Morning Dressing – South Rim, Monument Valley, Utah

I appreciated getting to spend the last day or so with my sister and her family.

North Window, Monument Valley, Utah

After roading up to Monument Valley in Utah on Friday for a Saturday explore, I left from the park around 12 or so and trekked east, through Shiprock, Farmington, Chama, and Tres Piedras to land in Red River Saturday evening. We had a short meet and greet, and then we went to bed.

On Sunday, we slept in a bit, for which I was grateful, and then we really enjoyed a relaxed day. We found ourselves on Main Street mid-morning and finally found some good syrupy coffee, which my sister and I cannot live without. After that, we walked around town a bit. We got Grant a fishing license. We went back to the condo they had rented for their vacation, and Kris and Grant and I messed with fishing stuff for a bit. Kristi, Frank, and I then rode bikes back into town. We enjoyed riding in a cool mountain rain a bit. We watched people. We visited a few stores. I craved a few chili dogs. Kristi and Frank humored me while we waited a long time for two chili dogs from the Dairy Bar on the main strip. We then rode over to the chairlift at the base of the ski area, and I left Kris and Frank there. They went and rode a trail for a bit. I, tired, went back to the condo and tried to nap before I accepted I needed a hot shower more. After that, I sat and watched Grant’s favorite show, “Over the Garden Wall”, with him while I also nodded in and out and everyone else was elsewhere.

Playing a round of Jamaica – Photo Credit: Kristi Welton-Kidder

When Kristi and Frank returned, after they cleaned up, we went uptown again for dinner at Sundance for Mexican food. The wait to get a table was over an hour, so we walked more on main street in the cool evening air. We visited the store with the Christmas shop, among other places, which brought back memories to me. And we had dinner, which was good. And then we went back to the condo for a round of Jamaica, a board game we enjoy playing together.

A Peaceful Morning at Eagle Nest Lake

This morning, we got up a little early to drive up to Eagle Nest Lake to try some fishing. We spent over an hour and some there and did not have any luck (I had a few nibbles), but the lake was beautiful and it was peaceful, and I think the boys enjoyed it. We then made a quick run over to cruise through Angel Fire, where Kristi and I again had to find some coffee!

When we got back to Red River, it was approaching lunch time, so we went to Anchovies Pizza there and enjoy pizza and a round of Durak, a card game of trying to get rid of your cards. Grant is smart enough to carry a deck so a game can be played while they wait for food. The pizza was good, and the card game was fun. It was an enjoyable morning with the Kidder family, including Brett, who appeared and joined us for activities this morning.

After lunch, I took what I thought would be a quick and mundane drive home and made it longer and enjoyable.

Sidetrack 1 was stopping in Questa to take a picture, and being approached by a local girl in probably her twenties who was blazed out on something and who pegged me as a local and told me to get the f*** out of her town. I obliged her.

Sidetrack 2 was seeing a road north of Taos that went to D. H. Lawrence Ranch (managed now by UNM). I took it, and 15 minutes later, I learned the ranch was closed to visitors on Monday afternoons. Bust.

The North House, Taos Pueblo

Sidetrack 3 was the biggest and the best. Driving into Taos, a sign pointed out the road to Taos pueblo. I passed it, and then thinking I had time to burn and a desire to see the place because I couldn’t remember if or when I had visited the pueblo before, I turned around and took it. Two hours, one tour, and 250 photos later, I had had a great time getting to visit the historic community on a very nice day.

Sidetrack 4 was stopping several times by the road between Taos and Espanola to take photos of the Rio Grande Gorge.

A little over eight hours after I left Red River, I finally arrived home.

Monument Valley, Utah. Four Corners Monument. Red River. Eagle’s Nest Lake. Taos Pueblo.

Not a bad way to fill four days.

Sharing a joke with a few stiffs – Back Alley, Red River. Photo Credit: Kristi Welton-Kidder

A grateful tourist – Monument Valley, Utah