Day 4: Taos
Taos Pueblo
Kit Carson Home & Museum 
Taos Downtown Historic District
Rio Grande Gorge Bridge at Sunset


After a day of driving and spending the night in our private rental, we will embark on our first full day in Taos.  We have planned a number of fun activities and sights to see.  

First before I go any further, I must apologize for an error in Part 10.  I inadvently said that we were going to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument at sunset, confusing it with our Sunset Trip to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. As such, I failed to tell you about Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument which we WILL be visiting on Day 3 of our road trip along the way to Taos from Albuquerque. The Tent Rocks are cone-shaped formations, which are the products of volcanic eruptions that occurred 6 to 7 million years ago which left pumice, ash, and tuff deposits over 1,000 feet thick.  From the pictures, this looks quite amazing and I can't wait to see them in person!
 
Now on to Taos!!!

The kids are so excited that all the cousins will be bunking up together in our rental house, here in Taos!  Tanya and I plan to get the troops up early on our first morning, have a big breakfast and hit the road for an action packed day.

Our first stop will be to the Taos Pueblo.  Taos Pueblo is the only living Native American community designated both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark. It is made up of adobe buildings that are multi-storied and what's so amazing is that the Taos Indians have continuously inhabited them for over 1000 years!  That's way before Columbus discovered America! It is believed that the main part of the present buildings were probably built around 1000 and 1450 A.D.  Today, there are roughly 150 people that live with the Pueblo Full time.  There are other more modern homes outside the old walls, within the land of the Pueblo and in total there are over 1900 Taos Indians that reside on the Taos Pueblo land.

We will continue on to Kit Carson's Home and Museum. So, who is Kit Carson?  He was an American explorer and military leader during the 1800's who has become to some, a folk hero. As a Frontiersman (as well as a trapper, soldier and Indian agent), he is credited with making important contributions to the expansion of the United States westward.  

The Kit Carson Home, is now a famous tourist attraction. Built in 1825, Kit Carson purchased it in 1843 as a wedding gift for his bride, Josefa Jaramillo.  They would live there for 25 years and raise their children. Today it is a museum filled with artifacts and exhibits commemorating Carson's life and contributions to the westward expansion of America.

We are definitely going to be quite hungry by the time we get to the Taos Historic district, where we will most likely grab a bit to eat.  The history of Taos dates back to its establishment between 1780 and 1800 and is one of the oldest European settlements in the Taos valley.  It was originally built as a Spanish fortified plaza encircled with low adobe buildings.  It soon grew beyond the walls and turned into an important center for trade along the Santa Fe Trail. 

Throughout the 19th Century, it became a center for many artists who made their homes in and around the plaza. Much of the history of Taos and the various historic periods of it can be seen through the various styles of architecture of its buildings.

The rest of the afternoon we will spend leisurely walking around the town, picture taking and shopping (which I know Tanya and I are looking forward to doing!).  

Finally, as I incorrectly stated in Part 9, here in Taos is where we will be enjoying a lovely sunset viewing the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, locally known as the "Gorge Bridge" and the "high Bridge" is a steel deck arch bridge across the Rio Grande Gorge, 10 miles northwest of Taos.  

Our plan is to head over there after spending a nice day in the the Historic Town.  We want to get there in time to view the sunset and get some great photos.  The kids will more than likely be pretty tired by this point, so our plan is to get them ice cream or another sweet treat.  If it's a little chilly, we'll get some hot cocoas to keep them happy while Tanya and I capture some great shots of the sunset. 

And that will end our full day in Taos with six travelin' cousins!! Tune in next Tuesday for Part 12!

-Elisa & Tanya
 

Please catch up on our previous New Mexico Road Trip Blogs:

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8 
Part 9
Part 10

Many apologies for skipping a week between Part 9 and today's Part 10.  Both Tanya and I were a little overwhelmed with travel and personal to do lists.  But, here we are - back in the saddle to talk all about our drive from Albuquerque to Taos on Day 3 of our trip. 

With a number of sites and events behind us from our visit to Albuquerque, we will head off on the big road towards Taos. Most of the way, we will be traveling along I-84, but what's going to make this day chock full of fun is that we have a number of stops we will be making along the way.  This should also ensure that the kids don't go too batty cooped up in the car. 

