For years now I have been hoping to hear the Taos Hum. No such luck on this visit. I did hear Perry, our friends youngest, humming a little while he was putting on his shoes to take me to see the tee pee down the lane from their house.
Their neighbors have created a sanctuary of quiet in the willows covering their property. Sculpture line the pathways leading through the willow forest. We were never told to keep it quiet, but everyone whispered while walking through the property. It was kind an unspoken thing...
The world needs more places like this where naturally, without being told, we quiet ourselves and soak in the tranquility. The road to the the house is called Tranquilo Lane.
Most people think New Mexico to be all rock and sand. They could not be more wrong, especially in Northern New Mexico. The part of Taos, El Prado, where our friends live, is actually very lush and verdant. The water flows out of the Sangre De Cristo mountains year round and passes through Taos on its way to the Rio Grande. Little streams like the Rio Lucero join together to form a mighty river that becomes a border for our country. This water will be swam across by many people hoping for a better life on this side of the border.
Last year this same road was all dirt and gravel. This is called the High Rim Road and connects Taos with Pillar on the West side of the Rio Grande. It was paved this past Spring as many people have moved out in this direction. Living out here on the Mesa is 100% off the grid. There is electric along the road, but it is not utilized by many of those living out here. The cost of getting it from the road up onto the mesa keeps folks from doing so. Most that live out here use solar panels to run everything they need. Out here you find every level of living. There are people in beautiful build homes, Earthships, and even some people living in busses. Most folks live pretty close to the land.
New Mexico is a great place to find old cars. They are every where and most are in remarkably good condition. I wanted this Chevy truck real badly. It was painted once but is all original, runs and drives perfectly. 58,000 miles, $3500.
A prerequisite for us is a visit to the hot springs at Ojo Caliente. Our visit is always planned around a stop here.
For centuries, people have come here to take in the Springs. The mud pool is a great way to get all the nasties out of your skin. As it dries, you feel it stretching your skin tight. Okay, it might not do jack, but it sure is fun to play in the mud.
The people at Ojo have been really building the springs up. They have added portals with lounge chairs and hammocks all over the place. Soaking in the 101, 103, 105, 107 degree water and then reading for a little while, followed by a nap and more soaking is a really soothing way to spend the day. This is a full service spa offering massage and all kinds of treatments. They have a really nice hotel and restaurant here now too.
Not all the pools are hot. This big one is 87 degrees. I like to go from a hot spring to this warm pool and back again. Hot, cold, hot, cold. If you have kids under 12, this is the only pool they can swim in. At Ojo, the rule is "whisper please". It is posted every where. Sometimes we need a reminder.
After Ojo, we headed back to Central New Mexico. Tim's house on top of Waldo Mesa is just so inviting. In my next post I will tell you all about shopping Santa Fe style.
1 comment:
Love the sanctuary. We made it to the gorge last year, but not out to the earthships, hope to do that next trip. The hot springs look sweet too! Can't wait for our next visit, you are right that there is something really special/enchanted about New Mexico. Many folks I talk to that have been there or live/lived there say the same.
Post a Comment