Wichita, Kansas to Taos, New Mexico

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The beginning of the road trip across four states. The first day saw us meeting up with our travelling companions, loading up the truck with bags, water and other essentials for the next week of travel, and leaving Kansas. to travel to New Mexico via the Oklahoma panhandle.

We drove through Cimarron on the way to Taos, stopping off at St James Hotel, an historic establishment that was frequented by many infamous characters during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Guests included Jessie James, Buffalo Bill Cody & Annie Oakley, Billy the Kid, Bat Masterson, Davy Crockett Doc Halliday. Names I am sure we are all familiar with. Wyatt Earp stayed here for three nights on the way on his fateful journey from Dodge City to Tombstone in 1880. Later came Zane Grey, an author I have actually read as a young child keen on western stories.

Apparently there are ghosts to be heard as they run the hallways in the wee small hours and bullet holes in the ceiling from the many gunfights that ensued over those rough, wild and lawless years. I looked closely at the photos but no ghostly exposures appeared.

Modern day cowboys still look the part with their spurs and cowboy hats as they wandered through for a cold beer after a dusty day in the saddle. We enjoyed the cold beer too.

Finishing in Taos after another long drive past ranches with interesting gateways, adobe dwellings under enormous blue skies and towards never-ending horizons, we quickly found our own lodgings and enjoyed a Mexican meal and a cooling frozen margarita or beer - my inclination was definitely for a Margarita. It was good!

The Pueblo village and adobe houses were intriguing as was the eco architecture we drove past the following day.

The next day, we crossed the Rio Grande - yes I did sing the song "Fernando" to remember the day we crossed the Rio Grande. First sightings of the big horned sheep, prairie dogs, the rafts on the river, and the New Mexico style of a drive thru restaurant were memories being made. How many sheep can you count? The praise dogs (too quick for photos) stopped the traffic on several occasions - pleasing to see drivers take care to not hit these cute creatures even though they create mayhem for ranchers and destroy pasture. They looked like mini meerkats to me.

We were on the way to Durango. Next stop - new blog.

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