Back in the Saddle Again – Day 7

It felt good to get on the road again for the second half of our journey. Looking forward to new sights, sounds, smells and experiences. 

Pictures tell a thousand words, so without further ado, join me on today’s Southwestern adventure.

Driving through southern Colorado. 

Pit stop in Ft. Garland.

So much greener than I imagined it would be. Exquisite. 

Continuing towards Taos. The scenery is ethereal. 

Near Taos Pueblo. Sheer solitude. 

Arriving at Taos Plaza. The same as I remembered from before. Charming historic plaza. Such a mellow, good vibe here. People are so very friendly and low key. Definitely a new energy here since my last visit. A bit more of a hip factor, even more art, and a slight bohemian flavor. I like it! 

But this was a first for me. A stroll through the John Dunn House Shops. A delightful afternoon perusing the boutiques, people watching, listening to the street musician and trying out the noodle cart.

Cold rice noodles with zucchini, squash, and peanut sauce. DELISH! Elliott really enjoyed the veggies as well. 

The woman who owns this gallery learned to paint in 3-D while studying in Rome. It took her 20 years to perfect her craft. No photos allowed inside but 3-D glasses are provided for full viewing effect. 

Gem and mineral shops. A lamp created within a sanded down, perfectly smooth, stone block. Magnificent! 

The gallery’s resident dog was very welcoming to Elliott. 

A chocolate and coffee bar. 

Apparently this big girl has a thing for small boy dogs. So precious. She couldn’t get enough of Elliott. 

Circled back to the Plaza where one can find all sorts of gifts, jewelry, art and sculptures. 

And another meet and greet. 

The highlight of my afternoon in Taos was the serendipitous taking of this photo where I met the 3 women sitting beneath the statue and engaged in an amusing conversation about road travels and such. Connecting with other adventurers is most definitely one of the best parts of my travels. Sharon, Jan and Penny are kindred souls. Free spirits who have been friends for many years and came together for this road trip. Thank you for sharing your stories and wisdom with me. Safe travels as you continue on down the  road. I hope our paths cross again some day. 

Onward for 73 miles to Santa Fe along side the Rio Grande. Is there a way to bottle the peace and serenity of the open road and these sensational views?   

Rolling through Española with the bikers. 

We made it! The Silver Saddle Motel in Santa Fe. Everything I had hoped for and more.

Classic Americana at its finest. Meet Chuffy. Oh and he lights up at night too. 

Every last detail of this 1953 motel is sheer perfection. 

A vintage trailer now resides in the newly built out back patio. 

The cozy room is clean, comfortable and complete with a small refrigerator, cable tv and free Wi-Fi. 27 rooms in all. Room front parking for your ease and convenience. Oh and free brekkie served until 10am daily. 

The Wild Wild West. This motel is aces! I can’t imagine a better hotel experience in the Santa Fe area. 

Behind the lobby is a small antique shop with a vintage yellow formica table exactly like the one I have but these chairs are fabulous! I need them! 

And Bryan. What a gem! Such a happy, helpful, informative and fun guy. The kind of energy you want around you all the time.  He is the ideal person you want to run your front desk. Had such a nice chat with him. And I owe my Santa Fe night excursion to Meow Wolf all to him. Thank you for being awesome Bryan!  

Disclaimer: Please do yourself a favor and at least Google this place, if not visit for yourself. There is no way I could ever fully describe what you will experience during your time here. Introducing… Meow Wolf. 

The permanent exhibit is called House of Eternal Return. Once you’re here, you will understand why. 

Meow Wolf is an immersive, experiential art installation.  You will enter endless realms through portals such as fireplaces, caves and even the refrigerator. 

This is the family who lives in the house. There is a mystery involved if you want to play along, otherwise just enjoy the mind blowing experience. There is this slightly creepy undertone which makes it all the more titillating. 

Yes, Elliot and I crawled through this fireplace to enter another realm. 

Leaving one realm and returning to the house. Through the refrigerator. Yes. Seriously out of this world cool. 

You are walking, climbing, stepping and touching your way through art. AWESOME! 

Dimly lit caves. 

Walking through a bigger than life, black lit, neon fish tank. 

Note the deep sea diver that lived in every fish tank you had as a child. 

I don’t want to give too much away so I will just take you to the parking lot where there are food trucks and giant sculptures placed, such as this spider. 

Opened in March of 2016, this 22,000 square foot space of mind trip after mind trip awaits you here in Santa Fe. They have private events, DJs and new installations and exhibits coming. You will never forget it and want to return for more immediately. I know I do. 

Good night Santa Fe.