Santa Fe - Canyon Road, 10,000 waves, Tia Sophias, and other Photos

I love the texture in this picture.  The small bird perched on the cross is also a nice touch.  This is an old church next to Upper Crust Pizza a few blocks from Santa Fe plaza.

 We ate lunch at Tia Sophia's, which has some of the best rellenos in town 

 Our table 

 We always ordered our food with Christmas colored peppers, which is to say, the peppers are red and green.

 Tia Sophia's serves piping hot pillows of sopapillas with meals 

 I want to go back now.  I really do, and just for a taste.

 Lensic theater next to Burro Alley 

 This guy was just begging to be photographed.  Looks like a high plains drifter with his Burro.

 Peppers

 The chapels around Santa Fe are truly beautiful.

 Another picture of our drifter friend 

 In the shade 

 YOu can tell we are several days into the trip.  My picture taking is beginning to annoy Kristin.

 Metal Lizard that has nothing to do with anything 

 A random street 

 Railcar

 Golden Doodle that looks like one of the Ramone brothers 

 Western Shop 

 Mural 

 This second hand store was gigantic and so so so amazing.  From vintage Valentino to old beat up hand embroidered cowboy shirts, this place had it all.  Double Take.  Go there.

 God is love.

 Some recreational biking 

 These were placed so oddly.

 This looked like a legitimate place to pick up some interesting wares.

 Probably not edible, but definitely colorful 

 Church 

 The oldest house in the United States is what the plaque said.  Look upon it ye readers, and know.

 Here we are inching on to the very prestigious Canyon Road, a mecca for fine art.

 A modern sculpture 

 The art on Canyon road is very expensive and people come from all over the world to visit the galleries here.

 An entry 

 A silver Bird 

 The structures along Canyon Road are dressed up rather beautifully 

 A celebratory tree

 Only in Santa Fe does a rusty gate look so great 

 Canyon Road Style

 Rugs for the taking 

 Napping rhino 

 More Bird 

 Entry in HDR 

 A vespa 

 Minimalist

 I finally met up with Kristin for drinks at Santa Fe Pink Adobe and Dragon Room 

 The shady capital building 

 A statue 

 Yes!  Head of hair dog.

 We got take out from this place, Vinaigrette.

 The interior was utilitarian chic.  They were having a contest to guess the weight of the pumpkin there in the picture.

 I liked the tool box thing next to the toilet 

 It was a very well designed restaurant 

 Fun but simple 

 Kristin surprised me for my birthday.  She just told me to drive, but did not tell me to where.  She gave the directions, and has we got further and further away from Santa Fe I became more confused.  Eventually we came upon a Japanese spa, called 10,000 Waves.

 Kristin reserved us the Ichiban private bath.  We followed the signs.

 The entry, looks foreboding, but we pulled open the door to many a Japanese delight.

 Our Shower, which was awesome.

 You fill up this bucket with water and dump it over your head.  It was way more fun than it sounds.

 Our personal sauna 

 The super high tech toilet 

 Lots of interesting controls 

 We had two outdoor spas in a Japanese garden.  It was a very cold night, which made the experience perfect.

 Very hot water 

 There is a little nook back there for napping 

Some flowers

North of Taos - Arroyo Seco , Taos Ski Valley, and Beaver Dam Floods

This picture is of a park ranger's home that was flooded by a beaver dam.  I could not get the sky exposed correctly, so I flipped the picture upside down.  I really like the effect.  A few felled beaver logs make an X in the perceived sky.

Up the road north from Taos you pass the quaint village of Arroyo Seco before making the final climb to the Taos Ski Valley.  Arroyo Seco has an international feel to it.  I overheard a waitress practicing her French on a customer practicing his English in the ice cream shop.  Just down the road, at the picturesque entry to the town, is the Abominable Snowmansion Hostel.  Hostels always remind me of my time lugging bags around Europe meeting German gap yearlings and Israeli ex-soldiers all looking for something most will find much later, perhaps in the foothills of the Himalaya or beneath the stars in Goa.

 Arroyo Seco 

 An interesting house 

 The local hostel 

 Another angle, I regret not sticking my head inside, though their website is here.

 A pottery shop with a painted window 

 Taos Cow Ice cream 

 Taos Cow interior 

 I was nursing great vibes and appreciating the surroundings and no sad sign for septic tank service could ruin it.

 White Chocolate Pistachio Ice Cream.  I would stay away from this, or everything you eat for the rest of your life will fail to measure up. 

 A local dog says sup

 The climb from Arroyo Seco to Taos Ski Valley was bathed in the colors of Fall.  The air was crisp, the clouds scarce, and it was a great afternoon to just look out across the world. 

 

 The road was straight,

 and there were also curves, as we continued to climb, reaching for the snow caps that seemed so elusive just hours ago.

 We finally arrived near the summit, and the lanes normally reserved for rows of family vans and SUV parking were, for a while longer, completely empty.  For the high season, people from all over the world will descend on the valley for some of the most challenging skiing in the United States.

 Snow at last 

 Kristin enjoying the snow

 On our way back down we saw the strangest thing.

 A house was flooded, and we suspected beavers were the culprits.

 We had hard evidence.

 My favorite picture of the day.  Flooded house upside down.

 Damns Beavs.

On our way back down, we passed a German Ski Haus, Austing Haus

Taos Pueblo Photos - the old part of town

Just north of Taos plaza is the original Taos - Taos Pueblo.  With a history dating back as much as 1000 years, this is old country.  The area is an interesting mix of new and old.  The Pueblo Indians that call the Unesco heritage site home live in old school Pueblo housing, but possess many modern comforts.  They have television and drive brand new cars.  It is interesting to see the past and present meet in a utilitarian compromise.  Anyways, I hope you enjoy my pictures of Taos Pueblo.

The entry to a church courtyard casts a shadow 

Taos Pueblo housing with camouflaged dog

A vote approaches 

The mountains behind Taos Pueblo

A residence in the Taos Pueblo complex 

Another home.  Most of the occupants had nice new modern cars, but live in traditional dwellings.

A church built by missionaries

Framing the church in its entry arch

A tall wooden pole 

A shop that we visited 

Never figured out what it was, anyone have a clue?

Skull 

The highest building in Taos Pueblo

Racks for drying things 

Smiling Pueblo dog 

The Pueblo architecture incorporates brightly colored doors.  I think its great.

A shop between 2 residences 

The outskirts 

A stream running through the center of Taos Pueblo 

A very old cemetery

The entrance to the cemetery 

Parking for the governor and his cronies.  The governor is elected by a council of 50 elders.