New Mexico: Scenic, Indigenous, Artistic & Enchanting

It’s time to travel again, road trip style. This 16-year-old Subaru Forester gem is road ready and detailed to perfection and set to take me on a 3-week road trip through New Mexico.

While this gem was being put into tip-top shape at Sewell Subaru in Dallas, I was provided a 2021 Outback loaner to get around in. You would think with all its bells and whistles I would cave and just buy a new one, but ‘old’ is not a reason to dump something that has done what it was purchased to do all those years ago, gotten me safely from Point A to Point B. That in my world is the function of a vehicle. And, this gem has most definitely done that and more.

Last year, I did venture out and took a road trip to hang out with family and friends in Florida stopping in Mississippi and then on my way back to Texas, stopped and hung out in Alabama, Tennessee and Missouri. Initially, after returning home to Texas, I had planned, in late September, to head out to New Mexico, but the state had imposed a stay at home order to curb the COVID-19 surge. So, I’ve been at home since.

Having a home and feeling comfortable and safe is a blessing from a virus that has sickened and killed people beyond the borders of my country here in the U.S. to countries throughout the world. I also feel blessed to have escaped COVID’s wrath but I know so many in the world have not.

And, even though I’ve been locked out of traveling, I’ve still been busy. I’ve taken the time to clear out the clutter. Re-designing and re-creating my space is really like editing what I bring in a suitcase that fits in an airplane’s overhead bin when I travel for weeks or months at a time. Holding onto things I haven’t seen or used in the eight years in my condo is like packing clothes I might wear and burdening myself with the extra load.

I’m grateful that vaccine shots in arms became a priority for the federal, state, local governments and a number of businesses because I was able to get both shots and be completely vaccinated at the end of March. Oddly enough, it was more than a year ago in March when the WHO, World Health Organization, declared COVID-19 a global pandemic while I was in Malaysia, a country getting ready to close its borders and completely shutdown. From fear and sickness to hope, at least so far here in the U.S.

So, let’s get back to the New Mexico road trip. In general, plans include Carlsbad, Roswell, Albuquerque, Gallup, the Zuni Pueblo, Chaco Canyon, Santa Fe and more including friends along the way. Plus a quick border crossing into Arizona for a day at the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert.

Let the travels begin!!

She may be 16 years old, with more than 185,000 miles on her, but this Subaru Forester is road ready thanks to Sewell Subaru. Took her in for a check-up and a clean-up for the road. (May 15, 2021)

Carlsbad Caverns and Living Desert Gardens

The city of Carlsbad is actually located in the Chihuahuan Desert on the southeast corner of New Mexico, about 25 miles north of the Texas border. Although the desert runs deep into central Mexico, it also stretches from the southeastern corner of Arizona across southern New Mexico and west Texas in the United States.

Today was all about being awed by the Carlsbad Caverns National Park, designated a World Heritage Site; and learning about the vegetation packed desert encompassing Carlsbad at the Living Desert Zoo & Gardens. Check it out.

Me inside the caves of the Carlsbad Caverns National Park in Carlsbad, New Mexico with huge Stalagmite columns behind me. The geologic story of Carlsbad Cavern is said to have begun some 265 million years ago with the creation of a 400 mile-long, horseshoe-shaped reef. But let’s fast forward to 500,000 years ago, I say jokingly, when the stalactites, stalagmites and other formations began at a time when a wetter, cooler climate prevailed. Where water dripped slowly from the ceiling, soda straws and large stalactites appeared. And, water falling on the floor created stalagmites. (May 19, 2021)

The Carlsbad Caverns National Park in Carlsbad, New Mexico, is not a cave park. It is a national park that contains caves. This is the entrance to the Visitor’s Center where you enter the cave either a 1.25 mile hike down 750 feet via the natural entrance or take the elevator ride, which is exactly what I took. (May 19, 2021)

The Carlsbad Caverns National Park in Carlsbad, New Mexico, is not a cave park. It is a national park that contains caves. (May 19, 2021)

The walking trail thru the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. (May 19, 2021)

The underground awesomeness of the Big Room of the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. (May 19, 2021)

Stalagmite columns in the Big Room of the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. (May 19, 2021)

The giant domes of the Hall of Giants at the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. (May 19, 2021)

The large limestone chamber inside the Carlsbad Caverns National Park, called the Big Room, is considered to be the largest chamber in North America. (May 19, 2021)

An otherworldly sight in the Big Room of the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. (May 19, 2021)

A ladder leading to what looked like an endless dark pit at the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. (May 19, 2021)

Another otherworldly sight in the Big Room of the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. (May 19, 2021)

The Top of the Cross area where seating is provided for cave talks at the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. (May 19, 2021)

The amazing stalactites at the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. (May 19, 2021)

The Crystal Spring Dome inside the Carlsbad Caverns National Park’s Big Room. (May 19, 2021)

The Big Room of the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. (May 19, 2021)

The Rock of Ages inside the Big Room of the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. (May 19, 2021)

A hall of stalactites at the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. (May 19, 2021)

The beautiful stalactites and lake at the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. (May 19, 2021)

The trail to the Bat Flight Amphitheater at the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. (May 19, 2021)

Carlsbad Cavern Bat Flight amphitheater at the Carlsbad Caverns National Park where in a mass exodus at dusk, thousands of Brazilian free-tailed bats can be seen flying from the cave for a night of feasting on insects. (May 19, 2021)

The Natural Entrance to the Carlsbad Caverns at the National Park is also where the Bat Cave is located. In a mass exodus at dusk, thousands of Brazilian fire-tailed bats fly from the cave for a night of wasting on insects. The bats winter in Mexico, so the Carlsbad Caverns flights occur only from early spring through October. (May 19, 2021)

The curved Natural Entrance to the Carlsbad Caverns at the National Park is also where the Bat Cave is located. (May 19, 2021)

Me at the Natural Entrance with the Bat Cave below at the Carlsbad Caverns National Park. The Natural Entrance is more than a mile long down some 750 feet into the cave. I took the easy way down, by elevator, but it was good to see what I missed. (May 19, 2021)

The curving entrance road to the Carlsbad Caverns National Park stretches a scenic seven miles (11 km) from the park gate at White’s City to the visitor center and cavern entrance. (May 19, 2021)

The curving entrance road and exit road to the Carlsbad Caverns National Park stretches a scenic seven miles (11 km) from the park gate at White’s City to the visitor center and cavern entrance. (May 19, 2021)

The curving entrance and exit road to the Carlsbad Caverns National Park stretches a scenic seven miles (11 km) from the park gate at White’s City to the visitor center and cavern entrance. (May 19, 2021)

The Living Desert Zoo & Gardens in Carlsbad, New Mexico, specializes in species of the Chihuahuan Desert adapted to live in this arid environment. I wasn’t impressed with the Zoo part, which is small, because I’m not a proponent of caging animals. (May 19, 2021)

A self-guided walking tour Living Desert Zoo & Gardens in Carlsbad, New Mexico. (May 19, 2021)

The Soaptree Yucca at the Living Desert Zoo & Gardens in Carlsbad is a common shrub in the Chichuahuan Desert. Each spring tall stalks emerge from the plant’s heart and sprouts white flowers followed by green seed pods that turn brown with maturity. The Yucca flower is the state flower of New Mexico. (May 19, 2021)

The Soaptree Yucca at the Living Desert Zoo & Gardens in Carlsbad is a common shrub in the Chichuahuan Desert. (May 19, 2021)

The Prickly Pear, my favorites, at the Living Desert Zoo & Gardens in Carlsbad, New Mexico. It gets its name from its pear-shaped, purple-red fruits, known in Spanish as “tunas.” Yellow flowers bloom in spring and then produce this nourishing fruit. The Prickly Pear is armed with tiny, hair-like spines called glochidia. Despite these numerous tiny bars, wildlife feast on the fruit, which provides much-needed moisture for many desert animals. (May 19, 2021)

The blooming yellow flowers of the Prickly Pear at the Living Desert Zoo & Gardens in Carlsbad, New Mexico. (May 19, 2021)

The desert-scape at the Living Desert Zoo & Gardens in Carlsbad, New Mexico. (May 19, 2021)

The Ocotillo at the Living Desert Zoo & Gardens in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The Ocotillo is a spiny shrub, with long, often leaf-less, branches that normally grow from six to eight feet tall. Within 48 hours of rainfall, bright green leaves begin to cover the plan and scarlet flowers grow in tight clusters at the tip of each branch, attracting many insects and birds. (May 19, 2021)

The cylinder strawberry hedgehog cactus at the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in Carlsbad. (May 19, 2021)

Roswell and Artesia

I’m not sure what I expected with my visit to Roswell, but suffice it to say, it’s pretty much just another small-sized city featuring green creatures. Roswell came to tourism fame by way of the 1947 UFO incident where the U.S. military claimed a weather balloon crashed but conspiracy theories claim it was actually a flying saucer and the government was covering it up.

I’m sure there’s more to Roswell than alien-themed businesses and museums, but I was underwhelmed. Curiosity brought me to Roswell but on my way there this morning, I stopped at Artesia, and found it to have a rather adorable downtown square.

Artesia, along Highway 285 South to Roswell, appeared to be a rather industrialized small, rather unassuming area with a large petroleum refinery looming alongside the highway. But take a turn onto Main Street and its petite downtown with touches of magic, open up. The downtown square, along Main Street, features a number of large sculptures along the sidewalks and roundabouts along with a Heritage Walkway Plaza featuring a history mural with water fountains.

Tomorrow I’m on the move to Las Cruces, with stops along the way. In the meantime, come and explore Roswell and Artesia with me during this very sunny and hot day.

The Welcome to Roswell sign along Highway 285 North upon entering Roswell, New Mexico. (May 20, 2021)

Me angling for a new alien friend and ride on their spaceship at the International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell, New Mexico. (May 20, 2021)

The street view entrance of the International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell, New Mexico. (May 20, 2021)

The aliens welcome entrance of the International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell. (May 20, 2021)

An alien body exhibit at the UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell. (May 20, 2021)

Another alien body exhibit at the UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell. (May 20, 2021)

Art at the UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell. (May 20, 2021)

The Roswell Visitor’s Center provides a brochure stating that “Not all of our culture is alien,” in fact, the story begins in the 1800s with cattle baron John Chisum’s large herd of cattle that helped sustain Roswell’s economy. (May 20, 2021)

The John Simpson Chisum statue at Roswell Pioneer Plaza. He was the largest cattle producer in the nation with as many as 80,000 longhorn steer in his herd. He is considered as one of the West’s consummate cattlemen who helped develop both modern cattle breeds and the fledgling town of Roswell. (May 20, 2021)

The John Simpson Chisum (1824-1884) sculpture at the Roswell Pioneer Plaza. (May 20, 2021)

Colorful alien murals dot various businesses throughout Roswell. (May 20, 2021)

A close-up of an alien mural on the side of a building in Roswell. (May 20, 2021)

Alien-themed mascots, like this Dunkin’ Donuts green dude are fixtures at several businesses in Roswell. (May 20, 2021)

Although the Chaves County Courthouse, located on the 400 block of Main Street in Roswell, was built in 1911, long before the green creatures made their debut but the gorgeous green tiles of the dome carry out the alien theme. (May 20, 2021)

A better view of the green tiled dome of the Chaves County Courthouse in Roswell. (May 20, 2021)

The Main Street entrance of the Heritage Walkway Plaza in Artesia, New Mexico, a pass-thru oasis with colorful murals, recounting the area’s history, fountains and trees. (May 20, 2021)

Inside the Heritage Walkway Plaza in Artesia, New Mexico, a pass-thru oasis with colorful murals, recounting the area’s history, fountains and trees. (May 20, 2021)

“The Apaches arrived in the area circa 1000, making them the earliest area inhabitants. They were so fierce that they successfully prevented the settlement of this region until the mid-1800’s,” according to a plaque on the wall describing this portion of the mural at the Heritage Walkway and Plaza in Artesia, New Mexico. (May 20, 2021)

“Several famed Spanish explorers passed through this area during their travels in the years between 1528 and 1590,” according to a plaque on the wall describing this portion of the mural at the Heritage Walkway and Plaza in Artesia, New Mexico. (May 20, 2021)

“Hispanic pioneers arrived and began settling in this area in the 1850s. Anglo pioneers arrived in the Seven Rivers area south of present day Artesia in the late 1860s, and eventually spread north to Artesia,” according to a plaque on the wall describing this portion of the mural at the Heritage Walkway and Plaza in Artesia, New Mexico. (May 20, 2021)

