DAY 117- Ashville & Great Smokey Mountains…

After getting settled in my hotel in Asheville, NC, I opted to stay close for dinner.  I went to a place nearby called Fatz.  It’s a local chain restaurant that was started in a renovated peach shed in 1988 by some friends and now is a southern chain that has 48 restaurants.  It was packed as it should be on a Friday night.  I sat at an open spot at the bar between two guys. 

It ended up being three guys and myself chatting and hanging out; one worked at a tire store, another worked for a utility company, and another was retired, I think.  The tire store guy was a regular and it was funny because I had a roll and silverware while he was being ignored.  The utility guy who we ended up calling Mr. Glitters, because he came in with glitter on his face from being in the toy section of Kmart (ahh-haa!), and myself were giving the tire guy all kinds of a hard time about the pitfalls and pluses of being a regular.  Meanwhile, the retired guy was talking about feeding his kids and grandkids, which happen to be living with him.  The retired guy was buying all of us rounds of drinks and they were all telling me about the Asheville area and North Carolina.  They were also all razing me about if Utah would allowed plural husbands for me because they wouldn’t mind be a candidate.  It was a fun time.  Mr. Tire guy told me to come back and spend more than just one day.  He would be here for me to find when I came back this way.

Photo- Biltmore Village.

The next morning, I was on my way to the Biltmore Village and hoping to take a peek at the Biltmore.  The Biltmore was the largest privately owned home and was built by the George Washington Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895.  It’s still owned by the Vanderbilt family and is quite the tourist attraction in the area.  It’s also about a $50 fee just to walk in the door and then you can shop or walk through parts of the gilded house and HUGE garden area.  It sounded like it could take hours and sounded very expensive which wasn’t on my agenda for the day.  I put this on my list of come back and see later.

I did however take a bit of time to visit the nearby Biltmore Village which is a quaint little shopping upscale shopping village near the Biltmore.  In fact, the village was built by the Vanderbilt’s for the employees of the Biltmore Estate.  The village covers about a five block city area.  There’s little cottage like houses which contain various shops and restaurants.  There are cute little street lamps, brick sidewalks, trolley tourist cars, and horse drawn carriages too.  There’s also a Catholic Church that takes up a large corner area.  I wandered around the area with plenty of free parking (something Helen, GA could learn here).  The place was packed with all kinds of holiday shoppers. 

Photo- The outside of the glass art shop in Biltmore Village.

There were some wonderful shops.  My favorite was a shop that had blown glass art.  Some of the round glass balls looked like they had flower blossoms inside.  Another shop that I thought was fun was a Christmas Store with all kinds of thing Christmas.  In fact, I got a kick out of a tree that was self-flocking  with little white pebble-like beads that would shoot out from the top of the tree and be caught on the tree or by a round green saucer at the bottom of the tree.  Sorry, I didn’t venture a look on the price tag on this one.  I know all of you want one of these for Christmas. J     

Photo- In the River Arts Area of Asheville, NC.

Next, I drove over to the River Arts area in Asheville and on the way I tried to take a peek at the Biltmore but the trees surrounding it are like a full forest.  I drove along the river and down by the railroad tracks for a bit.  Then off to the side there is an area that has old brick warehouse buildings.  This is the river Arts area of Asheville.  I guess I was hoping for more.  It was just one large warehouse row with artists’ studios inside and a large graveled parking lot out front.  I explored a few studio areas and there was some wonderful art but there wasn’t much else out that way.  They needed a restaurant or a coffee shop or something out there.  At one end of the warehouse row, there was a large antique store.  I drove back to the interstate and headed west towards the Great Smokey Mountains National Park which I had planned to visit for most of the day.

Photo- The Blue Ridge Parkway.

From Asheville I headed west and then south to Maggie Valley.  I stopped for a quick lunch at a fast food chain restaurant called Bojangles which is a bit like a KFC but very southern type touches.  You could order dirty rice as a side and it appeared that everything on the menu had a Cajun version to it.  Next, I headed west to Soco Gap and turned onto the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The Blue Ridge Parkway runs along the spine of the Smokey Mountains and there are some amazing views but I will warn you there are some steep and curvy areas of road.  But with these views it very worth it.  Thankfully, there was no snow yet or this section would have been closed.  The elevation of the road runs between 5000 to 6000 ft. and closes in the winter quite often.

