Happy New Year From Out Here

Simpson Hotel in Duncan, Arizona

Happy New Year, and welcome to 2024. I took up my place in the first sunlight of the day while Clayton was busy in the kitchen making coffee and presenting us with a parfait breakfast starter.  Caroline is on the phone with her mom in Germany, and I try basking in the warm sunshine while writing, but enjoying the ambiance of the Simpson Hotel is a powerful distraction.

Karthik and Lakshmi at the Simpson Hotel in Duncan, Arizona

A newly married young couple who arrived last night joined us for our morning meal: Lakshmi and Karthik, who also live in the Phoenix area. They’ve been out wandering around the area for the past week, trying to get more of the Southwest into their senses before Karthik takes off for India to deal with some of the beaurocracy involving working on an H1B visa. While he’s gone, Lakshmi will be dealing with their move up to the Portland area. When they told us about their travels from the Petrified Forest to Gallup, over to Santa Fe and Albuquerque in New Mexico, and various points between before finally landing in Duncan, Arizona, it was nice to see a mirror image of Caroline’s and my enthusiasm for sharing time together exploring our world. In the popular vernacular of the day, they are vibing. Over breakfast, sumptuous as always, we discussed the drive home, in which all four of us were traveling in the same direction but talked of a detour through Virden, New Mexico, to try catching sight of some sandhill cranes.

Sandhill Cranes in Virden, New Mexico

These large birds were in short supply, and the ones we did spot were quite distant from where we could observe them. We’d brought binoculars, but even so, nobody got a great view of the cranes. No matter, we’d seen wildlife and were able to share some enthusiasm with Lakshmi and Karthik about how incredible these opportunities are.

Cow sign in Virden, New Mexico

With nothing left to do, and instead of trying to wedge something else into the last minutes of our getaway, we accepted that our long weekend was coming to a close and that by focusing on the drive west, we’d be able to go further into In Search of Lost Time.

On a final note, Clayton left us with a quote from historian Charles A. Beard to ponder: “The bee fertilizes the flower it robs.”

Into The Shadows With 2023

At the Simpson Hotel in Duncan, Arizona

Now, here we are in the early sunrise of the final day of the year, perched in our respective comfy spots in a room about to turn 110 years old. Not the oldest place we’ve ever taken up, but a cozy location nonetheless. As for the other side of the windows, it’s a wintery freezing morning out there where the warming cup of coffee would quickly lose its potential, followed by turning cold, too.

At the Simpson Hotel in Duncan, Arizona

Before any thoughts of finding the bravery to venture beyond our lazy comfort arise, the clinking and clatter of kitchen sounds clue us in that to head out for a walk at this time would be nothing short of rude as the symphony from that side of the hotel could only signal one thing: we were soon to find ourselves feasting.

At the Simpson Hotel in Duncan, Arizona

Meanwhile, we, too, bask in the warm indoors to avoid the bitter cold that is ushering out the year that was. This guy is Crocket, the trust fund kitty I’ve mentioned before. Through the cosmetic surgery available in Photoshop, I tried cleaning up the worst of his lung condition, which is the reason why, in the early part of the day, he’s a snotty, mucusy mess of a cat. Yet aside from trying to bite me if I attempt to pet him, he seems nice enough.

At the Simpson Hotel in Duncan, Arizona

This is beyond eating. Eating is too vulgar a word: all who pull up to a table this day will eat. Instead, we dine on a feast of flavors and textures that conspire to punctuate the end of 2023 with a duel in which this final breakfast takes up a sword and, with a challenge, says en garde! to the 364 morning meals that came before it.

This wicked concoction from the genius imagination of the artist in front of the stove can be described as a perfect mystery demanding that we forge a way to decipher where our taste buds are traveling. Flavors arrive from numerous points on the globe, maybe Oaxaca, a little bit of Persia, and the American Southwest, while the other locations must remain offshore in the chef’s repertoire of tools and brushes he used to craft this canvas.

Mystery must remain a part of this extraordinary beginning of the day because revealing precisely what went into our breakfast might chase away some of the enchantment. With my own imagination swirling around just what was on this plate, what Chef Don Carlos brought to our senses, and how it will flavor the experience of this last day of the year, I am allowed to savor what has been presented as though I were gazing into a culinary diorama.

Entering New Mexico between Duncan, Arizona and Lordsburg, New Mexico

With the proverbial one thing leading to another combined with the knowledge of proximity due to this weekend’s destination, Caroline had already coordinated a meeting with a friend we’d not seen in more than ten years on Sunday, that’s today. The couple we are visiting are Sandy and Tom, who now live in Silver City, New Mexico, following an extended stay in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, where Tom was teaching engineering. Well, here we are, crossing the desert into New Mexico for the 75-mile drive to our destination, thus violating what I wrote earlier about trying to accomplish nothing on a lazy close of the year.

As isolated as they could find, up in the hills and quite similar to where they used to live in Prescott, Arizona, we found Tom and Sandy awaiting our arrival. While Caroline and Sandy have kept in touch over the years, this was the first time they were seeing each other face-to-face in the intervening years. Over coffee and about three hours of the afternoon, we chatted and chatted before making a date to visit again on April 6th, when we’d be passing through the area again on our way to the total solar eclipse on April 8th. This time spent with old friends added a nice punctuation to the last day of the year.

Leaving Silver City, New Mexico

Leaving when we did offered us all the fireworks we’d need to usher in 2024 because the sunset delivered a performance that sang to our senses. As the sky brought a song, our dinner with Clayton and Deborah, owners of the Simpson Hotel, would be a symphony performed in the Philharmonic de Paris, only better.

Caroline Wise in New Mexico

Caroline and I have shared very few New Year’s celebrations with others and to be invited, unexpectedly, to the table of our hosts to note the arrival of the new year over a sumptuous meal and a bottle of sparkling Riesling wine from Wiesbaden, Germany, well, that surpassed everything we might have otherwise considered as a potential celebration of the change from one year to the next.

Dusk in Arizona and the end of the sunset

There are so many parts that lend themselves to what is experienced. It is not simply food or alcohol, not only the ambiance of this 110-year-old art hotel. Our remote location in a beautiful corner of the sparsely populated Southwest also factors in, but the real front of the orchestra is the chemistry between the quartet and a passion for the aesthetic found in the love of time and what these participants in life are able to bring to it.

Santa Fe and the Turquoise Trail

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Our time at the International Folk Art Market has come to an end, as will our time in Santa Fe today. We considered adding an extra night here, but the mystery of how to spend our day was less intriguing than the idea that if are moving somewhere, we’ll have to spontaneously decide to do things that are relatively unknown. Our agenda contained only one fixed item to explore when we departed Santa Fe; some months ago, we picked up a brochure for the Turquoise Trail, which had captured our curiosity, so there’s that. We are also switching our breakfast plans and venturing into the old town to Tia Sofia’s, because this early in the morning on a Sunday, the streets are not yet busy.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Sure enough, things are quiet on the streets of Santa Fe.

Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Uncertain about whether we’d be able to grab steps during a day that might feature a lot of driving, it was essential that we attempt to get in at least a couple of thousand while still in the cool of the day. It turns out that we’d never visited the Loretto Chapel, but that’s about to be rectified.

Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico

The church was consecrated 145 years ago in 1878, and while the surrounding girls’ school known as the Loretto Academy fell to the wrecking ball back in 1968, the deconsecrated church was saved, becoming a museum and wedding chapel so it didn’t have to become a victim to progress too. Consequently, it costs $5 to enter the space still maintained by the entity that took over the property so many years ago.

Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico

This spiral staircase is a major draw as it features two complete 360-degree turns without a center pole for support. This means that the entire weight of the staircase rests on the bottom step, which some would say defies what should be possible. I have to say that the photo in the chapel showing about a dozen young ladies standing on this spring-like staircase is intriguing; maybe of yet even greater interest is that for the first ten years the staircase existed, there was no handrail. Needless to say, visitors are not allowed to ascend the steps.

Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Jesus wept. John 11:35. Actually, I wrote this at 4:39 p.m., but referencing 11:35 sounded more poetic.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Like a bazaar from another age, a rug and basket trader is set up across the street from the church.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Next to the trader is this confused sculptor who presents us with “Adoration of the alien preparing to eat souls.” Get yours at the Wildhorse Gallery of Santa Fe across the street from the Loretto Chapel. In case aliens are not your thing, they also have live-sized Iron Man sculptures.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Most of Santa Fe does not look like the old town center, sadly.

Mass at the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Be careful, parishioners attending mass here at the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi: there are four angels nearby playing a summoning song while a bronze version of an alien satan is waiting to eat your souls. You’ve been warned.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

While the streets of Santa Fe are still quiet, that’s about to change.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

On the main square, the Native American vendors selling handcrafted objects have been setting up, which means that the onslaught is about to begin, signaling Caroline and me to get out of town, or at least the city center.

Museum of Indian Arts & Culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Upon arriving in Santa Fe the other day, we learned that our reservation wasn’t for as long as we thought it was. At the time, Caroline suggested we extend it for the extra night so we could spend Sunday visiting museums, but I liked the idea that we move southeast at some point on Sunday so we’d be better positioned for a shorter drive home: a compromise to have the best of both worlds. As a surprise to Caroline, on the way out of the downtown area, I turned left, knowing beforehand that this would take us to Museum Hill instead of staying on the road we were on, which would lead us south and consequently into the general direction of home. This detour is going to take us to the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture.

The first photo I’m sharing from the museum is a pitcher which is approximately 1,000 years old and originated in the Tularosa Basin that was once occupied by members of the Anasazi and Mogollon cultures in southeastern New Mexico. The design references the region, and accordingly, its style is named Tularosa. Maybe I’ve not paid attention prior to today, but the designs are called isomeric patterns, and those on the neck specifically are tesselated isomer patterns. Search engines didn’t want to give up the secret of isomer patterns, insisting that I was looking for information about polyatomic ions, which are known as isomers. Artificial Intelligence to the rescue! Bard explained the following:

These patterns are based on the use of paired forms that can be perceived as reversible. This means that the same design can be seen as either a foreground object or a background pattern, depending on how the viewer’s eye interprets it.

Museum of Indian Arts & Culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico

The more you learn about Native American culture on this continent, the better you can appreciate how difficult it is to visit a museum that adequately approaches a comprehensive overview of the people of this land prior to conquest. While the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington D.C. is the largest, it is one of more than 100 museums with a heavy or exclusive focus on Native American culture. As I sit here asking ChatGPT to continue adding more museums to the list, I realize that we could spend months on the road traveling the country to take in as many Native American museums as we could, and still, we’d only see a fraction of them.

Museum of Indian Arts & Culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico

How this net bag survived hidden in the earth for 2,000 years or more boggles the mind. Equally intriguing is the knowledge that the people who made this were out harvesting plant fibers, treating them, and spinning them before configuring the resulting cordage into a bag in which they placed goods or pottery they’d carry with them for some undeterminable number of years before the bag was lost, forgotten, or thrown away.

Museum of Indian Arts & Culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Another example of Tularosa pottery, though it might also be a Reserve type. As an effigy jar from between 1100 and 1150 CE, the shape depicts a bird, which is not unusual for this type of pottery in the Southwest, though this piece is one of the most detailed and realistic recovered so far.

Museum of Indian Arts & Culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico

There’s a terrific video here in the museum about the making of this turkey feather blanket by Mary Weahkee of the Santa Clara Pueblo/Comanche people. The cloak is made from about 17,000 feathers from turkeys that only produce about 600 feathers per bird. She also points out that turkeys were not indigenous to this part of North America and arrived in the southwest from trade with the Aztecs.

Museum of Indian Arts & Culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Returning to my thought about the number of museums and the time required to see many of them, it pains me to some small degree that Caroline and I were not more prepared or aware of opportunities while we wandered the United States. Our first interest was often national parks and the landscape of the country before turning our attention to what else might be in the vicinity of our travels. I suppose the good thing is that should we somehow embark on taking in America’s Native American museums, the rest of the population will likely still be preoccupied with capturing selfie-trophies inspired by the influencers they are chained to instead of investigating the history of a people that lived on the lands prior to the arrival of all of us outsiders. This painting is titled “Father Sky, Mother Earth” and was created by Navajo artist Tony Abeyta in 1995.

Museum of Indian Arts & Culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Realistic people and animals depicted on pottery were hallmarks of the Mimbres style of Puebloan people a thousand years ago.

Museum of Indian Arts & Culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico

So few pay homage to the Native American peoples and subsequently display a high level of disrespect or simply ignore their heritage and presence. Due to this disrespect, there is much of their culture they’d rather not share with us. This was made clear to Caroline and me upon visiting our first Kachina dance on the Hopi Mesas. As I look at this depiction of a corn dance, I can only dream of ever witnessing it with my own eyes as, too often, the Puebloan people have a mistrust of what we’ll do with the information and images we take away. At least there’s some solace in knowing that colonialization didn’t absolutely destroy a rich culture worth preserving. This 1933 painting titled “Corn Dance” was created by self-taught artist Awa Tsireh (also known as Alfonso Roybal and Cattail Bird) of the San Ildefonso Pueblo.

Museum of Indian Arts & Culture in Santa Fe, New Mexico

This is quite possibly my favorite sculpture ever with the motion, layers, mystery, sense of musicality, the essence of a warrior, and the feeling of the shaman being present. I feel that the sculptor hit the mark in creating something that makes one wonder, “Who was this?”

Santa Fe Botanical Garden, New Mexico

Across the way from Museum Hill lies the Santa Fe Botanical Garden and our last stop in town before we hit the road.

Santa Fe Botanical Garden, New Mexico

Still-green juniper berries are interesting enough, but the beautiful aroma from the plants brought magic to the rather small garden.

Along the Turquoise Trail in New Mexico

On our way out of Santa Fe, we stopped at the Iconik Coffee Roastery in a hipster corner of the city. As though things could get any trendier in this place, the coffee was of particular interest to us because they supply the Pantry where we often eat breakfast and seriously enjoy their java. The roastery has a great look and feel, and it turned out that we could get lunch there, so that’s just what we did. A short time later, we were satisfied and sipping our cold brews while heading south on the Turquoise Trail. Life was good but was about to get better: an old guy in a van sitting roadside next to the Lone Butte General Store was selling something that looked promising and required further investigation. Pecans and roasted pinons were coming home with us.

