The High Road to Taos

Our first evening in Santa Fe, we met a fellow traveler named Aaron at a local bar on the outskirts of the plaza.  He told us about the High Road to Taos.  From Santa Fe to Taos, several routes exist.  Sure, you can take the fast way, down the highway like some yokel from Albuquerque.  Or in true traveler fashion, you can take the mythical sounding High Road to Taos, which sounds about as lovely as it is.  The high road to Taos passes through many villages and old adobe churches, some with magical healing powers.   

The road begins in Santa Fe, where you will take off heading North, perhaps gripping some tasty rations from Sage Bakehouse bought earlier in the morning.  Though I dressed down the conventional highway route to Taos, it must be said that driving anywhere in this region is gorgeous.  The road begins on a common highway path, heading north up the 285.  Our first stop in Tesuque, presented us with strange rock formations, offbeat art workshops, and a smoky road that highlighted the light piercing the trees overhead.  This is when I knew we were going to have a splendid afternoon forging a path north. 

Stopping in Tesuque, we checked out the local scene 

 Some random sculptures 

 A shaded glass workshop

 The fields of Tesuque 

Camel Rock 

After Tesuque, the road continues north on 285, and after passing a few casinos, you will begin to yearn for some back country charm.  At Nambe, the divergence takes place.  The old proverbial fork in the road is laid out before you, and if you are in a hurry you continue north on the highway.  We headed east towards Chimayo, which houses the Santuario de Chimayo, a very holy place for Catholics.  

 The unbelievably cool thing about traveling north is the change of environment.

 The lonely road 

 We passed this hilltop shrine and had to stop for a photo opportunity 

 The moon hung low in the sky

 When we finally arrived in Chimayo, we were greeted by a rogue lab

 Outside of the Santuario is a infertile field headlined by these massive rock made crucifixes 

 The surrounding area is quite stunning 

 A path up towards the Santuario, where 300,000 pilgrims visit per year 

 The old adobe Santuario 

 A young toe headed pilgrim 

 This is as far as I could get with a camera indoors.  It was a pretty holy scene. People praying and chanting with one wall lined with abandoned crutches and pictures of Jesus.

 Here is the petite Santuario.  The main draw for this place is a hole in the ground that holds some holy dirt.  People travel from all over the world for the healing powers of this dirt.  Some rub it on their bodies.  Some bottle it to take home.  Some even eat the dirt.  Allegedly, many have been healed of maladies following their pilgrimage to this holy place.  Of course, the internet is filled with those that are skeptical about the power of "El Santuario" and those that allege the healing powers of this magical place.   

 The surrounding countryside 

 A Mosaic 

 A strange statue in an old building near Santuario de Chimayo 

 Kristin in her new jacket 

 Our little rental car 

 A store in Chimayo

We bailed out on Chimayo, and decided to go explore a local point of interest we saw on a old faded map back by El Santuario.  It seemed that just outside of Chimayo was a lake called Santa Cruz.  The drive there hugged mountains on one side and plummeted down hundreds of feet on the other.  It was the exciting sort of drive that seems to happen frequently in James Bond movies.  Sadly, our chariot was not some fancy Aston Martin, but rather a Chevy Cobalt.  I stayed well within the limits of our underpowered auto.  After slowly winding our way up to about 7000 feet, we finally arrived at the lake.

 

 The lake comes into view  as a UFO tears by overhead

 It was really really cold 

 So thankfully, we would not be subjected to the dangerous undertow 

 The lake was very low, and completely abandoned

 except for some Indian fishermen 

 They headed out to deeper water 

 I liked finding this school bus sign up in the mountains.

 Show capped peaks in the distance

 We passed this church on the way back to the High Road to Santa Fe

 

After Lake Santa Cruz, we got back on track and began heading towards Truchas along the High Road to Santa Fe.  Truchas is a fairly run down village, about 8000 feet towards the sky.  We sort of just nosed around for about 10 minutes and headed on our way.  It looked like it had seen better days.

