March 27--hot springs

Started out our journey sitting in the hot springs in Big Bend Park---right on the Rio Grande.  How fitting is this---today near the end of our journey, once again sitting in hot springs right on the Rio Grande.  Just a bit north and west of Taos--on a dirt road (we like those!!), then hiked down 1/4 mile trail to the waters edge.  Clothing was optional--in fact I think Neil and I were the only ones with suits on--prudes eh??!!  The 3rd pic is Neil hiking back up to our truck.  The one thing everyone told us to do was to see the Pueblo at Taos--well--it is closed--until April 27.  This is the only pic I got of it--Police made us turn around.   The last pic shows a view from the main road-opposite direction from the one I sent on last post.  Mountains in all directions!!

Taos March 27th

Whoops--just looked at the last blog title--that should have read March 21st and not January 21st!!  We are now at 7000ft--in Taos.  the pics will show we are surrounded by mountains--but notice the fore-ground.  That grey blue shrub is all sage brush.  It sure takes over!!--nice smell though when rubbed between fingers. (1st pic)   We took a trip--on another rough dirt road--along the Rio Grand Gorge.  We're catching up with the Rio Grande River once again. Neil really isn't trying to fly!!  (2nd and 3rd pic along the gorge}  This is the bridge over the canyon--but look what we saw in the distance--mountain sheep.   the last pic show what you see when driving downtown Taos.  It has been cool here --in fact last nite they had more snow in the mountains--but none in town--thank heavens--but the days are mostly sunny.

March 21st--Santa Fe

Tonight we are 2 tired old farts!!!   We took a 'little' hike today--3.7 miles to see the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument.  The cone-shaped tent rock formations are the product of volcanic eruptions that occurred 6 to 7 million years ago and left pumice, ash and  tuff deposits over 1,000 ft thick.  Close inspection of these 'tents' show small rounded, translucent obsidian--volcanic glass-fragments created by rapid cooling---many of these tapered hoodoos have a boulder cap--which protects the softer pumice below--these rock formations are from a few feet to 90ft in height.  We had to hike thru a narrow canyon, climbing over boulders, puffing our way up.  You can see from the 3 pics of the hoodoos just how far up we hiked --the pic of Neil and I is right up on the top where we had a 360 view of the area.  Climbing back down was much easier!!

Starting out on our hike

March 19th--Santa Fe

Moved north to Santa Fe on Monday--a bit chilly at night--in fact it was -6 (21f) this morning!!  But the sky remains blue and the sun warms things up nicely.  The last 2 days we have walked around the old town in Santa Fe--all adobe type buildings.  We've toured the old churches-- some built around 1610--but the best of all was the Loretto Chapel built in 1873 and the 'miraculous' staircase.   The story goes that there was no way up to the choir loft so after making a novena to St Joseph, an older grey haired man came along on a donkey and offered to make a staircase.  Using only a hammer, handsaw, and a square he built a spiral staircase that makes 2 complete 360 degree turns--with no supporting pole in the center--not a nail in it--just wooden pegs. The entire weight is on the base.  The architects of today have said that by all the laws of gravity, it should have crashed to the floor the minute that anyone stepped on it--but it was used daily for nearly 100 years.  How this was done in the 1870's by a single man in and out-of -the way place with only the most primitive

tools has never been explained. It was truly amazing to see.  I'm sure there is a big write up on it on the net.  The story continues--when the mother superior went to pay the man he had disappeared, and when she went to the lumber yard to at least pay for that--they didn't know anything about it.   So--put that in your pipe and smoke it!!!!  We also toured the State Capitol Building--viewing the Senate and House chambers, but what was great was the $600,000 of art work through out the public areas--all by artists who live and work in New Mexico.

Waiting around--March 15th

OH BOY--not a nice day today--but I'll get to that.  We are still in Albuquerque--waiting for the weather to warm up--so went on a road trip.  You just never know whats around the next corner- besides more mountain views-but this is what we saw--looks like a calcium formation with water flowing through it.   The whole area smelled of sulphur. We climbed around to the other side and there was a small river- it went right through this 'hill'. 1st & 2 pics.  Across the road hot springs bubbled right out of the rock--unfortunately not a big enough area to sit in, but sure hot.  We eventually ended up at Bandelier national monument--looked around but did not go on the 1 1/2 mile trail to see the Pueblo ruins---we have seen a fair amount of them so far.   The other days this week we have just rested--lots of reading and crafts--but now to today--the last picture shows it all!!!!  Are you guys up north just wanting us to experience some winter??!!!  Did you send us this/!!  Enough already!

