Today’s plan was to start with coffee, then browse the wares of the Native American artisans who set up their selling stools and blankets along the north side of the Santa Fe Plaza.
From there we would head up to the Randall Davey Audubon Center and Sanctuary to walk/hike the trails.
Yes, that was the plan. Accordingly, I donned my hiking shoes.
We got to the espresso shop,
and did some Native American shopping, with the purchase of a new ear cuff. Yea!
And then the plans changed. Not for the bad, rather a change that would have been better served by wearing my walking shoes.
Labyrinth walking.
Shopping. Poking around in shops and galleries.
Walking around the plaza.
While walking around, I discovered that the columns pictured below, which are located in front of the Native American museum, were painted by the muralist I had met earlier this month in Bentonville, Arkansas. Yatika Starr Fields. What a delight!
All this walking around town, in hiking shoes no less, brought on a desire for a meal at The Shed. It was amazing.
More shopping on side streets winding away from the plaza.
Eventually we made it to the Audubon center. With weary feet, we set out on the main trail. We were warned that a mother bear and her cub had been seen several times on this trail, so I carried on in my usual gabby way with elevated volume on high alert.
I even read a poem aloud. It’s a good one, so I’m including it here.
Safely off the beaten trail, we headed to Ecco for gelato and espresso. A fitting treat for one with weary feet.
Cometsgirl 