Northern New Mexico, Southern Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma

Our Towns - Summer 2008
by John Biscello

Here’s how it started: my buddy, James, a collector of old newspapers and magazines, was browsing at a flea market and found a 1940 edition of the Santa Fe New Mexican. It was a special issue commemorating the artists and writers of New Mexico. In it was a passage penned by Jean Toomer (author of Cane, a seminal book of the Harlem Renaissance), which read: “One place gives you what others can’t. You give to one place what you cannot give to others. I have never even tried to put in words the unique gift of New Mexico to me. It is enough that I feel it, that I know it, that I recognize it, without need of words… It is a penetration deep under the skin. Ever since, there has existed a special bond between this human being and the people and the Earth of the Southwest.” James’ highly flammable imagination is belied by a lightning-charged impetuosity, and as the easily resigned sidekick type, I was game when he told me it was time for a travel-geared altitude adjustment.

The Sky’s the Limit

The sky was the common denominator threading all the places we visited in Northern New Mexico. Wherever we were, a deep and endless blue lagoon, easy on the eyes and skates for the imagination. Of course the sky’s majesty was matched by its grounded counterpart: the mountains. Taos, which was our first destination, presented us with the mighty goliath: Taos Mountain. While faint traces of winter snow-capped its peaks, springtime was reflected in the Chia-pet-green coating its frame.

Taos’s historical roots are twined with the Pueblo natives whose adobe pueblo community is one of the oldest in North America. One of its not-to-be-missed events — the Taos Pueblo Pow Wow (July 11-13, 2008). Taos’ Spanish influence is prevalent everywhere: food, entertainment, agriculture, architecture. The high-energy Las Fiestas de Taos weekend takes place July 18-20. Regarded as an artist’s oasis, galleries number nearly 100 in Taos, and artists from all walks of life, practicing in all sorts of mediums, keep the area a hotbed of creative activity. After what we were told was a super-snowy winter in Taos, the river was high and the rapids turbulent, as James, our trusty river guide, Alex, and I bounded down the Rio Grande Gorge in our raft. Being inside the prehistoric chasm that is the Gorge was nothing short of nature-made time travel.

Our drive along the Enchanted Circle, an 86-mile loop which covers Taos, Angel Fire, Eagle Nest, Red River, Questa and Arroyo Hondo, was snapshot picturesque: stately pines and cottonwoods, a sprawl of sage and chamisa, idle cows chowing down on grass. In the resort town of Angel Fire, I took to the trails on a mountain bike, while James opted to “cowboy up” and hit the trails on horseback. Afterwards, we decided to take a stand against our sore backsides and played golf on Angel Fire’s PGA-rated course. I heard that this year marks the Silver Anniversary of the Music From Angel Fire Series (August 15-September 1, 2008), featuring world-class chamber music. And the name, Angel Fire, will be viscerally justified when you’ve had an opportunity to watch a sunset emblazon the mountain peaks crimson and gold.

In the laid-back village of Eagle Nest, we became well-acquainted with the area’s crown jewel: Eagle Nest Lake. I spent a day idling, with rod-and-reel, trying to bait the rainbow trout and kokanee salmon which inhabit the lake. James, and his new — ahem — friend, Amy, went on a boating expedition.
The next day, the three of us rolled into the place we had heard referred to as “Little Texas,” the town of Red River. Like many of the towns in New Mexico, a ghostly gold-mining past is part of its character, but the heel-kickin’ spirit of hoedown is definitely part of its present. James and Amy two-stepped the night away, while I sat at the bar, knocked back some beers, and chewed the fat with locals. The Classic Car Show (June 6-8) and the Fine Art and Wine Festival (June 14 and 15) are two popular summertime events along with the July 4th Parade.

As our nation’s oldest capital, Santa Fe, “the City Different,” manages to balance its old-time charms with a modern sensibility. Currently, Santa Fe is the third largest art market in the United States, and we gallery-hopped with gusto, then enjoyed the flowing aesthetics of Nambé Falls (located on the Nambé Pueblo Reservation), a national historic landmark. Amy, who had grown up in Santa Fe, took us to visit the oldest house in the U.S., reportedly built in 1645, on De Vargas Street. Summer high points in Santa Fe include: the world-renowned Santa Fe Opera and its gorgeous open-air opera house (June 27-August 23), the International Folk Art Market (mid-July), and the Santa Fe Wine Festival (early July).

Parting was indeed sweet sorrow when James and Amy had to say their good-byes. They pledged to meet again next year in Northern New Mexico, so future chapters of Love on the Run are to be written by the smitten.

Honorable Mentions

Cimarron: This nature-rich town is home to the St. James Hotel, where a gunslingin’ past and ghosts with time to kill have made the hotel a top attraction.

Las Vegas: History is standing strong in Las Vegas, with almost 1,000 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Chama: If the romance of train travel floats your boat, then catch a ride on the train that thunders between Chama and Antonito, and enjoy a scenic view of the mountains and countryside.

Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs: This “natural treasure” features springs rich in iron (good for the blood), arsenic (known to relieve arthritis, rheumatism, and stomach ulcers), lithia (believed to ease depression, sluggish kidneys, and excess stomach gas), soda and sodium (good for acidic stomach problems).

Post-Script

Back home, our regular lives renewed, James has kept the spirit of our trip alive by swapping photos and tales with Amy via email. I, on the other hand, am filled with a hushed sense of gratitude when I reflect upon our time in New Mexico. In a region where generosity of space invites full extension of one’s wingspan, and moments of a timeless nature are ever-present, it’s easy to lose yourself in a wonderstruck silence. Or, in recalling the time-tested wisdom of Mr. Jean Toomer: “I have never even tried to put in words the unique gift of New Mexico to me. It is enough that I feel it, that I know it, that I recognize it, without need of words.” Amen. ´

John Biscello is a performance poet and playwright whose work can be found at www.biscello.com.