LATEST TRICKS: Westward Ho!

South Dakota and Wyoming
Saturday, September 25, 2010

After another scenic and delicious breakfast, we packed up Rover (our rented minivan) and bid farewell to the Holiday Inn Express in Custer.  It was a great home base for the past three days.  Entep, the cheerful staff member who was there to welcome us when we first arrived, was also there to wish us safe travels when we departed.  Thanks to Entep and all of the Holiday Inn Express staff for making our stay a memorable one.

On the road again, we headed out of Custer via the breathtaking, winding Needles Highway.  Driving in the brilliant morning light, the perspectives and colors were completely different and as equally spectacular as yesterday’s drive.  We stopped many times along the route to take pictures of the scenes surrounding us.

Winding through the stunning rock formations and breathtaking vistas, we came to beautiful Sylvan Lake.  The contrast between the rocks and the water was dramatic.

Descending the mountain brought a change from the towering pillars of rock to the vibrant colors of the Black Hills National Forest.

As we swung down into the valley, the deep blue waters of the Pactola Lake reservoir glistened like a gorgeous sapphire.  It was surreal to realize that below those pristine waters lay the submerged town of Pactola, a mining camp and military outpost first settled in 1875.

We trekked north through the Black Hills to Deadwood--site of Wild Bill Hickok's murder.  Today, Deadwood looks a lot different than it must have in Wild Bill’s day; it’s more of a modern day “wild west” town filled with hotels, saloons, and casinos.

Wild Bill's Bar marks the location where Hickok was gunned down during a lethal poker game.  According to legend, he was holding two pair--aces and eights--now commonly referred to as the Dead Man's Hand.

Moving on from Deadwood, we passed the Homestake Mining Company, one of the largest gold mining businesses in United States from the gold rush of 1876 until 2002.

Nature greeted us with even more splendor as we drove through Spearfish Canyon to the town of Spearfish. The brilliant yellow of the autumn aspens made a striking contrast against the towering stone walls and pines of the canyon.  It was truly magical.

On the recommendation of a gentleman that Bruce and Kim had met in Custer, we stopped by the Crow Peak Brewing Company on our way out of Spearfish for a sampling of their craft brews and a little snack.  Bruce liked their Spearbeer Pale Ale and 11th Hour Golden IPA while Ted’s favorites were the Pile-o-Dirt Porter and IPOD Black IPA.  All four of us gave high marks to the pickled buffalo sausage.

As we crossed the border into Northeast Wyoming, the terrain flattened out into broad plains speckled with buttes and gulches.

Then the terrain changed once again as we began to climb.

As the land dropped away into a picturesque canyon on our right, Devil's Tower National Monument appeared boldly in the distance.

No matter how many times we’ve seen Devil’s Tower in photos or watched Richard Dreyfuss make a mashed potato model of it in Steven Spielberg’s movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, nothing gave us a sense of the enormity of this monolith or the spectacular setting surrounding it.

It is no wonder that Devil's Tower, like the Black Hills of South Dakota, is sacred to American Indians.  It is a place of deep stillness and awesome majesty.  Human beings are tiny creatures in the presence of this towering monolith.  It was a humbling experience.  Gazing upon the tower at dusk, we noticed a few tiny pin-pricks of light about half-way up one side.  Each light was an intrepid climber...attempting to reach the top of this colossus.

From Devil's Tower we drove west to Gillette, Wyoming, an area rich in coal resources that calls itself the "Energy Capital of the Nation."  Needing some energy ourselves, we stopped for dinner at Las Margaritas Mexican Restaurant.  We admired the brilliantly-colored wall murals as we enjoyed delicious Mexican cuisine.

Our energy replenished, we continued west to Buffalo, Wyoming and our final destination: the Historic Occidental Hotel.  Walking through the front doors of the Occidental was like stepping into a time machine. The 21st century melted away at the threshold and the Old West of legend and lore welcomed us in. 
-- Ted and Laura, Bruce and Kimberly

LASTEST TRICKS: Ancient Roots in Taos

Taos, New Mexico
Wednesday, October 27, 2010

This morning, Laura proposed the first major alteration in our itinerary since our decision to forgo visiting Michigan at the start of our trip.  She suggested that we stay in Taos an extra day, add an extra overnight somewhere between Taos and Oklahoma City, and make up the two days by forgoing Vicksburg.  This schedule change made great sense since it would give us more time in Taos, split up the 9-hour drive to Oklahoma City, and allow us to route through areas of Mississippi that were more in keeping with the themes of our trip in that state (namely, the blues and civil rights).  The important Civil War history of Vicksburg would be better suited to another trip.  Ted heartily endorsed the proposed change in itinerary and a small flurry of phone calls and online activity ensued.  Happily, our reservations were easily rescheduled and Plan B went into effect immediately! 

