A late sleep-in sure felt good. Full breakfast, shower and I was ready to saddle up my trusty two-wheeler and pedal my "butt" into Taos. Taos was officially the end of the "el Camino Real (the royal road out of Mexico City). Nearly all commerce came and went this route for hundreds of years. My morning destination had little to do with that road since the home I was visiting belonged to Kit Carson. Kit and I have crossed paths many times during my travels. He is known as a frontiersman, mountain man, hunter, trapper, guide, Indian fighter and Civil War officer. Carson became a frontier legend in his own lifetime via biographies and news articles. Exaggerated versions of his exploits were subject of dime novels. In his later life these exaggerations haunted him and left him feeling inadequate for being unable to live up to them.
A great read on the life of this complex hero. My misgivings with Kit Carson is how this illiterate mountain man who understood, befriended and respected the Western tribes better than any other American could willingly follow orders that would ultimately devastate the Navajo nation.
Kit lived his final years in Taos, NM. His home is filled with fascinating items from his life. A great History channel movie gives great perspective into his life. He married into the Arapaho and Cheyenne tribes and fathered 10 children, including the adoption of a Navajo son who was bought out of slavery. One incident that shook Kit to the core was during an Apache raid on a homestead out West. The Indians had killed the entire family except the young wife whom they escaped with on horseback. Kit Carson and a group of mountain men took off in hot pursuit. As they engaged the Indians and eventually scattered them they discovered the body of the young woman with an arrow through her heart. Clutched in her hand was a small book. The book was a dime novel telling of the heroic exploits of a "Kit Carson"!! His failure to save this woman and live up to the expectations of his exaggerated exploits in the book haunted him for the rest of his life. He is buried in a small cemetery near his home in Taos.
Kit lived his final years in Taos, NM. His home is filled with fascinating items from his life. A great History channel movie gives great perspective into his life. He married into the Arapaho and Cheyenne tribes and fathered 10 children, including the adoption of a Navajo son who was bought out of slavery. One incident that shook Kit to the core was during an Apache raid on a homestead out West. The Indians had killed the entire family except the young wife whom they escaped with on horseback. Kit Carson and a group of mountain men took off in hot pursuit. As they engaged the Indians and eventually scattered them they discovered the body of the young woman with an arrow through her heart. Clutched in her hand was a small book. The book was a dime novel telling of the heroic exploits of a "Kit Carson"!! His failure to save this woman and live up to the expectations of his exaggerated exploits in the book haunted him for the rest of his life. He is buried in a small cemetery near his home in Taos.
I hiked and biked around Taos. There is a typical Spanish-style Plaza in the middle of town which is surrounded by quaint shops and cafes. The plaza has a flagpole which has flown an American Flag, day and night, since it was first hoisted in 1863 by Kit Carson to assure citizens that Taos would continue loyalty to the US. New Mexico was still a territory at that time and would not gain statehood until 1912. It is one of seven sites in the USA authorized to fly the Stars and Stripes in that manner. Taos has a huge artist population and galleries are seen everywhere. I found a great restaurant in town and had an awesome lunch. Southwestern grilled "green chile" chicken on green chile/cheese roll. Desert was a delicious scoop of "green chile" ice cream. Liquid libation of course was a stupendous Margarita!!!
Had fun visiting local shops and galleries. My favorite was a Western shop!!
No LLBean boots to be found anywhere!!!
Bike ride back home and a walk with Shona; we were then ready for a little "siesta"!! Why not, we are both on vacation!!! Tomorrow we would be off for the "Number One Small City in America" according to Conde' Nast Traveller: Santa Fe, NM!!