Tuesday, August 1, 2006
Riana COE Campground, Abiquiu, NM - July 27-31
After what seemed like an eternity (but was only 2 weeks) we were finally able to move without angst. We were to again meet up with Fred & Linda - they left Heron Lake a day earlier - but between the heat and their dislike of the available sites, they decided to spend only the one night. We had made reservations months earlier (for the best site) when we knew we were to arrive at Chaco on Aug 1.
Riana CG sits on Abiquiu Lake, a reservoir created by the Corp of Engineers in 1963. It is one of our favorite cgs, in part because there is so much to do nearby. Abiquiu was the home of artist Georgia O'Keeffe for many years before she moved to Ghost Ranch, which is also nearby (our campsite offers a stunning view of Cerro Pedernal, which O'Keeffe immortalized in many of her paintings). 
We visited a letterbox that took us from the Abiquiu library, in the lovely historic square, past O'Keeffe's home, then past a historic "pentente morada", a stopover for members of a wandering penitential brotherhood.
Another day we drove past Ghost Ranch on Hwy 84 to Echo Amphitheater, a huge natural arena overseen by the NFS. On the way back we tried to drive to the Monastery of Christ in the Desert, 15 miles down a winding dirt road and surrounded by the Rio Chama Wilderness, but gave up about halfway in. The scenery was incredible, but it was getting late and rain was threatening, and the road is quite hazardous when wet. 
On the other side of town we visited the Poshuouinge ("Village above the Muddy River") Ruins, remains of an ancient pueblo with over 700 ground-floor rooms surrounding two large plazas with a great kiva in the larger plaza. 
A steep, half-mile trail passes by the ruins before climbing further up a hill to two overlooks, which offer excellent views of the ruins and the Chama River valley.We also attempted to visit the beautiful mosques of Dar al Islam, a non-profit organization that presents mainstream Islam to the people of North America and provides programs for Muslims, but the gates were locked both times. We left a voice message that went unanswered.
# posted by Doug and Willie @ 1:00 PM 
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Hello!
We are planning a cross country trip for next summer and were looking to stay at rain campground. Just wondering what site you stayed at? The pictures look amazing! We are trying to reserve the sites in advance that have the best views. Thank you so much!
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We are planning a cross country trip for next summer and were looking to stay at rain campground. Just wondering what site you stayed at? The pictures look amazing! We are trying to reserve the sites in advance that have the best views. Thank you so much!
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