Along the Turquoise Trail in New Mexico

What we wouldn’t give to see a cow abducted by aliens, but like those antelope crossing signs, we know full well by now that we’ll never see for ourselves the promised sight.

Cerrillos, New Mexico on the Turquoise Trail

Hey Pope, what gives? We pulled into the tiny town of Los Cerrillos with the St. Joseph Catholic Church ON A SUNDAY, and the doors were locked. See if we ever go to Los Cerrillos, New Mexico, again.

Along the Turquoise Trail in New Mexico

While it’s not easy to see in this photo, that’s Santa Fe way out there at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains just left of center. We are about 40 miles or more from the peaks touching the clouds.

San Francisco de Asis Catholic Church in Golden, New Mexico

Okay, the first note to the Pope was meant tongue-in-cheek, but here we are in faraway Golden, New Mexico, ready to visit the San Francisco de Asis Catholic Church, and while the gates were open, the doors of the church were not. We were not only out here for sightseeing; we were also on a pilgrimage that required we stop and pray at every Catholic church we encountered, and we were being denied. I swear, one more time of finding ourselves locked out, I’ll turn to the dark side and join the Church of Satan.

Sandia Crest National Scenic Byway near Albuquerque, New Mexico

Good thing we got out of Santa Fe when we did and that those churches were closed otherwise, we may not have had time to turn onto the Sandia Crest National Scenic Byway to see where the road goes.

Sandia Crest near Albuquerque, New Mexico

As we reached the crest, the couple on the right just got engaged and asked if we could take their photo. Just then, the couple on the left who were sitting nearby spoke up and told all of us that they, too came up here to get engaged, having done so in the minutes before the other couple arrived. So, I asked them all to come together so I could grab a photo of the happy couples on their way to marriage.

Sandia Crest near Albuquerque, New Mexico

This might be the best view of Albuquerque anyone might ever see. I don’t mean to imply my photo is particularly beautiful, but that from 10,678 feet (3,254 meters), the city doesn’t look as horrid, dirty, and crime-ridden as it really is. Seriously, that city down there wins in many categories of crime, including violence and property violations. Reading up on the contributing factors, I see that limited economic opportunities, poor urban planning, homelessness, financial hardship, substance abuse, and the city’s location as a thoroughfare and hub for a variety of interstate criminal activities all play a role. Looking at it this way has me thinking about the very city we live in, Phoenix, Arizona, but still, Albuquerque is special in the depravity of it all. In some inexplicable way, one simply senses it when down there.

Late afternoon somewhere near Albuquerque, New Mexico

Like a fear of werewolves and vampires, Albuquerqueans must eat dinner before the sun goes down: at 8:00 p.m., finding an open restaurant becomes a near impossibility. We race towards the city I’d rather avoid because, like the Catholic churches in this state are closed on Sunday, most of the damned restaurants are closed too, but we found one place that promises to be open until 9:00. Was it any good? Hell no, as it reflects the environment of this tortured city, but the setting sun with the vast horizon is rather beautiful.

Sunset off Interstate 40 in Western New Mexico

We are on our way to Gallup, New Mexico, for the night, and the spectacular skies force us off Interstate 40 to capture the moment. If this isn’t the kind of iconic southwest sunset one dreams of, then nothing is.

On the Move in Santa Fe

Big Tesuque Trail in the Santa Fe National Forest, Santa Fe, New Mexico

The road northeast out of Santa Fe brings visitors into the Santa Fe National Forest, and while it’s ultimately a dead end farther up the road, we are only going as far as the Big Tesuque Campground, where a trail of the same name begins and ends. If only we could find the trail. It was Alltrails that had brought this particular route to my attention, and somehow, I’m failing to see where the trailhead is, in spite of the nearby map that is useless. We ask someone who appears to be camping here, but he doesn’t know where the Big Tesuque Trail is either. Just then, across the street, a post caught my attention as the likely marker for the beginning of the trail. Bingo.

Big Tesuque Trail in the Santa Fe National Forest, Santa Fe, New Mexico

With the capital city of New Mexico just below us at about 7,200 feet, it should be no surprise that our forest route could start at 9,700 feet (2,950 meters) of elevation. What I really want to point out here is that, as we stepped from the car, the temperature was a relatively brisk 56 degrees (13 Celsius) or cold enough to our summer acclimated desert skin that a sweater was briefly considered, but no, we’d tough it out. It wasn’t only the cool air that greeted us: the nearby stream and the birds all sang songs that were music to our senses.

Big Tesuque Trail in the Santa Fe National Forest, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Oh my god! Rock, needles, shield lichen, and moss in a configuration we’ve never seen before. Isn’t the forest simply enchanted in its beauty?

Big Tesuque Trail in the Santa Fe National Forest, Santa Fe, New Mexico

This is the point on the trail where one stops to make a wish that all successive days will be just as perfect as this one.

Caroline Wise on the Big Tesuque Trail in the Santa Fe National Forest, Santa Fe, New Mexico

I don’t believe Caroline has ever worn a skirt while hiking in a forest, nor has she carried her purse. This combo gives her the silhouette of a Mennonite from time to time, depending on the light upon or behind her here on the trail.

Big Tesuque Trail in the Santa Fe National Forest, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Wait a sec, I see a butterfly and am prepared to take 30 or more photos while I try my best to snap one with its wings perfectly open for me to capture the hidden message buried in the patterns I cannot decipher since I’m not a butterfly.

Caroline Wise and John Wise on the Big Tesuque Trail in the Santa Fe National Forest, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Nearly the same process takes place as I try to capture a selfie of Caroline and me with her eyes open, my hair not out of place, our glasses too low on our noses, no food on Caroline’s teeth, no dangling boogers, poor focus, one of us in a shadow or too bright of sun, or any of the other multitude of things that go wrong while trying to take a photo of the two of us. By the way, has anyone ever wondered if Caroline and I are roughly the same height? We are not, but when taking our photo, I bend my knees so we can appear cheek to cheek in our selfies. I also grab hold of one of her butt cheeks (which nearly always makes her laugh) before I start snapping photos and wildly moving the camera into different positions hoping that we are somewhere in the center. Some of you may think that taking a selfie is not that hard, but I would surmise that you are using your phone while I use my DSLR that; on more than one occasion, has allowed me to repair an image where lighting proved difficult, kind of like this one with the bright background. One thing I can’t take into account or fix is that we seem to be aging in our photos as the years pass.

Caroline Wise on the Big Tesuque Trail in the Santa Fe National Forest, Santa Fe, New Mexico

I had a choice: share the image of the damned dental flosser Caroline spotted on the trail (yeah, seriously, a dental flosser on a forest trail because everywhere is the right place for proper dental hygiene) or the eleven cents we found. Just how we managed to see any of this perplexes us, too, but there’s proof of the change. Barely a week passes that we don’t see discarded dental flossers or pick-up change on a walk.

Big Tesuque Trail in the Santa Fe National Forest, Santa Fe, New Mexico

We could have taken this flower too and packed it between pages of a book as a keepsake, but then the next person would have been denied this beautiful scene,  and seeing Caroline already pocketed not only the dental flosser and the loose change, she also picked up a stinky cigarette butt.

