In the second of our two long-weekend vacation trips in September, we travelled to New Mexico and visited the northern part of the state.
Our hotel was N/W of Santa Fe at a scenic location nestled between the Buffalo Thunder Casino and the Towa Golf course. We had clouds and a touch of rain the beginning of our stay, but otherwise we had sunny days with chilly nights — perfect.
Casitas Jono (on left), backed by crepuscular rays
Our first order of business was to find the Kohl’s store in Santa Fe and buy a replacement for our large suitcase; our old one arrived with us, but the zipper was torn completely apart. Luckily, all our belongings were still inside with nothing lost! While in Santa Fe, we toured some art galleries in the Railyard district and the capital building. The weather cleared and we had sun from this day on.
The next day was our travel day — we started out northward and took advantage of an open house weekend on the High Road to stop at a few art studios on the way up to Taos. We found an older couple at a scenic overlook waiting for someone to take their photo; they were excited to see my Mizzou shirt, as it turns out they were both alumni. We were happy to take their picture, and they reciprocated.
the forested mountains of northern New Mexico
While in Taos we spent some time in the main square, but we weren’t too impressed — traffic wasn’t good, and it pales in comparison to Santa Fe’s shops. We continued on driving through the scenic mountains and forests of the area, stopping by Eagle Nest Lake for a bite to eat at the little D&D Cafe before continuing on. We drove past Philmont scout camp and then down to Las Vegas, NM for an enjoyable visit with the Maki family over supper.
Italian food with the Maki’s
Our Sunday was more relaxed; we decided to sightsee in nearby Los Alamos. We walked the museum district, reading about the Manhattan Project and the continuing research being done. I personally found the town of Los Alamos a comfortable place — one I could get used to; might have to return sometime to explore it further.
Fat Man and Little Boy bombs in Bradbury Museum
We returned to our hotel by way of Bandelier National Park, stopping several times at overlooks and pull-offs to enjoy the beautiful landscape.
On our last day, we decided to return to Santa Fe Plaza district where we again toured galleries, window shopped, and spent some time in the beautiful Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assissi.
Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi
Mo and I both consider this vacation trip a success, and heartily recommend it as a destination to explore.
"é rayhahn, rayhahn" 