Day 5
I was headed to Santa Fe this morning & I knew I’d need to leave early to try to score a campsite in the first come/first served Black Canyon campground where I’d stayed before. It was Sunday morning, so I knew some people might be leaving. I also knew there is no service in this campground, but it’s just 7 miles outside of Santa Fe, would cost me $5 a night & I knew it was pretty. I was able to get a site right away & planned on being here for two nights. I went ahead & set up the tent, just so there wouldn’t be any doubt someone had taken this spot.
I drove into town & went to eat breakfast at Pasquals…a place I’d tried to eat at before on another trip to Santa Fe, but the wait was too long. It was long again today, unless you were willing to sit at the “community table” & of course I was. It’s always really interesting to sit in these types of places; you seem to always meet such a variety of people. Next to me was a guy celebrating his birthday (I’m guessing late 50’s or 60). He & his companion lived in Telluride & he told me about his “minimalist & survival” way of backpacking….with a blanket that he folds up into a pack, a knife, ….I can’t even remember the few things he takes with him on what he assured me were trips of a minimum of 7 days. Wow….I wasn’t impressed…or at least not as much as he wanted me to be. Another couple, much younger that lived part time in Colorado, was discussing the fanciest restaurant in Santa Fe they’d eaten at the night before “impossible to get reservations” & the “foie gras” was amazing. I came across this restaurant later in the day as I walked along Canyon Road….I bet the dinners cost about $150 per person. But, everyone does travel different. Another couple was a Mother Daughter duo, a young couple that sat on the other side of me & one other female solo diner…she looked so painfully shy & uncomfortable. After about 15 minutes, she had the waiter box up her breakfast (before it was delivered), put her drinks in to-go cups, sacked it all up & she left. Community tables are definitely interesting! My food was good, but way overpriced. Glad I had this mornings experience, but will probably try some new place for breakfast in the future.
I spent the beautiful day just walking around Santa Fe.
There was a Pow-Wow going on in the Plaza too.
I love to walk up & down Canyon Road where all the galleries are. I rarely go into any of them anymore….there is so much to see outside. I’ve been here a bunch it seems, & always love it. I try to photograph new things I haven’t before.
I love the Lyman Whitaker wind sculptures!
And the doors!
The architecture all throughout New Mexico is so awesome!
After Canyon Road, I walked to the other end of town, towards the Railway area where I knew there was an Artists Market. I ended up buying a cute skirt from one of the local artists. And, just kept taking photos of unusual things.
I walked back to the Plaza & was really looking forward to my lunch/dinner. I went to the Plaza Cafe where I’d eaten at last spring when I was doing the bike tour. Their Posole was fantastic & it was today too! So freakin’ good!
Then I went back to camp to enjoy a bit of warmth before the sun went down & the evening turned chilly. I took this photo of me in my hammock….right before it became unattached to the tree & promptly dropped me down onto my butt & head! Ouch! I reattached it…only better this time, read my book & rubbed my aching head!
I was happy I was feeling a bit better today…lets hope everyday just gets better & better.
Day 6
I spent a chilly morning in camp, hoping I would feel even better today. My first objective of the day was to eat an early lunch at The Shed. I ate here last spring for the first time, & it was fantastic. Locals & tourists love it…there’s almost always a wait. They opened at 11am & I was there at 10:30…the third in line. But, as sometimes happens, those of us waiting, all had conversations going. That part makes the waiting go super fast. I’d asked lady #1 in line, (who had told us she is local, used to waitress here years ago, as did both of her kids) what she likes to eat when she comes here. Today, she was having the seasonal soup…raspberry. Something I probably wouldn’t have ordered if I’d just seen it on the menu, but WOW O WOW it was fantastic. Made with fresh raspberries & champagne & lime…OMG so freaking good!
I’d read online the other yummy thing to get (I think everything they make is probably fanstastic!) is the combo plate….so with the help of the waiter, I ordered a blue corn beef taco with red chile & a blue corn chicken enchilda with green chile & a Paloma. OMG…the food was so amazing!
(I’m sure it seems, & will prove to be by the time you finish reading about this trip, that mostly what I”m doing is eating my way through NM. Well, that’s mostly true! I have spent the summer eating a ton of pills, salt tablets, awful tasting electrolytes, & mostly stuck at home….so, I am LOVING ALL THIS AMAZING FOOD!)
I was feeling like I could do a little hike today & it was one I’d done before. But when I got to the Tsankawi Trailhead (part of Bandalier NP) it was closed for reconstruction. Bummer! This trail is outside the main part of the park.
I drove on to the Visitors Center which is new since the last time I was in the main part of the park. And, there is now a mandatory shuttle that takes you into the park. I get why NP introduce these shuttles…Zion has one & it works fantastically. But this shuttle was 30-40 minutes long. While just barely not being nauseous today, the last place I wanted to be was on a long bus ride. The VC person told me that I could drive into the park after 3pm. So, I just kept driving. I’ve been into the Jamez Mountains a couple of times before & it’s really pretty. Even with the past fire damage, the leaves were gorgeous!
Then I drove into the Valles Caldera National Preserve to check it out. They issue only a handful of permits to do the scenic drive & they were all gone by the time I got there. The elk were no where in site & I didn’t even see a prairie dog. But it was still a pretty place to wander & photograph for brief time.
