Taos

I decided I needed to spend a day in Taos.  It is beautiful here!  This is where I'm staying.

I got up slowly and then headed up 64 north in search of a restaurant called Farmhouse Cafe.  It is a farm to table restaurant surrounded by artsy shops.  There is art here everywhere.  Even on the back of people's vehicles.

After breakfast I went to the Taos Pueblo.  It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  It is one of the oldest continually inhabited communities in the United States.  About 150 people live in the pueblo full-time.  Every building is made with adobe.

The St. Geronimo, or St. Jerome, Chapel was completed in 1850 after the original church was destroyed by the US Army during the War with Mexico.  I sat in the church for awhile, soaking up the sacredness of the space.  Eventually, I paid $1 and lit a candle and prayed for Donald Trump.

I strolled around the pueblo.  I always gravitate towards cemeteries.

There were outdoor ovens everywhere.

It made me decide I had to have some fry bread.  I chose the pumpkin fry bread.

When I left the Pueblo I headed to Rancho de Taos to see the San Francisco De Asis Catholic Church.    Construction of this church began around 1772.  It is adobe in the shape of a crucifix with buttresses. The website says it has a mystery painting, the Shadow of the Cross, painted by Henri Ault before the discovery of luminescent materials.  During the day it is a painting of Jesus by the Sea of Galilee. But at night it becomes a silhouette of Jesus holding a large cross above his shoulder.  Some claim to see it move.  The website says you can experience the painting in daylight and darkness if you stop in the gift shop and pay $3.  The gift shop was closed and I was disappointed.

I had read online that there is an awesome bridge over the Rio Grande gorge.  I decided to head there.

My weather app had warned me that wind was in the forecast.  I didn't think about what it would feel to be in the middle of this bridge when the wind was gusting through the gorge.

But I will do scary things in search of a photo.

Next I headed back to Taos and paid an exorbitant $10 to park my car just to stroll around.  I found the Taos Plaza.  It was ho-hum.  ButI did enjoy poking my head into a store filled with gems and fossils.  I wanted everything in the store.  I bought nothing.  I stuck my head in a few more shops.  I got some greeting cards and stocking stuffers.  I ended by going to the Taos Inn to get some food.  I returned before late to enjoy my room and go to bed early.

Heading North

I decided not to have hotel food for breakfast and found a restaurant called The Shed.  I am a huge fan of Eggs Benedict and they had so many choices I felt a bit overwhelmed.  I finally opted for Eggs Benedict with brisket and a green pepper hollandaise sauce.  It was magnificent.

I had a conversation with Brett last night and told him I had ended my day in Las Cruces.  He said, "Oh, you should try the Hatch peppers."  I had never heard of those peppers.  So when I studied the map during breakfast I realized I could head north and take backroads to Hatch, New Mexico where Hatch peppers are grown.  So I did.  I have found that traveling alone makes me notice my surroundings more than when I am with someone.  I passed orchard after orchard of trees but I couldn't figure out what they were.  (I asked the woman at the gas station and she said, "You aren't from around here are you?  They are pecan trees.")  New Mexico is a beautiful state no matter where you are in the state.

I made it to Hatch, New Mexico.  The Hatch pepper festival is over Labor Day weekend.  So I missed it.

But I did see strings and strings of the dried ones.

I decided that my next stop would be Santa Fe.  I have never been there.  It is beautiful.  The weather was crisp.  I decided to experience the galleries on Canyon Road.  I thoroughly enjoyed this excursion.

Someone mentioned to me that I might enjoy the Santuario de Chimayo, a Catholic Church and shrine.  So I drove north of Santa Fe to find the church.  The dirt around the church has been said to have healing powers.  Some of the visitors take dirt with them when they leave.  The church replenishes the dirt from the neighboring hills.  I wandered through the site and considered taking some dirt with me to rub on my knees....but I didn't.

From Chimayo I took the High Road to Taos through the mountains.  The aspens are changing color and they were striking amid the pine trees.  It was a beautiful drive and took longer than I anticipated.

I arrived in Taos at dusk with a rainstorm on the way.  I checked into an absolutely lovely hotel.  They gave me a whole suite.  Just when I got to my room the thunder and lightning began.  I had a delicious meal in the hotel and am now sitting by the fireplace in my suite eating pecan pie (the pecans are probably grown here in New Mexico)  and writing my blog.  Aaaah...the life.

Heading East

I left today on a trip unlike other trips I have taken before.  I have never taken a road trip by myself.  I usually spend hours making plans and I put in very little time getting ready for this trip.  I decided I wanted to go east and that there were things that would be nice to see if I could.  The reason this trip is different is because I am now a widow.  Every moment of every day I miss my husband.  One of my secondary losses is all the dreams we had for trips we were going to take together are now gone.  I am having to re-dream my dreams.

I'm an extrovert and I like to travel with others.  I am also very clear that I don't want to depend on others to be able to live my dreams.  So...I took a trip this year with my sister.  It was fabulous.  I took a trip with my children and their partners.  It was magical.  Now I want to know if I can travel without others and still enjoy myself.  I know I can travel alone....but will I like it?  This trip is a test.

I got up at 4 a.m. this morning and left the house by 4:30 a.m.  I did that because one of my fantasies when I am driving home to a dark house at night and I know that no one is waiting there for me is to just get on the freeway and drive away...escape my lonely house.  But I always go home because there is a dog there who needs attention....and also because I know that if I run away I won't be less lonely.

But I thought it would be nice to leave in the dark and pretend I was running away.  I took the 10 East.  I went through Phoenix and down to Tucson.  I got off the freeway at Tucson because I realized I had never seen the Tucson Church of the Brethren.  I found it.

Back on the freeway I entertained myself in numerous ways.  I listened to a book on tape:  The End of White Christian America.  It is over 7 hours long.  I still have an hour to go.  I rocked out to music from the sixties.  I talked to my children on the phone.  I kept track of what state license plates I saw (I have 31, so far). I sat quietly and thought about stories I would like to write.  I let the clouds wow me.

I drove all the way to Las Cruces, New Mexico.  I drove for 11 1/2 hours.  I'm not sure why I did that except that just driving was part of the fantasy.  I am staying at a hotel in Las Cruces that looks down over the city.  This is my favorite part of the hotel.  They are very conscientious about making sure everyone can reach the elevator buttons!

As soon as I got to my room I changed into jeans and headed out for White Sands National Monument.  Our family went there when I was 6 years old.  I have a vivid memory of the place and wanted to see it again....50 years later.  It is about a 45 minute drive from Las Cruces.  It costs $5 to get in and closes at 8 p.m.  Tonight is the eve of the full moon and I thought that might be cool.

This place is beyond description.  My photos can't do it justice.  I arrived right at dusk, parked at the picnic grounds and climbed a sand dune.

It had rained shortly before I arrived, which made the sand more compact and, therefore, easier to traverse.  It also made for some beautiful reflections.

I was worried that the moon might not rise before the park shut down.  No need to worry.

I drove back to my hotel.  It has been a long, long day.  That is another reason I should learn to make some trips alone.  I like to suck the marrow out of every day.  I'm not usually the kind of person that flies to some idyllic locale and then sits by the pool all day.  I want to see things.  Not everyone wants to work that hard while on vacation!