After an easy dinner of leftover quesadillas from the Boot Hill Bar and Saloon, we had rested well and were ready the next morning for our fourth day on the road and what better place to be on Cinco de Mayo than New Mexico! In an unusual break to our routine we spent 30 minutes in Santa Rosa before we hit the road. We wanted to see a bit more of the historical section on the downtown as well as the Blue Hole. The Blue Hole is "a curious round turquoise eye" in the midst of the semi-arid landscape of northeast New Mexico. It is one of several rare sinkholes that formed by water erosion which caused the underlying limestone to dissolve and collapse. The Blue Hole is 80' in diameter at the surface and 130' at the bottom. It is over 80' deep and is a constant 62 degrees in temperature. It is available for scuba diving and even hosts diving classes. So it definitely was worth a little more time in Santa Rosa to see this natural wonder.
We headed west again on I40 toward Albuquerque. Along the way we were enticed to stop at the Flying C Ranch by about a thousand billboards advertising it for miles in advance. The one that struck me the most was the promise of two tons of souvenirs! We were excited as we approached with absolutely no intent to stop but curious just the same. Imagine our disappointment when we saw that the Ranch was merely an extension of a Dairy Queen - which it did in fact have - gleaming white enamelled tile and brick red trim. It definitely did not meet our expectations of what a Ranch in New Mexico should look like!
Fortunately the natural environment was more to our liking. The interstate flowed through high desert country with desert grasses and scrub trees. The sun came at us from the north which seemed weird for this time of year but location is everything. We traveled through the Sandia Mountains and the Cibola National Forest east of Albuquerque and made great progress quickly thanks to the high speed limits. It's interesting, though, to start out the day and feel so ahead of schedule and then to take so long to get anywhere that by noon I begin to feel as though the day is nearly over. Of course when we've been on the road for nearly five hours at that point, it's easy to understand.
Our route took us through some beautiful and colorful country. The white mesa south of San Ysidro reminded us so much of the Badlands in South Dakota. The hills were colored in "stripes" of yellow, rose, white, red, rust, tan, and green. It also is similar to the Painted Desert in Arizona.
Time and traffic due to road construction caught up with us in Albuquerque and we decided not to go to the Petroglyphs National Monument west of the city. We turned north on I25 and then headed northwest on US550 which would be our highway for the rest of the trip to Durango.
We crossed the Continental Divide between Cuba and Nageezi and all the while were fascinated by two types of excavating. Toward the south we found the oil and natural gas mining to be done in what appeared to be environmentally friendly fashion. Even the equipment was colored to match the surroundings! As we traveled further, however, the production and transmission process became more industrial with all the negatives that implies. Even so, the call of the snow-capped mountains in the distance helped us to realize that Colorado was just ahead.
Once again we decided to pass on a previously considered stop at the Chaco Culture National Historical Site - partly because of time but also because the description indicated that our Camry was not really equipped for the roads we would encounter! We went on to Aztec NM for lunch in the side patio of Rubio's Fine Mexican Dining. Indeed the atmosphere, service and weather were fine, but the dining was marginal. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our time on the patio - people watching is such great fun!
Just on the north side of Aztec is the Aztec Ruins National Monument and this time we did stop. What a gorgeous sense of history and of the lives of the people who lived it is available at this site. Not all of the site is open for touring since it is still under excavation, but the area that is available is well worth the visit. This ancestral community was established in the early 1000's and lasted until the late 1200's. It is related to the Chaco community to its south and to the Mesa Verde community to its north. The layout of the community was conceived in its earliest years and honored throughout its history. The stone and brick structures comprise many rooms for specialized functions, several great houses, and several kivas for ceremonial and sacred purposes. At the time of its use, there were roadways and pathways that indicate a well-organized plan for development and operation of the community.
We were able to walk through the ruins on a self-guided tour. Sometimes this is the best way to go because we can stop and look and listen and think about what life might have been like for residents of this pueblo. It is difficult to truly imagine the life, but it is possible to feel the spirit of the place when we stop and listen.
We had the opportunity to meet two artists at the Monument. Navajo Potter Cynthia Yazzie is a prolific artist whose vessels document the stories and art of her father. Fortunately for me, one of those vessels is riding in the car with me back to Ohio. Cynthia's work is very special. Randy Dukpu designs Hopi Katsina dolls, carving them from the sacred cottonwood he finds along the streams of his land. His work is detailed and finely carved and painted. Perhaps another time one of his dolls will find its way to our home.
Aztec NM is just south of the Colorado border, so we quickly found ourselves in Colorado and nearly as quickly into Durango. We found our hotel and unpacked - everything this time since we are staying here for four nights - everything, that is, except the dirty laundry - I know, TMI!
We decided to take a break for cocktails at the hotel and then headed out to explore the Old Town District of Durango. What a fun place! Our hotel is right next to the station for the famous Durango to Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad so we really are where the action is. There are lots of shops and restaurants and galleries and historic buildings to explore. Two of the finest buildings are the two old hotels from 1887 and 1886 (I think). We walked through the lobbies each of which are decorated with period furniture and appointments and include items from the early years of each hotel's operation. We also stopped at a lovely gallery that featured the works of area as well as artists from around the country. The works ranged a from full size black bear bronze sculpture to intricate jewelry of all designs, stones, and media.
We found a superb restaurant called Ken and Sue's for dinner and enjoyed excellent cuisine - seafood - grouper and shrimp - why not?!!!
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