Photo- One of several views along the Blue Ridge Highway.

Next, I took a right hand turn onto Hwy 441 and was at the Oconaluftee Visitor’s Center for the Great Smokey Mountains National Park.  I turned in and went into the center.  It was packed and there were tons of people sitting listening to some live Christmas music being played by local people.  People were singing along with the music.  I talked to a parks employee and every Saturday before Christmas they have this event.  All of the musicians are locals and it’s like what they call a “front porch” session.  They all just show up and they go around and have each musician pick a Christmas song that they would like to play.  One of the guys on a banjo played “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” which had everyone laughing by the end of the tune.  I sat down and enjoyed singing along for a while.  It was a very festive atmosphere.  People and musicians would come and go. 

Photo- Some southern Christmas FUN at the visitor's center.

After a while, I got up to go see the park but first I went through the museum part of the visitor’s center.  It told the history of the park and how it was finally made a national park in 1934.  The museum told the story of how the roads were built for the park with the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp.) during the Great Depression.  The museum talked about the culture and the life in the area but what got me most was there was a HUGE fake pig hanging in an area.  It was a strange site to see at a National Park Visitor’s Center.   

Photos- The Great Smokey Mountains!

Next, I drove through the park and stopped here and there to take pictures.  It was rather cold and very windy day.  I was a bit disappointed that the road to Clingman’s Dome was closed for the season. At 6643 ft., Clingman’s Dome is the highest point east of the Mississippi.  There were quite a few roads to trail heads that were closed in the park.  I just stopped here and there; deciding not to do any hiking today.  Eventually, I got to the other side of the park and the Sugarlands Visitor’s Center where I stopped to use the restrooms.  I also got a bumper sticker and a couple of postcards too.

Then, I was off heading north through the crowded town of Gatlinburg.  It was stop and go traffic coming out of the park and I was so glad that I decided to drive into the park from the south.  From there, I took some back roads and worked my way up to I-40.  On I-40, I headed west to Knoxville, TN where I would stay the night.  The sun was going down and it was starting to rain so I slowed down and took my time.  It was dark when I finally got checked into my hotel for the night.

DAY 108- New Orleans...

The locals pronounce it “NAw Lynnss” and they also talk really fast.  I kept on having them repeat what they were saying.  I guess I had gotten too use to the slow southern drawl they do everywhere else in the south.  I did a bit of exploring before the 10AM cemetery tour.  I wandered onto the low numbered end of Royal St. in the French Quarter and found the Café Beignet that the locals had recommended as having the better beignet than Café de Monde which they called a tourist trap.  While on the way there, I walked past several art galleries that weren’t open yet for the day.  There was some amazing stuff in their windows.  At Café Beignet, I walked to the back counter ordering coffee with a beignet.  I then found a table to sit at.  My coffee was called out and shortly after that my order number was called.  Beignets piled with powdered sugar and I was wearing black capris pants.  Oh, I so did not think this one through!  But it was a yummy and a bit messy experience.



Photo- The entrance to Cemetery Number One where I had my tour.

About 20 minutes before the cemetery tour, I wandered over to where it started.  It ended up being four of us on the tour.  Rene, our tour guide, walked us over a few blocks and started to explain the process and history about burial in New Orleans. The water table being so high created all kinds of problems for burying the dead.  Also, every Spring, it was common to have flooding in the area and bodies would come floating by the houses.  Rene teasingly told the joke that you like talking to your living Aunt at the dinner table but she wasn’t a very good dinner guest dead.   She showed us a section on Burgundy St. where there was an earlier cemetery but now it was a row of houses.  She mentioned a story of where a resident had arranged for a swimming pool to be put in and remains had been unburied.  I guess this whole area had quite a few remains just below the surface.



