The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge in El Prado, New Mexico

The Rio Grande Bridge was
built between 1963 & 1965.








It is 1,280 feet long and 650 feet above the Rio Grande.  The bridge has been seen in several films: Natural Born Killers, Twins, She's Having a Baby, Wild Hogs and Terminator Salvation.

A Crisis Hotline Call Box

More than 100 people have

jumped from this bridge.

I am grateful that I have this
railing to hold onto as I
cross the bridge.

Kayakers are often seen

on the river below.

Eric at one of the observation

sites along the bridge.

Visitors leave locks & 

graffiti here.

Eric and I talk about the thousands of locks that were added to the Pont des Artes in Paris, France. 

The bridge's truss work

I stand in the middle
of the road  to take
this photo of the south
approach to the bridge.

Then, I turn around to get a

picture of the north approach.

Signs on the south side of the bridge.

Please supervise your
children.

NM DOT is not liable
for injuries & accidents.

No vending on the highway

right-of-way.

Throwing objects from
the bridge is littering,
& could harm boaters
below.

Someone wasn't following

 directions.

Zooming in on the white
blob, I realize it could
be a refrigerator.

I am fascinated by the

mid-morning light on

the north side of the

gorge.

The gorge was formed by

shifting tectonic plates. 

Fellow visitors snap a

picture of Eric & me.

Walking both sides of the
Rio Grande Gorge bridge.

is scary & beautiful.

I love bridge railings.

Roadside Attractions in Taos, New Mexico

Eric abruptly pulled to the road shoulder during our drive northwest.  What?????  He had something to share with me.

Eric found a listing for

these large glasses at

Roadsideamerica.com.

Just up the road is a large
pink bunny with a
Hoola Hoop.






American roads are lined with oddities.  They add an element of whimsy to our travels.

Thar Be Balloons Here in Taos, New Mexico

As Eric & I left our motorhome,
at the Walmart parking lot, we
looked up and saw, balloons....

A balloon is preparing

to launch at the Hotel

Fernando de Taos,

kitty corner to the

Taos Walmart.

Apparently, Taos doesn't have a large launch site like Albuquerque.  Having recently crewed balloons at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Eric and I discuss the process of launching a balloon.





The burners have been lit
to heat the air inside the
balloon.







The balloon is ready to launch.

And there it goes.

Eric & I watch the
balloon float higher.

The wind is taking it

over our motorhome.

Eric and I wish the balloonists safe flights.  It's time to drive northwest...

Taos Plaza Shops, Restaurants & Galleries

Conquistadors from the Coronado Expedition arrived in Taos in 1540.  By 1615 Taos was an established Spanish village with a mayor.





The origins of the Taos
Plaza...

Built in the 1790s, this
fortification also served
the valley with trading
fairs.

The cross & Veterans
Memorial honor Taos
veterans in World War I,
World War II, Korean
War, Vietnam War &
Persian Gulf War.

Padre Antonio Jose

Martinez established

schools in Taos.

During his political career, Padre Martinez presided over the convention to organize New Mexico as a U.S, territory.

On Friday afternoon,

the gazebo is empty.

The Plaza is lined with shops, restaurants and galleries.

It is an adobe
structure.







And, it has a hotel here on the Plaza.

Eric admires the brightly

colored doors of the Hotel

 La Fonda de Taos Lobby

 Entrance.

Hotel La Fonda de Taos proudly displays the "forbidden artwork" of D.H. Lawrence.  The nine paintings on display here were seized by the police from the Dorothy Warren Gallery in London in 1929.  By today's standards, the paintings are erotically artful, but in the early 20th century, they were considered lurid, obscene.  

How did Lawrence's art end up in Taos?  Lawrence's patroness, Mabel Dodge Sterne Luhan invited him and his wife Frieda to Taos in 1922.  She gave the couple 160 acres of land 20 miles north of town that became known as Kiowa Ranch.  Lawrence died in 1930. Frieda returned to Taos a few years later. Following her death in 1956, Saki Karavas, owner of the Hotel La Fonda de Taos, purchased the "forbidden paintings" from Frieda's second husband, Angelo Ravagli. Karavas bequeathed his hotel and the paintings to George Sahd's family, who continue to run the hotel and display Lawrence's art.

Taos Adobe
Quilting







Eric and I dodge raindrops as we walk from one section of the plaza to another.

Taos Trading Company

Taos Adobe Bar is
on a side street.

A ghost sits on the bench

outside the Rocky Mountain

Chocolate Factory.

The Alley Cantina's
outdoor seating is
empty on a rainy
afternoon.

Eric shopped at Taos

 Mercantile Company.

Hey!  Our car is getting
peed on!

I get the message....

It's time to leave.

Eric Gets a Beer Flight at Eske's Brew Pub & Eatery in Taos, New Mexico

A new town, a new
brew pub.... Eske's

Outdoor seating

What's on tap...

Seating along the wall

Eske's uses every inch

of its small space.

Eske's merchandise
is hung on the wall
over the cellar stairs.

I love this sign!

Eric sits down near

Godzilla.

I grew up with the 1950s Godzilla  films.  My father let us kids (Al. Stan and me) watch them when my mother was out. She thought Godzilla movies were too violent.

The bar & the kitchen

Eske's menu features traditional pub fare.

Eric's beer flight: Green Chile 
Beer, Aspen Pale Ale, Scottish
Ale, Blonde Betty,Why Rye?
& Seco Stout

Best of the Beer Flight goes to...
Scottish Ale




Eske's uses decorated muffin tins to serve beer flights.

Eric gets a can of Santa Fe

 Brewing Imperial Java Stout.

I chose a glass of

Black Mesa Merlot.

I wish we had come here hungry.  The Vegetarian Green Chile Stew looks really good.