2024/06/27 | Santa Fe, NM > went 2 the Georgia O'Keeffe museum then L8er met K + A @ Cafe Pasquale

06/28 > originally planned 2 go 2 Taos, but fed up w/ tourism + how it's ruined towns like Santa Fe + Taos > back in 1999 we had this 2 say about Taos ... probly even worse now (or these Sante Fe types have gotten richer + their hair whiter + cleaner):

... watching the New Age Sante Fayers watching the Indians was even more entertaining. Complete beauts, woman with fur boots and tons of jewelry, leather jackets with tassels and Pueblo designs, guys with those whatever-you-call-those-smock things that go down to your ankles, like what Jim Carey was wearing in dumb and dumber, only these guys were serious, or faux-fur leopard fleece jackets, and gray-hair pony tails, knee-high lace up moccasins, the cowboy hats, it was the scene. And just like last time I was at the Taos Pueblo it was very weird in that you feel like you’re at a zoo. I mean, what do they do, pay the Indians to “act natural”, stand around and shoot the shit next to the ladders on their rooftops, all bundled up in their designed blankets, laughing at the stupid gringos like us gawking up at them?

> in5tead we headed west, thru Abiquiu past O'Keeffe's ranch ... pa5t Shiprock, there were signs that said Closed Ahead but we didn't get it, all these cars were coming from that direction + other cars going in the direction we were going > we got 2 a part where they were doing construction + passed thru but then we got to a 5pot where indeed the road was closed > there were sum Navajos hanging around + we asked them what happened + they said there was a cloudburst that washed out the road > we said googlemap said the road was opened + they laughed + said the Navajo operated on a different plane + when we said it was strange they'd even let ppl come all this way b4 telling them the road was closed they said the closure was posted on Facebook > eventually they pointed us to a backroad that was also a bit gnarly in spots where it had crossed washes that had flooded but we made it pass (good thing we had a 4WD (which we didn't ask 4 (we always ask 4 the cheapest economy car)) + eventually to Teec Nos Pos + we thought may as well go to 4 Corners since it was so close but then when we got there they were charging $8 a person so we said no fucking way, but still, we were there, where the 4 state lines intersected

Abiquiu lake

sumwhere still in New Mexico drove off the road + walked around some badlands

near 4 coroners

> continued on2 Monument Valley, staying at Goulding's Lodge, founded as a place where Hollywood types wd 5tay when shooting films here, the original Goulding 5howed it to John Ford 2 encourage him 2 make movies out there starting a whole slew of Westerns + then movies like Stagecoach (which we watched in the evening), Easy Rider, Forrest Gump, Thelma + Louise, etc. went + hiked the Wildcat trail as it was on the verge of raining, beautiful landscape, tons of ppl hanging out taking selfies or the $100 sunset drives, but didn't see a single person walking the Wildcat trail (EZ 5 mile loop) > 10 miles on the day

lizard king can do anything

6/29 > woke up early + were going 2 do a nearby hike but then saw a sign for Natural Bridges natl monument so figured why not > thru Mexican Hat + up some heinous road up the side of a cliff (highway 261) > got 2 the park around 7am + no 1 was there to charge us $20 so drove to the trailhead, only car there > did the Sipapu-Kachina Loop (6 miles, 8 miles on the day), down 1st 2 Sipapu arch + then through the canyon thru Kachina arch + then up back to the rim + then across the plateau in exposed 90° heat > only saw 1 person the entire hike, sum girl that was looking scared of us b/c i made a crow sound > when we went back to the visitor's center 2 pay it was closed b/c all the rangers were involved in a search + res-Q operation + being that was the only person we saw we wondered if it was some 1 that was w/ her they were looking 4? we'd waved 2 her + she nvr said anything, like she needed help

Bridges Natl Park

Sipapu bridge

vultures

Kachhina bridge

Owachomo bridge

> then we drove thru Valley of the Gods on the way back, spectacular backcountry road (again, glad we had 4WD) + stopped @ Mexican hat on the way back

Valley of the Gods

Mexican hat

where Gump gave up running

> not much time 1 read or write but reading Finding the Center, a book of Zuni narrative poetry transL8ed by Dennis Tedlock (famous 4 transL8ing the Popol Vuh), the 4matting reflex how it's meant 2 B per4med, intresting