Photoroaming in New Mexico
With oodles of free time and no social obligations down here, I’ve been playing the role of tourist in my spare time. I just grab my camera bag and head off in the direction of something that has been recommended to me by people.
My first weekend here was the big road trip to visit friends in Las Vegas. While it was great seeing my friends again, that much time alone on the road can wear on a guy if he’s only got 2 cds of music to listen to.
A number of people told me that I need to see Santa Fe while I’m here. It’s a city steeped in history and tradition and should be observed while I’m nearby.
Santa Fe is a beautiful city and there are signs everywhere to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the historic sites that are liberally scattered throughout the city. All of the adobe looks freshly applied and the streets have been swept clear of any debris that might offend a tourist. In fact, the whole experience felt overly sanitized. It took me hours of hiking around to find a single alley way with any graffiti in it and the only locals I was able to talk to were interested in selling me something “traditional” to take home with me. There was an art fair happening that had lots of “no photo” warnings to preserve the artists’ creations. Unfortunately, it felt just like every other art fair I’ve ever been to with only one or two artists actually standing out as having created something of their own (check out www.gourdmasque.com to see a modern twist of traditional art).
I don’t want to make Santa Fe sound like it was a total waste of my time. Lunch at The Flying Tortilla featured Torte de Huevo (I’m told this is a popular dish for Lent) with a side dish that I want with every meal from now on. The side dish was spinach, beans and onions in a zingy marinade that is making my mouth water just from thinking about it. The museums on Museum Hill show some excellent examples of native art that are easily worth the time to find the place. They show generations of accomplishments and a sense of heritage that runs deep throughout every exhibit. It’s too bad this sense of heritage is only hinted at by the vendors in downtown Santa Fe.
During the week, I took the time to explore the area surrounding Albuquerque before heading into the office for the afternoon shifts. I felt my first indications that I am a mile above sea level while hiking through Petroglyph National Monument. I didn’t pack any water for that excursion and found myself stumbling back to the car after taking a few pictures of the Petroglyphs.
I also took the tram to the top of Sandia Peak. The tram claims to be the longest in the world at 2 miles in length. The ascent to the peak is breathtaking… literally as you are two miles above sea level at the top. My two mile hike again left me gasping both in awe and to remain standing. The restaurant at the peak is called High Finance and serves fair enough food but what you’re paying for is the view.
Later, I learned there is a road that travels along the spine of the Sandia Mountains. When I got to the road I also discovered it is not paved or maintained. Glad I was in a rental… I drove the 8 miles of rough road across the mountain, dodging potholes and gawking at the scenery.
After coming out of the mountain roads, I took some time enjoying a walk through the TinkerTown Museum. This is a fascinating journey through somebody’s overgrown junk collection that has been carefully assembled into one giant art installation. There are many hand carved figurines with crude animation that remind me of old hurdy gurdies. I got speaking with the creator’s widow and took some more photos.
One of the guys who works here turned me on to the many ghost towns surrounding Albuquerque. I had visions of empty saloons and barbershops and a general store lining an old dusty street. The reality is that when you get away from the highway there are many aging towns that people are slowly leaving abandoned so they can enjoy modern amenities. Ghost towns are rated by letters from A (barren spaces that used to have inhabitants) through E (a historic boom town that is still active with a diminished population). It’s kind of sad to see the conditions of the housing that some people are still living in at some of the class D towns (the most common type). Driving through them feels like driving through some third world country where inhabitants are lucky to have running water.
While driving through a reservation, I stopped to take pictures of some of the fantastic rock formations that are scattered through the countryside. I had just taken my first photo when two SUVs pulled up and some young men stepped out, telling me I was on sacred land and photos aren't permitted. They went on to tell me about how people have been stealing the beauty of the land and claiming they created the image without crediting the native population that lives there. The young man went on to tell me how I could purchase a photo permit for the day for only $100 if I wanted to take my photos. He said the council of elders was closed for the day but he would be willing to write up a receipt for me if I was interested. I passed on the permit and watched my rear view mirror as the two SUVs followed me until I was off the reservation.
Next weekend I plan on driving down south a bit to play UFO tourist. There are all sorts of alien burial sites and a very large array of antennae and satellite dishes. Expect photos.
