Taos, NM

MON., AUG 1, 2022 thru SAT., AUG 6, 2022

Our pod of six left Santa Fe Monday morning, Aug. 1, heading 90 miles north to Taos Monte Bello RV Park in El Prado, NM. The mountains seemed so close on our drive. At one point we were on a winding, curvy road and when we crested a hill and saw the view, it took our breath away! We overlooked a gorge and the Rio Grande. Gary & I both exclaimed “wow” at the same time! This campground is privately owned by an older gentleman and his wife. Everyday he raises and lowers the U.S. flag. Beautiful spot! We’re surrounded by mountains, and are treated to gorgeous sunsets. One occurring on our very first night here! 

On Tuesday, Aug. 2nd, we all visited the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. It’s 650 ft above the Rio Grande River and is the second highest bridge in the U.S. Highway System and the 5th highest bridge in the U.S. Very cool to walk across! 

Afterwards we headed to Earthship Biotecture to visit the “Greater World Community.” This community builds houses using recycled materials… tires as the basis for walls; glass bottles to allow light in to mimic stained glass, etc. They also grow their own food and recycle gray and black water. Very off grid. Interesting but we’ll stick with our tiny home! They have a large rambling community that covers miles! However, we did not pay the $20 per person for the tour so had to stick with seeing the Visitors Center and walking a small area to catch a glimpse of some of the homes. 

Then we headed with Cheryl & Joe to the Rio Grande Gorge Visitors Center. After talking to a park ranger, we decided to do an “easy” 1/2 mile climb to get views of the Rio Grande. However, views of the mountains were more interesting than the view of the Rio Grande from the distance we were at. But a fun, if hot hike! At a 7,000 ft elevation it doesn’t take much hiking to tire you out! 

A fun day! Afterwards we were treated to some wild cloud formations as storms were coming in, but, we were rewarded with a beautiful sunset afterwards. 

Wednesday, Aug. 3rd, the family pod of 6 had an adventure! We were going to visit Black Rock Hot Springs just outside Taos. But first we had to get there. Oy. Once off the main road, we’re all in 2 pick-ups on a bumpy, narrow, washed out road for what felt like miles with the Rio Grande gorge plunging down on one side. Did I mention no guard rails? We finally arrive in one piece then have to walk uphill for about a third of a mile then walk .3 downhill on, what was labeled online as, an “easy” walk but was in fact a treacherous narrow, rock strewn path. All the time trying not to plummet into the Rio Grande in the process. Did I mention we’re carrying bags and back packs? No pics of the rock strewn path. We stowed all phones and cameras to keep hands free for grabbing rocks! Andy wisely saw the rock strewn path and decided to pass on this part of the adventure. His knees would have been very unhappy. 

We made it down and got into the 96 degree thermal hot spring pool which had a muddy bottom with moss covered rocks and tried not to do a face plant. The air temp was in the mid-80s and sunny. After a few minutes we opted for the cooler spring which felt wonderful. The Rio Grande was beside us and had quite the current. We decided we should stay in the springs, rather than venturing into the fast-moving Rio Grande, or risk landing downstream somewheres. A fun time, but not necessarily worth all the effort. We did see a local gentleman unclothed and a local woman topless. Apparently the locals like to put on a show for us tourists. Then we had to climb back up the rocky path! We went down with 5 pod members and came back with 5. A success! We can now add this adventure to our list!

Thursday, Aug. 4th, the family pod started with breakfast at Michael’s Kitchen & Bakery then 4 of us headed to historic Taos Plaza established in 1796. There’s a square with green space, park benches, cottonwood trees, and a pavilion surrounded by historic adobe structures that house shops, galleries, eateries, and an historic hotel. Then more streets and small squares shoot out from there. Some of the gallery spaces date back to the 1700s. One of the gallery owner’s told us how to properly pronounce Taos. It’s pronounced like “House” but with a “T.” Taos is charming with a rustic, rough-around-the-edges, hippyish vibe! Very different than Santa Fe with it’s upscale, trendy western vibe. Joe and I were searching for New Mexico T-Shirts. I found one but Joe did not. He’s still on the search. 

We spent $6 to visit Gov. Bent’s House & Museum. Governor Charles Bent was the first U.S. territorial governor of New Mexico and appointed during the Mexican-American War. He was subsequently killed in his home in January of 1847 by an angry mob protesting the American’s possession of the territory. His wife and children were able to escape through a hole in the adobe wall to a neighboring home. The “museum” was a dusty mess behind the front shop. The shopkeeper had to turn on the lights for us. Don’t think this museum gets a lot of visitors! Some photos from our day’s exploration… 

Friday, Aug. 5th, was Cheryl’s birthday! A fun day celebrating her special day! The 4 of us headed to Taos Pueblo. They just reopened a few weeks ago after being closed for over 2 years because of Covid. We were so hoping to be able to visit at least one of the 20 Pueblo sites in New Mexico. They are slowly starting to re-open after Covid. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The houses are over 1,000 years old. Amazing. 20 people live inside this Pueblo (village). The others live within a mile outside the community. The homes are passed from one generation to the next inside Taos Pueblo… typically to the eldest son. Some homes are open to the public and used for selling native crafts. Photos aren’t allowed inside the homes. The walls are made of adobe and are several feet thick and insulate very well… both in the summer and winter. It was quite comfortable inside, despite no air conditioning. The homes also have no electricity and no running water. No updates can be made because of the UNESCO designation, thus the reason very few are inhabited. Taos Pueblo covers 100,000 acres in the Sangre de Cristo mountains. An amazing opportunity to visit a Pueblo community. All the residents were very warm and inviting. 

We had a lovely young Native American tour guide showing us around Taos Pueblo. A few of the highlights: There is a Catholic Church on the property with weekly church services offered. The missionaries “forced” Christianity on them but they still practice it along with their own native beliefs which she didn’t elaborate on. She showed us their cemetery. They don’t believe in replacing the simple grave markers when they fall down so they are just put in a pile off to the side. They cook their bread, cookies and pies in adobe mounds called hornos. A fire is built with cedar wood then as the wood burns to ash it is removed and bread is baked. There were two large housing structures along with many smaller homes in Taos Pueblo. The housing structures are like a 1,000 year old apartment dwelling. They are no longer used but each door in “North House” and “South House” was a separate home or apartment. These doors are somewhat stacked on top of one another with no visible way to enter. You originally entered into the front door via a ladder. A good way to keep enemies out! The Spanish introduced the concept of doors and windows. (When we visited Bandelier National Monument entry into Native American homes was via the roof.) There were also drying racks outside many of the smaller homes and the large North House and South House. The racks are used seasonally to dry corn, meat and berries. 

We finished the day with a dinner celebration for Cheryl at the campground. (Her choice! We suggested dinner at a fancy restaurant.) So much fun to enjoy a cookout at the campground’s pavilion with our family pod of six! Gary strung lights with Joe’s help and we enjoyed burgers, hotdogs and the fixings, adult beverages and birthday cake. We were also treated to a gorgeous sunset before enjoying a campfire. A perfect day! Gary’s green apron really capped things off! See pics below!

The following morning, Saturday, Aug. 6th, since we had the pavilion all set-up from the night before we decided to have brunch under the pavilion as well… mimosas, Bloody Mary’s, scrambled eggs, blueberry pancakes and bacon. Not bad for an impromptu brunch. Then it was time to dismantle the pavilion and think about organizing to hit the road on Sunday. It was stormy in the afternoon with heavy rain, lightening, and thunder. 

Next stop Angel Fire, NM.