“The local stagecoach line ran from 1874 to 1894. The coming of the railroad made the stagecoach obsolete,” according to a plaque on the wall describing this portion of the mural at the Heritage Walkway and Plaza in Artesia, New Mexico. (May 20, 2021)

“The Artesian Well was first drilled in 1902 for residential and farming purposes, opening this area for further farming and a hook for real estate promoters, including Sallie Chisum Stegman,” according to a plaque on the wall describing this portion of the mural at the Heritage Walkway and Plaza in Artesia, New Mexico. (May 20, 2021)

The Foundation sculpture at one of the roundabouts in the downtown square area of Artesia, New Mexico, features learning and books. (May 20, 2021)

A close-up of the sculpture called “The Foundation” at the round about by the Artesia Public Library in Artesia, New Mexico. The design artist is Mark Ashley and the sculptor is Beverly Paddleford. (May 20, 2021)

The Foundation sculpture of reading and learning at the roundabout by the Artesia Public Library inscribes a quote by Dr. Seuss: “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” (May 20, 2021)

The Vaquero sculpture on Main Street in Artesia. Before the term ‘cowboy’ became popularized, most men who drove cattle were called ‘cowhands’ or ‘vaqueros.’ (May 20, 2021)

Main Street of downtown Artesia, New Mexico. (May 20, 2021)

Called the First Lady of Artesia, this sculpture on Main Street in downtown Artesia, New Mexico, is Sallie Chisum (1857-1934), the niece of John Simpson Chisum the largest cattle producer in Roswell. Her accomplishments as an entrepreneur and developer led her to be known posthumously as the First Lady of Artesia. (May 20, 2021)

Not only did the artesian wells draw in settlers, the discovery of oil became a top seller to prospective investors and settlers several years later. Today, the oil and gas industry continues to flourish in the Artesia area along with farming and ranching. (May 20, 2021)

Drive to Las Cruces: Runyan Farms, Lincoln National Forest, Three Rivers Petroglyphs & White Sands National Park

I had an amazing day of driving from Carlsbad to Las Cruces. What should have taken me about 3 hours and 20 minutes, actually took me about 7 hours. What can I say? So what! I took my time, stopped when I wanted to, saw beautiful landscapes, met helpful people, hiked through a volcanic ridge with breathtaking vistas to view more than 900-year-old rock art and ended my day frolicking in white sand dunes.

I’m really liking New Mexico. Check out the ride.

My day drive activities from Carlsbad to Las Cruces came to an end with this incredible barefoot walk through the white sands at the White Sands National Park. But before we get to this event, let’s start from the beginning. (May 21, 2021)

And, the beginning began with the New Mexico landscape from Carlsbad to Las Cruces. A major part of my drive was through the Lincoln National Forest with its variety of different landscapes from desert to heavily forested mountains and sub-alpine grasslands. (May 21, 2021)

The desert-like area of the Lincoln National Forest on my way from Carlsbad to Las Cruces. (May 21, 2021)

It started as a pee break but Runyan Ranch in Mayhill, which is out in the middle of no where and within the Lincoln National Forest, turned out to be a great place to stop for some snacks and a cold apple cider as I made my way to the Three Rivers Petroglyphs, the White Sands National Park and ultimately to Las Cruces. By the way, that’s Tom Runyan, the owner, who was quite helpful in giving me directions when my GPS was acting a little wonky. (May 21, 2021)

The Runyan Ranch in Mayhill is on some gorgeous land within the Lincoln National Forest with a lake and offers a petting zoo. (May 21, 2021)

The Runyon Ranch Petting Zoo in Mayhill, New Mexico on the way to the Three Rivers Petroglyphs located midway between Tularosa and Carrizozo on Highway 54. It wasn’t crowded but there were a couple of families there enjoying the animals. (May 21, 2021)

But this toilet is the main reason I stopped at the Runyan Ranch in Mayhill. An outdoor bathroom that may not look like much but it had a clean toilet and paper along with soap and water to wash my hands. It’s these kinds of things, as you’re driving for miles without anything in sight, that make life rather pleasant. And, to make matters even better, the Runyans, Tom and Pam, are delightful people. (May 21, 2021)

The heavily forested mountains and sub-alpine grasslands of the Lincoln National Forest on the drive to Las Cruces. (May 21, 2021)

The heavily forested mountains and sub-alpine grasslands of the Lincoln National Forest on the drive to Las Cruces. (May 21, 20221)

Stopped for a quick minute to check out the little village of Cloudcroft located within the Lincoln National Forest on my way to Las Cruces. Curves aplenty down the Switchback Trail after leaving Cloudcrift. (May 21, 2021)

The little village of Cloudcroft is located within the Lincoln National Forest. From this point on, the curves in the road down, the Switchback Trail, were numerous and slow-going. Traffic was backed up for a few minutes because of an accident. There were a number of emergency vehicles for what looked like a car down an embankment. Better to drive slow. (May 21, 2021)

Views of the Lincoln National Forest in New Mexico. (May 21, 2021)

The sign pointing to the initial entrance of the Three Rivers Road then drive a little more than five miles to the entrance and parking area where you can walk to the Three Rivers Petroglyphs. (May 21, 2021)

The Three Rivers Trading Post is at the entrance of the Three Rivers road leading three miles down to the Petroglyphs. A quick stop, to use the restroom again, brought me in contact with K.J. who gave me some good advice: Watch your step, in my case pick up my feet, and look out for rattlesnakes. (May 21, 2021)

Once you reach the entrance to the Three Rivers Petroglyphs, you park your car and get ready for this, the very rocky path where the rock art or carvings are found. (May 21, 2021)

The rock art at the Three Rivers Petroglyphs are etched into dense basalt rock with stone tools and made by the Jornada Mogollon people from around 900 to 1400 AD along a mile-long volcanic ridge. The carvings depict animals, humans, plants and geometric shapes. (May 21, 2021)

The rock art at the Three Rivers Petroglyphs near Tularosa, New Mexico. (May 21, 2021)

The rock art at the Three Rivers Petroglyphs near Tularosa, New Mexico. And, the parking/camping area at the Three Rivers Petroglyphs entrance site. (May 21, 2021)

Views of the Sacramento Mountains from the Three Rivers Petroglyphs. The Sacramento Mountain chain stretches some 60 miles forming the northeastern edge of the Tularosa Basin. And, the parking/camping area at the Three Rivers Petroglyphs entrance site. (May 21, 2021)

Me enjoying the Sacramento Mountain views among the rock art/carvings at the Three Rivers Petroglyph Site. Inhabitants of a nearby village made the Three Rivers petroglyphs more than 900 years ago. Some 20,000 petroglyphs have been identified in the area. The people were of the Jornada Mogollon prehistoric Indian culture, of which there are no known modern descendants. (May 21, 2021)

I bought these Merrell Moab 2 hiking shoes a couple months ago and have been wearing them on my walks through the Katy Trail at home in Dallas. And, I love them. I felt sure-footed and protected while hiking through the rocks and pebbles. Instead of ordering them on Amazon, like I do everything else, I went to REI and took the time to try on a number of shoes in order to find these beauties. (May 21, 2021)

The Visitor’s Center of the White Sands National Park, close to Alamagordo, New Mexico, is designed in a Pueblo Revival style and was just about to close when I arrived today. Luckily the park ranger standing by the bathroom stalls, ready to lock them up, kindly let me in and gave me some advice: the dunes get better the further out you go. I thanked her profusely for not locking me out of the restrooms and proceeded on my way to the dunes. (May 21, 2021)

The entrance gate to the White Sands National Park is part of the National Parks Services. Although it costs to see the white sands, I paid nothing because I have the NPS Senior Lifetime Pass. It pays to be a senior. (May 21, 2021)

From the entrance gate, Dune Drive begins and takes you into the heart of the White Sands National Park dunes. There was little to no traffic so once again, I took my time and drove slowly. The white sand dunes are composed of gypsum crystals. (May 21, 2021)

The white sand dunes, composed of gypsum crystal at the White Sands National Park. (May 21, 2021)

The Interdune Boardwalk at the White Sands National Park. (May 21, 2021)

Me on the Interdune Boardwalk at the White Sands National Park. (May 21, 2021)

No more paved roads, which meant a rather slow and bumpy ride…accompanied with stunning views at the White Sands National Park. (May 21, 2021)

And like the park ranger said, the further you go, the better it gets. The wave-like dunes of gypsum sand at the White Sands National Park. (May 21, 2021)

My car waiting for me and my footprints at the White Sands National Park close to Alamagordo, New Mexico. (May 21, 2021)

Time to end the day with footprints in the sand at the White Sands National Park. (May 21, 2021)

Las Cruces, Hatch & Truth or Consequences

Sometimes not having anything planned, can turn into a better last minute plan. That’s what happened this morning when I was in the right place, at the right time to check out the Farmers & Crafts Market of Las Cruces. This kind of farmers market is something I miss about my European travels, but not today. Hot or not, I casually walked the seven block long market and truly enjoyed the experience. I also got to check out some very impressive Las Cruces murals, specifically the water tanks.

The drive north to Albuquerque was still filled with gorgeous landscape but today turned out to be a wind gust day with loose sand blowing across the highway. Although I held the steering wheel a little tighter, it wasn’t a blinding storm or even a difficult one to drive thru, thankfully.

While trying to Hatch this post from the depths of my travel and writing abilities, I am faced with the Truth or Consequences of how I describe these various towns. This is my way of saying that on my way to Albuquerque, I stopped in the towns of Hatch and Truth or Consequences to learn, see and share what makes them unique.

Next up, will be more on Albuquerque.

Me at the downtown Las Cruces mural off of Main Street during today’s Farmers & Crafts Market of Las Cruces. Public art abounds on buildings in Las Cruces. (May 22, 2021)

I hung out this morning at the Farmers & Crafts Market of Las Cruces along seven blocks of Main Street in downtown. And, yes, it was another sunny and hot day. But it was nice to be outdoors at an event with people again. Sometimes you really don’t know what you miss until you’re right there in it. (May 22, 2021)

From bags of chili to organic fruits and vegetables were available at the Farmers & Crafts Market of Las Cruces. (May 22, 2021)

Nothing better on a hot day than flavored ice. This and a variety of drink vendors were available at the Farmers & Crafts Market of Las Cruces. (May 22, 2021)

The Rio Grande Theater on Main Street in downtown Las Cruces. (May 22, 2021)

This gorgeous and large mosaic sundial, entitled Rio Grande Time graces the Las Cruces Plaza in downtown was made by local artist Tony Pennock, whose work can be seen on most of the water tanks in Las Cruces. (May 22, 2021)

A close-up of local artist Tony Pennock’s “Rio Grande Time” mosaic sundial at the Las Cruces Plaza in downtown. (May 22, 2021)

This was the second water tank mural I saw yesterday along Interstate Highway 25 as I was driving into Las Cruces and was just so curious about their origins. And, I found out this mural “La Entrada”, originally called “Jornada del Muerto,” depicts the journey of 300 families traveling along El Camino Real from Mexico as they came to settle in what would become the state of New Mexico. And, the local artist and brainchild for this and other water tank murals is Tony Pennock. (May 22, 2021)

A close-up of Tony Pennock’s “La Entrada” (originally called “Jornada del Muerto”) water tank mural near the intersection of Triviz Drive and East Griggs Avenue in Las Cruces. It depicts the journey of 300 families traveling along El Camino Real from Mexico as they came to settle in what would become the state of New Mexico. (May 22, 2021)

Las Cruces artist Tony Pennock painted this second water tank mural near Interstate Highway 25 and Walton Avenue. Although this water tank was Pennock’s second work, it is the first water tank you see coming into Las Cruces. (May 22, 2021)

A close-up of second water tank mural near Interstate Highway 25 and Walton by Las Cruces artist Tony Pennock. May 22, 2021)

I could not get close to this water tank like I could the other two, but this is another water tank mural by Las Cruces artist Tony Pennock. It is called “Journey to Tlalocan,” on South Sonoma Ranch Boulevard in Las Cruces. It depicts the mythical homeland of Tloaloz, the Aztec got of rain, water and fertility. (May 22, 2021)

A closer view of Las Cruces artist Tony Pennock’s water tank mural “Journey to Tlalocan,” on South Sonoma Ranch Boulevard in Las Cruces. It depicts the mythical homeland of Tloaloz, the Aztec got of rain, water and fertility. (May 22, 2021)

New Mexico is called the “Chile Capital of the World.” A rather lofty title, but this pass thru town is definitely chili hot. And, this Hatch Chile Market of the Granada Farms, is one of several that sell chile peppers and souvenirs. In 1860 after Fort Thorn closed, the city was re-occupied in 1875 and re-named for General Edward Hatch, then Commander of the New Mexico Military District. (May 22, 2021)