Photo- Our tour guide Rene showing us the "Oven" style of burial.

Photo- Rene showing us the most famous burial in the cemetery
a VooDoo Mistress called Marie Laveau.

Photo- In the middle area of the cemetery a picture from walking through.

 

We then walked over to Cemetery Number 1.  Rene asked us to be respectful.  It is still an active cemetery, and also not to lean or sit on any of the graves because of the damage that can cause over time.  She went over the different styles of burying that were in the cemetery; showing us as we went along within the walls of the cemetery. She also showed us some of the historic and famous figures in the cemetery.  Then, Rene showed us the backyard area where the Protestants were buried.  It is a Catholic cemetery.  She explain and showed us the difference between restoration and renovation within the cemetery.  Rene also showed us what she considered the eye sores on the cemetery; one of them being a pyramid that Nicholas Cage had built and plans to bury in, and the other is a strange memorial statue.  The tour was very fascinating and enjoyable.  Rene struck the right balance of fun and interesting.  I took both of the tours through a local company called Historic Tours and they give a slight discount if you take more than one with them.

Photo- Nicholas Cage's pyramid-- we were convinced that he purchased because the
IRS is not likely to repo a burial plot.  Though, I would imagine the resale value has some
potential because of where it is.

Next, outside the walls of the cemetery the group of all four of us decided to head out and explore the city.  We walk over to where the trolley cars are.  One of the gals decides to bow out and I ask if it’s okay to still hang out.  I ended up hanging out with a cute adorable middle age couple from Cincinnati, OH.  Steve and Patty were wonderfully easy going and made for enjoyable company for the afternoon.  We jumped on to the trolley car not sure where it went but open to explore.  This was my kind of exploring!  The great thing was its only $3 to ride their bus and trolley cars all day in New Orleans.



Photo- Patty and Steve in front of the Sculpture Garden.

Well, the trolley ended up stopping at a bunch of cemeteries and we already had a tour of one.  One cemetery a day was enough for us.  We back tracked a little and found a restaurant that must have been good because it was crowded.  It was called the Flying Burrito and we only waited about 5 minutes for a table.  We were reviewing maps and discovered if we caught another trolley line we would be close to a sculptural garden and the botanical gardens; that sounded good to me.  Lunch was wonderful and I enjoyed the Flying Burrito which had steak, chicken, and shrimp in a whole wheat tortilla.  Patty’s salad that she ordered looked good and Steve had a burrito too.

Photos- Two pictures of my favorite sculpture in the garden. 
The bottom one is a close up and the bottom human form is about 6 ft tall.

 

Photo- One of the cool sculptures in the garden.

After lunch we waited for a trolley that went north and meanwhile Patty was showing me photos of their swamp tour and a Mardi Gras Parade warehouse that they had explored in the last couple of days they been in New Orleans.  The trolley car arrived and we headed toward the New Orleans City Park which is an end stop.  Off we walked over to the Sculptural Garden which is right next to the New Orleans Museum of Art.  The sculptural garden is free and we got a brochure from the gal at the desk.  It’s a wonderful garden area and there are several acres and areas within it to walk around and enjoy.  It was fun wandering around with Patty and Steve trying to figure out the titles to some of the sculptures and trying to figure out what some of the sculptures were.  We even had a bit of fun with some sculptures that were on benches by mimicking them.

Photo- Patty and Sculpture.

Photo- Steve, now look serious like the statue!  LOL!!

It was sprinkling a bit off and on but we figured we would take our chances and went next to the New Orleans Botanical Garden which was next door to the sculptural garden.  There was a $6 fee to get in and the lady at the desk recommended visiting the Japanese garden area and said that the orchids were in bloom in the conservatory.  We walked through and enjoyed it all.  The Japanese garden was very peaceful and relaxing.  There were vegetable and herb gardens.  There was a train depot like garden with models that represented part of the city of New Orleans which was fun but the train wasn’t running at current.  As we went around they had Christmas lights up and out and it looked like they were getting ready for an event called Cajun Christmas.  There were alligators, Santa, and angels.  We went into the conservatory and saw all of the wonderful orchids in bloom.  It was a wonderful garden to visit.

