Smoky New Mexico

June 7, 2011

I only got here last night around 9pm and already I am in love with Sante Fe. It doesn’t beat New Orleans; they’re really different actually so it is hard to compare but I absolutely love it, at least at night. I went back this morning and was less impressed by the adobe buildings. I think maybe the novelty wore off quickly… or maybe I’m getting antsy to get to Ventura. Anyway…
So, yesterday morning started out with a hike around Palo Duro Canyon, just about 20 miles south of Amarillo, and a six mile hike to see one of the better known rock formations, the Lighthouse. It was absolutely breathtaking (and hot!) I believe the temperatures climbing to around 100 degrees and as luck would have it, Gheera and I ended up hiking mid-day under the desert sun. There was a nice wind though and don’t worry, I put Gheera’s pack on her and had her carry all the water and snacks, hoping I didn’t get fined/arrested for animal cruelty. I was proud of her. We made it all the way and even got out photo taken together on the top (posted above). We met quite a few people along the trail so it was nice to have some human contact .

Let’s see. After that we headed back to Amarillo and then cut over to Cadillac Ranch on our way out of Texas. I will definitely post photos of that. Someone finished with their can of blue spray paint handed it to me on her way out and I painted “J + B” and drew a heart on the underside of one of the cars to commemorate my love for my dog. (Her full name is Bagheera for those of you who don’t know.)

The drive through the rest of the Texas panhandle and into New Mexico was awesome (although gas stations are spaced a little further apart than was comfortable for me at some point). (Don’t worry though, I made it, without having to hitchhike my way to a gas station). The plains soon gave way to a more desert landscape, complete with (and here comes the most exciting part of the drive) tumbleweeds! At least I think they were tumble weeds. They looked like tumble weeds and they were tumbling. They would come out of nowhere making their way across I-40 and it was all I could do not to brake for them; they startled me every time but also made me a very very happy girl.

I made my way to Albuquerque to check out the city and have dinner. As soon as Gheera and I arrived and got out of the car, I thought, “man this city smells like a campfire.” Pretty soon I realized the sky was darkened with ash and there were pieces of paper and ash flying through the air with the gusty warm winds. Besides that impression, I’d describe the city as colorful, also pretty quiet but I’m not sure if that wasn’t because of the current air quality. Today I finally asked someone at the gas station what the deal is (because it’s still smoky, although improved, up here in Sante Fe, and apparently there have been fires burning in Arizona for the past 4-5 days and the smoke has made its way over here. It was sort of eerie driving from Albuquerque to Sante Fe yesterday evening because it looked like fog had settled over the desert and obscured the mountains and the sun as it set. I still enjoyed the drive as I watched the landscape and the architecture continue to change.

Before checking into the hotel, Gheer-face and I walked around the “downtown” area of Sante Fe. The best word I can think of to describe this quaint city is “enchanting.” I adored it, particularly the plaza area. I took a ton of photos last night and today and the ones at night are so much better. St. Francis Cathedral is absolutely stunning. There was one man playing the guitar for a small group of people and another by himself wailing on the saxophone; both were very talented. This morning I left Gheera at the hotel and went to check out that “miraculous staircase” in Loretto Chapel, an architectural feat accomplished by a “mysterious stranger” as an answer to prayer. I also explored the San Miguel Mission, supposedly the oldest church in the nation, as well walked around the state capitol building and the nation’s oldest house. Check out the link to the left for more photos; I’ll try to get them up tonight. Time to head to Taos!