The star of the show, the chili pepper at the Hatch Chile Market of the Granada Farms on Franklin Street in Hatch, New Mexico. (May 22, 2021)

Yes, that’s a line of people waiting to order Green Chile Queso or cheese burgers at Sparky’s Burgers, Barbeque and Espresso in Hatch. And, I thought, what the heck, I’m hungry, I’m here, let me try it. So, yes, I got in the line too. (May 22, 2021)

Proof of me standing in that line to place my order at Sparky’s Burgers, Barbeque and Espresso in Hatch. (May 22, 2021)

This hunk of Green Chile Queso or cheese, hiding a charbroiled chicken breast, may look unappealing, but it was worth the wait in line at Sparky’s Burgers, Barbeque and Espresso in Hatch, New Mexico. The chicken was tender and the Green Chile Queso was tasty and spicy. This became both my lunch and dinner. (May 22, 2021)

And, 30-something miles north on Interstate Highway 25 is the town of Truth or Consequences. The change of name from Hot Spring to Truth or Consequences is credited to Ralph Edwards who hosted a radio quiz program on NBC Radio named “Truth or Consequences.” In March 1950, Edwards promised to air his show from a town that would change its name to match the name of the program. So, Hot Springs became Truth or Consequences on March 31 of that year. (May 22, 2021)

Geronimo Springs Museum on Main Street in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico. Luckily, it was open so I was able to browse this display of local history. (May 22, 2021)

A large collection of photographs and a beautiful quilt are on exhibit at the Geronimo Springs Museum in Truth or Consequences. (May 22, 2021)

A close-up of the quilt at the Geronimo Springs Museum in Truth or Consequences by Charlotte Jane Whitehill from 1932-1933. (May 22, 2021)

An area of the Geronimo Springs Museum in Truth or Consequences showcases Apache history with this life-size wax statue of Geronimo along with photos and biographical information. (May 22, 2021)

Brands and hats worn by area ranchers at the Geronimo Springs Museum in Truth or Consequences. (May 22, 2021)

Colorful outdoor murals, like this one next to the Post Office on Main Street, by various artists can be also be found around Truth or Consequences. (May 22, 2021)

Another Tony Pennock water tank mural, but this time its in Truth or Consequences. The mural was done in hues and textures of southern New Mexico and shows Apache horsemen traveling to rest at the local hot springs. (May 22, 2021)

A close-up of Las Cruces artist Tony Pennock’s water tank mural in Truth or Consequences showing Apache horsemen traveling to rest at the hot springs. (May 22, 2021)

Albuquerque

Travel has opened my senses to people and places I don’t even think I have the bandwidth to imagine. And, some of these incredible people travel has brought my way are Alice and John. I met Alice first on a trip six years ago to Turkey and Greece, along with her classmate Tammy, and then I met John when I went to Seattle for a Rick Steves travel reunion. Seeing them again in Albuquerque is just major joy. Travel does more than widen one’s vision of the world, it brings good people into your life. And, I’m a recipient of those travel benefits.

Staying at the same bed and breakfast, we began our Sunday with a hearty breakfast before checking out the Albuquerque Museum. After our full-on art experience we stopped to chill and have a light lunch at the Sawmill Market, a stroll around the Old Town Plaza, a short trail walk to check out the Rio Grande River and a Ghost Tour of Old Town to wrap up our day.

Alice and I say goodbye to John, as he returns home and we hit the dusty trail for Gallup. More on that to come.

Back by popular demand, the group selfie, now showing in Albuquerque! It’s been awhile since John, Alice and I have taken one but it’s been really great getting the band back, even for just a day. John heads back home but Alice and I will continue exploring New Mexico through the week. Taken at the entrance of the Sawmill Market where we had a relaxing Sunday lunch. (May 23, 2021)

Alice, John and I began our day at the less than crowded but very informative Albuquerque Museum. Masks, for the most part have been optional. A sign at the entrance states that “The Albuquerque Museum staff and visitors who are fully vaccinated are not required to wear a face masks inside or outside of the museum. Those who are vaccinated and still prefer to wear a mask are welcome to do so.” (May 23, 2021)

Inside the Art of New Mexico gallery at the Albuquerque Museum. (May 23, 2021)

This 1906 portrait of Francisco Armijo y Otero and wife Margarita, both 65 years old, inside the Art of New Mexico gallery at the Albuquerque Museum, was painted by Joseph M. Colombian. The couple is wearing the finest clothing from the era. Margarita’s watch pendant, pinned to her dress, is a distinctive signature of wealth and class. Mr. Armijo was an old town attorney and political leader, according the painting’s description label. (May, 23, 2021)

This 1920 portrait of Star Road (Geronimo Gomez) and White Sun, inside the Art of New Mexico gallery at the Albuquerque Museum, was painted by Ernest L. Blumenschein. The younger man in the foreground, Star Road, wears distinctly less traditional attire, reflecting larger social changes at work. Educated in U.S. Government schools with a mandate to modernize and assimilate American Indian children, Star Road was somewhat alienated from certain aspects of traditional ritual life of the Pueblo. (May 23, 2021)

A meticulous miniature reproduction of Starky’s Trading Post, inside the Art of New Mexico gallery at the Albuquerque Museum, by Tim Prythero in 1986 was inspired by the dilapidated yards, movie theaters, hotels and diners along Historic Route 66. Prythero’s sculpture incorporates iconic objects like the automobile, the teepee and the trinkets sold at Starky’s. (May 23, 2021)

A display about Deb Haaland inside the Recent History Acquisitions gallery at the Albuquerque Museum. On March 15, 2021, the U.S. Senate confirmed Haaland as Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior making her the first indigenous person to serve in this role or in any Cabinet position. (May 23, 2021)

The Deb Haaland for Congress Campaign Poster at the Albuquerque Museum. During her campaign for New Mexico’s 1st District House of Representatives seat, Haaland adopted the phrase ‘Be Fierce’ as her campaign slogan. On March 15, 2021, the U.S. Senate confirmed Haaland as the Secretary of the Interior, making her the first indigenous person to serve in this role or in any Cabinet position. (May 23, 2021)

The COVID and New Mexico display inside the Recent History Acquisitions at the Albuquerque Museum highlights the events of the past year for its impact the future through collecting objects that tell the story of this moment. “On Dec. 31, 2019, China reported its first case of Covid-19. Scientists, though, believe it infected the first human months earlier and had been spreading prior to that first confirmed case. The virus reached the U.S. by January 2020 and by the end of March, almost every region in the world was reporting cases of COVID-19. New Mexico reported its first case on March 11,” from the label description. (May 23, 2021)

I thoroughly enjoyed the food and the atmosphere of the Sawmill Market, an artisanal food hall in Albuquerque’s historic Sawmill District. With a diverse mix of local food and beverage vendors along with a variety of indoor and outdoor seating, it is a fun dining experience. (May 23, 2021)

Vietnamese street food at the Sawmill Market in Albuquerque. (May 23, 2021)

A variety of indoor and outdoor seating areas at the Sawmill Market in Albuquerque. (May 23, 2021)

A coffee vendor inside the Sawmill Market in Albuquerque. (May 23, 2021)

Pastries inside the Sawhill Market in Albuquerque. (May 23, 2021)

Chocolates inside the Sawhill Market in Albuquerque. (May 23, 2021)

A flower stall inside the Sawhill Market in Albuquerque. (May 23, 2021)

A decorative entrance into Old Town Albuquerque. (May 23, 2021)

The San Felipe de Neri Church in the Old Town Plaza in Albuquerque was established in 1706 under the direction of Fray Manuel Moreno, a Franciscan missionary who was among the city’s original settlers. The church was originally dedicated to St. Francis Xavier, but the Viceroy of New Spain ordered the patron saint changed to St. Philip Neri in July 1706 to honor King Philip V of Spain. (May 23, 2021)

Inside the San Felipe de Neri Church in Old Town Albuquerque. (May 23, 2021)

The altar inside the San Felipe de Neri Church in Old Town Albuquerque. (May 23, 2021)

The Patio Market in Old Town Albuquerque. (May 23, 2021)

Inside the courtyard of the Patio Market in Old Town Albuquerque. (May 23, 2021)

Classic cars gracing the Old Town Plaza in Albuquerque. Several of the cars are part of the Drifters Car Club Albuquerque, a group dedicated to the preservation of classic cars, trucks, customs and hot rods; to preserve the history of the New Mexican car culture. (May 23, 2021)

We took a quick stroll late Sunday afternoon to the Paseo del Bosque Trail where the Rio Grande River runs through western Albuquerque. The Rio Grande, which walk begins in south-central Colorado, flows to the Gulf of Mexico. (May 23, 2021)

And by nightfall, we were listening to ghost stories from Charlie on the Ghost Tour of Old Town Albuquerque. This cottonwood tree was once known as the ‘hanging tree’ for justice inflicted by the locals. It was last used in 1879 for the undertaker, who did more than cut the bodies down from the tree to prepare them for burial in that house, he also robbed the dead of their possessions. And for doing so, he was lynched. It’s said that his ghost is known to rise like a mist from the tree. (May 23, 2021)

The High Noon Saloon, one of the original historic structures in Old Town Albuquerque, was constructed about 1785. Once a dangerous place, with a past where many were robbed and killed. And today, the ghosts are known to make an appearance. But Charlie, the Albuquerque ghost guide at the Ghost Tour of Old Town, is the person to tell you their stories. (May 23, 2021)

Grants: “Land of Fire and Ice”

We left Albuquerque to make our way to Gallup, with several stops in between including a stop in the city of Grants and, a drive 25 minutes south, to the Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano. The Ice Caves, formed by ancient lava flows from the now dormant Bandera Volcano from an eruption more than 10,000 years ago, are both located near the town of Grants, a short drive off Interstate 40 on Highway 53. Check out the “Land of Fire and Ice.”

Alice and I stopped in downtown Grants, New Mexico, on our way to Gallup. Grants is celebrated both as the “Land of Fire and Ice” along with the main road, Santa Fe Avenue is the former Route 66. (May 24, 2021)

According to Grants, this 2016 Drive-Thru was created to honor not only the Mother Road’s 90th birthday, but also “the longest drivable stretch of Route 66 in the State.” A paved pull-off loops through the arch in downtown and back to the Main Street of Santa Fe Avenue. (May 24, 2021)

Part of the Native Basket Array from repurposed satellite dishes in Grants, New Mexico. This original painting by Sam Chaves, who grew up at Acoma Pueblo, are traditional Acomoa colors of black, brown and orange. Chaves paints Acoma designs on canvas, pottery and buffalo gourds. (May 24, 2021)

Part of the Native Basket Array from repurposed satellite dishes in Grants, New Mexico. This original painting is by Lezle Williams is a representation of the pueblos and tribes of the Southwest. It is influenced by their use of geometric shapes and patterns and represents the crow or raven, keeper of sacred laws that serve to teach right from wrong. (May 24, 2021)

The Fire & Ice 28 feet high steel, glass and lava rock abstract sculpture in downtown Grants, is named after nearby geological attractions, the Bandera Volcano and Ice Caves & Bandera Volcano. (May 24, 2021)

The off the highway entrance to the Ice Cave & Bandera Volcano, dubbed “The Land of Fire & Ice,” on our way to Gallup. (May 24, 2021)

The trees and land along the trail to the Bandera Volcano. There are several variety of trees that grow in this area. The Ponderosa and Piñon Pines are the most predominant. (May 24, 2021)

Following the trail to the Bandera Volcano. (May 24, 2021)

The trees growing on the volcanic land on the trail to the Bandera Volcano. (May 24, 2021)

The Bandera Crater, nearly 1,400 feet wide at the top and roughly 800 feet deep, is the largest volcano in the region. It erupted more than 10,000 years ago. Over time, erosion and gravity take their toll on the crater and it is slowly filling up as cinders and rocks fall down into it. (May 24, 2021)

Alice and me with our selfie at the Bandera Volcano Crater’s look out point. (May 24, 2021)

The easy half mile walk from the land of fire, the Bandera Volcano crate to the land of ice, the Ice Cave. The entrance to the Ice Cave requires going down these wood stairs. And as we got closer to the cave, the air got cooler. (May 24, 2021)

The stairs descending down to the platform above the whole entrance to the Ice Cave. (May 24, 2021)

Looking into the Ice Cave. Perpetuation of the ice is due to a combination of existing conditions that make a natural ie box: 20 feet of ice in a well insulated cave shaped to trap frigid air. Although it was a warm day, the cool air felt good. (May 24, 2021)

A look into the left side of the Ice Cave. The floor of the Ice Cave is about 20 feet thick and the temperature never gets above 31 degrees Fahrenheit. As rain water and snow melt and seep into the cave, the ice floor thickens. The deepest ice is the oldest and dates back about 3,400 years. And, the green tint is caused by an Arctic Algae. (May 24, 2021)

A look into the right side of the Ice Cave. The back wall was formed in the early days when ancient indigenous people and early settlers mined the ice. (May 24, 2021)

Me standing on the platform above the Ice Cave. (May 24, 2021)

The Petrified Forest and Painted Desert

It’s called the Petrified Forest National Park but it really should be primarily known as the Painted Desert National Park because the colorful terrain dominates this gorgeous park. And, the petrified wood, which is also quite unbelievable and stunning, is really the supporting actor.

