triumphgal

Woke up to another glorious autumn day and took my time getting ready to leave. There were puppies to greet me in the lobby and they were cute even after spilling and slurping up my water

I went first to the tourist info only to find out that the reason my cheap hotel was so expensive was that it was Cowboy Poetry Week!

I can’t believe the hotel didn’t tell me so I could have seen some of the activities last night instead of staying in. Oh well, headed to the historic downtown and parked, plugging the meter for an hour and 45. As I walked away I saw a neat pin in a jewelry store window and went in to ask how much. It was over my budget but had a great talk with the old guy in there who told me the best route to Santa Fe based on what I was driving and what I would like to see. He told me one route would be too much like home and not to stop in Española where the gangs and low-riders are. I wandered off down the Main Street of this beautiful town

I bought a ring, a wee pair of cowboy boots for my tree and a tiny hot pink dream catcher to hang from my mirror. At the end of the road was the train station and free museum that had been recommended

I like trains, I was a brakeman (first female trainman/yardman in the Kootenays) for CPRail 25 years ago so I have stopped in a few museums since then but this one blew me away. I stopped in the gift shop and bought a cool metal cup and then wandered my way in. Upon entry I stopped dead, gobsmacked.

I was so enamoured of the whole thing and the shop monkey as he called himself that I barely took any pictures but it is a must see. Old cars and miniatures as well. I had a great talk with him about their system of trains and real cabooses still in use. He told me the expression ‘so quiet you could hear a pin drop’ is about rail car coupling. From there I worked my way back up the street stopping in funky stores where I picked up a couple toques otherwise known as beanies here and a fun treat for my little buddy Freddie back home. As I forgot to bring a travel mug I stopped at Starbucks and picked up a cool one that says ‘Band of Outsiders’ on it that the lady said was calling my name and then the barista filled it for free with a new ‘Clover’ method. It was fascinating, like a reverse French press.

I realized suddenly that my meter was going to run out and quickly headed back. I got to the main intersection and cars were stopped in all directions. I asked a guy walking by and he said we could cross diagonally!

the next couple hours were full of beautiful scenery and part of it did feel familiar, similar to home and coincidentally called San Juan area

I was recommended to stop at Bodes General Store and it was an experience, hustling and bustling and full of all sorts of goods, old school style

it was in Abiquiu near the Ghost Ranch of Georgia O’Keefe fame. I bought a card with a shot of her on the back of a MC in 1944.
I am amazed that the number one warning sign I have seen on this trip except ‘Keep Right’ is this one

so far I have seen much road kill, couple of freaky rabbits, a donkey, a Llama, chipmunks, horses and many, many cows.
I managed to find Celia’s place just after 5 and was there waiting when she arrived from work. What a happy reunion!

got settled, put Arnie’s wood fire smoked salmon in the fridge that I had managed to keep cold all the way here (thanks to Shannon for contributing hers too), took her dog Bailey to the dog park, and made a plan for tomorrow.

Celia took me out for New Mexican food and even ordered for me. It was delicious!

we had such a lovely time catching up and even getting to know each other better. She is a lawyer who works for the state drawing up bills to hopefully become laws. Well it’s way more complicated than that but in a nutshell. She is just so nice and so generous to have me in her home. After all, we only knew each other for two weeks in Peru.