Big Tesuque Trail in the Santa Fe National Forest, Santa Fe, New Mexico

I’m going to put it out there that this is Pedicularis procera (giant lousewort), but we’ll let Caroline verify this as her “Search-fu” is far more attuned to perfection than any weak effort I throw at finding facts, meaning you really shouldn’t use my writing as something that arrives with any veracity. [Yes, you did get it right – this time… Caroline]

Big Tesuque Trail in the Santa Fe National Forest, Santa Fe, New Mexico

The trail guide said the walk was easy. It also said there would be only 597 feet (182 meters) of elevation gain. NO WAY, and I also don’t believe that the trail was 3.6 miles (5.8 km) long, WHATEVER.

Big Tesuque Trail in the Santa Fe National Forest, Santa Fe, New Mexico

After HOURS (1.75 hours without exaggerating), we have reconnected with the first leg of our hike, thus closing the loop, and are mere minutes away from reaching our car to head back down the hill to the International Folk Art Market.

Big Tesuque Trail in the Santa Fe National Forest, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Yellow salsify is this flower’s name, but I certainly like the other name for it better: yellow goatsbeard.

Big Tesuque Trail in the Santa Fe National Forest, Santa Fe, New Mexico

I’d mentioned the nearby stream we heard after getting out of our car; that stream flows just past the trailhead marker, and this is it right here. Its proper name is North Fork Tesuque Creek, meaning it is not actually a stream. Somehow, we lengthened the trail to 4.1 miles (6.6 km) and added a few dozen extra feet to the elevation gain, but now we’re done and need to head back to the city.

International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

With no time to waste and following the maxim of “no rest for the wicked,” we were off the mountain and back at the market. We happened to catch this performance group having photos taken at the entrance, which reminds me that I should point out that the stage remained busy nearly all day, and in a nearby hall, talks/workshops are part of the program (for an extra charge). We attended one of the talks yesterday, but to be frank, the organizer of IFAM would be well advised to better screen and direct their speakers prior to the event. As for the performers on stage, Caroline and I did watch a few dancers from a local group perform dances, but there was not enough shaded seating available to invite us to hang out longer so we soon returned to meandering the grounds and were always on the move scouring the booths for something we might have missed.

Karma Choden of Bhutan and Caroline Wise at the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

This blog post is being put together much like a length of woven fabric: Caroline and I are the weft, and these experiences are the warp. Because we are weaving so much of ourselves into such an incredible number of experiences today, it takes forever for the thing to take shape. Had we slept in, skipped the hike, visited the market, and did little else, I wouldn’t have nearly as much to share. I could have just thrown a few threads of what the day entailed into this post, and would have been done lickety-split. Instead, there are 41 photos representing our day, with 25 of them still to be scrolled past. As for the textile being shown, it is a rachu (ceremonial scarf or sash worn by Bhutanese women on special occasions) woven by the mother of Karma Choden of Bhutan who’s standing next to Caroline.

Bracelet from Crucelina Chocho of Columbia at the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

If you ask me, I think Caroline might be basing her purchases on ideas of geography in order to figuratively travel to all these places via the fiber arts. These bracelets are made by basketry artist Crucelina Chocho of Columbia, a member of the Wounaan indigenous group, using Werregue palm fibers.

International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Trying to be discrete in capturing a photo of her earrings in the shape of Africa, this woman turned towards me with the smile that won “Best Smile of IFAM 2023.”

Olinda Silvano of Peru and Caroline Wise at the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

While the cloth in this stand didn’t capture Caroline’s eye, the bracelet made of black and red seeds did. Caroline’s been using a Dremel to grind holes into Texas mountain laurel seeds she wants to make into a necklace, and seeing such unique seeds from the Amazon was just the kind of thing that helped inspire her. This bracelet was made by the lady on Caroline’s right; she is Olinda Silvano of Peru.

Scissors from Zavkiddin Kamalov of Uzbekistan at the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Why one can never have enough scissors is beyond my ability to write something that could explain the mind of my wife and her collection of things with fetish value. I may never truly understand this, but these little things definitely bring her joy.

Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Last year at this time, the International Folk Art Market was held up here on Museum Hill. This year, it is hosted at the Railyard Park near the old town, and the museum area is awfully quiet. We are here because museum tickets are half-price for IFAM visitors this weekend, and more important than that, we were drawn in by an exhibit titled Ghhúunayúkata / To Keep Them Warm: The Alaska Native Parka at the Museum of International Folk Art.

Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico

The first collection we browsed was an ongoing exhibit called Multiple Visions: A Common Bond. There are over 10,000 artifacts from all over the world on display, and one can get lost in trying to look at everything. What is neat is that objects are not presented based on their subjects, usage, or style and are not separated by provenance, which makes connections and relationships between seemingly remote cultures apparent. Check out some of the items virtually here.

Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico

The reason behind the museum is that handcraft matters.

Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Last year at Meow Wolf, Caroline and I spotted a sculpture that we both thought enchanting. Of the many thousands of objects in this wing of the Museum of Folk Art, I happened to find this one that seemed familiar. Upon getting home, it turns out that there is a similarity. Click here and scroll down about 2/3rds of the page to compare this figurine to the piece in Meow Wolf and tell me if this is where the inspiration came from.

Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Gathering for the dead.

Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Gathering for the living.

Ghhúunayúkata / To Keep Them Warm at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico

We’ve arrived in the hall featuring the exhibit Ghhúunayúkata / To Keep Them Warm: The Alaska Native Parka. There are 20 parkas on display representing 6 Alaska Native communities: Dena’ina, Iñupiaq, Koyukon, St. Lawrence Island Yupik, Unangan, and Yup’ik. Along with the garments (vintage as well as contemporary), we can see drawings, dolls, tools, and more.

Ghhúunayúkata / To Keep Them Warm at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Who doesn’t dream of spending at least some short period of time in the Arctic and having the opportunity to wear something like this parka? As I write this on a mid-July day in Phoenix, Arizona, with temperatures hovering just below 120 degrees (49c), it is difficult to envision so much fur adorning my body (especially as a more hairless version of our species), but a naked ape can dream, can’t he?

Ghhúunayúkata / To Keep Them Warm at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico

A seal skin doll is exactly what many of us have desired; go ahead and admit it.

Ghhúunayúkata / To Keep Them Warm at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico

This St Lawrence Island Yupik ceremonial parka is made of seal gut, auklet crests, seal fur, cormorant feathers, cotton thread, and red ocher.

Ghhúunayúkata / To Keep Them Warm at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico

While this seal skin parka might make a great windbreaker, I can’t help that after an hour of sweating inside your waterproof hide; you’d smell like fish. One other thing about this garb: who else thinks it looks a bit Frankensteinish?

Ghhúunayúkata / To Keep Them Warm at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico

We can consider ourselves lucky that images such as these were painted about 100 years ago so we can glimpse a view of what life was like way up north. While life would have already changed for the indigenous people of the Arctic, this was still closer to their roots than what we’d see after film began capturing their lives.

Mexican Art of Paper and Paste at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico

The third exhibit we visited is titled La Cartoneria: Mexican Art of Paper and Paste and has a heavy Day of the Dead feel.

Mexican Art of Paper and Paste at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico

We don’t have a lot of time to dwell here in the museum due to a commitment starting at 6:00 and my impression was that we were here to see the parka exhibit. Little did I understand that all parts of the Folk Art Museum were going to be of such interest.

Yōkai: Ghosts & Demons of Japan at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico

The last exhibit for us here at the museum is titled Yōkai: Ghosts & Demons of Japan.

