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    • TravelerThe Great Divide
      Day 44

      Day 43-45 Indianna pass to Ojo

      August 23, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

      Crossing the New Mexico boarder and I am into my 7th and final state of the trip. The end is in sight. I have never been one to follow the flock, or the path that society dictates is “correct”. Sat at a little town called Platoro I realised I have done this route my way from the start. I have laughed, sobbed, found alternatives when our group was in a pickle, survived solo, struggled up passes and actually managed not to come off the bike once, which anyone who has cycled with me on a mtb knows this in itself is an achievement. Hurricane Hillary is currently sweeping across the west coast, causing severe rain on the south of the route and potentially could make the New Mexico dessert impassable by bike. Sat on a veranda with a cold beer given to me by the owner Nick and chatting to a fellow hippy rider “or die” I started to realise what I was about to accomplish. I was being called “Bad Ass” it made me a little embarrassed as I just see myself as a regular mum of two, getting up each day for a bike ride. My daughter had planned to be in US at the end of the month and one thing this trip has taught me is people, family and those closest to you are all that really matter in life. Time spent with them. So I decided once I cross the New Mexico boarder I would head to Santa Fe and that would be the end of my biking journey. Meeting my daughter is too important to miss. I will have achieved what I set out to do and cycled across America. Overcome mental and physical challenges everyday, and decided I will write that book!Read more

    • TravelerFall 2022
      Day 5

      A girl named Sue

      October 16, 2022 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 4 °C

      Great day! It started with a 1.5hr hike in the rain, with the dogs, in Carson National forest. It was only intended to be 45min, but I got lost (and had forgotten cell phone back at the house). Slight panic but it all worked out! I made a delicious breakfast on my return!
      Off to Santa Fe at noon to pick up Sue, who was taking the rail runner from Albuquerque. Arrived just as she was getting off at 2:30pm. We decided to take the road back to Toas that crosses the Rio Grande, but took a detour first to hike in Bandelier National Monument. Beautiful views and interesting history!
      Quick stop to see the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, and then tried to make it back to Turly Mills before dark as it is a 4mile climb up a mountain on dirt roads.
      The dogs greeted Sue and I with joy! Made a quick super, and Sue provided the wine. A nice soak in the hot tub (with a surprise visit from Bella, who can open doors and found her way out to us.... and a terrify scream from Sue 😆), to end our evening.      Read more

    • TravelerLower 48
      1
      Day 21

      Easy Rider

      October 28, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C

      In 1969 the cult film and iconic road movie Easy Rider was released staring, producing and probably financed by Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper.
      Jack Nicholson had a start to his career with this movie as did Dennis Hopper because previously I think the only thing he had was a small role in Giant with James Dean.

      Wikipedia would probably go me over the accuracy of this but it’s the best I can do now off the top of my head as we have no internet connection here at a Arizona truck stop on Intestate 40 (part of old Route 66), probably one of the busiest highways in the country.
      It was either stay here or in a Casino or Walmart car park but we were being pushed along the highway at over 80 miles per hour, it was either do that speed or get run into, as we saw earlier had happened so by the time we spotted Walmarts or the Casinos they were just a blur as we sped by.

      Anyway back to Easy Rider.
      Peter had the looks plus his old man Henry and sister Jane’s famous name so he was a natural to play the character Captain America.
      Dennis was far less known and without the college football looks but I reckon far more interesting and a much better actor as well. He went on to play roles in movies like Blue Velvet and Apocalypse Now, what Peter went on to do, I don’t know.

      Dennis was, after being a drunk and drug addict, a very good artist and art collector too and had a love of native culture and their spiritual beliefs so moved to Taos in New Mexico.
      He died in 2010 and requested a native burial in Taos.
      It just so happens that the graveyard was about a kilometre from where we were staying.

      The movie Easy Rider had a huge lifestyle influence because of a love of bikes, especially choppers and road trips since I was old enough to hold out my thumb.
      At the moment where we are staying it could be said that it was a bad influence but the whine of truck tyres and engines screaming down the highway makes you a little itchy to get out there again and be pushed down that road... as one of the songs from the brilliant movie soundtrack goes... “to some other town”.

