Cowboy Supper and Show

It was time to dress up in our best “western outfit” and go out for dinner. I got to hang out with Bert, a real cowboy.








After a BBQ dinner we had a good old fashioned cowboy show.














A gorgeous sunset ended the evening.

Day 9 Chama

We made it to Chama and got set up in time to take the chairs and wine to the railroad trestle down by the river for a little party time and watching the train coming in to town.







Shelly and Kim are the caravan hosts and have done a superb job of keeping us all busy, having fun, and learning at the same time.





Guess who we ran into at the RV park? Pat and John--so we spent some time with them and later had to play a little “Hand and Foot”! We’ll run into them again in Albequerque.









Dennis and Leta














Here come's the train!



















John, Pat, and us by the river

On the road from Taos to Chama

The landscape changed dramatically in the short distance from Taos to Chama. We went from flat to evergreen forest to the beautiful changing colors of the aspens.










































The coaches stopped at a “large” parking lot, we had lunch, then off to visit Tierra Wools for some great back room tours of the dying, spinning, and weaving of Navajo rugs and tapestries. Cathy (one of the photographers for our caravan web album, http://picasaweb.google.com/landofenchantment0) and Jim bought a beautiful rug.

Day 7--Walking Tour of Taos

We were taken on a walking tour by a local artist/actress who gave us a wonderful history of downtown Taos, from the old buildings now turned into art galleries to stories of Kit Carson, a local historic hero.

Bandelier National Monument

Today we carpooled with Jerry and Marilyn and had a full day. We started by driving about 50 miles to Bandelier National Monument, an Anasazi cliff dwelling ruins.





























Besides the cliff dwellings, there were pueblo style dwellings in the canyon.

























Connie and Joe climbed into a cliff opening.










Inside we also found petroglyphs.
















Are these petroglyphs too?












We ended our morning with a very nice picnic lunch.

Friday and Saturday

Friday was a "free day" so after a very nice breakfast made by the guys, Leta, Marilyn, me, and Connie decided to check out the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. The exhibit was very interesting but we couldn't take any pictures, and since the Visitor Center person had told me that the State Capitol had eight of her painting we decided to go.



















The Capitol building has no dome but the ceiling above the rotunda is beautiful.
















One of the historic buildings near the Plaza has to keep its original look, which means the brick is only painted on the stucco finish.
















ON THE ROAD AGAIN--Saturday morning we lined up and headed for Taos. Along the way the road followed the Rio Grande River.





















In the afternoon we visited the ancient Taos Pueblo--the only difference being the doors put into the sides of the structures and the fact that the Natives have commercialized their homes by turning them into shops. The fresh bread was baking in the horna (outdoor adobe oven).





























This picture goes with the Capitol picture. There were no O'Keeffe pictures at the Capitol, but the hallways became a wonderful art gallery full of wonderful artwork of local artists. This multi-media buffalo was amazing. (Click on the buffalo to see what it's made of!)

Rancho de las Golondrinas

Today we took a short trip into the Santa Fe countryside--low rolling hills covered sparsely with pinon trees and cottonwoods.


The road led to Rancho de las Golondrinas, a hacienda dating to the 1700s viewed today as a living working hacienda. We arrived as the bread was going into an outside oven.



The adobe structures held living quarters, chapels, kitchens, and barns. Everything was grown or made on the early hacienda. The ranch also took some time leaps and we saw what a ranch would have looked like in the 1800s. A very interesting, busy tour!

After a dinner of leftovers that we were all able to share, Shelly shared some information on Navajo rugs and turquoise jewelry. There is shopping to be done!

I wish I had had my camera for the later evening as we "all" did crafts. We gals made a beaded kerchief that will enhance any western outfit, but the guys were busy carving fetish charms out of soapstone. They were supposed to be bears, but the one I saw looked like something else--a snowman maybe, and Mitch went through two or three of the soapstones (he was trying to carve with a butcher knife instead of a file) and I'm not sure if any of them turned out! The guys will finish their project later!

Check out our Caravan blog at www.landofenchantmentii.blogspot.com!