A FANTAZMAGORIA in Alamosa, Colorado.

Here in a remote area of Colorado called the San Luis Valley [Remember, click to enlarge]

I have had a fantazmagoria. I don’t think it is from one thing in particular, probably a cumulative process, but today, the 4^th of July, Independence Day, the 3^rd Anniversary of my new life on the road, I believe I have come across a variety of independence unknown to me before.  

Rio Grande Bridge

Let me share my experiences since leaving Taos.  The trip from Taos to Alamosa, CO was simply a highway fantasy.  Lots of open space framed by massive mounts and zero truckers.  As we traveled commercial Route 40 earlier in our trip, truckers were everywhere.  There really was never even five minutes when one was not passing us or we passing them. 

Rio Grande Gorge

The Rio Grande Gorge was incredible.  It was like looking down into a mini Grand Canyon. 
  

Rio Grande Bridge from Taos North

The bridge is a true work of art.  No wonder it was awarded the most beautiful steel bridge in the long span category.  Not long after the bridge, just outside of Taos city limits, some unusual structures began appearing scattered across the prairie.  




Seems that the Greater World Earthship claimed its grassroots with the building of radically sustainable homes made with recycled materials.  Electricity comes from the sun and wind, water from rain and snow, heating/cooling from sun and earth, food is grown inside and out. Building materials consist primarily of earth-filled tires, recycled cans and concrete.

Most homes are U-shaped for containment of energy.  Each home is entirely self-sustained.  Communities of this type are in Africa, Australia, Guatemala, New York, California, Pennsylvania, Arizona and New Mexico.

Our detour from the planned route to Colorado Springs (due to the Colorado fires) landed us in Alamosa, in the San Luis Valley, huddled between two huge mountain ranges, the San Juans and the Sangre de Cristos at an elevation of 7500 feet.  Alamosa is small town Mexican USA, a lovely town along the Rio Grande (yes, they have a river walk, our favorite thing to do) with an abundance of parks, a historic downtown and a big feeling of family and values.  The Old Folks home and the huge kid's playground share lovely green Cole Park.

Alamosa was a hub of the narrow gauge railway. Its trains now deliver entertainment and tours of the area.

The San Luis Valley is home to Great Sand Dunes National Park .....

and a little known town by the name of San Luis, which is not really a recognized town and cannot be found on the map, which is home to The Chapel of All Saints and the Stations of the Cross.

Great Sand Dunes National Park reminded me of Death Valley, a very favorite place, because of the openness, light colors and desert. 

We walked enough dunes for a lifetime in Pismo Beach, but this was a different experience with the mass of them up against the huge mountains.  

Today we went to the Chapel of All Saints and experienced the Stations of the Cross.  Utterly remarkable and spiritually transformative.  The chapel is in the desert up on a mesa in San Luis, the town that isn't a town.

   

Thirteen life size bronze statues depicting the last days of Jesus Christ ...

Jesus being condemned to death





Jesus accepting the cross to bear.

Jesus bearing the cross


These incredible works of art are interspersed along a ¾ mile trail that winds up to the Chapel. 

I do not have the words to describe the devotion and reverence I experienced in the presence of these life-sized artistic renderings.

Jesus crosses his mother's path.

Jesus falls



They bring Jesus and his torment to life in a huge way.

And, finally .... The resurrection and ascension depicted in such a lovely way

We were the only people there ... and the Chapel was open once we finally reached it. ... very special.

View from the Chapel window

And, now for a bit of levity ....

The man of the house in his new UP do!

Yes, Carolina and Riley are best buds!

We're headed for Colorado Springs, a three hour drive, day after tomorrow ... 

COLORADO HERE WE COME

Our site for the last week in Taos Canyon along the Enchanted Circle

Is everybody OK?  We sure are experiencing some weather disasters around the country.  We escaped from HOT Santa Fe to Taos, still hot but higher elevation. 

We stayed outside of Taos proper in shady Taos Canyon adjacent to Carson National Forest along the 85-mile Enchanted Circle Scenic Byway which circles New Mexico's highest point, Wheeler Peak, with awe-inspiring views of the Southern Rocky Mountains. 

The Circle is comprised of six unique small towns named Red River

Eagle Nest (Eagle Nest Lake, below)

and Angel Fire where they were shooting a movie ...

