Day 36 - Eagle Nest, New Mexico

A peaceful, contemplative kind of day today - this end of US-64 (which runs all the way to North Carolina) is very beautiful, rising up through the Jicarilla Apache Reservation, the meadows, piñon pine and juniper over the Tusas mountains to a height of almost 10,000 ft [3,000 m], at Brazos Cliffs. It also crosses the Continental Divide a little east of Dulce. The descent is slightly more gentle! I'm fortunate that this road is still open - it is often closed because of deep snow at this time of year.

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Just before Taos the road goes over the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge - very dramatic!
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Stopped off at Taos - a fascinating town full of gentle hippies; most of the houses are Mexican adobe, and actually somewhat reminiscent of the houses I saw in Saudi Arabia back in the 1970s. There are also some houses built into the landscape - 'earthships', south-facing, with north walls of banked earth, designed to be eco-friendly. Spent quite a while wandering around the art and craft stores - there are some beautiful artifacts to be had here.
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My resting place tonight is the Econo Lodge at Eagle Nest - it's essentially a log cabin style, with lovely friendly management - I asked where I could get coffee, and they brought me a pot! I was also visited by their two cats, one of whom just walked right into my room and made itself comfortable on my bed. But once it started scratching the couch I thought it was time for it to leave!
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Had an excellent steak at the Lucky Shoe Bar & Grill, with the biggest glass of cabernet - must have been about 1/3 of a bottle! Now I'm looking out of my window at the lake by starlight ... sure beats working!
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