Refreshed and nourished from our night at the La Dona Luz, Jo and prepared for our trip back to Colorado. We had a lazy walk around the plaza in downtown Taos in search of coffee. The plaza was a square courtyard of adobe structures filled with quaint shops and restaurants. The adobe and wood buildings separated by brick streets gave the town a feel that was uniquely New Mexican, a combination of western and Native American.
Taos Plaza Building
Our first stop outside of Taos was the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, the same bridge we paddled under two days earlier. Our route took us west then north to Villa Grove, CO where I planned to hang glide if the weather cooperated. The bridge was on the way and worth stopping. We parked on the east side where a few big horned sheep were making their way to rim of the canyon.
Big Horned Sheep
The bridge was a great shooting perch for the sheep, but we lost sight of them behind a side canyon wall. As we walked across the 650' tall bridge, trash rapid on the Rio Grande looked much tamer than two days before at eye level. It was a picturesque high desert morning with blue skies above, cotton ball cumi's popping over distant mountains to the east and sage filled desert to the west. Under our feet the 44 year old white steel girders of the bridge towered above black lava rock walls that led down to the muddy water of the rio grand. On a side note, the bridge was featured in the recent movie Terminator Salvation.
Rio Grande Gorge Bridge
Taos Plaza Building
Our first stop outside of Taos was the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, the same bridge we paddled under two days earlier. Our route took us west then north to Villa Grove, CO where I planned to hang glide if the weather cooperated. The bridge was on the way and worth stopping. We parked on the east side where a few big horned sheep were making their way to rim of the canyon.
Big Horned Sheep
The bridge was a great shooting perch for the sheep, but we lost sight of them behind a side canyon wall. As we walked across the 650' tall bridge, trash rapid on the Rio Grande looked much tamer than two days before at eye level. It was a picturesque high desert morning with blue skies above, cotton ball cumi's popping over distant mountains to the east and sage filled desert to the west. Under our feet the 44 year old white steel girders of the bridge towered above black lava rock walls that led down to the muddy water of the rio grand. On a side note, the bridge was featured in the recent movie Terminator Salvation.
Rio Grande Gorge Bridge
(HDR)
The Taos Box to the North
South
South
Below
(Trash Rapid)
Walking Across the Bridge
After the bridge we continued west into the desert. The two lane road was a straight line to the horizon with not a building in sight. The only car that passed was a white pick up truck with Louisiana tags and a guy playing guitar in the bed. After a while we came to Route 285 and turned north. The scene was the same except for the towering 10,000 foot peaks San Antonio to the west and Ute Mountain to the east, both looked like extinct volcanoes.
The Open Road
Ute Mountain
Ute Mountain receded in the horizon behind us and soon we were across the border into Colorado. The first town we came to was Antonio, Colorado. Antonio was reminiscent of many small towns in America struggling to make it. Just past a private catholic shrine called Mysteries of the Rosary was the Cumbres & Toltec narrow gauge railroad depot. The historic steam railroad goes from Antonio, CO to Chama, NM. Along the main strip there were many abandoned buildings spewing character, and some not abandoned ones that were just as captivating. I had to spot for some shots.
Antonio Colorado
Secrets of the Rosary
No comments:
Post a Comment