Gallup, New Mexico, our home base, was just a 75-mile drive across the border to the Petrified Forest in Arizona, so getting there was an easy drive along Interstate 40 West. Managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert is a self-driving tour with easy paved roadways, overlooks and signs guiding us along the way.

Although Alice and I spent a full hot and sunny day exploring this phenomenal park, I just want you to take a few comfortable minutes to check out the scenic landscapes and the petrified wood of this national treasure.

Alice and I at the beginning of our full day inside the Petrified Forest National Park at the Tawa Point of the Painted Desert in in northeastern Arizona, about 50 miles from the New Mexico border, where we are staying in Gallup, on Interstate 40. (May 25, 2021)

Before getting onto our adventure, Adrian with the National Park Services, gave us a rundown on what to look for from the big map (smaller versions available) at the Petrified Forest National Park/Painted Desert Visitor Center. (May 25, 2021)

The Painted Desert lies at the heart of the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona.The entire park contains the colorful rocks of the Painted Desert. These particular mudstone and sandstone rocks are called the Chile Formation and were deposited from 227 to 205 million years ago. (May 25, 2021)

Layers of Color form the Painted Desert inside the Petrified Forest National Park in Arkansas. The Chile Formation consists mainly of sandstone and mudstone layers which were deposited by a vast river in a forest ecosystem. All the colors seen are caused by the iron in the sediments. During deposition, drier climates allow the minerals to be exposed to oxygen, rusting the iron and creating red, brown and orange colors. (May 25, 2021)

Built in 1924 the Painted Desert Inn now turned museum, which was closed, inside the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. (May 25, 2021)

The Painted Desert views of the Kachina Point from the Painted Desert Inn inside the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. (May 25, 2021)

An Alice and Diana selfie with views of the Kachina Point from the Painted Desert Inn inside the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. (May 25, 2021)

The 1932 Studebaker sits where the famed Historic Route 66 once cut through the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. The Petrified Forest is the only National Park in the country with a portion of Route 66 within its boundaries. Considered by many as the Mother of Transcontinental Highways, Route 66 is a quintessential representative of 20th century American history and culture. The historic highway travels through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. (May 25, 2021)

Me with the 1932 Studebaker sits where the famed Historic Route 66 once cut through the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. The Petrified Forest is the only National Park in the country with a portion of Route 66 within its boundaries. (May 25, 2021)

The entrance station of the Puerco Pueblo in the Petrified Forest National Park was originally built in 1935 to accommodate the increasing number of visitors arriving by train through the nearby town of Adamana at that time. But thru the years, the building was altered to be a fully enclosed visitor’s center and a museum exhibit. (May 25, 2021)

The Puerco Pueblo ruins, once a village on the Rio Puerco, in the Petrified Forest National Park is a prehistoric settlement built of shaped sandstone blocks by ancestral Puebloan people. It was inhabited between 1250 and 1380 AD. At its peak the Pueblo had over 100 rooms, with a possible population of 200 people. (May 25, 2021)

A re-constructed look at life in the Village of Pueblo Puerco at the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. Over 100 rooms formed a one-story apartment complex surrounding a central plaza in the village. The building materials for the Pueblo were blocks of native sandstone, shaped by hand and mortared together with mud. The plaza was the center of activity and everyday tasks such as the preparation of food or the manufacturing of tools, pottery and baskets, in addition to ceremonial activities. (May 25, 2021)

A Kiva at the Pueblo Puerco ruins at the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. Kivas are ceremonial and religious structures. These likely had flat roofs with a square entrance above a hearth. As the smoke rose through the entrance, fresh air was drawn through a small ventilation shaft. (May 25, 2021)

The dark coating on the boulders at the Village of Puerco Pueblo at the Petrified Forest National Park, is a concentration of mineral, clay and organic material that accumulates over time. Prehistoric artists created rock art by exposing the lighter material underneath. (May 25, 2021)

For thousands of years, indigenous people have used rock faces as a means of communication. Petroglyphs, these are at the Village of Puerco Pueblo at the Petrified Forest National Park, are images, symbols or designs scratched, pecked, carved or incised on the surface of rock. These symbols are identified as a migration symbol, which is an important them in Puebloan oral history. (May 25, 2021)

I’m holding a 225 million year old vertebrate fossil of a Phytosaurs (fie-toe-sores) found at the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. Although the Phytosaurs are the most commonly found vertebrate fossil found in the Park, and were very common in the Late Triassic period, holding such a beyond ancient treasure was rather exciting. The crocodile-like reptiles, some species reaching lengths possibly exceeding 20 feet, or 6.1 meters, fed mainly on fish and any other animals that came too close. (May 25, 2021)

The Rainbow Forest Museum and Visitor’s Center at the Petrified Forest National Park where only a limited number of people were being let in to comply with Covid-19 social distancing requirements. The Museum contains paleontological exhibits complete with skeleton displays of prehistoric animals. (May 25, 2021)

The skull of a Phytosaurs at the Rainbow Forest and Visitor’s Center at the Rainbow Forest National Park in Arizona. (May 25, 2021)

The colorful tepees on the way to the Blue Mesa of the Petrified Forest National Park. (May 25, 2021)

The Agate Bridge at the Petrified Forest National Park is home to this 110 foot petrified log spanning a gully. (May 25, 2021)

Although the land of the Petrified Forest National Park is beautiful, it is also seemingly harsh and difficult to see how people could have lived here. However, people did make this region home for over 13,000 years. The climate has changed over this long period, from cold steppe to semi-arid short grass prairie. (May 25, 2021)

Me at the Crystal Forest at the Petrified Forest National Park in Arkansas where Alice and I explored the beautiful scattering of petrified logs that glimmer with quarts crystals along a pave 0.75 mile (1.2 km) walking loop. Petrified wood, like precious gems shining in the sun, are remnants of a prehistoric forest. As the trees died or were knocked down by wind or water, many were carried down-stream and buried by layers of sediment. The logs soaked up groundwater and silica from volcanic ash and over time crystallized into quartz. Different minerals created the rainbow of colors seen in many pieces. (May 25, 2021)

The Crystal Forest scattered with colorful petrified logs at the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. (May 25, 2021)

The Crystal Forest scattered with colorful petrified logs glimmering with quartz crystal at the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. (May 25, 2021)

The Blue Mesa of the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, requires a steep entrance and hike up to exit these colorful badlands. But walking the bottom floor or rim surrounded by these bentonite clay of blue, purple and gray. (May 25, 2021)

Alice and I on the Blue Mesa one mile walking loop inside the Petrified Forest National Park. The steep path to enter and exit the Mesa was definitely a challenge for me, but I took it slowly and loved the feel of being close to the ground of these flat-topped hills with rock layers in shades of blue, purple and gray. Truly another otherworldly experience during this road trip. (May 25, 2021)

The Blue Mesa trail inside the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. (May 25, 2021)

Alice and I along the Blue Mesa loop inside the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. (May 25, 2021)

Zuni Pueblo

With the help and knowledge of our Zuni guide, Shaun Latone, Alice and I took a full-day tour of ruined ancestral sites and given a brief history as to how these ruins occurred. The Zuni people have lived in the American Southwest for thousands of years. Francisco Vasquez de Coronado was led to the Zuni villages by a Franciscan friar around 1539 on the claim it was one of the Seven Cities of Cibola, the mystical places said to be laden with gold.

Two thousand troops, a mix of Spanish soldiers and their Indian allies from Mexico, traveled to the Zuni village of Hawikku, attacking and seizing the city. There was no gold.

Coronado’s forces quickly realized the small pueblos were not the Cities of Gold but they plundered what they could anyway then claimed Zuni and 80 neighboring pueblos for Spain. That is until the 1630s when the ancestral Zuni pueblo of Hawikku, and many indigenous Pueblo people, staged a revolt against Spanish colonialism.

There is much more to these stories and to learn. I’m just grateful we got the opportunity to visit the Zuni Pueblo ruins of six ancestral villages on the Zuni Reservation in Cibola County, New Mexico, including Hawikku.

Many of the Indigenous American tribal community sites are still closed to non-natives due to COVID-19. The Zuni people have been able to get their elders and adult community vaccinated.

And, before leaving Gallup, our home base, we spent a morning exploring the downtown area. Located about 140 miles west of Albuquerque, 185 miles east of Flagstaff, and only 23 miles from the Arizona-New Mexico border, Gallup is also in the middle of the Navajo Reservation and a popular stopover point for those traveling the Historic Route 66. It was was founded in 1881 as a railhead for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, and named after David Gallup, a paymaster for the railroad.

See the Zuni Pueblo ancestral sites and downtown Gallup with us before we head to Bloomfield for a day-long Chaco Canyon tour…but more on that later.

Alice and me with our Zuni Pueblo guide Shaun Latone at the Halona: Idiwan’a, the Middle Place, considered the most historic and culturally significant neighborhood for the Zuni people on the Zuni Reservation in Cibola County, New Mexico. (May 26, 2021)

The Zuni Visitor’s Center on the Zuni Reservation, about a 45-minute drive from Gallup, New Mexico. (May 26, 2021)

Standing on the ruins of Kechiba:wa or gypsum place, the ancestral Zuni Pueblo site located in west-central New Mexico on Zuni Tribal lands. (May 26, 2021)

The ruins of Kechiba:wa, the ancestral Zuni Pueblo site, on Zuni Tribal lands in New Mexico. (May 26, 2021)

Pottery shards at the ruins of Kechiba:wa, the ancestral Zuni Pueblo site, on Zuni Tribal lands in New Mexico. One way the Zuni people express these cultural traditions is through their art: in painting, pottery, jewelry, and fetish carving, for example. These things have significant meaning, and, to the Zuni, serve to help unite the past with the present. So, on the one hand, Zuni art is a material record of the past. (May 26, 2021)

Driving on the dirt roads to the Zuni Pueblo ancestral sites on the Zuni Tribal lands in west-central New Mexico. (May 26, 2021)

Alice and our Zuni Pueblo guide, Shaun Latone, walking the rocked-trail to Hawikku on the Zuni Reservation in Cibola County, New Mexico. The ancestral village of Hawikku, one of the fabled “Cities of Cibola” and in 1540, the place of ‘first contact’ between Europeans and Native people in the Southwest. (May 26, 2021)

Pedro de Casteñada de Nájera’s extensive narrative concerning the activities of the Vázquez de Coronado expedition indicate that a major battle took place at Hawikku, the ancestral Zuni Pueblo site in July 1540. Casteñada de Nájera’s narrative also indicates that this large party of Europeans, native allies, Africans and others remained in the area for a period of four months before departing eastward, in November 1540, for the Southern Tiwa pueblos in the present day Albuquerque-Bernalillo area of New Mexico. (May 26, 2021)

The ancestral village of Hawikku on the Zuni Reservation, one of the fabled “Cities of Cibola” and in 1540, the place of ‘first contact’ between Europeans and Native people in the Southwest. (May 26, 2021)

Pottery shards and even the large black grinding stone to grind maize were found at Hawikku, one of the six Zuni ancestral sites at the Zuni Reservation in Cibola County, New Mexico. (May 26, 2021)

Kwa’kin’a, one of the six ancestral Zuni Pueblo sites on the Zuni Tribl lands, was once a village island in the middle of the Zuni River. Now dried up, the river island is where people were banished as punishment. (May 26, 2021)

The salt cedar trees found at Kwa’kin’a, one of the six ancestral Zuni Pueblo sites on the Zuni Tribal lands, was once a village island in the middle of the Zuni River. Now dried up, the river island village is where people were banished as punishment. (May 26, 2021)

This is Halona: Idiwan’a, the Zuni language for the “Middle Place,” and although one of the six ancestral Zuni Pueblo sites, it is the most historic and culturally significant neighborhood at the Zuni Reservation in Cibola County, New Mexico. This is the significant ceremonial center for Zuni life both in the past and present. It is where, in origin stories, the tribe settled after many years of wandering. (May 26, 2021)

