Travelling far distances in a car can either be freeing or miserable. We opted for a combination of the two by attempting to get to New Mexico as fast as possible. We had some misguided idea about going out on the town when we got to Amarillo, Texas on Saturday evening. However, we settled for some exceptionally cold and crisp white wine at the hotel bar and called it a night

We knew there were some very large and scary forest fires burning south of Taos, but information on the internet was strangley hard to come by. Our GPS routed us on scenic state road 120, which had us going up into the mountains via the little ski town of Angel Fire. Well, this state road lost its dividing lines and became a little narrow about 30 miles in. Up ahead we saw two police vehicles with lights on, pretty certain we were about to be turned back the way we came. The young officer merely scratched his chin and said “yeah, you can keep going”. Just make sure you head toward Taos and not Santa Fe.

We continued our journey with a little less confidence that then shrunk to miniscule proportions when the “highway” turned into a narrow gravel road. This was some beautiful country of sweeping vistas and shimmering lakes in the distance. The smell of smoke started to make our eyes water, our noses burn, and our minds worry. Then, sure enough, there was the turn to Taos. We decided to abandon our plans to camp due to the smoke and very windy (20 -50mph) conditions and found an adorable Airbnb casita in Arroyo Hondo. There we had a luxurious place to stay and work and watch some dramatic sunsets from the patio. We also realized our muffler lost the battle with the gravel road. Ah well-

A highlight of our stay here was the BlackRock Hot Spring. This little gem is a pretty well-known local spring on the banks of the Rio Grande. Some reading warned us to be prepared for characters, and we were not disappointed. A young well tattooed couple were already bathing when we completed the short but scrambly hike to the bottom of the riverside cliffs. We were invited to join and soon another couple-some very seasoned and earthy locals by way of Connecticut. These couples bonded over similar hairstyles (two-mullets!!) and the choice to often be “houseless” but not “homeless”. We were then joined by another young woman who stripped at the top of the rocks before joining the group, much to the delight of all of the men in the pool. A third “Hollywood” group from the artist town of Madrid and their friend from LA joined in with glittery barely there swimsuits, expensive sunglasses, bandanas and a birthday to celebrate. Our stomachs told us it was time for dinner and we headed out only to run into a troubadour with gourd instrument in hand. He was on his was down to serenade the group. He assured us how warm we had made his heart by our simple passing introduction and wished us a magical night. It was magical, alright. New Mexico is often described as weird and wonderful. We agree and could not wait to be off on our next adventure. 

The next New Mexico adventures included a few days in Albuquerque, a wonderful dinner with Greg Sherr, some amazing camping along the Gila River, visiting the Pueblo Cliff Dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park and hot spring hiking. Then…it was on to Arizona. 

Sunset in Arroyo Hondo.

Botanical gardens in Albequerque

Dinner with Greg and Will.

Fun on the trail to Gila River hot springs

Pueblo Cliff Dwellings