Let the Adventures begin: Our year in Taos began on a rather interesting note. We realized we needed a second car, specifically a 4WD. An individual seller on Craigslist was offering a 1988 Isuzu Trooper in rather good shape. And a short test drive later, I had purchased my first car: the Super Trooper, as it came to be known.
Less than a week later, our first trip in my Trooper was to Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. The drive through San Juan National Forest was just spectacular.
Amit couldn't have chosen a better bed and breakfast than the Inn at McElmo Canyon in Cortez. The room, the hospitality, the views, the jacuzzi, the dogs, the winery...it was perfect! And it put us halfway between Ute Mountain Reservation and Mesa Verde. If you plan a trip to that area, I totally recommend going to the Ute Mountain Reservation. Tours are run by the Ute tribe (and rather than going into the reservation with your own vehicle, I recommend paying the extra amount to be taken in their van for a first-hand account from the tour guide). It is a strenuous but an adventurous day tour. The area is still virgin, not commercial like Mesa Verde, and truly takes you back to the time of the cliff dwellers.
You cannot miss Mesa Verde, of course. We were lucky to get access to some cliff dwellings that had never been opened to public except during their centennial. Getting the passes online ahead of time is a good idea and soaking it all in over 2-3 days is ideal.
The Trooper had made its first wonderful trip with us but decided to betray us at the top of the mountain in Mesa Verde. If it weren't for the failure of the fuel pump, we would have never had the opportunity to meet Brothers Dumb and Dumber- our tow truck guys. If you want to have a good laugh about this story, call Amit.
Thanks to our mountain bikes from Taos Cyclery, a good samaratin from Farmington and Motel 8, we hung in there for 2 days! Two tows and $1000 dollars later, we headed back to Taos, little knowing that our adventures for this year had just begun.
Stray Hearts Animal Shelter: Right from the start, I connected with Stray Hearts and never believed I could get so much happiness...Candace got a wonderful home
Hiking Unlimited: The first of our many hikes in Taos with Khemarin, Molly and Ben-Williams Lake at 11,000 ft
September 2006
San Geronimo festival at Taos Pueblo: we couldn't take pictures but what a wonderful experience it was. Mark and Mary invited us to their home. We brought a basket of fruits which was "blessed" by the Chippanaws. The pole climbing was fascinating as were the dances.
October 2006
Finding Smokey: Our day on the Cumbres Toltec RR changed completely when Smokey came to Amit out of nowhere pleading the 'don't leave me' look! Thanks to Stray Hearts and Emily and Mike, he is loved and no longer lost.
The Balloon Fiesta: Jason and Kelly had to cancel their trip so we ventured out to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, just the 2 of us. The opening weekend festivities were rained out so we headed back the next weekend for the closing festivities and kicked up the fun a notch by volunteering as crew for the special shape hot air balloon glow.
The journey: Everything we did in NM was about the journey and not the destination. Driving the turquoise trail and eating lunch at a Cuban cafe in Madrid, exploring the high road to Taos, Nambe falls, taking a detour from Abiqui, taking the long way home...we enjoyed it all!
Parul and Jeanette's Visit: A warm fall October ended with Parul and Jeanette's visit. It was so much fun hanging out in the evenings, taking them for authentic southwestern bites at Orlando's and trying to battle an untimely snow storm en route Great Sand Dunes.
November 2006
Dixon studio tour: What a weekend walking around art galleries and sneaking a hike to Pilar. Some of the artists were unforgettable- the black and white photography of Judith Vejvoda, the Raku pottery by MiyA and our first introduction to Stephen Kilborn.
Flying the Santa Fe skies: Most may think I'm crazy to have given Amit this birthday gift, but he sure loved flying that World War II plane over Santa Fe right up to Cochiti Lake. The thrill of a roll, flip and dive marked a n eventful beginning to the third decade of his life.
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