Adios, Santa Fe

Three weeks in the Santa Fe area has sadly come to an end. During the last week we attempted to get to some of our favorite hikes and restaurants before moving on.

This enormous valley lies within the Valles Caldera located in the Jemez Mts. The valley was formed about 1 million years ago when the valley floor collapsed after a series of massive volcanic eruptions. These eruptions are estimated to have been 500 times more powerful then those of Mt. St. Helens.

For those of you who were fans of the Longmire series, this valley was the view from his cabin.

Ghost Ranch is located northwest of Santa Fe. It was were Georgia O’Keefe spent a lot of time visiting friends and painting. It is currently a retreat center with a campground and some great hiking. This was our fourth visit and we decided to do the Box Canyon hike. It was one hike we had not yet done.

The hike takes you by an impressive sandstone wall where generations of Native Americans have come to remember their ancestors.

Where is the trail?

The Rio Grande Gorge near Taos has some great hiking opportunities. The last time we hiked along the gorge was 2012 and we were eager to return.

La Vista Verde Trail is a 1 1/2 mile trail along the gorge which terminates at a bench overlooking the river gorge.

Our last day in Santa Fe coincided with Pat’s Birthday which we celebrated by walking around town checking out galleries and having lunch at Izanami in the Ten Thousand Waves Spa.

This was our second visit to Izanami. We loved the food as well as the setting.

But before we leave, one more glorious sunset.