Day 85: Out on the tao'n in Taos, New Mexico

We did it.  We FINALLY did it.  We found the most beautiful man-made structure on earth.  EAT THAT, UNESCO!  Wh--what?  Oh-- oh, ok.  They've already been there?  Oh, and it's one of the most commonly photographed structures in the world?  Shhh... 

*Don't worry, this guy's just sleeping

Winter's carryings-on while we trying to figure out where we are

Found it!  Taos Pueblo, New Mexico.  One thousand year-old adobe structure, continuously occupied (or at least still occupied today) by Puebloan Indians. 

Rife with prime subjects for door photography.  Sentence confused with awkward syntax.  Baffled readers for hours remain stunned.

North House -- the big kahuna

Indeed.

Dog siesta time: 10 am - 4 pm

Can't...  stop... photographing...

...the same...thing...

Must... not... post...

...ALL OF THEM...

Holy adobe, Batman -- these guys are really stuck in the mud!

A lot of the pueblo's individual homes are still accessed by ladders and holes in the roof 

Time to get moving -- losing sunlight, and we have to drive 700 miles to Dallas by TOMORROW.

An hour later, that same front just won't leave us alone

Hmm... suddenly looking quite bright out...

What's that, girl?  You saw me turn up the red tones on that one shot to simulate sunset?  And that's against the rules?  And I've now consequently surrendered the moral high ground to the legions of 24-hour news cycle junkies and re-re-re-tweeters?  It's about STORY, Winter.  YOU'VE NEVER UNDERSTOOD THAT.  STORY. 

I'm sorry.  I didn't mean to yell.

One might assume those marks on the window are the battle scars of a vehicle well worn.  No, no, no, my dear Watson -- those are telltale signs of a dog staring out a window.  Winter's nostril marks, I daresay.

NOW it's getting dark.  Still very much in New Mexico.  Several hundred miles to go.

So this was a pretty new thing to us -- timed stoplights at worksites.  Rather than have people on hand to direct traffic, because we're in the middle of nowheresville they have these instead.  This is the most recent of many.

In retrospect, I'm not really sure why it was necessary to explain that.  The road gets boring sometimes. 

You know you need the best camera ever invented when:

You just can't manage to get the shot of the most incredible sunset stretching the entire length of the horizon as far as you can possibly see in either direction.

Just not good enough.

BUTWE'REENTERINGTEXASSOWHOCARES!

 

Next up, Amarillo, Texas: Ancestral home of the originator of the Boomtown legacy, Sir Andrew Polk.

Days 82-84: NEW YEARS DANCE PARTY WHAT?

My mom's starting to think we're alcoholics.  But what better way to celebrate surviving a brush with...strandedness(?)...than getting trashed in your hotel room on New Years???

OH, RIGHT, there's ONE better way -- !cellphonestrobelightdanceparty!

Gotta get the playlist right.

And we're out.  This place needs some energy.  And those two ladies look REALLY angry (actually wait is that a dude and they're fighting?)

"What time is it? Eleven???  Where's the dancing???"

"COME ON PEOPLE, DANCE!  WHY AREN'T YOU DANCING?!"

That's my girlfriend, everyone.

Definitely don't remember ordering this.

DEFINITELY remember ordering this.  BEST NACHOS EVER.  Can't remember why, but they must have been incredible.

Then we went to this gas station for supplies.  Read: SoCo in a plastic bottle, which probably wasn't SoCo at all but rather watered down whiskey with some water.

 There it is.  But why did we end up with it?  Because a homeless guy accosted us (in a friendly way) at the gas station.  "How's it going?" I say.  "Much better now that you're getting me a bottle of SoCo," he replies.  "You got it."

That was the good part.  Then he followed us for ten minutes -- actually, walked with us to the bar -- claiming to be keeping us safe from the local "ruffians" who were supposedly threatening to beat us up.  After about minute eight it got pretty creepy -- "Oh, this is our bar, happy new year!"  Felt kind of bad though.  At least he got a bottle of SoCo.

Eight hours later...  "What HAPPENED last night???"  I...can't...remember...

Oh. (see warning at bottom)

Oh yeah, and the car is still a shitshow.

Time for a chia seed boost.

And a car wash.

"WHAT IS THIS?!?!??!"

"I have to..."

"...race around the car..."

"...in search of safety!"

"NOWHERE TO HIDE!!!"

Before:

After:

Better than expected

Best dogpark in the country.  Believe us, we've been to all of them.

Santa Fe Indian market

Closed :(

Fine, Burrito Company.

Officially cemented the new plan: spend summer in the southwest, writing, building stuff, communing with nature.

Heard five months earlier in Beijing's Yashow (come on people, it's Yaxiu) Silk Market:

"Hey lady, hey lady! Lady can never have too many purses!  You want a purse?  Hey lady!"

I'm going where they're going.

This is the face of someone who just realized...

...the boots she wanted are all at least $300.

Stopping in at Maria's -- supposedly the origin of the margarita, the only restaurant in Santa Fe one HAS to go to, and capital of green chili heaven. 

Green chili stew -- pretty great.  First time having sopaipillas: heaven on earth?

Apparently...

...I like...

...taking pictures...

...of sculptures.

Iconic Santa Fe.  The woman inside didn't seem too happy with this shot from the alley.

"I love luminaries!"  "I love prominent thinkers...too?"

Shot the moon.  Get it?  No?  Fine.

I know, I know, this is my new favorite place in the world, too.  First salads of the trip!  Kidding...I hope...  I can't remember for sure -- not through the fog of grease and sugar.

Goodbye Santa Fe.  We'll be back.  We're summering in you.