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| Day Trip to Taos |
To celebrate our first month on the road and to experience Dinah Coble's most favorite place on earth, we took a three hundred-fifty mile road trip to Taos. The weather man predicted clouds and rain, so we didn't take our bike. Mistake. Taos gave us beautiful blue sky and temperatures similar to what we've been riding in. Had we taken our bike, the ride out to the Taos Pueblo would have been pleasant, as would the ride up to Arroyo Seco, where Judy bought some yarn in a shop she wasn't going to go into, etc. Taos, as Dinah would suggest, is amazing. There are art galleries in nearly every adobe structure. The air is fresh, and the spirits are high. We stayed in a bed and breakfast in a room about three times the size of Frac. We ate three rich and wonderful meals, walked about fifteen thousand steps, and slept beside the fire like babies in toy land. After a nice breakfast, we enjoyed the guided tour of the Taos Pueblo, which was given by Antonio (Blue Lake) Gomez, an eighteen year old Pueblo Indian boy whose pride and presence was as refreshing as the sky. He pointed to the structure he lived in growing up, which has no running water and no electricity. His job was to carry the water from Red Willow Creek each day, which was used for cooking, bathing, and other essentials. He went to school on the reservation up to middle school, and graduated from Taos High School. He plans to enter the Navy in the fall. He was also happy to report that his Spanish name came from the Spanish invaders, even though he is Indian, that Teddy Roosevelt claimed their sacred blue lake in 1906 for the National Parks, and that Richard Nixon gave it back in the 70s. He proudly pointed out thousand year old structures, and said he hoped to teach his future children the language of his people (Tiwa). From the Pueblo we drove a few miles to this funky little town, Arroyo Seco, which is just a few shops nestled right under the Sangre De Cristo Mountains, and appears to support one of the many artist communities in the area. The lady at the weaving shop told us about the back roads back to Albuquerque. We took her advice and wound our way through the mountains, avoiding the interstate for all but the last twenty miles. We had lunch in an even more funky art community called Madrid, an old mining town on Route 14, which runs through the mountains east of Albuquerque. When we got "home", we were glad to see Frac and the bikes waiting for us like two friendly puppies. Life is good, especially today.
We stopped in Sante Fe to eat breakfast at Cafe Pasquale. We had eaten here a decade ago with Jim and Karen Cramer. It was good, but over priced. This is an art shot through the window as we waited in line to get in. We sat at the round table, and the placed filled right at opening. I guess the price isn't too high.
One of the murals on the walls. The ambience of the place can't be overstated.
Those of you who know us, know that food is close to our hearts (and bellies). This is lunch at the LaCueva in Taos. Yummy and entertaining: the music continues for days.
Yelp has been a very reliable guide so far. We asked for the best cheap taco and were guided to the Cave.
The Hunny Bunny checking out the four post bed.
Just about every structure within two hundred miles is a version of this.
The night sky outside our B and B.
What was left of our soup at a restaurant called Byzantium in Taos. Our third meal of the day: Spinach and Pear Salad (warm); Vegetable Soup; Fresh Bread with plum marmalade; and Organic Herb Crusted Chicken Breast with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Red Cabbage Sour Kraut. We had Belgian Truffles with Cinnamon Ice Cream for dessert. AND ALL THIS WITH NO BIKE RIDING. YIKES!
A fire to keep us warm: a hot night in Taos.
The church at the Taos Pueblo, freshly plastered with mud.
Absolutely no pictures (I didn't see the sign) in the sanctuary! Christ's coffin off to the side.
This structure is over a thousand years old and originally had no doors. Inhabitants entered from roof top.
Many individual structures like this are in the Pueblo, which still houses more than 50 people who live in the traditional manner.
Dogs keeping each other warm.
The most famous church in Taos: St. Francis of Asis
Georgia O'Keefe (and others) have painted this church.
Lunch a the Old Hollar in Madrid.
Peter, Peter Pumpkin eater, had a wife and couldn't keep her. This pumpkin isn't even close to the way cool pumpkin Emily and Sarah raced during Halloween. We love you, girls!
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