We have left the big cities behind, and are headed up Spanish Fork Canyon....next stop will be the old mining and railroad town of Price, Utah.
The Bookcliff Mountains surround the tiny town of Green River, Utah....Green River is known far and wide for their wonderful melons they produce every summer....there is just something about the climate and the soil!
We cross the Green River headed south towards Moab...
I am amazed by the beauty near Moab every time we pass through....I don't ever want to take these red cliffs for granted.....
Red Rocks and blue skies...GORGEOUS!
The green in the hills just outside of Moab is from uranium deposits...there was a real boom in uranium in the fifties!
A quick stop in Moab....these two characters have been sitting in front of the same trading post since I was a little girl!
After leaving Moab, on our way to Monticello, we pass Wilson Arch....what a spectacular view!
The landscape between Moab and Monticello is beautiful...a mixture of red rocks and high mountains!
As we start climbing from Moab to Monticello, we realize just how much snow this part of the state of Utah has had this past winter...those are the tips of fence posts peeking out of the vast blanket of snow!
We've spent our first night on the road in Cortez, Colorado...Wes has us packed up and ready to hit the road and get to Santa Fe by afternoon....
After leaving Cortez, we head towards Durango, and pass Mesa Verde, now covered in snow! I love staying on top at Far View Lodge when the park is open!
Church near Tierra Amarilla....you can see, they have had plenty of snow!
Politics have always been big in New Mexico...my Aunt Betty, a Democrat and politician, would have gotten a kick out of these signs just outside of the tiny town of Tierra Amarilla in northern New Mexico!
We always pull over and take a break at this natural red rock Amphitheatre near Ghost Ranch....
Wes and Liz stretch their legs and enjoy the sights at the Amphitheatre....
This canyon just north of Abiquiu is breathtaking in the fall with golden cottonwood trees.....it's still pretty, even washed out from winter.
Church in Abiquiu...Georgia O'Keefe put Abiquiu on the map!
Old adobe dwelling in Abiquiu....Georgia O'Keefe certainly had plenty of scenery to inspire her....
We're getting close to Santa Fe...just north of Espanola now...and we must stop at Romero's Fruit Stand, and get some chile and corn ristras, that's a tradition!
We've arrived at our hotel in Santa Fe, where we will be staying the next few days...."The Inn of the Governors" right downtown on West Alameda Street...couldn't ask for a better location!
Balconies and luminarios give this "territorial" style hotel a great feel......
Our room is quaint and charming...definitely Santa Fe style!
The breakfast at the Inn is so yummy! Wes and Jill enjoy the green chiles!!!!! Pots of fresh green chiles to smother over your eggs, along with fresh quesadillas, and all set in the most charming room with several old fireplaces and lots of artwork.
Peggy, a traditional jeweler from Santo Domingo Pueblo sells her jewelry in the lobby of the Inn of the Governor's daily...I watch her set her jewelry out for display each morning with so much care and love....
Portrait of Peggy's aunt hangs in the Inn of the Governor's. The hotel manager Sam explained to us, that Peggy and her family go way back with the hotel, and what an honor it is to have Peggy selling her wares in their lobby.
Peggy was such a sweetheart...so softspoken...yet so many tales she shared about her late father and family, who were all artists, what a pleasure to meet her!
New Mexico's Governor Bill Richardson ordered all flags to be flown at half staff for several days in honor of my Aunt Betty Fiorina, who had served as Secretary of State of N.M. for three terms during her lifetime.
The Capital Building and Government Offices are directly across the street from our hotel...the flags are all at half staff everywhere we look....
The morning we leave Santa Fe, to head south to Albuquerque, we stop by and visit the State Printing Building, named in honor of my Aunt Betty Fiorina. Flags are at half staff across the entire state.
"Jackalope" on Cerrillos Road in Santa Fe...I have to make a quick stop, you never know what you will find there!
Even though we are short on time, and need to be in Albuquerque to spend the afternoon and evening with Wes's family....a stop in Santa Fe at "Jackalope" is a tradition!
After leaving Albuquerque, we head west past Laguna Pueblo, on our way to Gallup and Zuni....this will be a long day!
We have spent too much time buying artwork at Gallup and Zuni....The sun is setting...we arrive in Shiprock, New Mexico...the land of legend and lore on the Navajo Reservation.....we still have about 43 miles to go to Cortez, where we will spend the night.
We are back in Cortez for the evening....the remainder of the trip home will be a repeat of the trip down...we are headed next to Monticello, Utah, then Moab, Green River, Price, and finally home!
We spot a beautiful Bald Eagle perched on a power line between Cortez, Colorado and Dove Creek Colorado....a Messenger to the Divine, I found this a comforting sign considering the nature of our trip....
We just returned from Santa Fe, New Mexico, where we attended my Aunt Betty Fiorina's funeral services. We snapped some pictures along the way. We usually do not make this trip during times when there could be bad weather. However, this trip was unavoidable, and I would not have missed my last goodbyes to my favorite aunt, and one of the most amazing women I have ever known, even if there would have been ten feet of snow on the ground! Fortunately, we had beautiful blue skies the entire trip, but we could certainly see signs of a harsh winter, through all of the beauty. We hope you enjoy our photos to the "Land of Enchantment".
