New Mexico

Linda's desire to learn more about weaving and my quest for the ultimate digital image lead us to join this Elderhostel trip to Taos, New Mexico.  We flew to Albuquerque on Continental and rented our Dollar Rent-a-Car, drove to Santa Fe and checked in at the Santa Fe Motel & Inn on Cerrillos Road in the shadow of the Hotel Santa Fe.  A quiet little adobe-walled Inn with clean, attractive rooms and a sumptuous breakfast and a complimentary snack in the courtyard in the evening.

In the morning we had time to wander around the city and enjoy the Art Show that was going on that weekend.  We also got a chance to do a thorough walkthrough of the Museum of Fine Arts.  Upstairs, they also had an exhibit of the photos of the artists whose work was featured on the first floor.  I noticed that my face was a little sunburnt when we got back since I hadn't put on a sunscreen.  The rest of the week I wasn't so careless. 

Santa Fe

Oct. 12th, 2003

Away to Santa Fe

We arrived at the Quality Inn where the Elderhostel program was to take place.  We were welcomed by Jean Kenin and Kathleen Burg, University of New Mexico, who arranged and choreographed the program. They brought together a group of exciting and intelligent commentators and interpreters of the unique cultures of the state.  Our first speaker on Monday was Stephen Powell.

Taos, Quality Inn	Oct. 13th, 2003			Exciting lectures "Mythology and Cosmology" and "Medicine Wheel"		Taos Chamber of Commerce
Don Usnar guided us to his home town of Chimayo	morning of October 14th, 2003					Las Trampas Church
Centinela Weaving	morning October 14th			More on Centinela Traditional Arts	Still more on  Chimayo Weavers tradition	You can stay at El Meson de La Centinela across the road.
Lunch at Resturante de Chimayo		Rancho de Chimayo website		Santuario de Chimayo		The Lourdes of America
Back at the Quality Inn	Jazz Singing Group "Taos Junction"		Jean is on the left in this trio.		Thanks, Jean, for a wonderful evening of song.	Taos Quality Inn website

The next day brought another quality speaker, Debbie Ragland, geologist.  Having become a recent resident she was excited about the prospects of exploring the rocks and strata of the region.  She lead us to the unexpected depths of the Rio Grande Canyon and man's feeble attempt to bridge that gap, the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge.  Her husband tagged along to tote the rock samples which they handed out to us.

We were exhausted after that day and slept soundly.  After breakfast we were awarded our Elderhostel "passports."  If any one of you who attended the program would like a particular photo, send me a self-addressed, stamped envelope and I will mail it to you.  Make sure to tell me precisely which picture you would like.

At 9:30-11:00, Skip Miller showed us his his collection of slides of paintings which had been created by various artists of the Taos scene.  His fascinating interpretation of the sometimes incongruous native garb, social commentary intended by the artist, names of the subjects, were incisive and lead me to want to follow up on these fascinating images.  I wish that Skip's talk had come earlier in the program.

While we were in Santa Fe, on our way back to the airport at Albuquerque, we visited the Georgia O'Keefe Museum.  Especially interesting to me was their exhibit of an extraordinary collection of 24 photographs by Alfred Stieglitz given to the museum by The Georgia O'Keefe Foundation.  I always try to include a visit to an art museum or two while we are on vacation.