On to Abiquiu
On May 22, we drove from Tetilla Peak Campground on Cochiti Lake to Riana Campground on Abiquiu Lake. Since our visit was going to be over the Memorial Day Weekend, I made reservations online ahead of time. We planned to stay for 14 days and at the time I made the reservations, it wasn't possible to get an electric spot for 14 continuous days (all spots were full during the holiday weekend). However, the campground also has first come, first served electric sites, and as I had hoped, one of these was available when we arrived. We were able to switch our reservation to an one of these spots and now that we're in it, we can stay here for 14 days.
On our way here, we stopped for lunch and groceries in Espanola. It felt strange to be back in the area and visiting the same places we used to frequent when we lived up the river in Embudo a few years ago. We ate at El Parasol, outside at one of the picnic tables, with our dog. As expected, the food was fantastic. M and I both had beef tacos and he also had a green chile cheeseburger. Their salsa is spicy and we were both sniffling happily when we finished. Adjacent to the walk-up counter, they have a sit-down restaurant with a bigger menu; that food is also excellent. The building's interesting, too; it has a large tree growing inside the restaurant and right up through the roof.
We shopped for groceries at Walmart and headed to Abiquiu. The drive is fantastic, once you get a little way out of town. Imposing mesas, sandstone walls sculpted from wind and water, and lush greenery along the Rio Grande and Chama Rivers.
The first site of Abiquiu Lake is jaw-dropping--the water is varying shades of turquoise as the shadows of sunlight and cloud shadow play across its surface--and around its edges are soaring red rock and sandstone cliffs that plunge down to the lake. The pictures below were taken on the campground roads and nearby trails.
The adventurous can climb down some of these cliffs (there are trails zigzagging throughout the area) to the edge of the water. There is an rv section in the campground, as well as several tent areas. The rv sites are spaced well-apart and all have potential views of the lake. Some of the tent sites are on the edges of the cliffs and look down over the lake. All of them have excellent views of the wide open area surrounding the lake.
You can hop onto the main trail that wanders along cliffs above the edge of the lake from the campground. It's a difficult walk: the eye is constantly drawn back and forth between the grand scale of the lake and the surrounding hills, and the smaller scale but equally dramatic landscape of boulders, trees, and flowers adjacent to the path.
On our way here, we stopped for lunch and groceries in Espanola. It felt strange to be back in the area and visiting the same places we used to frequent when we lived up the river in Embudo a few years ago. We ate at El Parasol, outside at one of the picnic tables, with our dog. As expected, the food was fantastic. M and I both had beef tacos and he also had a green chile cheeseburger. Their salsa is spicy and we were both sniffling happily when we finished. Adjacent to the walk-up counter, they have a sit-down restaurant with a bigger menu; that food is also excellent. The building's interesting, too; it has a large tree growing inside the restaurant and right up through the roof.
The first site of Abiquiu Lake is jaw-dropping--the water is varying shades of turquoise as the shadows of sunlight and cloud shadow play across its surface--and around its edges are soaring red rock and sandstone cliffs that plunge down to the lake. The pictures below were taken on the campground roads and nearby trails.
You can hop onto the main trail that wanders along cliffs above the edge of the lake from the campground. It's a difficult walk: the eye is constantly drawn back and forth between the grand scale of the lake and the surrounding hills, and the smaller scale but equally dramatic landscape of boulders, trees, and flowers adjacent to the path.
Large scale
Small scale
This is, without a doubt, the most beautiful place we've been so far on this journey.
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