From Santa Fe we headed east on Interstate 25.

3:01 p.m.
We passed the historical marker for the Glorieta Battlefield Monument and then drove into the village of Pecos. It was 45 degrees out and cloudy. When we entered Pecos National Historic Park it was 51 degrees and raining. Since we had shorts on we ducked into the restrooms in the Visitor Center and changed into jeans. We were much more comfortable. The Visitor Center also had drinking water and a small book store, where we bought a couple of books on the local history.

Other than a bus load of senior citizens, we were the only ones in the Park. We took our time and wandered along the mostly paved path, climbed down inside of one of the reconstructed kivas, and followed the trail guide to learn about what we were looking at. Much of the pueblo here has not been excavated, but many of the ruins are visible on the surface. We walked through the old mission ruins, wondering at its size and the amount of manual labor that went into its construction and maintenance. From there we headed back to the truck. The Visitor Center closes at 4:30 p.m. and the Park closes at 5:00 p.m. We left right behind the Visitor Center rangers as they exited the Park. By then the sun was out, but it was still chilly.