Spending the Day in Northern New Mexico

Friday Ron and I drove to Santa Fe to pick up our friends Bob and Trish who are  spending the month in Santa Fe.  We had seen them back in March when they were staying in TorC and it was nice to once again enjoy their company and show them another famous site in NM.

We drove from Santa Fe to the little town of Chimayo where an old Catholic Church (Sanctuario de Chimayo) is located.  Chimayo is nestled in a fertile valley of the Sangre de Cristo foothills of northern New Mexico.  The church is a National Historic Landmark and is famous for the story of its founding and a contemporary pilgrimage site where hundreds of pilgrims come each year on Good Friday.  "It has been called the most important Catholic pilgrimage center in the United States."

The Sanctuario "  is entered through a walled courtyard. Built of adobe with a bell tower on each side, the church is 60 feet  long and 24 feet  wide with walls more than 3 feet thick.  Pointed caps on the towers and a metal pitched roof  were added after 1917, probably in the 1920s. The "elegant" doors were carved by the 19th-century carpenter Pedro Domínguez. An unusual feature is two side-by-side rooms at the entrance forming a vestibule once used for storage.  A small room called el pocito^] (the little well) contains a round pit, the source of "holy dirt" that is believed to have healing powers. An adjacent Prayer Room displays many photographs, discarded crutches, and other testimonials of those purportedly healed."

The property includes several gathering places with shrines and other interesting sites.  

Sculpture in the Garden

Near the church are gift shops and restaurants as well as a lovely flowing creek.  In winter, this area has quite a bit of snow which makes for some beautiful pictures of the church and the surrounding area.  



Down the road from the church is an old home called Rancho de Chimayo which is now and has been a Mexican restaurant for 50 years.  The restaurant is famous for its signature dishes of spicy guacamole, rolled tamales, blue corn enchiladas, chili rellenos and carne adovada (marinated pork in red chili and seasonings). The home was originally built by Hermeneglido and Trinidad Jaramillo and today preserves the rich tradition of the family and the local culture.  Fireplaces throughout radiate warmth in the winter and the white washed adobe walls are adorned with old framed family portraits.    

We chose to eat on the terraced patio located to the back and above the house.  Our table was shaded by a large umbrella and there was a  gentle breeze blowing as we enjoyed our lunch and prickly pear lemonade.  The lemonade was the shade of purple and the glass adorned with a slice of orange and a stick with a colorful flower.   What a delicious and different treat.  

After lunch we stopped near by at Ortega's Weaving Shop which has been in the same family for 8 generations.  They have some lovely rugs, coasters, vests, purses, etc. all of which are made on sight or at the local homes of  employees.  The style is very  unique and there are lots of colors and designs to choose from.  Trish, who is a weaver herself, enjoyed visiting the weaving room.  Unfortunately, there was no one weaving at the time.


On our return to Santa Fe, we stopped in the town of Tesuque where the Shidoni Foundry and Gallery is located.  This Gallery Is located on 8 acres of sculpture gardens along the Rio Tesuque which was once an apple orchard.  The Gallery includes the work of 140 artists from throughout the country.  Large and smaller expensive bronze sculptures may be found in both the  gift shop or on the large grassy lots adjoining the building.  Sculptures include everything from animals to people to the abstract.  Beautiful.  One can visit and watch the Foundry in action on certain days.

All in all a great day with our RV friends.  We hope to see them again on down the road.