Day 453

Vickie and Rob joined us for breakfast at Michael's Kitchen this morning before departing to home via the Philmont Boy Scout Camp near Cimarron, NM.  There we toured the Villa Philmonte, the BSA Museum, and the gift shops. Not far from there was the Chase Ranch which we also toured as it shares in the history of the area. Raton was our last stop before getting back into Colorado and home. We just happened to go to the Gate City Craft Bar which turned out to be right across the street from the Raton Amtrak Station where Jamie and Papa Bill visited years ago by train. All the day's photos start here in the trip's photo gallery. We picked up some ice cream at Josh and John's right before getting home only to find out that the Compound refrigerators were full of ice cream from earlier parties. We handled it.

Michael's Kitchen for breakfast before leaving Taos.

Villa Philmonte at Philmont BSA Camp

BSA Museum at Philmont

Chase Ranch

Amtrak Station at Raton

Gate City Craft Bar across from Raton Station

Approaching home...

Day 452

While Vickie and Rob headed out to the Rio Grande Gorge State Park for some hiking and a little Indian shopping, Jamie and Lynn headed for Bearclaw Bakery and Cafe which turned out to be closed till Friday. Fortunately, Michael's Kitchen was going strong and we got a cheese crepe and a cinnamon roll. Once we all got back together, we went to San Francisco de Asis Church (the early 1800s) which includes a mystery painting that "emits" an image in the dark. Then out to the Martinez Hacienda, a 22-room adobe home built in 1804. We finished up with a little shopping around the Taos Plaza and a very fine lunch at Azteca Mexican Grill. We finished up at "home" with a bottle of Laetitia bubbly and a wild game of Tri-ominoes. Today's pics start here.

 

 

One of the stores around the Plaza.

In the way-back yard.

Day 451

Vickie and Jamie headed out early morning to check out the oldest church in the U.S., the San Miguel Chapel, built in the 1600s, and the oldest home of similar vintage. We caught a few other sites along the way. We returned to Harry's Roadhouse for breakfast as it was near our destination, Museum Hill. After discovering the amazing acoustics in the "maze" at Milner Park, we visited the Museum of International Folk Art and the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture (no photos allowed). The folk art museum had the most amazing collection of figurines (over 10,000 pieces) in all kinds of vignettes (see all the pics at the gallery link). The Indian arts museum was featuring modern glass artists that were using Indian motifs, very interesting. We made it to Taos in time for a very good meal at ACEQ Restaurant just north of Taos in a little place called Arroyo Seco on the way to the Taos ski area. The restaurant struck us as a "rocket boys"-like enterprise and we saw all five of the restauranteurs. "ACEQ" is short for acequia which means "bears water" or "community-operated watercourse" (pictured in the gallery link). All of today's photos start here in the gallery.

Bataan Memorial

Harry's Roadhouse

Acoustic Maze at Museum Hill (Milner Park)

Home Sweet Home in Taos

ACEQ Restaurant in Arroyo Seco

Day 450

We headed off this morning almost due north to Dolina Bakery and Cafe for breakfast then on to the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. Afterward, we strolled the streets around the Santa Fe Plaza including a stop at the ice cream store! Our stroll included getting inside the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi at the top of San Francisco Street. Then off to the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian on Museum Hill. The featured artist was Shonto Bengay whose style included the use of small curvy strokes throughout his paintings. We're told these are visual representations, an alphabet of sorts, of the Indian chanting sounds. We ended the day with a superb dinner at Geronimo followed by an evening stroll down Canyon Road where there are all manner of art galleries. All of this day's photos start here.

RailrunneR station (end of the line from Albequerque

Kapustnica at Dolina Bakery

We saw this scene from her bedroom at the Abiquiu house.

Eric Hester, at Bella (jewelry store)

Inside the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi

Shonto Bengay at Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian

Fabulous dinner at Geronimo

Along Canyon Road

Day 449

The biggy for today was visiting Georgia O'Keeffe's home in Abiquiu. Right next to our Abiquiu Inn was the Georgia O'Keeffe Welcome Center out of which one could tour her home and studio in Abiquiu. And as luck would have it, they just reopened tours this week (from COVID). New Mexico is still a little more shutdown than Colorado, but not enough to slow us down much. This was her winter house (her summer house was at Ghost Ranch). We were in Santa Fe by mid-afternoon where we first stumbled onto the Railyard area and had lunch at Opuntia Cafe (opuntia = prickly pear cactus) with a view of the RailrunneR train! While the rest rested in our Santa Fe abode, Jamie took a little walk to the Loretta Chapel which contains a "miraculous staircase" seemingly built with no visible means of support. It is pretty amazing. At the recommendation of Vickie's friend, John, we dined at Harry's Roadhouse; an exceptional experience. And despite threatening weather, we thoroughly enjoyed outback on their patio (with personal heaters built into the umbrellas over each table). From mole to Buddha Bowls to watermelon margaritas to sour cream coffee cake (just like Lynn's grandma made), the meal was really fun. To close out the day, we strolled around the Santa Fe Plaza in the heart of downtown. It was still pretty busy well into the evening. And Jamie, quite uncharacteristically, jumped at buying a leather vest. We managed to get to the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi (hopefully we can go in before we leave town). All of today's pics start here.

Living room.

Entry to the interior courtyard.

Main door with a "hobbit" door.

View from the kitchen.

Dining/Living room (from other side).

Studio.

RailrunneR in Santa Fe.

Miraculous staircase, Loretta Chapel.

Happy Anniversary at Harry's Roadhouse.

Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi