Area Activities-sightseeing

A wide variety of activites are available in the nearby area from simple sightseeing to river rafting and living history museums. Being an historic area there are numerous traditional crafts available locally as well as colonial architecture and picturesque scenes in the countryside. Villages founded in the 17th and 18th centuries retained their traditional appearances until quite recently ( see Bunting ,Taos Adobes,1964). Following are some nearest sights.

Architecture. The Church at Trampas, six miles north of Truchas, has one of the last mud plastered, flat roofed churches in the area, and a wooden aqueduct behind still carries water to irrigated nearby fields. Chimayo to the west has the last fully enclosed fortified plaza from the colonial period. Nearby Santuario draws thousands of walking pilgrims each Easter, some to collect the holy sand and hang up their crutches after a miraculous cure. And Santa Cruz, close to Española, was once larger than Santa Fe and dates from the 1600's. Its church is one of the most significant historically. Finally the Penitente Morada at Abiquiu is one of the area's most unique.
Crafts. Local craft include weaving, wood carving, furniture making, and quiltmaking. These are all available in Truchas and neighboring Cordova. In addition there is pottery making and other native crafts at the nearby pueblos. Truchas also has several galleries which feature everything from artwork to imported handicrafts.
Indian ruins. The most famous area ruin is Bandelier National Monument about 50 miles west near Los Alamos, and named for an early archeologist (1840-1914) who wrote an imaginative novel recreating a story of the ancient Anasazi dwellers. Covering an area almost 50 square miles, the monument offers extensive hiking and camping as well as visits to ruins and programs for interpretation of area sites. Closer to Española Puye cliff dwellings are the ancestral home of the Santa Clara Pueblo who have opened it to the public. Finally the more remote ruins of Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verde, and Arizona will be discussed elsewhere, and maps are also available.
Art. There are galleries too numerous to mention from Santa Fe to Taos. The home of Georgia O'Keeffe was located at Abiquiu and is open to the public.
Museums.The same is true of museums. Santa Fe has many: historical, folk art, Indian art, painting, and is planning one devoted to Georgia O'Keeffe. One of the most interesting to me is the Golondrinas living history museum which is located on a colonial farm and stage stop out of Santa Fe. It preserves and demonstrates activities and life style of that period. Taos has several including the Blumenshein and Millicent Rogers (arts) and the Kit Carson and Martinez Hacienda (historic). In addition there is the ancient Taos Pueblo and the nearby D.H.Lawrence ranch.

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