Albuquerque

Albuquerque---took me many tries before I could spell this place!!!  Before reaching the Alb place we stopped at El Morro--or the Headland in Spanish.   This large sandstone promontory had a pool of water at its base--so it became a special stopping place on the east/west trail.   Starting with the first Zuni  Indians and continuing with the Spanish and then the mappers of the east west trail---each left their carved evidence of their passage on the bluff's wall.   One marking was even from an 11 year old girl on here way west on a wagon train.  I'll put a picture on the blog of the weather we were having that day--snow/sleet showers.  It was cold when we were walking around the bluff but at least it wasn't snowing right then.   On Sunday we went to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Museum---saw some native dances--good displays--they are beginning to be very proud of their culture.

 We plan to stay around this area for a week--so a bit of sight seeing--but mostly just staying south before heading north!!!

leaving Arizona

Today we left beautiful Arizona behind--now just over the border in New Mexico.  When we left Page we drove south---rather a boring drive, and spent the night near Sun City.  This morning we drove thru the Petrified Forest--coniferous trees from 200 million years ago, that had been up-rooted during a big flood--then buried in silt and ash, finally turning into rock.  After the region was uplifted these fossilized tree were exposed--many, of course, taken away years ago.  In the same park--we drove thru the Painted Desert--lovely colours.    From there we drove to Window Rock--the headquarters for the Navaho nation.  I was hoping for an Interpretive Centre--but none there--  Lots of Navaho rugs and jewellery for sale though.

Lake Powell and Antelope Canyon

Lake Powell has 96 Canyons--the guide says--"for sheer spectacle there is no other lake like Lake Powell"   We can believe that!  We just saw one canyon--Antelope.  This morning with our Navaho guide we descended into the dry end of this canyon--going down about 3 stories to the sand bottom.  Also known as Slot canyon--the one hour trip through it was incredible, with the rock all swirled after years of water flowing thru it.  I took 150 pictures!!!   Last Saturday they had a bit of rain here and the canyon where we were walking had about 5 ft of water in it!!!   Needless to say we went on a nice sunny day with no sign of rain!!  Then this afternoon we rented a 2 person kayak and went up Antelope canyon from the lake all the way to where the water stopped.   Had we had lots of time--we actually could have hiked up to where we had been walking this morning.    It took us about 2 1/2 hrs of paddling to complete the trip and other than sore and wet bums, we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  We think we will head out in the morning--to more adventures--we hope.

Page and Lake Powell

It just keeps getting better!!  What a country!  The drive to Page was interesting--just south of Flagstaff we saw lots of snow, where the roads had been plowed.   Then we drove thru mountains, then flat land, then red rocks--then desert, then pasture land.--arriving in Page early afternoon, then on to see Horseshoe Bend--on the Colorado river, just south of the dam at lake Powell. Awsome!! 1st/2nd pic.  this morning we walked around the rocks near the town.  3rd pics.  And I don't know how we do it but we ended up on another dirt road!!!  about 20

miles out to see one of the bays of Lake Powell.  We drove over the what was the bottom of the ocean--many years ago--of course!! 4th pic We stopped to talk to the BLM rangers--they said that since 1998 they have been finding all kinds of dinosaur bones in this area--at least one a month since then.   80% of these have never been discovered before.  We saw a diorama of what the area might have looked like---pretty neat stuff--I couldn't begin to remember the names of any of them.  We finally arrived at the overlook for lake Powell--the lake is so low that it really wasn't very impressive.--but sending a couple of pics anyway.  More tomorrow.

Mardh 1st

guess we have to leave Sedona behind --tomorrow we head north for Lake Powell--any of you who have ever picked up a boating magazine will know this is where they do boat testing--and we've always been in awe of the pics of this lake---so we'll see.   Today we climbed another 'rock'--this time Chimney(pic with Neil pointing).  In all we have conquered 3 'mountains'---well maybe not mountains--but they were high!!!  It rained hard on Saturday--so they were waterfalls coming off the mountains--which were neat.   Also sending a pic of what you see when you drive down the street in down town Sedona.  As I've said there is an awe moment at every turn!!!

Clouds in the hills this morning