One of the homes from the early 1900s, which has been modernized through the years, at Halona: Idiwan’a, the Zuni Pueblo’s most historic and culturally significant site called the Middle Place at the Zuni Reservation in Cibola County, New Mexico. Halona: Idiwan’a (The Middle Village) The Zuni Pueblo’s most historic and culturally significant neighborhood. The Zuni tribe lived in multi level adobe houses. (May 26, 2021)

The Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe Mission or Our Lady of Guadalupe) was established around 1630 by Spanish Franciscan missionaries, but built with Zuni skill and labor, in the ancestral village of Halona: Idiwan’a, known as the Middle Place. The Spaniards, who occupied the villages, would build their churches on sacred Zuni sites.
The mission, which originally included a walled convent, was largely abandoned by the early 1820s with Mexico’s independence from Spain. A restoration project in the late 1960s excavated the original foundations but only restored the main church portion of the Mission. Regular services were held by the local Parish until the mid 1980s. Since 2004, the Old Mission has been administered by the Zuni Tribe as a cultural and historic site. (May 26, 2021)

The Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe Mission or Our Lady of Guadalupe was established around 1630 by Spanish Franciscan missionaries in the ancestral village of Halona: Idiwan’a, known as the Middle Place at the Zuni Reservation in Cibola County, New Mexico. (May 26, 2021)

The Zuni Reservation in Cibola County, New Mexico. (May 26, 2021)

The Zuni Tribal Office on the Zuni Reservation in Cibola County, New Mexico. A:Shiwi is the Zuni language name for themselves because the name Zuni was given by the Spaniards. (May 26, 2021)

Corn Mountain, also known as Dowa Yalanne in the Zuni language and the Corn Mesa, is where the ancestral village of Kyaki:ma was established at its base. The shrines at this mesa site shows its significance to the Zuni. It is also where the Zuni took refuge from the Spanish conquistadors. (May 26, 2021)

The mound to the left covers the several levels of ruins to the ancestral village of Kyaki:ma located on the back side and base of the Corn Mesa, also known as Dowa Yalanne in the Zuni language, on the Zuni Reservation in Cibola County, New Mexico. (May 26, 2021)

Although now dry, this area of the Corn Mesa back side, home to the ancestral Zuni village of Kyaki:ma, was where a water stream once existed. (May 26, 2021)

The Corn Mesa, known as Dowa Yalanne in the Zuni language, on the Zuni Reservation in Cibola County, New Mexico. (May 26, 2021)

Although we stayed just across the street from the El Rancho Hotel & Motel in Gallup, New Mexico, we did check out the hotel called the “Home of the Movie Stars,” before driving to Bloomfield. (May 27, 2021)

The memorabilia-lined grand lobby of the El Rancho Hotel & Motel in Gallup, New Mexico. Because of the nearby rugged terrain, Gallup was a popular location in the 1940s and 1950s for Hollywood Westerns and has hosted many well-known movie stars such as John Wayne, Katharine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, Ronald Reagan and Kirk Douglas. (May 27, 2021)

The late actor Joh Wayne’s exhibit in the memorabilia-lined grand lobby of the El Rancho Hotel & Motel in Gallup, New Mexico. Because of the nearby rugged terrain, Gallup was a popular location in the 1940s and 1950s for Hollywood Westerns and has hosted many well-known movie stars such as John Wayne, Katharine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, Ronald Reagan and Kirk Douglas. (May 27, 2021)

Inside the El Rancho Hotel & Motel in Gallup, New Mexico with views of its upper and lower lobby. (May 27, 2021)

The memorabilia-lined grand lobby upper floor of the El Rancho Hotel & Motel in Gallup, New Mexico. (May 27, 2021)

The memorabilia-lined grand lobby upper floor, with its unique western-style furnishings at the El Rancho Hotel & Motel in Gallup, New Mexico. (May 27, 2021)

Before leaving Gallup for Bloomfield, Alice and I explored the Historic Downtown with its 10-foot WPA mural and the various exterior murals around downtown. (May 27, 2021)

Alice and me on the second floor courtroom at the newer McKinley County Courthouse in Gallup to see the WPA (Works Progress Administration) ten-foot mural “Allegory-History of the Region” by Lloyd Moylan (1893-1963). The WPA was an employment and infrastructure program created by President Roosevelt in 1935, during the Great Depression. Over its eight years of existence, the WPA put roughly 8.5 million Americans to work. The WPA sponsored projects in the arts employing thousands of actors, musicians, writers and other artists. (May 27, 2021)

The old and new McKinley County Courthouse in Gallup. The old courthouse built in 1938-39 is a 3-story light brownish colored stucco building with an arched Spanish style one story portico. The new courthouse designed to be a modern complement to the existing historic building and is connected by a sky-bridge. (May 27, 2021)

The second-floor court room of the McKinley County Courthouse in Gallup has ten-foot murals depicting the history of McKinley County which were completed by Lloyd Moylan in 1940 and restored in 1991. Gallup had one of the largest WPA (Works Progress Administration) art collections in New Mexico. This episode in the mural shows Zuni, sometime in the early years of the Christian Era, in the full development of their arts of weaving, pottery making and building. (May 27, 2021)

The Rex Museum at 300 West Historic U.S. Highway 66 at the intersection of Route 66 and Third Street in Gallup. (May 27, 2021)

Local interest murals painted in the alcoves on the exterior walls of the Rex Museum at 300 West Historic U.S. Highway 66 at the intersection of Route 66 and Third Street in Gallup. (May 27, 2021)

At the corner of East Hill Avenue and South Second Street in Gallup is the Octavia Fellin Public Library with the Women’s Multicultural Mural by Erica Rae Sykes on its exterior wall. And across the street is one of the many decorative trash receptors seen on the downtown street corners. This one features Native women. (May 27, 2021)

The Women’s Multicultural Mural by Erica Rae Sykes, on the exterior wall of the Octavia Fellin Public Library on East Hill Avenue in downtown Gallup is a tribute to “the women who have carried on the traditions of daily life of their own cultures, raising children, making gardens and neighborhoods. Women have perpetuated arts of cooking, sewing, weaving, dancing and the rituals of special holidays. Women have had a major role in forming our cultural organizations, churches, schools and libraries.” (May 27, 2021)

Even the painted outdoor trash receptor, just across the street from the Women’s Multicultural Mural at the Octavia Fellin Public Library in downtown Gallup, features the strength and accomplishments of strong local women. (May 27, 2021)

A very bright day selfie of me and Alice at the Navajo Code Talkers’ Mural in downtown Gallup, New Mexico. A code talker, associated with United States service members during the world wars, used their knowledge of Native American languages as a basis to transmit coded messages. The mural was painted by Be Sargent in 2001. (May 27, 2021)

The Navajo Code Talkers mural in downtown Gallup, being described in the words of the artist, Be Sargent: “This mural honors the Navajo Code Talkers. These United States Marines devised a code using their sacred Navajo language. The code was never broken and helped to win a victory in World War II.
Now the Navajo Code Talkers are wise old grandfathers. They do not want their language to be forgotten. This is important, as important as winning World War II.
Today many people think of the Earth as a big supermarket full of things to be bought
and sold. The Navajo people see Earth as a sacred being to be protected. The Navajo language and many other native languages embody this belief.
The first 29 Code Talkers devised the Navajo Code. Part of the code was an alphabet which was used to spell words like names of strategic places. The mural depicts the code being passed on to the children by the Code Talkers symbolizing the perpetuation of the Navajo language.” (May 27, 2021)

The Navajo Code Talkers mural in downtown Gallup by Be Sargent, depicts the code being passed on to the children by the Code Talkers symbolizing the perpetuation of the Navajo language. (May 27, 2021)

The Zuni Mural by Geddy Epaloose on Second Street in Gallup depicts the contributions of the Zuni people to the Gallup community. A description of the mural by the artist: “In the plaza are wagons being loaded with trade goods, from fruits and vegetables to artifacts. From there the wagons are shown departing toward the horizon in the direction of Gallup. In the background you will see the Zuni River and above, Dowa Yallane or Corn Mountain, an icon of survival for the Zuni people, a stronghold during the Pueblo Revolt and a safe retreat during the floodings of the Zuni valley.
The trail of wagons leaving Zuni leads the eye to the Gallup scene, a view of Gallup in 1904. Goods are unloaded to be traded, sold or shipped off by train to consumers across the country.
At the northern end of the mural you will see displayed: the hand crafted jewelry, pottery, fetish carvings and weavings that the Zuni still produce to this day. The arts and crafts are some of the great things along with the mural that the Zuni people have to offer Gallup and its community.” (May 27, 2021)

The Native American Trading mural by Chester Kahn in Gallup depicts traders licensed by the U.S. government to create posts on newly formed reservations in the late 1800s. As tribes sought self-sufficiency, in the late 1960s, trading on the reservations decreased. (May 27, 2021)

Chaco Canyon

By the mid-800s and for more than 300 years, Chaco Canyon had become a special gathering place where many peoples and clans converged to share their ceremonies, traditions, and knowledge. Oriented to solar and lunar directions, some of the great houses incorporated sophisticated astronomy markers. Lines of sight among the great houses enabled communication.

In 1907, Chaco Canyon National Monument became Chaco Culture National Historical Park in 1980 and, in 1987, a World Heritage Site in the American Southwest containing an impressive concentration of ancient pueblo ruins.

Chaco Canyon is located between Albuquerque and Farmington, New Mexico. Alice and I stayed in Bloomfield just about an hour’s drive away. It is a remote canyon cut by the Chaco Wash or stream with sacred ancestral homelands by the Hopi and Pueblo people who maintain oral accounts of their historical migration from Chaco and their spiritual relationship to the land. Chaco is central to the origins of several Navajo clans and ceremonies.

Alice and I were guided on these trail walks through the Chaco Canyon ancient runs of Una Vida, Pueblo Bonito and Casa Rinconada by Kialo Winters of Navajo Tours USA. Here’s just a little of what we got to see.

Alice and me on top of the Una Vida (Spanish for “one life”) cliff side above one of the earliest great houses at Chaco Canyon with Fajada Butte in the distance. The mile round trip trail, which included petroglyphs on the cliff side, was rocky and steep. Thankfully, our guide, Kialo Winters, with Navajo Tours USA, brought a pair of walking sticks, which became very handy for the climb down. (May 28, 2021)

Before you can take in the majestic views and incredible ruins of Chaco Canyon, you first have to get there. And to get there, this 7-miles of rough washboard road, stands in your way. We were cautioned to leave early and take our time because getting through this takes a good hour to reach the Chaco Canyon Visitor Center. (May 28, 2021)

The Chaco Canyon Visitor Center of the Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico. After miles on the rough washboard road with nothing in sight, we came to this little piece of heaven with toilets. (May 28, 2021)

The trail leading from the Chaco Canyon Visitor Center, with the Fajada Butte in the distance, to the Una Vida great house (monumental public building) containing about 100 ground floor rooms and kivas Construction began about 850 AD and continued for over 250 years at Una Vida. (May 28, 2021)

An interior wall ruin at Una Vida in Chaco Canyon. (May 28, 2021)

Carved ancient stairway of Una Vida, up the cliffside at Chaco Canyon. (May 28, 2021)

Making our way up the rocky and steep hillside of Una Vida at Chaco Canyon. (May 28, 2021)

From the great house ruins and after a steep, rocky climb up the cliff base are petroglyphs sprinkled a top the high canyon wall at Una Vida in Chaco Canyon. The site is surrounded by rock art and petroglyphs that depict human figures, solar signs, animals and geometric forms. (May 28, 2021)

A close-up of the petroglyphs on the high canyon walls of Una Vida in Chaco Canyon. The site is surrounded by rock art and petroglyphs that depict human figures, solar signs, animals and geometric forms. (May 28, 2021)

A view from the high canyon at Una Vida in Chaco Canyon with the Chaco Canyon Visitor Center in the distance. (May 28, 2021)

A top the high wall canyon at Una Vida in Chaco Canyon. (May 28, 2021)

The ruined great house of Una Vida in Chaco Canyon. (May 28, 2021)

Fajada Butte in Chaco Canyon rises about 442 feet (135 meters) above the canyon floor. Although there is no water source on the butte, there are ruins of small cliff dwellings in the higher regions of the butte and pottery fragment analysis shows the structures were used between the years of 900 to 1200 AD. (May 28, 2021)

