The colors fill the sky when you are attending the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. It is not very difficult to capture a flying hot air balloon at the festival!
Shrine to Mary Magdalene
St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Questa, also known as San Antonio de Padua Catholic Church, was built in the mid-1800s by the first families of what was then the village of San Antonio del Rio Colorado. It was recently renovated and this shrine sites just outside the main doors of this beautiful church. I sat and marveled at it's simple southwest design and beauty. Finding these gems on your travels is worth the exploration.
Waiting on a Bench in Taos NM
Teig was resting on a bench outside the Kit Carson Museum in Taos New Mexico. It was beautiful evening with the rain falling and we were under a street awning watching and listening to sounds of the storm. There was no one out and about and we were quite content to relax on the bench the museum provided.
Valle Vidal Corral
We came upon this western corral on our travels across the Sangre De Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico. The autumn colors were showing in the aspens and we explored the corral and the valley below. The southwestern flavor is fantastic in New Mexico and the western ranching history is so very interesting. Don’t pass on the opportunity, if you ever get a chance explore the Valle Vidal region of the Sangre De Cristos.
Windy Gap Pass New Mexico
Windy Gap Pass was the first pass we crossed on our 4x4 tour crossing the Sangre De Cristo Mountains in northern New Mexico. This pass is on the way to the beautiful Valle Vidal which is the vast valley on the opposite side of Windy Gap. You can see the wonderful fall colors in the mountains in the distance that stand above the valley. Teig and I prefer traveling on the back dirt roads when touring the southwest.
New Mexican Pueblo Graveyard
A pueblo is a unique place. The history is overwhelming when you walk past the graveyard filled with hundreds of years of souls. Makes you imagine what colorful characters were buried there?
Chile Ristras on Stone Building
Chile Ristras hanging on the entrance to one of the art galleries in Santa Fe, NM. This is a common site on the porches of traditional New Mexican homes.
Crosses Hanging at a Shrine in Chimayo
A photo of a shrine which had crosses that pilgrims placed in front of a small mural at El Santuario de Chimayó, a Catholic church in Chimayó, New Mexico. The sanctuary is famous for the story of its founding and as a contemporary pilgrimage site. It receives almost 300,000 visitors per year and many believe it to be the most important Catholic pilgrimage center in the United States.
The Cross in the Desert
I went to the Monastery of Christ in the Desert. This benedictine monastic grounds is near Abiquiu, New Mexico which has a Abbey on the banks of the Chama River. I walked and meditated at this monastery and sauntered through the grounds. The scenery and extreme quiet was very appealing to me. This cross was below the large cliffs that arise above this compound.
Mission Catholic Cross
I visited the Benedictine Abbey of Christ in the Desert in Northern New Mexico. I meditated and explored myself in introspection on a beautiful morning at this wonderful place. Everyone is welcome and the place is so very peaceful. I walked the grounds and captured many images of the figures that fascinated me. This photo is of one of the crosses at a meditation shrine… just wonderful.