New Mexico: December 2016 - January 2017
(Clicking on any photo will open up a larger image.)
Our year began with a lovely wintry trip to New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment. We were definitely enchanted as we explored places of natural beauty, while making some unique roadside stops and tasting some great southwestern food!
The teepee-like formations are unique in the Southwest, with hundreds of white, pinkish or grey spires, conical in shape. The trail leads through a slot canyon and has scenic views of the tent rock formations, the product of volcanic eruptions.
The Loretto Chapel is known for its "Miraculous Staircase". An impressive work of carpentry, it ascends twenty feet, making two complete revolutions up to the choir loft, with no visible means of support. An anonymous carpenter is said to have fashioned the spiral steps in 1878 using only wooden pegs.
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On New Year's Eve we attended GLOW, a holiday event held at the Santa Fe Botanical Gardens. The lovely setting was enhanced with colorful and artistic lighting that adorned the plants, water features and sculptures. Afterwards we enjoyed a delicious barbecue dinner at The Ranch House.
We left Santa Fe and the Old Santa Fe Inn (reluctantly!) for the town of Taos. Taos Pueblo is the only living Native American community designated both a World Heritage Site by UNESCO and a National Historic Landmark. We felt privileged to visit the Pueblo on one of their feast days and as snow fell lightly, we witnessed the ceremonial Turtle Dance (no photography allowed).
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New Mexico, it would take more than nine days to explore all your charms, but we left truly enchanted!
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