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One thing that struck me as rather odd about the Catholic art found in all the places we visited in Taos as well as the St. Francis of Assisi Church is that they love to show Jesus crucified, bleeding profusely, suffering from a spear wound, etc. Basically blood spilling out everywhere. I realize that this is commonly shown in all aspects of Catholic art but here, in Taos, it is rather graphic. More than usual. I know this is suppose to be harsh reminder of the tragedy that befell the prophet but how are I supposed to have peace of mind waking up to that every day? If I were Catholic, that is. Anyway, just an observation, I don’t need the religious army coming down on me. You can keep those swords sheathed.

After visiting the church, we packed up the campsite and headed over to the Dragonfly Cafe for lunch. The menu is made up of local and organic produce when possible. Try the Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich sometime. Fantastic!

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The pictures are nothing special. Its another bridge like many others. It would, however, be an unpleasant experience if you were racing along the flat lands at night and suddenly found yourself falling down a vast gorge. Ya know, I’m just sayin’.

Although, before I continue with the Pueblos, I forgot to mention that we did visit the Hacienda de los Martinez after setting up camp at the Enchanted Moon campgrounds in the afternoon. It is worth experiencing, I suppose, but there isn’t a lot to see. The main take-away is the experience of how people in that day lived and survived in semi-unsettled territory. The adobe structure was quite a feat for that day too as it was made out of clay, hay, some wood, and ox blood. Wood was hard to come by in those days although you wouldn’t know that by seeing Taos today. In fact, downtown Taos reminds me a lot like cities on the East coast (i.e. Raleigh) where the vegetation is dense, the trees are tall and leafy, and there is little sense of direction to where you are.

Right, so back to the story. Today we visited the Pueblos in the early morning. The weather was a little overcast and I tended to be fascinated by the doors as you can tell from the pictures below:

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It costs $10 per person to visit with an additional $5 for use of a camera (with a caveat that you ask permission to snap photos of the natives since there are many families that still live in these structures). These are definitely worth seeing especially when you can talk to the people who still dwell there. A much different experience than visiting Mesa Verde for example.

We spent the afternoon visiting the various art shops in downtown Taos during the afternoon. BTW, check out Graham’s Grille, if you are in Taos. The Jamaican Jerk Pork Sandwich is outstanding!

As for camping, we moved closer to town and ended up in the Taos Valley RV and Campground. Great place to stay with excellent service. Definitely recommend.

With the bike fully loaded for three-days of traveling and camping in the Taos, NM region, we left Colorado Springs around 8:30am in the morning and made it to our campsite just after lunch. The following is a rough map of route (shown within New Mexico only):

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The ride on Highway 64 from Raton to Taos, NM is a fun ride with a mix of high speeds and twisties. The only caveat is that the first fourth of the road has an abundance of road snakes which can be a treacherous on a hot summer day.

As for our campsite, we ended up making camp in Enchanted Moon RV and Camp Grounds but it was anything but enchanted:

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As you might be able to tell from some of the facility photos, it was a little run down to say the least. Not to mention that we had tiny caterpillars hovering in the air all over the place on small silk strands. I don’t remember ever seeing that before on previous camping adventures. While cooking dinner that night, it was a challenge to fight off the caterpillar army as they climbed up through the wood and dropped from the sky. I’m just glad Kate was a good sport for allowing me to pick that spot to camp at for the night. Hey, it’s all part of the adventure, right?

• Lost Hikers (1:37 minutes, 8.6MB, M4V iPhone video)

It doesn’t look like the previous hikers made it out of the tunnels alive, unfortunately. Luckily we came out unscathed and just happened to find a video of their mishap in iPhone format (imagine that).

