The Trip Home

Our route home was through the southern Colorado Rocky Mountains, Four Corners, across the Navajo Reservation of northern Arizona and back to I-40.  Along the way we stopped at Mesa Verde National Park, Four Corners National Monument and the Grande Canyon National Park.  Definitely a whirlwind as we were home in two days.

And now the last pictures from our trip.

Wild Thing at Spruce Tree House,
Mesa Verde National Park

Wild Thing exiting a ceremonial room at Spruce Tree House,
 Mesa Verde National Park

Cliff Palace, Mesa Verde National Park

Wild Thing in four states (Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona
and Utah) at one time, Four Corners National Monument

Me and Wild Thing over looking the Grande Canyon from
the South Rim, Grande Canyon National Park

Wild Thing and I agreed that we need to return to Mesa Verde National Park and Grande Canyon National Park for a minimum of one week at each park.

Are you taking a vacation this summer?  Where?

Let's Finish This Vacation

We arrived in Canon (pronounced Canyon, the spelling is spanish) City later that evening and spent the next five days eating, visiting with family and friends, sightseeing, and eating and visiting with family and friends.

A few pictures of our days.

Painted wall at cafe on Main Street in Canon.

Wild Thing and new friend on top of Skyline Drive.

Antiques shopping in Florence, Colorado.

Taos II

So after touring the pueblo under the direction of a cute, knowledgeable young man (aren't all youngsters cute?), we did some shopping and eating.  It is absolutely essential that Fry Bread with honey be eaten at every opportunity which Wild Thing, a pueblo dog named Rollie and I did.  Yum!

We visited the studio of artist David Gary Sauzo.  He paints vividly colored scenes of the pueblo and Taos area.  Luckily, Mr. Sauzo was at the studio and we got to talk with him about his art--inspiration and techniques, how he promotes his work and his children.  "Pueblo Stars" is now a part of my art collection!

Acrylic on handmade paper.

It was time to leave Taos and continue on to our destination, Canon City, Colorado.

Looking for Highway 64 we found this local cemetery (believe me I am not obsessed with cemeteries).  Doesn't it looking like a picture from the Old West? There was even a gentleman tending the graves.  After a little wandering and backtracking we found Highway 64 and were on our way to Angel Fire, Eagle Nest, and Cimarron, and the treat of beautiful mountain scenery.

Taos, New Mexico

After leaving Gallup our next stop was Taos, New Mexico.

 The highlight of the Taos stop was touring the Taos Pueblo.












Join me on a short pictorial tour.

The tour begins at the St. Jerome Church.

Stained glass window from the
exterior of the church,
no pictures are allowed of the
church's interior.

The original church (built in the 1600s).  All that remains
is the bell tower.  The church now sits in the middle of the
cemetery.

Adobe ovens are still used to bake bread
especially for feasts.

The creek that divides the pueblo into east and west.
The creek is, of course, very important to the pueblo as the source of
life for the people, their crops and livestock.

Gallup II

After breakfast we walked along I-40 Frontage Road window shopping.

We chose a large gallery store to go into...wow...such awesome jewelry, rugs and pottery.  I could have spent my life's savings here.

However being a somewhat frugal woman of Scottish heritage I bought one pot, an etched horse hair pot signed Heather Sam, Navajo.  I picked it for the blue and green colors and the fine etching.

Happy Independence Day 2011

Wild Thing at the City of Ontario
California 4th of July Parade 2011

How are you celebrating our declaration of independence from taxation without representation?

Gallup, New Mexico

Our first stop during the trip was Gallup, New Mexico.  We started with breakfast.  Wild Thing picked a cute straight-out-of-the-1950s diner.  One of our goals for the trip was to eat as much local cuisine as possible.

One might think that mexican food was the same throughout the southwest US but it is not.  California mexican food is very different from that of Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado.

Wild Thing with blue mush

So back to our breakfast.  On the menu was "blue mush".  We questioned the waitress "What is blue mush?".  Turns out it is a hot cereal made of blue corn.  We could not pass up the opportunity to give it a try.

And...after adding lots of sugar...we gave it a thumbs up.

Sterling silver and Kingman
turquoise by Al Lasiloo

During our breakfast we met Zuni carver and jeweler, Al Lasiloo.  Mr. Lasiloo showed us this beautiful sterling silver and turquoise cross which, of course, I had to buy.  Mr. Lasiloo's Zuni fetish carvings can be seen here.  

Back Home

Wild Thing and I pulled into home late last night.  We were definitely ready to be out of the car and sleeping in our own beds.  I found I did not have my settings correct in Blogger so I was not able to post on the go. Over the next week I will share some of our experiences, and show you the art we bought and some of the people we met along the way.

Veteran's Cemetery in Santa Fe, New Mexico