The entrance to the ruins of the ancient fortified town of Pueblo Bonito (Spanish for beautiful town) the largest of the great houses in the northern rim of Chaco Canyon. The core and largest part of the great house was built in stages between the mid-800s and early 1100s, when Pueblo Bonito reached at least four stories with over 600 rooms and 40 kivas. According to the plaque at Pueblo Bonito, “This huge structure was unearthed and preserved for posterity between 1920 and 1927.” (May 28, 2021)

Our Navajo Tours USA guide, Kialo Winters, inside a room with exposed timber beams and sandstone construction at Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon. (May 28, 2021)

Interior aligned doorways at Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon. (May 28, 2021)

Interior wall with exposed timber beams and stone construction at Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon. (May 28, 2021)

A great kiva at Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon. Among the modern Hopi and most other Pueblo people, kivas are a large, circular, underground room used for spiritual ceremonies. (May 28, 2021)

The great ruins of an ancient fortified town, Pueblo Bonito (Spanish for beautiful town) is the largest of the great houses and abuts the foot of Chaco Canyon’s northern rim. (May 28, 2021)

The walled ruins of Pueblo Bonito into the plaza at Chaco Canyon. (May 28, 2021)

The plaza ruins of Pueblo Bonito at Chaco Canyon. (May 28, 2021)

A great deal of Turquoise was found in this area of rooms in Pueblo Bonito at Chaco Canyon. The turquoise stone was and is highly valued. It was used in religion, ceremonies, art, trade, treaty negotiations as well as jewelry. (May 28, 2021)

Me at the ruins of Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon. (May 28, 2021)

In January 1941, a section of the canyon wall known as Threatening Rock collapsed as a result of a rock fall, destroying some of the great house’s rear wall and a number of rooms at Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon. (May 28, 2021)

Our Navajo Tour USA guide, Kialo Winters, standing between the boulder and the great house where in January 1941, a section of the canyon wall known as Threatening Rock collapsed as a result of a rock fall, destroying some of the great house’s rear wall and a number of rooms at Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon. (May 28, 2021)

An overview of the kivas and great house rooms at Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon. (May 28, 2021)

A view of a kiva and great house rooms with the canyon rocks as a backdrop at Pueblo Bonito in Chaco Canyon. (May 28, 2021)

The ruins of the ancient fortified town of Pueblo Bonito (Spanish for beautiful town) the largest of the great houses in the northern rim of Chaco Canyon. (May 28, 2021)

From the ruins of Pueblo Bonito we drove to the entrance of the great kiva of Casa Rinconada in Chaco Canyon. This is the largest excavated great kiva in the Chaco Culture National Historical Park and was occupied from 1075 to 1250s AD. (May 28, 2021)

The great kiva of Casa Rinconada in Chaco Canyon. Oversized kivas, or “great kivas,” were capable of accommodating hundreds of people and when not incorporated into a great house complex, they stood alone, often forming a central space for surrounding communities. This is the largest excavated great kiva in the Chaco Culture National Historical Park and was occupied from 1075 to 1250s AD. It is an isolated great kiva with all the typical elements of great kivas: a masonry firebox, an inner bench, four roof-supporting large seating pits, masonry vaults, and 34 niches, divided into two sizes, encircling the kiva. (May 28, 2021)

The remains of a small residential structure at Casa Rinconada in Chaco Canyon. (May 28, 2021)

A small residential structure with an interior kiva at Casa Rinconada in Chaco Canyon. (May 28, 2021)

And back on the washboard road, bouncing around on the way out of Chaco Canyon on the way back to our home base of Bloomfield. What an incredible day! (May 28, 2021)

Albuquerque, Again

Back in Albuquerque for three reasons, to get Alice to the airport for her flight back home, check out the Turquoise Museum and glide in the sky on a hot air balloon ride.

I’m pretty sure there’s much more to do in Albuquerque that we didn’t get done earlier, but with only an evening and half a day, it was enough time to say hello and good-bye to both Albuquerque and to my road travel buddy for this past week.

Next stop, for me anyway, is Santa Fe.

It looks like I’m holding on for dear life, but I’m really not. This is not my first hot air balloon ride. My first experience was in Cappadocia, Turkey, over some really cool fairy chimney rock formations. And, since Albuquerque is known as “the hot air ballooning capital of the world,” and host the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is said to be the largest balloon convention in the world. (May 30, 2021)

I had to arrive by 5:15 am at the Rainbow Ryders hot air balloon company office in Albuquerque. When I arrived, the place was relatively empty but it didn’t take long before there were some 70 people signed up, like me, for a morning hot air balloon ride. Upon checking in, I was given my balloon pilot’s name, Alfred, and told that my name would be called once they were ready to transport the groups to the launching pads. (May 30, 2021)

From the Rainbow Ryders office my group of 12 Ryders were driven, with our balloon pilot and a member of his crew to a launch area in a vacant lot literally by an Albuquerque shopping mall where the basket and balloon are prepared for launching. (May 30, 2021)

The Rainbow Ryders basket is turned on its side and the 800 lbs. of balloon fabric are unfolded and air blown in from two heavy duty fans. (May 30, 2021)

Then the Rainbow Ryders balloon crew, at the Albuquerque launching site, fill the balloon with the hot air, which is coming from the flames. (May 30, 2021)

The other Rainbow Ryder hot air balloon being prepared for launching. (May 30, 2021)

My gorgeous Rainbow Ryders hot air balloon was sponsored by the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. The balloon was launched by the center in the fall of 2020 to serve as a proud ambassador of the center and the 19 Pueblo communities. Each of the design elements represent traditions and values found throughout all of the Pueblos: strength,, progress, continuance, blessings, connection to earth, heavens, ancestors and each other’s. Some of the designs date back 1,000 years or more. (May 30, 2021)

“Up, up and away in my beautiful, my beautiful balloon,” a song from the Fifth Dimension. A smooth life off from the launch site in Albuquerque. There’s 12 people in the basket, six on each side of a bar we’re instructed and told how to use once we land, but for now, it’s all about the ride. (May 30, 2021)

The early morning views of the Rio Grande River Valley wild life preserve in Albuquerque. (May 30, 2021)

Dipping down close to the Rio Grande River Valley wild life preserve in Albuquerque. (May 30, 2021)

The Rio Grande River Valley wild life preserve in Albuquerque. (May 30, 2021)

Me during my early morning Rainbow Ryders hot air balloon ride over the Grande River Valley wild life preserve in Albuquerque. (May 30, 2021)

Sunrise views of the Grande River Valley wild life preserve in Albuquerque. (May 30, 2021)

High in the skies over the Rio Grande River Valley wild life preserve in Albuquerque. (May 30, 2021)

High in the skies over suburban Albuquerque. (May 30, 2021)

Gliding in the air over Albuquerque neighborhoods during my Rainbow Ryders hot air balloon ride. (May 30, 2021)

And, before too long our balloon pilot, Alfred Salazar, scouts out a place to land. And easily lands our balloon in a suburban neighborhood park. On the drive to the launching pad, Alfred said it’s not unusual for him to land the balloon in a variety of unusual places. This definitely has to be one of them. (May 30, 2021)

We not only flew over these neighborhood houses on our Rainbow Ryders air balloon ride, but we said hello to neighbors and waved to people as our pilot, Alfred, prepared us to land in a small Albuquerque neighborhood park. (May 30, 2021)

We’ve landed. Alfred, our Rainbow Ryders hot air balloon pilot, landed the balloon so smoothly on grass in a small suburban neighborhood park in Albuquerque. What a wonderful ride! (May 30, 2021)

The Rainbow Ryders crew, in constant communication with our pilot, arrived just shortly after we did at this small neighborhood park in Albuquerque. (May 30, 2021)

Alfred, our Rainbow Ryders pilot, doing double duty as bartender too, passing out mimosas after our incredible air balloon ride over the Rio Grande River Valley and suburban Albuquerque while landing in this small neighborhood park. (May 30, 2021)

Alice and me at the front door staircase of the Turquoise Museum castle in Albuquerque. This museum and dinner at Farm and Table were our last adventures together since Alice returned home to the Seattle, Washington, area. We have truly had a great adventure. Such a wonderful travel partner. Until next time my dear! And for turquoise lovers, family operated since 1993, has a plethora of turquoise. (May 29, 2021)

The Turquoise Museum in Albuquerque is a privately owned five generations of family who have collected, researched, written and curated this gem-filled museum inside the former Gertrude Zachary 8,500-square-foot, French-inspired castle built in 2008. The museum displays thousands of specimens, artifacts, jewelry and art. Each piece has been selected out of the Zachary and Lowry family’s collections or gifted to the museum by fellow turquoise aficionados. (May 29, 2021)

It’s called the George Washington Stone and it is said to be the most photographed, published and mentioned piece of turquoise in the world at the Turquoise Museum in Albuquerque. Since this cabochon was cut in 1974, the stone’s profile has become famous as it has been compared to George Washing, the first president of the United States. Others believe the profile resembles an elder Native American. (May 29, 2021)

The George Washington turquoise stone at the Turquoise Museum in Albuquerque. The stone is from the Turquoise Mountain in Kingman, Arizon. It weighs 6,888 carats and is 11.25 x 9.5 inches. (May 29, 2021)

The La Turquesa, Nacozari Mexico by DavidMaria Art in Mexico displayed at the Turquoise Museum in Albuquerque. (May 29, 2021)

Display cases throughout the Turquoise Museum in Albuquerque feature turquoise from the U.S. and around the world. This display case features turquoise from New Mexico and Nevada. (May 29, 2021)

A close-up of the display featuring turquoise stones from Cerillos, New Mexico, at the Turquoise Museum in Albuquerque. “The name Cerillos refers to the most mentioned historic turquoise mining area in the American Southwest and is located between Santa Fe and Albuquerque in Santa Fe County. Multiple minerals have been found throughout several miles of hillsides where turquoise and grave deposits are common and gold less common,” according to the museum description. (May 29, 2021)

A close-up of the display featuring turquoise stones from Hachita, New Mexico, at the Turquoise Museum in Albuquerque. “This prehistoric mining district located in Hidalgo and Grant counties includes several hillside deposits along the Little Hatchet Mountains. Most of these mining areas have been marketed as Hachita turquoise. (May 29, 2021)

Various pieces of jewelry made from turquoise at the Turquoise Museum in Albuquerque. (May 29, 2021)

The gorgeous stairway to the second gallery at the Turquoise Museum in Albuquerque. (May 29, 2021)

A showcase of turquoise gemstones and jewelry from China, Asia and Nepal at the Turquoise Museum in Albuquerque. (May 29, 2021)

The Southwest Gallery at the Turquoise Museum in Albuquerque. “The Santa Fe Trail brought traders, settlers, archeologists, historians and man others out west. It was these people’s oral and written stories and studies along with this terriory’s Native cultures and their uses of turquoise in their art that has made the state of New Mexico synonymous with turquoise,” according to the museum description. (May 29, 2021)

A piece of Zuni Pueblo jewelry in the Southwest Gallery at the Turquoise Museum in Albuquerque. (May 29, 2021)

The turquoise chandelier inside the entryway of the Turquoise Museum in Albuquerque was built by Marianne Friedrich in 2018. It has over 21,500 natural Sleeping Beauty turquoise beads and many thousands of Swarovski beads. Friedrich worked 6 and 7 days a week for three months to complete the project. It has 94 strands and the longest is 34 feet. (May 29, 2021)

Another view of the turquoise chandelier at the entryway of the Turquoise Museum in Albuquerque. (May 29, 2021)

Santa Fe

In the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains lies Santa Fe, known for its Pueblo people cultural inheritance, Pueblo-style architecture and an arts hotbed. Founded as a Spanish colony between 1607 and 1615, the area of Santa Fe was originally occupied by indigenous Tanoan peoples, who lived in numerous Pueblo villages along the Rio Grande. One of the earliest known settlements in what today is downtown Santa Fe came sometime after 900 AD. Santa Fe is considered the oldest capital in the U.S. Founded between 1607 and 1610, it’s America’s second oldest city.

