We left Roswell and continued North on hwy 285. We got to Santa Fe, NM and we close to Exit 290 off I-25. We sign up to stay a week at the Rancheros de Santa Fe campground taking spot 116. It is in amongst the juniper trees. We had an early dinner and then went into Santa Fe old town and walked around the plaza area. Most places were closing down so we did not get into a lot of stores.
Drove 191 miles.
Day 241 Wednesday April 11
Today we drove to Taos. We had planned to visit a pueblo or two but it appears they were shut down because of religious holidays, a combination of Catholic and native ceremonies. We ate lunch in a small restaurant recommended by the parking lot man. He claimed it was authentic Northern New Mexico food. It was very good. After lunch we walked around the Taos plaza looking at a few shops.
Rain and thunder storms but not enough to keep us in doors. We then drove to the bridge over the Rio Grand canyon. 
Whew, walking out on the bridge was a little unnerving feeling it wiggle as the cars drove over it. Drove home and on the way stopped at a grocery store. Late dinner.Day 242 Thursday April 12
We headed off to an old copper mine just a mile North of the small town of Terrero, NM which is just North of the city of Pecos. When we got to Terrero, the lady who works at the store told us there could be snow and very muddy roads. When we got to the mine, it has been rehabilitated so no collecting, and the road was very muddy. Disappointing. We decided to head up into the mountains. The road follows the Pecos River and we drove to the end of the road which was at 8800 feet.
Only a few clumps of snow along the road. Sunny and very pretty. We got as far as you can drive to the source of the Pecos River. On the way down we stopped at a few places.
On one stop I went on a little walk along Cave Creek which was very pretty .
We stopped, at few more places along the road to get some conglomerate filled with quartz stones and another spot for nice mica books.
We stopped on the Old Spanish Trail at Glorieta Pass which was the site of a civil war battle that lasted a few days. 
The South sort of won the fight but the North destroyed their supply train so they had to retreat. It is considered the “Gettysburg of the West”. We had a very fun day in the mountains again.Day 243 Friday April 13
After breakfast we went into town to the Georgia O’Keefe museum.
They had some of her work there as well as a few video presentations about her life and work. We then headed over to the plaza were the local Indians were selling there jewelry, potter, etc. Some of it very exquisite..
We had a little lunch at a local street vender then headed over to the state capital building. They had a display of early maps as well as works of local artists. Their state capital building is very modern looking and not typical like the one in Olympia.
This church is supposedly the oldest in the US. Well at least the walls and altar. 
After being on our feet for six and a half hours we headed home. Day 244 Saturday April 14
Today we just kicked back and did not do much. It was suppose to get cold and stormy and it did. In the afternoon we had snow showers and by evening the temperature had dropped below freezing. It did get to a low of 28 degrees overnight. No accumulated snow.
Day 245 Sunday April 15
We went to mass at St. Francis Cathedral Basilica in Santa Fe. The church was newly remodeled and was very beautiful as was the service.
In the afternoon we decided to go for a drive on the Turquoise Trail, highway 14, Southeast of Santa Fe. We went to two towns, Cerrillos and Madrid. Turquoise has been mined in Cerrillos since well before the Spanish arrived in the late 1500’s. Not much there now and a little commercial turquoise is being mined. Most of the old mines are now part of a state park and we will go back there later.
Madrid was an old coal mining town and is full of specialty shops. We looked at a few places then headed back to town.
We went to Outback Steakhouse to use the Christmas gift card from our daughter Anna and family.Day 246 Monday April 16
Today we drove Northwest from Santa Fe to Bandelier National Monument. We stopped at the visitor center in White City, near Los Alamos, and the man directed us to an overlook of the Rio Grand.
There was a water fall too.
The monument is next to Las Alamos national laboratories. There are pueblo ruins partially built into the caves in the 1000 foot layer of tuft, hardened volcanic ash, from volcanoes 10 millions years ago.
You could see the holes in the wall where they had built one to two story buildings in front of the cave openings. 
You can still see where the natives had plastered the walls of the caves. In one spot they found a “painting” hidden behind the plaster. 
There were some pictographs on the cliff which appears to have been made by standing on the roofs of the pueblos. Unfortunately they are very hard to see. In the valley floor was a pueblo which they thought would hold about 500 people and had about 400 rooms. 
There was a huge ceremonial kiva there too.
It was very spectacular seeing these ruins built before 1400. The weather was great.Day 247 Tuesday April 16
Today we went to a consignment clothing store and bead store, then on to the post office to mail a couple boxes of rocks. Tried to go to a rock shop back in Santa Fe but it was closed. We then headed North to the Buffalo Thunder Casino/Hilton Hotel on the Pojoaque Indian reservation for lunch and to look at all the art work in the hotel. No gambling. We were told about Santa Fe Jewelry Supply and managed to find it. I bought some silver plated bails for pendants and for Judy a crystal bead bracelet which sort of matches her necklace. We then went to see my cousin’s get away house in Santa Fe and meet their daughter Susan. She was a very nice young woman and we had a great visit. Came home and had scrambled eggs loaded with veggies for dinner.
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