Rain and gold leaves

We really enjoyed the foggy landscapes along the road (click here to see where it all started - On the Way...). The rain had returned, low clouds, golden leaves... everything looked simply beautiful!

 

We kept climbing higher and higher, moving through rain and clouds. The wind was howling, tearing the leaves from the aspens. We could barely see farther than a few hundred feet, but what we could see was breathtaking. Just imagine - aspens shimmering in gold, their leaves slowly falling and covering the ground below… It looked as if the slopes were gilded. The leaves, wet from the rain, gleamed softly... and honestly, I’d never seen anything like it.

We stopped and stood there, mesmerized by the trees on the shoulder of the road. It was simply stunning!

But we couldn’t stay there forever. We still had a few hours of driving before reaching Taos, so soon we were back on the road, moving through the clouds.

As I mentioned before, we had no idea what was out there - were we driving through dense woods, or was there open space just behind the rows of trees? Still no idea. The winding road went up and down, and we enjoyed driving without knowing (I know, it sounds strange, but…).

After a few more twists and turns, we finally reached an open stretch, and what we saw made our hearts race. Everything in front of us glowed in gold. It was simply unbelievable!

So of course, we made another stop (without leaving the car this time). The rain kept us inside, but the view was outstanding.

Further along, there was no chance to stop or see much. The clouds returned and hid everything (except the rain), so for the next hour we just enjoyed the quiet rhythm of driving through the rainstorm. Eventually, we emerged from the rain and pulled over to look around - a beautiful view opened up of a reservoir and a river in the distance.

Our next stop was Ohkay Owingeh, where we stretched our legs and visited two old churches - San Juan Bautista Catholic Church on one side of the road and Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine just across the street.

And it was still cloudy when we stopped there, but rain was gone...

Then we stopped in Española to see the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church. And now the sun was back, shining like no rain was invented :)

…and we stopped again in Santa Cruz to glance at Santa Cruz de Cañada Church. 

Well, we made another 5 minutes stop again on our way back to the highway - that mural was just too nice to pass by ;)

It had been a long day, and we still had at least another hour of driving before we could rest. We were finally on our way to Taos. The mountains along the road looked mystical and beautiful, didn’t they?

And it was just about time - the sun was rolling down, painting the clouds with soft sunset colors. No complaints… the entire day was full of impressions, and every moment was unexpectedly beautiful.

It was a long day - about eight hours of driving and 460 miles. Well... that was our choice, of course. Taking the direct route would have cut the trip down to about five hours and just under 300 miles from here to there. But then we would’ve missed so many beautiful places along the way ;)

To be continued...

Photos taken on October 11, 2025.