Santa Fe Road Trip 2023

Our friends Mike and Jen were planning a visit to Santa Fe and invited us to join them. John thought the two of us should drive to meet them -- unwind with a road trip. With the recent rains the spectacular Southwest scenery would be at its best, we could fit in some hikes and do some exploring. Initially I was resistant due to to the length of the drive but am so glad we did it. I enjoyed the drive as much as the destination.

The big blue sky and many cloud formations we saw were a joy.

The mountains were stunning,

As was the desert.

And the Grand Canyon was spectacular.

The hike we did at the Grand Canyon revealed one beautiful vista after another.

As we entered New Mexico we were welcomed with a rainstorm and a rainbow.

In Santa Fe we had a great time with Jen and Mike. There was a great brewery two blocks from our apartment and it was a short walk to the downtown square with many great restaurants and art galleries and we enjoyed some beautiful walks outside of town.

We took a day trip to Taos and visited the Nicolai Fechin House. I was not familiar with his work and thought his art was OK but was really impressed with the woodwork He hand-crafted did all the wood in the house, down to a bed for his daughter that could be disassembled and moved depending on the season to best appreciate the views.

Los Alamos was also very educational and interesting. I didn't take photos, but learning about the development of the atomic bomb, and getting insights into the human dynamics of the people who made it possible was really well done.

I've seen a lot of Georgia O'Keefe's work over the years, but didn't know that she had been in Japan and painted Mt. Fuji, and had never seen her cityscapes from NYC. The museum dedicated to her work in Santa Fe is a must-see. I'm grateful to Jen for being so organized and making the necessary reservations.

I have resumed doing ceramics so especially appreciated visiting the Andrea Fisher Pottery gallery. Their collection of Native American pottery was inspiring.

We did a hike just outside of Santa Fe which was stunning, and everything in town was picturesque.