This morning provided quite a different story. It was sunny and clear.
The Route:
Our 74 mile trip was quite pleasant. We took US-285 north to NM-68, and NM-68 to Taos.
Observations:
The first part of the trip retraced the beginning of yesterday's route to Los Alamos. The turn onto NM-68 opened new vistas.
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| Approaching Taos on NM-68 |
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| Each curve offered something new |
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| We're following the Rio Grande River |
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| There were a number of rock slide warnings |
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| The terrain opened up to the Taos Valley |
We stayed at Taos Valley RV Park four years ago (09/11 to 09/13). We liked it a lot then and it looks the same now.
We arrived early (before noon) and learned their phones and computers were down. A storm knocked out a cell tower last night. The manager was gracious and creative ... we're set-up in an excellent site for three days and we're not officially checked in. We'll deal with the details tomorrow.
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| Site #32 |
Except for moving, we didn't have much planned for today. We did some fun stuff anyway.
Lunch ...
We had brunch at Doc Martin's Restaurant. It's part of the Taos Inn on Paseo Del Pueblo Norte across from the Plaza, and comes with more than 100 years of history. We both had huevos rancheros. The dishes were delicious ... we may not need to eat again for a week.
Rio Grande Gorge ...
We see a large, gently polling plain as we travel NW on US-64 out of Taos. A dark line appears on the plain as we continue and finally it expands to a crack and then to a huge chasm. We've seen it before, but it seemed to amaze us again. These pictures are from the bridge spanning the gorge.
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| Looking north |
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| Looking south |
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| The gorge just drops away from the plain |
Earthship Community ...
This eco-community is located on US-64 a few miles beyond the gorge. The sustainable living structures are built with natural and recycled materials, solar/thermal heating and cooling, solar and wind electric power, water harvesting, contained sewage treatment, and food production. It provides an odd contrast to what we see in the surrounding native-american reservations.
Development has changed a lot since our 2009 visit. The local community has grown to about 70 Earthships (homes).
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| This and the next structure are used for research into new building methods |
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| Research structure in process |
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| The construction team is hard at work |
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| This building was being constructed when we visited in 2009. It's the Visitor Center now. |
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| Carol checks out the water capture system |
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| Solar panels and natural circulation contribute to a comfortable environment |
There was a community of 9 or 10 homes nearby. Some were occupied, some were for sale and some were rentals.
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| This one was for sale |
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| This one was being completed or was a rental |
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| This address marker kind of "said it all" |
The drive back through Taos' main street shows off a lot of adobe construction.
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| First Presbyterian Church |
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| This was Doc Martin's home in the 1890s |
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| Bert Phillips House |
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| There are lots of shops and narrow sidewalks |
The daytime temperature was warm, but comfortable. The temperature began to drop in the late afternoon.
The evening sky was beautiful. The moon was full, the sky was clear except for a few thin clouds on the horizon, and lightning flashed on the far side of the mountain.
We went to Baskin-Robbins for ice cream and called it a day. This was a very good day.
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