"Thanks to the Interstate Highway System, it is now possible to travel from coast to coast without seeing anything." -- Charles Kuralt

Instead of taking Interstate 25 from Santa Fe to Albuquerque we meandered along Arizona Highway 14.   Stopping whenever the spirit moved us.    The travel time increased from one hour to five but we had a lovely day.

Highway 14 is a National Scenic Byway known as the Turquoise Trail because it passes through the former mining towns of Cerrillos, Madrid and Golden.

The town of Cerrillos was founded in 1879 but the Native inhabitants used the lead deposits in this area more than 300 years earlier.   The presence of Turquoise brought the Spanish explorers to this area. There is Cerrillos Turquoise in the Spanish Crown Jewels.   By the mid 1880’s gold, silver, lead, zinc, and turquoise were all being mined here.  This now dusty town that once was home to 3,000 miners now has a few hundred residents.   Today it is just a dusty old town that only comes alive when the day-trippers arrive from Sante Fe.  The buildings on Front Street look like a movie set and have starred in 13 movies.  We stopped at the most bustling establishment in town the Mining Museum/Petting Zoo/Scenic Vista/Gift Shop.  The mining museum was filled to the rafters with the detritus left behind by the miners.

Next up was Madrid.   Madrid was a coal-mining town, then a ghost town and now is filled with interesting shops, galleries and restaurants.   Its real treasure is its people, the shopkeepers and residents who are a happy talkative bunch of folks.   A throwback to the 60's and 70's.  It is just fun to walk around and chat.

When they say that the view from the top of Sandia Peak outside of Albuquerque is breathtaking they mean it literally.   At 10, 600 feet you are gasping for breath just walking to the lookout point.

The drive up to the peak and back down is also a treat especially if you have been in the southwest so long that you might have forgotten what woods look like.  

Looking down on Albuquerque from above the first thing you notice is how spread out it is.   This is especially evident having just come from Santa Fe, which seems downright provincial in comparison.  

An hour later when we were seated on a bench on the Old Town Plaza the differences were all the more evident.   The establishments around the Santa Fe Plaza are filled with high end art galleries, jewelry and clothing.  During few hours we spent in and around the Plaza in Old Town Albuquerque we witnessed two weddings take place at the bandstand a festival at the Church and as we were leaving a group of transplanted Filipinos were about to begin dancing and were encouraging us to stay and watch.  This is also where we saw the two be-sneakered dogs outside the Church.

Ben arrives tomorrow for a week.    We are looking forward to having him with us.

For us today was Museum day in Santa Fe.   The problem with the buying the 5 museums in 4 days pass is that you feel obligated to visit all of them.   Considering that previous to this morning we had only visited two that meant it was going to be a busy day.   We did it but were seriously flagging at the end of the day.  All three of the museums are situated on Museum Hill a five-minute drive from the Plaza.

First up, was the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art.    My favorite exhibit there combined the collection of Colonial Art donated to the museum by New Mexico modernist painter Cady Wells with his paintings next to each piece that had inspired them.           

Next up was the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, which specializes in presenting just what its name implies.  Their current special exhibit was “The Life and Art of Tony Da”.   Tony was the grandson of Maria Martinez who was the most revered native potter of her generation. His paintings and pots really spoke to me.

With our stamina seriously flagging we crossed the glorious plaza between the two museums and entered the Museum of International Folk Art.   This museum has always been high on our list because of the Girard Collection.  Alexander Girard and his wife Susan began their collection in 1939 on their honeymoon in Mexico.   Their passion was folk art specifically miniatures.   The vast room devoted to the collection can only display a fraction of the collection so it is also fun to return to see what has come out of storage. When visiting this exhibit I always wish I had a young child in tow.  It will definitely bring out the kid in you.

The ranch was founded in 1710 as a stopping place on the Camino Real (the royal road to Mexico City).  As a living history museum it depicts life in Spanish Colonial and Territorial New Mexico.

Since they are not officially open for the season we tagged along with a school group.   Its 200 acres are very picturesque and you can easily imagine life here 300 years ago.   During the “season” there are interpreters doing weaving, shearing sheep, running the gristmill and the like.

All museums in New Mexico have at least one day a week when they are free for New Mexico residents.  That’s wonderful.

I dropped Marsha off in the center of Santa Fe so that she could explore.  While she looked around, I worked on our photos and took a nap.  When she got back to the room we worked on places for dinner and our plans for the coming days.  
We had a great dinner at La Choza very close to the Sage Inn -- or maybe it was just the Margaritas.

It was difficult leaving Jan and Seamus and their wonderful abode this morning.   Our friendship deepened over the six days we spent with them.   We met many of their “new” friends and know that they are loved and appreciated and that the place they have chosen to hang their hats is magical and serene.

Our first order of business in Santa Fe was to have the wheel liner on the Odyssey replaced.  All the car dealers in Santa Fe are clustered in the Santa Fe Car Park.   It makes a lot of sense – one area with multiple car dealers and their service areas in one place, which enables one stop shopping.  The Honda dealer was quick and efficient and the WiFi excellent so the time passed quickly.

