Pancakes and bacon for breakfast in Telluride
Coming down the mountains in snow
Santa Fe, snow, and a cabin
Morning in Santa Fe
Plaza
Oldest Church in USA
Oldest House in USA
Art Galleries and architecture, including the 27 shades of brown
New Mexico History Museum
Governor's Palace
Roswell UFO museum and research centre
Drive down to Carlsbad
Drive-in Cinema
Distance:
Total Distance:
We should have left Telluride much sooner. But who would leave the nice warm confines of a lodge to face the cold snowy world outside? Especially when you have blueberry pancakes, bacon, maple syrup, bananas, yogurt, and scrambled eggs? We had a good, solid, big, hot breakfast which lasted an hour more than had been planned. That was fine though- we had a long day of driving ahead of us.
Coming down and out of the mountains was beautiful. There had been a fresh blanket of snow over the land leaving everything clean and white and wintery. We drove through this snow, confident in our tour guide who grew up in Michigan. As elevation and exposure changed the snow would come and go, be thin or start coming down again in flurries. The mountains gave way to forests gave way to farm land gave way to rock formations and mesas gave way to winter desert plains. As we entered into New Mexico we were still high enough for the snow to be falling thick and fast. On a straight road in a relatively flat area we passed one large lorry jack knifed on the roadside and another car that had spun and crashed. We saw the drivers walking around at both sites.
At Santa Fe we were thankfully staying in a tiny cabin which had a tiny heater. It wasn't much. Bunk beds, a little heater, table, chairs, veranda partially covered in a light powder of snow, a fire pit outside.
We huddled in the cabin for a time, getting what heat we could from our heater.
For dinner we heated up he left overs that had built up, including beans and lasagne. By this point the cabin had actually started to heat up and we were all becoming sleepy. Everyone else went straight to bed, but I've done this cold living before. Showers were free and very hot, so I warmed up under the hot water then changed into thermals and pyjamas before curling up in my very warm, cosy sleeping bag.
The next morning we went out to Santa Fe. The snow/hail was falling but was only building up on plants and in cold corners. It was 1'C, due to build to 9'C at noon. We were all wrapped up warmly against it. This is how we entered the plaza of Santa Fe at 8:30am, before anything was open.
We did a quick look at the small plaza, took pictures of the outside of the Cathedral nearby then moved on.
The oldest church and house in The USA both sit next to each other in the city. The church has been changed, converted, and added to, but has been there since before 1600. It was based on mud, straw, and cattle dung, and much of the outside wall still is this combination. Stone buttresses have been added, a tower, a gift shop, but the centre is still the same. We were there too early to see inside though.
The oldest house in the USA and its adjoining gift shop had just opened though. Only two rooms of the oldest house remain. There's a long history to this place. It's said to have been built upon a Native Indian dwelling in the Mexican/Spanish Adobe style with several rooms and two storeys. It was built of mud, straw, and cow dung, like the church, on a wooden frame. The wooden frame that presently remains has been carbon dated as around 400 years old. Then as time passed the extra rooms were removed or changed, walls crumbled, and the second floor became unsafe.
Each section was taken apart in turn- just as gift shops have been built and rebuilt. This house has been designated the oldest house in the USA for over a hundred years. Along with the church this has drawn tourists, and thus people things can be sold to. Trinkets, jewellery, rugs, mini saints, fake fur hats, exotic feathers, ash trays, models, post res, mugs, etc. etc. It's all in there somewhere.
Santa Fe is famous for both its architecture and its art. Buildings here must fit into the distinctive New Mexico theme of 200 years or more ago, painted in a selection of 27 mud-like colours. This keep the idea of an outpost desert town- despite the freezing temperatures and Starbucks.
To explore both art and architecture we visited a road near the town centre where all of the art galleries are. There was a myriad of different arts in different mediums along the street. Statues in steel, some which moved in the wind, alongside stone, brass, and concrete creations. Paintings were displayed in Windows and on walls. Things chimed or twinkled with light. Horses, bears, people, landscapes, Eagles, abstract constructs, buffalo. It was interesting but we eventually had our fill.
Cold and wanting a rest we dropped in at the Starbucks-not adventurous but we knew what we'd get and how much it would cost.
The New Mexico History Museum was great and I'd have spent far longer there than we did if I could have. We got split off from the girls so Mitch and I explored New Mexico's long history ourselves. Yes, long history. Even compared to European countries this part of America has been around for a long time.There was a little on the Native American history, but not too much is known. It was the Conquistadors of the Spanish that Veni Vidi Vici here first, nearly 600 years ago. They worked hard to be here, not just in various wars but just to grow food and survive. Then came more Europeans who fought over the place. No one ever really came out on top, culturally, though. Hence there are Native American, Hispanic, and European influences on Santa Fe.
