And Willie Said: Lunch at Michael's Kitchen???

Day 20 -- August 18, 2021

One cannot visit the Enchanted Circle without dining at Michael's Kitchen in Taos, so our road trip for the day is heading south from Angel Nest RV Retreat on US Hwy 64 toward Taos. I am fascinated with the GPS monitor in the car, as it shows that we are traveling on the Enchanted Circle Scenic Highway, with Ash Mountain Loop off to our right. And when we get on to the twisty windy part of the highway, I can see the twists and turns as we go though the mountain passes.

Actual photos of some of the sharp curves are below.

After the thrilling ride, we arrive to Michael's Kitchen and I have visions of the entree I will order: Michael's Favorite = "Our cinnamon bread dipped in rich egg batter, grilled golden brown, then topped with strawberries and whipped cream."

Uh, oh! They do not take reservations and even though we had delayed lunch to let the crowds thin out, there is a line just inside the door with people not six feet apart. Our craving for the best breakfast ever was overcome by our good sense during this pandemic, so we step back on to the sidewalk and take a few photos.

As long as we are in downtown Taos, we may as well walk about and see what else we would enjoy. There is an estate sale inside the Plaza with Camino Real Imports that gets our attention.

One item of special interest to me is a very old clarinet, reminding me of the one I played in my high school band.

Herb visits with the proprietor about the age of some of the items for sale, one of which is a Howard Miller wall clock similar to the one we have. He also asks him to recommend a grocery store in town, where we can pick up a few items we need. He suggests Smith, which is a Kroger type store, or Cid's.

Herb decides to drive toward the way we will go back to Angel Nest RV Retreat, and soon we arrive to Cid's Food Market. As I search for watermellow chunks in the deli, we find lunch! Herb gets Pork Chili Verde and I choose a Tuna Sandwich.

Back in the car, with groceries in the ice chest, we drive to a burger shop that is closed and park on their lot. We have our lunch in air conditioned comfort.

Continuing our drive back to the motor home, I spy a sign, "Coffee and Ice Cream." What a combination! Yes, I am ready for dessert, so we stop in to make our purchase. There are many different specialty coffees, hence the name "Elevation Coffee," both to brew in the shop or take home, but the ice cream freezer gets my attention.

Herb asks for Salted Caramel, topped with Pistachio, but I can't resist a double scoop of Salted Caramel.

For a change of scenery, we return home by going through the town of Red River. I love the rock, the trees, as well as the twisty windy roads.

This mountainside appears to have had an avalanche in the past. As we pass a granite plant, I guess that the darker rock may be granite.

As we get down into the valley, I think I hear rushing water, and know there must be a (Red) river along the highway, giving the town its name. Herb pulls the car over to a parking area, and I walk toward the edge of the cliff, still hearing the water, but careful not to get too near the edge. I don't ever see the river, but I know it is there.

Getting into the town of Red River, we drive around to find where we stayed in a lodge some time ago. We identify it by the hummingbird feeder on the balcony, where no other balcony has one.