Sunday, December 19, 2010

Taos to Albuquerque

I look up scenic drives from Taos, and then I promptly miss the turn for my chosen route. Instead of the ‘High Road’ I am travelling along the Rio Grande, which is scenic in its own right:

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I try to find my way back to the High Road, but it takes me fifty miles out of the way. I stop and get a work out in the snow, I end up in Las Vegas, New Mexico. This isn’t part of the plan, I managed to miss the high road entirely, and I’m behind schedule to meet friends in Albuquerque.

 

So I skip Santa Fe, choosing instead to go to Sandia Crest, an 11,000 ft high mountain overlooking the city of Albuquerque. As I approach the mountain a snow storm begins to move in:

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By the time I get to the top, I am surrounded by a cloud that is beginning to drop bits of fluff on me. I try to take pictures, but the visibility drops quickly. I can barely make out the city, I can barely see the far off mountain ranges. I get one snap as the cloud blows upward a few feet:

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Slightly disappointed, I drive down to the city to meet my friends. And then it is a few days of relaxing in wet weather, and enjoying the time with these two great people. Meet Jessica and Sam:

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We cook up a lovely venison dinner:

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I tried going for a hike the next day in the rain. I wore a poncho in the rain and looked ridiculous:

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But, as always, it is time to get on the road all too quickly. It is bittersweet. I’m leaving my friends, but I’m heading home. It’s time to spend with family in my hometown. So I have one final lunch with Sam and hit the road.

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