July 1st had come and gone and suddenly we found ourselves without responsibilities and so decided to travel. While Houston was not a destination, we found ourselves with this food at Bullrito's where this was the menu as we waited for our flight to Albuquerque which was also not our destination but the airport had this nice statue and were welcomed so that we could collect our rental car and head to the Inn of the Governors in Santa Fe where Jeff showed up and posed with Suzanne and then took these pictures of us before we explored the menu at Del Charro and had a 3 margarita toast admiring also the containers as our food came and so we could admire the empties and the lemon from my water before going off the explore. There were signs explaining various sentiments and the historic palace of the governors, oldest capital in North America before we took this selfie before going to the famous church and admiring the history of the neighborhood around the square which has 400 years behind it and then this artistically decorated car as we admired the Santa Fe trail end point and closed the evening with one final photo.

Next morning, this was my breakfast and Suzanne's and here was Suzanne and here I was as we walked past this manhole cover and then I took these photos for the license plate collection as we came to the elephants (at the inn of the seven graces) and we followed the sign to the oldest house stopping to admire San Miguel's church as we made our way and colelcted another license plate for the collection before we came to the oldest house which was unfortunately closed. SO, we went back to San Miguels' and saw the bell which was either from 1356 or 1856 and the milagros attached to its frame. These are images one brings when praying for a miracle. I admried the front of the church and the ceiling and a crucifix while Suzanne sat to take in the scene and we admired angels who were described and a sign explaing the music (which unfortunately was not playing) and after another crucifix and the prayer to St. Gertrude I recorded these maps of the area took a final picture of the church and then Suzanne rang the bell so that we could depart and follow the Santa Fe trail to this remarkable work of sculpture which lists names of tribes that have disappeared but is otherwise left by the artist for your interpretation and then after a picture of Bronson Cutting and the state seal we entered the state capital where they have a sunroof instead of a dome and admired a bust and the history of the state's constitution before going up a floor and getting a clear view of the seal as wella s this piece of art, of which there were many impressive works, and the buffalo about whom this story is told so that we had to focus on the horns. I got this sign for the collection and then this furniture in the shape of conestoga wagon and a final work of art before we passed the jalapeno's truck and this sculpture of a face called hope and then an art store that added its glass works to its garden and the sculpture of the boy reading his book as we marked the Santa Fe trail and the preeching of St. Francis to the birds plus this remarkable church sign for the collection. After another license plate for the colelction we captured some sculpture as we walked down Canyon road stopping for a rest and then seeing some more art before arriving at the Compound where this license plate was for the collection and after the entry we sat under a pink canopy which tinted the menu the bread Jeff and Suzanne my soup and macaroni and chesse and their salads before I took another license plate for the collection and this sign for the collection which was unclear and then tthis lovely piece of art before we went to the garden and Suzanne sat and admired the flowers as Jeff used his phone. Back in town, we came across a party for someone's 15th birthday with amazing clothing and then this great piece of art before taking a rest period. Afterwards, we headed to Jeff's building and another license plate for the colelction before recording his apartment number the lights on his porch and Suzanne admiring the foods he served. Next, we went to dinner at Maria's cantina where this was our waiter our margaritas with which we toasted the pizza Mexicana and huevos rancheros the flautas and my clean palte which ended the evening and left me feeling over full.

We were a bit adjusted to the altitude and to the time change and so breakfast on the second day was good and accompanied by the daily paper befpre we drove on to the high road to Taos and stopped at the Santuario de Chimayo recording a few license plates for the collection before taking in the view and recording the locale and the signs which appeared slightly contradictory as we studied the map and thanked our saviors as many had done before us before we came upon this sculpture that was open to many interpretations and then saw our lady of peace to whom many pennies had been offered. These were all the people we were to be praying for along with offerings including this and the many candles being lit as we approached Leona's restaurant and then were exposed to the holy water (for which containers were sold at the gift shop along with containers for the holy dirt which could not be photographed, Next we came across the base of this statue and the statue itself where we were to be photgraphed later but first we had to see the church exterior and then we could be photographed along with the side wall of the rest rooms. We saw the historical marker and then walked into the town where we were greeted with this message, a sign for the collection accompanied by chiles and another place that also sold chiles (but both were closed) though the store that sold woodcarving popsicls was open as we made our way back to the sanctuary and saw the saintess of Vietnam before exploring the other statues and then these structures which represent the seven days of creation. Driving north, we came to the town of Las Trampas which ahd a remarkable church dating back to 1760 though this grave stone was more recent but the church required more photos even as we explroed the grounds and saw the closed taste of Trampas and so after a final photo we headed on to Taos where we first visited the rest rooms and then captured the broad scene there including this structure in the cemetary as we were welcomed and so explroed the church and captured many views of the pueblo

before being lured by thsi sign to have this selfie where this was the bill of fare these were the drinks and this was my meal as Jeff tried out the special chair before we headed back to the pueblo and discovered this well with poles ascending and the neighboring well after which I took many photos of the pueblo interupted by this sign for the collection before I returned to photos of the pueblo.

Our trip ended with a visit to the cemetary and a photo of the beautiful New Mexico sky.

After a break we went to dinner at the Casa Chimayo where the musicians were a little stiff though Jeff was amused as was Suzanne as drinks were served the menu was studied and the guacamole arrived along with homemade chips and salsa and these condiments for the fajitas as my huevos racheros arrived to the amusement of our waiter as the fajita ingredients arrived.