As if we haven't spent enough time in the truck, we went for a day long scenic drive. Ed wanted to see Abiquiu and Georgia O'Keefe country and I wanted to see Taos so we opted for a loop that went northwest through Abiqui to Tierra Amarilla then east to Taos and finally south back to Santa Fe. The drive was a success as we saw a lot of scenery, more varied than I expected. Leaving Sanata Fe we drove through rolling hills and past casinos (Indian Land). Heading northwest we came into the mountains and hills that are found in many of Georgia O'Keefe's paintings. Georgia O'Keefe's house in Abiquiu was not what was expected but still it was a cute village. Abiquiu Lake was a beautiful surprise. We drove past Ghost Ranch (not open during the week in the winter) and understood why Georgia picked this as one of her homes. Turning east we were surprised to notice we were gaining altitude and eventually were at an elevation over 10,000 feet. This was not a rugged mountain but hill like in appearance. Once we were over the pass we drove through open plain with the Taos ski hills in the distance. Taos has an interesting plaza with lots of shops and historic buildings. The first half of the drive back to Santa Fe was along the Rio Grande River --- very different in appearance to the Rio Grande River we are use to in Mission, Texas.

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Abiquiu Lake with Pedernal Mountain in the distance

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Someone was very excited to dip his toes into the water. He really wanted to lie down in it.

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Abiqui Lake.

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A cliff by the side of the road.

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Echo Amphitheater, Carson National Forest

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As we neared 10,000 feet we noticed snow on the ground even though the truck's thermometer was reading almost 50F. Decided to stop and let someone play as he'll miss the snow this winter.

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Just north west of Taos is the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge spanning the Rio Grande Gorge. this bridge is a cantilever truss bridge and at 650 feet (200 m) above the Rio Grande, it is the fifth highest bridge in the United States.

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Just outside of Taos, we noticed a series of odd looking buildings. One side of the building was built up with dirt while the south side side was solar panels and glass. A sign had the name Earthship, so when we got back to the trailer I looked it up on the Internet and it turns out to be earthship.com. An "Earthship is a radically sustainable home made of recycled materials" and follows green building design principles. Sounds like a totally self-sufficient home.

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The Plaza in Taos

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A building across the street from the plaza in Taos.

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Kit Carson's house is on the left. The building with the blue trim are just colourful stores.