Thanks Martin - always appreciate your feedback and glad that I have got you thinking! We're reprising Route 66 next September if you are interested in following that, too. All the best - Chris
Today is our mid-trip rest day so we met our friends from the USA, Sher and Terry Newland and Carole and Doug Lant for a trip on the Durango to Silverton Steam Railway , previous winner of most scenic in the USA. Three and a half hours each way with a two hour stop in Silverton. Here is a selection of pictures from the train ride: We stopped for lunch in Silverton at a former bordello, Natalia's 1912 restaurant : Here is Silverton main street: When we returned to Durango, Doug and Carole had a surprise visit planned for us to a speakeasy disguised as a barber shop and bookshop - The Bookcase and Barber . Cocktails all round, including a mint julep for Tracey, and then a short stroll to a Mexican restaurant. On the way Tracey managed to cross the road on a red light right in front of the local Sheriff! He saw the funny side. In short, a perfect day.
Another 300 miles today and another day of contrasting terrain and temperatures. We left Taos via the Carson National Park riding twisty roads in temperatures hovering around 50F to an elevation of 9500 feet before descending some 75 miles down the road in to Las Vegas, New Mexico. Stopping for coffee before our group leader, Alan, took us on a short guided tour of the centre including the Plaza Hotel built in the late 1800s and older than the state of New Mexico: Returning to the Easy Rider theme, the street where Wyatt and Billy joined the parade and were subsequently jailed for parading without a licence: And the fire station outside which Jack Nicholson decided to go along for the ride with Billy and Wyatt after their release from prison: We then rode a further 100 miles south down the New Mexico highway with the temperature rising to the high 80Fs to rejoin Route 66 at Tucumcari where we had lunch at Kix on 66: Continuing East along I40/Route 66 we stopped fo...
We left Route 66 behind and went north to view the Sacred Mountain gas station, or what is left of it, where the hippy filled up Wyatt's tank causing Billy an anxious moment as he thought that he might see the stashed cash: And so on to yet another glorious scenic drive through the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. A wonderful twisty road through a black lava landscape interspersed with pine trees. At the end of the road is the spot, Wukoki, where Wyatt and Billy camped for tthe night with the hippy: In the afternoon we travelled further north, even crossing a small corner of the state of Utah, to Monument Valley for a 2 hour guided tour. Words cannot express the awesomeness of Monument Valley that has to be seen to be believed. The pictures below give a taste of the wonders that we beheld: We made it back to our hotel just as night fell and feeling a little closer to home as we are now 7 hours behind the UK, not 8.
Thanks for the blog Chris - as always it has given me the wanderlust.
ReplyDeleteThanks Martin - always appreciate your feedback and glad that I have got you thinking! We're reprising Route 66 next September if you are interested in following that, too. All the best - Chris
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