We woke up to a snowy landscape so Jigsaw the Snowshoe cat was in her element. Thankfully though, we had sun to melt it as we were on the move. Still pretty cold at such high elevations but we didn’t fancy being stuck! Our last day in Colorado, for now, we headed to a small town called San Luis, Colorado’s oldest town, formally settled in 1851 and with Hispanic roots. Of note is the church, not an old one, built in 1980’s as a shrine, high on the hill overlooking vast panoramic views of distant mountains and agriculture. The showstopper though is actually the hike up the hill to it and the 15 Stations of The Cross Statues. Created by local, Huberto Maestas, the originals are at The Vatican. They were some of the most impressive and expressive bronzes we’d ever seen and felt very lifelike. Some, quite graphic.
Driving back south into New Mexico again the landscape was fabulous, surrounded by snow covered mountains, barren flatlands, tumbleweed and wild horses. It’s such an open ‘picture’, the weather around is clearly visible too. A side stop was a church at Questa which had a really unusual design, Iglesia San Antonio de Padua dates to 1842 but has had numerous remodels including a recent rebuilding of a whole wall.
Early March, we were starting to see the seasons more, this part of New Mexico was starting to bud as we headed through Carson National Forest, named after Kit Carson (famous trapper, guide, Indian agent of old). Still in the Rio Grande valley, it goes on for miles through the US, we stopped at the aptly named ‘Big Bridge’ over the gorge. Spectacular views but not if you have thing for heights!
Further along, the aliens had landed…. actually an off grid community of ‘Earth Ships’. Lots of homes built to a similar eco design and fully off grid. Built primarily using Cobb techniques, incorporating glass bottles and a lot of glass and solar, it is the desert after all. We took plenty of ideas away for our own build! Don’t be fooled by the off gridness and makeshift design, one small was for sale for $0.5m…
Quite a few people had suggested we must visit Taos, so we did. A National Historic District, you know what you’re getting in for when the town has its own Art Shops and Galleries Directory. It was a tad touristy for us, beautified and now not really revealing much authenticity. We sought out the older parts of town and the adobe buildings and found the strings of dried chillies more attractive. We did enjoy the opening hours sign of a cat loving gallery owner! To be fair, Taos is a pretty cool society, the three cultures, Hispanic, Pueblo Indians and Euro Settlers as called, have worked hard for harmony.
Being swallowed up by the expanding Taos is Ranchos de Taos, the original town and home of the Adobe San Francisco de Assisi Mission Church. One of the oldest in the US, dating to 1813 its a fine example of Adobe Mission architecture. Shame we couldn’t go in but the small square felt like we were walking in a genuine old ‘Western Cowboy’ town, undulating dried mud needing much driving care! As a reward, we stayed at a winery (Harvest Hosts) that evening so could do some sampling! The following day we needed their brand of coffee!
Not far away was the ‘Boneyard of all Boneyards’ so far as we are concerned. Boneyard is a US term for a kind of scrapyard of old stuff, be it old ‘Las Vegas Strip’ signs or other throwaway memorabilia. In this case, the roadside ‘Classical Gas Museum,’ a wondrous collection of of all things ‘Gas’ (Petrol or Diesel to us). An amazing array of what is fundamentally ‘art’ for us, a tightly packed array of old gas pumps and other gas station ephemera. The range is so vast it was easy for the owner to find items for the film Oppenheimer, to use on set. In varying states of arrested decay it was incredible. There is real beauty in the designs of past eras and it’s a shame its now function and profit that drive forecourt styling (safety may have a part to play too but I like to romanticise!)
A circuitous detour took us to El Santuario de Chimayo, a Roman Catholic Pilgrimage location, (7 routes converge from places in NM). Dating to 1816 it’s an eclectic mix of imagery, with an unusual Adobe built chapel, honouring Nuestro Señor de Esquipulas, it is noted for it’s 6ft crucifix and it’s healing dirt. The chapel houses unique religious Folk Art at the altar, designed in the C19th by ‘Santeros’. Santeros is a term used for those who carve and paint devotional art in SW USA. The whole area was fascinating to wander and truly unique.
The drive to Santa Fe took us back into HooDoo land and across vast arid desert and red New Mexico sands. Camping just outside Santa Fe there was a bus service into downtown for $1 to be taken advantage of. It was $1 back too so we were able to have a meal out on our budget! Santa Fe is another arty city and the downtown area is packed with galleries with unaffordable art of all forms. We can look through the window though eh?! We actually found the art of ‘cannabis’ more interesting than some though and exploring a pretty smart shop was interesting to say the least. The lady was pretty patient as we had no clue about any of it. We did find the glass things very ornate, who knows how they’re used but it was an ‘education’ all the same. The ‘joint rolling machine’ was an engineering delight!
Centre of the attractions is an old Plaza which has been the heart of the city since 1610 and has seen a lot of action. Witch doctors were hung there in 1675, the Indian Pueblo Revolt in 1680 and annexation by the US in the C19th. Close by is St Francis Cathedral, French in styling and the oldest part, dating to 1869 (original from 1626, destroyed 1680) The oldest part is original adobe but the rest of it has recently been repainted by Disney and has lost it’s lustre, IMHO 🙂 Bright and airy but dull! Other notable buildings were the Loretto Chapel and San Miguel Mission from 1600’s, both closed. Anyhow, if New Mexico is ‘The Land of Enchantment’ (on their car number plates) Santa Fe is ‘The City of Creators’, we’ve never been anywhere, that we can recall, with such a heady array of galleries, art shops, jewellery shops, Native American crafts shops, ceramic/pottery shops and eyelash vending machines… oh yeah! There was only one thing to do, find a distillery for cocktails!
The Curious Adventures of the Cat in the Camper Van 
Love this. It’s our plan.for next year!! Maggie
LikeLike