Santa Fe, New Mexico

Old town Santa Fe is simply lovely we stayed at Santa Fe Skies RV Park just outside town.   It’s a nice site, parts of it overlook Santa Fe and other parts look across to the Sangre de Christo Mountains. 

One other thing that made the park a great place to stay was the fact that it’s only about a mile from Santa Fe County/NM 599 New Mexico Rail Runner Station.   The train station is in an interesting location, slap, bang in the middle of the median on I25, seems like a really good use of what would otherwise be wasted space.

It’s a great service and takes about 20 minutes to the Santa Fe Depot where there is a free bus (not Sunday) to take you to the Plaza, all this for only $6.00 return for the two of us.   Saves the hassle of driving, the parking fees (which are not cheap) and trying to find somewhere big enough for the truck.
 

The Governors Palace
 

The Cathedral

 

This staircase in the Lorretto Chapel is amazing and was built with no nails and originally no hand rails either, the nuns used it to get to the choir loft.

There is absolutely no way you’d get me to climb that staircase now, never mind when it had no hand rails.
 

The oldest house in Santa Fe was built on the remains of a pre-Columbian house dating back to 1200.   The vigas (wooden roof beams) have been carbon dated to between 1646 and 1714. 

 

The house also has a ‘witchy’ history dating back to the 1600’s concerning a love potion concocted by two local brujas (witches) for a young Spaniard named Juan Espinoza.   The potion didn’t work and he demanded his money back, the furious brujas refused, Juan Espinoza drew his sword and attacked them.   One stuck out her foot and tripped him the other snatched his sword and cut off his head.   They were immediately charged with murder but as the Govenor was under their spell the case was dismissed and they were never tried.   His body was preserved by the brujas as a warning to others not to oppose them and mysteriously disappeared when they did.   Supposedly on the anniversary of his death you can see his head rolling down de Vargas Street as if the brujas had just flung it there.    I've no idea when he died, but just in case, remind me not to be down that street after dark! 
 

We also visited the Capitol Building, it’s a lovely building but what really surprised us that there were no bag or security checks.

 

When we asked why the building was round, the tongue in cheek answer we got was so that no-one could ever corner a politician.   I bet our politicians wish they’d thought of that when the Palace of Westminster was built!

 

I’ve always wanted to visit Santa Fe but also always wondered if it would be one of those places where the reality didn’t live up to my expectations.   It exceeded them and was absolutely fabulous we thought a week would be plenty of time, but there is so much to see in and around Santa Fe that we plan to return again and make use of that great train service.
 

Sun setting on the Sangre de Christo mountains, taken from the Santa Fe train depot. 

Have fun, we are!

Coyotes!

It's late on a beautifully clear night with an almost full moon, DB is fast asleep and I'm busy trying to catch up with the blog which, as usual is behind.

 

The screen door is open to let in the cool night air when suddenly I hear the yips and howls of coyotes as the pack hunts in the wash close by.

 

It's amazing how fast I can move to close that door!

 

Have fun, we are!

Acoma Sky City, New Mexico

Acoma Sky City is the oldest continually inhabited community in North America and sits atop the sheer walls of a sandstone mesa over 300ft high.  

The Acoma people have lived on their land for over 2,000 years and their oral tradition goes back even further.   The story goes that their ancestors were told that a place a been prepared for them and as they travelled through what is now Colorado and New Mexico every so often they would call out Haak’u.   When the call was returned to them, they knew they’d found the place prepared.

The only way to visit Acoma is on a guided tour from the Sky City Cultural Centre http://www.acomaskycity.org/ .

Before Hollywood discovered Acoma the only way to the top of the mesa was up steep narrow path. 

 

With no easy way to get their equipment to the top, Hollywood asked for and received permission to build a road to the top of the mesa. 
  

Robert, our guide, took us through the city, most impressively he walked backwards all the way without once stumbling.   He explained that there are over 250 houses on the mesa, there is no running water and no electricity.

Some of the oldest houses on the mesa.
 

Only a few families live permanently on the mesa, but each clan has a home there and return to the mesa for special cultural occasions.
 

Some the houses have high doorways and were accessed by ladders which were drawn up at night for safety.

 

In the mid 1500’s the Spanish Conquistador, Coronado passed this way searching for the fabled Seven Cities of Cibola, when he saw Acoma from a distance he thought he’d found them, not realising that it was the straw in the adobe shining in the sunlight.
 

San Esteban del Rey Mission was built in the early 1600’s and although you can visit, photographs of the inside of the mission or church yard are not allowed.

 

Enchanted Mesa was once home to the Acoma people and was only accessible via a steep ramp of fallen stone.  While the people were working in the fields below a great storm passed through and the people watched in horror as the ramp was washed away.

Acoma Legend says that 3 old women and a young boy who were left behind and were rescued when a great thunderbird carried them down to the valley.   Another version of the legend says that a young girl and her mother were stranded and rather than die of starvation leaped from the top of the mesa.
 

