New Mexico

The Land of Enchantment

 

 2016/5/9 Santa Fe to Lake Abiquiu, NM

Another chilly start to the day. Forecast was to remain cool (high of 52), cloudy with a chance of showers, and still windy.
It was a short travel day, just 65 miles on highway 84 north  to Riana Campground on Lake Abiquiu (pronounced Abi Q).

The road was reasonable and quiet, taking us through several Pueblo communities, most with casinos.

The cloud cover thickened as we ascended up to 6500 feet. Snow capped peaks were evident in the distant background.

We could see what appeared to be a river carving it's way through this wide valley. Shortly, we encountered the Rio Chama.

It became very evident just where the river flowed by the abundance of deciduous trees lining it's banks.

We believed many of the trees to be cottonwoods, but having said that, what we know about trees could be written on a thumbnail. We were later told that apple trees and small orchards are prevalent in the area.

Spring is still in it's early stages here and some foliage not yet evident. Small farms and grazing pastures were evident throughout the course of the Rio Chama in this large river valley.

 

A few more miles to go, winding through this spectacular scenery before we reach Abiquiu, a tiny, tired town, famous for the home of famed artist Georgia O'Keefe. s we drove by, there was a lovely quaint inn next door to the O'Keefe Museum.

 

 



Lake Abiquiu was quite a stunning surprise as we looked down on it. Signage and directions to the campground were good.

 

 

The view of Lake Abiquiu from our campsite.

 This will be our home for the next five days. Looking forward to sightseeing and exploration.

 



Day Trip Abiquiu to Ojo Caliente Hot Springs

What a great and relaxing day at Ojo Caliente Hot Springs!

At the leisurely hour of 11 am, we headed out to Ojo Caliente. Research told me that the early Spanish settlers named this area, with ojo, meaning eye, and of course, caliente being hot.

The 20-mile drive along highway 554 was most picturesque, taking in this “wide, open” country.

Farming village of El Rito, Carson National Forest
 

We went through a couple of small towns, mostly agriculture in nature in this big valley.

Upon arrival at Ojo Caliente, I was surprised to see so many vehicles in the parking lot, and expected the resort to be packed, not the serenity I was hoping for. Upon check-in at just past noon, the lady at the lobby desk suggested that we consider having lunch first, with soaking and relaxation to follow. We took her advice and headed to the Artesian restaurant. The ambience was warm, with patrons coming in for lunch in swimsuits and robes………we are after all in a water resort.

After a delicious lunch, I had superb fish tacos and Alan had the burger, which was not quite to his liking or expectation. He is not an adventurous eater, and even after some coaching, declined the elk burger, topped with an egg and smoked Swiss for a standard burger.

After lunch, we paid our $42 entrance fee (for 2), changed into our swim suits and headed for the pools.

The geothermal mineral waters have flowed from a subterranean volcanic aquifer for thousands of years. Ojo is the only hot springs in the world with four different types of mineral water including lithia, iron, soda and arsenic. Over 100,000 gallons come to the surface, revitalizing those who soak in the legendary, healing waters. Pools are filled with different types and combinations of these waters with temperatures ranging from 80-109 degrees.

The Kiva Pool is the large soaking pool centered in the courtyard. At 89 degrees, it is filled with a combination of iron and arsenic mineral waters. We enjoyed soaking and cooling down between use of the other pools. This was our first delightful soak.

Next we tried the Arsenic Pool at a temperature of 104, the hottest and smallest pool on the property. Alan’s favorite was the Arsenic Pool. The arsenic water is believed to be beneficial for relief from arthritis, stomach ulcers and to heal a variety of skin conditions. Water from the iron and arsenic springs is blended in various pools throughout the property.

The Iron Pool, with a soft rock bottom that the waters bubble through. The warm, iron-rich water (101 degrees) bubbles up from the natural pebble floor, providing hot spots to discover in this mystical outdoor cliff side pool. Iron is considered to be beneficial to the blood and immune system.

The Soda Pool, my favorite, is the quiet pool.  Rock walls enclose the Soda "steam" pool and create a soft echo providing a sense of calm and relaxation. This is a quiet pool with no talking allowed. Water from the Soda Spring is said to have been used to relieve digestive problems.

My first soak was serene and relaxing, but my second visit much less so. Some of the bathing groups totally disregarded the request for quiet and unfortunately no staff were available to enforce observance of the rules. Needless to say, I departed quickly to enjoy something more serene.

The Mud Pool was something new to us, and an interesting experience. Where else can you slather mud all over your body and bake in the sun until done? As the special blend of clay dries, toxins are released from the pores of your skin and you come away feeling cleansed and refreshed. 

Unfortunately clouds had begun to gather and the wind was up, making the air cool on our wet, muddy bodies. Alan went straight to the warm mud pool without letting the mud dry, I laid on one of the rock drying benches and allowed the sun and air to dry most of the mud, succumbing to the warm pool once my fingers got chilled.

 

Later in the afternoon after two hours of soaking, we headed to our respective locker rooms for a shower and change. By this time, the Wine Bar was open, so of course, we stopped for a glass of vino before heading back to our campsite. A wonderful, fun and relaxing day!