Rio Grande Gorge- Orilla Verde Recreation Area

 Our third day in Rinconada we explored the Rio Grande Gorge  up to the Taos Junction Bridge. Maybe just a couple of miles from the house was the  County Line River Access area. We got out and walked the dogs along paths up and down the river. There were large cottonwoods, fishermen casting and wonderful cool breezes coming off the water on what promised to be hot day. We checked out the BLM visitor center at Pilar, but there wasn't much there. We then continued on along the river on  NM      checking out the campgrounds perhaps for future reference, but mostly enjoying the fantastic scenery as the canyon deepened and narrowed. We pulled out to walk along the river again. My wife had the idea of getting in the water, but it was one of the Catch 22 situations we'd encountered before at the beach in Santa Monica, CA. A short ways  away from the river, it was hot and still, but right on river it was considerably cooler and breezy and the water itself was very cold  So, so much for getting in the river. We drove over the bridge, then went back over, parked the truck, and explored the Rio Pueblo de Taos , which has it confluence with the Rio Grande just a short distance past the bridge. This is a beautiful, and justifiably popular area, but it seemed  that the peak times for enjoying would be in the fall and spring, or maybe on sunny winter day.