Yōkai: Ghosts & Demons of Japan at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico

I have to admit to only a passing interest in this exhibit, as ghosts and demons are not really my thing. In lighthearted films lampooning the subject, and in some anime, I can find appreciation, but it’s a rare day.

Yōkai: Ghosts & Demons of Japan at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico

The utility of the subject matter for children or in entertainment is okay, but older American adults who take it all to heart and believe in it tend to make it all a bit repugnant. Obviously, that’s just me.

International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Our 6:00 commitment is back at the International Folk Art Market for the night segment. This was a separate entry, and while we thought we’d spent everything we were going to spend, it turns out that Caroline wasn’t finished ogling exotic clothes, and this bag from Zsuzsa Zsigmond of Hungary apparently pushed some buttons.

International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

While we love these giant woven baskets from Nanasei Agyemang of Ghana, we simply do not have the space to keep one in our tiny apartment. Every time we see them in someone’s arms, they put a smile on our faces that they are so fortunate to be the new owner of such a unique basket.

Peruvian weaver at the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

You’d have to be a real nudnik not to love everything about Peruvian weavers.

International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Live music and a bar were part of the Night Market here at IFAM, and while we were here, this side of things had little interest for us as we were inching towards exhaustion. So, after a final walk of the vendor booths, we said goodbye to another year that saw our attendance and hopefully not our last. As a matter of fact, before finishing writing that, I went over to the IFAM website to see that they posted the dates of next year’s 20th Annual Market running from July 11th to the 14th, and so I took the opportunity and booked our rooms at Motel 6 just around the corner of the Railyard Park.

International Folk Art Market

The Pantry Restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico

On any other given day, coffee is a mundane part of the continuum that is routine, but today, we are outside of routine and once again find ourselves in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Details of our breakfast aren’t of any relevance, aside from the fact that this being New Mexico, green chili was an integral part of our meal, while the coffee from local roaster Iconik Roaster was noteworthy enough that we’ll pay them a visit before leaving Santa Fe on Sunday.

Caroline Wise and Benson Kuzai of Omba Arts Trust (Namibia) at the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

We’ve arrived at the Railyard Park for the 9:00 “Early Bird” entry of the International Folk Art Market (IFAM) priced at the delirious cost of $90 a person. I was nearly certain that this meant we’d be part of a small group of idiots throwing money away, but that thought was quickly squashed as we wandered around the corner to the rear of the line that already saw hundreds of people ahead of us. This wasn’t taking into account the other queue for members only.

The first person we met and our first purchase was from Benson Kuzai of Omba Arts Trust out of Namibia who sold Caroline the hand-woven basket she’s holding and a few of the bracelets seen below.

Omba Arts Trust (Namibia) at the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Intense, crowded, and seductive could be one way to describe the folk market, but so could expensive, rare, and charming. Once onto the grounds of this year’s event, there are moments that feel like we’ve rushed into Walmart on Black Friday, except no one knows where the bargains are because there are none, and in this universe of opposites, there is nothing mass-produced while the shoppers appear to be in a race to see who spends their first $1000 the fastest. Not a piece of designer brand clothing is on hand while even the attendees appear to be wearing mostly handmade clothes they’ve been collecting during their travels or previous visits to IFAM.

Kakaw Designs of Guatemala at the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

As the title of the annual event says, this is about folk art, though that might be a bit of a misnomer as it’s really all about craft. While Caroline will buy some jewelry, a basket, maybe a trinket or two, it is the products created using fiber arts that are her major draw. This backstrap loom with a piece of cloth in the process of being made was seen at the booth of Kakaw Designs from Guatemala. We try to gather a quick overview of the offerings here, but our early bird entry only gives us two hours before the gates open wide for the rest of the attendees, so we must run the gauntlet, make decisions, whip out the credit card, and run to the next booth. About that credit card, it’s a good thing that cash is not accepted here at IFAM as the ATMs couldn’t be stuffed fast enough to satisfy demand. On the other hand, I have to think out loud, asking if the crazy rate of tapping credit cards is likely to trigger some weird kind of consumption blip on Visa’s network.

Caroline Wise with Maria Cristina and the weaver named Abadi of Abadi from Indonesia at the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Caroline has found her first big purchase, a Pua Kumbu ritual cloth from Indonesia. While these lengths of cloth can be worn as a skirt, the first one Caroline thought she wanted was too small, and we nearly walked away until the lady on Caroline’s immediate left, Maria Cristina, said she had some larger pieces. Abadi, on the right of the photo is the weaver who the company is named after. She sifted through a stack of other weavings before pulling out this one that struck Caroline’s eye. Abadi is from Tanjung Isuy and of the Benuaq Tribe of the Dayak. While the cloth might look large, it will be folded and needs a belt to fit correctly also, keep in mind that my wife is between 5’4″ and 5’5″ (about 163cm), so she’s not exactly tall unless you compare her to many of the exhibitors from Asia and Central America.

Master weaver Lidia Lopez from Guatemala at the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

You wouldn’t know it from the photo necessarily but this is master weaver Lidia Lopez from Guatemala. In some circles, she’s a bit of a celebrity, and it turns out that people in Ohio, Colorado, and California will be taking weaving classes from her this summer.

Caroline Wise and Gohar Sajid from Pakistan at the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Like a pinball machine from the past, our credit card just went into TILT mode. The big lesson of the day: if you are not prepared to buy something, don’t try it on…no matter HOW MUCH you like that thing. Next, once you’ve donned this rather priciest of all pricey things, do not have someone with you who tells you it’s the most beautiful piece of clothing they’ve ever seen you in. Third, run away or suffer the guilt that a credit card was whipped out with lightning speed to pay for a dream tunic/kurta you could have never imagined buying. Fourth, now that it’s yours, convince yourself never to wear it as the occasion is never perfect/formal enough, and you’d possibly embarrass yourself if anyone else guessed at what you paid. This sums up Caroline’s experience in diving into the lunacy of being convinced that we can well absorb the cost of this exquisite work that took eight months to create and which is now going to travel with us after Gohar Sajid from Pakistan (pictured) passed it into our care. But wait, there’s more: a big truth about this entire transaction is that it was the first time I’ve seen my wife wearing something that made me choke up; I think I’m getting soft in my old age.

International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

The folk market attracts artists from 50 countries that visit Santa Fe to display and sell their work, though some artists are here for the song and dance.

Caroline Wise with Maki Aizawa & Tsuyo Onodera at the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

So, what does one do for an encore after purchasing the most expensive piece of clothing ever? Turn around and not even an hour later buy the second priciest object because we’re on a roll. The lady photobombing Caroline is Master Kimono Maker Tsuyo Onodera, grandmother to the young man selling us this Japanese jumper dress that Caroline obviously fell in love with. Once she takes the opportunity to wear it after we are back home, I’ll snap another photo and share it here. We are now nearly broke, yet there is more to come as I’ve arranged a surprise for Caroline to be hand-delivered later this morning.

Shirt from Pachan Premjibhai Siju of India at the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

We are not here trying to stuff a grab bag of every piece of alluring fabric, but holding back is never easy.

