggies, but Carol usually includes:  thin slices of sweet onions, sweet peppers, mushrooms, artichoke hearts, asparagus, black olives, zucchini, banana peppers.  Shake on dry sweet basil, italian spice and crushed red pepper.  Finally, we add Daiya mozzarella-style cheese (non-dairy) on top.

Bake on a pre-heated pizza stone (if available) at 420 degrees for about 12 minutes.  Let it set for 5 minutes and cut.  This makes a thin, somewhat crunchy pizza, which also reheats well in the microwave if we don't finish off the whole thing in one sitting.  For the RV, we also use parchment paper under the pizza to make cleanup even easier.

Mate with a nice salad (we make up a large tupperware bowl full we keep in a cooler and have this with most meals), a glass of wine, and some candles.  How's that for 20 minutes preparation?