As we rolled into Santa Fe, we were greeted with a post-apocalyptic scene of smoke and fire. Three wildfires were burning in the area — one west of Santa Fe and two east that actually joined to create one mega fire. We arrived at Cochiti Lake Campground with the camp host running out to chase us down and tell us they were evacuating in the morning. So we stopped at our site long enough to make a few calls and arrange a last-minute reservation at an RV park within the city limits. We didn’t have many options so we got stuck with an urban RV park on a busy street. The street noise was super annoying but the silver lining was the location was excellent — only a few miles from downtown. We could hop on the bikes and be downtown in no time. That is usually how it goes with RV Parks — be close to town but deal with more noise, or be in a peaceful country park far away from everything.

The fires didn’t affect our plans too much. The winds kept most of the smoke out of the city but did not help with the efforts of the firefighters. Parts of Santa Fe National Forest and some of the other federal lands near the forest were closed, but everything close to Santa Fe was able to remain open.

Our new location meant I could start all my bike rides right from camp. I really like being able to do that. My first ride was around the super scenic north part of town with rolling hills and lots of beautiful pueblo style homes or should I say estates 🙂 I rode out to the La Cienega area which is a very old settlement, dating back to Spanish explorer days. The route looped back towards Santa Fe along the Tourquoise Trail Scenic Biway, passing the historic territorial-era prison that is still in use today. The weather was excellent making for a great day on the carbon fiber steed 🙂

We did several hikes in the Santa Fe National Forest. The Dale Ball network of trails is incredible. So many hiking/trail options. We hiked to Picacho Peak one day and Atalaya Mountain another day. Beautiful ponderosa pine forested trails and spectacular views from the summits. We had not hiked in a forest since last fall. Felt so good to be back in a legit forest 🙂

Santa Fe has a large art community. Canyon Road Art District is about a mile long with over a hundred galleries. It is a historic district so the houses and buildings that host the galleries are pieces or art themselves. It is a nice place to take a stroll and pop in to some of the galleries to see some extraordinary works of art.

We celebrated our wedding anniversary at an Indian street food inspired restaurant called Paper Dosa. A dosa is an Indian take on a crepe, but it uses lentil flour so it is gluten-free. It can be filled with literally anything, but ours was filled with a nice mix of curry flavored vegetables. Very good.

Santa Fe is fairly bike friendly. There are two different bike paths to downtown, one from the Southwest part of town and one from the Southeast. We decided to combine the two bike paths to make an urban loop around town. A slight climb to downtown along the El Camino Real Trail and then hopped on the railroad bike path that heads back out of town and it was all downhill cruising. A really enjoyable ride.

At the suggestion of one of the employees at the RV Park, we decided to check out the El Rey High Roads Music Festival. An all-day event. We went for a couple hours after lunch. Some good folk rock music from local musicians. A chill, laid-back vibe. Another fun day in Santa Fe.

On my bike ride with the Santa Fe Road Riders cycling group, one of the riders suggested we check out Plaza Blanca near Abiquiu. It is an area of white rock formations (hoodoos or goblins) but it is on private land owned by the Dar al Islam Muslim school and mosque. We contacted Dar al Islam and they emailed us back with a gate code for access. Sweet. We hiked the area — the formations are beautiful. I’m glad we made the effort to visit this special place.

We visited Pecos National Historical Park, home of an ancestral Pueblo tribe. Much of the Pecos Pueblo is no longer standing but the foundations and underground kivas are still there. There is also remains of a big Catholic church built by the Pueblos under direction of Spanish monks. The museum in the visitor center contained some pottery and other artifacts preserved during archaeological excavation of the area. A cool bit of history.

My final solo ride in Santa Fe was a monster climb up to the Santa Fe Ski Basin. Nearly 5000 ft of climbing on this route. It was one of the most challenging rides I have ever done mostly because it was around 10,000 ft altitude at the top where the ski resort is located. My lungs and heart did not like it 🙂 But I slowed my pace down and eventually made it up. The views, the forest mixed with pine and birch and aspen, the alpine creeks full with recent snow melt, all made for an incredible ride. The huge downhill was pretty sweet too.

What to do on our last full day? Another bike ride? Sure, why not? We rode all over town — to the Farmer’s Market, to the art store, to Rowley’s Farmhouse Ale Brewery, and while cruising around, we saw signs for an “Art By Bike” event. It was similar to a Portland Sunday Parkway. They setup a bike safe route and had stages setup with little events. Our favorite was a band playing under a bridge in the river bed. The unexpected venue made for some great acoustics. Another one of those days where no agenda leads to an excellent find and a joyful day.

Next stop, Durango, Colorado…stay tuned.