Saturday, June 17, 2017

June 16, 2017. Up to the mountains

CAMPGROUND:  Chama Rio RV Park.  5 stars out of 5.  Very friendly staff who guided us to our spot.  Shady.  Along the river.  Full hook-ups, picnic tables, group picnic area, fire pit.  Nice bathrooms.  $25/night with Good Sam

 
LOCATION:  Chama, New Mexico - in far north central part of state, along Colorado border
 
WEATHER:  High about 95.  Very cool nights - 40ish
 
We awoke in Santa Fe to very cool, clean temps.  It is so nice to sleep with the windows open.   Since we only had a short drive today, we took our time in the morning, using their good wifi.  I worked on our Thailand trip and booked our flights.  It is a definite!  
 
We drove through Santa Fe which is so pretty with its adobe houses.  We drove about 200 miles straight north, through majestic mountain scenery.   
 
We stopped for lunch at a picnic spot near a large reservoir.  It had nice shade and the lake was a pretty backdrop.  
 
When we pulled into the RV park, it looked like it was snowing!  It is the fluff from the cottonwood trees.    
 
After getting settled in, we walked to the railroad trestle next to the RV park.  This is the train that we will be taking tomorrow.  It is the reason we are in this town.  The train ride is supposed to be beautiful, and is featured in my book "1000 Places to Go Before You Die".    
 
Walking into town, we were surprised at how winded we were.  But we are, after all, at an elevation of 7850 feet.  Tomorrow we will go to 10,000+.    
 
 
Chama is a tourist town with a population of 1000.  It has a lot of lodges, B&Bs, and inns.  Many of the inns have Mexican Hatch peppers strung on their adobe fronts.  
People come up from Albuquerque and Santa Fe to escape the heat.  The train also brings in a lot of tourists.  We found a bar that serves New Mexico microbrews, so stopped there.  We met a couple who are hiking the Continental Divide Trail, from Mexico to Canada.  Chama is on the trail, and the hikers often stop here.  I can't imagine that 
 
DINNER:  Rotisserie chicken, baked potato, and sautéed carrots.  
 
 

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