Our new itinerary secured, we set out to visit the Taos Pueblo.  On our way, we stopped at the Dragonfly Café and Bakery for some lunch and baked goods to go.  What a darling place!

The adobe hearth and warm yellows and reds beckoned us to stay, but we had our sights set on eating our lunch at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains amid the snow-capped peaks and late autumn splendor.  The bison burger and curried chicken salad were even more delicious when eaten roadside al fresco in such a spectacular setting!

After lunch, we entered Taos Pueblo--the only living Native American community designated both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark.

These adobe buildings have been continuously inhabited for over 1000 years. Here the People of the Red Willow maintain a way of life and faith that honors their past. 

The community has adapted over time to many outside influences--the Spanish Conquistadors, the Catholic Church, the United States Government, and Modern Society--yet it has continued to live and practice its traditions. 

We felt honored, privileged and humbled to be allowed into their village, dwellings and church, and deeply moved by the sometimes devastating, sometimes triumphant history of these courageous people. 

Our thanks to Winona for guiding us through the pueblo and to the many shopkeepers and villagers who warmly welcomed us to their home. It was an experience we will not soon forget.

From the pueblo, we drove out to the Rio Grande Gorge and Bridge to watch the sunset over the mountains. 

It was spectacular, and the phrase "purple mountains majesty" never seemed more appropriate. 

 

After running a few errands in town, we went to The Love Apple (la pomme d'amour) for dinner. And what a dinner it was! 

Not only was it the best meal we had enjoyed in New Mexico, but it was one of the best meals we had enjoyed anywhere!  The food (all locally sourced and organically produced wherever possible), the atmosphere (think gently aging adobe chapel), and the service (impeccable) all blended into a dining experience that was intensely romantic, deeply sensuous and fabulously delicious. 

The Love Apple is a destination unto itself.  Owner/Manager Jen, Chef Andrea Meyer, our waitress Marianne and everyone in the kitchen are a wonderful team that creates an experiential and culinary masterpiece.  We vowed to return tomorrow for a sequel.
-- Ted and Laura

LATEST TRICKS: The High Road to Taos

Santa Fe to Taos, New Mexico
Tuesday, October 26, 2010  (Happy Birthday Ted!)

Three months on the road requires some periodic "household maintenance" and we were definitely due. So, we started off the day doing laundry at the motel, hauling much of the contents of the van out onto the pavement, and repacking the whole kit-and-caboodle. Perhaps the staff found it a bit odd to see hot pink plastic bins, tote bags, shoes, cans of Diet Coke, fresh-washed clothes, and books strewn about their parking lot, but it all made sense to us.

Content with our reorganization, we took a stroll around the beautiful grounds of our motel, the El Rey Inn, before a cheerful check-out with Sylvia at the front desk.

Now it was time for fortification and the Tecolote Café was the perfect spot. We had a hearty and delicious southwestern lunch of Huevos Yucatecos with fresh-baked biscuits, blueberry muffins and flour tortillas.

The Café was celebrating 30 years in business and we can understand why they have been successful. The food was wonderful and everyone there was friendly, hospitable, and excited to hear about our journey. They shared several good recommendations for some of our upcoming destinations and wished us safe, happy travels.

Pleasantly stuffed, we set off on The High Road to Taos, a recognized scenic byway. As much as we enjoyed Santa Fe, it felt good to get back into nature. The views along The High Road were breathtaking.

One memorable stop along the way was El Santuario de Chimayo. Built between 1813 and 1816, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. El Santurario is known locally as "The American Lourdes" because of its reputation for miracles and healing. It felt like a "sacred space" because of its beauty, serenity and the reverence that it embodied. It was inspiring to visit this special place.

Arriving at Taos, we checked in to the El Pueblo Lodge and headed out to dinner. Finding most of our original picks closed on Tuesdays, we followed an old traveler's trick--look for the place with the most cars in the parking lot. That place was clearly the Guadalajara Grill North. Inside we found a cheerful, casual Mexican restaurant. We shared their Chicken Monterrey and Camarones Veracruz with sides of rice, beans, corn tortillas, guacamole and salsa fresca. What a feast! Ted tried the Mexican beer Carta Blanca and absolutely loved it. He said it reminded him of the refreshing light beer Medalla that he enjoyed so much in Puerto Rico. I think he'll be stocking up on Carta Blanca from the local grocery store!

  

After dinner, we returned to our cozy room at El Pueblo Lodge, lit a fire in the kiva-style fireplace, and relaxed with some American Indian flute music. Sublime. Ted said it was a perfect birthday.
-- Ted and Laura