DAY 6: Taos (rest day, 0 miles) Because our bike trips are relatively short we hardly ever schedule an "off day." However, this time we really were getting a bit tired from all of the strenuous riding and there could hardly be a better place to stop than Taos. We checked into the Hampton Inn, by far the most luxurious (and expensive) accommodations on this trip and really looked forward to a leisurely, touristy day off the bikes. The hotel had a wonderful indoor heated pool and hot-tub which we pretty much had to ourselves and enjoyed for hours on end. So on Tuesday we were ready to spend the day as ordinary tourists except for one thing - we didn't have a car. The Hampton is about 4 miles south of the Taos Plaza (too far to walk) and that's where all the action is. Luckily for us there is some public transportation in Taos, namely the "Chili Line" city bus which runs from about 7am to 5pm and enabled us to do some sightseeing like "normal" people. We actually walked to our first destination about a mile south, the oldest church in Taos, St. Francis of Assisi. This beautiful old adobe church was built around 1800 and every year volunteers put a new coat of mud (actually sand, clay, and straw) over the adobe bricks just as it was done originally. At first we were kind of disappointed that we'd come upon a construction site, but actually it was probably more interesting because of the work going on. We met the old Scottish priest who's headed the congregation for the past three years and some of the craftsmen that were redoing the doors and other woodwork. John, being a building contractor, particularly enjoyed talking about the techniques being employed to refurbish the structure. Then we caught the Chili Line bus up to the Plaza and had some "interesting" conversations with a few of the regular local riders. The Taos Plaza was originally kind of a walled fortress used to protect the inhabitants and their livestock from outside threats. Now it's a lovely town square and several blocks of narrow alleyways full of art galleries, restaurants, cafes, and the usual tourist shops. Plenty of time to do our gift shopping and enjoy a leisurely afternoon. Since the buses only run until 5pm we had to get back to the hotel and content ourselves with a nice Mexican dinner across the street and a couple more hours in the pool and hot tub. All in all a very nice and relaxing day in the beautiful town of Taos. NEXT

St. Francis of Assisi Adobe Church, Taos built around 1800 Chatting with the Padre and parishoner/construction volunteer Courtyard in Taos Plaza