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.

May 5-7: Grand Canyon

Buzz and Alice rode with us from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon. Packing was tight, but it was comfortable and Buzz played his I-Pod collection of country tunes all the way so we were definitely in in a country frame of mind by the time we got to Flagstaff and stopped for lunch at the Beaver St. Brewery. The burgers were great!

A bit cramped in the back seat.

We arrived at the south rim early in the afternoon, checked in at the Yavapai Lodge and had a look around. The mule deer were quite tame and well adjusted to life in the Park.

The first views of the canyon were spectacular.
We were happy to be there, and looking forward to beginning our hike the following day.

There are many stunning viewpoints along the south rim.

We were excited to be celebrating our 36th anniversary with dinner at the historic El Tovar dining room in the company of Vicki and John from Minnesota who would be joining us on the hike. Buzz and Alice were a bit concerned about the challenge awaiting us over the next 2 days, but after a glass or two of wine they loosened up to the prospect!

The salads were nice, and the setting was beautiful.

Next morning, we were refreshed and eager to start out as we gathered at the South Kaibab trailhead. Due to some initial confusion, we were a bit later starting out than we had intended.
We pitched over the edge and were on our way! The trail is one of the few in the park that follows a ridge rather than side canyons.
It is steep, however, dropping close to 5,000 feet in 6.3 miles.

Peg was enthusiastic at the start, and remained determined in spite of the increasing heat.

Vicki and John enjoyed our first brief rest stop.

The vistas were beautiful, and changed at every switchback.

We took a longer break at Cedar Ridge, which is about a mile and a half from the trailhead. Buzz had had the foresight to prepare beautiful, thick ham & cheese sandwiches on rye for all of us. They were really tasty!

Buzz made friends with Alvin, who seemed to be looking for food and was not shy about begging, or even digging into backpacks, given the chance.

John found a great perch to relax and put his feet up.

Vicki contemplated nature while playing a soothing tune on her flute.

We saddled up and headed down the trail.

Looking back towards the rim, it was a bit surprising to see how far we had descended.

The Grand Canyon hike is a trip back in time, offering views of up to six million years of erosion through four geologic eras.

Peg, following Alice down the trail.

Switchbacks in the distance.

We were a bit startled to see this bright flower alone in the dust!

We crossed a plateau

And then the trail steepened as we saw the switchbacks ahead and the river far below.

Great views at every turn.

This was more or less the halfway point, and it was getting really hot!

The rare shady spots were looking inviting.

Much of the trail was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 30's.

More improbable flowers, and cactus.

Amid the barren rock formations.

Tell me- tell me, I implore! Quoth the Raven, "Nevermore."

First glimpse of the Silver bridge on the Colorado river, leading to the Bright Angel Trail on the south side where we would begin our ascent the following day.

And then the black bridge came in to view, on the South Kaibab.

But the sight of the switchbacks showed that it was not quite as close as we thought!

A final break in the shade before our final push to the river.

And then we were there!

Peg crossing the river.

Rafters on a break.

It was still about half a mile up Canyon Creek to the Phantom Ranch.

Four in the afternoon, and shadows were already darkening the recesses of the canyon.

We had the two cabins shown here in the center.

Air conditioned, and very comfortable after a long hike.

A serene evening at Phantom Ranch

Happy campers enjoying a hearty meal, all-you-can-eat, served family style.

The beef stew was a winner!

Don't stop till you get enough.

Fresh salad.

We started our ascent at 6 am, as the mules rested in the paddock,

awaiting the long trek back to the rim.

We crossed the Colorado, heading for Bright Angel Trail.

It was peaceful and cool at the start.

Exotic plant material (for us).

And beautiful patterns of light and shadow on the canyon walls.

We wound our way up the trail through side canyons.

The trail leveled out as we approached Indian Garden, where there is a campground, a rest area, and intersecting trails.

A blue lizard greeted us, in search of insects

A mule train passed by. The thermometer on the left registered 100 degrees at 8 am.

Mules resting in the corral.

This is the turnaround spot for some of the mule excursions from the rim.

We turned back to see that we had covered quite a distance.

And moved to the side of the trail to let the mules pass by.

And finally, we gathered at the rim for a farewell photo. Mission accomplished!

Peg and Kevin were off to Winslow, while our companions returned to Phoenix.