Before arriving at Taos, we stopped briefly at the Rio Grande Gorge.
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| After all those warning signs, I finally saw a snake! |
Spending three full nights in one place on this trip is a total luxury. We spent our first day in Angel Fire, New Mexico just catching up on our blog and doing much needed laundry. We felt a little guilty sleeping in until 9:00 a.m.... but not too guilty.
The next day, after a very moving visit to the Vietnam War Memorial in Angel Fire, we spent the day doing the loop called The Enchanted Circle which circled Wheeler Peak, the tallest peak in New Mexico.
We came to this wonderful ski town called Red River where we stopped to get a coffee and breakfast at the Old Tymers Cafe. The service was wonderful and the breakfast superb. The western themed buildings were a stark contrast to the adobe style buildings in Taos, but it was a fun stop.
Traveling through the forest and then down to Taos was a really nice drive.
At Taos we toured the San Francisco De Asis church and The Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe. These two churches were filled with paintings, statues, icons, and wooden reliefs, all in both folk art and traditional styles. The Spanish influence is very evident.
Karen sitting in the grill at the St. Francis Plaza south of Taos.
Santa Fe
On Friday, Oct. 1, on our way to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta and our visit with John and Ivy we traveled to old town Santa Fe. What a fun place! It is filled with shops and history. After our visit to the Loretto Chapel we visited the Basilica of St. Francis, which was beautiful.
San Miguel was the very first mission church in the US. It is celebrating it's 400th anniversary this year. It is next to the very first house.
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| St. Miguel |
The Franciscan padres travelled with the Spanish and their mission churches were and are a very strong influence in the region. This was the first time on our trip we started to hear the Spanish and Franciscan stories. I am glad we had heard the Native American side first, as it gave us a more accurate perspective on what happened and why.
None the less, the feelings in those churches now was one of grace and goodness.
First Friday Fractals
After Santa Fe made it down to Albuquerque to visit John and Ivy and also experienced the Balloon Fiesta. Friday night, though, was a real treat as John had gotten us tickets to see the First Friday Fractal Show showing at the Planetarium. This work was amazing. If you have time, click on this YouTube link of a Mandelbrot Corner. It will give a general idea of what a Fractal is. Unfortunately, I don't have a licensed photo, so you will have to link to it.
The Balloon Fiesta
Saturday morning, Oct 2., we awoke at 5:30 to view the massive balloon ascension the first day of the Balloon Fiesta. We didn't go to the actual Fiesta grounds, as our hotel was stationed just south of the grounds and the balloons were heading our way. Ivy brought us to a street just west of our hotel where we not only saw the balloons pass by, but in half a dozen cases, saw them land in a field right next to us. It was really cool.
This is the balloon Karen and I got to help land and walk to the parking lot.
John and Ivy checking out a balloon which just landed.
Ivy helped the pilot tell his crew where the balloon was so they could come pick him up. Thank goodness for the navigation systems on the iPhone!
A very happy crew!!!
Saturday afternoon, after our balloon chasing, we took a hike at Petroglyph National Monument.
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| Any resemblance? |
Premier of Paths to Wellness with Dr. O.!!!
One of the best parts of our visit to Albuquerque is that we saw the premier showing on Channel 26 of Paths to Wellness with Dr. O. (click on link) , at 1:00 p.m. It was produced by John, and it was such an honor to be sitting next to the producer during the premier!! :) There will be 12 more episodes at 1:00 p.m. every Saturday. We got to see the first!
That night, due to wind, they did not have the balloon glow (that's where they all light up their balloons) but we had a great time walking the Fiesta grounds, signing up for free prizes, smelling the food, and watching the fireworks.
Colorado
Sunday, after another round of balloon chasing in the early morning, we said goodbye to John and Ivy and made our way to Colorado Springs up Route 25 along the Santa Fe trail to visit Megan and Ryan. There were a few National Historic Parks along the way. One, Pecos National Historic Park told the story once again of the Pueblo Indians, the Spanish and Franciscan arrival, the uprising, and more. There was a church with a kiva right next to it there, which I was able to climb down into.
Garden of the Gods
The drive to Colorado was varied and interesting. Leaving New Mexico we entered miles and miles of plains and then began to see the Rockies in the horizon. The view was similar to the view as we left Bozeman and were travelling to Glacier National Park.
Garden of the Gods is one of the several parks maintained by the City of Colorado Springs. Its stark red rock formations and varied hiking trails are a delight. If you travel through Colorado Springs it is not to be missed. It also boasts a phenomenal view of Pikes Peak, the mountain which inspired the song "America the Beautiful:....which I certainly was experiencing.
Monday, Oct. 4 we had a wonderful hike through this amazing park. After a mile long hike through a Canyon we saw a sign that said beware of Mountain Lions and Bears...oh my! Glad we hadn't seen that earlier!
One night we had a wonderful time singing to the piano man at The Broadmoor Pub with Megan and Ryan. It is an authentic London pub which was dismantled and reconstructed in Colorado Springs. We had such fun!! Even though it was an English Pub, they also served a great Irish Coffee!
Independence Pass
Tuesday, October 5, at Megan and Ryan's recommendation, we drove up 82 to Independence Pass and Aspen before settling for the night in Grand Junction. The entire drive was breathtaking. This was the highest point of our trip so far, over 12,000 feet. I noticed that just walking the small trail to the overlook left me breathless. ....both emotionally and physically.
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| Atop Independence Pass |
From the Enchanted Circle, to the churches in Taos and Santa Fe, to the Balloon Fiesta, to the glorious views of the Rockies we have had an enchanted week of wonders.
But best of all, we have been with our family these last few days.... and nothing is better than that!
Next... Arches National Park!
--Mike
I love all your new pictures! It looks like you guys are getting perfect weather, that's great. Glad to hear and see that you're having so much fun! We miss you and love you both! xoxo
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