The San Miguel Mission, also known as the San Miguel Chapel, a Spanish colonial mission church built between 1610 and 1626 in Santa Fe. (June 1, 2021)

Inside the San Miguel Mission, also known as the San Miguel Chapel, a Spanish colonial mission church built between 1610 and 1626 in Santa Fe. (June 1, 2021)

The carved and painted wooden reredos or altar screen inside the San Miguel Chapel in Santa Fe dates to 1798. (June 1, 2021)

The former bell for the tower of the San Miguel Chapel in Santa Fe displayed inside the chapel is dated August 9, 1356. (June 1, 2021)

A close-up of the bell tower of the San Miguel Chapel prior to 1872 on display inside the chapel with the date August 9, 1356 written in Spanish. (June 1, 2021)

The two-story adobe De Vargas Street House, commonly referred to as the Oldest House was built on the remains of a pre-Columbian house from the 1200s. The Oldest House has been rebuilt and added to several times. Carbon dating puts the vigas, or wooden roof beams, between 1646 and 1714. There are no written records of the people who originally lived in the Oldest House, but the arrival of the Spaniards in the 16th Century, Franciscan fathers, Natives, treasure hunters, traders and travelers during the days of the Gold Rush are among those who called it home. (June 2, 2021)

An 1881 photo of the two-story adobe structure housing 12 families, commonly known as the Oldest House in Santa Fe. (June 2, 2021)

The hallway entrance into the Old House Museum in Santa Fe. (June 2, 2021)

The first floor interior of the Old House in Santa Fe includes original vigas, or wooden roof beams dating between 1646 and 1714. (June 2, 2021)

The Kiva Fireplace/Metal Pots, circa 1700/1920 inside the back room of the Old House in Santa Fe. The indoor fireplace was introduced by the Spanish in the 1600s and was used for both heating and cooking. (June 2, 2021)

The Santa Fe Plaza area, in the tradition of Spanish-American colonial cities, was built from around the 1600s. The original plaza was built as a fort and surrounded by large walls. It served as the social and economic center where colonists and Pueblo Indians could trade goods. (May 31, 2021)

Shops that encompass the Santa Fe Plaza. (May 31, 2021)

The park-like area in the middle of the Santa Fe Plaza. (May 31, 2021)

The one-story adobe structure on the north side of the Santa Fe Plaza is the Palace of the Governors. This National Historic Monument, dating back to 1610, is considered to be the oldest continuously occupied building in the U.S. made by European settlers. (May 31, 2021)

The Palace of the Governors, for many visitors to Santa Fe, is best known for its block-long portal where Native American artisans are normally known to sell handmade jewelry and other crafts, but just not today. Dating back to 1610, it is considered to be the oldest continuously occupied building in the U.S. made by European settlers. (May 31, 2021)

The block-long adobe portal of the Palace of the Governors is located on the north side of the Santa Fe Plaza and is considered the oldest continuously occupied building in the U.S. made by European settlers. The Palace of the Governors, dating back to 1610, is an anchor for the New Mexico History Museum. (May 31, 2021)

A view of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, commonly known as Saint Francis Cathedral, from the Santa Fe Plaza. (May 31, 2021)

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, commonly known as Saint Francis Cathedral, is a Roman Catholic cathedral in downtown Santa Fe. The cathedral was built by Archbishop Jean Baptiste Lamy between 1869 and 1886 on the site of an older adobe church, La Parroquia (built in 1714–1717). The Cathedral of Saint Francis of Assisi was officially elevated to a basilica by Pope Benedict XVI on October 4, 2005, when it was named the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi. (May 31, 2021)

The Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe was built by Archbishop Jean Baptiste Lamy between 1869 and 1886 on the site of an older adobe church, La Parroquia (built in 1714–1717). (May 31, 2021)

The double bronze doors of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, commonly known as Saint Francis Cathedral, were created in 1986 during the cathedral’s restoration. Each bronze panel portrays church history events and was sculpted by Donna Quasthoff. (May 31, 2021)

A close-up of the double bronze doors of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi created in 1986 during the cathedral’s restoration. Each bronze panel portrays church history events and was sculpted by Donna Quasthoff. (May 31, 2021)

A close-up of the bronze panels of the double bronze doors at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, commonly known as Saint Francis Cathedral in Santa Fe. During the 1986 restoration, the doors created by sculptor Donna Quasthoff, feature historical cathedral events. (May 31, 2021)

The Romanesque Revival style interior and Corinthian columns of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe. I stayed for the noon mass. (May 31, 2021)

The large mural-style altarpiece of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe features a centered statue of St. Francis. (May 31, 2021)

A close-up of the large mural-style altarpiece of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe. (May 31, 2021)

One of the 14 Stations of the Cross, depicting a series of images of Jesus Christ on the day of his crucifixion, at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe. This is the 1st Station where Jesus is condemned to death. The original artwork, by Marie Romero Cash, was done in the New Mexico Mission Style called Santero. And the Spanish-style frames were carved by Roberto Montoya. (May 31, 2021)

The Stations of the Cross, depicting a series of images of Jesus Christ on the day of his crucifixion, surrounds the nave along the walls of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. Although not traditionally part of the Stations, the Resurrection of Jesus is sometimes included as an unofficial 15th station. (May 31, 2021)

She is Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, the first North American Indian to be beatified, the first step to being confirmed as a saint. This sculpture, gracing the exterior portico of the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe, was created by Estella Loretto, a sculptor from the nearby Jemez Pueblo, and installed in August 2003. Canonized in October 2012, Saint Kateri lived from 1656 until 1680 and was known as Lily of the Mohawks. (May 31, 2021)

The Cathedral Park, located next to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, is a grassy, green park with benches for relaxing and the local Artist Market. (May 31, 2021)The Cathedral Park, located next to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, is a grassy, green park with benches for relaxing and the local Artist Market. (May 31, 2021)

Plaques describing the history of Santa Fe are in a corner of the Cathedral Park next to the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. (May 31, 2020)

The Artist Market at the Cathedral Park in Santa Fe where artists native to New Mexico sell art from pottery and furniture to paintings and textiles. (May 31, 2021)

The Artists Market and Settlers Monument at the Cathedral Park in Santa Fe. (May 31, 2021)

I bought a couple pieces of art from this vendor at the Artists Market in the Cathedral Park. A husband and wife team, Maria and Miro Kenarov, Bulgarian-born artists now residing in Santa Fe. (May 31, 2021)

The Settlers Monument in the center of the Cathedral Park in Santa Fe. Commemorates the first European settlers of New Mexico, the Spanish colonist of 1598. The monument was dedicated in 1998 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Spanish settlement. (May 31, 2021)

The New Mexico History Museum entrance in Santa Fe is also the entrance to the Palace of the Governors which was unfortunately closed due to renovations. (May 31, 2021)

An exhibit inside the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe features the Santa Fe Trail when the new Republic of Mexico opened its borders to trade in the 1800s. (June 1, 2021)

The 1720 graphic history story by artist Turner Mark-Jacobs of *The Massacre of Don Pedro Villasur*. at the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe. (June 1, 2021)

*The Massacre of Don Pedro Villasur* by artist Turner Mark-Jacobs narrates the events of an ill-fated Spanish colonial military expedition in graphic novel format on display at the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe. (June 1, 2021)

At the conclusion of the Mexican–American War in 1848, the United States annexed New Mexico as the New Mexico Territory. New Mexico received its name long before the present-day nation of Mexico won independence from Spain and adopted that name in 1821. Many New Mexicans distrusted the government in Washington. And people across the country had grave reservations about admitting a territory so “Mexican,” Catholic and poor. The skeptics on both side triumphed until Jan. 6, 1912. This is an exhibit at the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe. (June 1, 2021)

For both New Mexico and Arizona, the road to statehood was protracted and contentious. However, after much effort, on January 6, 1912 New Mexico became the 47th state and on February 14, 1912 Arizona became the 48th state in the Union. The Great Seal of the State of New Mexico commemorates New Mexico as the 47th state in 1912 and symbolizes New Mexico’s transition from Mexico to the United States. Silverware and other hardware illustrate the Mexican brown eagle, borrowed from the Mexican National Flag, embraced by the American bald eagle, signifying New Mexico’s newly granted statehood. (June 1, 2021)

At the end of the Old Santa Fe Trail stands the Loretto Chapel, a former Roman Catholic church, is now a museum and a wedding chapel. Also known as the Chapel of Our Lady of Light, it was commissioned by the Sisters of Loretto for their girls’ school, the Loretto Academy, in 1873. (June 1, 2021)

The Loretto Chapel altar in Santa Fe is made from a wood and plaster composition, but painted to look like marble. (June 1, 2021)

Inside the Loretto Chapel a former Roman Catholic church is now a museum and a wedding chapel. (June 1, 2021)

The spiral staircase of the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe was originally built in 1879 with no railings. So, in 1887, a Santa Fe carpenter provided the additional support. (June 1, 2021)

Me with the Loretto Chapel spiral staircase behind me. (June 1, 2021)

The Stations of the Cross at the Lorette Chapel in Santa Fe are made with marble dust. Both the altar and the Stations were purchased from a company in Rome and shipped by sail boat to New Orleans then by another boat to Missouri and then by steam locomotive to Santa Fe. (June 1, 2021)

A close-up of the marble dust made Station of the Cross at the Lorette Chapel in Santa Fe. (June 1, 2021)

The candle and prayer area at beautiful statue of Jesus Christ inside the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe. (June 1, 2021)

An outdoor vendor by the Loretto Chapel along the Old Santa Fe Trail a 19th-century route through central North America that connected Franklin, Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. (June 1, 2021)

Shops across from the Lorette Chapel and along the beginning of the Old Santa Fe Trail a 19th-century route through central North America that connected Franklin, Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. (June 1, 2021)

Shops along the beginning of the Old Santa Fe Trail with the La Fonda Hotel (at the end) with the beginning of the trail. (June 1, 2021)

A shop along the Old Santa Fe Trail a 19th-century route through central North America that connected Franklin, Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. (June 1, 2021)

Shops along the Old Santa Fe Trail a 19th-century route through central North America that connected Franklin, Missouri with Santa Fe, New Mexico. (June 1, 2021)

A park along the Santa Fe River, a tributary of the Rio Grande, winds its way through downtown Santa Fe. (June 1, 2021)

The New Mexico Museum of Art Museum building was designed by architect Isaac Rapp and completed in 1917. It is one of Santa Fe’s best-known representations of the synthesis of Native American and Spanish Colonial design styles. (June 1, 2021)

*A Fiery Light: Will Shuster*‘s exhibit at the New Mexico Museum of Art in Santa Fe celebrates the centennial anniversary of Shuster’s arrival in the Southwest. (June 1, 2021)

A Will Shuster (1893-1969) self-portrait from 1931 at the New Mexico Museum of Art. In 1920 serious health issues brought William Shuster to New Mexico, kicking off 49 years of creativity, exploration, and engagement. Almost immediately he integrated himself into Santa Fe’s burgeoning bohemian art scene, and made a reputation for himself as eccentric and passionate member of the community with an unsurpassed lust for life. (June 1, 2021)

The *Santo Domingo – Corn Dance* at the New Mexico Museum of Art is by Will Shuster (1893-1969) and was painted in 1929. Pueblo life and culture were reoccurring themes for Shuster. (June 1, 2021)

The courtyard of the New Mexico Museum of Art and its Mountain Fountain sculpture by artist Jesus Moroles sits at the center of the elegant courtyard surrounded by covered portals with paintings by Will Shuster and Frderico Vigil demonstration the cultural diversity of New Mexico. (June 1, 2021)

The courtyard of the New Mexico Museum of Art with sculpture garden and center courtyard of the New Mexico History Museum. (June 1, 2021)

The *Exodus: Influencias Postivas Y Campadrazgo* mural by Frederico M. Vigil in the courtyard of the New Mexico Museum of Art in Santa Fe. (June 1, 2021)

A close-up of the *Exodus: Influencias Postivas Y Campadrazgo* mural by Frederico M. Vigil in the courtyard of the New Mexico Museum of Art in Santa Fe. (June 1, 2021)

*Voice of the Earth*, one of six frescos on the courtyard north walls of the New Mexico Museum of Art portals by Will Shuster (1893-1969) from 1934. The Museum commissioned the murals as a Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA) project. Painted at the height of the Great Depression, the murals honor the spiritual, ceremonial and agricultural traditions of the Pueblo Indians. (June 1, 2021)

*The Voice of the Water* one of six frescoes on the north walls of the New Mexico Museum of Art courtyard by Will Shuster from 1934. Frescoes are created by mixing finely ground pigments with water and applying the mixture to wet plaster. This mural project provided Shuster his first opportunity to create traditional frescoes. To produce these vibrant works, he studied the traditional frescoes of Leonardo da Vinci, Diego Rivera and the ancient Romans. (June 1, 2021)

Taos and Chimayo

I spent my last full day in New Mexico enjoying the sights on a drive to Taos with a stop at Chimayo on my way back to Santa Fe. And, even though it was in the mid-70s it was hot as hell. The sun was bright. But the drive to Taos and back to Santa Fe was as beautiful as everyone said it would be.I took the Low Road, considered the most direct route of about 70 miles between Santa Fe and Taos. It winds along the Rio Grande River and through a narrow canyon, that truly offered incredible views.