If you click on any of these images they will take you directly to my Flickr account where you can click on the properties of the image and see where they were taken on a map. I love technology.
My first weekend here was the big road trip to visit friends in Las Vegas. While it was great seeing my friends again, that much time alone on the road can wear on a guy if he’s only got 2 cds of music to listen to.
A number of people told me that I need to see Santa Fe while I’m here. It’s a city steeped in history and tradition and should be observed while I’m nearby.
Santa Fe is a beautiful city and there are signs everywhere to make sure you don’t miss out on any of the historic sites that are liberally scattered throughout the city. All of the adobe looks freshly applied and the streets have been swept clear of any debris that might offend a tourist. In fact, the whole experience felt overly sanitized. It took me hours of hiking around to find a single alley way with any graffiti in it and the only locals I was able to talk to were interested in selling me something “traditional” to take home with me. There was an art fair happening that had lots of “no photo” warnings to preserve the artists’ creations. Unfortunately, it felt just like every other art fair I’ve ever been to with only one or two artists actually standing out as having created something of their own (check out www.gourdmasque.com to see a modern twist of traditional art).
I don’t want to make Santa Fe sound like it was a total waste of my time. Lunch at The Flying Tortilla featured Torte de Huevo (I’m told this is a popular dish for Lent) with a side dish that I want with every meal from now on. The side dish was spinach, beans and onions in a zingy marinade that is making my mouth water just from thinking about it. The museums on Museum Hill show some excellent examples of native art that are easily worth the time to find the place. They show generations of accomplishments and a sense of heritage that runs deep throughout every exhibit. It’s too bad this sense of heritage is only hinted at by the vendors in downtown Santa Fe.
During the week, I took the time to explore the area surrounding Albuquerque before heading into the office for the afternoon shifts. I felt my first indications that I am a mile above sea level while hiking through Petroglyph National Monument. I didn’t pack any water for that excursion and found myself stumbling back to the car after taking a few pictures of the Petroglyphs.
I also took the tram to the top of Sandia Peak. The tram claims to be the longest in the world at 2 miles in length. The ascent to the peak is breathtaking… literally as you are two miles above sea level at the top. My two mile hike again left me gasping both in awe and to remain standing. The restaurant at the peak is called High Finance and serves fair enough food but what you’re paying for is the view.
Later, I learned there is a road that travels along the spine of the Sandia Mountains. When I got to the road I also discovered it is not paved or maintained. Glad I was in a rental… I drove the 8 miles of rough road across the mountain, dodging potholes and gawking at the scenery.
After coming out of the mountain roads, I took some time enjoying a walk through the TinkerTown Museum. This is a fascinating journey through somebody’s overgrown junk collection that has been carefully assembled into one giant art installation. There are many hand carved figurines with crude animation that remind me of old hurdy gurdies. I got speaking with the creator’s widow and took some more photos.
One of the guys who works here turned me on to the many ghost towns surrounding Albuquerque. I had visions of empty saloons and barbershops and a general store lining an old dusty street. The reality is that when you get away from the highway there are many aging towns that people are slowly leaving abandoned so they can enjoy modern amenities. Ghost towns are rated by letters from A (barren spaces that used to have inhabitants) through E (a historic boom town that is still active with a diminished population). It’s kind of sad to see the conditions of the housing that some people are still living in at some of the class D towns (the most common type). Driving through them feels like driving through some third world country where inhabitants are lucky to have running water.
While driving through a reservation, I stopped to take pictures of some of the fantastic rock formations that are scattered through the countryside. I had just taken my first photo when two SUVs pulled up and some young men stepped out, telling me I was on sacred land and photos aren't permitted. They went on to tell me about how people have been stealing the beauty of the land and claiming they created the image without crediting the native population that lives there. The young man went on to tell me how I could purchase a photo permit for the day for only $100 if I wanted to take my photos. He said the council of elders was closed for the day but he would be willing to write up a receipt for me if I was interested. I passed on the permit and watched my rear view mirror as the two SUVs followed me until I was off the reservation.
Next weekend I plan on driving down south a bit to play UFO tourist. There are all sorts of alien burial sites and a very large array of antennae and satellite dishes. Expect photos.
If you click on any of these images they will take you directly to my Flickr account where you can click on the properties of the image and see where they were taken on a map. I love technology.