Breakfast was lovely this morning. Our current hotel is a bit more upmarket than the last few and you really notice the difference in the breakfast. Even the bacon was good ( and that’s not something I’ve often said about American bacon!)
Now that Neil has caught my cold we needed to replenish my supply of cold and flu meds so the first stop of the day was a nearby pharmacy. We love the USA but it always seems to make one or other ( or both!) of us sick, I think we’ve had to buy medicine every single time we’ve been here.
However, we’re not letting any sniffles hold us back so we headed off to drive the renowned “High Road to Taos” . It is a pretty drive from Santa Fe to Taos through the mountains but we both agreed that it just wasn’t as spectacular as the Jemez mountain Byway that we drove yesterday.
On the High Road to Taos
We stopped to admire the mission church in Las Trampas, it’s a quaint and humble church that dates back to 1760 and is considered to be one of the best examples of Spanish Colonial architecture in New Mexico. The interior was gorgeous but unfortunately photography inside was not allowed.
The later sections of the drive were through high pine forests under grey skies, it seemed more like the Pacific northwest than New Mexico.
We didn’t stop in Taos but headed straight across the plain to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. Now this WAS impressive – the bridge soars across the spectacular gorge that the Rio Grande has cut through the valley floor. We speculated that in a million years or so this could easily be another Grand Canyon.
The road back to Santa Fe was a more direct route and the wide open skies gave us a front row seat to the storms forming over the mountains.
We were back in town by 2.30, keen to head out on foot to explore the old town. The low slung adobe buildings of the shops and restaurants surround the pretty green plaza, and just a block away stands the grand Cathedral of St Francis of Assisi. As we wandered around the streets the clouds opened and it started to bucket down. We sheltered under awnings and inside shops and eventually made a break for a coffee in a small cafe before finally heading back to the hotel in the late afternoon.
Santa Fe Museum of Art
The Palace of the Governors
Cathedral of St Francis of Assisi
Sheltering from the rain
This evening we strolled back to the plaza to have dinner at La Plazuela restaurant. It was busy and we had to wait a while for a table but it was worth the wait. My Filet Mignon Oscar was delicious and the atmosphere was lovely.
