Cortez to Santa Fe

Caroline and I left Salt Lake City on Sunday, December 16, at around 11:30 in the morning. Our goal was to see as many sites as possible and make it home by Thursday, December 20. We traveled through ten states in five days and had a wonderful cross country tour. There are many places to which we would like to make a return visit.

One such place is Cortez, Colorado. Cortez reminded us of a ghost town on a Sunday evening in December. Several of the restaurants were closed for the season but we found the Main Street Brewery and Restaurant open and the owner ready to talk. She shared with us that the real action in Cortez is during the summer.

Some of the sites include Hovenweep National Monument, Cortez Cultural Center, Mesa Verde National Park and the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and Museum. A trip back here in the early spring or fall sounds like a great idea to me.

After spending the night in Cortez we were rested and eager to hit the road. We drove through the Ute Mountain Reservation and the Navajo Nation Off Reservation Trust Land on roads recently cleared of snow. We could see for miles.

Our first stop was in Espaniola for lunch at Marisco’s La Playa. Afterwards we got coffee at Starbucks so that Caroline could make conference call. We discovered that several episodes of Longmire were filmed here in Espaniola. Store that for trivia night!

Santa Fe is only about 35 miles from Espaniola. This was on our list of must see places. We have both been to Santa Fe but we wanted to see some of the art galleries and downtown shopping area again. We needed a reboot so we stopped at the famous Plaza Cafe for coffee and sopaipilla.

It was at the restaurant that we found lodging for the night. It’s really quite wonderful to be able to make a room reservation with one’s phone and of course that lovely little plastic credit card. We found the Pueblo Bonito Bed and Breakfast Inn had a room available with parking for a very reasonable price including breakfast. The Inn is older with a rich history. Click on the link to read more.

Caroline and I dropped off our bags and were off to chase another adventure. She treated me to Meow Wolf. Meow Wolf is an immersive and interactive art experience. Key words here are immersive and experience. Check back here tomorrow to find out how Caroline got me into a washing machine!

Joy