Last Day in New Mexico and Sites in Colorado

Friday morning and the week was going too fast. We headed north going to Tesuque Indian Flea Market. It is large but not many booths open on Friday morning. We looked around and enjoyed the looking. Bought a nice numbered print from a photographer and some basketry.

                                           Note the aspens....

Again, DH found a new road through familiar territory. We saw Ojo Caliente where warm springs were. It is a secluded place and would be fun to stay there sometime. The road had few travelers on it…we dawdled along looking a vistas. We stopped on top of a mountain pullout and had a diet soda, beef stick, and pretzel and called it lunch. Fine dining!  In the distance we could see bit of yellow aspens dripping across mountains like melted butter. We could tell that in the few days we had been out, the trees were really changing.

Then we saw a sign that said 18 miles east to Rio Grande Bridge. DH suggested we try it again so we instantly changed the plans, changed the direction. We headed for the bridge…found one of our favorite vendors and shopped like crazy! ( Unfortunately, a second jumper had taken his own life that week...two in one week.) So we then went a few miles on, returned to the Enchanted Circle, and headed for a motel in Raton.

The roadside to Raton was loaded with pronghorns. It was a great drive north seeing these antelope.

We drove in early morning across the Comanche National Grasslands. Our destination was Bent’s Fort near La Junta, Colorado. We had been there years ago when the kids were small…translation: we did not see a lot. DH had read a history of Bent’s Fort and another of the Santa Fe Trail this summer so we decided to look again. Great decision too. This was a real highlight of the trip…like a whole new place. Bent’s Fort was pivotal in settling the West…was where the Santa Fe Trail broke into southern and northern routes.  

The adobe fort had two levels. From the top, men could see the surrounding areas and watch who was coming in to trade. There is an amazing amount of room in this fort, but the rooms are small and dark. But the adobe kept it cool in summer, warm in winter. 

Note the size of this wagon...it was large to haul suupplies and freight over the prairies.