4/26: Taos, Rio Grande Gorge, Puye Cliff Dwellings

We broke in our new truck with a 150-mile round-trip up the Rio Grande Gorge to Taos Pueblo. The adobe pueblos are one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the US. For a cost of $25 per person, you can enter the village to view the ancient, two- and three-story adobe row homes, and visit shops and vending stalls. A Spanish church was built there in 1619 and destroyed during a revolt in 1680. We saw the ruins. The church was rebuilt a block away in 1850. It was a cool, overcast day, so the the village wasn't as photogenic as Hank remembered from a previous visit in the late 80s. It was free to visit back then. We took a few photos and bought some cookies and pie made by the seller in an adobe oven under the crop drying racks. Then we headed into town, where we had an lunch that included a delicious drunken chicken pot pie featured on the show Diners, Dives and Drive-ins. 

Since we were so close, we drove to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge for some photos. Unfortunately, the cloudy-sky and the rusty metal combined to provide a disappointing result. Trying to salvage the day, Hank suggested we visit the Puye Cliff Dwellings on the way back to Santa Fe. The cliff dwellings were occupied by about 1,500 Santa Clara Pueblo Indians between about 900 and 1580 AD. Unfortunately, we arrived about 15 minutes before closing and 90 minutes after the last tour of the day. These days you cannot view the dwellings without buying a guided tour at a cost of $25 per person. Angie was fascinated and disappointed that we couldn't see it. We have to come back! That's ok with Hank, who really enjoyed Santa Fe and could imagine living there.