New Mexico! (Part 1)

Hello, my friends! When last me met, we were heading from Oklahoma, through Texas, and into New Mexico. We spent one afternoon and night in the town of Tucumcari, NM, which is one of these towns you may have heard of that was a real hip and happening place when everybody was getting their kicks on route 66. But that was decades ago, and this little town is… well, it makes me sad. You watch Cars in the quaint little dried up Route 66 town of Radiator Springs, and everybody is quirky and happy and has so much personality. But not here, in reality. Although there are some motels that are operational, but I can’t even begin to tell you why people would be there, except as a waystation. I don’t actually know what people do in this town. But then, there was Del’s.

Del’s. Del’s is a restaurant in Tucumcari that isn’t the greatest place you’ve ever been to, but it’s really, really good. And the people inside seem to all be those folks from Radiator Springs. Favorite moment: The waiter brings our food and delivers Gabe his steak fingers (who knew?). And says so completely deadpan that he had all of us, “sir, here are your fried chicken livers.” This was a nightmare situation for my son. Finally, he gathered the strength and courage to state clearly: “Pardon me, but I ordered the steak fingers.”

“No, I’m pretty sure I remember you ordering the chicken livers.

“No, I am sure that I didn’t.”

“Look, I have written down right here in my little book.”

“But… but… but…”

“Nawww, shoot, I’m just messin’ with ya!”

Stopping to examine the pueblo

Wednesday we made our way northwest in New Mexico and stopped at Bandelier National Monument. It was a great place, with canyons, and wildlife and pueblo ruins and cliff dwellings that we got to climb ladders into. Unfortunately, our visit was cut short by the approach of a thunderstorm while we were on the floor of the canyon. 

The large pueblo from above.

Cholla cactus in bloom

Mule deer in the creek bed

Izzie receiving her Junior Ranger badge

We drove another little while, and finally arrived in Taos.

Rain over the Rio Grande Gorge

Thursday, June 30. Today was a day that we’ve been waiting for. After driving and driving and driving and driving, we finally got to wake up, have a nice breakfast, load up our packs, strap on our boots, and hit the trail. It was the 4-mile round trip trail to Williams Lake, which had 1,000 feet of elevation gain. A moderate day hike to be sure, but it was pretty ambitious considering that we started at 10, 000 feet of elevation and none of us are in hiking shape yet. Well, except for Kathy, but more on that later. The trail was one of those unfortunate super-rocky trails that keeps you from ever looking at anything but your feet. But when you do stop and look up, it is simply amazing. And you would never, ever guess that this is New Mexico.

Much of the hike was inside a beer commercial

Gabe struggled on the hike, but then he received The Power

A boy and his Poppy

Yup, 11, 050 feet *gasp*

Columbine growing out of a rock

Bonus: The trailhead is at the Taos Valley Ski Resort, and the long hike ends at the Bavarian Bierhaus!

The afternoon brought another rainstorm, and we relaxed until we cooked out and had a real steak dinner outdoors, looking out over the mountains during the meal. After dinner we drove a few miles to the Rio Grande Gorge and (most of us) walked out onto the bridge to gaze down at the river, 565 feet below.

Not actually my photo.

It was pretty terrifying...