      So though we aren’t celebrity sluts and we were so close to Dennis Hopper’s grave we had to see after his brilliant career just where he lay.
      It was surprising, no Marilyn Munro splendour or Jim Morrison’s Paris grave. It’s in amongst old houses, crappy fences and someone living in a derelict caravan with rubbish blowing around.
      There are no signs to the cemetery and the whole place is pretty run down.
      Seeing the film that launched his career is about searching for the real America it seems like the perfect setting for him to be buried in.      Read more

    • TravelerLower 48
      2
      1111
      Day 20

      Taos Pueblo

      October 27, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

      Through the back blocks of South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado and New Mexico the majority of the houses we saw are built from pine and chipboard with a tar paper roof and none of them seem like they have anymore than a few years left in them.
      Whenever you see footage of a tornado going through the United States showing toothpick splinters that were once houses flying through the air it appears that, that tornado is one powerful sucker. Maybe so but it’s more likely the houses had the same structural integrity as the cardboard box your white goods came in.

      The opposite of these buildings is the Taos Pueblos. This place of mud brick structures has been standing for over a thousand years.
      It’s built in a beautiful setting and a river runs through the settlement providing their water.
      This river starts as a spring up in the mountains that fills a lake, that overflows and that is where their river comes from.
      The descendants of the original people still live there, this is not a theme park.
      Their mountains are logged and they were forbidden to visit their spring and lake for about 65 years.
      Visiting these places was very important to them, it was the basis of their spiritual beliefs which is the basis for their lives. After being done over since European settlement they have since regained a lot of what they originally owned.

      What the anglos did though was nothing compared to what the Spaniards did before them, their treatment of these people was horrendous. It has been one long history of hideous abuse so to meet these friendly welcoming people was a surprise because if I was in their shoes I’de be throwing rocks and hurling abuse at anyone who came near the place.      Read more

    • TravelerLower 48
      1
      Day 21

      More Adobes

      October 28, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C

      If you can create a silk purse out of a pig’s ear then churches out of mud are the architectural equivalent.
      Long before any Nimbin hippie had a crack at an adobe abode ancient people were slapping this stuff around to create their own little mud cottage with a picket fence.

      Imagine Bunnings a few thousand years ago, you’d walk in and say “excuse me, can you help me, what isle is the mud in?”...” oh, that will be isles one to twenty six sir”.
      And you wouldn’t be walking around going tut tut... I remember when we manufactured all our own mud now we have all these cheap imports from China.

      Cheap imports never last and this church proves it. It was built using local people with local materials a few years before Captain Cook got a farewell from some other locals at Botany Bay, thinking that is probably the last we’ll see of them.

      There is a small graveyard enclosed in the church grounds and the dates on some of these headstones go way back to its earliest times. The descendants of the original builders still maintain the building and graveyard and like the crudeness of the materials used their epitaphs are not all that refined.
      My favourite reads...IN MEMORIA DE AGAPITA LOPEZ DEAD MARCH 5 1935

      There are a few possibilities with this headstone. One is they were dearly loved but this was erected by an unschooled person. Or two, someone needed an accurate marker to piss on.      Read more

    • Traveler2021 Summer Adventures
      Day 92

      Taos, NM & the Last Kiss?

      September 4, 2021 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 64 °F

      Guess it is time to head back to Tx. But I am not in a big rush to get there. I'd like to stay away from the heat for a bit longer. So I decided to go through New Mexico. Made it almost to Taos but needed a pit stop and there were no gas stations around. So I stopped at the Millicent Rogers Museum to use the restroom and decided to pay the $5 entrance fee. It was actually pretty interesting. I had no idea who she was but soon learned that she was "A philanthropist and collector of arts & antiques". The museum is full of Southwest art and was well worth a visit. I do get tired of reading stuff in museums and know I will forget names, dates & details but I absorb what I can.

      Spent the night at a rest stop near a bridge over the Rio Grand. There were vendors there tat set up everyday selling their various hand made goods. Some very unique items. Since I have no room for 'stuff I didn't purchase anything.

