On to Colorado Springs, May 10, 2009

We headed north on I-25 from Santa Fe to Colorado Springs, where we were staying for the night at the Doubletree, near the Broadmoor. It was a bit of a long drive but the spectacular scenery more than made up for it. I spent 2 years in Colorado Springs in the mid-sixites, courtesy of Uncle Sam, serving with the 5th Infantry Division at Fort Carson, so this was a bit of a nostalgia trip for me. My stay back in those days pre-dates the Interstate highway system, and of course things have changed. The city has grown and changed, but many of the old landmarks remain.

The bed looked inviting but we had places to see and things to do. We toured the downtown and then made our way to the Garden of the Gods, a beautiful park maintained by the city. www.gardenofgods.com

That's Cheyenne Mountain in the distance, where the NORAD Operations Center is located

A couple of views of Pike's Peak looming in the distance

For a change of pace after all the great soutwest cuisine, we opted for Vietnamese, and had a delicious meal at the Saigon Springs.

The Trail leads to Santa Fe & Taos, NM: May 8-11, 2009

We drove east from Winslow and back into New Mexico through Gallup and Albuquerque and followed the scenic Turquoise Road up to Santa Fe. We checked in to our lodging on Cerillos Road, south of old Santa Fe and went to Adelita's for some authentic Mexican food. The food was great, and the traditional soapapillas with honey were a tasty treat.

soapapillas
Next day, we struck off on the High Road to Taos and took in this vista at a roadside turnoff, looking back towards Santa Fe.
Mona and Connie, two charming women from Ohio, were spending the weekend in Santa Fe. We met them along the High Road, and ran in to them repeatedly during our stay. We stopped in Chimayo, about halfway between Santa Fe and Taos. Chimayo is noted for its weaving, its heirloom chile, and most especially its church, the Sanctuario de Chimayo. The Sanctuario is an important pilgrimage destination, and pilgrims were celebrating a mass on the grounds when we arrived. The site is believed to offer certain curative powers, and is sometimes referred to as the Lourdes of the west. The church is a beautiful adobe structure. Many pilgrims seek the healing powers of the "Holy Dirt" which is picked up by pilgrims from an opening in the floor where a crucifix was once buried.
Many saints are honored at Chimayo, as these boys observed. An appropriate warning is posted at this little shrine to St. James, who is honored with special celebrations each July 25. A view from the High Road, nearing Taos. The chapel at the famous Taos Pueblo. The site is designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO
and a National Historic Landmark. The multi-storied adobe building have been continuously occupied for over 1000 years. This is the most striking cluster of buildings at the Taos Pueblo. Taos Pueblo cemetery The courtyard at the Cafe Tazza, where we had lunch and then visited a craft show in the park.
High country vista
Interior and exterior of San Francisco de Asis church at Rancho de Taos, a beautiful 18th C. adobe structure that was painted by Georgia O'Keefe and photographed by Ansel Adams. We finished off the day with a great meal at La Choza in Santa Fe. Kateri Tekakwitha, a 17th C. Mohawk-Algonquian woman from New York, depicted in this bronze staute outside the Santa Fe Cathedral Basillica. The Miraculous Staircase at the Loretto Chapel, which legend says was constructed, or inspired by, St.Joseph the Carpenter. It was built in the 1870's and has two 360 degree turns, with no visible means of support. Santa Fe MuseumInterior courtyard We tried the blue corn tortilla enchiladas at the Guadalupe Cafe: charming bustling, and the food was great.On our final afternoon in Snta Fe, we paid a visit to the Bandelier National Monument. The site is comprised of ancestral pueblo dwellings built into the soft tufa cliffs. Access to the dwellings is by ladder These dwelling date from the 12th C., and by the 16th C. the ancestral pueblo people had moved from their homes here to pueblos along the Rio Grande. Traces of petroglyphs and wall painting.

Winslow, AZ: May 7 & 8

We parted ways with our friends and made the 3 hour drive to Winslow, AZ. Following the rigors of our hike, we were looking forward to spending some time recuperating and relaxing at the lovingly restored La Posada, a 1929 railway hotel that exudes historical charm.

Winslow has faded from its glory days as a rail and agriculture center and is now mostly famous for the "standin' on the corner in Winslow Arizona" lyric from Take it Easy, the classic Glenn Frey/Jackson Browne song popularized by the Eagles.

Hotel Entry

http://www.laposada.org/

Wrought iron gates in the courtyard

We arrived around 5 pm, showered, stretched and prepared for dinner.

The Turqouise Room restaurant at the hotel is renowned for its innovative southwestern cuisine. We were hungrily anticipating enjoying a meal at the table we had booked for 7 pm and we were not disappointed!

http://www.theturquoiseroom.net/

Sweet corn & black bean soup

Local greens with chioggia beets and endive salad

Crispy Pork Carnitas
Large pieces of crispy pork Carnitas, served on a bed of black beans in a red chile pool, papaya salsa served with creamy polenta and fresh vegetables.

The killer vegetable platter: Steamed fresh vegetables, grilled tofu, sweet corn tamale, red caboose mashed potatoes, grilled fresh corn, Grilled Anaheim chile stuffed with three cheeses, and wild mushroom corn custard.

At the conclusion of a lovely meal, we attempted to rise graciously from our seats, only to discover that our legs were refusing to cooperate. With considerable effort, we did finally mange to shuffle off to the lobby, stopping to stretch our calves on the staricase!

The hotel is a popular stop for railway buffs, as the Amtrak passenger trains make frequent stops in front of the hotel. We enjoyed morning coffee on our patio.

Then we toured the grounds and chatted with a couple that was staying at the hotel in transit between homes in Santa Fe and Joshua Tree, CA.

Beautiful gardens.

We enjoyed dinner son much that we decided to stay for a leisurely breakfast.
French toast with mixed berry compote.

A final tour of the lobby and salons, before departing for Santa Fe.