Taos

We spent Labor Day weekend in Taos - the southern vertex of our road trip triangle. Our adobe AirBnB was a perfect complement to the southwest geography and was beautifully situated just a little way outside town, on a slope along the western edge of the valley. This location, combined with its orientation on the property, provided a wonderful view east across to the Sangre de Cristos. It made for great sunrises - and if you walked around back, great sunsets, too.

A slow tire leak - and paranoia about older tires and a long isolated drive a few days in the future - might have potentially marred the weekend, but Saturday morning we dropped in at Silva's, where they found a staple and patched the tire for $10 cash. Right across from a laundromat. And not far from the Taos Diner. It all worked out so well. We drove up to the Pueblo (next post), then back into town. It was nice not to have to go anywhere.

We ate well in Taos, of course, aided by Trip Advisor and our perennial inability to turn down new places to graze. I was surprised how many of our choices ended up on the road north out of town as opposed in the village itself. The Love Apple, in an old church. The Taos Diner, twice. Gutiz. Orlando's. And more than one stop at the Coffee Spot. Besides food, we also bought a cool Navajo'ish piece for the wall.

Sunday we drove drove the Enchanted Circle, but the bright, hazy sky was less than perfect and we didn't stop anywhere for long. Which gave us more time to hang out in town and at the Caseta. After an early dinner, we also drove up the canyon to the ski area so I could check it out and get a closer glimpse of Wheeler Peak (a state highpoint that will have to wait for a future trip).

The bike remains a theme on the trip. Saturday morning I had an extremely pleasant ride down through the valley near town and then back on the mesa. And Monday morning, I drove a little way up 518, then rode my bike the rest of the way up US Hill (from 7500' to 8500'). Not fast, but great exercise! And very pretty (and chilly - glad I'd picked up full-fingered bike gloves at MEC a few weeks ago).