Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico Roadtrip to see art, museums, landscape from Santa Rosa, CA to Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico and back May 12 - 21, 2019
Bob and Shirley
Our primary objective was to see art work in Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico, home of Georgia O'Keefe and a tourist mecca of art galleries.
Of course, driving across California, Arizona, New Mexico and even a bit of Nevada provided a wonderful opportunity to see spectacular landscapes and cloudscapes across the southwest.
Many of the photos below are taken from the car as we drove along. The first few photos are from southwestern California, Arizona and from our arrival in New Mexico. Following that are 3 images of some of the art we found in Taos.
Taos Landscape by Joseph Sharp
God's Wallpaper by Gayle Weisfield in water color
White Cosmos by Bob Cooley in water color
Day 1: May 12 (Sunday), Santa Rosa to Needles, California:
This was a very long day of driving - around 600 miles and over 9 hours.
Highlights:
Left home early - 7:30 AM
Bob discovers he has left his phone at home, but Shirley has one, so all is well
The drive through the Bay Area, including Petaluma, Berkeley and Oakland, which can often be very time consuming, went smoothly
The drive through the central valley south to Needles, CA, seemed long, with stops at McDonald's, Subway, and Taco Bell
Finally get to Hwy 58 east, then I40 east to Needles and we pass the Halo tangerine processing plant (Bob eats lots of Halo tangerines).
Passing through the Mojave Desert was beautiful, with lava landscapes
We stop for the night in Needles at the Days Inn
Day 2: May 13 (Monday), Needles, CA to Santa Fe, NM:
Highlights:
Another long day of driving: another 600 miles and over 9 hours of driving, with a 1 hour time change. But we did see a very nice window sticker:
An electronic sign warns of accident with road closure at mile marker 185 long before mile marker 185, then the warning is repeated later. Given an accident we had already seen, it seemed plausible.
The landscapes and cloudscapes are so beautiful
We eventually arrive at mile marker 185 and there is no road closure or detour
We stop at a Subway sandwich shop - the first we have seen with a drive-thru window and later at a Safeway outside of Flagstaff
We arrive late to our motel in Santa Fe, the Guadalupe Inn, not only because of the long drive, but also because of the one hour time change. The night manager with her very young son, comes down from her room and checks us in.
Day 3: May 14 (Tuesday), Walk around Santa Fe:
Highlights:
The Plaza Walk and the Palace of the Governor with native Americans all along the extensive front porch selling their wares
Georgia O'Keefe Museum
Basilica of St. Francis Assissi
Santuario of Guadalupe old mission church
Some rest at the motel, then walk to the Railyard Park including stop at Whole Foods on Cerrilos Rd (see the top two pics above for this date). First time either of us has seen a massage room (actually the size of a closet) in a Whole Foods and it was in use. We ate lunch there, but did not sit at the bar, which was also the first bar we have seen at a Whole Foods. Unexpected during our walk were an otter mailbox and a prostition ad from long ago.
Returned to the Guadalupe Inn, trying to use the TV, which was so complex the night manager (it was after 5 pm) had to get it started. Later, Bob presses a wrong button and the night manager has to come back again to get the TV going.
We took an early evening walk down Guadalupe St. for dinner at Tomasites - very popular.
Day 4: May 15 (Wednesday), Walking Around Santa Fe visiting art galleries and other sites:
Highlights:
Walked through main art district, stopping at many art studios, including walking 9 blocks on left side of street going and coming
Several art studios had realtor signs for sale or lease
Bob's favorite painting was of a lone house with mesas in distance. This was painted by Bruce Cascia, entitled Distant Mesas, an oil on canvas painting being displayed in the Giacobbe Fritz Fine Art gallery.
Shirley enjoyed several galleries, including kinetic art plaza (see above photos for this day) and the Nuart Gallery where we saw paintings by Juan Kelly:
And here in the same gallery are both an elephant sculpture by Dan Ostermiller and live turtles!
We then walked to La Choza, a very good Mexican restaurant where we ate lunch, seeing the sun paint shadows on the sidewalk as we walked there. We arrived at 2:15 pm, 15 minutes before closing. Restaurant had honey on table of which Bob ate much, pouring on bread and crackers (then came home and finished jar of honey Reenie had gifted).
