June 6 – Santa Fe and Kasha-Katwa National Monument
Our seventh day starts out as an early morning heading towards Albuquerque but not to stop or stay there. We drove through because we had already cooked breakfast when we woke up, which was a wonderful as the sun was rising. We were starting to really feel like seasoned campers at this point, as we were getting the hang of the setup process, and how to cook on the road. On a side note, we learned after cooking breakfast and making coffee, that though we saved a couple dollars, it was not worth it to us to cook every morning, as the time constraints were significant. We had bought a coffee press and cooked eggs and grits. Very hearty breakfast for very cheap.
We packed up the tent and got on the road by 10 in the morning and headed towards the Kasha-Katuwe National Monument, which is a series of tent rocks and slot canyons carved out of sandstone due to many different theories, the most prominent of which was wind erosion.
PROTIP– The National Monuments in the USA are usually around $15 to visit, but with the national park pass, you are allowed access to monuments as well, which is why it is such a great deal. Don’t forget to get your national park pass at every entrance to parks and monuments when you are starting your epic roadtrip!
These are one of the most interesting formations of the whole trip and the drive to them is just as spectacular. On the way there, you must drive by a dam called the Colchiti Lake Dam, which is almost unrecognizable until you’re near it.
The national monument features a slot canyon to hike which extends all the way to the peak. At the top you have a view of the whole landscape of the monument and the surrounding areas which is an absolute breathtaking scene. From the top, it can be quite scary as you can slip and fall easily, with the typical windy conditions present here. Parking is free here with the National Park Pass as well. Be careful when you’re at the top, as there are some scenic points that require you to stand near a cliff edge which seemed as though could be easily slipped on.
From this we headed to the Bandalier National Monument. This is an ancient Indian Cliff Dwelling that was carved to the side of a mountain range, very close to Santa Fe, New Mexico. These were over 1000 years old and had many astrological structures and symbols built into the landscape. There are campsites and many activities here. We were not ready to camp that night, so we had already decided to get a hotel in the city of Santa Fe.
Something about Bandelier to note, is that it is located within a large canyon, and If it rains you need to avoid the area as its flooding can become dangerous because of the location in the canyon. This was learned in the visitor center shortly after we noticed some clouds in the sky. It was good to hear this information.
It was time to do some hiking in this monument. The sites to see was of course the cliffside indian ruins, over 800 years old! This requires a scenic walk for about half of a mile to reach, though it is accessible by anyone, without limitations. However inorder to explore the actual ruins, you must climb up a 30 foot ladder to reach the cliff dwelling areas, where you can get a first hand look of how the Indians lived many years ago. At this point, after 30 minutes of exploration, we decided to head back as thunder was in the area, and we were getting hungry.
It was time to find a place to enjoy for dinner, and since we were in New Mexico, we of course decided on a highly rated Mexican restaurant in Santa Fe. We found and decided on a great Mexican restaurant called La Choza. This place is highly recommended by us, as well as users online. It could’ve been the enjoyment we had from it being the first restaurant all day, or from the exhaustion of significant driving, but the burrito we split was amazing and perfect food for two!
IT was time to head to the hotel for the night. We had booked a cheap hotel at the Buffalo Thunder Casino. This was great to stay in a cheap room, with full amenities, as the last few days have been sleeping in the tent and roughing it. Aside from the much needed and appreciated showewer, The room came with breakfast which was a great addition for our morning schedule, so we could be on the road early. The next day we were to head north to the ‘Great Sand Dunes National Park’.
June 6 Expenses
16.87 gas
20 snack at gas station
15.56 gas
70.61 hotel in Santa Fe
43.63 Dinner at La Chozo
Total – 166.67
Elephant Butte to Sante Fe – MILES DRIVEN – 336