The Taos Pueblo, about a mile North of Taos, which I so much wanted to visit, was closed…again due to Covid-19. At approximately 1000 years old, the pueblos are considered to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the United States and is designated both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark.

So, instead of the Taos Pueblo, I walked around the Old Town Taos area, had a quick and uneventful lunch and moved on to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. I like bridges. I like that they connect things to one another. Simple, I know, but although functional, they can also be beautiful. I can’t say the Gorge Bridge is beautiful but its steel girth is rather striking.

From the bridge, I continued on the High Road along NM 76 to the small village of Chimayo in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains where El Santuario de Chimayó (a National Historic Landmark), is located. The shrine has been a place of worship for generations of Native Americans, Hispanics, and other people of faith have traveled to the site of El Santuario to ask for healing for themselves and others, and to offer prayers of petition and of thanksgiving for favors received. Founded in 1816 by Bernardo Abeyta and other residents of the then-separate village of El Portero, the Sanctuary was purchased by the Spanish Colonial Arts Society in 1929 and donated to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe.

The drive north along NM 68 highway alongside the Rio Grande River. Although you can’t see it from this angle, but the Rio Grande River is flowing. (June 3, 2021)

The Rio Grande river, along NM 68 highway for a day trip to Taos from Santa Fe. The Rio Grande is the third longest river in North America, surpassed only by the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. For centuries the river has been an important travel route for both people and wildlife. (June 3, 2021)

The Rio Grande River, along NM 68 highway for a day trip to Taos from Santa Fe. Throughout history, people have chosen to build their first settlements near rivers. In New Mexico, hunter/gatherers, Puebloans, Athabaskan and later Hispanic settlers traveled through the Rio range Valley and built villages and farms along the river and its tributaries. For centuries, the Rio Grande Valley has been a corridor for Natives, traders, soldiers, settlers, boaters, railroads and cars. (June 3, 2021)

The scenic views along the NM 68 highway called “The Low Road,”during a day trip from Santa Fe to Taos winds along the Rio Grande and through a narrow canyon, offering these incredible views. (June 3, 2021)

The Taos Plaza in Taos, New Mexico. (June 3, 2021)

The quilt shop along the Teresina Lane area of the Taos Plaza. It was open. I didn’t go in but I did look thru the window. (June 3, 2021)

In the Taos Plaza is the statue of Padre Antonio Jose Martinez (1793-1867) an educator and publisher who established the first co-educational primary school in Taos in 1826. In 1835, he obtained the first printing press in New Mexico and printed grammar, mathematics and law books for his schools. Martinez was also a political leader. (June 3, 2021)

The Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the backdrop of Taos, New Mexico. (June 3, 2021)

After a quick an uneventful lunch at the Alley Cantina at the corner of the Teresina Lane of the Taos Plaza, it was time to move on to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. (June 3, 2021)

Blueberry Hill Road in Taos on the way to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. (June 3, 2021)

The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, across the Rio Grande Gorge northwest of Taos is a steel deck arch bridge some 600 feet above the Rio Grande. It is considered the 10th highest bridge in the U.S. The bridge was started in 1963 and completed in 1965 and is a part of U.S. Route 64, a major east–west road. (June 3, 2021)

The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, across the Rio Grande Gorge northwest of Taos, the second highest bridge on the U.S. Highway System and considered the 10th highest bridge in the U.S. The bridge is a steel structure with a concrete-filled steel-grid deck. (June 3, 2021)

The view of the Rio Grande Gorge while standing on the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge near Taos. (June 3, 2021)

My selfie while standing on the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge near Taos while looking over into the gorge. (June 3, 2021)

Looking into the gorge while on the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge near Taos. (June 3, 2021)

Views on the way to Chimayo from Taos and back to Santa Fe. Chimayo, in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in northern New Mexico, is said to be one of the most visited holy sites in America. (June 3, 2021)

Views on the way to Chimayo from Taos and back to Santa Fe. El Santuario de Chimayo sits in the center of the small village of El Potrero, one of several settlements in the Santa Cruz Valley collectively called Chimayo. (June 3, 2021)

A view of just a portion of the Santuario de Chimayo, a Roman Catholic sanctuary with two chapels, interior prayer rooms and outdoor reflection and prayer gardens. The sanctuary, a National Historic Landmark since 1970, was built in 1816 and its land is rumored by pilgrims to possess healing powers while also being a contemporary pilgrimage site. Chimayo, in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in northern New Mexico, is said to be one of the most visited holy sites in America. (June 3, 2021)

The arched entryway into the courtyard of the Lord of Esquipulas Chapel at El Sanctuario de Chimayo in the village of Chimayo, New Mexico. This church is a popular pilgrimage site and draws visitors from all over thanks to the legend of the healing power of the dirt. (June 3, 2021)

The massive millstone, with a large cross, stands directly in front of the entrance to the Lord of Esquipulas Chapel at El Sanctuario de Chimayo. The sanctuary, nestled in the village of Chimayo along the High Road back to Santa Fe, is a national historic landmark and a present-day pilgrimage site. (June 3, 2021)

The Lord of Esquipulas Chapel at El Sanctuario de Chimayo, nestled in the village of Chimayo along the High Road to back to Santa Fe sits this national historic landmark. Founded in 1816, the Santuario was eventually purchased by the Spanish Colonial Arts Society in 1929 and donated to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Today, it is considered a prime example of Spanish colonial architecture with its thick adobe walls, two bell towers and six-foot crucifix in the nave. (June 3, 2021)

A recumbent statue of Jesus in the Tomb, Santo Entierro, at the entryway of the Lord of Esquipulas Chapel at El Sanctuario de Chimayo. This portrays Jesus waking up in the tomb showing that his arm moved from its side and his mouth is beginning to open. (June 3, 2021)

Inside the Lord of Esquipulas Chapel at El Sanctuario de Chimayo with the six foot crucifix representing Christ of Esquipulas. The nave of the church is decorated with original 19th century Hispanic religious folk art, including several santos and religious frescoes. (June 3, 2021)

The six foot crucifix representing Christ of Esquipulas at the Lord of Esquipulas Chapel altar of the El Sanctuario de Chimayo. (June 3, 2021)

A ratable on a side wall inside the Lord of Esquipulas Chapel at El Sanctuario de Chimayo. Retablos are devotional paintings on wood or tin.
Bultos are wooden sculptures of saints and other religious figures. They are also called “santos”, referring to their depiction of saints. The carvers are called “santeros”. (June 3, 2021)

The Pilgrim’s Statue at the Santuario de Chimayo invites pilgrims from the four corners of the earth to the Lord’s shrine. (June 3, 2021)

A close-up of the Pilgrim’s Statue at the Santuario de Chimayo inviting pilgrims from the four corners of the earth to walk to come to the Lord’s shrine. (June 3, 2021)

A carving of a pilgrimage to the Santuario de Chimayo alongside a building at the Santuario de Chimayo. (June 3, 2021)

A close-up of the carving of a pilgrimage to the Santuario de Chimayo alongside a building at the Santuario de Chimayo. (June 3, 2021)

One of several prayer shrines at the Santuario de Chimayo. (June 3, 2021)

An outdoor gathering place at the Santuario de Chimayo. (June 3, 2021)

The outdoor sanctuary garden grounds of the Santuario de Chimayo. (June 3, 2021)

A close-up of the Our Lady of Guadalupe statue in the outdoor at the Santaurio de Chimayo. (June 3, 2021)

“Dios te salve María, llena eyes de gracia,” statue at the Santuario de Chimayo translates to “God save you Mary, you are full of grace.” (June 3, 2021)

One indication of the growing international reputation the healing powers of the Santuarios de Chimayo includes this statue dedicated to a Vietnamese manifestation of the Virgin Mary. The Mother and Child statue in the garden of the Santuario de Chimayo is dedicated to Lavang, considered the Marian Holy Land in Vietnam. By 1798, under the kingdom of Canh Thinh, a number of Catholics, in order to avoid religious persecution, had been taking refuge in the forest of Lavang. (June 3, 2021)

The seven stone cross arches along the lower irrigation canal or Potrero Ditch at the Santuario de Chimayo. (June 3, 2021)

Crosses placed on a tree at the Santuario de Chimayo. (June 3, 2021)

Crosses along a fence at the Santuario de Chimayo. (June 3, 2021)

The prayer portal to the left with a view of a beautiful carved door and the Native American Chapel at the Santuario de Chimayo. (June 3, 2021)

The prayer portal at the Santuario de Chimayo. (June 3, 2021)

The Native American Chapel at the Santuario de Chimayo. (June 3, 2021)

Sacred heart of Jesus carved doors next to the Native American Chapel at the Santuario de Chimayo. (June 3, 2021)

A statue commissioned by Gil Martinez and Nidia Corral Gomez at the Santuario de Chimayo is called the “Three Cultures Monument.” It depicts a Native American, Hispanic farmer and an Anglo-American settler under the benevolent blessing of the Virgin Mary statue as “Our Lady of Peace.” (June 3, 2021)

A close-up of the “Three Cultures Monument at the Santuario de Chimayo depicting a Native American, Hispanic farmer and an Anglo-American settler. (June 3, 2021)

The exterior of the El Santo Niño de Atocha chapel at the Chimayó Sanctuary in New Mexico. The Atocha chapel is separate from the Esquipulas Chapel but it’s within easy walking distance. The chapel was built in 1857 by the Medina Family. (June 3, 2021)

The exterior of the El Santo Niño de Atocha chapel at the Chimayó Sanctuary in New Mexico. (June 3, 2021)

Inside the El Santo Niño de Atocha chapel at the Chimayó Sanctuary in New Mexico. (June 3, 2021)

The altar inside the El Santo Niño de Atocha chapel at the Chimayó Sanctuary in New Mexico. (June 3, 2021)

A close-up of the altar at the El Santo Niño de Atocha chapel at the Chimayó Sanctuary in New Mexico. (June 3, 2021)

The beautiful folk art inside the El Santo Niño de Atocha chapel at the Chimayó Sanctuary in New Mexico. (June 3, 2021)

A close-up of the beautiful folk art inside the El Santo Niño de Atocha chapel at the Chimayó Sanctuary in New Mexico. (June 3, 2021)

The inside, with a look towards the exterior door, of the El Santo Niño de Atocha chapel at the Chimayó Sanctuary in New Mexico. (June 3, 2021)

The beautiful landscape along the High Road from Chimayo back to Santa Fe. (June 3, 2021)

Me having enjoyed my road trip and heading back to Santa Fe still enjoying the beautiful landscape as I make my way back to Santa Fe and to the end of my time through New Mexico. (June 3, 2021)

8Comments

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1

Sue Moran Thole on June 30, 2021 at 4:49 pm

Wonderful photos! I especially appreciated those of the petrified forest as we are thinking of going there.
- 2
  
  Diana Petterson on July 2, 2021 at 1:17 pm
  
  Hi Sue! Thanks so much! I take so many photos that I often have a difficult time what to edit. The Petrified and Painted Forests are so worth seeing. The day we were there was a rather hot day so definitely bring water along especially if you plan to take any of the walks. Even though these are short and not very difficult, the heat can be rather draining. Enjoy!
3

Sherrie Moran on June 30, 2021 at 5:02 pm

You see things in places I’ve been, sometimes many times, but have never seen.
- 4
  
  Diana Petterson on July 2, 2021 at 1:25 pm
  
  Hi Sherrie! And yet, I always feel as if I’m missing something because more than likely, I have. A lot of time when I get back and start writing and identifying the photos I realize what I’ve missed. I just try to stay in the moment and enjoy the experience. And, since I really enjoy taking photos, I just try to go with the flow of what catches my attention. Even though it was brief, it was still good to see you and meet your home.
5

Livy S on July 7, 2021 at 8:42 pm

Thanks for sharing your New Mexico trip. Wonderful photos and commentary.
- 6
  
  Diana Petterson on July 16, 2021 at 3:51 pm
  
  Hi Livy! You are so welcome! And thank you for subscribing and for your kind comments.
7

Melinda on October 24, 2021 at 4:54 pm

Wonderful article! We visited Taos and Chimayo. I loved those churches and you did a beautiful job representing them.
- 8
  
  Diana Petterson on October 25, 2021 at 10:35 am
  
  Oh, wow! Thanks so much Melinda! I’, so glad you enjoyed my post because I utterly enjoyed my three week road trip through New Mexico and like you loved the churches in Chimayo. Unfortunately, I was not able to visit the Taos Pueblo, which was closed during my New Mexico visit, but did spend time walking around in Taos.