Enchanted Mesa is a sacred mountain a not even the Acoma set foot on it.
 

Looking towards Enchanted Mesa.
 

 

We had a really interesting visit to this very special place.
 

Have fun, we are!

Travel at your own risk!

It’s 10 years since we were last in Grants, New Mexico and during that time a lot has changed, we looked in vain for a great little diner we ate in several times only to find out that it had been a victim of the recession.

One of the reasons for staying in Grants was to revisit Chaco Culture National Historical Park http://www.nps.gov/chcu/index.htm.

To get to Chaco from Grants is a long drive, on paved roads, but, the last section from either Pueblo Pintado or Seven Lakes is on rarely maintained rough dirt and neither route is really recommended by the National Park Service.  

On our last trip we’d driven the Pueblo Pintado route which is about a 200 mile round trip including 33 miles (each way) of rough, washboard dirt.   I remember very few road signs and the ones that were there said encouraging things like ‘impassable when wet’ or ‘travel at your own risk’!

A couple of times back then on a beautiful sunny day with no sign of bad weather we thought we were lost.  Satnav is worse than useless and will more than likely to take you off down an even worse road into the middle of nowhere where it will probably blithely tell you you’ve arrived at your destination and then switch itself off.

The ‘road’ (and I use that term loosely) has washes that fill up in seconds, dirt that turns to sticky caliche mud and even with 4WD is practically impossible to drive on.   With a forecast of afternoon monsoon thunderstorms we decided it made sense for us to postpone our return to Chaco until we can either travel in good weather or take the recommended route from the north.

 

As it did rain in the afternoon on the day we'd planned to go we were glad we changed our plans and weren't out on those dirt 'roads'!

Have fun, we are! 

Homolovi Ruins State Park

Homolovi Ruins State Park www.azstateparks.com isn’t far from Winslow and has been on our ever lengthening ‘to visit list’ for a while, this year we finally made it.

Arriving at the visitor centre, we were surprised when the ranger on duty told us there were a lot of mosquitos about so to be sure and use bug spray.   Apparently beneath the sand there is a layer of clay which holds the water and makes an ideal breeding ground for the pesky little critters.   Liberally covered in the stuff we followed the road to Homolovi II, we were the only ones there.

Pot sherds of all different sizes and colours are everywhere and much to our surprise the ranger said it was okay to pick them up to look at them as long they were put back.

 

Homolovi II has an unusual square kiva we’ve never seen one like this before.

 

Sadly there are also huge holes where illegal pot hunters have dug trying to find pots to sell on the black market.

 

After spending some time looking around, we drove back to the Tsu Vo Loop Trail, it’s only a short trail and there are some very faint petroglyphs on the rocks.  I could only find these, although that was no surprise as the ranger said they are very feint and difficult to find.

 

There were also some very large piles of sticks that looked to be some sort of nests, when I checked with the ranger I was told that the trail is closed in spring and autumn as eagles nest there.

 

Our next stop was Homolovi I which is closer to the Little Colorado River, as we approached we could easily see the river and signs warned of quicksand and fast moving currents.

  

There are also two sites on the opposite side of the river, but these are only open to the public on ranger guided tours details, more information  and dates are on the park website.

 

As well as being an interesting place to visit Homolovi Ruins State Park is sacred to the Hopi people and should be treated with respect.

 

Have fun, we are!

One of our favourite hikes

Whenever we’re in Williams we head off to the Grand Canyon to take one of our favourite hikes.

Heading up the trail 

 

First glimpse of the canyon

 

Fabulous Views

The Colorado River and Horsehoe Mesa

We stayed in our favourite spot for about an hour, watching the clouds drift in before heading back to the truck.

At one of the viewpoints along East Rim Drive we watched as an afternoon storm as passed over the North Rim.

 

The colours were just amazing.

Have fun, we are!

Parades & Rodeos

We were in Williams over the Labour Day weekend so we enjoyed watching the Labour Day Parade.   The parade was led by Veterans
 

 

and the Grand Marshall

Some of the other participants in the parade, this little organ was really cute and cheerful 

 

Buckskin clad Bill Williams Mountain Men

 

It was only a small parade and didn’t last long but we really enjoyed watching it.  From there we headed off for coffee and then walked over to the rodeo grounds just in time to eat before the rodeo started.

 

As with all rodeos the US Flag and the State Flag were ridden round the arena and everyone stood for the national anthem.

 

Some of the action we enjoyed during the afternoon, ouch!

Display riding

Roping

Barrel racing

 

Bull Riding

 

Ladies steer riding, we’d never seen this before and I really don’t think it’s something I’m ever likely to try!

As we walked back afterwards a monsoon storm rolled in and we just made it back before the first raindrops fell, how lucky was that?

Have fun, we are!