Imposing 13,000 foot high Wheeler Peak lies to the North of Taos. An interconnecting series of roads encircle the peak, and make for a spectacular drive. We drove the route, which ascended over two 9,000 foot passes. There were views of desolate Eagle Nest Lake, and Wheeler Peak.
We stopped at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial State Park, which was constructed on a knoll overlooking a broad valley. The memorial was the project of a grief-stricken father whose son died in an ambush. The father used his own funds to build a chapel, visitor's center, and an amphitheater. There is an original Huey helicopter on site. A life-size statue, “Dear Mom and Dad” represents a soldier faced with the dilemma of writing home to his family. What can he say about what he is doing that they will understand?
Later in the afternoon, we drove a short distance from our RV park to the church of St. Francisco de Assis, which was constructed in 1772 - 1816 out of adobe, and is coated in a mixture of mud mixed with straw. It is considered the finest example of Spanish colonial architecture in the US. The church is in perfect condition, inside and out. The exterior walls are re-coated with mud on a regular basis. The interior is white with hand-hewn beams extending across the ceiling.
The original plaza surrounding the church has bookstores, restaurants, and the crumbling ruins of several original buildings.
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