I went to New Mexico to visit Rochelle's grandmother twice the past couple of years, and this year was just as welcoming. The high-elevation town of Taos sits nearly 7,000 feet above sea level, much higher than my hometown of Dallas, which is only about 400 feet.
The thinner oxygen levels got to me, as expected for any Texan flat-lander, but I grew accustomed over the week we stayed there. Rochelle and I went with my brother Sothea and his girlfriend, Helena, and provided a nice getaway for them as well.
Fully aware of spotty cell-phone service, Rochelle referenced the Rand McNally:
Traveling west-bound, there wasn't much to see, and then I remembered the long trains:
When we reached Taos, we were presented with virga, rain that looks suspended in the air and fails to touch the ground:
At the Fourth of July parade, there was plenty for Sothea and I to document:
We also made the 3-mile hike to Williams Lake, which was a good workout on the legs sitting on 11,000 feet above sea level. Here, trees are marked with a blue circle to indicate the path of the trail:
A trip to the hot springs on the bottom of the Rio Grande Gorge allowed for some relaxation time:
The Taos Pueblo had stray dogs all around the tourist hotspot. This was photographed on the
on the side of the St. Jerome Chapel, which Ansel Adams photographed in 1942:
Vendors at the Pueblo were selling fried bread, an item that should be a staple here in Dallas:
Rochelle poses for a photograph as Helena becomes her arms:
At Tsankawi, there are cave dwellings where some of the natives used to live. It's mesmerizing how you can't hear any nearby traffic, people, or sometimes even wind when you go to places like these in New Mexico. Pure silence. Here, I took a photo of the two before I climbed a ladder:
And another when we were exchanging various rocks and arrowheads we found:
The Vietnam Veterans National Memorial in Angel Fire reminded me how many people came from New Mexico to fight in the conflict. They have expanded their memorial recently to include a library and eventually will build a garden:
The last night in New Mexico brought us back to the Taos Pueblo to watch the 25th Annual Pow Wow, which attracted viewers from all over the world. I spent a little time and got some portraits as well. A night of many festivities, was the proper way to end it:
Rasy Ran Photography
The thinner oxygen levels got to me, as expected for any Texan flat-lander, but I grew accustomed over the week we stayed there. Rochelle and I went with my brother Sothea and his girlfriend, Helena, and provided a nice getaway for them as well.
Fully aware of spotty cell-phone service, Rochelle referenced the Rand McNally:
Traveling west-bound, there wasn't much to see, and then I remembered the long trains:
When we reached Taos, we were presented with virga, rain that looks suspended in the air and fails to touch the ground:
At the Fourth of July parade, there was plenty for Sothea and I to document:
We also made the 3-mile hike to Williams Lake, which was a good workout on the legs sitting on 11,000 feet above sea level. Here, trees are marked with a blue circle to indicate the path of the trail:
A trip to the hot springs on the bottom of the Rio Grande Gorge allowed for some relaxation time:
The Taos Pueblo had stray dogs all around the tourist hotspot. This was photographed on the
on the side of the St. Jerome Chapel, which Ansel Adams photographed in 1942:
Vendors at the Pueblo were selling fried bread, an item that should be a staple here in Dallas:
Rochelle poses for a photograph as Helena becomes her arms:
At Tsankawi, there are cave dwellings where some of the natives used to live. It's mesmerizing how you can't hear any nearby traffic, people, or sometimes even wind when you go to places like these in New Mexico. Pure silence. Here, I took a photo of the two before I climbed a ladder:
And another when we were exchanging various rocks and arrowheads we found:
The Vietnam Veterans National Memorial in Angel Fire reminded me how many people came from New Mexico to fight in the conflict. They have expanded their memorial recently to include a library and eventually will build a garden:
The last night in New Mexico brought us back to the Taos Pueblo to watch the 25th Annual Pow Wow, which attracted viewers from all over the world. I spent a little time and got some portraits as well. A night of many festivities, was the proper way to end it:
Rasy Ran Photography
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