On our first full day in Taos, we decided to visit the Rio Grande Gorge. This area, about ten miles from Taos, boasts some beautiful views, from the rim and above from the bridge, the seventh highest bridge in the U.S.
We had heard from many, including our hosts at Mabel’s Casita, that we must hike the rim of the spectacular gorge.
The trail, which is super flat and an easy hike, goes on for about nine miles. We hiked about three miles of it.
As I said, super flat (unless you stumble into the canyon).
But, the views are spectacular.
We met one gregarious hiker from Taos who told us she hiked this every morning.
How lucky is she?
Really, I am not afraid of heights….
I really think I could have kept walking the entire trail.
It was so peaceful, remote, serene, relaxing, inspiring, beautiful…
The only wildlife we saw on the trail were a few furry tarantulas and a lizard or two. Our new hiking friend, however, told us that she had seen an entire heard of bighorn sheep descend the east rim one morning.
We didn’t see them on our hike, but we did spot some ewes and lambs by the highway as we drove away. (We did see lots of scat on the trail, though.)
Besides the great views, you can also snag some interesting souvenirs by the gorge bridge.
You can browse through everything from drums, leather work, jewelry, pottery, wood carvings, teas and spices. We nabbed a great chip carving piece from the artist, some “authentic” pottery, and some marvelous, marvelous “salsa brava” spices that I am trying to dissect so I can make my own.
Stay tuned for my next post regarding a fun brewery/eatery/venue on the way back from the gorge.