DAY 2: Cuba to Abiquiu, 65 miles Another early morning start and beautiful weather. We'd drop from an elevation of about 7000 feet in Cuba to 6000 feet in Abiquiu but still had to climb about 1500 feet over the course of the day before being rewarded with a nice long downhill for the last 20 miles. Highway 96 was one of the nicest roads we encountered, with very little traffic, really nice scenery, and four or five little towns along the way where food and drink was readily available. At these altitudes, very low humidity and warm temperatures it was especially important to keep well hydrated. After about 45 miles of rolling hills and gentle longer climbs along this idyllic country road we got the downhill we'd been waiting for. About 10 miles north of Abiquiu the view opens up to a wide plain below with Abiquiu Dam and Lake filling the valley. And from there it was an even steeper, winding downhill into the small town of Abiquiu. We didn't really see much of the town, which I understand is predominated by art galleries. This is the area where Georgia O'Keeffe lived and worked and many other artists have followed. From the nice little store at the north end of town we were able to call our hosts at the Casablanca B&B and get directions for the final 4 miles along gravel roads. After 20 minutes of trying to stay upright on the loose dirt and gravel we were finally greeted by our host Anne and her Chesapeake Bay retriever Koko in front of their amazing adobe house on 18 acres of gorgeous high desert landscape. We were happy to have arrived but had no idea what a wonderful afternoon and morning we'd spend there. We could go on and on about Anne and Dennis with whom we instantly fell into a comfortable rapport. I'm sure all their guests would say the same thing, and it's all to their credit, not ours. Their list of talents is way too long to enumerate here. We enjoyed our many conversations immensely and could quite happily have lingered there for the rest of the trip. I'll just let the pictures convey the beauty of their home and property. NEXT

Lovely Highway 96 to Abiquiu Reststop at Lake Abiquiu (and dam) Casablanca B&B, Abiquiu Our gracious hosts, Anne & Dennis