Our first stop will be the Giant Red Arrow, which is conveniently located next to a Whole Foods.  For Vegans (and vegetarians) on the road, that is just what the doctor ordered!!  We will be taking lots of pictures in front of this crazy attraction, after loading up on some road food.  There really is no historic significance to this offbeat site, located at the intersection of School House Road and Carlisle from my research, but it was constructed to look as though its head became lodged in a stone-and-cement stand. It has now become an iconic site here in Albuquerque.

Check out this great site from Roadside America about other offbeat photo-op sites.  

As we continue easing' on down the road, we will come upon the Petroglyph National Monument, which is still within Albuquerque.  The monument is located within the park where visitors are allowed to hike the Volcanoes as well as the Piedras Marcadas Canyons from sunrise to sunset. Tanya and I haven't discussed yet how extensive our visit will be a this site, so we will leave a little bit up to being spontaneous! 

Back in the car and on the road, we will continue Northeast, most likely by way of I-25 towards Taos, our second city destination on our New Mexico road trip.  About an hour and 55 minutes drive, we should arrive at Bandelier Monument. This national park closes at 4:30pm, so we will have to be sure we get there by mid-afternoon, if we are going to enjoy walking around a bit. 

Within Bandelier's 33,000 acres there are over 70 miles of trail. Some trails are short easy loops while others can encompass many miles and steep rocky switchbacks. If we have the time, I know Tanya would agree, that we would like to do a short trail with the kids (weather permitting, and the 1.2 mile Main Loop trail is recommended as the best one for families. 

We will hit our last and final site for the day - Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument.  This is where Tanya and I have a special treat planned for the kids.  We are going to load up on some snacks - hopefully ice cream or another sweet treat.  If it's a little chilly, we'll get some hot cocoas and head to Kasha-Katuwe to view the sunset.  Hoping to capture some gorgeous photos!

We will head off to our first private rental in Taos, but not before picking up some take out food for dinner for our whole gang. Lord knows, we will need some nourishment and a good night's sleep from our busy day!

So, that's our day of driving!! Can't wait!!!
-Elisa

Please catch up on our previous New Mexico Road Trip Blogs:

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8 
Part 9

We hope you have been enjoying our blog about our New Mexico Road Trip.  Welcome to Part 9!  Starting with Part 8, we began to share with you, in-depth information about the sites and attractions we will be visiting during our 8-day trip throughout New Mexico together. Since our first day in Albuquerque will be spend attending Balloon Fiesta - with a crack of dawn start, I might add - we decided to mix things up a bit by paying a visit to the Sandia Peak on Day 2, first thing in the morning.  The big attraction here is Sandia Peak and the Sandia Peak Tramway, which stretches from the northeast edge of Albuquerque to the crestline of the Sandia Mountains.  The Tramway has the world's third longest single span at 2.7 miles and it is the longest aerial tram in North America.

The Sandia Mountains are located east of Albuquerque and largely within the Cibola National Forest.  Just a bit of fun trivial for you - the word Sandia means watermelon in Spanish. Many believe that this name was given because of the reddish color of the mountains at sunset. However, the name might have also been derived from the way the mounts look from the west, with the profile of the mountains possessing a ridge with a thin zone of green conifers near the top, resembling the "rind" of the watermelon. Of course, there can be a third explanation to the name which might be the result of the Spaniards thinking the squash growing at the base of the mountains were watermelon. Whatever the reason for its name, this beautiful mountain range is one of the top spots in Albuquerque and one that we plan to visit during our road trip in October.  

I'm going to be blunt here - I am not sure I will be up to the challenge of actually riding this tramway.  Tanya asked me if I was afraid of heights, and I told her "No, I'm afraid of falling." lol  My "baby" cousin has moved beyond her older cousin in her fearlessness.  I will keep an open mind, however, and play it by ear when we get to the mountain. 

So here are some of facts about the Tramway:
* A trip up the mountain takes fifteen minutes to ascend 3,819 ft  
* The normal operating speed of the tram is 12 miles per hour 
* Approximately four "flights" leave every hour from the base and top departure stations. 
* The view from the tram includes all of Albuquerque and roughly 11,000 square miles of the New Mexico countryside.

Sounds like a wonderful way to "see" New Mexico!  There are a number of activities to partake in once you reach the top. These include a number of trails for riding and backpacking and nature hiking. In the summer, 26 biking trails are available and in wintertime, skiing is possible. I'm not sure if we will be engaging in any of these, traveling with all the kids, but it's good information for future reference. 

Join us for Part 10 next Travelin' Tuesday!!
- Elisa

For Your Reference

Sandia Peak Tramway