10/15/15 Cochiti Lake Pueblo, Santa Fe New Mexico

Santa Fe

It's a short trip north from Albuquerque to a sparsely occupied campground 45 minutes outside Santa Fe in the high desert on Cochiti Lake. This Army Corp of Engineers manged site is near a dam they manage and the quiet is just what we need.  The night sky is littered with falling stars and a very prominent milky way.

Flamingo Dancer at Santa Fe Botanical Garden

During the week John has a meeting at the Santa Fe Institute, we tour the very cool artsy town and at sunset grab cheese and salami and picnic Italian style while attending a wonderful performance of flamingo dancers in the Botanical Park sculpture garden.  A reminder to always check the town's "what's going on today" website!  

Tent Rocks HooDoos from Canyon Trail

Another day we enjoy a fantastic hike through a slot canyon up to Kasha-Katuwe 
Tent Rocks 
National Monument and later tour nearby Cochii Pueblo where Deb had a nice chat with a delightful old Indian named Dan in his adobe home where he and his wife make

ceramic Story Tellers and other cultural pottery.  He tells her how much he appreciates outsiders showing

John Navigating the Slot Canyon

respect for his culture.    Each tribe has it's own style of pottery and Deb realizes the clay Story Teller she bought Zoe back in the 90's may have been from this Pueblo!  She also realizes the Ute Pottery she bought on a camping trip to Mesa Verde with John in the 70's while she was studying away from Connecticut College for a year at University of Denver, is worth a LOT more than she paid for it.  Too bad she just gave it to Good Will when we sold the Virginia house.  Oh well.....

Cochiti Ceramic Story Teller