Mesa Verde, the Rockies, Navajo country & Canyon de Chelly, Taos, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Carlsbad Caverns…and more. A circle tour of the American Southwest, touring ancient cultures and modern arts. Follow along with me as I drive over a thousand … Continue reading
I’m always amazed at the end of a vacation how the time seems to have just evaporated, and there I am, in a dull, lifeless airport, waiting for a crowded plane, its stiff synthetic materials ready to suck the fresh … Continue reading
The Hopi Mesas and Pueblos are probably the most famous of the Pueblo population centers to non-Indians, in part due to their well-known Katsina doll designs and metalworking arts. But the Zuni are also well known nationally and internationally for … Continue reading
There is no way to leave the Rockies more thoroughly than to travel south on US 550 from Durango and turn right at Farmington. Within a few minutes the high mountains and wealth of Colorado drift behind, and the road … Continue reading
After two nights in Mesa Verde (see part 6), we decided to scrap our next stop, Monument Valley, and go back to Durango to take a trip on the Durango-Silverton Railway, which had just opened for the season in May. … Continue reading
After overdosing on the high Rockies (see Part 5, San Juan Skyway), we switched landscapes and ended the day with a long, slow, winding drive up to the great mesas of the ancient Pueblo Indians. The road curved and curved … Continue reading
Along every curve of the San Juan Skyway, a long detour on our trip between Pagosa Springs and our next destination, my mouth dropped open and I couldn’t quite believe the magnitude of the scenery. The extreme high country, accessible by excellent … Continue reading
As time wound down in Taos, and the noisy biker men outside our hotel beamed back up to the mothership, we looked forward to our next stop: Pagosa Springs, Colorado, home of a world-class set of hot springs tubs right … Continue reading
Disappointed with the harsh bustle of Santa Fe, we trundled up highway to Taos by way of Las Vegas, NM. This took us in the back way to Taos, a small town in a spectacular setting. The high desert around … Continue reading
The name “Santa Fe” evokes romantic images of artists nestled in cozy canyons, surrounded by cactuses, continuously howling purple coyotes, and eccentric new-age decorations. It is a bit different when you get here. In a nutshell, Santa Fe is a … Continue reading
Albuquerque is a high desert western town, complete with an overabundance of neon signs and locals wearing cowboy hats. What distinguishes Albuquerque from other towns in the Western US, though, is the Pueblo revival architecture and it’s old Spanish style … Continue reading