An Observation about Antiques and Onward to New Mexico

I wanted to add an additional aside to my last blog post about passing through the Midwest.  I mentioned that I had met an antique dealer in Kansas who liked to visit the flea markets in Long Beach and Pasadena to buy antiques.  I found this very surprising.  I would have thought that it would be profitable to purchase antiques in the Midwest and sell them in California, but I now think the opposite is true.  Antiques command a higher price in the Midwest!  That being said, we met a couple in the tiny town of Rock Port, Missouri who ran one of the most beautiful antique shops we have seen, specializing in antique glass and pottery.  I wanted to give them a little plug on my blog.  Their names are Don and Margaret Ireland, and their shop is 3-Korners Antiques.  Stop and see them if you are ever in the area, or contact them if you are a collector and looking for rare pieces.

Now I can move along with my story!  I last left you as we were crossing into New Mexico, where we spent the night right over the border in Chama.  Our room at the Y Motel had a tiny kitchen, and check out the vintage stove.  So cute! 

Although just barely in New Mexico, I could feel the difference immediately.  The culture changed.  The art changed.  And the landscape changed.  The fall colors now included shades of orange, and made for a symphony of color as we headed towards Taos.  Even though there was frost on the car when we woke up, the day turned warm and sunny with a bright, clear blue sky.

We passed a fascinating project along the way called the "Earthship Biotecture", which was a dramatic community of homes built using recyled materials such as bottles,

 cans,

and tires, and harnessing solar energy.  I believe some of the homes in the project are available for rent, so look it up if this is of interest to you.

Next we crossed over the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, which is the seventh highest bridge in the United States, at a towering 565 feet, offering a beautiful view of the gorge.

We arrived in Taos around 3:00 PM, and unfortunately we only had that afternoon to visit the town, so it was a bit of a whirlwind.  Taos is a small town loaded with galleries featuring very high quality art, and the town has a powerful spiritual energy.  We were able to visit several galleries, a fine art show featuring local artists, and a Festival of Textiles in the park (with a rainbow of gorgeous yarns).

We left shortly before dark, and stopped in Espanola, just north of Santa Fe to spend the night.  The next day we headed into Santa Fe, and I was smitten from the start.  The sky is a clear brilliant blue like no other, and the architecture is pueblo style,

with so many interesting details unique to the Southwest, like this custom painted door,

and this tree hung with crosses.

Red chiles hang from the porches.

And there are about 200 galleries in Santa Fe.  Along with wonderful paintings and photography, you can find designer cowboy boots,

fabulous jewelry,

provocative sculpture,

artistic glass,

and so much more.  We spent some time visiting the Native American Craft Market, and made new friends while trading our Mexican Fire Agates for turquoise. 

At one of the local churches, even the statues wore turquoise,

and a local artist came out to sketch some architectural details.

We spent two days in Santa Fe, and one of the highlights for me was visiting the Georgia O'Keeffe museum.  She was a real inspiration to me almost 30 years ago when I first learned how to paint, and being in the museum with her original work, and watching her narrate a film about her life brought tears to my eyes.  It was a great thrill for me to be there.

The last thing I wanted to mention about Santa Fe is the food.  It is to die for!  Here is the hand made whole wheat sopapilla stuffed with ground beef and topped with green chile that we enjoyed at the Roadrunner Restaurant,

along with the home made pumpkin cheesecake for dessert.  Heavenly!

Our last stops in New Mexico as we made our way home were in Gallup and Window Rock, where we learned about turquoise, silver, Navajo and Zuni jewelry, and Native American Pawn.  We brought home some beautiful pieces to sell at future shows, with the crowning piece being this old Navajo pawn ketoh (bow guard), used by hunters to protect their wrist from the snap of the bow string.  A real collector's piece.  You know where to find me if you are interested!

I'll save our last stops of Kingman and Oatman Arizona, both noteworthy, for my next post!  Thanks as always for following, and sweet dreams to all.

xo Linda