TAOS, NM

finally, Abbi is in her warm glory as she soaks in the hot (98 degrees) springs next to the Rio Grande river near Taos, NM. we decided to go w/ the "optional" bathing suit rule...unlike the locals...

hanging flowers: town plaza in Santa Fe

Sweet picture of an old tree: town plaza Santa Fe.  Monument in background celebrates all the white men who "heroically" died in their quest to steal the west from native peoples. 

leaving Santa Fe, taking the high road to Taos

A drive with this scenery never gets boring!

One of the many pull-offs we took to get some pics

stinkin' power lines...golden yellow aspens cover the mt. sides

Abs and I spent some time in this high elevation (8,500') town (Truchas). The local library was a cultural experience and the local scenery was breathtaking!

Exploration of ranch road leading up out of Truchas

no, this is not a painting!

notice the small aqueduct feeding Truchas with much needed water

One is cold, one is hot.

welcome to Taos, population 6,000

lots of hippies in Taos...

Spaceship in the desert, or our future home?

Same hot spring as shown in 1st picture.

We left Santa Fe yesterday and took the scenic high road to Taos. We loved Santa Fe, but Taos is even better! A hippie tourist town with a nice mix of creature comforts and rugged beauty. Once again we found a free public parking lot to camp in, right next to some water we are going to hook up to (when it gets dark). Today we hiked down to the Rio Grande River to check out some local hot springs (as seen in the 1969 film Easy Rider, for all you baby boomers out there). After our 2nd night in Taos tonight, the road calls us to Pagosa Springs, CO.....