Photo- The middle of the New Orleans Botantical Garden.

Next, we headed back to the trolley station figuring it was time to head back to the French Quarter.  Patty and Steve were staying on the other side in a hotel by Jackson Square.  As we were waiting we saw another bus go by and go down a street that would be a direct shot to the French Quarter.  Steve got on the phone and called the RTA(the New Orleans Transit) phone to find out where it went.  Well, it was a direct shot back to the hotel and it came every 30 minutes.  We were up for a different way to go back and we waited until the next one came.  We got to see a different landscape on the way back.  Brightly painted houses and neighborhoods but we did see one or two houses with an X on them.  There were still signs that the city was still recovering from Hurricane Katrina.  We arrived in the French Quarter and I gave Patty a hug and thanked them for letting me hang out with them for the day.  It was fun having someone else to do a little sightseeing with. 

I took a shower and decided to have dinner at the famous Gumbo Shop in the French Quarter which was just off of Royal Street.  I walked into the Gumbo Shop and there was a line.  Well, it turns out there was a big group of 17 waiting to be seated together.  I cut right to the front and the hostess asked if by the kitchen was okay.  Sure; I told her I was easy; how couldn’t I be in the big easy?  She must have heard that one before she just smiled and sat me.  I had planned on having their gumbo which they are famous for but I ended up having a combination plate instead which had crab estouffee, jambalaya, and another rice dish that had chicken and shrimp in it.  The server talked so fast I just agreed and said that would be fine.  I also didn’t have to wait as long as those that ordered gumbo.  The gumbo was taking a while and I already had my meal before a table next to me that sat earlier than me.  It was good stuff too and I had a local brewed beer with it.  Don’t ask me the name of the brew because I could barely understand the server with his accent.  I just took a chance and hoped I would like it and I did.  After dinner, I slowly wandered back to my hotel and I was ready to call it an early day.  My feet were hurting a bit from all the walking I did earlier.

DAY 98- San Antonio, TX...

I woke up to a thick fog.  At first I could barely see the interstate that was running along outside of my window.  Later it became lighter out and I could see the interstate but the tall downtown buildings were lost in the fog.  I turned on the local news and they were showing accidents and backed up traffic all around the area.  I had considered a morning bike ride but I didn’t think it would be safe now.

Photo- A foggy morning in San Antonio, TX.

I went down for the grab and go breakfast at the Red Roof Inn where I was staying.  A muffin, some orange juice, a coffee and US Today paper, I was back up in my room.  I figured I would just wait out this fog thing.  The weatherman said it would clear as it warmed up during the day.  It was supposed to rain later that night and bring in a slight cold front.  The temperatures would be in the upper 60’s; sounded pretty good to me.

A while later, I found myself at the yellow trolley stop a half block away sitting on one of two benches.  There were two black guys there that were sitting on the bench not waiting for a trolley but taking a work break from the auto repair just down the street. I talked with them for a bit while I waited.  As the trolley (which was a regular bus) came I wished them a good day.  I rode the trolley over to the San Antonio Market Square stop.

Photo- Outside at the Market Square in San Antonio.

San Antonio’s Market Square is a colorful walking mall area where there are a lot of Mexican goods for sale.  It has a very festive air and there’s a whole variety of things to look at.  It was rather fun window shopping.  I walked around for a little bit and then decided to get lunch.

Photo- Inside the Mi Tierra's Cafe and Bakery.

I went to Mi Tierra’s Café and Bakery that says it’s always open.  I walked in and was enveloped by some wonderful smells.  Upfront, there’s a glass enclosed counter where there’s a whole selection of mouthwatering freshly baked goods.  Yummy!  I went up to the hostess stand and she started to take me back.  “Where would you like to sit?” she asked me.  She asked if I would like to sit at the counter or a table.  I said whichever is more interesting.  She gave me a perplexed look.  I asked about the covered patio area and she happily sat me out there; looking a bit relieved to be rid of me.