After parking at our hotel we rode our bicycles to the Santa Fe Plaza about a mile away.   We secured them to a tree on the plaza and entered the Palace of the Governors Museum and the adjacent New Mexico History Museum.  The History Museum is new since our last visit here and is quite good.   It covers the early history of the indigenous people, Spanish Colonization, the Mexican Period, the Santa Fe Trail and Modern New Mexico.   The Palace of the Governors Museum concentrates more on the history of Santa Fe. The building was the seat of the Spanish Government in the 17th century. In 2009 they excavated beneath of the floors of the Palace and now have hatches in the floor so you can see the structures below.   Pretty cool.     Neither place allows photographs so you will have to imagine.

Ojo Caliente means Warm Eye or Hot Spring.   This place has been a source of healing for hundred of years.   The ancestors of the Tewa people built a large pueblo on the site.   In the 1860’s the first bathhouse and hotel were built making it the first natural health spa in the country

The advertisements for Ojo Caliente proclaim,  “Soak your bones”.  Which is exactly what we all did.   The hot springs contains four different mineral waters, lithium, iron, soda, and arsenic (yes I did say arsenic).   Each pool is delightfully warm and soothing.   We even had a mud bath.   The end result was 4 extremely relaxed people.

We headed off with Seamus this morning giving Jan a bit of alone time.  

The Pojoaque’s Tribal Council runs the Poeh Museum.

Its mission is to preserve and revitalize the culture of the Peublo communities in the northern Rio Grande valley.  

The permanent exhibition gives an overview of Pueblo history.  It  is called Nah Poeh Meng which translated from Tewa means “The Continuous Path.    The walk through dioramas in the six rooms center around a seasonal themes.  

Their special exhibit was entitled Juxtaposition had traditional pottery next to hand blown glass “pots” that were based on the older designs but clearly presented a new  artistic vision.

After dropping Seamus off at Cardiac Rehab we headed for the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian.   Their current exhibit was on the Thunderbird Jewelry of the Santo Domingo    Pueblo.   The pueblo artisans made necklaces with Thunderbird pendants.   Their traditional materials were Turquoise, Jet and Coral.   When these materials were no longer available locally they began using plastics to replace the Turquoise blue and Red Coral and cut up phonograph records or used black car battery cases to replace the black Jet.  Today collectors seek after these pieces.

I just checked out one for sale on ebay where it is quite clearly listed as a Battery case Santo Domingo Thunderbird Necklace.

After dropping Seamus off at Cardiac Rehab we headed for the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian.   We were greeted by a very welcoming docent who introduced us to their exhibit.  Usually when you enter a museum you are greeted by someone who controls access to the museum.  In this situation (and I suspect it was a unique talent of the particular person we happened to coincide with) we felt that she truly enjoyed the museum and wanted us to enjoy it just as much as she.  Not only did we discuss the exhibit, but also her life in Santa Fe, her involvement in an interesting living community where people of all ages and stages of life (parents, families, kids, grandparents, etc.) shared the responsibilities of living in community.

Their current exhibit was on the Thunderbird Jewelry of the Santo Domingo Pueblo.   The pueblo artisans made necklaces with Thunderbird pendants.  There were hundreds of these necklaces so you could see differences between artisans, over time, using different materials.   Their traditional materials were Turquoise, Jet and Coral.   When these materials were no longer available locally they began using plastics to replace the Turquoise blue and Red Coral and cut up phonograph records or used black car battery cases to replace the black Jet.  Today collectors seek after these pieces.  Later in our trip, we saw similar types of necklaces -- mostly of the type that were crafted after the traditional materials became unavailable.  One of these we saw at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff  is shown in the illustration to the left.

When in Rome do as the Romans do.   When in Medanales do as Jan and Seamus do.   It was Sunday morning so we all went to Church in Santa Fe.   At the Westminster Presbyterian Church we were lucky enough to meet many of J&S new friends and share a meal with them after of service.  The potluck had a definite southwestern tone with the addition of kimchee.  The Presbyterians share their building with the Korean Church and this Sunday the services and potluck were all together.  This meant that the service was in English, Spanish and Korean.  To add to the mix one of the musical interludes was from the Shaker Tradition.   We loved it all and really enjoyed meeting new friends.

Since J&S live an hour outside Santa Fe any trip into the “big” city means errands.   Which were accomplished swiftly.

Then we went to an art show by their dear friend Father Earl Rohleder.   The words on the sculpture that greeted us at the gate were “Peace to the Whole Place”.  Father Earl donates all the proceeds garnered from the sale of his metal sculpture to projects that help the poor in South America.  His sculpture is whimsical.  Frequent themes are peace and nature.  This gathering also enabled us to meet more of J&S friends and enjoy the home and garden of a sculptor friend of Earl’s.  We bought the piece Earl is holding: Should be a nice greeting at our door, complete with a doorbell button in the round mouth.  J&S purchased a piece entitled “The Funky Chicken” and took it home and placed it in their garden were it happily bobbed its head in approval.     

