Land of Enchantment continued

It was with renewed energy, and altitude acclimation, that Team Doria gathered post-wedding for sight-seeing.  The Los Alamos and White Rock area provided more opportunities to learn about the past than we had time or energy to see.  The cave dwellings of Tsankawi (sank-ah-WEE) were a perfect way for young and old to experience the lives lived by ancient Pueblo Indians during the 1400's AD. These villages remained occupied until the 16th century.

Traveling "en masse" proved to be remarkably easy with old Dorias helping young Dorias up ladders and over large boulders while young Dorias helped old over uneven ground.  I saw the circle of life unfolding before me in a most pleasant way.

Tsankawi is a detached portion of Bandelier Monument which can be accessed by road near White Rock.  A mile and 1/2 loop of undeveloped and unexcavated landscape revealed the homes of native people lived high on the mesa while tending their crop on the canyon floor below.  The lack of National Park personnel, a formal entrance fee, no gift shop and lack of visitors, made our self-guided tour a unique experience.

                                              A young cave dweller greeted us at a cave entrance.

         It was difficult to resist taking a few of the broken pottery pieces found along the side of the trail.

                                  Cave family, note the soot, evidence of fire used for cooking.

Passageways were worn to great depths by travel between caves.  We have become accustomed to "look but don't touch" as it pertains to antiquities.  For this reason, it seemed almost wrong that we were allowed to explore so freely such ancient ruins without oversight.

From White Rock we headed on the High Road to Taos.  On this, Good Friday, we were anxious to see the Santuario de Chimayo.  Sutton and Val were anxious to feel holy water on their feet, so with rods in truck, they headed on their own sacred pilgrimage, north to the "blue ribbon" trout waters of the San Juan River.

Handmade crosses line the path to the courtyard of El Santuario de Chimayo.  This Roman Cathoolic Church is an Historic Landmark and Shrine.  During Holy Week, it becomes the destination of thousands of people from all over the world.  It is seen as the most important pilgrimage site within the United States. As we wound our way on the road to Chimayo, we saw with our own eyes, folks carrying heavy crosses on their pilgrimage, still days away from the church.

 

Outside the sanctuary, there was time to enjoy tamales and frito pie.  It was here that I experienced an "awakening", embracing the hot tamale as my forever favorite food.

                                   These men chanted their way into the church carrying Jesus.

We were presented with the opportunity to purchase a variety of chili powders and crucifixes as well as engage in conversation with an interesting store clerk over the pit falls of Sarah Palin and the meaning of Bucky's t-shirt......No Su Dam.

The final days of being to together as a family were spent back in the mountains above Los Alamos.  Here we soaked in Jemez Hot Springs and walked once again looking for elk sheds.   At heart, we appear to be most comfortable in the hills.

Land of Enchantment

Having Carlisle's and James' wedding in New Mexico, gave all the Dorias a chance to escape the persistent snow of the Northeast and head to the sunny Southwest.  Arriving a few days in advance of the others, gave Bucky and I time to acclimate to the temperature, dryness and altitude of James' hometown of White Rock, only miles from Los Alamos, home of the National Laboratory and minutes from Bandelier National Monument and the Jemez National Forest.  A week in this varied landscape was not long enough to discover all there was to see.   Carlisle quickly had us hiking into White Rock Canyon to the Rio Grande River, on one of the hottest days this Spring. What was a pleasant trip down, turned into a long haul back uphill.  Six bottles of water later, meeting James on the trail with additional water was a welcomed sight.

                                           And we're off......the Rio Grande in the distance

                                                                    Petroglyths along the way

Taking a break at a fresh water spring near the bottom.  I so wish I had soaked my shirt here before the hike out.

                                                                         Made it!

Then there was rafting....... not nearly as strenuous and filled with waterfowl sightings.  Shed hunting  followed, near the Valles Caldera National Preserve, closed this particular day for the making of a movie, but home to a large elk population.  Our thought was to hunt for sheds in the forest nearby.

                                                                  Large Ponderosa Pine

Valles Caldera

                                       Taking a roll in the remaining snow....bliss!

                                                              
Bucky was the only lucky one, finding a Mule deer antler which will be used for craft.  But, nothing beat Levi's find of a 4 foot sword! Where it came from and why it was there is something we will never know! It conjured up some interesting possibilities. 

On March 31, we met our family on their drive from Albuquerque in the small town of Los Ojos, tucked beneath the sun soaked mountains.  It was a time to rejoice in the warmth of the sun and the cool of the beer. To say nothing of eating outback with Fisher under the table, tormented by chickens invading her space.  Los Ojos, of the old days, where the dining room holds bullet holes in the ceiling.  As Val put it,"we NEED to come back to this place!"

                                   Baby BB's first trip! And Joseph and Justice's first plane ride.

                                                                         Desperados



                                          April 1st, the reason for it all !
At 3:00, overlooking the Rio Grande River, Carlisle and James took life changing vows. Our happiness was without limit.  Having our family to support and rejoice with our youngest daughter, their younger sister was more than we had ever hoped for. 

                                                                  Here comes the bride!

                                                                          waiting

                                                      

                                                       Jim Shinas, our troubadour

                                                                       Joanna and BB

                                                                proud older brother, Sutton

                        Brooklyn and Bailey, James' nieces....and center stage, the Rio Grande

                                                                    the Shinas family

                                                 the clergy, Levi Doria, officiates

                                                        bone rings, made by Bucky

                                                          Mr. and Mrs. James Shinas

                                                the world at their feet to explore together

The marriage license was signed, at James' favorite breakfast restaurant, a central meeting place for everyone and near the court house in Los Alamos.  It became a comical affair as everyone wiped red chili from their hands in an effort to keep the marriage license clean.  BB's wipes came in handy.  We all laughed about the chili Nazi taking orders inside.  James gave everyone a crash course on how to order by abbreviating their order so as not to offend the Nazi, who accepted only quick abbreviated language when ordering......just say one bricx when ordering (burrito, red chili, cheese, bacon green on the side)  Christmas for green and red chili .  We worried what would happen to Burke, knowing she would linger over the counter, not shouting her order in the mandatory way, but rather using her signature phrase , "I just don't know.........(long pause), what do YOU think I should have?" Followed by a flip of her long, blond locks.  But, as only Burke can do, she emerged with not only her burrito, but two small cakes, courtesy of the Nazi!  Proving a pretty blond can turn even the toughest man's head by asking for his opinion on something, even something as simple as a burrito!

                                                       I think we're supposed to sign here.

                                                             it's official
When the chili Nazi discovered that a marriage had occurred at his establishment, he rushed outside asking for a picture and permission to put it in the local paper, the first marriage ever at Chili Works. James and Carlisle were given free burritos for a week, a sweet wedding gift and raucous laughing could be heard coming from the Chili Works kitchen as we pulled away.


To be continued...