Author: Nomad

Progress: Grants, NM to Cortez, CO via the “Hwy 666” from the movie Natural Born Killers (through Navajo Nation)

Mileage: 240

Stopped at Bandera Volcano, a private hike in the “land of fire and ice” where one can see an 800 foot deep volcanic caldera and a cave that has been filled with ice for 3400 years.

El Morro National Monument is an oasis with names carved into the sandstone from the expeditions that stopped here, from American Indian to Spanish to American settlers.

Long stretch of road through the Navajo lands from Gallup to Cortez, before settling in at the Retro Inn

Progress: Silver City, NM to Grants, NM via Gila National Wilderness and El Malpais Conservation Area

Mileage: 240

Left Silver City at 08:00 and headed up into Gila Wilderness. First stop was the Catwalks Trailhead for a hike into a canyon on catwalks and back on the shallow river.

Next a precarious drive up to Mogollon, an old mining ghost town from the late 1800’s.

Back through the wilderness with a stop in the little town of Reserve for lunch.

In the afternoon took NM-117, the scenic route skirting El Malpais (Badlands) to the east, with photo stops along the way. Finally reached Grants for the evening.

Hiking on the river

Progress: Albuquerque to Silver City via Truth or Consequences and Gila National Forest

Mileage: 319

Headed south on I-25. Stopped for lunch in San Antonio, NM at Owl Bar for their legendary green chile cheeseburger, and it was excellent.

Past Truth or Consequences (best name ever), turned west and took a winding state route over mountains and the Gila National Forest, into Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. Solo loop hike and exploration of the 800 year old cliff houses.

Back south over more mountains to Silver City, an old mining town (and hangout of Butch Cassidy). Dinner was more green chile (on flatbread this time) at a downtown brewery, and a stroll down Main Street

galleries and color

Progress: Albuquerque

Mileage: 0

Lunch at El Patio, a Southwestern institution

Quick stop at Rio Grande State Park and Petroglyph National Monument

Progress: Santa Fe to Albuquerque

Mileage: 110

Quick detour at Pecos Pueblo National Historical Park, inhabited for several hundred year up until the early 1800’s. Then off to Rio Rancho just north of ABQ

Progress: Santa Fe

Mileage: 0

Work days at the hotel, but some good walking tours and New Mexican food

Progress: Taos to Santa Fe

Mileage: 110

This morning took a nice flat hike along the Rio Grande Gorge from the Bridge (Rio Grande del Norte Monument), with high altitude desert scrub for miles

Had a solid brunch of Green chile chilequiles on the patio of a Taos Mexican diner called Jalepenos Tacos and More, across the street from an adobe McDonalds

Took a walk around the quiet historic central square of Taos and checked out some shops. Taos Pueblo was closed due to Covid but fortunately I’ve seen it before!

Mid-afternoon it was off to Santa Fe along the Rio Grande route (US-64), checking in to the Hilton Santa Fe.

Finally, had a great dinner at the award-winning steakhouse called Market Steer

Progress: Denver to Great Dunes National Park to Taos

Mileage: 367

Today the tallest sand dunes in North America on a rainy afternoon, ground down from the Sangre De Christo (Blood of Christ) Mountains over millions of years, and the Mosca Mountain Pass used by people for 10,000 years.

No reason for a pandemic to stop travel! It’s difficult to travel overseas so how about a good road trip instead. Starting July 4th I will be traveling all over the Rockies and Great Plains the next couple months while working and studying remotely…