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Summer Trip to the Southwest -- Taos (Part 4)

11/20/2013

I am devoting an entire blog post to the delicious food we enjoyed during our six days in Taos, New Mexico, this past July. When we travel, we usually take all our usual breakfast stuff along with us -- oatmeal, organic cereal, walnuts, chia seed, cinnamon, dried fruit, and so forth. We make coffee in our unit. For lunch we usually make sandwiches or just grab some snacks (granola bars, gorp) if we're doing a long hike or bike ride during the day.

In Taos we stuck with our usual breakfast and lunch routines for the most part, but dinners were a different story. We were so active during the day, and the weather was so nice for eating outside, we just had to sample some of the fun dining choices in town.

The Gorge.

One place we enjoyed was The Gorge, on the main drag through town and just a short walk from our casita. There was a nice outdoor dining balcony overlooking a courtyard, and the food was good. We ended up eating here twice, once on our first night in town, and again later in the week.

Delish cream of corn soup and great beer

My turkey/bacon wrap

Barry's brie and bacon salad with jicama & dried cranberries was a big hit!

We had to come back a second time later in the week as I was envious of Barry's salad and just had to have one for my very own self. Plus this excellent cup of tomato bisque, their soup that night. Barry enjoyed a bowl of the bisque, and we both ordered the delicious brie and bacon salad pictured above. We also shared this nice grilled Spanish bread. And for dessert, we split a slice of creamy lemon pie. Mmmmmm!

Both times we ate at The Gorge, it rained while we were there. On our first visit, we actually had to move to an indoor table mid-way through dinner. On this second visit, we were enjoying the nice sunshine on the balcony, although it was still a bit cool after the rain. It would start to rain again by the time we left.

Eske's Brew Pub.

On our second night in town, we tried Eske's Brew Pub. Eske's is the oldest brewery in Taos and was celebrating 21 years of operation this year. The beer was unique and delicious, and the food was surprisingly good as well.

Here's the beer menu. Barry had a pint of the Taos Green Chile beer, which did indeed taste and smell of green chiles. I had a Huluhoop Hefe, which had a honey-like flavor.

It just happened to be "Sushi Tuesday" when we stopped in, so I enjoyed some delicious spicy tuna rolls ("Taos Tuna") with cilantro and green chiles, and a bowl of miso soup. Delish! Barry enjoyed this huge "Fatty" vegetarian burrito and actually finished it, yes he did! That's my guy.

Dragonfly Cafe.

This restaurant was our big splurge of the trip. I didn't realize how pricey it was going to end up, but since they were offering a tapas and pinot grigio wine flight night, I couldn't resist. And since this place is also a bakery, the desserts sounded so amazing we had indulge there too. So, we just blew it out our ears this night. The food was absolutely delicious, and the outdoor setting in their beautiful garden was serene and comfortable. Everyone deserves a splurge now and then, right?

Too adorable to resist...

Pinot Grigio wine flight for me!

Crostini with fresh fava bean puree, olive oil, and parm -- super flavorful

We both got the kale salad entree with roasted chayote squash, hazelnuts, grapes, and feta cheese. It was excellent!

Housemade sangria with lots of cinnamon...mmmm!

We shared a flourless chocolate cake and lemon curd tart for dessert. They were both delicious and so good together.

Guadalajara Grill.

On two nights we hiked down to pick up takeout at the highly rated Guadalajara Grill. This authentic, reasonably priced place has zero atmosphere, so we just brought home delicious Mexican food (burritos, tostadas, rice, and beans) and chowed down in the privacy of our casita. It was a longer walk from our place since it's on the outskirts of town, so that helped burn some of the many calories we consumed. The portions were large enough that we ended up with lunch the next day too!

Note "The Best of Taos" sign in the window!

Michael's Kitchen.

So we did eat one breakfast out once. We'd read and been told not to miss Michael's Kitchen, and it was just a hop, skip, and a jump from our casita. Barry always enjoys a Mexican breakfast, so this large plate did not disappoint.

That's a lotta breakfast!

