As you drive south from Santa Fe, NM along the frontage road trailing Interstate 25, you may catch a glimpse of one of the state’s most iconic structures on the National Register of Historic Places: Nuestra Señora de Luz Church and Cemetery in Cañoncito. Built circa 1880 of adobe, it sits nestled off a gravel road at the base of a hill spiky with cholla cactus and sagebrush; tumbleweeds spin past as the wind whips up. This simple white and terracotta place of worship, cradled by crosses and tombstones, has been photographed by Ansel Adams and painted by numerous artists. Although Our Lady of Light now sits adjacent to I-25, when one is standing before its cerulean cross, suddenly the cacophony of highway noise is muffled and one can hear the distant calls of birds and the whistle of a sudden gust rounding the church’s eaves.
In Santa Fe’s Historic Plaza, one breezy and chilly March morning, we stumbled across a group of people peacefully protesting China’s historic treatment of Tibet. Sonam Rabgay spoke at length about the need for Tibet to be free and for exiled Tibetans to be able to return home one day. The atmosphere was calm and the gathered crowd respectful, but the sentiments expressed were passionate. read more here
Journeying further down the road toward Taos, we unexpectedly came upon a very unusual rock formation at the Tesugue Pueblo, and of course had to get a closer look. It’s now protected behind a concrete wall and cyclone fence, but this monument looks perfectly balanced. A large raven sat atop it, meticulously grooming its feathers. A gorgeous arid landscape of buff, gold, and sage.
Suddenly, an abandoned gas station caught our attention. Pulling over briefly, you can’t help but notice the abundance of geometric shapes that make up this ghostly apparition. There is something inherently mysterious about a shell of a place that once did a brisk business off the highway. Alluring, but you remain slightly wary. A good metaphor for a satisfying road trip.
