COLORADO HERE WE COME

Our site for the last week in Taos Canyon along the Enchanted Circle

Is everybody OK?  We sure are experiencing some weather disasters around the country.  We escaped from HOT Santa Fe to Taos, still hot but higher elevation. 

We stayed outside of Taos proper in shady Taos Canyon adjacent to Carson National Forest along the 85-mile Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway which circles New Mexico's highest point, Wheeler Peak, with awe-inspiring views of the Southern Rocky Mountains. 

The Circle is comprised of six unique small towns named Red River

Eagle Nest (Eagle Nest Lake, below)

and Angel Fire where they were shooting a movie ...

And now to Downtown Taos where we spent a couple of days.  Taos is a small town with a number of adobe shops set around the city plaza.

  

Quaint shops ....

Biggest flower known to man

Everything is new in Taos with the exception of this wonderful Church, the Basilica de San Francisco de Asis.

Santa Fe was about culture and amazing historical monuments.  Memphis was all about Elvis.  Taos is about big mountains, a quaint and artsy town center --  and Kit Carson!   

The main street and city park is named after Kit, known as the town’s most controversial settler and activist. Kit married his fourth wife at 34, they had seven children and Mrs. Carson died in childbirth with their eighth child.  Kit who was in perfect health died a month later! He is remembered as pioneering the area as a trapper and federal agent and founding the Masonic Lodge.

☆    ☆    ☆

We are hitting the road in a few minutes, detouring from our planned route to Colorado Springs, headed Northwest into Eastern Colorado along a scenic byway that begins in Taos and intersects historic Alamosa, CO.  We will spend a week or so there exploring Great Sand Dunes National Park and the many attractions in the area.  We will then continue on Scenic Byway Colorado Rte 160 which spans some pretty high mountains.  We'll hang out in Eastern Colorado until the fires clear and life gets back to normal in Colorado Springs, if that is possible.

  .....  This is the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge that the caravan and I will traverse this morning.  I will certainly be in alert mode as we make our way across.  See you on the other side.