Amarillo to Durango

In keeping with the "off the main highways" theme of my trip I headed north from Amarillo, up to Dumas and over to Dalton.  I used Highway 87 out of Dumas    From Dalton, Texas to Clayton, New Mexico.  Boy, did it take a long time to get thru Texas!!  Anyway, in Clayton  I took an alternate route...I took Highway 56/412 to Springer, NM.  Wonderful rolling hills, straight highway and wonderful vistas of New Mexico and I had the highway to myself.  Pushing on, just north of Springer is Route 58 over to Cimarron and Eagle Nest.  Then on Hwy 64 toward Taos.

I think this is on Hwy 64 between Cimarron
and Eagle Nest.  Very winding roads and because
it was the end of a holiday weekend, all the traffic
was going the other way!  Coming into Eagle Nest
the view of the lake, covered with whitecaps, was
a sight to see!

To my great surprise, this is the Rio Grande River looking north as it
 passes west of Taos.  I wanted to stop in Taos (it was a destination stop),
but it was really still packed with tourists so I kept driving.

A view of the Rio Grande looking
south from the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge.
It has a 1000 or so miles to go before it
empties into the Gulf of Mexico.

 The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge was selected as the
most beautiful long span bridge in the world in 1966.