Our Big Trip: Day Trip to Taos and more

What a wonderful day we had in northern New Mexico. From Santa Fe we drove north to Taos. Along the way we stopped in Nambe to see an ancient Indian Trading Post. Turns out it has been resold to a woman from the area, Cathy Smith, who won an Emmy for Costume design for films. She has costumes in this shop that were used in "Dances with Wolves" and a new Netflix series called Longmire. She does all the beadwork and paintings in the shop too. Her daughter does the silver jewelry. Quite special. We bought an Indian blanket and a few cards.

Buffalo hide Cathy painted with bone to incise the paint into the hide.

Dances with wolves photos showing her costumes

Costumes used in recent films. She has done 35 other western films

Other local artists can sell their work there.

Cathy made all this beadwork

Beautiful Indian blankets for sale

Cathy said these cook the best beans. You can cook on any fire.

Cathy Smith and her Emmy!

one of her paintings

Just up the road there was this old adobe church.

On the road again....

Next we stopped at a Sanctuary in Chimayo where people have left crosses and momentoes for loved ones. The church and grounds were special because everywhere you looked there were memorial tributes of crosses, candles, beads,etc left behind.

Statues of the three cultures....Indian, spaniard, white man.

These crosses light up at night.

The deacon in the church told us they believe this represents the moment when Jesus became alive again. See his face and hands moving. He called it the Sarcophagus.

We stopped an at overlook to see the expansive views. The dogs needed a break too.

The High Road to Taos

Look at the snow-capped mountains!

We stopped again in Las Trampas, to see some men working on this old church. It was on the high road to Taos. It was built in 1710!

See the adobe bricks ready to help rebuild the church.

As we drove along to Taos I kept taking photos

houses along the way.

another dog stop

Next we went to the Taos Pueblo- just north of Taos.

Get tickets here

Walk right in and go anywhere there is a sign.

Join a tour guide if you want

The stucco walls they use are made of mud and straw.

Shops were open and Indians were really friendly

Horsehair fired into the pottery

We bought bread made in this oven. Yum.

He is making the adobe with mud and straw

Workers were repairing the roof.

Making the adobe mud mixture, Dogs were all around.

This looks like a postcard- but I tok it. It really is beautiful here.

The Pueblo crossed the river and had many more houses and shops on the other side.

Incredible

walk over the bridge to the other side

They use these red grasses along the river

This is a house- not open to the public

This too

Fireplace inside one of the shops.

another house

One of the many outdoor ovens we saw

I did take this and the lighting actually works. Amazing

Photo I took inside the admin building when I had to use the ATM to get money to buy a ceramic pueblo

another photo inside the admin building

On the way again

Clouds show storm brewing

We drove to see the Bridge at the Rio Grand Gorge.

walking along to see the Gorge

Walking to see the Rio Grand Gorge

Prickly Pear Cactus...I thought this was only in Arizona.

What a sight! We thought the Chesterfield Gorge was great. But this is awesome.

Rocks were black, white.with holes, odd

Our next and final stop today was a treat to a spa at Ojo Caliente, west of Taos. There were many pools of different mineral waters.. Iron, Soda, Arsenic and Lithia. Some were 105 degrees. Others were only 102 degrees. We loved it. Very relaxing. You were only allowed to whisper- and that made it very nice. We didn't get massages or facials, but would love to return someday!