Saturday, September 21, 2013
We had a long driving day ahead of us to go from Durango, Colorado to Santa Fe, New Mexico. We drove along Route 160 East and stopped for a moment at The Chimney Rock Restaurant & Tavern. Inside there were pool and fooze-ball tables along with checkered tablecloth-covered dining tables. The proprietor was a feisty woman who had put Einstein posters in the ladies room because she told me “liked Einstein.” She called it the Wisdom Room and said she had an obscene name for the men’s room. Country music played loudly while a large-screen TV simultaneously broadcast the news on CNN.
A Great Place to Visit
On the Road
Along the Route
Pagosa Springs, Colorado
Cruising Along
Interesting Rock Formation
We planned to stop in Chama, New Mexico to see the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and offered daily historic steam train rides. After stopping at the modern Chama Visitor’s Center we drove to the Railroad Station to take pictures.
Cabooses
Coal Storage & Loading Chute
Two Historic Engines
The Chama Train Station
After we walked around and photographed the trains at the historic railroad station, we drove up to the Main Street for lunch. We found Foster’s Restaurant & Hotel and had an interesting lunch. I should have asked about the ‘pool tournament’.
Foster Restaurant & Hotel
Foster’s Signs
About twenty miles out of Tres Piedras, we noticed that we had only a quarter tank of gas left in our rental car. According to the dot on the map, Tres Piedras was the largest town in the area, so we continued. Imagine our surprise when we arrived in Tres Piedras to discover that it was an intersection. Yes, a crossroads. To the right was a commercial seed and feed establishment. The road ahead continued as a very long straight line leading into the desert. A few small buildings dotted the landscape reaching to the far horizon. On our left was a closed, long abandoned gas station. We turned left, hoping to find a new replacement. The grocery store in the photo below was near the gas station.
Grocery Store in Tres Piedras, New Mexico
We noticed a small restaurant on the opposite side of the road with a sign offering groceries and beer. There were a couple of young men out front with their heads under the hood of their pick-up truck. We parked and I went inside to inquire about the closest gas station. The bleached-blond woman glared at me and stated, “Thirty miles to the right; thirty miles to the left; fifty miles down the road and thirty miles where ya came from. Take your pick.” I thanked her and we continued on our thirty mile journey to Ojo Caliente, swearing to check the gas gauge every morning.
Gas Station in Ojo Caliente
The green trees and mountains of Colorado and northern New Mexico gave way to sparse shrubs and dryer landscapes. I turned on the radio and found a local station on a National Public Radio channel which was playing Native American music. Imagine driving into Santa Fe, New Mexico listening to the steady beating of a singular drum and the coarse chanting of a Hopi Medicine Man singing an ancient Native American chant. That was our entry to Santa Fe.
Approaching Santa Fe, NM
Camel Rock
Downtown Santa Fe, New Mexico