We
departed Springerville RV Resort as we continue to head east. We had a relaxing
night, as there was no over the air TV stations. We did drive around Springerville
a bit and found this Madonna of the Trail monument. It was erected and
dedicated on September 29, 1928 by the National Society Daughters of the
American Revolution (NSDAR). Madonna of the Trail is a series of 12 monuments
dedicated to the spirit of pioneer women in the United States. They were
installed in each of the 12 states along the National Old Trails Road (Route
40), which extended from Bethesda, Maryland, to Upland, California. Created by
sculptor August Leimbach and funded by contributions, the Madonna of the Trail
monuments were intended to provide a symbol of the courage and faith of the
women whose strength and love aided so greatly in conquering the wilderness and
establishing permanent homes.
We
crossed from Arizona into New Mexico without much fanfare, just a simple New Mexico
sign. Looks like a few people have used it for target practice!
Red
Hill is the first town you come to in New Mexico. Some call it a ghost town. The
lore of the town begins with an old prospector named Adams staggering into the
town of Pinos Altos, just north of Silver City, New Mexico. Bleeding from
several gunshot and arrow wounds, the prospector rushed to a doctor. Lying on
his death bed he told several friends who had gathered around him that he had
been prospecting north of the town. After several weeks of prospecting he told
of a red hill in the distance. When he arrived at the hill, he described gold
lying everywhere. While he was filling his knapsack with the gold nuggets, an
arrow struck the gravel at his feet. Finding cover behind the rocks, the
Indians fired gunshots and arrows at him in an attempt to dislodge him. Wounded
several times, he stayed hidden until nightfall and finally the Indians
withdrew. Carefully making his way back to Pinos Altos, he traveled through
streams to cover his trail. Just a few hours after reaching town, Adams died
from his wounds and was buried in the town’s cemetery. When the gold in his
knapsack was assayed, it was found to be worth over $7,000. Word of the gold
discovery quickly spread throughout the area and dozens of prospectors headed
north in search of the red hill. However, no one ever reported finding the hill
and its scattered gold, but the name Red Hill stuck!
We came
into the town of Quemado New Mexico. How did Quemado get its name? It’s the Spanish
word for “burned.” Quemado is located in an extinct volcanic area. This
community was first settled in 1880 by José Antonio Padilla, who brought sheep
and started the stock raising industry in this part of the state. Between
Quemado and Pie Town is a unique public art object. The Lightning Field (1977),
by the American sculptor Walter De Maria, is a work of Land Art situated in a
remote area of the high desert of western New Mexico. It is comprised of 400
polished stainless steel poles installed in a grid array measuring one mile by
one kilometer.
East
of Pie Town, Route 60, the road we will be traveling all day today, crosses the
Continental Divide at an elevation of 7,796 feet. We crossed the Continental
Divide on Route 66 too!
We
entered Pie Town New Mexico. Its name comes from an early bakery for making
dried-apple pies that was established by Clyde Norman in the early 1920s. Someone’s
always been baking pie here since the 20’s. Many families have tried their hand
at a rolling pin in this location, in Pie Town.
Kathy
Knapp is proud to be the next in line. In 1998, her Mom had to move to lower
elevation for her health. Her daughter has since left for higher education. But
she is still at Pie-o-neer, baking pies with the help of her partner, Stan King,
of the Silver Creek Inn B&B in Mogollon, NM, and various pie angels. Their motto
is: “If you bake it, they will come.”
For many
miles, we tried to figure out what we saw on the horizon? Satellite dishes?
Trees? A Mirage? As we got closer, Charlie’s first guess was correct, satellite
dishes, but huge ones! Route 60 bisects the Very Large Array complex and a
track used in rearranging the antennas that make up the Array crosses the
highway.
The
Visitor Center at the VLA features an award-winning documentary narrated by
Jodie Foster, plus exhibits describing radio astronomy and the VLA telescope. A
self-guided walking tour features large, informative signs and takes you to the
base of one of the giant dish antennas. A gift shop offers VLA souvenirs and
educational materials. However, COVID has struck again … the VLA is closed
until further notice, so we could not get closer to these beauties!
There is
a thrilling sensation when staring down a long stretch of road, without a human
in sight. Freedom. The open road. New Mexico provides a veritable smorgasbord
of less traveled roads stretching to the horizon, with dirt roads branching to
hidden destinations, including treasures rarely found by visitors or passersby.
Route 60 is one of these routes. The road cuts across a remote, sparsely
populated open range known as the Plains of San Agustin. The Plains of San
Agustin span Catron and Socorro counties. Overall, the plains extend 55-miles
northeast to southwest, ranging from 5 to 15 miles across. The Continental
Divide runs along the southern and western boundaries of the plains, with the
Cibola National Forest surrounding the area. The Mangas, Crosby, Datil, and
Gallinas Mountains form the northern boundary. The San Mateo Mountains define
the eastern boundary. On the west, the Tularosa Mountains provide a beautiful
backdrop. To the south, the Luera Mountains and Pelona Mountain, outliers of
the Black Range, serve as a boundary between the plains and the Chihuahuan
Desert.