Chips and salsa were brought to the table and I ordered one of the specials of the day just picking something at random.  Their prices were very reasonable.  A very hot plate was served with a cheese enchilada, Spanish rice, a covered container of warm tortillas (corn and flour), and a huge chicken leg.  It was all tasty.  While I was enjoying my lunch, a table of Latino men were sitting and chatting in Spanish.  It was someone’s birthday and one of them was getting a hard time.  A short bit later a trio of guitar players showed up at their table along with a group of restaurant employees.  It was birthday song time; all sang in Spanish.  The birthday boy was turning all shades of red.  It was so cute.

After lunch I walked around the Market Square a bit more.  I went in a few shops and was tempted to try on some of the cute colorful clothes but I didn’t have the room in my car; so I thought I better not.  I caught the yellow trolley back to my hotel where I jumped in my car and drove to one of the Mission Churches in the area.  There are four of them in the area and they are a National Park.  There are guided tours that they do at a few of them and I thought it might be interesting to catch one of these.  So with my Google directions in hand I wandered south through San Antonio.  I went south on St. Mary’s which changed names twice before I came to the San Jose Mission and it’s visitor center. 

The tour was given by a National Park’s employee named Nanette.  She was a cute native Texan gal with an amazing unique southern drawl that almost had a hint of Spanish accent.  It was just amazing listening to her as she gave the tour.  She talked about the history of the Mission San Jose and pointed out the different areas along the way.  We got to see the “apartments” where up to 20 Indians would live.  It made my Salt Lake City one bedroom apartment look like the lap of luxury compared to these two linked rooms; one of which had a fireplace where cooking was done. 

Photo- The cute Nanette with the wonderful Texas drawl accent.

Photo- The outside of the little "apartments" that line the outside wall of the San Jose Mission.

Nanette talked about what was expected of the mission Indians and what an average day for them would have been like during this time frame.  Most of their life was centered around the church.  They would get up and attend church in the morning; go back to their “apartments” for breakfast and then report to whatever work area they were expected.  Then, at the height of the day would be siesta time.  Then after their nap they would be expected to attend church again.  Then, it would be dinner and they had free time in the evening time.

Photo- The Famous Rose window.

During the tour, we steadily worked our way over to the church part of the mission where she ended her tour.  She told of two different legends regarding a Rose window on the side of the church and said we could decide which one was true.  The actual church was not part of the National Park.  Though, it was open to the public.  It’s an active parish church and run by the San Antonio Diocese. 

Photos- San Jose Mission Church, outside and inside.

After that I wondered around taking pictures and reading some of the displayed signs.  It was all very fascinating.  I walked over to the milling area which was just outside the wall areas.  It was the miller’s day off but normally they would have someone that would be operating the mill.  It was the only one of the four missions that had a working mill.  Most of the missions had been somewhat restored in the 1930’s.  It was while viewing this that I had this kitten rubbing up against me and getting all friendly.  It was a sweet thing but I wasn’t taking it home if that was what it was hoping for.

I headed back to the hotel where I did a quick shower and change before going over to the River Walk Area.  I got some change at the front desk just in case I decided to take the trolley back after dinner.  I walked over the 6 or 7 blocks to the River Walk taking a bit of a different route now that I was getting to know the area.  I walked along almost all of the River Walk area trying to decide where I wanted to eat dinner.  I went by almost every restaurant; checking quite a few menus.  I must have walked about 2 miles in all; nothing seemed to be sparking my interest.

Photo- Lighted carriages you can rent in the River Walk area.

Great deals of the restaurants along the River Walk are Tex Mex, Italian, and BBQ.  I finally decided to turn around and go back to the Waxy O’Connor Irish Pub.  They had a lamb stew that sounded rather good and it did turn out to go very well with a draft of Blue Moon.  I was enjoying the outdoor table until rain started to sprinkle just a bit.  I asked the server to move in and finished my meal indoors while watching a bit of Monday night football.  The rain started to come down a little harder and I ordered another beer in hopes of waiting out the rain.  It finally calmed down and I walked back to my hotel.

