We went to Taos a couple weeks ago. Barely have I begun to go through the photos I took. I started looking through the pictures last week but missed Taos enough that I had to stop. These images are about as far as I've gotten and they're just a few from the first day.
We hiked every day, stood on the Rio Grande Gorge bridge and looked down into the canyon, drove dusty roads on meandering adventures, saw the Earthships; visited the Taos Pueblo and spoke with several artists there; drove the Enchanted Circle and hiked in Red River; hiked an old stagecoach trail down into the gorge and soaked in hot springs by the river; went to Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch and hiked up to Chimney Rock, looked down from the top to see what I think was Georgia O'Keeffee's house; went to Bandelier and saw ruins, hiked ancient footpaths at Tsankawi (which was my favorite) and listened to the sounds of our own footsteps in the worn rock, saw cliff-dwellings with ceilings still blackened from their fires, petroglyphs, and many pottery shards with painted patterns. On the trails we saw a number of flowers and cacti blooming, including one orchid in Red River, Indian Paintbrush, and others we haven't identified. Most days when we were traveling out of town to surrounding areas and hikes, we packed the cooler with lots of water and a picnic lunch. When we ate out, our favorite restaurants were Orlando's, La Cueva, and Love Apple. We walked about Taos, poked in a few shops and galleries, visited the Harwood Museum of Art which featured great regional art, enjoyed talking with Estefan at El Rincon Trading Post, who is the third generation owner of the shop. That is a great place to stop. Our apartment was right downtown, with a large balcony and west facing view. The sunsets were striking and we enjoyed sitting out there of a morning and looking north to the mountains. Waking up to a view, I loved it. Our week was full. It didn't speed by like I feared it would. We absorbed much, were dusty and sun-kissed at the end of each day, and thankful for hats and sunglasses. It was a fantastic trip and we were very glad to get away.
To sum up, I shared these thoughts with a friend:
I like the dusty, red earth. The sweetness of sage so present you can smell it through your car. Each bit of life spotted is a surprise. A lizard. A blooming cactus. Indian paintbrush. The air is light, you sometimes have to remember to breathe. Intensely blue skies. I see why painters land here. I see why they paint the sage, and the sunsets, and the adobe buildings.
