New Mexico - The Land of Enchantment

Now comes the hard part; so much to see, so many places to go - where do I start?

Mapping out a route is one of the really difficult things about traveling around to country and just trying to discover North America.  I'm already having misqivings about not having gone to the area of the White Sands National Monument, and am now trying to see how I can somehow fit it back into my itinerary without adding miles (and days) of extra travel time.

From Roswell, I rode north on highway 285 intending to seek out a few of the numerous pueblo ruins (and any other points of interest along the way).  For sure my quest to see as much as possible will take me into the four corners region of Colorado before returning back to New Mexico and west towards Flagstaff, Arizona.

New Mexico is such a fabulous state; it may be America's best kept secret.  Simply put - I love New Mexico!  The scenery is awe inspiring, and even the (perhaps all too common) abandon and down trodden home, failed businesses and all but failing villages are intriguing photo opportunities.

The sun can be blistering hot, but the strange thing about riding a motorcycle in New Mexico is that, despite the heat you feel almost no discomfort, just don't stop riding (as soon as you stop the heat hits you like a sledge hammer) - and make sure to use sunscreen.

One, point of interest, that I intended to visit was the grave site of Billy the Kid at Fort Sumner; but I missed my intended turnoff and went approximately 60 miles to the west (note to self: check the map).

Not to be defeated, I turned back east rode across the baron landscape, questioning why it was so important to see the tombstone of a murdering outlaw; but knowing the answer - we love our folk heroes.

It was after 5:00 by the time I arrived in Fort Sumner and the Billy the Kid Museum was closed (thanks to my failed map reading), but fortunately not the grave site.

The gravestone is surrounded by a fenced barrier to protect it from would be thieves (the headstone has been stolen twice), and marks the graves of Billy the Kid and two of his outlaw friends who share the grave site identified with the one word epitaph - "Pals".

After photographing the headstone, having no desire to spend the night in Fort Sumner I rode north to my intended campsite at Santa Rosa; a historical stopping point on Old Route 66.

The next morning I was late getting out of Santa Rosa, but succeeded mapping out a new direction - next stop Taos, New Mexico.

Taos had not been one of my intended stop, but as a once avid skier and sometimes snowboarder, once I saw the tiny dot on the map (and how close it was to my general route of travel - "Which didn't exist") there was not any way to avoid going to Taos.

Along the way to Taos, my scenic ride passed through the town of Mora, the Cleveland Roller Mill.

Mora is a small village of less than 4,000 which some has that elusive unexplained magic that makes one feel at home almost immediately.  It is not as though I would want to homestead there, but it would have (perhaps) been fun to stay for a few days; but it will have to wait for another day and another time.

The Cleveland Roller Mill is a restored roller mill which operated into the 1940's and is still operational for exhibition purposes.  Today the mill includes a museum, but once again I arrived after hours.    

I was quite surprised to find that rather than Taos being a old mining town (as many of the ski areas are) turned ski area; Taos is a very resort style, "up-beat" and progressive community of over 30,000 residents.

It was impressive with the way that the city father's (and rigid zoning regulations I'm sure) have preserved the very New Mexico style adobe architecture and carried the theme throughout the community.

Even so, (for me) there seemed to be something missing, it had too much of a "Disneyland Atmosphere" to suit my taste - and I don't know quite why!  

I feel guilt and that my assessment is too harsh and unfair given my brief time there; after all Taos is supposed to be "Hot Town USA" - perhaps, the ski season would put it a better light!