Birthday week, always a fun time! We decided to skip Zozobra and head to Taos for a long weekend beginning with Thursday evening. We were already going to Taos for a Sierra Club hike on Wednesday and "birthday girl" decided she wouyld like to go to Taos and have a nice dinner at one of our favorite places to eat there, Graham's.
For this trip we did some advance cooking and had food prepared ahead of time so we could enjoy the town and surrounding areas. We boondocked the last time we were there and this time did the same. We are close to the Plaza and the other historic areas of downtown.
Thursday night was eating at Graham's Grille which is in the area near the Bent Museum. We love to sit outside and watch the people come and go. Because it was my birthday we were given a dessert on the house. Boy we were full when we walked away.
We strolled around looking and enjoying and went to the Taos Inn for an after dinner drink. We are never disappointed by the conversations you can have here.
Friday we decided to get the bicycles out and enjoy a ride around Taos. We bicycled down a wonderful road that led to the gardens of one of the museums in Taos. We peeked over the fence and it looked like a lovely place to spend the day. We managed to put over six miles on our bikes in and around the area before we called it quits and got them loaded before the rains came.
Saturday was the Sierra Club hike. We met at Michael's Kitchen in Taos and then followed the leaders out to the place we were to begin. As we were heading out for the hike, we passed a bicycle race in progress that evidently began in Questa. It was a VERY hilly, steep ride and I think out of my realm of possibilities!
From Questa on Hwy 522 (Hwy 64 out of Taos becomes 522 heading toward Taos, 64 heads on to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge) you come to Hwy 378 which leads directly into the Wild Rivers Recreation Area. Each car pays a $3.00 entry fee and then you proceed on to the parking lot for the hike of your choice. There are 11 different hikes to go on in Wild Rivers Recreation Area. We went down the La Junta Overlook trail. You drop down 800 feet to the floor of the canyon where you can then hike to the confluence of the Red River and Rio Grande Rivers. From there we hiked along the River trail to the Little Arsenic springs and campground and then on to the Big Arsenic springs and campground. Both of the springs are cold springs and there is both camping for them at the top and the ridge and down by the river.
There are petroglyphs nearby the Big Arsenic campground down by the river. The weather was starting to look a little serious and so the group didn't spend very much time at the petroglyphs. We climbed out of the canyon on the Big Arsenic trail to the rim. This is only 680 feet back up to the top and there are some interpretive signs along the way.
Just as we got to the top it started to rain, then hail, and then lightning started crashing very close by. We made it safely back to our vehicles, said our goodbyes and headed back to Taos.
Dinner and dancing at the Alley Cantina, one of our favorite spots to go when in Taos. Food was delicious and music was a local band back in town so very crowded and entertaining. We visited with two couples on motorcycles from Washington state and Idaho.
All in all it was a very nice weekend in Taos and surrounding area!
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