The Land of Enchantment - Part 2
The second part of my trip to New Mexico was spent in Taos. I took the High Road to Taos from Santa Fe. On the drive to Taos I stopped at El Santuario de Chimayo, a historic and sacred shrine in the foothills of the mountains. From Chimayo, north to Taos, the drive was really beautiful. I'd have to imagine the views would be absolutely spectacular in the fall. While in Taos I went to Taos Pueblo, drove the enchanted loop, saw the Rio Grande Canyon and Bridge and just enjoyed historic Taos.
El Santuario de Chimayo
Considered one of the most important Catholic sites in the United States, El Santuario de Chimayo, is located in the Santa Cruz Valley, in the center of the a small village, El Potrero, which is one of a number of small settlements that form Chimayo, New Mexico. Located in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the north central part of the state, Chimayo is derived from the Tewa word Tsi Mayoh, which apparently translates to "Hill of the East." The shrine, also called Lourdes of America, attracts over 300,0000 pilgrims every year.
According to the National Park Service website, the indigenous Tewa Pueblo culture felt this was an area they shared with supernatural beings who inhabited the hot springs in the area. The Pueblo cultures used the site for healing prior to Spanish conquest of the area.
In the early 1800's the area became devoted to Our Lord of Esquipulas, which is a figure of Christ on the Crucifix, that originated at a shrine in Guatemala, where the earth was said to be effective at curing illness. This image was spread to the area by Franciscan friars. According to history, a local man, Don Bernardo Abeyta, saw a light radiating from the ground in the area; he found the spot the light was emanating from, began digging, finding a crucifix with the likeness of Our Lord of Esquipulas on it. He reportedly gave the crucifix to a friar who moved it to a nearby church. Legend has it that the crucifix mysteriously returned to the site it was dug up. The crucifix was moved a few more times, each time mysteriously returning to the original location. In 1813 Abeyta petitioned for a chapel to be built on the site where the crucifix was found.
El Santuario de Chimayo is small adobe church that is steeped in a history as a place of miracles. On the left side of the church is a small prayer room, known as El Pocito which is the site where Abeyta found the crucifix. At the back of this small sanctuary is an approximately 1 or 1.5 foot in diameter hole in the ground hat is famous for its "holy earth," "holy dirt" or healing soil.
The soil, which is reportedly replaced from soil in the local area, was cool, very fine and very soft. Visitors can either take it with them in a container/bag or, as many do, rub it on their body while saying a prayer. Other sanctuaries at the site contain rooms where pilgrims have left numerous offerings, with photos and children's shoes seemingly the most common items. The main chapel, and the other chapels at the site contained colorful and beautiful images of nature and traditional Catholic images. I was glad we stopped here, it was a beautiful and peaceful place.
Taos
Taos was different from what my brain imagined it would be like. If I am being honest, as I drove into the outskirts of town, frankly I felt a little let down. As we approached the historic part of town I still felt the same, at first. This feeling was fleeting however, and the more time I spent there the more that notion slipped away. Quickly the area grew on me. We ended up staying at a nice hotel with beautiful and relaxing grounds a short distance from the historic part of town. The picture below is a plant on the ground of the hotel we stayed at.
The first morning we were in town we went to the Taos Pubelo. I had a great time observing and looking at this incredible place, and a better time talking to some of the people at the Pueblo. The area the Pueblo is on has been inhabited for over 1000 years. Home to the Red Willow People, the pueblo, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and National Historic Landmark, is a sovereign nation run by a tribal council. The buildings are adobe (earth mixed with water and straw) at the base of Taos Mountain and surrounded by grasslands. In the historic part of the pueblo there is no running water or electricity. The majority of residents have a cultural home in the historic area of the pueblo and a modern home within the larger pueblo lands. Many use the historic home for traditional ceremonies, tribal functions and for activities such as selling artisan goods.
I've always felt a strong draw to indigenous cultures as the disposition to be care takers of the earth and living in harmony with nature is something that just really resonates with me. Our planet, and our country, would, in my opinion, be in a much better place if we lived by many of the principles of native cultures and incorporated those into our current lives. Taos Pueblo does allow visitors to observe some of their traditional ceremonies. One day I plan to return to observe. I think that would be such a moving experience.
After visiting the Pueblo, we drove the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. The gorge, while somewhat visible on the horizon seems to just pop out of no where along US Highway 64 outside of Taos. The bridge is one of the higher bridges on the US highway system, roughly 600 feet above the river. After crossing the bridge there is a parking lot that has hiking trails that parallel the river and allow for easy and stunning views. The picture below was taken from the trail near the parking lot. I think this would make for an incredible sunset spot.
Following a short amount of time at the Bridge we drove to the Taos ski area. I did not take any pictures, but we got dumped on with rain and we saw Fireweed growing on the side of the road on the drive - a fun surprise. When we returned to town we took our son to an incredible toy store, Twirl. The store had an unbelievable play area for kids that was free for the community. We of course bought a gift / souvenir but mainly watched him play for well over an hour.
The following morning was the one morning I got up early to watch sunrise. I did not really have a good plan so I just drove along the main road, pulled over and took this picture of Taos Mountain. I kinda of dig the silhouette of the mountain against vibrant sky.
Later that morning, after a fantastic breakfast at Farmhouse Cafe, we took a drive on the Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway. The circle is an approximately 85 mile loop from Taos > Questa > Red River > Eagle Nest > Angel Fire > Taos. The road circles the Taos Ski Valley and Wheeler Peak, the highest peak in New Mexico. Near Red River the road tops out around 10,000 feet amongst the aspen trees. The entire drive was really beautiful. I thought Red River was a unique, and seemingly interesting and quaint alpine town, surrounded by beautiful scenery that would be really fun to explore. Further down the road, between Red River and Eagle Nest are peaceful grasslands nestled in the mountains.
Before leaving town the following morning to return home, we stopped at the Taos Farmer's Market for food before getting on the highway to go back to Albuquerque. While eating I reflected on just how beautiful, peaceful and intriguing a place Taos is. I see why people might be drawn here. I definitely would like to return, not only to Taos, but to New Mexico in general.