Hiking in New Mexico

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Jim and I have done the museums, shops and gallaries in Santa Fe. Jim did ride his bike today and we will do some back street riding, but mostly we are walking everywhere around town. Fortunately our casita is not far from the Plaza. This is not a good biking town due to narrow, busy streets.

The mountains are beautiful and varied. Our neighbors in the casita next to ours were John and Martha Beechler from Michigan. We did become friends, having dinner and hiking with them last week. We went to Bandelier National Monument the ancestral village and cliff dwellings of the pueblo indians still in this area. Alas, John and Martha went home.

We like Santa Fe, but it is time to get out of town!
This week we continue to hike and travel out to the mountains not far away. We hiked yesterday in Tent Rocks National Monument. It is very beautiful, a combination of Zion NP and Bryce CanyonNP. It is not well known, because it is not publicized and it is on the Cochita Indian Reservation. Thank goodness we have our Z-coil shoes. Jim especially is benefiting from them, being able to hike in such beautiful places.

We are looking forward to exploring some other mountian hiking areas and visiting some Indian Pueblos (villages), and Los Alamos. There are many different Pueblos along the Rio Grande and throughout northern New Mexico. They are governed by the Indians, some have casinos, shopping centers, etc.

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Photos

Frey Trail in Bandelier NM
Jim, John and Martha Beechler on Frey Trail, the only way to get to Frijoles Canyon in Bandelier, until the road was built. The chairs were just there!

Jim and John on Frey Trail
The volcanic rock is porous and wears away, so Indians could use the holes for cliff dwellings.

Cliff dwellings
It is believed the Indians lived here in the winter on the sunny side of the canyon

Joan at the top of Tent Rocks
Sangre de Chisto Mts. in the distance

Tent formations
The results of wind and water erosion

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Los Alamos
Flew into Los Alamos from Albuequerque once on a little puddle-jumper plane (job interview back in 1960). Every day is casual Friday for lab workers. Some lab people live in adobe houses. They asked me if I would mind working on nuclear weapons... - Bruce Sundquist