Photo- One of the restaurant areas along the River Walk.

 

DAY 88- White Sands...

Everyone told me that I definitely needed to stop by and see White Sands while I was in New Mexico.  They would mention other places but always would reference back and say that I HAD to see White Sands for sure.  So I left my hotel in Deming and headed to Las Cruces with the intention of driving straight through Las Cruces to White Sands and then coming back to Las Cruces for the nights hotel stay.  Yeah, it was a bit of back tracking but there’s a bit of planning in my “madness”.  It just doesn’t always seem the most obvious (and sometimes it’s not always obvious to me either) but it seems to always work out.  So… here I am doing a bit of an out and back later in the day.

The first hour was a straight shot on I-10 heading east.  I was singing along with my iPod; as the radio was kind of in a dead zone for the most part except for a few Spanish stations.  Along this stretch, I-10 is about 15 to 20 miles north of the border to Mexico.  I’ve got my cruise control set and I imagine the people looked at me weirdly as they pass by and watch me singing along; crazy woman!

Just before Las Cruces, I take the exit for Hwy US-70 heading east.  I’m taking a chance driving to White Sands and not checking to see if they might have closed this road for a test at the White Sands Missile Range.  The National Park website for White Sands has a phone number you can call to see if the highway is going to be closed that day or not.  I was taking a risk of possibly sitting in my car on a closed section of highway for three to four hours. 

Photo- The sign letting you know you are entering White Sands Missile Range.

Luckily, the highway ended up not being closed.  I drove up and over Organ Mountain and then past the White Sands Missile Range.  It made me a little leery driving through this area.  But I continued on.  There were quite a few vehicles with government plates passing me like I was standing still and I was doing 5mph over the speed limit. 

About a mile before I got to the turn off for White Sands National Monument, the speed limit was reduced and there was a border patrol check.  I felt like I had done enough of these as of late that I should be on file, or something.  I pull up to the stop sign and the guy asked the normal are you a US Citizen.  Yes, I am; I said.  Then, he asked what the purpose of my visit was.  I told him today it was to visit White Sands National Monument.  Then, I told him that I was on a road trip and that this would be my 6^th or 7^th National Park that I’ve visited.  He asked by yourself?  Yes, I told him and then said Crazy, huh?  He laughed and wished me a good day.

A mile later down the road I took a left into the White Sands National Monument parking lot at the visitor’s center.  I went in and looked at some displays and watched a 17 minute movie about White Sands.  There was a 6.5 mile loop drive into White Sands.  The entrance fee per car is $3 or in my case free when you have an annual National Parks Pass.  The gal at the visitor’s desk said that I could take 3 more passengers along on my pass if I wanted to.  I told her she hadn’t seen my filled up car or she would not have even mentioned that.

Photo- The White Sands Visitor's Center.

I left the visitor’s center and headed along the road to the gate.  I showed my annual pass and the gal talked about the highlights of the 6.5 mile road with a turn around.  Two miles in there was a desert nature hike that was a 1.2 mile hike in sand but would give me an idea of what the dunes were all about.  Four miles in was a boardwalk that was an easy ¾ mile hike.  There were picnic areas about 5 miles in and the turnabout was 6 miles in.  She really suggested the nature walk if I was looking for the best of White Sands.

Photos- Some of the AMAZING scenery that I saw on the nature hike in White Sands.

I drove in the two miles and parked in the parking lot for the nature hike.  It sounded like the best bet and I was really looking forward to really getting a feel for White Sands.  When I drove in, I could only see the edges of the dunes.  I walked the dirt path over to the base of the dunes and up I went; and Wow!  Man camera was getting a workout as well as I was from walking around in the sand.  I could feel my shoes gaining sand weight as I walked along.  Every so many feet there was a new sign post that had a factoid about the animals and life in the dunes.  I was rather surprised that there was so much life within a sand dune.  It appeared that most of the life occurred at night and that most of the wild life had adapted to their environment in some way like; the lizards were white, and the fox which was the largest predator in the dunes was small and big eared compared to other foxes out in the wilderness.  It was amazing and very educational hike.

