Old Town Las Vegas, New Mexico Plaza

Las Vegas, New Mexico, is the original Las Vegas, lacking the glitz and glitter of its Nevada namesake, but with plenty of grit and grace. (Okay, that's your alliteration lesson for today.)

Las Vegas is a town of around 13, 600 and it's 29 miles from the ranch to a bookstore, a fabric store, a natural foods store, Wal-Mart, and to get a fast food fix. I mean you, Sonic, and also you, Lotaburger! Las Vegas has a community college and two baccalaureate colleges, and even a movie theatre. And a drive-in movie theater during the summer.

It's actually two towns: one began in the early days of Vegas around 1835 and a newer town sprung up when in 1880 the railroad came to town about a mile from the original village. Up until fairly recently, they were two separate municipalities. The school districts are still separate.

There are even two downtowns here, but I like "Old Town" better because it's amazing how many of the old buildings are still in use and The Plaza is a central place where people gather for events like Las Fiestas during the 4th of July weekend, Cinco de Mayo, and for the Christmas Electric Light Parade. Back in 1846 it was where General Stephen Kearney stood on a roof and proclaimed to the assembled townsfolk that they were now under American rule.

Here's the plaza bandstand, all decked out for the holidays.

New Mexico Hispanic art is a big deal in the North, with a long tradition of local artisans copying the religious statues the Catholic priests brought north from Mexico and from Spain. The artists who carve these statues are called santeros and their pieces can be as small as your hand or as tall as you are.

I noticed the wood carver was finished with his first statue, begun earlier in the year. It's a Mary statue, and I noticed she looked kind of sad.

As I stepped closer to read the plaque at her feet, I realized why she looked so sad: She's Our Lady of Sorrows!

Mary had seven sorrows in her life, and this statue depicts the sorrowful Mary.'

Below is a 1455 depiction of Our Lady of Sorrows. If I compare the statue in the plaza to this painting, Our Lady in Las Vegas positively glows with happiness! It's all relative, I guess.

Don't forget to visit your local merchants and buy stuff from them. It's a tough world out there and our local folks deserve your business. Unless they don't.

Taos-The Soul of the Southwest

 About once a week or so, we drive up to Taos, an hour and fifteen minutes away. Our route is a winding mountain road, almost a single lane in places, through a ski resort, the national forest, the road snaking through a canyon until the town appears, the adobe brown dwellings looking like boulders in the desert distance.

Taos is home to around 6,000 residents. Then add a zillion tourists both in the summertime and also in winter when ski season is in full swing. We've learned to avoid peak tourist days and to drive on roads the tourists don't use.

The little shops, galleries and eateries are a fun change from our place, where the food and shopping choices are definitely limited (though I look forward to eating at The Mad Cow Calf-A, a new restaurant in Mora, very soon). Review to follow. The finger therapist is in Taos, as well as Cid's natural food store, Smith's supermarket and Ace Hardware.

Orlandos Restaurant Taos, NM

 Anyway, back to Taos, which has its share of characters, that's for sure. A Shakespearean-looking, white haired man stands on a corner, reciting what might be sonnets to the passing cars. A trio of elderly folk stand on another corner, holding signs that say, "Honk if you pay taxes!" and "Occupy Taos!" A pair of young backpackers, their dog on a frayed rope, trudge alongside the highway. Older ladies lunch, wearing long, purple skirts with silver concho belts, turquoise jewelry dripping from their wrists and necks. For men, Taos headwear leans toward berets and ski beanies. That's not true for everyone, but it is notable. Mora, on the other hand, is a Stetson and ball cap kind of place.

   If I could compare Taos to a city in California, it would have to be Laguna Beach, because they share a bohemian vibe with an emphasis on art and "free spiritedness." The art comes from different sources: local pueblo potters, textile artists, painters, sculptors, you name it. Taos artists are from all walks of life, rich and poor, college educated and self or family-taught.

It's like Laguna Beach in the 1970's, where different people live, work, make art, and whatever you do, it's just fine. Grocery store employees will see someone wearing what looks to be rags, wandering the aisles, talking to himself, and say, "Hey, Ed! Do you want me to help you shop today?" When I bought bird seed the checker praised the purchase and assured me the birds would be most grateful.

I was in a gallery a few months ago and admired a Santa Clara pueblo pot. During our conversation, the potter asked me if I made anything. When I told her about my quilts, she immediately gave me her card and offered to trade a pot for a quilt. I think I will take her up on that deal. That's Taos.

This last photo is of Taos Pueblo, located on the edge of town, one of the oldest inhabited communities in the United States. About 150 people live in the pueblo itself, with over 1900 Indians living on the pueblo's 99,000 acres of land holdings.The buildings are made of adobe with log roofs, supplemented by smaller logs, close together, all covered with mud and dirt. Much time and effort is spent plastering the outsides to guard against weather damage.

Many of the buildings in the pueblo look just like they would have looked to the Spanish explorers when they first arrived in Northern New Mexico in 1540. Archeologists have found ruins in the area pointing to the Indians having lived here since 1000 A.D.

Taos is definitely The Soul of the Southwest: friendly, quirky. artistic, and ready for anything under the New Mexico sun.