Guymon, Oklahoma to Taos, New Mexico

Morning in the middle of the Oklahoma panhandle, still in the middle of wheat country

 but increasingly dry prairie as I drove west on Hwy 64.

the last oil wells

In the middle of a sixty mile stretch of nothing, no help, although it was open recently enough to have a satellite dish.

Through Boise City, far from anywhere, you would think there would be something there, and sure enough!

 Old generation grain elevator

then more prairie, looking much like eastern Oregon and northern Nevada, at the end of this drought year any grass that might have bem  there, even the sagebrush grazed down to nothing.

Excitement,a bump off to the north!

Into New Mexico and Clayton

 Signs of life, then back on the road, still driving wesrt, another eighty miles of wide open country

 Rest area

 and then, Oh the Joy!  Mountains!

 Big mountains off to the north, maybe in southern Colorado

Off the high prairie into Springer

Just as quickly out of town, driving east on Hwy 21 into the foothills of the New Mexico Rockies

 through Miami

 past a reservoir - the novelty of standing water!

and then, unexpectedly, Philmont Boy Scout Ranch, where I dreamed of going as a boythrough years of Boy's Life reports.  Tirns out it is a real place, and in a beautiful location a the foot of the mountains.

new Boy Scout Museum and Library

then into Cimmaron, town with a handful of shops, cafes and art stores, trying without much luck for some overflow from Taos and Santa Fe - and perhaps better for it.

castle grey skull in Ci

castle grey skull in Cimmaron???

 Already at more than 6,00 feet, Hwy 64 climbs another 2,00 feet through a narrow canyon

 onto a high plateau and into Taos, the town all adobe and bright colors in the high, clean light

the old city square and surrounding narrow alleys were jammed with children and parents trick or treating at the many shops.  It was happy and colorful, and especially nice to see so many people of Hispanic and Indian heritage, I'm sure the majority of the town and the area.

Tired after a long day, I left the square and found a motel to rest and think about the long, long history of Taos and northern New Mexico.