Santuario de Chimayo: The iconic Santuario de Chimayo is always a pleasure to visit and this visit was exceptional. Shown are visitors as they mingle outside the famous chapel. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Seven Days of Creation: One of the exhibits, which was new to us is the Seven Days of Creation. Each of the seven statues covers a day of the creation process. The plaza around the grounds has added to the experience when visiting the Santuario de Chimayo. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
Our RV trip this past week was short, sweet, and so much fun. We were in Los Alamos for a couple of days and got to see friends and reacquaint ourselves with the city we called home for 30 years. It was a joy to see those who we visited with but there are always some that we did not get to visit. The beauty of RV life, we need to make another trip much sooner.
After leaving Los Alamos we wanted to visit friends who moved to New Mexico to a region of the state that we had never seen before, Pendaries, which is a village near Rociada in San Miguel County. If you’re like me, you’re reaching for a New Mexico road map to find these communities and learn something new about New Mexico.
Pendaries is in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains about 25 miles northwest of Las Vegas. The drive is beautiful through rural northern New Mexico. When we left Los Alamos, we chose to take the scenic route over the mountains rather than I-25.
We took N.M. 503 off Highway 285 at Nambe and twisted our way to Chimayo where we made our first stop. We had not visited the beautiful Santuario de Chimayo since moving to the Denver area more than 14 years ago.
We discovered that an extended plaza area now exists behind and around the original Santuario de Chimayo Chapel as well as walkways to other sites. Nearby chapels, prayer gardens, a visitor’s center and gift shop are part of the complex. We felt that the additional shrines and exhibits on the grounds made for a more complete experience when visiting the Santuario de Chimayo.
We were happy that we spent a portion of our day at this iconic chapel and landmark. This is very close to Los Alamos and I encourage anyone who hasn’t visited Chimayo in a while to consider doing so.
After leaving the Santaurio de Chimayo, we made one other stop before leaving the area. We stopped at the Rancho de Chimayo restaurant. This restaurant is housed in a historic adobe house. Since we had eaten just before leaving Los Alamos, we were not ready for another meal but we wanted to walk around the grounds. The traditional red chili ristras lined the roof like they do every season. There were several diners waiting in the courtyard area when I took a few shots of the chili ristras and the building.
Back in the RV, we twisted and turned along the highway through several small towns and villages such as Truchas and Penasco before intersecting with N.M. 518. Normally, drivers would take a left and continue on the High Road to Taos at this point. However, we were crossing the mountains to reach the eastern slopes of the Sangre de Cristos so our route was to turn right toward Mora.
Just before reaching the village of Mora, we stopped in Cleveland to check out the Cleveland Roller Mill. The flour mill has been restored to operating condition and the interior of the building is a museum, which features the area around Mora in the early 1900s when wheat farming was prominent in this part of northern New Mexico.
The museum was not open during the mid-week afternoon that we visited but we did enjoy walking around the grounds. The normal hours for the museum are weekends from memorial weekend through labor day weekend. The season concludes with a two-day Mill Fest, which draws visitors from near and far. Yet another reason for a return visit to the area.
After leaving Cleveland and passing through Mora, we made our way to Pendaries. One road out of Mora was only about 10 miles but we decided to take a slightly longer route on better roads. We were amazed at the beauty of this drive across the mountains. We finally reached Pendaries, which sits in a large meadow surrounded by mountains.
During our three days in Pendaries, we had time to explore the area with friends. The most prominent peak in the area is Hermits Peak. If that rings a bell, that is where one of the two devastating forest fires started earlier this year. The Hermits Peak Fire and the Calf Canyon Fire merged to become the largest fire in New Mexico history. While the burn scars are very evident as you travel through this region of the state, it is also easy to spot the pure beauty of this wonderful part of New Mexico.
We love Northern New Mexico and will continue traveling the back roads of the state for as long as we are able. We now have a new region to explore and photograph.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Rancho de Chimayo: A favorite northern New Mexico restaurant for decades is always decorated with red chili ristras, especially during the fall and holiday season. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Las Trampas: The San Jose de Gracia Church in Las Trampas is another famous northern New Mexico church. The Las Trampas church was built in 1751 by several local families. The church and the Las Trampas Historic District are both National Historic Landmarks. The church is undergoing restoration work to make the shrine available for future generations. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Cleveland Roller Mill: The Cleveland Roller Mill and Museum celebrates the history of wheat farming in the Mora area. Back in the day, there were several mills in the area but this mill has been restored to tell the history of Cleveland and the Mora area. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Mill Grounds: The Cleveland Roller Mill grounds on a beautiful fall afternoon this week are the home to the Mill Fest, a community celebration held each September. The Museum is open weekends from memorial weekend to labor day weekend. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Long Horn: A long horn with impressive horns pauses while grazing to eye the photographer. The long horn was one of three spotted this week near the road in Pendaries in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com