Taos, Ojo Caliente, and We Made it to Albuquerque!

The 2019 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta officially opens tomorrow (Saturday, 10/5)! So in anticipation of VERY early mornings and late nights, I wanted to get you caught up on what we’ve been up to.

As I mentioned in the last post, we were looking at three days of high winds so we got up early on Tuesday, 9/29, and left our spot on San Luis Lakes after just one coffee. (Sacrifices must be made to the wind gods.) After a quick stop at the dump station, we were on the road by 8am. The good news, we only had a hundred miles to our next stop – a boondocking location called Taos Junction. We found a decent spot and were all set up before the winds started in earnest. Yay us!

Taos Junction is an area off of Forest Service Road 557 near Ojo Caliente, NM. If you have a smaller rig there are lots of options. There is a veritable maze of narrow tracks with places to pull off and camp. In a big rig, there are fewer choices. While we were happy with our spot, this area wouldn’t be high on our list of recommendations – way too much trash and broken glass. Some days it is really hard to like the human race. ☹

Our boondocking spot at Taos Junction.

Who's beast is this?
Someone needs a bath!

On Wednesday we drove into Taos. On the way we stopped at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, it's 600 feet across and, at 565 feet high, it's the second highest bridge in the US. Built in 1966, it is now on the National Register of Historic Places. There's a short trail along the gorge and I scored some nice jewelry from local artists set up near the bridge. A worthwhile stop. 😊 

The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge.

Rog had read a lot about Taos and its thriving artist community. There were galleries everywhere and some neat shops, but we weren’t able to give them more than a cursory look since puppy-boy wasn’t welcome inside most places. We tried to visit the Taos Pueblo, an adobe complex that has been inhabited by Native Americans for 1000 years. Unfortunately, we weren’t aware it was San Geronimo Day – an important celebration and feast day for the Taos Pueblo people. Part of the celebration was open to the public, but the line of traffic to get there was ridiculous and with it being so crowded we just gave up on it.   Luckily, we did find Taos Mesa Brewing which had a Riley-friendly patio. No day trip that includes a good beer and excellent pizza can be considered a total loss. Lol.

The boys take a break while Mommy shops. :)

A spot we can all enjoy!

Our next stop was one we’d been looking forward to – Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort and Spa. While the mineral springs have been used by native peoples for thousands of years, the spa first opened its doors in 1868. They offer a variety of accommodations, including RV spaces. We had two nights booked to just soak and relax!

At Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort and Spa. Ahhhhhhh.

Beautiful setting at the Cliffside pools.

Fires in the evening too!

Someone had fun with the fencing. :)

The spa had about a dozen pools with varying temperatures (89° to 104°) and different mineral contents – iron, soda, lithia, and arsenic. I’m not sure just how therapeutic “taking the waters” actually is, but I’ll give soaking in hot mineral water until I’m boneless a fair trial. They also had wet and dry saunas, we liked the eucalyptus steam sauna, it only took a few minutes in there and I was a wet noodle. Lol.

Medicinal or marketing?
Who cares when it feels this good.

Rog in the Arsenic pool. 

In addition to the mineral springs, there was a mountain biking trail for Rog and a hiking trail for Riley and me. Rog did the 8-mile Rincon Loop on Wednesday. It was a tougher climb and not as scenic as his last ride, but he still had a good time. This area has been home to Pueblo tribes for nearly 3000 years and there are Pueblo ruins just behind the resort. Rog saw thousands of pot shards littering the area. My inner Jeremy Crow would have been vibrating like a tuning fork. People have piled them on flat rocks and he took pictures so I could look but not touch. Sigh.

Rincon Loop Trail.

Ancient pottery shards littered the area.
So freaking cool!

Riley and I walked the 2-mile Bosque River Loop Trail and he, of course, managed to get his feet wet. Since he’d just gotten a long overdue bath, I had no intention of letting him get too wet and muddy!

On the Bosque River Trail.

The restored adobe round barn.

Ojo Caliente was a nice treat. We had dinner at the on-site Artesian Restaurant, soaked ourselves silly, and did just enough hiking and biking to feel virtuous. Lol.

And now, finally – we get to the bucket-list destination, the purpose of this 2-month fall jaunt to the southwest – the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta!! We arrived on Thursday, 10/3, and, with the help of the friendly volunteers, got registered and assigned our spot. A few months ago, we were given the opportunity to upgrade from the South RV lot to a new area they just opened this year, the North VIP Lot. The South Lot is nearly a mile from the launch field (there is a free shuttle), while the North lot is literally a stone’s throw away. The downside (isn’t there always one) is that we’re close to where they set off the fireworks. We’re not sure how close or how Riley is going to handle it, but we figured we’d give it a try. We brought CBD treats and if that doesn’t work, worst case scenario, on fireworks nights we’ll take Riley and hang out somewhere else. For the rest of the time we’ll be super close to launch field, the vendors, and all the action!

Yep, it's just a gravel parking lot.
But it's a gravel parking lot close to the action!!

After getting set up, Rog dropped me off at the laundromat while he did the Costco run. Several hours later we had clean clothes and enough dog food to get us home. Lol. Friday was a free day, since the Balloon Fiesta doesn't start until Saturday. There was a possibility of thunderstorms forecast throughout the day. The weather didn’t look too bad in the morning, so Rog and I decided to visit the Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festival. It was held in a huge tented area at the Sandia Resort and Casino not too far from where we’re staying. I am always in awe of the talent and creativity on display at these shows. We were perusing the booths when we heard the rumble of thunder. A few minutes later there was a deluge. Rog checked his weather app and we were right underneath the red and yellow band of a significant thunderstorm. Pretty soon the water started pouring in under the edges of the tent and dripping through the heavy canvas roof. The vendors were scrambling to get their items out of harm’s way. We waited a few minutes and after the worst had passed, made a run for the car.

Riley and our RV were fine, but parts of the RV lot were flooded. What a mess! We’re just not used to that kind of heavy, monsoon rain. A couple hours later the sun was shining and the forecast is for clear skies and temps in the 70’s the rest of the week. Fingers crossed!

Flooding at our RV lot.
Hope this is the last of the rains for awhile.

In the afternoon, we took Riley and headed into Albuquerque to the Friday Night 5^th Street Market. It sounded cool, but the website information was incorrect and by the time we’d finally located it, we were unimpressed. We decided to skip it and check out Green Jean’s Farmery. Now, this place was a hit! Green Jean’s is a collection of small businesses housed in a two-story building fabricated from shipping containers. The restaurants are anchored by the Santa Fe Brewing Company (founded in 1988 by thirsty people desperate for good beer - Lol). It is eclectic, colorful, fun, delicious and kid and dog-friendly! Rog found it by doing an on-line search for the best green-chili burger in Albuquerque. It did not disappoint. Excellent burger, good beer and homemade ice cream from Nitro Fog Creamery. Yeah, we may be going back. Lol.

The boys are having too much fun. Lol. 

Well that catches you up. Tomorrow at 6am is the first Dawn Patrol Show. I am excited and hope I’ll be able get pictures to share that do it justice. More to come!