After months of isolation we decided it was time to take a road trip to Santa Fe and Frisco, Co. with our dear friends. It “was” different … fewer people, many places closed and thankfully a majority of people respecting the Covid protocols of face masks and social distancing.
I’ll not show pictures taken in Santa Fe because I’ve posted most of the high interest spots in previous blogs. However, I do want to show a photo of our lodging in Santa Fe. Pictured above is one of the units of a small B&B … Pueblo Bonito … just a short walk from downtown. I have no problem recommending this historic adobe option. In lieu of all guest gathering, breakfast was brought to the refrigerator in our rooms … fresh fruit, tamales, yogurt and coffee.
On to Frisco, Colorado .., lunch stop in Antonito
In the past we have simply blinked and driven right through this little town of 781. This time we were hungry and an outdoor (albeit on the highway) restaurant was perfect. Excellent service and food at Das Hermanas. Plus, directly across the highway. was this wall mural pictured above. It was painted by F.F. Haberlein and dedicated to the people of Antonitio. One never knows what surprises reward a slower pace.
Frisco is almost like a second home.
We have been vacationing in Frisco for years and have toured the West extensively … but there’s a special feeling and atmosphere in Frisco that keeps bringing us back. Maybe it’s the cool mountain air at 9100 feet. Maybe it’s the little shops and restaurants. Maybe it’s the biking and hiking trails. Maybe it’s the refreshing power of roaring rivers and snow capped peaks … it’s all these and more. However, with Covid19, our 2020 return was a bit different!
In addition to signs like this and most people “actually” wearing face masks, Frisco Main Street was closed. The photo below shows how this closure transformed Main Street into a “people place” … a place for more social distancing, a place for restaurants to add additional outside seating and a place for bikers, walkers and shoppers to comfortably share the space.
We spent more time eating in and embracing outdoor activities … having picnics, Jeeping 4WD roads and having fun creekside.
We covered a lot of territory on Jeep roads but the most fun was on Mayflower Gulch. I have hiked it several times but this was a ball in a 4WD Jeep.
Of course, the Photo Op on Loveland Pass at the Continental Divide.
Picnic and fun Creekside …
I cannot express how enjoyable it was to have a picnic along the Snake River or the Ten Mile Creek. And to make it even more enjoyable … our wives brought bubble making tubes. What fun, what a treat, what a way to share time with friends.
The new normal ….
New Snow on Mount Arkansas near Leadville. Arkansas River starts here!
I think this shot “says it all!”
Jim Dailey 