Photo- I couldn't resist not putting my mark here!  It might last a day or two at most.

Next, I got in the car and drove to the boardwalk.  I got out of the car and started to walk along but the boardwalk was basically the same signs as the hike I had just done and it wasn’t nearly as pretty as the area I had walked.  I turned around about halfway out.  I got back in the car and drove along the road further into the dune.  It was amazing with the dune all around except for the paved road.  There were areas where sand was venturing onto the road.  I wondered about what kind of maintenance they had to do on the road to keep it clear.  Did they use a street sweeper to keep it clear? 

Photo- The paved road through White Sands.

About another ½ mile down the road, the speed limit dropped down to 25 mph and there was a sign stating that it was the end of the pavement.  Now I was driving on the dune and it was very surreal in that the whole landscape looked white like snow but it was actually sand.  Cars and buses were driving along the area and if it hadn’t been for their presence I would’ve felt like I was in another world altogether. 

About 5 miles along there was a sign for a picnic area and there were restrooms there too.  I swung in their out of curiosity. The picnic table areas were very unique and looked other worldly too.  I drove around that area for a bit and then worked my way back over and around the loop at the end of the drive.  There were large cleared turnout areas here and there for people to get out and climb up a dune, or take pictures, or to sled the dunes.  Yes, I said sled. 

Photo- The boy showing me how it is to sled on a dune.

I drove up to a mother and her son who were sledding one of the dune areas.  I asked how the sledding was.  The mother encouraged her son to show me how the sledding was and mentioned to me that it was quite a bit slower than snow.  The boy climbed back up the hillside of the dune and at the top jumped into his sled.  He really had to push to get any kind of start with the sled and then had to push here and there as he went down the hill too.  But it did look fun.  The mother said that the sleds were on sale at the gift shop at the visitor’s center if I wanted to give it a try.  I thanked her and her son for showing me; wished them a good day and back in the car I went. 

Photo- It's sand but it looks like snow!

I drove slowly here and there along the road back to the visitor’s center.  I stopped to take more pictures as I went along.  Back at the visitor’s center I went into the gift shop and purchased a couple of postcards and a bumper sticker.  I decided not to purchase the $17 sled; just to give sledding a chance on a sand dune.  What would I do with a sled afterwards?  It wouldn’t fit in my car.  I decided I would head back to Las Cruces and my hotel for the night.  But I will say this it was a wonderfully amazing experience being at White Sands and I would highly recommend people visit this wonderful area.

DAY 85- Historic Taos & Another Vegas...

I left the hotel and headed south about ½ mile towards the Taos historic area.  I had driven on the main road through the area and had visited the Taos Historic Inn the night before but hadn’t really gotten a full look at the area.  I turned on Carson Road and parked in a free parking lot.  I walked around the Historic area.  Most of the shops were not opened and I was wondering if I was really hitting it during the off season time.  I did see a wonderful little courtyard area as I checked to see if a gallery was open. 

Photos- There are several courtyards in historic Taos.

I crossed over Hwy 68 to heart of the Historic area.  I visited a couple of art galleries; one of which was a collective.  I ended up talking with the gal that was manning the collective about bicycling in the area.  She did it a little bit and had recently been joining her daughter in running in the area too.  She was real nice and I asked her what the winters were like in Taos.  She said that it got really cold and snowy; nothing like what I’ve gotten used to in Utah.  I asked her about other things in the area too. 

I continued to wander along.  I went to a t-shirt shop where I found a Taos t-shirt that I liked; a big surprise.  NOT!  I talked with the clerk at this shop and found out that quite a few of the businesses didn’t open until 11AM.  She didn’t know why but they did.  But she did say that it was a slow time of year until they started getting some REAL snow and then the skiers would be swinging by.  She teased me that I was more than welcome to hang out in her shop with her for the day; that was she wouldn’t be too lonely and I wouldn’t be chilly.  I had left my gloves in the car, and it was a bit chilly.   She was a bit of a character.

Photo- A side area of historic Taos.

