Near Taos

Tuesday, August 24, 2021
Taos, New Mexico, United States
We checked out of the hotel and left Durango about 10:00 this morning for the drive to Taos.  The roads were mostly quiet with very few cars on them.  We stopped briefly in Pagosa Springs, then again in Chama for snacks and gasoline.  I like to keep the gas tank pretty full when we are on remote roads through the prairies and forests.  The stretch of highway from Pagosa Springs to Chama was particularly quiet today.  We saw only two other cars and one 18-wheeler that passed me going at least 20 mph over the speed limit.  I can’t remember being passed by a big rig like that going so fast before.  Farther on, we saw a herd of cattle on the highway with one of the bulls wandering slowly into my lane.  Fortunately, I saw him long before I got to him and was able to sidle by without incident.  The cattle did not seem at all concerned by our presence on their road.
Near Taos, we came to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge and stopped for a look. It is one of the highest bridges in the country at more than 600 feet above the river.   Philip and I parked and walked out to the viewpoint in the middle of the steel bridge.  The narrow sidewalks on each side of the highway have no barriers between the walkers and the moving vehicles.  It looked like most cars slowed down to cross the bridge.  
The place we are staying tonight is northwest of Taos a few miles.  It was after 3 p.m. by the time we arrived so we stopped to check in before going on into town for lunch.   We are at Hotel Luna Mystica which describes itself as a vintage trailer hotel and starlight campground.  I have rented Ralphie, a vintage Airstream trailer, for the night.  Ralphie and all the other trailers have been “lovingly restored” and are each decorated differently.  So far I like the charm of the trailer over a common hotel room, but we’ll see how I feel in the morning.  We have twin bunks, a small kitchenette, a bathroom with toilet and shower, and a table with benches for seating.  The A/C is on and working in the trailer, but it is cool only in the kitchen and sitting area.   The bedroom is too warm.  When I checked in, the clerk said that the heater worked, too, and we might need it.  I don’t think it will be cold enough tonight to need the heater.
We had a nice, but slow lunch at Martyrs Steakhouse in Taos.  Our table was on one of their shaded patios, and we enjoyed the warm afternoon with a slight breeze.  They are short-staffed as are so many businesses that hire mainly minimum wage workers.  When I looked yesterday for restaurants for us to go to today, I found quite a few that were not open at all on Tuesdays — some only open on the weekends.   We went back to the hotel for the rest of the afternoon, then drove into Taos again around dinnertime.  At Cid’s Food Market, we bought sandwiches for supper, snacks for the evening, and yogurt for breakfast   It looked pretty much like a local version of a Whole Foods.  The hotel has no place to buy anything to eat other than in the tiny gift shop attached to the hotel office which is open very limited hours.   The Taos Mesa Brewing Mothership (a restaurant and taproom) is across the street from the hotel within walking distance, but it is not open now either.
Although not an official dark sky park, the hotel seemed far enough away from the city that we would be able to see more stars than we can at home.  I want to see more stars like we used to see when I was a child, but we haven’t found the perfect place yet.  Most of the lights on this property are illuminated with red bulbs helping to keep eyes adjusted to the darkness.  The Taos airport is right across the highway though; I saw one plane come in and land while I was outside looking at the stars.  We are able to see lots of stars here, a few constellations that we recognize, and a faint impression of the Milky Way as a streak across the middle of the sky.  Before I booked this stay, I emailed the owner to ask about the ability to see the night sky.  He described it well so, although not perfectly dark, I knew what to expect here.  Sitting on the deck of the trailer looking at the stars and smelling the aroma of someone’s campfire made for a very pleasant evening. 

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2025-02-09

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