Tuesday, June 25, 2013 – Day 12 and only 6 more days left for my vacation.  Damn … I was just starting to unwind!

So, last night after I had already posted the blog update, I’m walking down to the hotel lobby through the courtyard (yes, it is a “Courtyard” with an actual courtyard … very unusual) and a guy walks past me wearing a Triumph T-shirt.  I’m wearing a Triumph T-shirt (although nicer than his) so obviously, I’ve got to ask.  I did.  Turns out he and his wife are visiting the US from England and the way they decided to do it was to fly to Chicago, rent a Harley and ride along old Route 66. They diverted a little to see Santa Fe, but tomorrow they are back on the road to Vegas then on to LA to catch a flight home.   Small world ... what are the chances of me meeting another Triumph owner who is from England, where the bike was built?.

The day started off on a somewhat sour note.  As I’m getting on the bike to head out to Taos, I notice another hotel guest walking his dog – an old Golden Lab.  The dog can’t do his stuff so the guy gets mad and starts pulling this poor mutt by his leash which is on a choke collar.  The dog is obviously scared and the “master” is obviously angry, but I absolutely hate to see people mistreat defenseless animals.  I probably should have kept quiet but nevertheless, I asked the gentleman how he would like it if someone put a choker around his neck and pulled as hard as they could.  He just huffed and puffed and walked away, but in retrospect all that I probably accomplished is to get the poor dog a beating once I was out of sight.  What can you do?  VERY frustrating.

What I was hoping the dog would do

 On to more pleasant topics.  I took a run up to Taos and while it was enjoyable, it was far from what I had conjured up in my mind about the place.  I always pictured this as an “artsy” place up in the mountains with small shops and galleries in a lovely village square.  Well, it is up in the mountains and the ride up there was scenic and pleasant.  However, at the end of the ride, the road you’re on opens up onto a huge, flat, desert plateau. The town is nestled at the foot of the Sangre de Christo Mountains, but basically, it’s sitting in the middle of the high desert.  While this place is a notable ski resort and it is a renowned artist colony, it is still a tourist trap and is heavily commercialized, with drug stores on every corner and most national food chains present.  Sadly, I guess you just can't stop "progress", if that's what you choose to call this.  The town square is bordered by gift shops, jewelry stores and “galleries” that are all basically selling the same stuff.  For those of you that love to shop, you’d certainly love this place, because it is all about shopping.   Also, the streets are relatively narrow, the place is overrun with tourists and I spent more time than I’d like in traffic.  There are some historic spots and National Parks around here, but I didn't have the time to explore.  Again, it does have a certain charm (I had coffee in a little bistro where my table was surrounded by a garden), but for my money, I enjoyed kicking around Los Alamos a lot more.  The ride down was just as pleasant as the ride up.

The Town Square (with shops)

More shops ...

and MORE shops ...

and even MORE shops!

I wound up back at the hotel by 3:30 because I had to get some laundry done before I leave tomorrow.  This ends the Western leg on my trip and tomorrow begins the Southern leg.  So far, this journey has been a real adventure and an absolute hoot!  I’ve got a 7 hour haul to Clinton, OK through some of the flattest, driest land in America (the Texas panhandle and Oklahoma).  Don’t think there will be too much to chat about on tomorrow's blog update!