The Lure of Santa Fe, NM

Santa Fe, NM and the surrounding towns and pueblos are nestled into the landscape of the valleys, high dessert, rocky hills and plateaus-- all of which are surrounded by the majestic Sangre de Cristo mountain range (Spanish for Blood of Christ).

This area is very rich in history as this is where 22 Native American Indian tribes once flourished. I was in the Navajo Nation! You can visit museums to learn their history and even find sites where hieroglyphs remain today.

This area of the US is very different from what I am used to. I grew up and have lived in the Greater Bay Area of California for most of my life. It is very busy with people commuting, commerce, forward thinking progress making, and building going on constantly. The landscape has changed a great deal over the course of my life. Everywhere you look there are buildings surrounding you. This is not true in Santa Fe, NM. I could stand in one spot and turn 360 degrees and not see a building at all - or if I did it was not taller than 2 stories. The sky was HUGE!

I like architecture so I took pictures of churches.

I also like sunrise/sunset pictures. These are from the porch where I was staying.

My life was busier than it had ever been. I thought raising kids, having a full time job and commuting to a big city was stressful. But it does not compare to running your own business and making sure it is successful and all those who work with you are successful. I was feeling overwhelmed.

The gift of a stay in Santa Fe, NM could not have come at a more perfect time. Santa Fe in early Spring is quiet. The roads are clear and the people are few. The weather was perfect. A little snow, a little rain, and a lot of sunshine. The people I did encounter were friendly and liked to chat and share stories of the area. They were genuinely interested in me and helping me enjoy my visit. So refreshing!

I visited Taos, famous for it's artist community and, of course, I drove over the Rio Grand bridge and looked down into its vast gorge. I visited Las Vegas and Madrid - both quaint old towns rich in history and used often by Hollywood for film making. (Longest Yard, Longmire & Wild Hogs)

What I loved most, however, was visiting all of the art galleries! I did not add them up, and I did not go in all of them - but I did go into at least 25 of them - including the Georgia O'Keefe museum.

The Lure of Santa Fe, NM ...... for me.... it was an awareness that there really is more out there in this world than my little corner of it; that there remains a place untouched, rich in history and spirit. It was a place where I could quiet my mind; enrich my soul ,and ignite my creativity.