Last Updated on October 19, 2023 by Jill
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The title of today’s blog seems a bit odd, doesn’t it? A Volcano and A Skyscraper! And that is exactly what it is, odd. Odd in that we are going to see a Cinder Cone Volcano in New Mexico. Did you know there was a volcano in New Mexico? I sure didn’t. Oh, and the Skyscraper, well that is actually the world’s littlest skyscraper. Yep, odd, right? Well, after leaving the Colorado Springs area we are heading to New Mexico first.
Capulin Volcano
There are 8,000 square miles of the volcanic field that you can see from the top of Capulin volcano. A cinder cone volcano that is part of the Raton-Clayton Volcanic Field. Designated on August 9, 1916. They say it is around 60,000 years old. You can drive up to the top which is an elevation of 8,182 feet from sea level. The rim of the crater consists of a trail that you can walk, which is about a mile around. The crater itself is 400 feet and you can take a trail that goes about 200 feet into the crater.
There are also other trails that go around the base as well. Lots to explore. They say on a clear day you can see 5 different states. We were there on a cloudy hazy day so we didn’t see that far but the views were still beautiful. We drove up and had a look around the crater and the views from the top. After that, we headed back down found a campsite, and caught up on some laundry.
Worlds Littlest Skyscraper
Our original plans were to check out the Palo Alto Canyon area but a storm was moving into the area possibly bringing ice and snow. So, we decided that we would head out of the bad weather range putting us in Wichita Falls. Known as the “Gateway to Texas” sitting on the border of Oklahoma. In its past, it was a busy cattle and oil town. They also have the Wrestlers Hall of Fame here. Today they have more art and culture here than cattle and oil.
Oh, and the World’s littlest Skyscraper built-in 1919, otherwise known as the Newby-McMahon Building. It is 40 feet tall with exterior dimensions of 18 feet deep and 10 feet wide. It was part of a fraudulent investment scheme. The plans showed a building that would be 480″ not 480′ but the investors never noticed the difference. Ripleys believe it or not actually dubbed it the World’s littlest skyscraper and the name has stuck with it. Interesting little find to check out. Unfortunately, all of the things we were going to see were closed due to COVID, so we just walked around the city and the park where we stayed.
The Falls
One thing we did want to check out was the Falls and it turns out the original falls are gone and now they have a man-made set of falls. We took the dogs on a good long walk and tracked them down for a photo opp. They were not too far from our campground. Great afternoon walk over a bridge and along the river. Great way to end the afternoon before the rain started.
Tomorrow we head to the Forth Worth Stockyards.
Cheers,
Jill
