In 1998 we went west and did a northern loop. The farthest south we went was Arches National Park at Moab. In 2000 we went west and did a southern loop. We went to the 4 Corners on that trip, but didn’t connect with Moab, so we put US 191 between Moab and US 160 on our bucket list. Today we checked that route off the list.

We weren’t disappointed with what we saw. There are red rocks, mesas, canyons, and high desert. We stopped a few times to take in the natural sights, a parachutist and a hot air balloon.

There are also several interesting small towns along the way including Monticello, Blanding, and Bluff.

We had all kinds of weather today. It was cool and cloudy in the morning. After lunch it was very hot. Then it was very cloudy. We put on the rain gear for the second time and managed to get around a very black thunderstorm system before it crossed our path. We put the rain gear on for a third time just before getting to Taos. This time we were in the rain for about 5 minutes.

Most of our route on US 160 and 64 was the was route I took in 2007. There was plenty of mountain riding. We went over one pass at 10,540 feet. Here we are at the summit.

Because of the threat of rain and the very heavy winds, we didn’t get a chance to go see downtown Taos and its art shops. There is always something left to do next time.

Tomorrow morning will be the last of the mountain riding as we go east out of Taos and over an 9,000 ft. pass.