Night in Santa Rosa, N.M.

Our vacation began in Santa Rosa, New Mexico, a small town we had passed by on numerous occasions traveling along Interstate 40, though we had never taken the brief detour onto the historic Route 66 running alongside the highway. This time we stopped for a night.

On this occasion we opted to spend the night at the Days Inn. We were pleasantly surprised that the room priced $20 below the La Quinta was quite adequate in every respect. We used the money we saved to eat that evening at Joseph's Bar & Grill, a choice we would take back were we given the opportunity. The bland New Mexican cuisine was not what we were hoping for.

But what we would not take back was our drive to Blue Hole, which was a wonderful surprise discovered right in the heart of Santa Rosa. A round swimming hole without a floor, it is fed by an underground river which keeps the lake's temperature at a constant 61 degrees, the sign there told us. Blue Hole is a natural lake dug into the native rock terrain of the area, a scenic marvel.

The next morning before leaving town, we stepped through the breezeway to the back of the Days Inn and found a delightful little vegetable garden being cultivated, apparently by the operator of the motel. There were also numerous wildflowers in bloom. All in all, our visit to Santa Rosa was quite enjoyable.

 

Monument Valley

Another vacation is just around the corner. In fact, the vacation will be around four corners. With the farthest stop to the west being Monument Valley Arizona and Utah; then moving back east to Colorado and New Mexico. Les has been before, but this is the first time for me, so I have lots to learn.

Goulding's Lodge looks like an interesting place to stay for a day or two--located just north of the Arizona-Utah border, six miles from the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. San Juan County, Utah, is one of the most popular settings for all types of movies, especially westerns.

 The lodge was built at the site of where so many of these movies were filmed. There is a 2 star budget hotel lodge as well as cabins, RV and tent sites with excellent amenities, including a large swimming pool and tours through the area: THE ALL DAY TOUR EXPLORES THE ANCIENT ANASAZI RUINS AND ROCK ART PANELS OF MYSTERY VALLEY.  AFTER AN OUTDOOR LUNCH, THE TOUR CONTINUES ON TO VIEW THE MAGNIFICENT RED ROCK MONOLITHS AND ROCK FORMATIONS OF MONUMENT VALLEY.

Unfortunately, it appears all rooms are booked during the time we will be there, so we will look in the Mexican Hat area, 22 miles to the north, along the San Juan River.

 The San Juan Inn seems to be a great option. In the same vicinity is the Hat Rock Inn. A third option is the Mexican Hat Lodge.