And now to Downtown Taos where we spent a couple of days.  Taos is a small town with a number of adobe shops set around the city plaza.

  

Quaint shops ....

Biggest flower known to man

Everything is new in Taos with the exception of this wonderful Church, the Basilica de San Francisco de Asis.

Santa Fe was about culture and amazing historical monuments.  Memphis was all about Elvis.  Taos is about big mountains, a quaint and artsy town center --  and Kit Carson!   

The main street and city park is named after Kit, known as the town’s most controversial settler and activist. Kit married his fourth wife at 34, they had seven children and Mrs. Carson died in childbirth with their eighth child.  Kit who was in perfect health died a month later! He is remembered as pioneering the area as a trapper and federal agent and founding the Masonic Lodge.

☆    ☆    ☆

We are hitting the road in a few minutes, detouring from our planned route to Colorado Springs, headed Northwest into Eastern Colorado along a scenic byway that begins in Taos and intersects historic Alamosa, CO.  We will spend a week or so there exploring Great Sand Dunes National Park and the many attractions in the area.  We will then continue on Scenic Byway Colorado Rte 160 which spans some pretty high mountains.  We'll hang out in Eastern Colorado until the fires clear and life gets back to normal in Colorado Springs, if that is possible.

  .....  This is the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge that the caravan and I will traverse this morning.  I will certainly be in alert mode as we make our way across.  See you on the other side.

On our way to TAOS ....

We are leaving VERY HOT Santa Fe on our way to not-so-hot Taos (only because we will be in Enchanted Canyon).  The two greatest highlights of our days in Santa Fe since the last blog were the world renowned Santa Fe Opera house and the amazing dog park at our RV Park.

The Santa Fe Opera opera has become internationally acclaimed for its performances which attract world-class artists, and its architecture. 

I HAD to see it, and the opera season has not begun, so I attended a Saturday breakfast event that was fabulous.  The presenting artist was David Zimmerman, a wig artist, who travels the world wigging performers out at the best operas, including the Metropolitan. The wigs are made of real hair from China and Indonesia.  Did you know that hair and nails continue to grow when we die?  He travels with between 50 to 150 wigs, which he then stylizes to the performance (dye, braid, curlers, etc.). The vast majority of performers wear wigs customized to fit their appearance and role. The cost of each wig is about $900.

They spend an incredible amount of time, talent and money constructing the most elaborate sets and costumes.  When asked why go to so much detail and extravagance when the audience is so far away and can't really appreciate it, the docent advised that it is not for the audience -- it is for the performers.  It pumps them up and makes them perform better!  The budget for the five operas they perform is $18M.  Incredible.  Only half comes from ticket sales.  So, next time you go to the opera, realize why the ticket costs so much.

The opera house is set atop a hill with 360 degree views of the mountains and high desert.  It is an open air theater, which is unusual for opera which requires acoustical perfection.  The roof is shaped like a wave to mirror the surrounding hills and is free-floating, suspended by huge masts and tension rods.  The Roof contains giant acoustical  reflectors which project the sound to achieve optimum resonance.   

The opera house architecture is similar to Sydney’s opera house, which I toured many years ago, but a very different experience since SF’s is much smaller featuring open air sky and mountain scape whereas Sydney's, primarily made of glass, is about grandness and waterscape. 

This is the Santa Fe Skies RV Park, where we stayed.  The matriarch of the park is Florenceruth Brown, 82 year old first woman attorney in the state, who is full of good health and spunk.  She was general counsel for the state and has been awarded a Life Achievement award for her many and varied contributions to Sante Fe life.  Her lineage is quite historical and interesting.  She is one of the most interesting older women I have met.  She homesteaded this land which includes seven family homes on the outskirts.  The homestead has President Roosevelt's very own signature!

Now for the dog park where we had evening dog parties with at least 15 dogs. It's huge with an artistic seating area for the humans and sawdust covered ground for the doggies.  Here's a photo of it (did not get party photos!).  

Paw gate.

The architecturally interesting awning in the middle of the dog park ... and a typical Santa Fe sunset!  It was great for the kids to experience so many other doggies in such a nice setting with parents socializing. 

.... and, of course, the kids had their baths and dried outside in their beds before we hit the road to Taos.  See you there.

Love, The Wanders