New Mexico trivia:

The state tie?








The bolo tie.

The state question is?








Red or Green?  Chili that is ...

Bandelier National Monument is a small, yet complete testimony to the history of Ancestral Pueblo people -- the Native Americans who lived in the Four Corners area of the US.  Traces of this civilization go back 10,000 years to hunter-gatherers.  The cliff dwellings reflect a later period when the Ancestral Pueblo people build more permanent living structures.

Smaller than the well-known Mesa Verde settlement in southern Colorado, Bandelier is just as interesting -- and challenging -- as it's larger cousin.  We got a chance to test our woefully out of shape Eastern bodies which have been   hibernating all winter from much activity (speak for yourself, Harry).  I'm happy to report on the morning after that the muscles don't ache too much.

The loop trail takes you up to a set of small alcoves, some of which you can reach by ladders.  These were part of a long house which you can detect by holes in the rock where horizontal poles of the roof rafters were inserted in the past.  The look back down once you have climbed up is spectacular -- looking down on the ruins of the Big Kiva.

Near the return of the loop trail is a 1/2 mile spur to the Alcove House, a much larger -- and much higher -- alcove in the side of the mesa wall.  To get to the alcove you have to climb three thirty foot sturdy ladders.  The important thing to remember (and repeat to yourself) while climbing or descending is "One step at a time".  The alcove is very large and offers a lovely view down -- especially with the variety of colors of green with the Spring foliage.

After the long (for us) slog back to the visitor's center, we rewarded ourselves with a Cheesburger and a  Coke.  How decadent. 

There was a very nice museum explaining all that we had seen.  I never know the order in which to view the museum versus view reality.  I suppose if I had the discipline, we would view the Museum, go out and see the real thing, and then go back and view the Museum again.  But, we are too impulsive for that and so we always seem to view the Museum and think "I wished I had known that when we were out on the trail".  Note to self: it's time to stop being so impulsive... 

The second major trip of the day was to the Valles Caldera the huge area that collapsed into a immense valley after the volcanic activity ceased.  There is no question as your drive on the edge of the caldera, that something significant happened here a long time ago -- yet the impact of that event still is evident.  The expected forestation of this broad expanse has not happened -- and I have not figured out yet why this has happened.  Unfortunately, the visitor's center was not open yet for the season and so we just had to look from afar.  Actually, looking at the brochure about Valles Caldera, the is actually a lot more to see than just the part of the Caldera we saw from the road -- and a return trip is in order.

It was a dusty day on the trails and so when we returned, we both took short showers to wash the dirt off before a short siesta before one of our now normal great dinners with our wonderful hosts and friends, Jan and Seamus.  This visit reminds us of all of the interesting topics of conversations we get  into with people we are close to.  

A blue bird unlike any blue bird I know from back east just flitted across my field of view here on Jan and Seamus’ back patio.  The only sounds are the birds twittering in the Juniper, the hum of the hummigbirds,  and the typewriter keys.   There are no other buildings in site and the view stretches for…. (well forever) in every direction.  

We arrived here yesterday at mid-afternoon after having driven the high road from Taos to Espanola.   

We are so enchanted by the scene and the company that we do not feel the need to wander afield today. I have only written this much today because I can touch type and look out upon the scene at the same time. 

Before we left Taos there was one last Museum to visit.   The Blumenshein House and Museum. He and his wife Mary (who was probably the better artist) were founders of the Taos artist colony.    The original portions of the house pre-date our Lexington Historic Houses.   The combination of house and museum give you insight into how they lived while viewing their art and the art of their fellow artists that they chose to adorn their walls.  

Before leaving the environs of Taos we stopped at the Church of San Francisco de Asis.   The massive clean exterior walls of this Church have been an inspiration to generations of Artists and Photographers.  We had been to the Church on a previous trip but still marveled at their ability to entrance. 

Before returning to our car I was drawn into one of the shops for a look-see.   Once inside I discovered the shopkeeper at work painstakingly hand sewing small feathers onto a headdress.  The ensuing conversation was about his craft and his attempts to teach it to young boys at the Pueblo.  He was, of course, also a painter and the shop was littered with his paintings as well as jumble of beads, native jewelry and artifacts.   Everything from Native baby carriers decorated with woven porcupine quill designs, to Spanish Conquistador stirrups.  Del Orr was definitely a man with many stories to tell.   It would have been great to just sit and chat for hours.

But the open road was calling.   We stopped at two other Churches along the road to Espanola must notably the El Santuario de Chimayo for it’s carved and painted altar piece and the legend surrounding the healing properties of the dirt found in the hole in the floor of the side chapel.  

We arrive here in Medanales in mid-afternoon and only stopped talking when we retired for the evening.  Great dinner outside on the patio as the sun set giving a red glow to the few clouds and the hummingbirds flittering around the feeders.