#OptOutside Friday at the Shuree Ponds

For #OptOutside Friday this year, we celebrated the beautiful state we live in by driving north to the Valle Vidal lush mountain basin located in the heart of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. The Valle Vidal is a Rocky Mountain paradise with vast alpine meadows that provide a vital habitat for New Mexico's largest herds of elk. My human saw an elk when he first arrived but scared him away before the rest of us got a peek. Boo! He didn't even get a picture!

After a long but beautiful drive down a not-so-good dirt road (typical of northern New Mexico), we arrived at our destination, the Shuree Ponds. The ponds are the perfect place to enjoy the beautiful surrounding scenery and a picnic lunch. You can see the surrounding mountain ranges and ridges of the Rock Wall from the valley.

 

The water was crystal clear, reflecting the great blue sky above. We enjoyed the afternoon walking around the ponds, enjoying a wonderful picnic lunch full of Thanksgiving leftovers, and the great outdoors with my family. This sure beats the lines, crowds, and consumerism of Black Friday!

I don't know about you, but #OptOutside Friday is my new favorite holiday!

-Rosie