Southwestern Road Trip: Durango and Mesa Verde NP

After leaving Bandelier, we decided to carry on to Durango, back in Colorado. We went past the Valles Caldera National Preserve and decided to take what looked like the scenic route on the map. We drove north on Hwy 126. There were many signs indicating that this was a mountain road and was seasonally closed. There were other signs that warned us this road was about to become "unimproved". I guess I didn't really comprehend the full meaning of an "unimproved" road until the road suddenly had no more pavement, continued to climb, and alternated between accumulated snow, melty snow, mud, and gravel. We continued on this so-called state highway for 26 miles until we got to Hwy 550. I kept thinking about the family that got stuck and lived in a flipped car until they were rescued... yikes! We did see other people on that road getting their Christmas trees so I guess we wouldn't have been stuck for days. The car got a nice mud bath...and looked like this...

We continued on to Durango and really liked what we found. We didn't stay too long, but we had an opportunity to catch some local food and beer, walk the downtown, and enjoy their Christmas traditions. The downtown was beautifully decorated with lights and the famous railroad hosts the Polar Express during the holiday season. 

Mesa Verde National Park was a short ride away from Durango, so we went to explore more Pueblo dwellings and history. There was a lot that was closed in the park, however we were able to take one hike down to Spruce Tree House. During the winter, there is only one hike a day and you have to be with a ranger to see it. We joined in the naturalist led hike and learned more about the Pueblo. Mesa Verde was a beautiful place and you could see for miles! There is a lot of hiking available in the summer months, however just like all other National Parks you may not hike with your four legged friends! 

After the park we thought we would check out Telluride.We chose a scenic route to take, and this one was much nicer. We traveled along Hwy 145, the San Juan Skyway which has been appropriately deemed the "Most Beautiful Drive in America". We saw evergreens dusted with snow, frozen waterfalls on cliff faces, many beautiful ranches, and majestic mountains as we approached the ski town. 

It was beginning to get dark as we arrived. We walked in the downtown area and scoped out a good place to watch the Packers/Falcons game. We tried to stay in Telluride, but the one reasonable place that allowed dogs, closed at 5pm. They left a number to call for assistance, so we called...no answer. We went back to the downtown area and ate some fantastic pizza at Brown Dog Pizza, some of the best I've ever had. We watched the majority of the game there and then pushed on to Montrose, CO to stay in the quaint motel we stayed in last time we were at Black Canyon of Gunnison NP. All was great, the Packers won and we had a great time!

Southwestern Road Trip Stop: Bandelier National Monument

As we left Sante Fe, it was recommended that we visit Bandelier National Monument by a college professor. I'm very glad we made this stop! 

As we drove into the beautiful Frijoles Canyon, the road led down to the visitor center which was also the trailhead for many trails. We decided to do the Mesa Loop Trail which was a short trail and it things went well we would continue to the Alcove House. This site belonged to the Ancestral Pueblo People who lived in the cliffs. Along the Mesa Loop, there were ladders that led into the cliff dwellings that you were welcome to explore. I could stand in about half of them, but most people could not. We continued on the the Alcove House along the creek, which at times it was quite evident that it gushes and floods often. 

When we reached near the Alcove House, there were plenty of disclaimers that cautioned people with a fear or heights or physical limitations not to climb. It was a 140 Ft. climb to the top of the house. There were not any places to stop and you had to climb on ladders the entire way up. At the top of the house there was an entrance to a kiva, a religious enclosed area where the Pueblos could hold ceremonies, gatherings, or simply stay warm.

It was well worth the stop! I high recommend it!

Southwestern Road Trip Stop 2: Sante Fe

Sante Fe was just a short trip from Taos. I was surprised at the size of the city, I was imagining something a bit bigger. Sante Fe is around 70,000 people. We started out at Cowgirl BBQ which boasted the best brisket around. It was indeed quite good. We enjoyed the beer and atmosphere as well. After satisfying our hunger we went to check out the downtown plaza area. Near the plaza is where we saw the rest of the main sites for our one night stay in Sante Fe, NM. 

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi was a beautifully gothic styled church dressed in purple and pink for Advent. As we entered, the childrens choir was practicing for 5:00 mass. There was a small gift shop as well. We did not stay for mass.

The Loretto Chapel, also located near the central plaza, is the home of the miraculous staircase. This chapel used to be Catholic, however was more recently turned into a wedding chapel. There is a staircase built to the choir loft with no supports. It has two 360 degree turns and absolutely no supports. It is said that St. Joseph himself built these stairs in the 1870's. Many visitors come to see these miraculous stairs, including a pilgrimage that we saw. The church is donned with beautiful stain glass windows depicting important individuals from both the Old and New Testaments. It was also seen on Unsolved Mysteries...

