Also on my New Mexico sunrise bucket list, the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge.

Worth the early morning visit. It’s a big tourist attraction in Taos, and for fifteen minutes at sunrise, Soni, our dog Maisie and I had the place to ourselves. Almost no cars passed us. We could see for miles in every direction. It’s a terrifying and utterly magical spot.

After the sun came up, more folks started to arrive, so we packed up and headed up to the Taos Ski Valley, to hike the Williams Lake Trail. It’s been ages since I started a hike so early in the morning. The air was cool and fresh, damp from the previous nights frost. The sun was just beginning to peek through the trees and rise over the mountaintops.

all photographs by me, Becca Grady.