Travelog of the Mundane: Day Twenty-Seven, Seven Seventeen PM

Taos Pueblo. UN Heritage Site # 492 of 851.

IF THIS IS Tuesday, it must be Antonito. Or Alamosa. Or possibly Pagosa Springs, but I do know where we started: Taos.

Sun halos behind the spires. San Francisco de Asis Church, Taos.

After sleeping in past the complimentary breakfast at the Sagebrush Inn (see day Twenty Six's post), John and I set out to find breakfast. Well, breakfast with a detour. I had seen a familiar face from the highway; the face of an Ansel Adams photo. It started off as a quick stop but soon expanded into a mini photo session of the building. Finally we packed it in and went to eat.

Ansel Adams had it easier. Although this angle is more like Paul Strand's photo.

After briefly considering a Lotaburger breakfast, we ended up at a local Mexican breakfast joint that was excellent. Finishing up, we looked at the map and decided to head north to the Taos Pueblo.

John, burrito, Nikon manual.

Taos Pueblo was beautiful, but more interesting was the fact that the Indians (Native Americans?) have figured out they've been giving away their distinctive image for free for far too long. Not only was it $10 to enter the Pueblo, but it was $5 to shoot photos. We paid disgruntledly, but soon had no regrets as John and I merrily snapped our way through the whole place.

Taos Pueblo Door Study.

Finally we tired and headed northwest towards the underling drive of this trip: trains. We headed out west crossing over the Rio Grande on a high bridge. A bridge that shook like a bastard for every truck that passed, a fact we found out while standing in the middle of the center over a 400 foot drop. We retreated back to the car where I contemplated trading our rental for this tight van (down by the river).

P-p-p-pimpin' Van. Tight.

We caught up to the ghosts of the Chili Line, the Denver and Rio Grande Western's line to Santa Fe. It's long gone (torn up post WWII) but some things remain rotting in the New Mexican sun. And something a bit more alive: the Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad.

Even the ties remain... Sixty-Seven years after the last train ran.

Driving in from the high desert- which was neither sunny nor warm this day (downright cold even) -we came to the 3 foot rails of the C&TSRR in Antonito. With nothing running, we snapped pics and ran. The wind is cold in Antonito...

Fires not yet lit, C&TSRR 488 patiently waits the start of the season.

Oil tank cars: the blood that kept the Cumbres line alive long past it's time.

We finished our circular route to Pagosa Springs by going north to Alamosa (the McDonalds cheeseburger has nothing on a Lotaburger) then west, then south through Wolf Creek Pass to Pagosa.

Not a lota burger.

We fished about for a hotel, and lucked out with another cabin with a fireplace. Two for two. Dinner was uneventful (and bad, my meal at least) so we returned to our cozy cabin and crashed out... Tomorrow would be a big day: More trains and back to Albuquerque to pick up Scott.