We also tried to visit the Chapel of San Miguel, the oldest church in the United States, however it was closed on Sundays except 30 min before mass. We did not have time to wait around. 

We had time to check out a few bars, however the majority of downtown Sante Fe was art museums. There are over 250 art galleries and museums in Sante Fe, and we did not have time to check them out. 

Southwestern Road Trip Stop 1: Taos, NM

After all the Thanksgiving madness, food poisoning, and work we finally got another chance to take a bit of a road trip. We left Friday on a warm, sunny afternoon. Quite unsure about where to venture this time, after talking with Ellie we decided on Sante Fe and Taos and the rest was yet to be decided.

We drove down I-25 South through Colorado Springs to Walsenburg where we took St Hwy 160 to the West. I really enjoyed driving along 160, watching the rocks change. I don't have any good pictures from this, you will have to take my word. Then, we can into the small town of Fort Garland where we took 159 to the South into New Mexico. 

We followed 159 as it turned into the New Mexico road of 522 which meandered through the Carson National Forest. We began to rise in elevation as we came into Taos. It is a small mountain town with a lot to offer. We drove into the central part and discovered that it was their Christmas Tree lighting ceremony. We grabbed a cup of coffee/hot cocoa (yes it was chilly) and waited with the rest of the community for the lights to illuminate. There were children singing and waiting in line for Santa, adult choirs performing, and even a native Pueblo dance performed by four women with drums and other percussive instruments. The mayor of the town gave a lengthy speech and then the countdown began (from 7, which we thought was a little goofy). The entire plaza lit up, every tree had lights and the square was surrounded by luminaries. It was a beautiful sight. 

We headed to Taos Mesa Brewing to sample the local brew and grab some food. The atmosphere was fun! The structure was an old airplane hangar and it was decorated with lights, however I think it was merely a decoration and not for the holidays. The beer was good, the food was good. They had a bluegrass/country band there as well, which was also good. What wasn't so good, is that we waited 25 minutes for service. I could complain more in detail but I don't want to tarnish their good beer reputation. 

We found a cozy, authentic, Adobe lodge to stay in. The Sun God Lodge was extremely reasonable and the staff was friendly and very accommodating. She pointed us in the direction of things to check out and gave directions as well. 

The next morning we checked out the Taos Ski Valley and sampled a bloody mary. It was decent and we were even given a garnish of olives, something I haven't had in months! We walked around the area and then moved on to the Pueblo. On our way in and out of the Ski Valley the evergreens looked like they had been painted with fine white snow that stayed on the branches, giving them an almost magical look.

The Taos Pueblo is an active site with a little over 100 people still living in the Pueblo with no water or electricity. In 1992, it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site as the First Living World Heritage. We were fortunate to join a tour led by Jesse Winters. He showed us his famiy's pueblo as well as gave us a tour or the area. He talked about the history of his people, the Spanish that came to take over, and the tragedies that occurred on this site. People living in the Pueblo were selling handmade goods and foods. It was well worth the $15/person. The adobe is still redone every 1-3 years depending on the need. The Pueblo people take a 50 mile round trip pilgrimage every year to their water source, Blue Lake. 

 The green and blue represent warding off evil, the red welcomes in the good. 

 San Geronimo church, a mix of Pueblo and Catholic traditions

 Jesse Winters, our tour guide with Nate and Kobi pointing to the destroyed jail below

Our last stop in Taos was the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge on our way out of town. This was an interesting place. The bridge was lined by sidewalks so people were able to walk on both sides and peer down at the Rio Grande.  As we crossed over in the car, I noticed a herd of bighorn sheep. We parked the car and began walking over the bridge to look at the sheep when some lady started scaring them away by walking too close. In my opinion, this qualifies as harassing the wildlife. One by the one, the sheep started hurdling the fence to graze away from the woman. Then, out of no where the crazy lady's dog (husky) hurdled the fence too and chased all the sheep away from the road and down the cliffside of the Rio Grande. I haven't had the opportunity to watch Bighorn sheep often, but I have never seen sheep run that fast. I tried to snap as many photos as I could but my lens wasn't big enough to capture the detail. I did get some shots, just not as clear as I would have liked. 

 If you look closely, you can see the sheep running and all their white butts in the photo below. The vertically oriented photo is where they are all safely on the cliff.

As we were leaving the bridge, we both decided to use the restroom. I went first while Nate held Kobi. The man at the rest stop yelled at Nate that he wasn't allowed to tie Kobi up or take him in the bathroom. Nate tried to explain he was waiting for me and the man didn't understand and ran up to lock the men's bathroom. Nice guy...

and to Sante Fe, NM we went.