Weather again perfect with beautiful clouds and lots of sunshine
Saw hotel/spa with famous staircase but did not go in
Walked back to the Guadalupe Hotel, napped, Shirley moved car to better parking space, watched news, planned for tomorrow
Day 5: May 16 (Thursday), Bandelier Monument, Botanical Garden, and other sites within a short drive of Santa Fe:
Highlights:
Getting an early enough start so we could drive into the Bandelier Monument without having to stop and ride in for miles with many other people on the shuttle bus as required for those arriving after 9 AM
Having absolutely perfect weather and meeting few other people as we walked through the park
Seeing the relics of the pueblo that used to exist at Bandelier Monument
Climbing ladders to get up to dwellings (caves) cut into the rock
The beauty of Frijoles Canyon, with the fluff from cottonwood trees flying all around us
Drive Back to Santa Fe, visiting the Botanical Garden on the way. As the next photos show, not in California, where gasoline is over $4/gallon
Visiting the Sanctuary of Chimayo, a church known for healing (see photos above)
Driving to, then walking along, the bridge of the Rio Grande River Gorge in high winds (reported as up to 35 mph this afternoon). Sadly, the bridge is used to commit suicide. A phone has been provided for that reason.
Visiting the Taos Pueblo, which is still inhabited by natives, many with small shops
As we drove into town the trees were quite green and there were lilacs in abundance. In fact, there was a lilac festival going on. There were also an abundance of motorcycles (hundreds) in town because of the celebration of Dennis Hopper Day. We were stopped at one intersection for some time as police allowed the motorcycles to pass through
We ate at the very nice Antonio's Restaurant. Then, when we were checking into the motel, we noticed there was a two story suite available to which we upgraded from our usual room and got a reduced rate
Day 7: May 18 (Saturday), Walked around Taos:
Highlights:
Parked downtown, then walked along streets and plazas seeing many art galleries
Cool, windy weather particularly in the morning when there was even hail - as you can see in the video below (we helped out an artist at his studio by telling him his artwork on display outside was getting hailed on - he went outside to move it to a more protected spot).
Had very good, interesting, informative discussions with 3 different artists in different studios:
Ellen Goodrich who spoke about glass mosaics and their advantage in terms of fun to make compared to stained glass
Mr. Lynn McCaine, a watercolorists, who spoke in detail with Shirley and in the end tried to prevent her from paying $5 for something she had decided to buy and which he signed
Vera Neel who was raised in Russia and gave Bob some advice on where he might like to hike in Siberia, even offering to ask a friend to contact him
Ate lunch at CID's Market (a grocery store that was quite good)
Toured the Fenchin House and Taos Museum
Taos Landscape by Joseph Sharp
God's Wallpaper by Gayle Weisfield in water color
White Cosmos by Bob Cooley in water color
Walked through the Lilac Street Fair where we purchased a water color print by Michael McCullough and stopped in a store with a very talkative parrot "Buddy" (see video below)
On the road by 8:30, after checking out an owl we saw across the motel parking lot
Easy drive to Santa Fe and Albuquerque, although at one stop Shirley does try to find arrows to help point the way.
Stopped at Subway in Grants, New Mexico
Long drive to Flagstaff, with hail along the way at one point, and motorcyclists as pictured above and below
Had a roadside rest stop with very, very strong winds
At Flagstaff, just before getting to motel, while at a stoplight, Bob disobeys sign and stops car on railroad tracks. Shortly thereafter while in motel, huge train zooms right past the stoplight
Day 9: May 20 (Monday), Drove back to Lone Pine:
Highlights:
Got up before 6 AM, on road I40W before 7 AM
Snow and hail outside Flagstaff for 1st hour as can be seen above
Easy drive to Kingman
Shirley drove Kingman south to Needles
Then Bob drove 395 to Lone Pine. As we approached Lone Pine the eastern Sierras stood out. Stopped at Visitor Center where there was a beautiful view of the Sierras, including Mt. Whitney (see picture above). Once in Lone Pine after checking into the motel, we ate at Subway, and walked the streets, where spring flowers were in bloom. There was also a pasture with horses grazing.
Day 10: May 21 (Tuesday), Drove home to Santa Rosa:
Highlights:
Got up by 6 AM, on road by 6:30 AM
Traveled north from Lone Pine on Hwy 395 all the way into Nevada before heading across the Sierras
Stopped at Mono Lake Visitor Center, then continued driving north towards Nevada
Took Hwy 88 over Carson Pass - elevation 8,652 feet - over the Sierras
Drove through a snowstorm as we went over the pass. Later, after we left, chains were being required.
As we descended in the west, snow turned to rain, then nice weather coming down into the central valley into Lodi.
Crossed the central valley mostly on hwy 12, then I80, Hwys 37/121/116 to Arnold Drive and home (after stop at favorite restaurant - Oliver's grocery store in Santa Rosa).
Santa Rosa was very green and lush. We had 4" in the backyard rain gauge since we left.
