There are two routes from Abq to Bandalier National Monument, we opted for the "scenic" route through the Jemez Valley, which turned out to be so much more than just scenic. Golden tree leaves contrast with the red cliffs of Jemez Mountain and deep blue sky. We tried our first Indian Taco and bought bread at the Jemez Pueblo.
We viewed a unique soda dam, formed by deposits of calcium carbonate from a spring that bubbles to the surface. The dam is 300 feet long, 50 feet high, and 50 feet wide at the bottom.
The Valles Caldera National Preserve, a 15 mile wide collapsed crater, is now a working ranch.
