New Mexico is calling

Our Go West post-fam tour ended on tuesday afternoon and after four days with the group we were on our own now. Though... it wasn’t really our day: When we arrived at Durango Airport to pick up our rental car, Alamo only gave us two options: a mini-van (7 seater) or a midsize SUV (originally booked) with a broken windshield. Opted for the minivan, a Chrysler Town & Country, brandnew, all automatic and huge (more than enough space for our growing luggage). Have had jeeps, sportscars, SUVs, but never a bus – next time I want to drive either a pick-up or an 20-wheeler!

Since gas is currently rather inexpensive in the USA (all politics!) - a gallon (3,8 l) goes for only a little over $ 2 compared to over $ 4 last fall – and since we knew that we didn't need to drive in crowded, narrow cities, all was fine; just had to get used to the dimensions. Then, Peter broke his bifocal glasses unloading the bus and we had to get super-glue to fix it but before we took off on our own towards New Mexico on wednesday morning.

First stop on our way out of Durango was Ignacio, where we had arranged a tour at the Southern Ute Cultural Center. First we met with Jeff, our contact, who we had met on the train, in the modern casino hotel and had a brief tour there before we headed on to the adjacent museum where a highly intelligent young graduate of Native American Studies gave us a fabulous tour in this instructive museum. A must-see in Southern Colorado, for its architecture and for its collection!


From Pagosa Springs we took Hwy. 84 into New Mexico. Suddenly, landscape and atmosphere changed, which is hard to describe: it became more „mexican“, different architecture, sparsely populated and somehow poorer on first view. Also, landscape changed: red mesas mixed into the view of snow-covered Rocky Mountains. First break in New Mexico was Chama, where we wanted to see the railroad station and the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. Like the Durango Silverton line (see blog before) it was part of the former Denver & Rio Grande Railroad.


Next stop: Abiquiu, where we stopped briefly at Georgia O’Keeffe’s house and the Ghost Ranch (unfortunately haven’t made arrangements before, and, in winter there are no regular tours). On to Santa Fe we passed a couple of not so well-known pueblos before we arrived to Old Town Santa Fe, with 230 mi (370 km) driven this day. We checked into our pre-arranged „Inn on Alameda“ at about 4:30 pm – a beautiful adobe-style hotel complex were we got a large, very tastefully furnished 2-room-suite with fireplace and patio. First thing, we enjoyed the „wine & cheese reception“ in the hotel (complimentary as well as parking, WiFi, shuttle service into town and a full breakfast!).

At 8 pm we had dinner reservations at „Cowgirl BBQ“, where a Nashville band played and we enjoyed BBQ beef brisket and Green Chili Burger. Rustic, down-to-earth atmosphere and prices and excellent food as well as beers from New Mexico. Haven't expected such a warm welcome to Santa Fe, a place where we've been about 20 years ago for the last time.