Scouting out Taos, New Mexico

Taos (rhymes with house), is a unique place, surrounded by the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the east, with the Rio Grande River flowing by on the west.  In many respects, it feels like a different country with a different vibe to it, particularly because most of the architecture in the town is in adobe style and structure, whether businesses, homes, galleries, museums, shops or churches. 
A quick stop at the Visitor Center identified the five "must sees" during our short stay in Taos:  The Rio Grande Gorge, Taos Pueblo, Historic Old Town Taos, San Francisco De Asis Church, and the Earthship Community.
First, we went off in search of the Rio Grande Gorge and were quite surprised at the size and depth of the canyon. The rim of the gorge sits at around 7,000 feet and the river is 600 feet below. We walked a short distance along a trail at the rim.

along the trail looking back to the bridge crossing the gorge

Walking across the bridge made my stomach turn to look down into the gorge.  There are a few observation areas on the bridge. It was sobering to see that at each observation platform there were crisis call boxes and to realize that desperate folks actually contemplate ending their lives from this bridge.  I couldn't imagine....
There were also several locks attached to the railings, a popular custom with many bridges in Europe.

looking down into the gorge from the bridge

Just under 6,000 inhabitants call Taos home, an area with a complex and painful history that today reflects the blending of three distinct cultures: the original Native people, the Spanish, and the Americans.

Add to this mix two artists from the East, Blumenschein and Phillips, who discovered Taos and settled here in 1898, eventually leading to the formation of The Taos Society of Artists in 1915. Other intellectuals, like Mabel Dodge Luhan and D.H.Lawrence joined the scene, further adding to the eclecticism of the community. Today, Taos is known world-wide by artists, art patrons and inquisitive minds.   

And in 1996, the Greater World Community settled and began building their Earthship homes as a way of the future to preserve and protect our earth. 

the Earthship Community is located about 15 miles west of town  

Many of the Earthship houses are built into the ground, and we noticed cans, bottles, and tires used as recycled material in walls and fences. 
Power is produced with photovoltaics and wind generators, and the only outside utility is propane that is used for cooking and heating water. Earthships catch their own water for use, then treat and reuse it several times. There are no power, water, gas or sewage lines on any of the property. 
I was rather taken with the originality of the homes' architecture and was reminded that when we were dating way back when, Michael used to sketch out and explain to me his ideas for building our home into a hillside since it would be cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.  Well, it seems that my practical hubby was on to a great and innovative concept! Gee, perhaps this is after all a worthy consideration for an eventual retirement home......

Hlaauma, the North House

The main historic site in Taos is the Taos Pueblo, preserving over a thousand years of pueblo Tiwa people history and considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited  community in the US. Our guide provided insight into life on the pueblo where there are currently about 15 people living in the ancient structures. The remaining unoccupied buildings are now primarily used for ceremonial purposes and to preserve the Tiwa culture.  The most notable structures are the multi-storied adobe homes known as Hlaauma, the North House, and Hlaukkwima, the South House.  Each apartment home is passed on from one generation to the next by the oldest female member of the family. 

adobe bricks and the smooth finish

Adobe is a brick made of an earth, straw, and water mixture that is formed and dried in the sun. The bricks are stacked and covered with more of the mortar mixture and allowed to dry before a final coat of the same is applied and smoothed into the finish we see on the outside. A coating is applied almost annually to counter the impact of weather and deterioration. Our guide mentioned that typically this is an annual family gathering to apply the new final coat.

Outside there are drying racks, once used to dry skins and hang vegetables. Horno structures, the beehive ovens used for baking introduced by the Spanish, were adopted and adapted by the native people to suit their needs and are seen throughout the village.

Red Willow Creek and Hlaukkwima, the South House, drying racks, and horno

The Red Willow Creek, a constantly flowing creek, runs through the middle of the village. It is fed by a glacier lake 25 miles away and is revered as sacred to the community. Back in 1906 the lake was placed under the control of the Forest Service, but after 60+ years of protests, the Taos Pueblo people regained 48,000 acres of land that include the lake, and it is now maintained and used exclusively by tribal members. Since there is no running water in the adobes, the people in the village get their water from the creek. Likewise, there is no electricity in the adobe homes although several do have propane tanks to provide gas for cooking and lighting. Unlike in the past when ladders were used to enter the homes through the roof, today one enters the adobe apartments through doors. The thick adobe walls provide insulation from summer heat and winter cold. Several are used as shops that sell jewelry and Native art and artifacts.
With the advent of the Spanish who also imposed their Catholic religion on the Natives in 1540 with de Coronado's expedition, there were inevitable clashes. In 1680, several Pueblo people from Taos and other pueblos in the region launched a collective effort and rebelled against the Spanish, driving them to the Mexican border. Twelve years later the Spanish returned to the area and both cultures co-existed peacefully. 
In 1847, there was an uprising against US occupancy led by both Native and Hispanic forces. During the uprising, Governor Bent was murdered, and in retribution the US Cavalry was called in. The San Geronimo church where Natives and Hispanics took refuge was bombed, resulting in the deaths of over one hundred. Today the church remains in ruins, only the original bell tower still standing, and the grounds have become a cemetery for the Taos Pueblo. 

San Geronimo ruins, built in 1619 using forced Native labor, now a cemetery.
The church was destroyed twice: in 1680 during the Pueblo Revolt and in 1847
during the Taos Revolt.   

The current San Geronimo church, built in 1850, stands at the entrance to the village. Catholicism remains the current and most practiced organized religion of the community. However, according to our full-blooded Tiwa guide, many Natives continue to practice their cultural spiritual beliefs in conjunction with Catholic dogma. Their belief is that the two are not mutually exclusive. We were able to enter the church but not allowed to take photos. The altar has at its center the Virgin Mary as a sign of respect for the female in Indian culture. Among various Catholic saints were interspersed statues of Indian warriors. Off to the side there was an empty coffin draped in a gold cloth but to protect the ancient spiritual beliefs that are regarded as private, our guide was not able to elaborate on the reason. A catholic priest from the town comes to say Mass weekly.

Our next stop was the Taos Plaza in the old historic downtown, established in 1796 as part of the Don Fernando de Taos Land Grant. It served as a defensive fortress by day and a refuge for livestock at night. During trade fairs, merchants displayed their wares within the walls. 
The land grant system initiated by the Spanish blended with the Pueblo tradition and evolved into the current style and surrounding buildings and churches, giving it the unique character found in Taos. 

I discovered a quilt shop in Teresina Lane and indulged in a couple of fat quarters

Our final stop was at the unusual adobe Catholic church completed in 1816. 

unusual flying buttresses

This link gives a good overview of the history of the church:
https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/american_latino_heritage/san_francisco_de_assisi_mission_church.html

Tomorrow we head 120 miles further south to Albuquerque to join our Escapees Boomers group at the Balloon Fiesta, an event that we have looked forward to for a long time.