2023 CANYONLANDS ADVENTURE - GETTING TO KNOW KIT CARSON

 

DAY #5 – THURSDAY – JULY 6, 2023

 SANTA FE, NM – CANON CITY, CO

297 – MILES / 1,877 – TOTAL MILES

While Day #5 of my 2023 Canyonlands Adventure was a moving day, it was a relatively short-day mileage wise.  After a good breakfast in the Hilton Hotel Restaurant, it was time to board the bus and begin today’s journey.

For once we pulled out of the hotel right on time at 8 a.m. Every Morning so far the same few people have been late getting to the bus causing us to be late leaving every morning. I don’t know if someone may have said to them or if they took the hint when everyone stared at them when they boarded the bus. We will see if their on-time arrival was a fluke or if it will continue.

Any way we pulled out of the Hotel parking lot and headed toward out first and only scheduled stop of the day in Taos, New Mexico. It took us almost two and a half hours to make the scenic drive from Santa Fe up to Taos.

The Bus dropped us off near the historic plaza in Taos, which is fill with shops, art studios and restaurants. Most of the folks in out group are going to take advantage of the two hours that we have here to do a little shopping and to grab lunch.

Since I am not a shopper, I decided to head up to the Kit Carson House and Museum.  This was the home of the famed, frontiersman, fur trader, Army Scout and Indian Agent, Kit Carson.

The historic home was built in 1825 and Kit Carson lived here from 1843 until his death in 1868.  The small museum and gift shop are in one part of the U-shaped that was built around a courtyard that once housed the stable and corral. 

The 4-room house was where Kit had his office when he served as an Indian Agent for the tribes in the four corners region of New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah. Kit was well thought of by the Indians who often referred to him as “Father Kit.” He was constantly lobbing the United States Government on behalf of the Indians. Some in the Bureau of Indian Affairs called him “The White Man with the Indian Heart.”

Most of the furnishing used by Kit and his 9-children was primitive at best and none survived the decades of hard use before and after His death. Today the original home is preserved as a museum dedicated to telling the story of the man who blazed the trail into the Rocky Mountains, served as trapper and Army Scout.

While he was a giant among men, he was small in stature, standing only about 5’5” tall.  His wife Josefa died on April 23, 1868 while the couple was getting settled at Fort Lyons where Kit was preparing to lobby the government on behalf of the Indians..Exactly one month after the Death of his Wife, Kit Carson Died on May 23, 1868.

After finishing my tour of the Kit Carson House, I made the short walk through an alley to Kit Carson Park. Here in a section of the Town Park is the Kit Carson Memorial Cemetery where Josefa and Kit along with a couple of their children and grandchildren are buried.

By the time I finished with my Kit Carson Tour, it was time to look for a quick lunch. The Gentleman at the Kit Carson House suggested a small local café on the plaza. It was operated by his good friend, so, I checked it out and wasn’t disappointed. I had three very good tacos that were served with chips, salsa, and a drink for just a little over $12.  As I was leaving the Owner even treated me to a large cold lemonade to take with me on the bus.

After having a nice filling lunch, it was time to board the bus.  Once again, the same few folks that have been habitually late were once again late returning to the bus. Twenty minutes past our scheduled departure time they finally showed up and we pulled out to resume our journey.

Leaving Taos, we headed across U. S. Highway 64. This took us across the mountains through the Kit Carson National Forest.  It was an amazing scenic drive. We dropped down into a resort area that had sprung up around Eagle Lake.  Off to the North we got out first views of the Snow-Capped Peaks.

As we drove through the resort valley along the bank of the lake it wasn’t uncommon to see a bald eagle or a herd of deer grazing along the lake. After leaving Eagle Lake we began another scenic climb through the mountains.

About an hour after leaving Eagle Lake, we crossed the mountains made out way through the Town of Cimarron, New Mexico. From Cimarron it was almost another hour over to Interstate 25. 

Once on Interstate 25, we headed north through the town of Raton and soon after we reach to top of Raton Pass and left New Mexico and said hello to Colorado.  Just a few Miles or so into Colorado our Bus had to stop at the Colorado Weigh Station.

Rather than getting the green light to pass on through, our bus got the red pullover light. John, our driver, spent about 15 minutes inside with the Weight Station Officers.  While he never said anything about what the issue was, I suspect that it had something to do with his electronic logbook.

From Raton Pass, we descended into the flat lands with eastern foothills of the Rockies off to the west. An hour and a half later we arrived in the City of Pueblo and left Interstate 25 and headed west on U. S. Route 50.

From Pueblo it was only about a 45-minute drive out Highway 50 to Canon City, Colorado where we are spending the night at the Best Western.

We arrived at the Best Western at about 5:30 Mountain Time which is 7:30 back home in the Eastern Time Zone.  After getting settled in my room, it was time for supper. There were only a couple of Restaurants in walking distance, an IHOP and a Chili’s. Since I haven’t had good luck at IHOP’s in the Past I chose Chili’s.  This was a good choice. The service and food were good, and I was a happy traveler.

I really enjoyed my visit to Taos and the tour of the Kit Carson Home and the visit to His grave. The drive across the mountains between Taos and Raton was amazing. Tomorrow we will continue to explore Colorado with a stop at the Royal Gorge Bridge and a trip across Monarch Pass. It promises to be another amazing day.