Travel day. High plains turned into the Sangre de Cristo mountains.
Also, I've technically been to Texas now, which brings this trip's state tally to 9.
Las Vegas, NM
Stopped for lunch in Las Vegas, NM. Arty and quaint little burg. A lot of abandoned buildings, but the buildings that weren't were brightly painted.
Had a delightful lunch here. There was more art like this, and I wish I'd taken pictures of it. Got a burrito, which weighed like 5 pounds, was delicious, and lasted two meals.
They call this a River Walk, but it's more of a Babbling Brook Walk (I must speak with the manager).
Pecos National Historical Park
I was hoping to go to Capulin Volcano, but the road to the top was closed for construction so I went to Pecos instead. I'll have to come back another time for the volcano.
Pecos was great though. There's a museum at the visitor's center, which goes over the extensive history of the place. It's somewhat peaceful, and there are great views.
They let you climb into a couple of the kivas. This is a kiva by the way.
Pecos, as a place, had a lot of highs and lows. It had a golden age, then it was conquered by the Spanish. They successfully revolted against the Spanish, but then the Spanish conquered em again a few years later. It was the site of a bloody Civil War battle, but the Union came out on top.
There was a mix of sunshine and overcast while I was there, which just felt so fitting.