The New Mexico Travel GuyTravel Stories, Advice, and Photos from New Mexico ... and a few places beyond!

Tag - NM and Beyond

More photos of Los Tuneles

Isabela Island, Galapagos: Giant Sea Turtles, Blue-Footed Boobies, and the Laid-Back Town of Puerto Villamil (2023)

To follow up on my earlier post about Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos, this article will feature another one of the 13 major islands of the Galapagos: Isabela Island. I picked Isabela Island as my second Galapagos destination as I’d heard there was a good chance of seeing blue-footed boobies there. What can I say, I’m a nerd. Table of ContentsThe ferry...

71st birthday celebration in 2012

In Memory of My Amazing Dad, Erkki Bjorn Wilhelm Aspelin (June 27, 1941 – April 10, 2023)

This week, I focused on writing an obituary for my father, Erkki Bjorn Wilhelm Aspelin, who passed away on April 10, 2023 at the age of 81. It’s hard to summarize your dad’s life in an obituary, but here’s what I came up with. Erkki Bjorn Wilhelm Aspelin Obituary When Erkki Aspelin was born in Oulu, Finland on June 27, 1941, itโ€™s a safe bet that he...

A more traditional photo opp with a Giant Tortoise

Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos: Where Giant Tortoises Rule and Wildlife Lovers Drool

The next few blog posts fall into the “and beyond” portion of my New Mexico and Beyond blog. As a wildlife biology nerd, I recently made the requisite, once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador. My 18-year old son is really into reptiles, and I’m into birds, so we made a great team as we explored Santa Cruz and Isabela...

Getting to the finish line ...

Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico: A Day at the Races, Beginner’s Luck, and “Free Spirits at Noisy Water”

When it comes to horse racing, I’m an idiot. Then again, I’m an idiot when it comes to most things in life, so perhaps that’s not saying much. I have very limited experience with horses and I’m not into gambling or betting. So, it’s probably a good thing that I’ve never been to a horse race before. But on a sunny August afternoon...