Attached to the museum is the Governor's Palace. The original Governor's Palace. The building which was laid siege to by native indians after the Spanish invasions of the late 1500's. Since then its been changed little, other than redecoration. On the side facing the town square is a long veranda. This is now used by native indian peoples as a market place. They sit along the wall with blankets out before them showing off the jewellery and trinkets that they have hand made.
Inside the palace are a wide variety of treasures. One of the first rooms we entered had a large wall completely covered in ancient crucifixes from all across New Mexico. Another room had a tapestry made in honour of an early battle. There was arms and armour, an old postal carriage, items excavated within the grounds such as head collars and baskets. We simply didn't have time for it all!
At 12:45, having lost the girls, Mitch and I decided to leave to get back to the bus, which we were supposed to be at by 1pm. Surely the girls would decided the same-that that was our allotted meeting point and time. Once there we found ourselves waiting for the girls. As we ate lunch they appeared. They'd been waiting in the lobby for us to walk back together!
We drove south towards Carlsbad and the Texas border. Along the way, with a minor detour, was Roswell- the famous site of the "alien" landing. Well, we just had to go there! For a few dollars we entered the Rosell UFO Museum and Research Centre- a hall filled with an array of "evidence" and records of not just the original Roswell incident, but also other UFO sightings and alien encounters. They included exhibits about various films about extraterrestrials and UFOS, as well as quotes from high ranking statesmen and military men who apparently believe in aliens. Its hard to tell if they are being serious or if this is all tongue in cheek humour. Its all so silly and weird that you'd think it was a big joke. Yet they will be hosting this years convention for alien researchers, including lectures by university professors and other specialists.
We got down to our campsite near Carlsbad in good time. That evening we were going to one of the USA's remaining Drive-In cinemas. There was once thousands of these. but now there are only 8 left in the country. We picked "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2", drove around to a parking lot under a screen, and parked up. The receipt given to us had a frequency to set the bus radio to which blared out adverts. Around the parking lot were the other two parking lots, with their own screens. In the middle was a small building with the toilets and snacks. We shared a ginormous tub of very buttery popcorn and got small cups of soft drink. It was free refills on the drinks-who was going to buy the litre extra large? Oh, right, the people who were too fat to easily walk back for a refill.
We had a great night, sat in warm clothing on camp chairs, stuffing our faces with endless popcorn.
Inside the palace are a wide variety of treasures. One of the first rooms we entered had a large wall completely covered in ancient crucifixes from all across New Mexico. Another room had a tapestry made in honour of an early battle. There was arms and armour, an old postal carriage, items excavated within the grounds such as head collars and baskets. We simply didn't have time for it all!
At 12:45, having lost the girls, Mitch and I decided to leave to get back to the bus, which we were supposed to be at by 1pm. Surely the girls would decided the same-that that was our allotted meeting point and time. Once there we found ourselves waiting for the girls. As we ate lunch they appeared. They'd been waiting in the lobby for us to walk back together!
We drove south towards Carlsbad and the Texas border. Along the way, with a minor detour, was Roswell- the famous site of the "alien" landing. Well, we just had to go there! For a few dollars we entered the Rosell UFO Museum and Research Centre- a hall filled with an array of "evidence" and records of not just the original Roswell incident, but also other UFO sightings and alien encounters. They included exhibits about various films about extraterrestrials and UFOS, as well as quotes from high ranking statesmen and military men who apparently believe in aliens. Its hard to tell if they are being serious or if this is all tongue in cheek humour. Its all so silly and weird that you'd think it was a big joke. Yet they will be hosting this years convention for alien researchers, including lectures by university professors and other specialists.
We got down to our campsite near Carlsbad in good time. That evening we were going to one of the USA's remaining Drive-In cinemas. There was once thousands of these. but now there are only 8 left in the country. We picked "My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2", drove around to a parking lot under a screen, and parked up. The receipt given to us had a frequency to set the bus radio to which blared out adverts. Around the parking lot were the other two parking lots, with their own screens. In the middle was a small building with the toilets and snacks. We shared a ginormous tub of very buttery popcorn and got small cups of soft drink. It was free refills on the drinks-who was going to buy the litre extra large? Oh, right, the people who were too fat to easily walk back for a refill.
We had a great night, sat in warm clothing on camp chairs, stuffing our faces with endless popcorn.
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