      Jay & I took a walk along the canyon and in the morning over the bridge. The name 'Last Kiss` is written on the bridge and it does seem like it might be a sad omen.      Read more

    • TravelerWings & Shakes
      Day 75

      Day 75 - Wetworld

      November 21, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ❄️ 2 °C

      Today was the wettest day of the trip so far. Luckily, our main plan for today involved driving, the destination being Taos.

      There is an impressive Native American Pueblo that we hoped to see whilst using the town as a stop of point on the way to Durango. However, the light rain for most of the drive turned into a heavy pouring as soon as we arrived at Taos. We thought we'd hanker down in the hotel room for a couple of hours and wait and see if the rain would stop. In the meantime we caught up with the HBO series Westworld and saw episode eight. Although not our first choice for entertainment today, it is a fantastic series and is building up nicely.

      With all hope of doing anything outdoors dashed, we went to the nearest restaurant for dinner. The Burger Stand was opposite and we made a quick dash for it. A Chilli Cheese Burger for Alice and a Catfish Po'boy for me with plenty of Cajun Fries. We were soon feeling much better. Back at the motel we continued to watch TV and later in the evening we peeked a look out the window and the rain had turned to snow. Enough was falling to settle on the cars but the ample rain earlier ensured it melted on most of the ground. There was only one thing for it. We popped over to the reception, collected mugs of hot chocolate and cookies, made our way back to our room, and continued to watch yet more TV.

      Song of the Day:
      Wet Wet Wet - Sweet Little Mystery      Read more

    • TravelerWings & Shakes
      Day 76

      Day 76 - Let it Snow

      November 22, 2016 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 3 °C

      There were remnants of snow on tops of cars and shaded areas as we awoke to a cold but not freezing morning. It wasn't raining and so we decided on visiting the Taos Pueblos. The Pueblos are considered to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the United States. We paid to enter the site and it was fascinating to walk around and explore. However it felt odd to be wandering around an area where people live whilst looking at their houses and taking photos as though in a fishbowl. It was a worthwhile visit although brief as we had to hit the road again.

      We were driving to Durango in Colorado and it was a four hour drive away. After an hour nothing remarkable occurred and then we had to cross the San Juan National Forest which involved a number of mountains. As we climbed the mountains and got higher and higher the snow on the ground became thicker and thicker. Before we knew it we were driving through pelting snow. It was like we had entered a mini winter wonderland at the mountain top as we drove up and down and round and round. There were hardly any cars around adding to the sense of isolation and it felt like we were on the dark side of the mountain, hiding from the rising sun. It required quite a lot of concentration to navigate the roads but whenever possible the snowy scenery had to be glanced at and admired. The car even warned us that the outside temperature was minus two. Ever since we've driven the car, all the messages appear in French with no apparent way to change the language and so Alice quickly translated the message with her phone and we were relived it wasn't alerting us to an emergency. As we descended, the snow stopped falling and the surrounding snow thinned out. It was a relief to not have to drive through those conditions for much longer, although the scenery was fantastic.

      The rest of the journey was fine and we reached our motel before the early evening. We went for an easy option for dinner, a pizza restaurant five minutes away. Apart from the long wait for the food (we were hungry and so time seemed to stop) we were very pleased with our huge and heavily topped meal. We finished our beers and made our way back to the motel.

      Song of the Day:
      Madonna - Frozen      Read more

    • TravelerNorth America Motorbike Trip
      Day 24

      Taos Publeo, New Mexico

      May 5, 2018 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C

      This morning we went to the Nuclear Museum in Los Alamos. We were there just over an hour. After we rode to Taos. A beautiful warm sunny day. The route to the gorge took us along a section of gravel road up hill. We stopped at a bridge over the Rio Grande River and looked down the gorge. We then headed to the ancient settlement of Taos Publeo. We walked around the old buildings which is part of UNESCO World Heritage. We went into a couple of buildings where we met the locals and bought some produce. Then we headed on to Eagles Nest where we had booked a room. Unfortunately the neighbours were very noisy.Read more

