Monday morning.... good day for riding! The wide open spaces in New Mexico are impressive. My writing cannot do justice to the experience of being there... I am not a writer, so today will be more about the pictures.
Before loading the bike and checking out I asked around about a good spot for breakfast, away from the tourist focus of the old downtown area of Santa Fe.
Harry's was just the ticket. Irish oats with brown sugar, cinnamon, apples, walnuts, and raisins, with a scrambled egg on the side and several cups of delicious coffee started the day off well.
Off to the old square I go! What I found was very commercialized and almost like a theme park, much to my disappointment. There was no mistaking that I was in Santa Fe though.
Even new buildings are built to look like old structures.
This guy had quite a name......
and story!
Art was everywhere. A feast for the eyes and the mind.
The rising temperature and the urge to push on combined to move me along the highway and say good-bye to Santa Fe. I headed north on 285, mindful of finding smaller, twisty roads to enjoy.
These round rock formations showed up every few miles. the views were....aaahhhhh relaxing.
State highway 503 heads northeast, joining 285 with 76.
This is one of those roads that is worth taking if you are going to be anywhere near it, even if it is not exactly going your way. The curves and hills went on for miles. I find myself in tune with the road, passing by photogenic spots and just soaking in the ride. There was a small village on this road that is not on my map. I should have stopped and photographed it, but the silence was just too spooky. Mid morning, not hot, cold, or raining, and nothing and no one was moving in the village except the lone rider passing through. I would have expected to see children playing, dogs barking, folks working in their well cared for yards.... something.... anything. maybe on the next trip through.
Breaking out onto 76 I was rewarded with more inspiring vistas.
As I neared Taos I decided to stop well outside of the city for lunch. this place was very inviting, after all.... ice cream is right there on the sign!
I pretty much had the place to myself and was enjoying...
when a group of fellow riders rolled in and asked if lunch here was good. The enthusiastic 'yes' had them parking and joining me.
My FJR was surrounded!
Note to self... next time turn the bike around while the lot is still empty. backing the bike uphill is a pain with my short legs. It turns out these were three couples from Texas, Arizona, and Nevada that get together on their bikes once a year to enjoy the Rocky Mountains. The Texas couple was from North Richland Hills, practically neighbors. I told them about TWT and Friday Ice Cream, don't think they were that interested though.
On towards Taos! (By the least direct route within reach)
518 and 434 were marvelous roads.
Taos was busy, bustling, and not to my liking. The square was brimming with trinkets, most of which looked cheap and far from authentic Indian wares. My plan to stay the night here quickly changed, and I did not see anything there that made me want to even get the camera out. Too may people.... crowds are not what I was after.
I bet most of you know this bridge!
While walking back to the bike something caught my eye in the rocks below... The zoom on the camera sure seems to be showing me a Pelican case way down there. Someone had a bad day!
I wanted to climb down and see, but decided that I did not want to go to jail for the night.
64 climbs nicely after it crosses back over 285.
I had to put my liners into my jacket and change my mesh pants for the HT overpants. Off went the summer gloves and on with the warm ones.
The sky in these high passes is a different shade of blue than we get to see here at home.
Into Chama I rode, just about out of daylight. The Hotel let me park in the courtyard on the grass. The light was too low for a steady shot as the shutter needed to go 1/15th even with the lens wide open.
Once again getting the local's input on where to eat rewarded me with a great meal. A steak at the High Country Restaurant and bar. I got the last room available in town, the train had just started its season.