Fall Colors Suggest a Trip to Northern NM This Weekend

Here are some specific spots for enjoying the fall color tour of the Taos area. Bring your camera, bring your folding chairs, bring your hiking boots/shoes. Just returned from a short Taos visit (I live in Albuquerque most of the time and at the Inn the rest).

One of the things that never ceses to amaze me is the varied sunsets provided by the Taos area. Tonight would have been a great night to be at StakeOut for dinner about 6 PM. The sun was partially blocked by a cloud with sun rays bursting forth around that cloud. Cloud edges were brilliant white. Where was my camera?

I've posted this on a couple of websites but not ours or the blog. Several years back a large, 40 feet each side, block of the Sangre de Christo Mountains dislodged from it's perch several hundred feet above the Rio Grande valley about milepost 26 on NM 68. If you know 68, it's just a few hundred feet South of the ancient no longer safe nor used suspension bridge. That boulder now sits on the Northerly side of the Rio Grande.

It crashed across the road, left a huge dent in 68, fortunately missing all traffic and humans. Not so lucky was the bus driver a few years prior to that who encounted a 10 foot cube of granite by hitting it with his bus.

The colors around Pilar are interesting in that the Pilar valley widens some and has many aspen and golden colors leaves. Plus for a few miles prior to Pilar, the reds and oranges of some ground level plants are quite exquisite. Pilar has a BLM visitor center with rest rooms, information, and picnic tables. Imagine relaxing while listening to the soothing sounds of the water as it flows downstream.

Surprisingly, there are still people rafting the Rio Grande. Although not as exciting as in June with peak run off water flows, a day on the river is hard to beat. Call one of the Taos boating companies or stop by Rio Grande Rapid Transit in Pilar.

A short ditance further North about milepost 32 to 33 is the horseshoe. Again, that valley offers awesome color vistas of gold, red, rust, orange, etc. If you're up to a hike, you can work your way up that valley to a high point that offers great views of the Rio Grande Gorge to the North.

As a reminder, this weekend is Wool Fest which attracts a good crowd to Taos. It'll offer you more to see and do. Rooms become a bit harder to find but we still have availability at Indian Hills Inn. www.newmex.com/indianhillsinn or 800-444-2346. Please share our blog with your friends. They will appreciate your reminding them of the beauty of Northern NM during the fall.