“From Colorado Springs head west on highway 24 past Manitou Springs. At the Waldo Canyon trailhead turnaround (the second turnaround in the canyon), turn back east on 24. After about 3/4 of a mile you will see a parking area on the left (north) side of the road (just before the first turnaround in the canyon). Park there. You will have to cross the road on foot to get to the south side. This is the most dangerous part of the hike. Be careful. Then walk a short ways east just past where the guard rail begins and you will see a small trail leading up the slope to your right. This is the trailhead. (Lat:38.87645 Lon:-104.937616)”

My suggestion is that once you make the turn around at Waldo Canyon, make sure to look for the first patch of dirt shoulder on the left-hand side. It comes up quick but is a large area for several vehicles to park. You’ll know you have gone too far when you hit the next turnaround section (just past the 1-mile marker to Manitou Springs sign). The first couple of photos in collection below help document the trail head somewhat as well.

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It’s a fun but short hike. Oh, and bring a flashlight, you’ll need it!

Today was the last day of the Rally. We managed to capture some video while riding the Mike Memorial Loop:

• Mike Loop Ride (2:25 minutes, 16.1MB, M4V iPhone video)

For Windows people, you might want to download the video and use the VLC Media Player (free download) to watch.

Finally, for those who didn’t catch the Sunday paper, here is Kate’s article of the event.

All-in-all, another fun time this year and a great break from some long days of coding.

• The Slow Race (2:50 minutes, M4V iPhone video)

The racing rules are simple:

1. Don’t touch the boundary strings.
2. Don’t touch the ground with your feet.
3. Be the slowest guy to reach the end of the line.

For Windows people, you might want to download the video and use the VLC Media Player (free download).

Today’s festivities consisted of a group brunch, Pokenger Runt, scooter race, and a party with an open bar and a series of live bands. Here are a few pictures from today’s adventures:

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The first series of photos are of the Pokenger Runt. The pictures that follow are from the mechanics race and photos of the vintage Vespa assembled by the Peak Scooter Club as a raffle item.

My favorite part of the rally is the Pokenger Runt - a combination of a poker game and scavenger hunt. It takes most of the afternoon to complete as you ride around the city in groups searching for clues, solving puzzles, and attempting to compose a strong poker hand. Its a great way experience the city by riding scenic back roads that only the locals know and meet interesting people.

The mechanics race, by the way, is a race where something is damaged on the scooter and the owners have to diagnose the problem, fix it, and race the scooter to the end of the line before anyone else. For this year’s race, the clutch cable was cut.

Today kicked off the tenth annual Peak Scooter Rally put on by the Peak Scooter Club. Kate was able to attend the garage sale and thrift store ride that took place in the early afternoon. In the evening, we rode two-up to join the rest of the scooter riders at the Rocket Room for drinks and party swag: Dog Days of Summer DVD, Monster Slayer DVD, Jam DVD, Flashbacks of a Fool DVD, various stickers, a patch, and a couple of shot glasses.

This is our second year attending. You can find posts of last year’s event here.

More news tomorrow!

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The shot above was taken of the wall art located in Old Colorado City. A fun place to shop and eat and not far from Manitou Springs either. This is where Josh and I met up with crew after coming back down Pikes Peak Road. The rest of the evening was spent hanging out on our balcony while enjoying the sunset and watching the deer wander through the neighborhood.

I’d like to thank everyone who made it out to attend. We had an amazing time and really hope that everyone that visited did as well. It was great seeing family and old friends especially those of the old OTI crew.

Anyway, thanks again to all those who attended. I just wish it could have lasted longer.

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The first picture is from the Black Canyon of Gunnison and the last picture is back home in the driveway. We bumped into a few people along the way home that liked Kate’s little sign taped on the back of the top case.

As for wedding pictures, well, they are being developed. We had a professional photographer come out yesterday to shoot photos but won’t have them in hand until they are fully developed in about four weeks or more.

All-in-all the trip was excellent. We could have stayed longer, of course, but all turned out well. BTW, if you ever need to have an event coordinated at the Chipeta Sun Lodge, talk to Jessica Bresett. She did an outstanding job. I would also recommend the Chipeta Sun Lodge as a great place to stay. Will definitely be thinking about returning some day.

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