Next, further down the way on the other side of a courtyard, I went into a clothing shop where a young gal had managed to get me to try on some items of pricey clothes that I really did not need at all.  She was a good salesperson.  She was fun to talk with and it was just fun trying on stuff that I knew I would never wear or need.  I felt like I was shopping with one of the gals.  I thanked her for her time and wished her luck finding an earring she had dropped just before I got there.  She said she had forgotten about the earring while I was there.

I went into a sporting goods store down the street where they had a covered outside area that you could shop in.  I was kind of hoping to find a cheap winter cap but the cheapest I could find was $35.  I also looked at some nice winter jackets but they were way too pricey for this girl.  But I was having fun and the people in the area were fun to talk with.  I went in several more shops and eventually through another courtyard area.  I had a side walk vendor ask where I got my bag; he liked it.  And I couldn’t remember where I had gotten the bag.  I apologized to the guy and he said no worries gal.  I continued to explore and took a couple of turns.  I was almost across the street from where I went for dinner last night. 

I was in the mood for late lunch.  I found a nice little restaurant called Graham’s Grill which I had seen in the same booklet as the Adobe Bar I went to last night.  I went in and asked to see the menu.  There was a pumpkin bisque that sounded wonderful and I was very much in the mood for some soup.  I asked to be seated and was shortly after waited on. 

Photo- One of the entrances to Graham's Grill in Taos.

I ordered a mocha latte, the Pumpkin New Mexico Red Chili Bisque with a Caesar salad.  The server seemed glad that I knew what I wanted.  I could understand; on one side there were a pair of women talking over their open menus and on my other side was a guy with glass of wine, menu off to side and he’s pecking away at a laptop.  A HUGE green cup came with my steaming mocha latte.  I had to let it cool down, but I always love it when coffee is served in huge ceramic cups.  I looked around while I waited.  The walls were a warm lemon yellow; there were touches of royal blue and sage green with vaulted ceiling.  It was a fun atmosphere with a hint of yuppie. 

The bisque with salad arrived.  The salad threw me for a bit.  It was a Caesar dressing served over part of a still intact baby romaine lettuce head.  I definitely needed to use a fork and knife for this salad.  Awe! The bisque was amazing!  First there was the sweetness of the pumpkin and then the spice of the red chili and other spices would give it a wonderful kick but not too much of one.  The balance of the sweet and spicy was pure perfection.  What a wonderful meal it was and if the recipe for this bisque was in the cookbook that was being advertised on the table it might be worth the purchase.  But the last time I got to cook was over two weeks ago; what did I need a recipe book for?  But if any of you are looking for a gift for a cook in the family I bet this would be a good cookbook to get.

Photo- A bit of snow and evergreens heading south out of Taos.

Off south I went on Hwy 518 out of Taos; this was called a scenic byway.  I went through a forest of evergreen trees with bits of snow on the ground here and there.  The road wound around, up and over.  It was really a pretty drive and there was little traffic.  As I headed more south the scenery changed from evergreens to a more rocky arid landscape and then eventually to an almost flat dry brush.  There’s a lot of variety in the New Mexico area and maybe that’s why they call it the land of enchantment.

Photo- A rocky landscape as I headed further south towards Las Vegas,NM.

I drove into Las Vegas, NM and wouldn’t have known it until I saw the city limits sign.  Eventually, as I drove further there was a Wal-Mart and strip malls along the road.  It was nothing like the other Vegas; this one was a small town with no gambling.  I quickly got checked into my hotel, ran to the post office for stamps (got to keep the Popette in formed), and then ran by the visitor’s center.  The lady at the visitor’s center was in the process of locking the door when I arrived. 

Photo- The landscape just before Las Vegas,NM.

She asked me how she could help and then gave me a historical brochure that had over 900 different locations in the town; 900, huh?  That could take me awhile.  Most of the places were buildings that had historical significance for the Santa Fe Trail which went through the area.  I drove around for a bit and tried to get my bearings and find places.  But it was getting dark and it was hard finding places in the dark.  I grabbed some take out and went back to the hotel.