Photography by Rodney Martin

Just a few miles northwest of Taos, the Rio Grande Gorge splits the flat landscape. I visited early in the morning of each of the days that we were in Taos. I walked along the Rim Trail and out onto the bridge that spans the gorge, 565 feet above the Rio Grande River. It is the seventh highest bridge in the United States. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

On my second day along the Rim Trail I came upon a herd of adolescent Big Horn Sheep. They were not spooked by me and followed me along the trail for a mile or so. They even took an interest in my camera tripod.

The next day, while shooting photos from the bridge, I saw a herd of six adult Big Horns. In my excitement, I raced off the bridge to capture a photo, but neglected to pay attention to my camera settings, which were set for the shot of the canyon. Nonetheless, with the magic of Lightroom and RAW files, I was able to salvage a couple of shots to at least back up my story that I saw adult Big Horn Sheep.

Taos Pueblo is the northernmost pueblo in New Mexico. People have resided in Taos Pueblo for over 1,000 years. Today, four to six families live regularly in the pueblo, which has no running water or electricity. Other families return to live in the pueblo during special occasions. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

A tour of the pueblo begins at San Geronimo (St. Jerome) Chapel, which was completed in 1850. Spanish missionaries brought Catholicism to the Taos Pueblo in 1540, forcing them to give up their ancestral religion. Today, the people of Taos Pueblo are predominantly Catholic, but also continue to practice their ancestral religious rites.

A Catholic church was first erected at the Pueblo in 1619. It was destroyed in the Pueblo Revolt agains the Spanish in 1680. A new church was erected after the return of the Spanish. That church was bombed by U.S. troops in 1847 during the Taos Revolt, an uprising against occupation by the United States.  Over 100 people, including women and children, who had taken sanctuary in the church were killed.  The remains of the original church are in the cemetery at the Pueblo.

There are two main structures, Hlauuma (north house) and Hlaukwima (south house). It is estimated that portions of these structures were first built between 1000 AD and 1450 AD, making them the oldest continuously occupied dwellings in the country.

Hlaukwima (south house)

Hlauuma (north house)

San Francisco de Asis, in Rancho de Taos, was built in the late 1700s. The church is gorgeous and has been the subject of work by Ansel Adams, Georgia O’Keeffe and hundreds of other artists. It is such a beautiful building. I spent two hours taking photos as the sun rose in the sky as the light shifted over the curves and angles of the church. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

The old Taos County Courthouse on Taos Plaza was completed in 1934. That year, the Works Progress Administration commissioned four artists – Emil Bisttram, Ward Lockwood, Bert Phillips and Victor Higgins – to paint ten murals on the walls of the court room. In 1994 an eleventh mural was added by New Mexican artist Frederico Virgil, who restored the other murals. (Click on photos to enlarge.)

“Justice Begets Content,” by Ward Lockwood

“Obedience Casts Out Fear,” by Bert Phillips

“Aspiration,” by Emil Bisttram

“Averice Breeds Crime,” by Ward Lockwood

“Sufficient Law Protects,” by Bert Phillips

“Superfluous Laws Supress,” by Ward Lockwood

“Reconciliation,” by Emil Bisttram

“The Shadow of Crime,” by Bert Phillips

“Transgression,” by Emil Bisttram

“Respect Creates Harmony,” by Frederico Vigil