 

 Truchas along the high road to Taos 

 AN old abandoned restaurant baking in the midday sun 

 Some grafitti 

 Close-up

 The main raod through Truchas is pretty impressively unimpressive  

 Some local flavor 

After basking in the run down and almost depressing Truchas, we sped north to Las Trampas.  Las Trampas is home to the San Jose de Garcia Church and herds of roaming Buffalo.  We stuck out on locating the Buffalo, but the church was very cool.  Around this point on the high road, the vegetation begins to change towards typical mountain fare.  It is very dramatic to start out in the desert and slowly rise up towards mountainous surroundings.

      San Jose de Garcia Church HDR

 A small crucifix 

 The empty church 

 Las Trampas eatery.  We think these places only open up during the high season, which may partially explain the desolation of our previous city, Truchas.

 This dog waited on the porch to chase after oncoming cars 

 The high road begins to get a little higher

 All of a sudden, you look out on this and wonder how it all happened so fast 

And suddenly, you pull up to Taos.  I will cover Taos is my next blog. 

Sage Bakehouse - Santa Fe

This is going to be a micro post, but I have to recommend a bakery for breakfast in Santa Fe - Sage Bakehouse.  This place has an offering that, on this chilly Dallas morning, calls out to me like a siren on the furthest star.  It is a peanut butter and jam muffin, a life changing delicacy.  They also have unbelievable breads.  We really enjoyed the pecan raisin.  Our last morning in Santa Fe, we planned on buying a loaf or 6 of bread and a whole army of muffins to bring home with us.  It was a move common to the Arab traders of antiquity, hoarding tea leaves and spices to trade with the rest of the world.  We were unable to fulfill our role as ambassadors of the muffin trade for our friends and family back in Texas. They were closed on Sundays.  We cried.

 In this situation, you have many choices, but only one that really matters, buy a peanut butter and jam muffin.

 There it is, the hearty magnificence of the peanut butter and jam muffin.  You take a bite into the warm baked shell, and it textures like the softest peanut butter cookie ever conceived, and then you hit a pocket of jam.  The flavors mix and nirvana is reached.

 Their bread is world class as well.  Note the pecan raisin at right is my favorite.

Loaves

Dining at The Shed Review - Santa Fe

About a block east of  Santa Fe Plaza is a creative cookery known simply as The Shed.  This establishment is the only place that we returned to eat at a second time. We even braved an hour and fifteen minute wait; it is that good.  The food served is mainly Northern New Mexican cuisine, with a lot of blue corn tortillas and chilies.  Strangely and eccentrically, a basket of buttered garlic bread is served with each meal.  They get all of their chilies from Hatch, NM, which means that they are the best in the world.  Those chilies are processed in their mill daily so freshness is guaranteed.  I seemed to develop a taste for these chilies that is difficult to satiate back in Dallas.  We had three favorite restaurants in Santa Fe.  This was one of them.  If you come to Santa Fe, you have to eat at this spot.

To get to the shed, you take Palace Ave a block east from Santa Fe Plaza, and look for this entrance to a small courtyard.

 They share this small courtyard with a few knickknack shops, and it is decked out with Christmas lights

 

Gnarley looking fellow 

 Be prepared for a long wait.  This is one of Santa Fe's top restaurants, and being moderately priced, it attracts both tourmongers and locals alike.

 They have a well stocked bar and serve margaritas that are every bit as good as we get here in Texas

 The kitchen, where the magic happens, is unassuming and open.  I always feel more comfortable peeking in the kitchen, though this practice stems from eating in third world dumps.

 Our first night at The Shed, we were seated at this little table 

 We ordered corn chips 

 with salsa and guacamole.  Kristin insists that this guacamole is the best she has ever had.  It is worth noting that she is an expert on the topic of guacamole.

 Also, Santa Fe has some great Microbrews.  On the table here is a Santa Fe October fest which was quite good.  I really really liked the Marble Brewery IPA.  It was the best local beer I had in Santa Fe.  If you ever come across one on a menu, order it.  

 

 Looking at these pictures is absolute torture for me.  This is a blue corn burrito, stuffed with beans, cheddar cheese and onions, then baked and topped with green and red chilies and cheese.

 

 Pollo Adobo - chicken roasted in red adobe marinade, oregano, and garlic.  Believe it or not, somewhere in there is a blue corn cheddar enchilada. 

 This is me, satisfied 

 Some flowers and a painting 

 A Chef 

 One last view of the courtyard, which is a great place to have a margarita during your wait for a table

The low door that you can pass through to leave