DAY 13 - 39.9 Miles

After driving 75 miles to get to our start, we cranked out a record number of miles. Had we known we were .1 short of 40, someone would have walked it.  We started in the grassland and ended in more rolling small hills with Mesas and more vegetation.  The trains were back for part of the day, and it was nice seeing them again so close. One of us even got a wave and a toot from the engineer. We saw horses, antelopes, a praying mantis, salt lakes, and stopped to see the Salinas Pueblo Missions Visitor Center where we watched a film about the Indians and the Spanish and the clash of religions.  The Park Service ranger was so nice, and after telling us about the pueblo and the area and hearing our story, she gave each of us park lapel pins. Then we went to a cute little local art gallery and had a nice conversation with one of the artists.  It was a long day, and we didn't get to the hotel until after 6:00, but it was a great day.