    • TravelerColorado New Mexico
      Day 18

      The Chain

      August 9, 2017 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

      Eerst een rondje hardlopen door het dorp vol Earthships. Taos ligt op ongeveer 2000 meter hoogte en dat merk ik gelijk aan mijn adem als ik berg op moet rennen. Maar het uitzicht over de Mesa van Taos met de tientalen fantasierijke Earthships maakt veel goed. De plaatselijke zeepmaker vertelt ons dat in de jaren zeventig de bedenker van de Earthships toevallig in Taos woonde (men zegt op vlucht voor de overheid woonde hij in de woenstijn en leefde van gevangen slangen en hazen). Hij vroeg zich af of er met afval van mensen niet een huis te bouwen is dat helemaal zelfvoorzienend kan zijn. Hij is begonnen te bouwen met 1 huis in Taos en dat werd uiteindelijk deze verzameling woningen. Inmiddels heeft hij over de hele wereld aanhangers en worden (ook in Nederland) Earthships gebouwd. Helmaal zonder gas, bezine of andere hulpbronnen. En dat allemaal in het land van Trump. T’is maar goed dat hij niet weet hoe Huge, very Huge, very very Huge dit kan gaan worden.

      Na een douche en een lekker “Frenche Boule” van de plaatselijke bakker rijden we naar Orilla Verde, een natuurpark aan de Rio Grande. Het laatste deel van de weg gaat stevig bergop. De regen van afgelopen dagen heeft diepe sporen nagelaten, dus het is goed zoeken waar ik met onze Corolla kan rijden zonder de bodem te raken.

      Langs de Rio Grande lopen we in de bloedhitte een mooie trail om uiteindelijk een uitzicht te krijgen over die machtige Rio Grande. Het is een soort Grand Cayon in het klein. 240 meters diep uitgesleten slingert de Rio door het landschap van Colorado naar de grens met Mexico (met de Big, Big very Big Wall). Wij dalen af tot halverwege dipete van de gorge. We zijn (bijna) alleen en het uitzicht is prachtig. De rivier loopt vanaf hier helemaal door tot Texas en Mexico. Tenminste, dat deed ‘ie. Er wordt nu zoveel water aan de Rio onttrokken voor landbouw, dat enkele honderden kilometers verderop de rivier soms helemaal droog ligt.

      Dan rijden we terug naar Taos voor onze lunch bij Farmhouse Cafe and Bakery. Maar vlak voor Taos valt ons oog op een industrieterrein waar een groot grauw pand staat met een logo van “Taos Drums”. Daaronder staat “factory outlet”. We geven een ruk aan het stuur naar links en hobbelen met veel stof achter ons aan het zandpad op wat leidt naar het fabriekspand. We lopen langs een aantal Tipis en zien beneden aan de weg mannen druk zagen (en uithollen) van boomstammen. Eenmaal binnen zien we een ruimte vol trommels en andere Indianen-snuisterijen.

      We lopen wat rond en verwonderen ons over de drums, soms zo groot als een tractorwiel.

      Een oud vrouwtje van ongeveer 1 meter 35 treedt ons tegemoet en vraagt netjes of we alles kunnen vinden, of we wat zoeken, etc. We vertellen dat we uit Nederland komen (“oh nice”), dat we een beetje rommelen in de muziek en nog wat aanverwante wetenswaardigheden.

      Even laten zie ik door een deuropening de fabriek en kijk naar binnen. Er is maar 1 man aan het werk, aan zijn uiterlijk te zien een Indiaan/Native Amerikaan (je herkent ze gelijk aan hun ontblote roodbruime bovenlijf, verentooi, suede paardrijbroek, zwarte vlechten, pijl en boog, gekleurde strepen op de wang......neee, niet echt). Hij is bezig natte vellen over trommels aan het spannen. Hij groet mij vriendelijk (“Ugh”....neee niet echt).

