Happy Travels: February 6, 7, 2011--Pagosa Springs. Colorado

Our trip to Pagosa Springs was just great. We traveled two different routes on our trip. On the way to Pagosa Springs started our drive by driving northwest of our park on route 550. Then we turned north on route 537 and then 64 to 84 which took us into Pagosa Springs. The trip took us about 4 hours through some very barren land punctuated with cliffs and mountains in colors from beige to snow capped dark mountains. We saw very few people and when we did see a place to stop we certainly took advantage of the opportunity. We traveled through a few Indian Reservations but still we did not meet many cars and followed very few cars. When we got closer to the Colorado land we met pickup trucks with hay bales on the back. of their trucks. We also noticed tracks thru the snow to were the cattle were eating the hay which had been left there on the ground.

Pagosa Springs has pretty much stayed the same to our eyes but my cousin told us that when he moved to the area in the 70's there were 1200 people in the area. Then the population rose to 13,000 but now it is back to about 11,000 people. It is primarily a retirement community in the mountains west of the continental divide which caters to the tourist. They have lost 2 lumber yards a grocery store and other businesses which are tourist orientated. My cousin is a builder by profession so this shrinking of the businesses and population is of concern to him.

We spent the afternoon and evening at his home with him and his daughter. He had made a huge crock pot full of chili with crackers, cheese and fruit. They also had Greek Yogurt for the chili. It was quite good with a spoonful on top of the chili instead of cheese. The Super Bowl was the main event of the day. so we watched the game in their living room with a nice warm stove heating the house in the kitchen. It was a very good game and the outcome depends on which team you wanted to win.

We spent the night in their apartment above the garage and we were well rested for the next day. On Monday we packed our things and went out to breakfast with my cousin. He chose a very nice little restaurant in Pagosa Springs just a few miles from his home. The breakfast was just great and then we walked past some of the shops. They have all kinds of unique shops on the main street. We stopped in one which had some very unique and beautiful things for sale.

My cousins home is up on a hill with a fantastic view of the mountains. When on the streets of Pagosa Springs you have a view of the mountains in every direction. They also have hot springs which empty into a river from the mountains in the center of town. They have 22 hot spring pools which are enjoyed by many people during the summer. In the spring as the snow melts in the mountains my cousin and his fishing buddies will start at an area close to his home and floot down the river while fly fishing for some great fish.

They also have private pools in some buildings, which are near to the springs, were you can sit in the hot pool for a few minutes and then cool by lying on wooden benches or dipping in cool water. It is total relaxation and makes you feel great. We did not do the hot pools but if it is like a hot tub, which is not as hot, it would be great.

When we left Pagosa Springs we pointed our truck to 84 and on to Espanola. We drove to Charma and did a pit stop then we continued on to Abiquiu were we saw Echo Canyon and its many rock formations. Then on to Espanola and the Puye Cliffs. The Puye Cliffs was the ancestral home of the Santa Clara Pueblo people. We stopped at the welcome center and found we had just missed the last guided tour, so we bought tickets so we could see the cliffs from about a 1/4 mile distance. They had an exhibit area and a large telescope so you could look at the cliffs and the mesa on the top. (check the internet about the Puye Cliffs).We got a few pictures and then left the area and drove to Los Alamos which is located west of the cliffs on route 4.

When we got close to Los Alamos we took the historical route into town and then really found out that we could not get back to route 4. Our GPS and the street signs did not work well together. Finally we went through some security gates and found route 4. We knew we would be going through the mountains but we were not prepared for what we encountered. We went up and up on some very narrow hairpin curves until suddenly we came upon a large valley called the Valle Grande. It was a valley enclosed totally by mountains. Walt mentioned that the Indians must have loved this area because they certainly would not be found without them knowing it was happening. It reminds me of some of the movies I have seen about the west.

The roads did get a little trecherous because of the melting snow and the drop in temperature. We found the slippery spots and the tight curves did not make us feel totally comfortable. As we dropped a little lower in the mountains we came upon a little town called Jemez Springs. It appeared to be a very poor town with a church and a monstery. I do not know if the monstery was still used daily because it was right along the highway and did not show any life. Of course, if you are in a monstery you usually are not watching the cars which are going by on the road.

When we finally came to route 550, just northwest of our park, we were glad we were close to home. The trip through the mountains was beautiful but a bit tiring after a long day of travel.

When we reached home everything was fine and the news was telling us that on Tuesday night another cold front is supposed to hit the northern and central part of New Mexico. Yeah, we are so happy to hear this news. HaHa--maybe the next move will get us in good warm weather.