Day 40 - Taos, NM (Day 3)

*Posted on Sunday, September 22*

The morning started overcast and cool.  We could feel the dampness.  The sun broke through as we were making plans for a "gray day".  The sky was clear and blue by 10am, so we decided on a day in the mountains.

First Stop:
We had a hankering for a Mexican breakfast (memories of Doc Martin's Restaurant).  We stopped at a new place called Orlando's New Mexican Cafe on the way out of town.  We ended up getting stuck with a lunch menu.  The selections were tasty and nicely presented, but a bit pricey.  Orlando's is OK.  We won't rush back.

Taos Ski Valley:
Next, we took NM-150 passed Arroyo Seco to Taos Ski Valley.

Observations ...
It seems every drive into the mountains offers more beautiful views.  This was no exception.

The highway went through the heart of a small town called Arroyo Seco.  It was interesting that the main road became narrow and wound through a street market kind of area.  Street vendors and shops lined both sides of the street.  It felt like we were in a remote Mexican village.

Beyond Arroyo Seco, NM-150 runs along
a ridge, giving us a great valley view

The cliff views were cool, too

The resort was really quiet when we arrived.  No surprise, this isn't ski season.  Some shops and restaurants were open and one of the ski lifts was running.  We explored a little, then took the ski lift.

We learned a wedding ceremony had just finished at the top of the lift.  A police officer was standing at the bottom of the lift with a basket of rose petals for the bride & groom.

Up we go

The bride & groom
(they met here)

Some of the wedding party

Best Man & Maid of Honor
(it was fun talking with them as they passed)

Nearing the top of this lift

Wheeler Peak (13,167 ft.)

Love the mountain views

There's lots of skiing here

And down we go

Taos Plaza:

And for a complete change of pace, we drove back down to Taos and stopped at the Plaza.

Carol explored lots of shops and spent a long time talking with the owners of Kokopelli Flutes of Taos.  Paul & Grace Jones explained how they make the handcrafted wooden flutes and how to play them.

We spent most our time on Bent Street/John Dunn Walkway, but did stroll around the Plaza.

Evening:
Dinner was simple ... just soup and crackers.  It was plenty and there was no credit card charge.

Then, we had a great time visiting with an Airstream neighbor.  Adele Amos is a film producer from Oregon and Los Angeles, and a new (kind'a) Airstream owner.  She and her friend Cindy are ferrying a 1976 Airstream Argosy from New York to Arizona.  They consider the journey the trip of a lifetime and a dream come true.

Adele with her 28ft Argosy

Her Mercedes Benz G55/AMG is a tow
vehicle like none other we've seen

We talked for hours ... exchanging ideas, experiences and trailer tips.  Adele is from Portland, OR and lived close to Barbara & Kenny Bagley at one time.  Who'd have guessed it?  This was a great ending for an already fun day.