RE: "Just as the hardscrabble dreamers used to wake beside their covered wagons and gather wood for a morning fire"
Okay. This may be a little pedantic, but the hardscrabble dreamers who used to wake beside their covered wagons collected dried buffalo chips for their morning fire, not wood.
I live in New Mexico and always love hearing about it in any context. Your spirit of adventure and laissez faire is lovely. This state is FULL of wonders and no, they never cease. More of this please!
I’m glad that you occasionally take a break from the horrors of our current politics and act on your spirit of adventure. We all need a break. And pie.
You done good. I live in Taos, but I've followed the same route several times and can vouch for all your observations. Low population density + altitude FTW and vaya con Dios!
“Right there, in parched west-central New Mexico, you have Pie Town, close by to another little town with a name that has something to do with me. What are the chances of that? Is that a coincidence? Is the universe sending me a message? What goes on out there?”
As someone who has recently been revisiting ‘The Crying of Lot 49’, I am all for this line of thinking.
In 2007, when I was a teenager, I went on a 26 day road trip with my Boy Scout Troop from Ohio to New Mexico and then took the scenic route home. We were there to hike at Double H ranch, a sister camp to Philmont Scout Ranch. Double H has since closed, but it was near Datil and it was six days of hiking in the backcountry, along too many dried river beds full of sand (hard to hike through), with 50+ pounds of gear on our backs, and without any showers until the end. When we had finally finished our trek and started driving west toward AZ, we stopped in Pie Town and had their famous pies... so just imagine how surprised I was to see you writing about it today. I still have their punch card where if I buy eight more slices there, my 10th one is free. Guess I better head back soon. Thanks for the blast from the past, Hamilton. You do great work here.
RE: "Just as the hardscrabble dreamers used to wake beside their covered wagons and gather wood for a morning fire"
Okay. This may be a little pedantic, but the hardscrabble dreamers who used to wake beside their covered wagons collected dried buffalo chips for their morning fire, not wood.
i like pie, new mexico, and committing to things just to find out what the deal is, so i appreciated this post a lot.
Sometimes you just gotta go to Pie Town. Satisfy your curiosity and your hunger.
And that Blueberry Lemon Buttermilk pie sounds amazing.
I live in New Mexico and always love hearing about it in any context. Your spirit of adventure and laissez faire is lovely. This state is FULL of wonders and no, they never cease. More of this please!
A nice break for you and for us readers!
i've been to pie town :)
I’m glad that you occasionally take a break from the horrors of our current politics and act on your spirit of adventure. We all need a break. And pie.
You done good. I live in Taos, but I've followed the same route several times and can vouch for all your observations. Low population density + altitude FTW and vaya con Dios!
“Right there, in parched west-central New Mexico, you have Pie Town, close by to another little town with a name that has something to do with me. What are the chances of that? Is that a coincidence? Is the universe sending me a message? What goes on out there?”
As someone who has recently been revisiting ‘The Crying of Lot 49’, I am all for this line of thinking.
Good article! It's a big world if you've a mind to look.
I’m going to pick up your last line as my mantra! I so love your writing!
For the bicyclists reading, Pie Town is an iconic stop on the GDMBR (https://www.adventurecycling.org/routes-and-maps/adventure-cycling-route-network/great-divide-mountain-bike-route/) (https://tourdivide.org/).
In 2007, when I was a teenager, I went on a 26 day road trip with my Boy Scout Troop from Ohio to New Mexico and then took the scenic route home. We were there to hike at Double H ranch, a sister camp to Philmont Scout Ranch. Double H has since closed, but it was near Datil and it was six days of hiking in the backcountry, along too many dried river beds full of sand (hard to hike through), with 50+ pounds of gear on our backs, and without any showers until the end. When we had finally finished our trek and started driving west toward AZ, we stopped in Pie Town and had their famous pies... so just imagine how surprised I was to see you writing about it today. I still have their punch card where if I buy eight more slices there, my 10th one is free. Guess I better head back soon. Thanks for the blast from the past, Hamilton. You do great work here.
Been there often. I always chase down the dead end roads in my travels. Just to see what’s there and turn around.
I once drove the 70 or so kilometers from my home to see “Sparkle City” (https://www.ruralroutes.com/orr_show_page.cfm?htmlnum=7925). No pie there, though…
Love this!
And I’d have appreciated the hat if I saw you in it. 🙃