Indian Country - Santa Fe NM

Much to our dismay, the check engine light stays on the whole way out of Chaco Canyon and down I-40 to Albuquerque. Peter is having to drive the IQ in "limp" mode, which means 45 mph most of the time, but speeding up to 65 mph on downhills. Fortunately, Chaco is several thousand feet higher in elevation than Albuquerque, so it's mostly downhill.

Mushroom rock towards end of Chaco dirt road

Ahh - I-40 on a long downhill

Fortunately, the Mercedes service center isn't busy by the time we limp in. They have a nice waiting room with free drinks, cookies, and WiFi. We make ourselves comfortable while the diagnostics are being run on the engine (it's truly amazing how terrible some of the shows are on daytime TV). Shortly our service manage tells us our engine computer is in need of a software upgrade and we should be rolling in another hour.  The hour comes and goes before we learn an extra part will be needed and won't arrive for another day or two... but not to despair, they will lend us a brand new Mercedes C300 to drive for free. While we debate about where to stay, a lady in the waiting room suggests we head up the road to Santa Fe. It takes us all of 30 seconds to agree with her.

So we grab enough gear to keep us going for a few days away from the RV. As it's getting close to dinner time, our service manage suggests we eat at the El Pinto, which isn't far away and serves traditional Mexican food. After a good meal, we make the short drive north to Santa Fe.

El Pinto in Albuquerque

Entrance to El Pinto

We find a cute motel, the Old Santa Fe Inn, which includes breakfast and is within walking distance of the main plaza. We are both looking forward to being on our feet for a few days and not driving. We enjoy getting cleaned up after dry camping for a few days in Chaco and have a good night's rest. The next morning we're out to explore the downtown.

Old Santa Fe Inn

Local native artists selling their wares in front of the Governor's Palace

Main Plaza of Sante Fe NM

Although most of the galleries and stores are pricier than we're willing to pay, we do enjoy shopping and people watching.

Rainbow Man store

Other tourists in town

Philip - a new bike for you?

That afternoon as our feet are starting to feel the pavement too much, so we decide to take one of the city tours that leave by the side of the Santa Fe History Museum. At $15 a person, it's a good deal, besides it's nice to have someone else drive us around. Our guide Jerry is a former engineer from San Diego. After retiring he and his wife lived full time in their RV drifting from town to town until they settled in Santa Fe. Jerry is a real history buff and loves living in a place so full of local history. He tells us in 1912 the city decided to limit architecture to two styles, the Pueblo or the Territorial Revival styles... and with a few exceptions, this plan has been followed ever since.

Santa Fe City tour bus

Pueblo Revival style

Territorial Revival style

As we spin around the city, Jerry happily points out the more important buildings. One is a small Pueblo style church which is where a local miracle occurred. After the church was built, the nuns who lived nearby realized they needed a stairway to the upper floors, but not enough space had been provided to build one. About that time an itinerant carpenter appeared at their doorstep offering to build the needed staircase. He built a beautiful sturdy staircase that has lasted for hundreds of years, but no one can figure out how he did it. The carpenter simply disappeared after he finished is work.

As part of the tour, Jerry wheels around some of the more expensive homes in Santa Fe where the rich and famous live. He points out an old irrigation ditch originally built by the Spanish which is the only one listed in the National Historical Register.

Church where the Miracle of the Stairs occured

Hollywood star owned home with the National Historical Registered Irrigation Ditch in front

The non-conforming Masonic Lodge

As we drive around town, Jerry points out important statues and in fact we end up at the Allan Houser Sculpture Garden.

Houser statue of Hopi maiden

Don Juan de Onate - Spanish founder of Santa Fe

Houser statue of a Sioux Warrior

The next day our missing engine part is due to arrive, so we spend the morning shopping for gifts and generally getting ready to leave Santa Fe.

These hanging peppers are great gifts

Love this Navajo rug, but it's not quite affordable (getting closer though)

State Government buildings across the street from the Old Santa Fe Inn

By late afternoon the missing part has arrived and been installed, we are back rolling! Thank you Mercedes of Albuquerque. We appreciate the use of the car and completing our under-warranty repairs.  We head north on Hwy 550 up onto the Colorado Plateau towards Aztec Ruins.

"On the road again... on the road again" Sing it to me Willy.

Colorado - Spanish for "colored rocks" is appropriate for this area

We're approaching Cuba NM and the north access to Chaco Canyon

Natural Gas refinery in the Bisti Wildness area

That evening we stop at the Desert Rose RV Park in Bloomfield NM on the edge of the Bisti Wilderness, with booming natural gas development. The RV park is home to several local refinery workers and their families. It isn't fancy, but the people are very nice, the price is right and we have everything we need. We had hoped to explore the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness more, but we are running short on time and will have to put it on the list for another trip.