Taos, NM to Longmont, CO

San Francis de Asis in Taos, NM

We got rained on hard overnight and it looked pretty bleak in the morning. I wanted to do so much in Santa Fe/Taos areas because they are so rich in crafts, culture, and history. The things we wanted to do in the morning didn't open until 10-11am and I had to leave before that to get Grace home. She was very anxious to see her family again after being gone almost 3 months. I took some pictures of a famous church that was one of the things painted by Georgia O'Keefe and photographed by Ansel Adams. Then, we hit the road north towards Colorado taking the scenic route on Hwy 159/522. I think I shed some tears as we said goodbye to Taos, but it will still be there the next time I stop by and I will make it up, then. 

You can still see straw in the adobe after all these years.

The weather actually cleared up and we had sunny skies. The scenery was beautiful. The more north we went, the more trees we saw, the greener it became and the more snow-capped mountains came into view. When we crossed the state line, Grace cheered.

We came to a crossroads just west of Alamosa, CO, and just a little south of the Great Sand Dunes National Park. We had both been to the park, but didn't have our stamps, so, naturally, we decided to detour there. A hop and a skip and we were there. Took a few pictures, got our stamps, pins, and patches and were on our way again. We decided to continue north through Fairplay and over the mountains on I-70 rather than go on I-25. Who wants to go on a big freeway through big cities on the front range when you can go through smaller towns on smaller highways and see all the beautiful mountains and high valleys up close and personal?

The Great Sand Dunes up against the mountains.

We had beautiful weather and great scenery through the San Luis Valley and South Park (yes, CO has a high mountain valley called South Park), but we hit rain as soon as we crossed to the east side of the mountains, the Front Range. It rained off and on, but not hard, and we made it to my daughter's workplace by 3:30pm. I have to admit it was good to be off the road for a few days. Grace was so happy to be home and I was so happy to see my daughter and other grandkids, too. 

The '50 shades of green' in the Rocky Mountains.

There's a piece of me that will always reside in CO (I've lived here twice for a total of 12 years) and I have so much family here, now, and old friends, that I never tire of the place. My favorite mountain still overlooks my old home and as much as my old town changes, things still remain the same.

So, you can see my trip getting here had high points and low points with some great times in between. Road trips can be fun and adventurous, but are not without stress, mishaps, and surprises, both good and bad. As long as you get where you're going safe and sound, it's all good. Not counting Joshua Tree National Park, since it was closed, I saw nine national parks and monuments and two state capitols, and THAT is definitely all good.

Albuquerque, NM to Espanola, NM

A bird or a spaceship?

After grabbing some breakfast, we got an early start on the Petroglyph National Monument, just on the south end of Albuquerque. It's a small park surrounded by developing neighborhoods. It's basically a lava flow that surrounded hills and were exposed when the hills eroded. Visitors actually have to leave the park and drive through residential streets to find the various areas to come back into the park where the trails are. The petroglyphs are carved on the basalt, which has a tendency to crumble over the centuries. Mind you, the crumbles are huge boulders, but they've moved and tumbled. The most bizarre thing about the drawings is that so many of the figures look like primitive alien forms. They are just other-worldly. 

The 'Circle of Life.'

The trails were mostly easy, but some climbing over the large basalt rocks was necessary. The first trail we came to climbed steeply to the top of a mound, so we passed it over. A woman who was just coming down when we drove by met us a little later and said that the trail had been brutal, so I was glad we had let it go.

Tent rocks often have caps of rocks balancing on the top.

We drove from there to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. This park is so small, it doesn't have a visitor center or gift shop. The gate shack had the park stamp for our passport books, but that was it. Our Nat'l Monuments don't have the status or frills that our Nat'l Parks do. I'm always thrilled when I see one that's been elevated to the higher status of a Park. 

Looking down the canyon at the tops of 'tent rocks.'

We passed on a 'cave' trail (which I later wish we'd done) and just drove through the park. We only went a few miles before hitting a gravel road that continued to the top of a small mountain where there was a veteran's memorial and a beautiful view of a couple of canyons. We ate a light lunch on top before coming back down, exiting the park and heading for Santa Fe. 

Front of NM Capitol Building in Santa Fe, NM.

We found the state capitol building (I love it when my GPS is working) and I explored it while Grace waited in a park. I think state capitol buildings are beautiful, some grand, some plain, but each unique. This one was a round design with three levels opening onto the colorful rotunda. Most capitol buildings try to reflect the history and culture of their states. Even the furniture makes a statement.

I loved the wagon wheel legs of this bench.

This capitol had some beautiful weavings and paintings, but the most unique thing I've ever seen was a buffalo head made from all sorts of materials; fabric, plastics, paper mache, paint brushes, etc. Even fishing reels were used for the eyeballs. It was just fascinating. And this guy is HUGE.

Blow this up and look closely.

When I was done in the capitol, I found Grace and we walked the few blocks towards old town and all the shops and vendors. I had really been looking forward to seeing the Georgia O'Keefe museum since I've always loved her work. When we got there, we found they had a special exhibit showing her work alongside Ansel Adams. They each had photographed and painted many of the same features of the southwest. I regretfully decided not to pay the admission price even though I'm sure the exhibit was worth it. Grace wasn't interested, either, so we browsed the gift shop and walked back to the plaza shops.

Street vendors lining one side of the plaza in Santa Fe, NM.

I really love the culture, history, architecture, colors, and crafts of the southwest and the vendors did not disappoint. There were enough wovens, silver, copper, blown glass, beadwork, leatherwork, etc., to satisfy anyone. We made our contributions to the trades and walked back to the capitol building to reclaim the car and head to Espanola, NM. Tomorrow, Bandelier National Monument.