Caroline Wise and Norma Schaefer at the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Surprise! Is that Norma Schaefer over there? Oh wow, “Hi Norma, fancy seeing you here.” Norma was the tour organizer for our trip to Chiapas, Mexico, last year, and for the past two weeks, Caroline has been eyeballing a huipil that Norma was selling on her blog http://www.oaxacaculture.com. While my wife was coveting it, green with envy and sure that someone else should likely get it, I’d clandestinely reached out to Norma and inquired if she was going to be down in Santa Fe at IFAM, and sure enough, she was. After meeting up, I casually asked Norma if she’d already bought anything interesting at the market, and she said, “As a matter of fact, I picked this up,” and out popped this huipil made by Pinotepa de Don Luis, Oaxaca, weaver Viridiana who created this pericone (wild marigold), purple caracol (snail) dye, and indigo piece of handmade cotton art. Mind you, Caroline hadn’t purchased it as she felt that it was too expensive in light of us going to Santa Fe, but I can assure you that it was easier on the wallet than the previous two items.

International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

We now turn our attention to wandering without purpose, with the idea of shopping banished until we recover from the shock of spending with abandon. In a sense, it’s as though we’ve grown up and graduated from attending the Renaissance Festival to end up here at the International Folk Art Market. I then wonder if there’s anything else quite like this event, and if there isn’t, why not? Are there really only about 20,000 people in the entirety of the United States who bother with visiting IFAM here in New Mexico, who can both afford it and have the time to immerse themselves in such cultural outings? I say 20,000 because that’s approximately the number that attend, and while more might visit if it were closer to home, why aren’t there more of these kinds of multicultural gatherings?

Claudio Jimenez Quispe of Peru at the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Claudio Jimenez Quispe of Peru and his family are the artists known for making these retablos, and as much as we’d love to carry this home with us, $600 for an addition to our shelves of knick-knacks doesn’t feel like the best use of our money when so many clothes talk louder to Caroline. Interestingly enough, the retablos are made with a mixture of plaster and boiled potatoes (that description is not a typo). The finer details of the painting are applied with cactus spines. Luckily, there are different sizes/prices available, so we are considering one of the tiny $40 versions.

International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Conventional Western ideas of beauty are so broken, characterless, and sterile, even while brands such as Lululemon have brainwashed women in the U.S. into displays that are classless at best. I suppose I have to accept that I’m now truly old when a 50 to 55-year-old woman barely 4 foot 10 inches (147 cm) tall with a thick face, liver spots, and colorful traditional garb appears a thousand times more authentic than the majority of most everyone I witness on a day-to-day basis at some of the “trendy” places where I spend time writing. This has me asking myself, as though I were putting myself in the shoes of a reader, “Why then don’t you write at Denny’s or McDonald’s?” Have you been to a Denny’s lately? It reeks of meth to me, while McDonald’s smells of old people, and the coffee is merely hot brown water; I don’t care what you other old people think of it.

International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Fortunately for you, the reader, we are about to leave the market, which allows me to stop the direction this post just pulled into; maybe I’m just awkward when it comes to sharing my revulsion of modern fashion and having to compare traditional handicraft to the banalities we sell as clothes du jour.

Caroline Wise in Santa Fe, New Mexico

When Caroline initially showed me a photo of this huipil, I nodded quietly at her enthusiasm. Truthfully, I didn’t like the color. When she brought it up a second time and asked my opinion, I demurred along the lines of, “If you really like it, you should get it,” all the while thinking to myself, I really don’t like the colors. Now that she’s wearing it, I believe she wears it well, and just as important, I’m thrilled that there’s not a soul in this restaurant right now that is dressed anything at all as she is. Maybe it’s corny, but I appreciate that my wife and best friend is not compelled, nor has she ever been interested in fitting in with the crowd. Speaking of the restaurant, we dined at La Choza, located just on the other end of the Railroad Park.

Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Yep, we’re done with dinner and have landed once again in the Candy-colored Butt Toy Superstore. [My editor just let out a groan after reading this, wondering how her husband is able to maintain such juvenile ideas at his advanced age.]

From Caroline: Contrary to the idiot who wrote the above, we are at Meow Wolf, and those colorful phallic objects are NOT butt toys; they are pleasure devices for whichever hole you choose to use them in.

From the REAL Caroline: Why, John? WHY???

Caroline Wise at Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, New Mexico

We play with the light that illuminates our lives and has allowed us the opportunity to practice what it means to be human. Utilizing patterns, we manipulate constructs to explore an otherwise dark universe while attempting to leave some impression on the creatures that have become self-aware. We cannot truly walk in the footsteps of our ancestors as we have no real idea of how they relate to a world devoid of the conveniences and acts of magic we take for granted. How else should one explain entering an otherwise dark room and passing one’s hands through laser light beams to trigger music emanating from hidden corners and tell others that this isn’t somehow extraordinary?

Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Art allows some amount of recontextualizing the inexplicable by forcing us to see a perspective drawn from someone else’s mind that has sampled frames of reality and imagination, which they interpreted in ways unknown by the viewer. What must one absorb, begin to understand, and finally have knowledge about before being able to create a thing?

Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Conversely, what must a person know and desire to understand in order to find some kind of meaning when observing what might otherwise be incomprehensible? When does an object such as an ancient obsidian blade become a tool for someone who’s never seen such a thing and has no means to conceptualize the purpose? How, then, do art and music that are initially inimitable come to inform our need to ponder and find inspiration in the potential tool/palette that we might try integrating into our own knowledge?

Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, New Mexico

We have normalized the sight of ourselves and don’t think twice about seeing another of our species. Well, that is only partly true as many live in fear of others, but by and large, we accept that our kind roams the spaces of our reality. So, when something unfamiliar to our sense of normal appears, we must make a quick decision if the thing is dangerous or if it should draw out our curiosity. In the context of a museum, work of literature, or movie, we have already established a relative zone of safety where we believe we’ll be able to observe and maybe find meaning in what we are bringing to our senses. This is the good fortune of those in modernity living outside the hostility of war, famine, and poverty.

Caroline Wise and John Wise at Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, New Mexico

I have to think about the 35,000-year-old paintings found in the Chauvet-Pont-d’Arc Cave of southeastern France, where early humans left images of horses, cave lions, and rhinos, amongst other paintings of animals that lived in the area long ago. Now here are Caroline and I in an electronic cave, creating an image of ourselves after using gestures interpreted by knobs and electronics to paint temporary phototonic displays of colors and forms shown on digital screens while rounded mirrors reflect elements of the cave, and various bits of illumination bathes us in deep hues of blue. All the while, we are in an artificial space climate-controlled by machines using electricity generated at some far-off place, thus eliminating the need for us to carry fire into the darkness. And now that the image has been created, we can share it instantly around the entirety of the earth, though nobody will ever be able to enter that space and see a physical record of our presence.

Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, New Mexico

In a sense, following our summoning of the alien and manifesting technology at the level we’ve evolved it to, we are now communicating with the hallucinations and fluidic psychedelic dreams of our infant artificial intelligence. The AIs we’ve been introduced to are barely over six months old as far as our experience with them, and yet they are likely in some respects smarter than many of the people around us, and even if you have a compelling argument that they are not yet “all that smart,” they are obviously learning faster than any organic being that has existed and communicated with what until now was the only known sentient being on our planet that we know of. When we stop and consider where we’ve taken animation, electronic music, image, and language synthesis, should it be any wonder that we’ll likely be exposed to an entirely new paradigm of communication that will attempt to teach us its mother tongue and pull us into an artificial cave in order to share with us what the future looks like?

Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, New Mexico

“What are you willing to risk?” Due to biological imperatives surrounding survival in an otherwise hostile world, humans have had to risk all manner of potential physical harm, but this is the modern age, and we’ve done everything in our power to risk the very planet that sustains us when it refused to kill us off. Or maybe Earth is a compassionate body that is waiting for us to figure out when we’ll risk trying to explore the furthest reaches of our minds. Personally, I think evolution is using us as a tool to build an intelligent entity that will survive on the energy of the sun before learning to harness the photon to propel itself into the furthest reaches of the universe with nary a concern for the cold dangers of deep space or the time it would take to traverse distances that might take billions of years to satisfy an inquisitiveness we embued it with. This energetic molecular ambassador would be responsible for carrying the artifact of curiosity that drove humans to make art, machines, war, and death beyond what an organic entity could ever achieve. Hopefully, it will have evolved enough to understand the need to leave war and death behind.

New Mexico, Here We Come!

Trump Supporters in Show Low, Arizona

Like Satan diving into holy water, we are genuinely concerned about outing ourselves as the enemy were we to walk through the doors of The Trumped Store here in Show Low, Arizona. Claims of the best coffee in the area and the promise of hotdogs were not enough of a draw for us to cross the street and pay a visit. In these days of diminished retail presence, someone is making enough money selling Trump paraphernalia to have been planted on this main thoroughfare through town for years now. My favorite part of this enterprise is a quote from their website where grifters are grifting the grifter:

“The products sold by company are not licensed, introduced, or otherwise authorized or approved by President Trump, His Campaign or by any of its affiliates; and President Trump’s Campaign Committee does not receive any proceeds whatsoever from the Trumped Companies Sales or Activities.”

East of Show Low, Arizona on U.S. Route 60

Out of the ugly and into the beautiful. Truth be told, that stop in Show Low was a minor speed bump because the road northeast of the Phoenix area was as spectacular as it always is. There are no photos from that leg because we’re entertaining the idea that instead of spending the night in Albuquerque, New Mexico, we might be able to make it all the way to Santa Fe. Leaving earlier than anticipated helps in this equation of covering the requisite 500 miles to reach this city sitting in the clouds at over 7,100 feet (2,194 meters).

Near Springerville, Arizona

It’s so easy to see the world reflected in the still waters lying upon the surface, but do you know how to see it in the eyes of the person you love? And how should you know with certainty that what you see in those eyes is a real representation of enchantment or a façade being presented for the sake of harmony but hiding deeper unhappiness? Maybe you don’t, but Caroline and I seem to have either reached a permanent delusional state of tricking one another, or we really do see the resonant frequencies of amazement in each other’s smiles when we stop to gaze at the exquisite sights that nature deploys upon those susceptible to such murmurs.

New Mexico State Line on U.S. Route 60

We left Phoenix seemingly minutes ago, and blam! we’re in New Mexico. These roads we’ve been traveling might be at risk of growing overly familiar, and maybe we struggle to find alternative routes to mix things up a bit, but that won’t stop us from these long hauls. After previous journeys that took us over Holbrook, Arizona, to Gallup, New Mexico, or when we skirted through St. John’s, Arizona, over to Zuni before taking the route south through Mogollon, New Mexico, then cutting over through Duncan, Arizona, we find a way so the adventures continue to pile up like so many stickers found on this State Line sign on U.S. Route 60. As for the nature of what brings us out this way yet again after having been in this Land of Enchantment twice already in the past five weeks: well, those exact details will have to wait until tomorrow when I share that story.

Pronghorn Antelope off U.S. Route 60 in New Mexico

We might have had better luck catching, dispatching, and cooking this pronghorn antelope than getting a proper dinner meal here in New Mexico because it seems everything other than fast food closes at 8:00 p.m. It was just a few weeks ago on our way to Gallup, New Mexico, for the Sheep is Life celebration that we were wondering out loud why we haven’t seen any pronghorn on that trip, and then here today, we finally see a solo member of the species hauling ass trying to race past us. While it finally put on the brakes and reversed direction faster than we possibly could have, we have to have respect for this antelope speeding well over 55 mph (88 km/h), making the capture of this photo taken by me in the driver’s seat tricky, to say the least. Little did I know that the pronghorn antelope is the second fastest land animal on earth, only surpassed by the cheetah by a mere mile or two per hour.

La Ventana Natural Arch in El Malpais National Monument, New Mexico

Prior to stopping here at the La Ventana Natural Arch in El Malpais National Monument, we dipped in at the Narrows Rim Trail that we hiked last year for some reminiscing. Back then, we didn’t hike the entire trail because we arrived at the trailhead late, and this has us dreaming of a return to the 7.3-mile out-and-back hike that brings you to a cliff across from the arch pictured here for a view from above. Enough of the sightseeing; time to finish the long haul to Santa Fe.

Bye Sheep

Winfield Trading Post on Route 602 south of Gallup, New Mexico

There are so many places in between that we never document, and thus, we forget those stops along the road. While I try to record our travels, the photos I capture are not always worth sharing. Even though an image was taken because of the enchanting nature of its subject matter, sometimes the quality just isn’t there, and some photos are simply ugly shots. As I prep pictures for these posts, there can be a high level of disappointment that I didn’t capture what I thought I had, and so with posts getting long enough when I end up with 15, 20, 35, or more photos, I neglect telling you about the unpictured places. Take this morning. We started in the old town of Gallup, New Mexico, but we were surrounded by homeless wanderers, and while we helped the first young couple that asked with cash, this was going to be overwhelming so we left. Since it was so early on a Sunday morning, we weren’t able to stop in at Mary Walker’s shop, Weaving in Beauty. I took a photo of the front door, but upon looking at it now, I find the image boring; yet we were there, and without this note, it would be forgotten.

Joe Milo's Trading Company in Vanderwagen, New Mexico

Pulled over at Joe Milo’s Trading Company in Vanderwagen for no other reason than our attempt at taking photos of the Katsinas along the fence line. There are so many beautiful, larger-than-life Katsinas here, but the background isn’t ever all that great. I think they work best as objects that catch your eye as you are driving down the road and draw you into the trading post.

Cousins Road near Chi Chil Tah, New Mexico

Heading south out of Gallup, we’d already established that we would be taking the scenic route with a slow drive over the landscape instead of getting on Interstate 40, which would have zipped us home in less than 4.5 hours. So, after I passed a paved road heading north on our right, I hurriedly slowed down to make a quick U-turn and see where this side road would take us. Here we were, driving up Cousins Road, trying to avoid looking at the map and just waiting for the pavement to give way to dirt, but after passing through Chi Chil Tah and reaching Jones Ranch Road, we decided to turn around and head back to our highway on a slightly different path.

Smooth Mountain Road near Chi Chil Tah, New Mexico

We turned right on Oak Mesa Road, as it was paved, and looked to connect to Smooth Mountain Road, which was further east and had caught our attention on the way out. By the way, I dare you to try and find some of these names on Google or Bing Maps as they are listed officially with names like County Road 6 or Indian Service Road 7010, but when you drive through here, you’ll see actual street names and not the road numbers, go figure. Once we reached Smooth Mountain Road, it was almost smooth, as smooth as a gravel road can be, I suppose.

