beluga

beluga

Saturday, October 27, 2018

Blue Skies are here again!


When we rearranged our travel schedule last week, we decided to stay here at Santa Fe Skies a few days longer.   The park could definitely accommodate but we'd have to move a few sites down.    No problem for us.    Yesterday was the move day.    It was foggy in the morning so we enjoyed an nice relaxed morning before packing up (well, sort of) and moving a little way.


Our new site (Y25) still has a view of those cute old trucks but now we have more mountain scenes.


More birds at this site too.   Eurasian Collared Doves and these perky little Dark Eyed Juncos joined the flocks of faded looking Robins.



After the move we drove into old town Santa Fe for a little walk around the Plaza and a late lunch/early dinner at one of our favorites, Chez Mamou. 

We've been here many times before and know most of the store's wares, but we wandered into a new to us shop just down from the restaurant.



The cashmere things were beautiful and so very colorful but the chocolates got our attention.   No, we didn't buy any, didn't even ask the price but I can imagine they were not to to be had at Hershey prices....


halloween window treatment





Chez Mamou is right next door to this roof top dragon



part french restaurant, part jewelry store!


there's a happy man

Mamou didn't disappoint.   We sat by the large windows, beside a tiny last rose of summer and beneath a New Mexican raven.   Good luck I think.  We shared a nice French Bordeaux with my Poulet Paillard  and Dave's Moules Frites. 



Friday we took the Turquoise Trail (rt. 14) as far as Madrid and, as you may expect, had a great lunch at the San Marco Cafe and Feed Store along the way.    I took no pictures of the food, I know you think that all we've done since we've been here is eat......You're right.   Santa Fe is a wonderful place to eat out, so that's what we've done!    



After lunch we continued along the scenic byway, making a short detour into tiny, old Cerrillos, and then walked around artsy Madrid.


mountaintop cross











I love this sign seen on the way into Cerrillos Hills State Park












bedspring fencing



 Today, our last here, we went to the Railyard Farmer's Market and bought some fresh arugula, a huge daikon radish, some tiny heads of multi colored cauliflower, onions, a heavy loaf of lemon blueberry bread and a one person (we'll share) raspberry/rhubarb pie.   Now that we're leaving Santa Fe I'll begin cooking again!


Dave's on TV (in TV?)


I almost bought one









After a quick lunch (yes, eating again....) we decided it was too early to go home and tend to the laundry, or go grocery shopping, or get our flu shot.   We took off in search of dirt, and rocks, and the river.


bright Cottonwoods always tell where the water is





Diablo Canyon

We drove out hwy. 77 (Camino La Tierra) until it turned to dirt and became Old Buckman Road and followed it until we came upon Diablo Canyon Recreation area.   We parked the Jeep and followed the trail down into the canyon.    There were a few cars parked in the area but we saw no one until we got into deeper shade, heard a voice and looked up, way up!



can you see him?




how about now?



the basalt formations were phenominal

We walked into the canyon about a mile or so before turning around.   I knew Old Buckman Road would end shortly and I was anxious to see where.


end of the road


Rio Grande

The road ended, literally, in the river.   A very droll sign told us so.   We walked around the shore awhile, watching birds.   With binoculars we could see the overlook in White Rock where we stood last week, looking down at this very spot!   Too cool.   


view of the river from White Rock overlook 

We've covered a lot of ground this visit and tomorrow we continue our trek west.  Arizona here we come!

Oh!  I almost forgot.   Some of you have asked if that was a chicken leg next to my cloud pancakes.  Who eats chicken legs with pancakes?   Bacon strips, they were crispy curly bacon strips.









Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Taos and rain

Santa Fe's usually great weather left on Monday.    I've told you before - we're jinxed with rainy weather wherever we go.    We're thinking of renting ourselves out to drought stricken areas, we could make millions!

colorful artwork on the overpasses


Monday, under threatening skies, we took the high road up to Taos.   We enjoyed the ride and the beautiful fall colors, especially the blindingly yellow Cottonwoods.

The Cottonwood's fall foliage is stunning



I'm enamored of the intensely personalized local cemeteries we pass by.   Great care is taken to tell something about the deceased, their age, their interests, even where or when they died....they are decorated for every season and occasion.






we turned around to get a better look at this creative sluice 

it was made out of two large logs hollowed into a U shaped channel


We had lunch in Taos and drove around a bit.   The "plan" was to park somewhere and stroll the streets but the skies has opened by then so we trashed that idea.   


We've been to Taos a few times and even stayed in a campground there when Lewis was just 3 years old so I wasn't inclined to race around taking pictures of the same things.     If you want to see what we saw and did then, you can search the blog.

We decided to drive Hwy. 64 through high, flat table lands and over the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge,  spanning a 1300 foot crack in the ground with the green river racing along 650 feet below.  The last time we drove over the bridge there was construction on it and we were stopped smack in the middle!   You know how I feel about heights and I can deal with them much better when we're moving through.    This time all went well and we stopped for a few pictures on the other side before heading on to check out (again) the Earthship community a few miles down the road.

650 feet below that road surface is the Rio Grande

I certainly didn't get close enough to look down into the chasm, Dave did but he didn't have the camera.

Dave gets up close to the edge for a better look

one of the interesting Earthships.   This is where our tour of them began a few years ago

one of the newer creations in the complex, still under construction

a multi family home perhaps?

I wanted take the low road back to Santa Fe, the regular way along the river but instead of going back through Taos, I found a different way to access the river.   Upon looking at Google Maps I discovered what appeared to be a paved road (rt. 115) that turned left, just past the bridge and would take us along the rim and then down into the canyon and across the Rio Grande to connect with Hwy. 68 and home.     We missed it at first, a tiny road, then turned around, found it and started out.   We passed a number of other Earthships scattered around the area as the road headed toward the rim.    I figured I could handle the steep descent because we would be on the inside of the switchbacks and was tentatively game to try......until the pavement ended.   The road ahead became wet and rocky dirt as the Jeep began to nose down the escarpment.   YIKES!   Turn around, turn around Dave, please turn around!     I instantly lost my nerve and Dave patiently, without any questions or harrumphs,  turned the Jeep around and we took the long way back through Taos.    I'm so very lucky to have him.


The drive home was beautiful.  It was still cloudy but every so often the setting sun would be able to peek through, lighting the river and mountain sides.




The skies were turbulent through the rain, revealing a brilliant double rainbow.  We weren't able to stop for a proper photo, there was quite a bit of traffic and it was, after all, pouring. 



Yesterday the heavy rains came in earnest and we busied ourselves indoors.   We went out to lunch at the Fina Cafe, a bit south of town on Old Las Vegas Highway.   This is a wonderful little cafe that Jesse told us about and we couldn't agree more.  Way worth the short drive for their modern spin on comfort food in a simply remodeled Fina gas station.    Don't even ask about the baked goods case as you walk in!

Dave's breakfast burrito and my cloud pancakes, yum

 Lewis stayed home and amused himself with his toy box.    He has been a bit lame lately so we've taken his ball away for the time being.   He plays so very hard with it that he pays no attention to his sore leg and then pays for it later.  Please don't tell him we took it, he thinks it's just lost under the couch or something. 


It rained all night and most of today.   Dave takes Lew up the hill to "get busy" and they race right back. 

that sky isn't blue, it's black......

  What were we to do but go out to lunch again?  Harry's Roadhouse was calling.   
Eating a good meal in a cozy restaurant while the rain streams down the windows has a certain appeal.

he couldn't wait, and they're MY french fries....