BACK TO THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT…

Last view of Kansas

Is it the people or the scenery?

It’s as if we haven’t had enough of the bovine aromas in Dodge City, we stop in La Junta, Colorado for a quick overnight… ahh the ever present scent of cattle by-products…  TheKOA Park is right off the highway it’s ok for the only park in the area.  The manager was a bit spacey: “Can we get some propane tomorrow morning before before we leave?” “Sure I’ll be here.”  We show up at 10:05AM to get propane and there’s a sign on the door: Sunday hours 8:00AM to 5:00PM Closed from 10:00AM to 1:00PM.  You think she could have mentioned this?

La Veta, Colorado is located in Southern Colorado and sits at an elevation of 7,000 ft at the base of the

Fresh snow on the mountains

Spanish Peaks and Sangre De Cristo Mountain range. Here we stay at the I Love Lucy RV Park.  (Just love that name.) This is a cute intimate park in town with the usual basic amenities and a vintage Airstream that they rent out. They will be closing for the season in a few days so we stay till they close.

Legendary!

In town we restock supplies at Charlie’s Market, La Veta's full service grocery store. Family owned and operated since 1937 they have a nice produce department great butcher shop a deli and an old-fashioned ice cream fountain! 

Aspens & snow

The Highway of Legends  (as in Legends of gold) is considered to traverse some of the finest mountain countryside in the country so we set out armed with our trusty Canons to see what we can shoot.  A side road beckons, it snowed last night up here and the dirt road is muddy and slushy with snow still piled along the shaded parts. We drive for a few miles and then decide that Dave’s tires are on their last legs and it would be prudent to turn around. We drive the entire loop stopping often and realize that there is so much more to explore in the area… we’ll be back!

Next it’s on to Taos and the Taos Valley RV Park. A nice mid sized park with full hook-ups and good WIFI in a location in near town. After setting up we head out looking for some local flavor.  

On the recommendation of the RV Park clerk we stop at El Taoseno. The décor leaves a lot to be desired.  The place looks like a dining hall in a retirement home complete with: cheesy Halloween decorations, chipped Formica topped tables, funky carpet and a geriatric clientele.  The food is reasonably priced. The Chicken stuffed Sopapilla is super-packed-stuffed with flavorful chicken and smothered in a green chili sauce and lots of cheese – quite tasty.  The Taoseno Beef Taco with Green Chile is also quite good.  Service is attentive and friendly.  So if you ignore the ambiance this is an OK place for a decent meal that won’t break the bank.

In town we visit the Governor Bent House and Museum.  This is a strange collection of the old and the odd in the former residence of the first territorial governor of New Mexico.  Other than the setting being the Governor’s house the only items really pertaining to Governor Bent is a two page typed essay describing his violent demise and a few artifacts relating to the incident.

There are lots of shops vying for our dollars and some succeed.  The Chiripada Winery Tasting Room convinces us to purchase a bottle of their 2011 Shiraz Reserve and a 2011 New Mexico Port.  Prices are a tad on the high side for the quality but not insanely high.

Rio Grande Gorge

NM Sunrise 

An early morning trek to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge grants a glorious sunrise and frozen noses.

On our way back we stop at Michael’s Kitchen (based on the full parking lot) for breakfast.  The Breakfast Enchilada filled with eggs and cheese and smothered in green sauce is excellent and the Huevos Rancheros better than most. Portions are generous and service is relaxed.  On the way out we succumb to the bakery temptations and take home an assortment of fresh baked pastries.

There’s lots of road construction around the Taos Pueblo so we opt to visit next time we get to this area, but we did stop in the Casino for an hour to play with their one armed bandits – we broke even.

San Francisco De Asis

The San Francisco De Asis Church is one of the most famous photographed landmarks in the area.  We time our visit to catch the late afternoon light.

Across the street is Old Martina’s Hall. It’s a little before five when dinner service begins but happy hour is on… only when we enter, no one is around. We wander about and check out the huge stage and dance hall in the rear, the beautiful southwest architecture and a wonderful exhibit of weavings displayed on the restaurant walls.  We finally locate an employee and she heads off to find the bartender.  OK it’s a little slow tonight… Our waitress shows up and goes ahead and seats us in the dining room.  We order a couple of cocktails (happy hour half price YEA!) and peruse the menu.

 

Old Martinas, Enchiladas,
Chile Rellenos, Beet Salad
and empty plate.

We share the roasted beet salad. This dish is artistry on a plate.  Dollops of beet foam surround thin slices of roasted beets, topped with baby greens, granny smith apples, candied nuts and topped with a molten cheese ball. The vinaigrette dressing is crisp and perfectly balanced with the sweet beets and tart apples.  We mop the plate clean. For entrees we choose the Pecan Encrusted Chile Rellenos, filled with melted Brie with a habanero mango coulis.  It’s a great modern take on a classic. The Rolled Green Chili Chicken Enchilada is accompanied with posole, black beans, salsa Fresca, guacamole, and a spicy tempura jalapeno.  The dishes are fresh, flavorful and stunning to behold.  Only a few other diners come in and a few folks gather around the bar.  According to our server, this restaurant is a popular spot when favorite bands come to town, but tonight: no music, no crowds, just great food and service.

Taos, we’d like to stay longer… the days are sunny and warm… BUT… pipes are starting to freeze at night… we WILL be back but for now… so it’s on to Santa Fe…

k