Cumbres & Toltec Narrow Gauge Steam Railroad.

The train has just started it's trip up Cumbres Pass. I also shot a video that you can see on the YouTube.

This photo and the last couple were taken on my current road trip, feel free to check out Scoot'n Art for more details, link is on the right.

GAW

Canon S5 IS converted to IR. 1/320 @ F4.0 ISO 80.

Rainbow in Infrared.

Something you don't see very often, a double rainbow shot in Infrared. Photo was taken on U.S. 64 near Tierra Amarilla, NM. Sorry for the spots, it was still raining quite heavily.

GAW

Canon S5 IS converted to IR. 1/125 @ F4.0 ISO 80.

It's all gone to the dogs.

Wednesday morning provided several good train photos, but the food was lacking. My plan for the day was to go to Acoma Sky City taking train photos along the way and eat breakfast / lunch there. I knew that the Acoma Sky City would be closed on Thursday but I didn't thank about them closing early on Wednesday. So that being said I saw a street vendor on old route 66 and stopped. There was no sign so I didn't know what they were selling until the lady said do you want a jumbo or regular dog. I got a regular dog with mustard, relish, and onions. It was a regular dog. GAW.

Train Photo of the Day Wednesday July 9th.

This photo was taken from Coolidge Rd just west of Top of the World, NM. It was about 9 a.m. and the is in the shadow of a cloud while the mesa in the background is brightly lit. GAW.

The jorney home begins.

Wednesday, time to start moving east. I'm in Cortez, CO tonight and will be going to Mesa Verde National Park in the morning. I got my tour ticket this afternoon, I will be touring The Long House. It's only open in the summer and it has the most climbing and walking (I need the exercise). Food wasn't much today, green chile means something different in Cortez, CO than it did in New Mexico. I have a good train photo taken from Coolidge Road. I have to be up early so I will add the food and train goodies in a day or two. The photo is from the Mancos, CO overlook near the entrance of Mesa Verde. It also proves, sort of that I'm not sleeping on the couch stealing photos from the web. GAW

The green chile continues.

I have already told you about the El Rancho, so I will go straight to breakfast. Huevos rancheros, two eggs on a soft corn tortilla covered with green chile and cheese with beans and rice on the side. I almost forgot the flour tortilla also. I ordered the eggs over easy, but would probably get them a little more firm next time as the whole affair became a bit soupy. But then again I guess thats what the tortilla is for. GAW

The El Rancho Hotel Gallup, NM.

The El Rancho Hotel & Motel opened in 1937 and was exclusive choice of Hollywood movie stars when filming westerns in the area. I guess it didn't hurt that the owners brother was D.W. Griffith a big shot in the movie bussiness. The hotel looks much like it did in 1937.

Did I mention they have a restaurant? I orderd the Rita Morino other wise known as the enchilada plate. I choose beef over chicken or beans. The beef and I believe some potatos were wrapped in corn tortillas and covered with green chile and cheese. There were chips and salsa, rice and beans, and a flour tortilla (think dinner roll).

You may have noticed a trend in food post since crossing into Colorado and New Mexico, The green chile. The green chile not just for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I asked for ice cream instead of green chile on my apple pie. GAW

Mondays Train Photo.

Finnaly have I haved reached the rail line that can have as many as 100 trains a day, not today though. This photo was taken west of Belen, NM from state road 6, in just the setting I've been looking forward to. The sky's have been a bit hazy on my trip and today was no different. You just can't get this view in the show-me state, The locomotives and almost all of the train glide down a slight grade on a broad curve with the mountains as backdrop. I hope to find more locals in the coming days. GAW.

Mondays suck!

My plan was simple, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Knowing that the place I wanted to eat breakfast was only open for lunch and dinner I tried to arrive around 1030 or 1100. The only problem... I couldn't find it (I'm sure if it had been a fly it would have bitten me). After looking for 30 minutes I figured it was time to move on, Leona's in Chimayo, NM will have to wait until the next time.

So my breakfast would now move south. Now the job was to find Bobcat Bite in Santa Fe, NM. Easier said than done. I did find it. I found it closed! It appears that it is closed on Mondays, there was no sign stating their hours so I assume it will be open on Tuesday when I'm not there. The Chile cheese burger will also have to wait until next time, and breakfast will move even more to the south.

Things were beginning to look better, even though I took the long short-cut. I would eat my late breakfast soon. The Frontier was where it was supposed to and it was open (open 24 hrs except from 1 a.m. To 5 a.m.. The clock may have said 2 p.m. But it was still breakfast, so a breakfast burrito it would be. I ordered mine with sausage and a side of hash brown. After collecting my breakfast I stopped at the steaming couldren of chile, but had second thoughts. I had been forewarned by my friend Ben who has partaken in said chile. The chile in the burrito was just the right amount no extra was needed. The burrito was over running with scrambled eggs, sausage and the afore mentioned green chile. The hash browns turned out to be unnecessary as the burrito filled the plate and my stomach. GAW.

Sugar's

I have been anticipating this destination ever since seeing the photo's of Sugar's and the food you can get there on Roadfood.com. I wasn't disappointed mostly. I arrived at 6:55 p.m. and they close at 7 p.m. I ordered the brisket burrito and as my luck would have it they were out of green chili. The lady running the show asked if she could put in some onions instead. The brisket was tender and had just the right amount of smoke. The tortilla had been fried in a little bit of butter to give it just the right amount of crispiness. It was a little bit of Heaven for only $7 with a drink and tip. I'm already planning My return, and I won't be the last customer of the day the next time. GAW

The Road.

Today I stopped and smelled the flowers along the way, only covering about 300 miles compared to the almost 700 miles on Saturday. No really I smelled the flowers! Only 7 miles out of La Junta, CO I found my self drawn to the side of road. The only trees in sight were the signal poles along the railroad tracks. Looking down the tracks they seem to go to the horizon.

Because gas in this neck of the woods runs 4-4.20 per gallon I have been taking a relaxed pace along the road. That relaxed pace allowed me to see the vivid blossoms on a road side catus near Colfax, NM. You can see the catus in the "Not Trains" photo album see the links on the right.

Not far from the blooming catus I decide to find out were county road A38 leads. It just happens to end at the Dawson cemetery, all that is left of the once 6000 strong mining town of the same name. The marker states the mine opened in the mid 1800's and shut down for good in 1950. There doesn't appear to be a single brick left of Dawson, if there is it's on private property. The road kept going... behind a locked gate with a no trespass sign on. While exploring the cemetery I suffered a unprovoked attack by a catus, and yes the needles are very sharp. It was just one needle, but it hurt.

Back on the road I travel up the Cimarron valley going from 6000 ft to 8600 ft and from 95 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit. I pass by the alpine lake at Eagle Nest. Soon I'm on heading down the other side towards Taos and points south, including supper, but is the next post. GAW