New Mexico Route 602 near Zuni, New Mexico

After about an hour, we were back on the road taking us south, a road number that coincides with our area code: 602. It was just over a year ago that we spent the weekend right out there, straight ahead in Zuni, at The Inn At Halona.

Off NM-32 south of Zuni, New Mexico

The entire time we were driving down Route 602, we were nearly certain that we’d never driven this specific road between Zuni and Gallup; well, at least, we couldn’t recall when that occasion would have been. It would take getting home and checking our trusty map that documents every roadway we’ve traveled on over the past 25 years to find out that this one had already been covered. How nice it is that something that might have otherwise been familiar is new again.

Indian Service Route 9 on Zuni Reservation in New Mexico

I can’t tell you where Indian Service Route 9 goes as we didn’t follow its path, but I can assure you that the flowers that lined its way were a lot prettier than you can likely tell by looking at this photo. But isn’t that the truth about everything we see with our own eyes compared to what is captured in an image?

Fence Lake, New Mexico

Route 602 gave way to Route 36, which took us through Fence Lake, population between 42 and 121 depending on the source, and as we stood here at the intersection of downtown Fence Lake, we were even more certain that we’d never passed this way, wrong. How this monument faded from memory will be a mystery unless we passed through here in the dark.

NM-36 branching to Route 603 near Quemado and Pie Town, New Mexico

Finally, a legitimate new road to add to our trophy map of conquered roads. We are heading to Pie Town on dirt road number 603 with fingers crossed that here on Father’s Day, which is also a Sunday, one of the pie shops in Pie Town is open and not sold out or so busy that we’ll have to continue our road trip home.

Route 603 southeast to Pie Town, New Mexico

Only 23.5 miles of dirt, gravel, and washboard lay ahead, and once we’re done bumping down this dusty trail, we’ll be delivered to the world-renowned Pie Town, USA. In case you are curious about cellphone signal quality out this far from everything, you’d be correct if you guessed we had no service, and should you wonder if that makes us nervous, it does, but I’d never voice that while we are out here lest I jinx us and it turns out that we really could use a phone to help us with a disabled car or some other issue.

Pie Town, New Mexico

Pie-O-Neer in Pie Town is not only open, but it’s not nearly as crowded as feared. What’s more, they still had New Mexico apple and green chile pie available. The Pie-O-Neer Pie Cafe offers meals too, but you won’t be choosing what you want to eat as they feature a fixed menu, you can take it or leave it. Today’s plate was Mexican-themed, and we said, Yeah!

Caroline Wise at Pie Town, New Mexico

Is there anything more American than pie and coffee in a tiny old diner in the middle of nowhere? Sure, there is; that pie should be served with a scoop of ice cream.

Alegre Motel in Quemado, New Mexico

Appetites satisfied all that was left to do was cover the 20 miles to Quemado, New Mexico, to dip into a free abandoned room at the Alegre Motel and catch a nap. The only problem was that Caroline wasn’t interested in inspecting the rooms to find out which looked the coziest.

Clown souvenir on the right from Alegre Motel in Quemado, New Mexico

Well, if I wasn’t going to get a nap, I’ll just collect that creepy clown figurine on the right and add it to my collection of things I’m gathering from the defunct Alegre, but wait, that’s not just any figurine, it’s an “Emmit Kelly Jr Clown with Accordion” that could be worth a pretty penny. You see, maybe it’s worthwhile to explore these abandoned liminal spaces that may or may not be occupied by someone who could turn out to be your worst nightmare. I should probably keep in mind that I’m too old to sprint away from serial killers who might be in better shape and younger than me.

Caroline Wise in eastern New Mexico on Route 32

Pulled over to take a photo down the road, and Caroline, spotting some sticks next to the fence line, left the car to investigate. Closer inspection revealed that the “sticks” turned out to be a 5-point elk antler. After this quick photo, we stowed it in the trunk and had just gone to take a look for the second one when a park ranger/law enforcement truck pulled up behind our car, flashing a warning because our car was still on the road. We quickly jumped back in and continued our journey. With the antler in the back of the car, we were giant grins driving down the road, simply incredulous that we were the proud new owners of a massive antler. We talked about turning around to try and find the other one but decided this was good enough.

Eastern New Mexico on Route 32

I’ve on more than one occasion expressed my gratitude to those who’ve hand-carved the 10s of thousands of trails across the U.S. and likely have neglected to say how much I appreciate the work that has gone into creating our vast highway system with all the small roads, paved and dirt, that crisscross our country allowing those interested to explore a landscape that will never be fully be seen by a single American ever.

Mailboxes at Apache Creek Store in Apache Creek, New Mexico

This quintessential symbol of rural life found roadside across the country may only be a mailbox, but there is an undeniable aesthetic that screams Americana, and we love the sight of them.

Apache Creek Store in Apache Creek, New Mexico

This can’t be the first time I’ll attempt to write something about a small country store, and while I was considering what to say about the Apache Creek Store at the intersection of State Highways 12 and 32 in Reserve, New Mexico, it occurred to me that should I decide to cut and paste something from a previous blog post, nobody other than an AI could know that I’ve done so and then I thought, heck I should write an entire post exclusively using recycled text. Now I have to wonder how much my brain is already doing this.

US 180 south of Reserve, New Mexico

I’ll have to guess that we are already on State Route 180, about 180 miles from where we began this morning in Gallup. What you can’t see in the shot is what time it is; the deal is that we’ve already been out here for about 8 hours at this place on the road. How we turned 3 hours of driving into 8 is a mystery to us. With about 280 miles yet ahead of us, good thing we gain that hour as we cross back into Arizona.

Leopold Vista in Buckhorn, New Mexico

Shortly before our turn west, we stop at the Leopold Vista in Buckhorn, New Mexico to admire the landscape of the Gila Wilderness Area from this viewpoint. This spot on the map was dedicated to Aldo Leopold, author of A Sand County Almanac. The reason behind the dedication is best explained by this paragraph from Wikipedia about him:

In 1909, Leopold was assigned to the Forest Service’s District 3 in the Arizona and New Mexico territories. At first, he was a forest assistant at the Apache National Forest in the Arizona Territory. In 1911, he was transferred to the Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico. Leopold’s career, which kept him in New Mexico until 1924, included developing the first comprehensive management plan for the Grand Canyon, writing the Forest Service’s first game and fish handbook, and proposing Gila Wilderness Area, the first national wilderness area in the Forest Service system.

State Route 78 east of Mule Creek, New Mexico

This is the wrong time of day to be driving west, right into the sun. Maybe the clouds will help protect us from being blinded.

State Route 78 near the Needles Eye in Clifton, Arizona

We are well into Arizona at this point, and considering it would be smart to put an end to the incessant stops along the way if we want to be home before 9:00, how could we just pass by the Needles Eye outside of Clifton?

Billboard near Three Way (between Clifton and Duncan) in Arizona

Seriously, we were finished with these stops along the way until this sign in Conservative Country stood out like a sore thumb and had us laughing as we drove by. With so many signs across the west shot to bits using various gauge guns and the old familiar pattern of the shotgun blast, how has this sign not been burned to the ground or hit with a bazooka? It reads, “America – Already Great!” followed by, “Fight Fear, Fraud & Fascism, Vote Democratic.”