The trees along the highway were golden!
I landed (by purpose) in Jamez Springs just as the Jamez Mountain Brewery opened. When I’d eaten pizza here before, I remembered it being one of the best I’d ever eaten. They use an old family recipe for the spicy red sauce. I had mine with pepperoni & of course, green chiles. So very good!
On my way back towards camp, it was almost 5:30 but I stopped in to Bandalier NP.
They closed at sunset & I wasn’t feeling like doing the “climbing the ladder hikes” (& I’ve done those hikes all the other times I’ve been here), but just wanted to take a walk before they closed, shoot some photographs, stretch my legs, & enjoy another perfect weather day.
Day 7
I decided to pay for another night of camping. But today when I left camp, I turned right toward the ski mountain, instead of left towards Santa Fe. Theres a really popular hike up there called Aspen Vista. I was just going to drive up there to explore the area. The trees were so beautifully colored for Autumn.
I passed the busy trailhead to Aspen Vista where probably 60 cars were parked. Coming back down from the ski area, I saw a little parking lot & trailhead. The Windsor Nordic trail was a good place to take a short hike.
After my sweet little 2.5 mile hike, the drive back down the mountain was ripe for stopping & taking photos.
I had texted a new friend of mine that lived just south of Santa Fe in a beautiful open area of desert & mountains. I hadn’t gotten back with her until I came into service this afternoon. We made a plan to meet up later this afternoon. In the meantime, I took a drive over to Santa Fe brewing for Taco Tuesday & a little Chicken Killer barleywine.
I sat outside & enjoyed my lunch & beer, a good book & the perfect weather!
Then I drove farther south to the sweet home of Roxanne Darling. I met Roxanne last spring when Sherry & I stayed over at her house during Sherry’s Capitol to Capitol ride. She’s a very talented artist, a very very interesting person & I was really looking forward to getting to know her a little bit better. We shared a glass of wine, watched the sunset & just talked about life. It was great!
Then it was time for me to make a long dark drive back to camp.
Day 8
I woke up pretty shaky this morning. I’d brought my BP cuff, but was hoping not to use it…I wanted a vacation from the thing. So, I didn’t take my BP…I just packed up my Camper, took down my tent & drove south towards Albuquerque. One of the places I’d fallen in love with on last springs trips was the Bike in Coffee…a perfect little oasis in Albuquerque.
They have a chef, live music, an awesome shaded garden, lots of cute little outdoor spaces…just wonderful! I ordered these strange type of red chile nachos….I’m sure it’s a dish really meant to share, but the chef said if I hadn’t tried this dish, I should. And that was a good enough recommendation for me. And it was yummy! Just too much & not the type of thing that seems like it would be good leftover.
It was open mic this afternoon & there was a band & it was so enjoyable just to hang out for a couple of hours.
Finding camping, especially the type of camping I do, is sometimes impossible when you’re in a city. Albuquerque has a bad reputation for crime in some areas of the city (as do many cities in our country). So, when I was planning this trip, I found I could buy a ‘site’ for a tent (there were also primitive sites for RV’s) from the Pueblo Cultural Center. I’d been there last spring, toured their wonderful museum & eaten in their yummy cafe. I called before reserving to ask a bunch of questions I had. I was assured I could car camp; I wouldn’t need to set up a tent; there is 24 hour security; there would be fun stuff going on too like fire pits, native dancing, etc. But, there were clear that this was a dirt parking lot. There would be porta potty’s, but that was it. Each tent site was $15 a night. So, I booked two nights (there were only two tent sites left) so I’d have somewhere to be near Old Town & not too far from the Balloon Fiesta.
This is my lovely-not-really site that was mine. Actually, I pretty much could have parked most anywhere. My site was the very end spot at the very far corner of the lot. There were probably 15 other RV’s farther away, but as the day went on, I got the feeling most of them had paid a fee just to park their RV’s, & they were all probably staying in a local hotel. The first night there had been a roof top tent at the other end (they’d taken it off the vehicle & just left it there), but it disappeared in the middle of the second night.
I never saw any security & I probably could have been beamed up by aliens or worse in the far back corner of the lot. But on the upside, there was high fencing surrounding the lot & I’d paid, & what else was I going to do? It would be fine for a couple of nights.There was a band playing a couple of blocks away, but other than that, I never saw or heard about any fun to be had. It was weird, & I’m glad the weather was great…if it had rained, it would be total mud. The other odd thing, which I’ve seen before, is that the two porta potty’s were all located over by the RV’s…right next to the people that don’t need them & far away from those that do.
Whatever, I stayed for two nights.
I wasn’t sure if I could hike today, still shaky & now nauseated, but there was a park I’d never been to that was near called Petroglyph National Monument. It was pretty crowded, but I did the two little hikes. I love to see these ancient drawings.
So many cool petroglyphs to see here in such a small area.
My late lunch at my favorite bar in Old Town…Brie Empanadas with Green Chile jam & a Hatch Margarita.
About 3:30 I started to feel better. I made a trip to Total Wine to buy beer to take home—a variety of Octoberfest for Danny & some 6 packs of Bosque Scotia ale for me.
I went back to my dirt patch & ate the second 1/2 of my lunch, then went to hear a band that was a couple of blocks away