High Road to Taos: Taos

Two Birds and a Cross

We continued on the trip to Taos where we walked around the town, visiting some of the galleries and shops. Before heading home we stopped in Rancho de Taos to snap a few photos of the iconic St Francisco de Assis Mission Church that was the subject of several O"Keefe paintings as well as photographs by Paul Strand and Ansel Adams.


On one of the streets in front of the church, I captured this creative yard.

There is no easy way to photograph this church with the crowds and many cars in the parking lot but I gave it a go. The church was begun in 1772 and finished in 1815 by Franciscan Fathers. the adobe walls are 4 feet thick.







This back view of the church faces the parking lot and is the first view you have of the building it of you approach from the main route. When I went around to the front of the building there were a few men , one in a wheelchair, throwing around a football in the open dusty plaza in front of the church. In between retrieving the ball and sharing opinions on the Green Bay Packers I captured some images, though the lighting was quite flat at this angle and time of day.







Beside the church were some crumbling buildings that seemed to be in the process of being restored....or maybe not.








On the way home to Santa Fe I received a Mother's Day call from our daughter and that was the perfect end to a beautiful day trip!