Questa New Mexico and The Enchanted Circle…

Our first day in the Questa NM the rains set in and it rained most of the day. It did let up a bit in the afternoon so we drove over to nearby Cabresto Lake in the Carson National Forest. We traveled on a rough dirt road of about five miles (not recommended for passenger cars). It wound upward toward the lake which sits at over 9000 feet of elevation and along the way we passed a interesting mountain home (dome?). We walked the trail from the parking lot which took us along the western shore of the lake to its source.

Along the way the Mountain Mahogany (Rosaceae cercocarpus) was in full bloom and there were Scarlet Gilia (Polemoniaceae Ipomopsis) flowers clinging to the steep slopes. White Fir, Limber Pine, Ponderosa Pine, Douglas Fir and Gambel Oaks made up the forest overhead. There were Black Chinned Hummingbirds flitting about all the while chattering. The trail took us about 100 feet up from the shoreline and allowed us many photographic opportunities of the lake below.

While Cabresto Lake is relatively small it is a nice lake filled with trout and there were several Mallards swimming about searching for some tasty treats. We returned back along the shoreline of the lake as far as we could then had to scramble back up the talus to get back to the trail. We had a great hike even though it was short but we were glad to be able to get out of the RV for awhile on an otherwise rainy day…

One day while in Questa, even though it was threatening to rain, we drove around the Enchanted Circle. This about 90 mile driving loop took us initially south where we took a detour over to see the Rio Grande Gorge just west of Taos. At about 800 feet deep it resembles a miniature grand canyon.

From there we drove through Taos again and then over to the scenic valleys near Angel Fire and Eagle Nest. This is a very beautiful area but oddly enough the highlight of the loop for us turned out to be a visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park. It began as a result of  Victor and Jeanne Westphall, the grief-stricken parents of Marine First Lieutenant David Westphall, who was among 16young men in his unit killed in an ambush on May 22, 1968 in Vietnam.

It was built using their son’s insurance policies and the chapel is open twenty-four hours per day. Sitting atop a high point the views of the valley below are breathtaking. This architectural gem is a true road treat and a must visit place. We will say be prepared to turn on the tears…

We ended the day near the end of the Enchanted Circle in Red River NM a skiing town in the high country. Here we walked around the town until we ended up at a little bar at the base of the ski lift. It was only open till 6:00 pm but that was just perfect for us to get a cold frosty drink to wrap up our loop drive…

NOTE: We left Questa NM and are now in Longmont Colorado…