I wanted to take a day trip last Sunday.
I've really been craving a trip up north for the longest time and Sunday
seemed like the perfect day.
I invited my friend Carol Hopper, who is also an artist.
Carol came over early and we stocked up with waters,
snacks, chairs, our cameras, and a little booklet called something like
Day Trips in New Mexico.
Our first stop was Chimayo and we forgot one thing,
on Sunday it's crowded up there!
Mass was going on so there was absolutely no parking available.
I didn't need to have church pics,
but Carol hopped out and took a few.
Art galleries were open, people were selling tamales and chile
and business was really cooking!
Except at Rancho de Chimayo - they closed from 11 - 11:30am
to do the breakfast/lunch changeover, so we missed out.
We decided to keep going on and eat further up the road.
We saw this cool old car in a driveway and I was
also attracted to the old Coca-Cola sign.
Are these things from the 1950's?
We both fell in love with this pretty old gate!
Is this Robin's Egg Blue?
I HAVE to paint this!
A pretty bright sunflower next to the coffee shop sign.
Love the old adobe wall.
The old gift shop/store with my favorite old gas pump.
I've never noticed this Russian sage bush before.
Probably because I usually come in the fall or winter.
My one and only photo of Chimayo taken through an old archway.
Everything is SO green right now.
It was really lush.
A woman selling Indian bread.
I'm definitely painting her.
I love how relaxed she is.
And I think she's using a tablet. Progress....
I take a pic of this old yellow truck with a broken windshield
every time I come up here.
The sun hit the crack in the windshield spot on today!
This was up around Cundiyo and Truchas.
Beautiful stream.
Old school way to dry clothes.
The way both of my grandmothers used to do it.
Beautiful hollyhocks along the way.
Look at that greenness!
I don't think I've ever seen fields and valleys in New Mexico this green.
This is an old adobe near Truchas.
What attracted me were the shingles.
They were red and green and we saw the same color
and pattern in several small villages - which makes me think
that they ordered a big supply back in the day and
everyone got some.
Maybe there was a surplus.
Thunderclouds in the distance.
This was in Truchas, where I would live if I truly wanted solitude.
The wildflowers in Truchas were just gorgeous!
The pics don't do them justice,
you really had to be there.
An old beaten down adobe.
I try to imagine what kind of family lived here
and what happened to them.....
Mountains and clouds in the distance.
I believe the Milagro Beanfield War was filled here or in Las Trampas.
This scenery made me want to see the movie again.
Tonight!
Old bell of some sort.
We thought maybe a school bell.
Cool old house near Truchas.
This house is SO northern New Mexico with the pitched roof
and the wrap-around porch.
The valley around Truchas.
Some houses here are perched on the edge of a cliff.
A mural on the way to Los Trampas.
Carol says, "You could paint this."
So could she, she's an artist too!
Carol at the Look Out point near Truchas Peaks..
Little houses.
I took photos of several descansos.
I love painting them and they are sacred to me.
More beautiful descansos.
Oh man, we finally found food!
Let me tell you - I had read about the Sugar Nymph Bistro
in several magazines and I am so glad we found it in Penasco.
The green chile cheeseburger is to die for.
Seriously!
And the warm scones.....
Our last stop of the day - Dixon, New Mexico.
If you look closely, you can see Pedernal in the background,
which is all the way in Abiquiu.
We were only 23 miles from Taos at this point.
A wonderful day, and lots of images for reference.
Thanks Carol!