Fall is such a beautiful time to be in New Mexico. We are lucky to have such a view of the Rio Grande with Sandia Mountain in the background just a short walk from our campsite. The sky is alway crystal clear blue. No wonder the state is known as the “Land of Enchantment”.
Just north of us about a mile along the Rio Grande is Coronado Historic Site and the ruins of Kuaua Pueblo. In 1540, Francisco Vásquez de Coronado—entered the Rio Grande valley somewhere near this site. Coronado was searching for the fabled Seven Cities of Gold. Instead of treasure, he found a dozen villages inhabited by prosperous native farmers. These newly “discovered” people have been living in this area for thousands of years. For $5 each, we got a tour by a very knowledgable volunteer that lasted way over an hour. She gave us enough information that we could ask intelligent questions and her answers were very interesting.
When archeologists from the Museum of New Mexico excavated the ruins during the 1930s, they discovered a square kiva. This kiva, or ceremonial chamber, contained many layers of mural paintings which were restored and on display at the visitor center. This kiva is several thousand years old. After being discovered, it was repaired. The kiva floor is about 10 ft below ground. The Pueblo Indians still used this ceremonial chamber today. Our guide took us down into the kiva and showed us the current mural on the chamber walls. Since it is a ceremonial chamber, no picture taken was allowed inside out of respect of the wishes of the Pueblo people.
Looking for a trail to hike, we tackled another trail at the Petroglyph National Memorial; Boca Negra Canyon Trail. Since it is part of the National Park Service, my senior pass allowed us to park at the trailhead at no cost. This trail is all vertical. Once you reach the top of the mesa, the panoramic view is breath taking. This was definitely the toughest trail that we have done in a very long time. It was worth every high-five.
One thing we decided to do for the adventure while here was to take the commuter train to Sante Fe, some 50 plus miles north of here. We caught the train at the Bernalillo Train Stop and took our seats. Cost for this hourlong train ride roundtrip was $6.00 each for seniors, like us! Once in Santa Fe we walked about 4 blocks to Santa Fe Cooking School for our 11am class on making Tacos. The class was suppose to be done by 1pm but we were having such a great time, we didn’t leave till after 2. The class made 4 different types of tacos, along with sauces and crema, from scratch tortillas and paired toppings. Our CIA trained (Culinary Institute of America not the spy guys) professional chef shared a lot of good information about methodology and using your senses. Denise and I both agreed that this is the best cooking class we have taken so far.
Camera in Tow Photos
