Taos

We had a great time in Taos. It originally started as a plan to meet up with my dad to watch the eclipse, but turned into the whole family meeting up and spending a few days in town. It was a relaxing five days, enjoying sunsets on the sun deck. The first night we were there we waited for the eclipse, drinking margaritas. One day we took a trip up the canyon and went on a short hike. On the way back down we stopped by the art town of Arryo Seco. There was a neat old truck, and a missing dinosaur. We spent a lot of time around the house reading. It was great to listen to the wind blowing through the curtains and relax. The book I was reading was Blood and Thunder which is about the life of Kit Carson and history that he was a part of. It starts with the fur trade and trapping beavers from New Mexico to Montana. Then he met up with John C. Freemont and they mapped the oregon trail, then explored from Oregon south through California and Nevada where they became involved in the war with Mexico for California. Then he played a crucial role in the Indian wars and the book goes into how the civil war became a factor in taming the west. All in all it was a great read about the settling and history of the west. One of the best amenities at the friends house we were staying at was the sunset deck. We spent most evenings up there with a margarita watching the sun slowly slip over the side of the earth the the clouds turn brilliant colors. We took an afternoon and made the trip to the bridge over the Rio Grande. The river cuts a deep canyon across a flat mesa. Then we stopped by Kit Carson's house and then around to Outback Pizza, which is one of my favorite dining experiences. And of course watched the sunset. At night I was soaking my feet in epsom salt which helped toughen them up. And I got a picture of Blake in front of a Blake's Lottaburger, a burger chain across New Mexico that will put green chilies on anything. The last place we stopped was the chapel at Ranchos de Taos, which has shown up in art over the years. Most famously from Ansel Adams. It is built out of traditional stucco, all hay and mud and it is repaired and kept up every year by the parishioners. Next door was a traditional stucco home that wore the face of time. It was a great break from hiking and the trail and I felt rejuvenated when I left. My plan was to head to Chama and start heading north, but I heard from a hiker in front of me that the snow was rough. I decided to get back on the trail at Ghost Ranch and it was a great decision.