21 Jun 21

First day of summer; longest day of the year. I woke up in my Microtel room, facing east, at 06:05, just in time to see the sun peak over the distant horizon; it was like watching a sunrise at sea - so flat. I was awake, so i went ahead and got up. After a leisurely breakfast at Starbucks, I stopped to mail the garage door opener home to Dan and then drove by the cemetery to pay my respects to Mom and Dad; very peaceful. Then, I was on my way to Taos by about 09:00. The wind was howling at 25 mph from the NE and the temperature dropped from 73F to 64F by the time I hit Clovis. It stayed cool and overcast until I crested the pass just east of Taos at 9400 ft above sea level. Within two or three miles, the temp had risen to 82 F. The last 1.5 hours, from Las Vegas, NM, to Taos, is just a gorgeous drive; some of the prettiest country in the lower 48. I pulled into Judy’s airbnb (Simple Elegance) just before 15:00 and was met at the door by Judy. She very kindly refused payment for the night’s stay. I spent the next hour or so relaxing on the veranda, reading and playing a bit of guitar. Dot and Gary stopped by for cocktail about 17:00, then we went to dinner at Doc Martin’s with Gary’s son Chris, Judy and her husband, Aldan (who just learned how to kite surf - awesome).  

Log = 349 miles; Sum = 862 miles