You may not find this terribly rewarding unless you're included here, so this is a good time for casual and random browsers to turn back before they get too caught up in the sweep and majesty of the proceedings and can't let go.
Melvin yearning for the Great Outdoors
Choupette, too
Spooky masks on the wall
Amongst the Christmas stockings, including Melvin (our cat), Pugsley (of the other cat team), and George Michael (aka Young Buddy). 'Gan Gan' is Kristin, and 'Duh-wight' is our camera wielder.
Sunset, 28 December 2025
Dinner at the Legal Tender in Lamy, 10 miles south on NM-285 of the Apache Ridge Road (named for Archbishop Lamy) (population 110). The former Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad got this far in 1880, when its engineers realized that continuing the route west via Santa Fe was impractical -- instead, the main line went south and west to Albuquerque etc. and a spur line was built directly to Santa Fe (service for which was discontinued in 1926).
The Legal Tender Saloon & Eating House began as a general store in 1881, taken over as the Pflueger General Merchandise Store in 1895. The store was renovated and reopened as the Pink Garter Saloon in 1953, then as the 'Legal Tender' through various owners since 1970. It's joined to the Lamy Railroad & History Museum, and (according to Wikipedia) they're run as a non-profit with assistance from volunteers.
Preserving the old traditions, and very well. The dinner was quite good; we came back another night.
During World War Two, the spur line also gave access to the Los Alamos National Laboratory, hidden in the mountains some 40 miles north and west of Santa Fe. Since 2021, several Santa Fe residents, including novelist George R.R. Martin, created Sky Railway, an excursion train running from Sante Fe on the old spur line. The Amtrak Southwest Chief still passes through Lamy once a day on the main line in each direction.
Some examples of wonderful artifacts acquired by Kristin's former husband
The Emperor Constantine and his mother St Helena
Not only do domesticated cats need their sleep, they need it most of the time. (29 December 2025)
A George Barse work from Capri
Choupette planted at the windows at the back of the house . . .
. . . observing the various participants out in the hot tub.
Eldorado, a smallish town of 6,000, boasts this classy mall built round a modern supermarket, and we're here for stocking up on stuff (esp. wine). It's conveniently located just near the intersection with NM-285 to facilitate the patronage of folks from out in the surrounding desert.
Obviously, it's really cold out.
The 'supermart' dominates, but a healthy number of other enterprises are packed in . . .
. . . all round the courtyard.
Just in passing, it's not really worth noting that Edward Lee Howard, briefly of the CIA, lived in Eldorado at the time of his defection to the Soviet Union in 1985.
Crowded. Well laid out. Very 'up to date'. And . . .
. . . pretty expensive.
Ah, there's the Beer & Wine section.
Kristin's ordering up a lot of something-or-other, but we're trusting that they're not from Boar's Head.
In 2024, Boar's Head in Virginia had to recall 7,000,000 pounds of listeriafied deli meats. 2025 turned up the similar sanitation problems at several others of their plants in the US. Just saying . . .
The cats are still asleep. (30 December 2025)
Another walk round the 'gardens' (31 December 2025)
We've no idea what made that crashed-out mess.
Back to the former horse stables
There must be something an inspired property developer could do with that.
We're exploring a little gulley sort of thing running through the property, and . . .
. . . encountering an impressive solar array near one of the neighbors' house.
They do look a little bored. (31 December 2025)
Another George Barse painting, very nice
Same cats. They swapped catbeds this time. (2 January 2026)
-- We'll be leaving soon, Choup.
-- Just hang on for a day or two, and we'll be back in a La Quinta.
An eventful drive 80-odd miles north to Taos
Ominously overcast as we get past Santa Fe
Much better now, except for that strange band of clouds over the mountains
Rough terrain!
We saw a painting of that thing, or something very like it, in one of the art shops in Madrid.
Clouding up again
That's lovely downtown Pojoaque, home of the Cities of Gold Hotel, and the turn-off for Los Alamos 15 miles to the west.
Where you can also find Ortega's Jerky (as well as all over this region)
Grim weather ahead?
Hilarious trees . . .
. . . everywhere
Here comes trouble.
Uh oh. Our driver must proceed carefully now.
This may be the first inclement weather test our Toyota Crown Signia has ever faced.
All's well so far.
Very strange countryside. Much of this stretch on both sides of the road looked burnt out . . .
. . . possibly deliberately.
Back in the soup again
A brief pause in our journey: Official Scenic Historic Marker: 'The village of Las Trampas was established as a Spanish-American community in 1751 by 12 families from Santa Fe'.
'The Church of San José de la Gracia, built between 1760 and 1776, is a National Historic Landmark and the community's center where the agriculture cycle still is observed with religious ceremony and ritual. Parishioners periodically re-mud the adobe walls, which are as much as six feet thick. It is considered one of the best preserved examples of Spanish Colonial architecture in New Mexico.'
But we mustn't tarry.
We're passing through any number of tiny villages, from time to time, but . . .
. . . we're only half an hour out from Taos now.
Next up: Passing through Taos and exploring Taos Pueblo
Dwight Peck's personal website
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All rights reserved, all wrongs avenged. Posted 24 February 2026.
