It was a very productive day as I was able to visit four places between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. and still cover 448 miles.

I backtracked to Raton to eat breakfast before driving to Capulin. It is funny how the mind plays tricks on a person. Last night I thought the highway east of Raton passed through an alluvial plain and then entered a forested canyon. In the morning sun, I discovered that the entire stretch of highway is bordered by open gently rolling plains, fields, and a few scattered volcanic hills and ridges. There are no trees at all.

11. Capulin Volcano National Monument

A road is built on the flanks of the cone that leads to a parking lot on the rim. From the parking lot, a short trail leads to the center of the volcano and another follows the rim. The rim trail provides great views of remnant volcanic flows and cinder cones in the surrounding area.