Solo Road Trip - Santa Fe
Our Santa Fe Family - The Rhinersparks!
From Canyon de Chelly, I buzzed through a short five hour drive to Santa Fe, NM, the home of Karen Sparks and Doug Radtke. Karen is my son Devin's wife Allison's mother and a totally awesome person. Karen and Doug have become part of our family that we like to call the Rhinersparks!
Karen and Doug moved to Santa Fe last year and live in a gorgeous home west of the city. Their hospitality was so appreciated after spending two dusty days in the canyon.
I occupied myself on the drive listening to Blood and Thunder, a great book about Kit Carson and the conquering of the American West. Thanks to my friend Whitney Benzian for the recommendation. I heard the story of General Kearny's march into Santa Fe and Kit Carson's march across the country and battles with Indians like the Navajo as I made my drive over the same land they "conquered" 150 years ago.
From Canyon de Chelly, I buzzed through a short five hour drive to Santa Fe, NM, the home of Karen Sparks and Doug Radtke. Karen is my son Devin's wife Allison's mother and a totally awesome person. Karen and Doug have become part of our family that we like to call the Rhinersparks!
Karen and Doug moved to Santa Fe last year and live in a gorgeous home west of the city. Their hospitality was so appreciated after spending two dusty days in the canyon.
I occupied myself on the drive listening to Blood and Thunder, a great book about Kit Carson and the conquering of the American West. Thanks to my friend Whitney Benzian for the recommendation. I heard the story of General Kearny's march into Santa Fe and Kit Carson's march across the country and battles with Indians like the Navajo as I made my drive over the same land they "conquered" 150 years ago.
Doug and Karen gave me a great respite on my trip, catching up with family stories on their patio watching the sun set over the mountains. But the next day we got active and drove to Bandolier National Monument for some hiking and learning about the ancestral pueblo peoples who lived in cliff dwellings here and across this region. Here is Doug and Karen on our hike.
We also got to visit the town square of Santa Fe where General Kearny road in from the Santa Fe Trail for the first ever conquest by the United States of a foreign national capital (Santa Fe was the regional capital for Mexico). I couldn't help but think what life must have been like here in the 1840's as the Indian, Spanish, Mexican and American cultures mixed and clashed. Good bye Santa Fe, I look forward to another visit at Thanksgiving with the Rhinersparks family!
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