Deming
This is how they transport prime movers in the US.
El Paso, Texas
We skirted the Mexican Border down to El Paso Texas.
This photo shows modern El Paso City in the foreground and Jaurez, Mexico beyond.
El Paso is the place to buy Western Boots and Mexican goods. (If you are not entering Mexico that is)
White Sands Missile Range
We were en-route to White Sands and called in to White Sands Missile Range.
I had read about this missile test facility and a museum on the base. Unfortunately the Museum was closed however the guard allowed us to enter the base and browse the grounds.
White Sands National Monument
This is one of the worlds great natural wonders. It is 275 sq. miles of dazzling white gypsum dune fields.
The sandy gypsum entertains a Mexican girl and young boy.
Our rig in amongst the dunes.
Hatch
Hatch is a small town in the middle of nowhere and the centre of the chili growing area of NM. We read this cafe served the best Green Chili Burger in "the world" so we had to try one. I must say it was very good. I have since tried in vein to make a green chili relish.
I spotted this rig in a roadside stop. It would be great if you could travel like this in Oz.
Socorro
The small town of Socorro has this Catholic church which was founded in 1598, the first in America.
Jemez Springs
Jemez, a 500 year old Indian village.
Horno, an Indian mud oven and the Jemez Village historical site in the background.
We stopped at a small winery named Ponderosa en-route.
Quite often we came across these Indian roadside stops where they sold baked bread, fried bread, chili and other foods.
Soda Springs. An unusual rock formation where the creek flows through.
This road was cut into these shear craggy cliffs. When a road has to be built the American engineers seem to know no bounds.
Santa Fe
We Boondocked at Hilton - Buffalo Thunder Casino
I don't think we could have found a better venue.
This is the entrance to the Casino.
The building is typical Santa Fe style.
Guarding the entrance is a 12 foot high bronze Indian.
The interior was just as impressive. Here is another large bronze Indian.
The walls are adorned with Indian art. Here are a couple of colourful jackets made of buffalo hide.
Santa Fe is a beautiful small city, rich in history and melding Hispanic, Anglo and American Indian cultures. It displays a wonderful mixture of old and new architecture but always in keeping with "Santa Fe" style. It has an impressive and extensive array of art galleries and museums displaying unique works from some of USA's finest artists.
Our time wandering the streets will never be forgotten and it still remains on our "Bucket List" for another future visit.
I photographed a few of the extensive range of pieces of art on show in and around Canon Road, the main centre of art galleries.
I tried to drive the fifth wheel in and was stopped by locals. They told me a similar size truck tried to drive down Canon Road last week. He got stuck and it took 2 cranes to lift him out
A magnificent bronze of an Indian being attacked by an eagle.
Barbara Meikle Gallery.
Colourful cowboy by Barbara Meikle.
A copper sheet made of woven ribbons of copper by Suzanne Donazetti.
Indian stampede by Raymond Nordwall.
Stone and brass Bighorn bull by John Maisano.
Old store selling middle eastern artefacts. I loved the front door.
"Heaven Bound" by Lincoln Fox
at Sage Creek Gallery.
at Sage Creek Gallery.
Bronze Elk at Sage Creek Gallery.
Large Indian bronze.
Head by Sierra James.
Made of fired bricks and "Photoshopped" a little for effect by me.
A lay back bronze.
Cowboy storekeeper doing phone business.
Interesting patio on the street.
A collection of wind powered sculptures.
Hanging red chili's are prolific in this part of the US.
New Mexico Museum of Art.
I took these pictures of the museum to show the free form Santa Fe and Spanish style of architecture.
Santa Fe Plaza in the Old Town.
The portico of the Palace of the Governors is used by local Indian artists to peddle their wares.
A chili and souvenir shop.
Magazine vending machines on Canon Road.
Circa 1878
How is this for an unexplained miracle
At the end of the Old Santa Fe Trail stands the Loretto
Chapel. Inside the Gothic structure is the staircase referred to as miraculous,
inexplicable, marvelous and is sometimes called St. Joseph’s Staircase.
When the Loretto Chapel was completed in 1878, there was no way to access the choir loft twenty-two feet above. Carpenters were called in to address the problem, but they all concluded access to the loft would have to be via ladder as a staircase would interfere with the interior space of the small Chapel.
Legend says that to find a solution to the seating problem,
the Sisters of the Chapel made a novena to St. Joseph, the patron saint of
carpenters. On the ninth and final day of prayer, a man appeared at the Chapel
with a donkey and a toolbox looking for work. Months later, the elegant
circular staircase was completed, and the carpenter disappeared without pay or
thanks. After searching for the man (an ad even ran in the local newspaper) and
finding no trace of him, some concluded that he was St. Joseph himself, having
come in answer to the sisters' prayers.
The stairway confounds architects, engineers and master craftsmen. It makes over two complete 360-degree turns, stands 20’ tall and has no center support. It rests solely on its base and against the choir loft. The risers of the 33 steps are all of the same height. Made of an apparently extinct wood species, it was constructed with only square wooden pegs without glue or nails. The bannisters were actually added years later.
The stairway's carpenter, whoever he was, built a
magnificent structure. The design was innovative for the time and some of the
design considerations still perplex experts today.
One of the few beautiful headlight windows.
I am becoming very arty after spending time here.
This is my contribution to artistic photography called
"One Fell Off".
A store next to the church.
We deliberated about travelling up to Taos. We thought the road may be a bit mountainous and undeveloped and there was not much there. We read it was a small "Arty" town but we thought it could not compete with Santa Fe. We are sure glad we did go. Taos I believe is a "must see" on a trip to New Mexico.
View toward the pulpit.
Cerrillos
We did a day trip to a couple of towns in the hills we heard about.
We liked this entrance to a house.
This sleepy little village, Cerrillos, still had dirt roads and a few deserted stores.
Downtown Cerrillos
This is my contribution to artistic photography called
"One Fell Off".
Chimayo
Circa 1856
Taos
We deliberated about travelling up to Taos. We thought the road may be a bit mountainous and undeveloped and there was not much there. We read it was a small "Arty" town but we thought it could not compete with Santa Fe. We are sure glad we did go. Taos I believe is a "must see" on a trip to New Mexico.
We stayed in a RV Park in the forest just out of town. This is an artists home and studio on the way in.
Just out of the Toas township is Taos Pueblo, the only living Native American community designated both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark. The multi-storied adobe buildings have been occupied continuously for over 1000 years.
Inside the main building are numerous rooms. Each was occupied by a family. Originally there were no windows and doors. This was to protect the occupants from marauding plainsmen. The families entered the building through one hatch on the top.
An Indian drum maker and artist.
A typical adobe house in the Pueblo.
The graveyard.
A magnificent carving of an eagle in one of the galleries.
This painting was done using metallic paints. My photograph doesn't capture its unique qualities of changing colour as you move around it.
