We had made the loop from Carlsbad NM. to Alamogordo, to the Trinity Site, to Albuquerque, to Santa Fe. then to Red River NM, this page covers the Santa Fe to Red River segment.    

This is Camel Rock, a natural formation, just north of Santa Fe on US 84.

Betty in front of her camel.

Looking north to the Jemez Mountains, where Los Alamos and Bandelier are.

Tsankawi is an unexcavated part of Bandelier National monument, it is composed of a pueblo ruin on top of the mesa with lots of dwellings dug into the mesa sides, above and below a "natural shelf" (see pics below).

The mesa that Tsankawi is on and around.   The mesa is composed of volcanic ash from the Jemez Volcano, and is called Tuff.   Tuff is very soft so that the anasazi could dig homes into the side of the mesa with just a stick or sharp rock.   Here is a link to a site about Banedlier Tuff.

Part of the mesa and some of the vegetation around it.

You can see the mesa top with the shelf around the side, this is where the cave dwellings were dug.

Another shot farther south.

This large flat rock projecting out over the valley was used by the anasazi women to grind corn and socialize.   There are numerous depressions used as stone meal grinders (metate).

You can see some of the dwellings dug into the shelf.

And more farther on.

One of their pathways worn into the rock by centuries of sandaled feet.

Another shot of some of the dwellings dug into the shelf.

A distant shot of the large flat rock where the anasazi women ground meal and socialized.   If you look close you can see Betty's red shirt and bluejean jacket in the exact center.

Another pic of foot worn paths in solid rock.

Petroglyphs.

More foot paths.

Grinding rock, as seen from the shelf.

Los Alamos, on top of a nearby mesa, to the north west.

Another shot of the dwelling holes dug in the western side of the mesa.

R. C. Gorman's studio and home in Taos.   His front yard is also his driveway and parking place, you can see the neighbor's car, in their driveway/parking place on the right.   You can also see the large studio window on the right rear of the building, we are looking about East.   This building has now been sold and the Gorman store is in the Taos Plaza.

Looking up the street in front of Gorman's studio, notice the curve.   Its just barely wide enough for two cars to pass if their really careful.

We ate lunch in Taos, at Orlando's. Betty has now declared that Orlando's, has the best quesadillas known to mankind!

You can see Betty in the front window.

The inside seated 28, and 40 on the patio.

From Taos we drove north to Questa, then into the mountains to Red River.   This is some of the mountains just south of Questa, you can see lots of aspens turning.

This is after we turned at Questa toward Red River.

Looking from the porch in front of our room in Red River, note the green head ducks on the river.   This was the bottom of a small trickle coming down the mountain like a waterfall, click on the pic to see the whole thing.

Another shot from the porch.

Looking northwest down the porch at one of the ski lifts.

Looking up at the mountain behind our room.

One of the alpen style buildings in Red River with the mountain in the background.

The only snow we saw this time, and it was artificially made on the ski slope.   I think they were testing the snow making equipment.