Soon enough

Our nearly-two-week road trip wasn't exactly what we had planned. It was supposed to be an expansion of our 2500 mile Triangulation journey in 2014, which took us from San Marcos to Santa Fe to St Louis and back. The 2018 version was going to be a 3500 mile jaunt from San Marcos to Taos to Glenwood Springs, Colorado to St Louis and back. Epic.

Then this happened ...

5:00 on a Thursday afternoon in the high desert of New Mexico our car died 30+ miles outside of Taos ...

on the edge of the Rio Grande gorge ...

We had one bar of AT&T service and 9% battery power on the cell phone ... just enough to contact Honda Roadside Assistance. A tow truck was dispatched. We were told it might take a while.

So we waited. And reflected on how we had gotten into the mess we were in. How the LOOSE GRAVEL signage on 84 leading into the Sangre de Cristo mountains the day before had portended a bit more than the quarter-sized ding we got in our windshield. Apparently the gravel storm kicked up by an 18-wheeler going 65 mph in the opposite lane had punched a hole in our radiator as well.

So it was that our decision to cross the bridge ...

over the Rio Grande ...

and then take the long way back, turned into a travel saga.

At least we had nice scenery to while away the hours (three of them all told) although it was concerning that a storm appeared to be gathering on the rim ...

Fortunately, the storm never made it to us, but a tow truck from Espanola did ...

While driving us back, the driver regaled us with tales of his car repossession adventures (which included getting shot), recommended what turned out to be a great car repair place in Taos (which was closed at 8:30 pm, but fortunately had a night drop box) and then brought us safely to our B&B.

The rest is a story for another day ... or two or three.