Friday, October 21, 2011

Chaco Canyon: Day 3 in Albuquerque

It was a long drive, including 16 miles of unpaved, washboard road, the the result was well worth it as we walked in the footsteps of the Ancestral Puebloans who inhabited Chaco Canyon.

There were more petroglyphs and rock trails to climb. 



But mostly there were ancient ruins of intricate stone work, towering cliffs, and a turquoise sky.


 And even a few blooming things.

 Pueblo Bonito was all it was reputed to be.


 We saw all we hoped to see, added a fresh layer of sun tan to our fading Northwest skin, and made it back to town to have dinner at the ultimate New Mexican cuisine restaurant in Albuquerque.
The Church Street Cafe is located in an early 18th century adobe hacienda just behind the church in Old Town.  The food was great and reasonable, and the setting was wonderful.  And after dinner we found a few more shops to stroll through before heading back to the hotel.

It was a perfect day!

10 comments:

  1. What happened to the inhabitants? Did they migrate elsewhere or did they die off there?

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  2. All that sunshine must have felt pretty good to you. Right now it's raining, and will continue for quite a few days, it seems. That sun warmed ME all the way over here in Bellingham. :-)

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  3. Gigi, the best quess is climate change. As the weather became dryer and dryer, the river in the canyon that allowed the inhabitants to farm dried up. They dispersed and are the ancestors of the poeples of the Rio Grande Pueblos.

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  4. Thanks for sharing your travels. I live vicariously.

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  5. I enjoyed the entire series of posts
    I had to laugh when I say you with the walking stick, I'd need an ambulance to take a hike like that ;)

    wonderful photos!!

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  6. OK. This does it. We have GOT to see this area of our country!

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  7. we've been to chaco canyon-it's fascinating and the road is terrible.

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  8. I remember that road to Chaco Canyon. It is terrible. Isn't it just amazing down there?

    Sounds like a great day with a perfect ending.

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  9. What a wonderful trip you're having. We've never visited Chaco Canyon and have only driven through Albuquerque. I' enjoying your posts, perhaps I'll have to put this area on my list.

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  10. Linda, you're getting thinner and thinner!

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