The
history surrounding Magdalena is rich with Old West Legends, Dusty Cattle
Drives, Pioneer families, Main Street Shoot-outs, Fiery Ranchers and
Grimy-faced Miners. This history just adds to the many area attractions. Magdalena
was known as the "Trails End" for the railroad/spur line which was
built in 1885 from Socorro to Magdalena to transport the cattle, sheep wool,
timber and ore. Thousands of cattle and sheep were driven into town (cowboy
style) from the west, using the historic "Stock Driveway", aka
"Hoof Highway." The original historic stockyards are still intact.
The
Magdalena Mountains to the west are topped by South Baldy at 10,783 feet;
Magdalena Peak at 8,152 feet. La Jencia plain to the east is bisected by Water
Canyon three miles below this marker. The bench along the edge of the mountains
is Magdalena Fault, dividing the uplifted mountains from the plains below.
The name
Socorro means “help” or “aid” in Spanish. In 1598 the explorers of the Juan de
Oñate expedition first gave this name to the Pilabo Pueblo because the Pueblo
people gave them needed food and shelter as they made their way north. That
same year the Old San Miguel Mission was established by two Franciscan priests
who arrived with Oñate. Rich in history, indigenous people traveled through
Socorro along trails which eventually became the major highway: “Camino Real de
Tierro Adentro”, or “Royal Highway of the Interior Lands”.
Rich
in science and technology, the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
was established in 1889. In 1945 the first atomic bomb was tested at Trinity
Site, which is now White Sands Missile Range, just southeast of Socorro. Today,
Socorro’s economy is fueled by technology based enterprises. The Karl G. Jansky
Very Large Array Radio Telescopes, New Mexico Institute of Mining and
Technology and White Sands Missile Range attract scientists and engineers from
across the globe. Agriculture and commercial businesses bolster growth, and
artists and musicians are attracted to Socorro’s southwestern charms.
We
arrived in Mountainair, our home for the night. Mountainair has so much to
offer … it’s the Gateway to Ancient Cities, part of the Salt Missions Trail and
the Cibola Forest.
Tucked
away in the middle of New Mexico you’ll find Salinas Pueblo Missions National
Monument.
Its three distinct sites offer
a glimpse into a unique time in history—a time entrenched with cultural
borrowing, conflict and struggles.
These
sites continue to stand as reminders of the Spanish and Pueblo peoples’ early
encounters and prompt exploration of today’s interactions among different
people. The Abó Unit of the Monument sits west of the town of Mountainair and
contains approximately 370 acres. The number and size of unexcavated pueblo
mounds suggest that when the Spanish arrived in 1581 they would have found a
thriving community.
In
1622, Fray Francisco Fonte was assigned to the Abó Mission. Working with the
Puebloans, he established the use of rooms in one of the pueblos for an early
convento. An early smaller Abó Church and Convento were built starting in 1623.
Similar to Quarai, the convento for this church curiously contained a Circular
Kiva. This Puebloan religious structure probably aided in early conversions.
Construction on this earlier church and convento was completed by 1628.
In
1629, a second missionary, Fray Francisco Acevedo, was assigned to Abó. In
1640, Acevedo began to renovate the Abó church and convento. This renovation
increased the size of the church and included many improvements. This new,
larger church was built around the smaller church, allowing services to
continue until the smaller church needed to be dismantled and removed.
Renovations to the church and convento were complete by 1658. Like Gran
Quivira, a combination of disease, drought, famine, and Apache raiding led to the
abandonment of Abó in 1673. For over 100 years Abó was quiet. In 1815 Spanish
sheep herders attempted to return to the area, but were pushed out by Apaches
in 1830. Settlers would permanently return in 1865.
The
Salt Missions Trail Scenic Byway runs along a historic, winding wagon road from
the Village of Tijeras in the mountain pass east of Albuquerque, winds along
the eastern slopes of the Manzano and Manzanita Mountains through the Spanish
land grant towns and the Cibola National Forest, follows the prehistoric trade
route of the Salinas Pueblo Missions, and past the abandoned railroad
right-of-way along the edge of the Estancia Basin's salt lakes and prairie. It
closes the loop by following a 24 mile segment of the major transcontinental
highway, Historic Route 66, back to the Village of Tijeras. A twenty-five mile
extension southward connects the Gran Quivera mission site.
We ended our
day at Turner Inn and RV Park on the eastern edge of Mountainair. Another great
day on our #TwoLaneAdventure
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