Turquose Trail, Yurts, Taos and Sacred Dirt

After the day long trip down the Salt Missions trail, we planned a trip to Taos (we being myself and Nancy another teacher who works where I do). We took the old Turquoise Trail which goes through several old mining communities including the one that the movie Wild Hogs was filmed in and about. To the left are some partial remnants from a mine along that trail. To the right and I don't know how well this will show up is this hysterical little building with an old West storefront facade on it and over the gate "Kickin Ass Ranch". Must be something about moving out West that makes you name things oddly. I'd be terribly reticent if I didn't show you the Mine Shaft Tavern also located in Madrid (ie. movie Wild Hogs). OK it is hard to tell in this next photo but the buildings in it are actually yurts (sp?) yes that is right leather covered round tents used as permanent dwellings in cold Asian countries and apparently also parts of New Mexico along the Turquoise trail, so of course as the ever ready tourist I whipped my van over to the side of the road, leapt out and took a photo. If there had not been that wall around their property it would have been a better picture. What are these people expecting privacy just because they live in the true boonies at over 7000 feet? We didn't stop anywhere in Santa Fe just kept driving north to Taos, now just south of Taos is Rancho Taos or the truly old part of Taos where the most photographed church in the US is, ie. St. Francis de Asis . This is the old adobe courtyard across from the church. The church itself is just spectacular although I can think of another I found even more so. I took several photos of the churcch but this one reduced the best so here it is. To the left here more of the old adobe plaza surrounding the church If you are on the road to Taos this is a must pull the hell over and get photos stop. Taos seems to be a town of doors and gates, so of course I have some of the obligatory artsy photos of those. I liked some of them so well I enlarged them and I'll have to frame them. The walkway right is part of the historic Taos Inn. The store fronts are on the very last wooden walkway left in Taos, and here is a view of it from a different perspective. You can almost see John Wayne or Gene Autry types walking with that loose hipped swagger, and hear the jingling of their spurs as their cowboy boots clip the boards. The big round sign says "Horsefeathers" its an interesting shop with preloved boots and cowboy hats run by a tall and handsome cowboy type worth checking out for no other reason than the cowboy type running it in my humble opinion. We interupt my musings on handsome cowboy types to bring you yet another artsy Taos doorway photo or more than just one. I love that Taos blue about as well as everyone in Taos seems to love it. No, of course that's not the only artsy photo I'm going to subject you to, just keep looking. Taos is an artsy kind of town and you just can't help yourself. Not so artsy but just as "Taos" is the Kit Carson state park there in town which is actually a cemetery where Kit Carson and one of his three wives ( the last one) are buried. I'm sure no one will want to miss that action either. Oops I feel another artsy gate photo coming on. OK enough of that. After we left Taos proper we HAD to drive out to the Rio Grand Gorge bridge, it's maybe 15 minutes at most outside of town. The bridge is like 700 feet over the water. Here's a photo taken from the nifty little platform in the very middle of the bridge and which feels like it is going to bounce off when a tractor trailer crosses it. Now even cooler than this view and this was pretty cool are the parking areas on either end of the bridge where local Native Americans from Taos Pueblo set up shop and sell their wares. Yes, I did some serious shopping for Christmas and for myself there. Most excellent. After we left Taos we took another scenic route (Taos High Country Byway or some such) on the way to Chimayo where what I think should be the most photographed church in America is and on the way found another lovely old adobe church I had to photograph. This one is not as pretty because there is some renovation being done thus the scaffolding. Now here it is the loveliest and most spiritual place I have probably ever been, Sanctuario de Chimayo, this little church sits under a mountain in a little village and is often referred to as the Lourdes of America. I understand in the spring especially around Easter that there is a mass pilgrimage to the church and the basement there is full of testimonials about the healing power of visiting there and the blessed dirt. You'll just have to go to the link and read about it. Next up the Petroglyphs and volcanoes of Albequerque.