We'll take the high road

Holy Dirt!

On the way to Taos yesterday, we made a quick pilgrimage at Chimayo, sometimes called Lourdes of America.

I expected a humble country church, but the El Santario de Chimayo is a large complex with multiple shrines scattered over several acres. And gift shops, always gift shops.

Pilgrims travel here from all over, leaving behind photographs, mementos and small religious relics.  The ceiling of the Santo Nino Chapel is rather poignantly covered with hundreds of small shoes.

 El Santuario de Chimayo

The main church is famous for its side chapel, where the dirt floor is reputed to have healing powers. A mass was in progress, so we just peeked in the front door.

During Easter week, tens of thousands of pilgrims come to this pretty spot in the countryside, about 30 miles north of Santa Fe.

The area is also known for its heirloom chili, called the Chimayo Chili. I bought several packages of ground chili at this trading post on the sanctuary grounds.  The nice man inside also gave me some recipes and tips for cooking real fresh chili sauce.  

According to the chili expert, this powder is nothing like the abomination we buy in "taco seasoning" packets. Guess I'll have to up my Mexican cooking game when I get home.

Our next stop on the high road to Taos was the small mountain town of Las Trampas. So many things have changed since we were last in New Mexico, but this spot was just as quiet and peaceful as I remembered.

The historic 18th-century village of Las Trampas is now a National Historic District, featuring at its center, the Spanish colonial San José de Gracia Church.

The lovely old church is over 250 years old and the walls are 6 feet thick.

Fresh tortilla soup, chili rellanos and sopapillas for lunch at a very nice restaurant in Chimayo. A word about the food in Northern New Mexico:  Good.

El Pueblo Inn, Taos

John relaxing in front of his "casita," our humble home for the next two days.  This is a true retro motel leftover from the old tourist days of Taos, long before the highway was lined with Hampton Inns and Motel 6.  We're close to the center of town, which is nice.

Our little room has both charms and annoyances, mainly the roaring window air conditioner. But they serve a fabulous complimentary southwest breakfast here, the wireless is snappy, and the grounds are lovely and peaceful.  So it all averages out in the end.

We were pretty beat from the drive and our big night at the opera, so dinner was take-out chicken from Smith's (Kroger.)  Today we plan to visit the Taos Pueblo.