Colorado/New Mexico Vacation - 2015

Day 5 - Tuesday, September 29th

I am not a morning person, but I had no problem getting up at 7am to start my day as I was meeting a new friend who was going to tell me all about Taos, New Mexico.

It all started when I drove through this town last year driving up from Albuquerque to Chama for our annual train ride. It was amazing and beautiful and different from any place I had seen before. I knew right then I would come back for an extended stay, and today was that day.

Through my sister and a couple of different groups I am a part of on Facebook, I ran across this gentleman named John Hoyt. I found out he was from Houston, now lived in Taos, and we have a lot of mutual interests. We met for breakfast this morning at the same place I ate dinner at last night. I had no idea what he looked like except for a couple of pictures on Facebook, but somehow I knew it was him when he walked in the front door. We shook hands, said hello, and the whirlwind day started from that moment. I was thinking he would give me a few suggestions on places to visit, trails to hike, etc. then be on his way. He didn't give me any suggestions...we jumped into his Honda CR-V and he drove me all over town to see all the beautiful homes owned by famous artists, novelists and movie stars. He showed me art galleries, old hotels and shops, and everything this town had to offer. We then headed up into the mountains to places he likes to hike, river gorges that are vast and amazing, and wide-open expanses where you can see for miles. I was snapping pictures all day!

Taos is very old, and dates back thousands of years to the original Indian settlers nestled at the base of the mountains. There are no cookie-cutter homes in straight-line neighborhoods here. No building is over two stories high, and all buildings, be it a home or business, has to be fashioned in an original Adobe style. The city is very strict as to what materials you can use, and what colors can be painted. The homes here give no indication as to what economic level the residents are at. Rich people can live next to not-so-rich people, and you can't tell the difference driving by. The size may be a bit larger or smaller, but the look is all the same for the most part. Coming from a big city, and seeing big cities all over the world with their big gated communities with every house in a straight line and looking so different, this town has none of that, and that's why I have quickly become attracted to this beautiful place.

We stopped at John's residence for a quick break and I met his lovely wife, and his best friend, Buddy the dog. Buddy is 13 years old and was moving a little slow with arthritis, but he's very sweet and took to me right away. He was laying in the yard and I was scratching his chest and around his ears, and massaging his joints where he had arthritis. His eyes closed with relaxation, then he lifted his head and gave me a big kiss right on my hand. I was hooked, and I am proud to say I'm now a F.O.B. - Friend of Buddy.

After our whirlwind tour of the area, John brought me back to town and I took a nap and got a shower. We did a lot of walking so I was tired, and I wore a big sweatshirt all day since it was about 50 degrees when I left this morning, and it got pretty warm later in the day, so I definitely needed that shower.

John and I coordinated again to meet for dinner at a great local Italian restaurant. The service was good and the food was excellent, and we talked about his living in Houston and elsewhere throughout his life. He's quite the storyteller, and is a wealth of knowledge on the history of Taos. He loves this town, and it shows. He just beams when he speaks of this place.

Afterwards, we walked to the original town square and got some ice cream, then continued to walk around looking into some of the shops and galleries, and ended up at the Adobe Inn, which had a live band playing in the front lobby and bar area, and the locals come and have drinks and listen. There is never a cover charge, so it's very popular. It started to rain slightly during our walk and it turned chilly, but that just added to the incredible ending of an amazing day.

I couldn't thank John enough for everything he did for me, and we had a wonderful day together. I consider him a new and valued friend, and I look forward to coming back next year for another visit.