Taos Pueblo, New Mexico

The Pueblo peoples have lived in this area of New Mexico for over 1,000 years.  This complex is another UNESCO World Heritage site and also a National Historic Landmark.  Enjoy the pictures.

 South House, Hlaukkwima, apartment like homes owned by a family and passed down through the generations.

San Geronimo Catholic Church, 1850.  Yes, the Spaniards converted the Pueblos and most of the residents are Catholic.

Occupied residences.  Originally entered from the roof, they now have doors.

An outdoor oven for baking bread.  Blue doors welcome in the good spirits.

A kiva, center, in the restricted area.

North House, Hlaauma, sits opposite the Red Willow Creek from the area seen in the first photo.

 These men are repairing the adobe walls.

Thanks for visiting with me.  More information can be found at taospueblo.com.

P.S.  As today is election day in the United States, I believe that some of our residents need to be reminded that this land of New Mexico was once a Spanish colony and then controlled by the Mexicans as their territory from 1824 to 1848.  And of course, a war changed that. 

Mesa Verde Spruce Tree House

Here are just two of several dioramas that were constructed by Civilian Conservation Corps workers in the 1930's.

Mesa Verde - Part II

The alcove on the left is Oak Tree house

Further along the cliff face is Cliff Palace

This Land was Their Land - Mesa Verde

Mesa Verde has long been on my bucket list.  I marvel at the structures when I see photos.  Having watched several videos of the area, I finally got to see it for myself.

The ancestral Pueblo people settled here around 550 A.D.  Yes, long before Europeans came and took the land away.  As a matter of fact, the Pueblo people left the dwellings in the late 1200's.  The cliff dwellings were discovered in the 1800's and have been extensively excavated and studied.  But since the Pueblo people had no written language, there is much that remains unknown.  Our guide told us that he had Pueblo blood on his mother's side of the family.  He was very informative.  Here are some of my photos.

A second-generation pit house.

A third evolution of a large pit house.  Pit houses were entered through the roof.  They were in use from 550 to 750 A. D.

The structure had eight kivas and at least 60 rooms.  It was reached by ropes and ladders up the cliff face.  Below is a view of the cliff face showing the placement of the dwelling.

As I am struggling with some meds to treat a sinus infection, I will save my other pics for another day and call it a night.

Riding the Durango & Silverton Narrow-Gauge Railway

I got an email from AARP yesterday with a list of twelve breathtaking train rides.  This ride was one of them.  And it certainly is breathtaking.  Here is what AARP says:

Originally built to haul gold and silver ore down from mines in the San Juan Mountains, this historic 45-mile-long railroad has been in continuous operation since 1882. Coal-fired steam locomotives pull passenger carriages on sinuous excursions through remote canyons, completing the 3,000-foot climb from Durango to Silverton (elevation 9,305 feet) in under four hours. At the train’s top speed of 18 miles per hour, riders have plenty of time to marvel at the grandeur of mountain landscapes unreachable by car.

We actually rode the train from Silverton down to Durango.  And it took longer than four hours.  Some of the track had been replaced during the prior week and the train had to move extra-slow over the new track to tamp it down.  What a ride.  The views were incredible and sometimes pretty scary.  While there are lots of rocks visible in the Animas River, I was told that in spring the river provides quite the white-water rafting adventure.  I love rafting, but doubt I will do anymore at this point in time.  Enjoy the photos.

 Blowing-down steam as we cross the High Bridge over the Animas River

 400 feet above the river on a horseshoe curve.   We are in the San Juan National Forest

Privately-owned Shalona Lake.  We could not see any large home, just a few smaller structures.

Here are some short videos.  I apologize for the blurs on the second video.

Leaving the station

High above the river.  I was leaning out of the window taking the video.  If you just sat in your seat it would appear that you were hanging off the edge of the mountain.  Well, we were kinda, lol.  Lots of nervous Nellies on board.

Unfortunately, I was too tired when we finally reached Durango and did not go back into town to visit the Railway Museum.  And the next day I ate something which did not agree with me, so missed another opportunity.  Such is life.  Tomorrow we visit a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Getting to the Rails

It is over 200 miles from Moab, Utah to Silverton, Colorado.  Our route took us through Grand Junction, Colorado and Ouray and included a ride on the Million Dollar Highway.  My pictures of the drive are sparse and pretty unspectacular.

 Ouray.  Folks call it 'Little Switzerland'

On the Highway.  I was on the wrong side of the coach for the spectacular 'drop-off the mountain' pictures.  Lots of yellow aspen color made me appreciate Michigan's patchwork quilts of yellow, gold, orange and red.

Our end destination is Silverton, Colorado and a ride on the narrow-gauge Durango & Silverton train.  We will ride the train to Durango and the coach will meet us there.  Here is Silverton and the train.

More of Arches National Park

Okay.  One scene is just more beautiful than the next.  When I went to Europe for ten weeks I came back and had 410 slides.  On this trip of one week duration I had over 500 digital photos.  Here are just a few more of one fantastic park.

We were told not to worry about the dark clouds as they were what is called 'virga', rain that evaporates before it hits the ground.  Right.  Tell that to all of us that got drenched!  When I  mentioned to a woman working in a store in Moab about the rain (who happened to be a former resident of Royal Oak, MI and whose son lives here in West Bloomfield, go figure), she said 'what rain'?

Here are two panorama videos.

And here is a shot taken in Moab along the Colorado River.

One more day in Utah and then we are off to Colorado.