My more modest, and very delicious, choice

The bakery counter was seriously tempting as well, and we couldn't resist bringing back a few snacks for later.

How to choose?

The selections!

Goodie box in hand as we leave

Someone was very excited to see the goodie box come into the house!

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Summer Trip to the Southwest -- Taos (Part 3)

11/18/2013

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There is a ton to do in the Taos, New Mexico area. No time for boredom here! In the six days we were here in July, we could only brush the surface of all the nearby places to see, hike, bike, and photograph. Here are the highlights of a few of our adventures in the area.

Rio Grande Gorge State Park and Bridge

One of the most impressive places we visited in the Taos area was the Rio Grande Gorge bridge. Turns out this is the seventh highest bridge in the US. The views of the gorge are amazing, and the bridge isn't half bad either! We walked the entire bridge in both directions -- a thrill that those scared of heights might want to pass on. It was quite windy and a little cool up on the bridge, but we had a beautiful day to visit.

Rio Grande Gorge Bridge

Rio Grande Gorge as seen from the bridge

The Rio Grande Gorge State Park runs along the river and includes trails for hiking and mountain biking. This northern part of the park (Rio Grande del Norte) was declared a national monument as of March 2013.

After walking the bridge, we took a mountain bike ride down the West Rim Trail. The trail started out nice and smooth, but soon became quite rocky, so we made a short ride of it. Since we're no longer spring chickens, we prefer smoother terrain. We did get to take in some additional fine views from the trail.

Trail started out great...

...but soon became very rocky

La Senda del Medio Trail

On another day in the area, we returned to a different part of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument for a hike on the La Senda del Medio (The Middle Path) Trail. There were five small campgrounds along this trail, and most sites were primitive (i.e., no hookups). This would be a great area to camp in. It's incredibly tranquilo. All you see is lush green trees and foliage near the river and beautiful views in all directions.

Gorgeous views and no crowds

Boaters on the Rio Grande and view of one of the campgrounds

Lush greenery along the river contrasts with the rocky gorge walls

There is challenging terrain to negotiate on parts of the trail -- hiking poles recommended!

The total mileage of the trail out and back is just five miles, but we did extra by taking spurs to most of the campgrounds. The terrain is primarily moderate, with some rocky terrain and steeper climbs, especially near the far end of the trail (see photo below).

Barry climbing up, up, up near the end of the trail

We stopped for lunch in this unoccupied shelter in the Petaca Campground before turning around and returning on the trail.

Taos Valley Overlook Trails

Another "hidden gem" (not so hidden, really, but that always sounds good!) just south of Taos is the network of trails called the Taos Valley Overlook -- you really can see for miles and miles here. Also in the Rio Grande Gorge Recreation Area, these trails are available for use by hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians. If you're hiking, you'd want to go on a cooler day as there is no shade. But on this day we were mountain biking, and we had a beautiful day for it. And only a few other people were using the trails mid-week. I suspect weekends would be busier.

We started out on a double-track trail that took us slightly downhill to the gorge overlook.

Rio Grande Gorge

We rode the double-track trails until they got too rocky and washed out, then switched to singletrack, which was in much better shape. Sure, we (especially I) had to walk in a few places as we're not that experienced with singletrack, but it was still a great time. Barry did really well and seemed to enjoy himself quite a lot.

Double-track

Singletrack

Fantastic views

Barry was having so much fun, he headed back out for a little more riding while I took some final photos.

Stay tuned for more from Taos...next up: the FOOD -- and it was dynamite!

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Summer Trip to the Southwest - Taos (Part 2)

11/16/2013

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We spent lots of time during our six-day stay in Taos, New Mexico this summer simply walking around and enjoying the charm of this popular mountain town. We rarely buy anything since we're traveling light these days and keeping possessions to a minimum, so shopping was not our goal; simply seeing the sights was enough for us. There's historic and modern adobe architecture, gorgeous flowers seemingly everywhere, and the colors are bright and saturated. We couldn't get enough of this pretty place, and the number of photos we took collectively reflects that. Here's a selection that should give you a feel for this charming town.

Note: You can click on any image to see it in full-size format.