      Ik roep Robbie om haar de inkijk in de fabriek te laten zien. Dan komt de vriendelijke oude dame van 1,35 meter aangelopen. Ze lacht minzaam, ze is wat van plan. “Ik zal jullie iets bijzonders laten zien” en ze loopt met ons de grote fabriekshal in. Ineens staan we naast een trommel van zeker 2, 5 meter breed en 2 meter hoog. Helemaal gemaakt uit 1 uitgeholde boomstam en bespannen met vellen van 2 complete herten. “Deze trommel is eigendom van Mick Fleetwood van Fleetwood Mac” zegt ze. “Mick bestelde al zijn Indian Drums bij ons. 20 jaar geleleden kwam hij binnen met het verzoek om de grootst mogelijk trommel te maken. Zo gezegd, zo gedaan”. Mick heeft de trommel netjes betaald en hij staat nog steeds in de fabriek. De reden? Mick woont op Hawaii en het klimaat daar is allesbehalve geschikt voor dit soort trommels. Robbie krijgt een slagstok in de hand en mag een paar flinke klappen op de trommel geven. Een prachtig diep geluid vult de ruimte. Met het verhaal in je achterhoofd denk je toch dat je Mick er een beetje in hoort.

      Dan krijgen we uitleg over de trommels, de fabriek en de vellen door de mini-host en de vellenspanner.  Sommige van de drums van het bedrijf wegen honderden kilo’s en kosten duizenden dollars. Veel van de grote trommels worden gebruikt als koffietafels.

      "Een trommel is een trommel is een trommel - het is bedoeld om gebruikt te worden, het is niet alleen een item dat op de muur of de vloer moet worden bekeken." Zegt de mini-host. “We hopen dan altijd dat de kopers kleinkinderen op bezoek krijgen, die een stok pakken en beginnen de slaan op de koffietafel”, ze lacht ondeugend als ze het zegt.

      De vriendelijke vellenspanner vertelt dat hij de huiden wast, ze spant op gevoel en dan de huiden te drogen en krimpen legt. Hij maakt er per jaar 20.000 en er is er niet 1 die hetzelfde klinkt. Er werken ongeveer 40 man in de fabriek. Alle “niet-Natives” werken op kantoor, verkoop en boekhouding. Voor het spannen van de vellen worden alleen Native-Amerikanen ingehuurd, omdat zij als enige aan een vel kunnen voelen hoe hij gespannen moet worden zodat deze een mooie klank oplevert.

      Dan worden we nog meegenomen naar het magazijn om de honderden trommels in de opslag te bewonderen. “De helft maken we in opdracht, de andere helft komt in het magazijn en gaat door naar gerenomeerde muziekzaken over de hele wereld.” We nemen vriendelijk afscheid van onze mini-host. Weer wat wijzer lopen we de fabriek uit, waar mannen nog steeds enorme boomstammen staan uit te boren.

      Door naar Farmhouse Cafe en Bakery in Taos. Op een idyllisch veldje vol bloemen, kunst, vijvertjes en windvanen ligt de boerderij annex cafe. Een alternatief tentje, met verdomd lekker eten (barleysoup met paddestoelen).

      We brengen nog een bezoekje aan de plaatselijk telecasterbouwer (is helaas gesloten) en de zeepmakerij (die weer eigendom is van 1 van de bewoners die ons wegwijs maakte de eerste dag en bij ons in de “straat” woont in ook een zelfgebouwde Earthship) en kijken vanaf de brug nog een keer de 240 meter gevaarlijke diepte in van de Rio Grande. Wel fijn dat naast het uitkijkpunt op de brug een praatpaal staat, waar je een knopje kan indrukken waarmee je nog iemand aan de lijn krijgt alvorens je besluit van de brug af te springen. Ja aan alles is gedacht.....Robbie vindt het maar vreemd dat je eerst nog zo iemand gaat bellen als je van de brug af wilt duiken.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6P2_i0Y6ms      Read more

      See translation

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Taos County, مقاطعة تاوس, Таос, তাউস কাউন্টি, Comtat de Taos, Condado de Taos, Taos konderria, شهرستان تائوس، نیومکزیکو, Comté de Taos, Taos, okrug, Taos megye, Թաոս շրջան, Contea di Taos, タオス郡, Taos Kūn, Hrabstwo Taos, ٹاؤس کاؤنٹی, Comitatul Taos, Округ Таос, ٹاوس کاؤنٹی، نیو میکسیکو, Quận Taos, Condado han Taos, 陶斯縣

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