Taos, New Mexico

When we woke up this morning the temperature was in the 30's . . .Brrrrrrr . . . But we were snug under the covers in our camper. (The temp went up into the 80's during the day.) Have I told you how much we LOVE our truck camper? It's the perfect size for the 2 of us and very comfortable. We can go anywhere and not worry about pulling a trailer on narrow mountain roads or finding a place to park on downtown streets. Its perfect for the way we like to travel from place to place . . . :) The only downside is the price of gas. We are averaging 9-10 mpg :(

We arrived in Taos early Sunday morning. Our first stop was Taos Pueblo, the oldest continuously inhabited community in the USA. The main adobe structures are believed to be over 1000 years old. There is no running water or electricity within their village which is considered sacred. Some families in the tribe use their property here as a second home for seasonal use and ceremonial times, while others continue to live here year round maintaining the "old ways" and preserving their traditional practices and native culture.

When we left Taos Pueblo, we drove to the Taos Historic District and found the First Presbyterian Church just in time for the 11:00am worship service. . . An answer to prayer.

We enjoyed the afternoon strolling through the Taos Plaza, admiring the adobe buildings, looking in shop windows, and learning about the life of Kit Carson at his Taos home and Museum.

Beyond Taos we crossed a suspension bridge over the narrow and VERY DEEP (650 ft) Rio Grande Gorge which suddenly appears as a jagged chasm cut from the earth. Approaching the bridge, you have no idea what you are about to cross over. Blink and you will miss it! Mark was driving and focused on the road and wouldn't have stopped if I hadn't glanced out the window to see what was under the bridge. He was amazed that he would have missed it! Our pictures don't do it justice.

We left Hwy 64 at Tierra Amarilla to head south on Scenic Route 84 towards Santa Fe. We were concerned about finding a good place to stop for the night and happened upon Echo Amphitheater. It's like a huge outdoor bandshell carved naturally out of the cliffside. It was a GORGEOUS spot in the middle of nowhere with a paved trail, restrooms and campsites. We were the only campers and it was a peaceful, beautiful evening. Very dark, except for a myriad of stars when the sun went down.

Tomorrow we are heading to Sante Fe.

 

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