Hovenweep and the Reservations

Hovenweep National Monument is not far away. It was once home to over 2500 people and includes 6 prehistoric villages. Since Hovenweep is in both Colorado and Utah, and there is a Utah entrance, and the governor of Utah has opened all National parks and monuments in the state, I think that there may a chance that it is open.

:-( … Very disappointing …

From here we realize that we need to be heading south, getting closer to Albuquerque. I have a very detailed New Mexico map and we decide to take the roads that go through the reservations and the national preserves and forests of New Mexico.

Long, lonely roads through Apache and Navajo lands. This is not American suburbia. There are no McDonald’s or McMansions around. No housing developments. We got gas at the one lone casino along the way.  The Natives live simply, mostly in trailers or double wides. Almost always horses and pickup trucks. I saw a couple of clusters of modular homes, exactly like each other, each with a propane tank out front.  The modular homes were painted in bright colors. There is no adornment on the homes to make one look “better” than the others.

Again, the land is predominant, not the home. The Natives live on the land.

Crossing the Rio Grande (the 2nd time)

Coming out of Taos going north, we would again need to cross the Rio Grande, but this time there was a suspension bridge going from one side of the gorge to the other.

 Looks like nothing until you look over the bridge ...

 A little scary, but I walked out to the center of the bridge.

Bus on the other side of the bridge ...

the San Miguel Church

 They say that this is the oldest church structure in the United States, built by Mexican Indians under the direction of (Spanish) Franciscan Padres in 1610. I can’t figure out how a Church in Santa Fe can be older than the church in St. Augustine. Isn’t St. Augustine the place where the Spanish first set foot on American soil in the 1500’s? Is the first Spanish Church there not still standing?

It is a very sweet, simple little church with some interesting iconic art.

 But I still don't get this "conquistador" stuff ...

The Loretto Chapel

 The Loretto Inn and Spa is one of the fancy downtown Santa Fe hotels.

 Next to it is the Loretto Chapel where there is a mysterious staircase. Supposedly they needed a staircase to the choir loft when a carpenter mysteriously appeared. He built this winding staircase that apparently has no supports, and no one knows how it stands. The carpenter then mysteriously disappeared without being paid. John says that he had to have bent a continuous piece of wood. There is no vertical support from top to bottom to support the stair. Some people say that the carpenter was St. Joseph himself.

 But what about that little support over on the side?

 These are the people looking at the staircase ... (maybe we are looking in the wrong direction??)

I found this interesting, but was also intrigued by the rosary trees. (Have you ever seen such a thing?!) And the holy water that they sell in the gift shop. There is a lot of religiousity on display in Santa Fe. On the side of a government buildings there can be an image of the Virgin (of Guadalupe) and nobody thinks anything about it.

The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum

The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe is a simple place but packs a very powerful message about this incredibly gifted woman who found her inspiration in the New Mexico landscape. Her bold use of color and shape somehow wake you up to what is around, and you can “see” New Mexico with deeper eyes. 

 Of course, they don't let you take photos in here, but I managed a few ...

There is a room of photographs of Georgia O’Keeffe taken by her husband, a photographer and leader in the movement of photography as art. I was surprised at how much Georgia cooperated in the cultivation her own image through his photographs. It’s as if she knew that the way that we use image - even images of ourselves - as masks, and that art is a way to break through that image to essence. The very antithesis of what photographers do with celebrities. It reminded me of the photographs that Eugene Meatyard took of Thomas Merton. 

There is also a good film about Georgia shown in the museum. The museum is not large but we felt that it acquainted us well with who she was/is, and are much enriched by the knowing.

 The shadows on the window ...

 ... in the gift shop ...

 Outside of the museum (the window with the shadows) ...

Santa Fe

We found Santa Fe to be a very funky, friendly and fun place. There are a lot of young people around (always a good sign), art is everywhere and street musicians wander the streets and squares. Things are expensive but it doesn’t come across as elitist -- only for the few -- as it might in Palm Beach.

I liked this little crop of corn planted amidst the landscaping.

Believe it or not, there is a monument in the main square honoring the “heroes” who died fighting the Indians for the New Mexico territory. Not exactly politically correct these days, but history is history, and we may as well tell the story as people believe it to be and let the “truth” become obvious as time goes by. 

  Restaurant Pasquales had been recommended to us by several people so we headed over there for breakfast. After seeing the people waiting outside for 45 minutes to sit at large communal tables we went to a nearby Starbucks, deciding to check back at Pasquales for lunch. 

Next to Pasquales was the Santa Fe Hemp store, where John wanted his photo taken. This was the most authentic “hippy” store that I’ve seen in a long time. Buttons and bumper stickers that dare to express enlightening liberal ideas that go against the grain! Never saw a conservative counterpoint to this in Santa Fe. 

We wandered around enjoying the Sunday morning sunshine, art, music and people. The adobe, Southwestern architecture is new to our eyes. It feels very much like a different place. 

There is a Santa Fe street reserved for Native Americans to sell jewelry and crafts. I almost bought a beautiful silver bracelet from a friendly Indian who told me he had made it just or me. But I resisted. It didn’t feel right to be buying the first thing I saw! 

John was fascinated by the lovely wind sculptures around Santa Fe. I think that he thinks he can make one of these for us. 

We checked back at Pasquales at lunchtime and now the wait was 1 hour! So we went back to Tia’s Cocina, the authentic New Mexican restaurant located in the upstairs of the Hotel Chimayo. Food doesn’t get any better than this. John had tamales and I had a vegetable soup. Mine came with cornbread and John’s came with fry bread. Our table was on a balcony overlooking the street. We didn’t know how Pasquales could possibly be any better. Our waiter said that Pasqaules had good organic food and somehow just become the “trendy” place and people would rather wait be crowded together than discover the other places that were just as good. When I get home I’m going to give Tia Cocina’s some very good online reviews.

Here is the guy who delivers the red chilis!