We left Amarillo bright and early Monday morning and headed to Santa Fe. This is our first trip to the Santa Fe area. It’s been on my list for a while and since the logistics worked out for Albuquerque and the Balloon Fiesta, my travel planner gave it the thumbs up.
We’re staying at the Roadrunner RV Park located on the Pueblo of Pojoaque. The views are spectacular. Pojoaque is a small community which is part of Santa Fe County. We’re located about 15 minutes north of Santa Fe and just over an hour south of Taos.
We’re also about 5 minutes from the Buffalo Thunder Casino. (Not that we’ve been there everyday or anything.) The campground is a gravel lot with hook ups. We’re fine with it. Rigby is not a fan. She prefers grass for her business.
A Day in Taos
We spent Tuesday, our first full day in the area, in Taos. I couldn’t wait to get to Taos. Taos is an artist/writer community. Two things I love. It’s nestled in the beautiful Sangre de Cristo Mountains. A third thing I love. Much of the drive north was a curvy, two-lane road. Made me miss our motorcycle days.
We met old friends Kenton and Ricky Pass for lunch. Kenton & Ricky have lived in Taos for the past couple of years. It was great to catch up and get some tips on what not to miss.
After lunch Other Half indulged me with gallery after gallery. So much beauty and so much talent. I came away inspired and wanting more. One thing about living in the Big Rig – not much available space for art. I’ve learned to appreciate without buying. Sort of.
Just north of Taos is the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. The view of the gorge from the bridge messes with your equilibrium. Other Half is not a fan of a messed up equilibrium. He opted to enjoy it from the sidelines. We spotted a band of wild burros as we drove across the bridge. I love spotting wildlife in the wild.
A short distance from the bridge is the Earthship community. Earthships are a passive solar house built with natural and upcycled materials.
Tires packed with dirt create walls and provide insulation. Bottles and cans are also used creatively. The community is off grid. We were surprised how many earthship structures there were.
A Day in Madrid
On Wednesday we drove south to the town of Madrid. Madrid is located on what’s known as the Turquoise Trail. The name comes from the blue-green turquoise mined in the area. There is no shortage of turquoise jewelry for sale. The Turquoise Trail is a National Scenic Byway linking Santa Fe to Albuquerque.
The town of Madrid was made famous by the Disney movie Wild Hogs. Maggie’s Diner was built as a movie set and today is a touristy gift shop.
Madrid began as a coal mining town in the early 1800’s. When coal was no longer the thing, the residents bailed and the town became a ghost town. Today about 400 people live there, mostly artist, craftspeople and gallery owners.
A Day in Santa Fe
Thursday took us into the city of Santa Fe. Santa Fe is also known for it’s population of creatives. Two of my favorite writers, Natalie Goldberg and Julia Cameron live in the area. They must’ve missed my travel plan memo – as no lunch invites were forthcoming.
We started our day at the St Francis Cathedral located just off the plaza in downtown Santa Fe. The building is stunning and just walking in made the little Catholic girl in me feel like I should have my head covered. We were unable to go into the main church itself, as there was a funeral going on.
We visited shop after shop and got a bit overwhelmed. We recharged with lunch at a great Mexican place on Burro Alley. After lunch we stuck to galleries and custom boot shops. Much better.
A Day in the Caves
Friday we opted for a change of pace and headed to Bandelier National Monument. Other Half had had his fill of shops and galleries. The Monument is 50 square miles on the slopes of the Jemez Volcanic field in the Jemez Mountains.
The Monument protects and preserves the homes and territory of the Ancestral Puebloans. The visitor center also has only one bathroom – as the volunteer told us several times.
The Monument includes over 70 miles of hiking trails. We opted for the Main Loop Trail, which is just over a mile – more our speed. The Main Loop gives you an up close look at the cave homes of the Puebloan people.
The views, as usual were spectacular. My iPhone camera just doesn’t do justice. I tried.
A Day in the Big Rig
Saturday was a day to regroup, do laundry, clean, watch the Ryder Cup and college football. A good day in the Big Rig.
One more thing got accomplished while we’ve been camped here. Other Half was not happy with our bike rack set up since the Holy S$&t incident. After several trips to hardware stores and salvage yards, he has successfully remounted the bikes on the back of the Big Rig. He says it’s a Rube Goldberg fix – a complicated contraption performing a simple task – but it works. That’s all that matters. I’ve never heard of Rube Goldberg, but I think he would be proud.