Wandering Woman New Mexico: The Ultimate Road Trip: One Woman’s Journey Across the United States by Car

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From the Publisher

Wandering Woman: New Mexico is for People Who Love:

Old Spanish Missions

Jemez Historic Site is a serene and beautiful place located high in the mountains. When I visited, the ground was covered in snow, and Jemez was sparkling and beautiful.

At Jemez, there are the ruins of the ancient village of Giusewa, home to the Hemesh, which the Spaniards turned into Jemez.

In 1540, Coronado came into the area and sent a group led by Captain Francisco de Barrionuevo who visited Giusewa. In 1598, Don Juan de Onate led settlers into the area. The first church was built there that same year.

The ruins standing today date from 1621, and are known as the San Jose de los Jemez Mission. The mission itself was designed by Fray Geronimo Zarate Salmeron and was only used for 20 years. It was abandoned in 1640.

Archaeological Sites

The Gila Cliff Dwellings are wonderful. The path leading to the spectacular ruins is somewhat steep, but it is paved.

The cliff dwellings were built by Mogollon people and date from 1280 AD, although there has been some wood associated with the site that dates to 1240 AD.

It is estimated that 40 to 80 people lived here. You can still see handprints of the builders on one of the walls. It is believed the dwellings were abandoned due to drought.

There are some wonderful pictographs at the site, which are still vibrant today.

Frontier Towns

Chloride began its life in 1879, when Harry Pye, an Englishman, spent the night in a canyon. He took away some rocks which contained a high concentration of silver chloride.

He and two companions went back to the canyon to get more of the ore. They were attacked by apaches and Pye was killed.

The two companions got away and word got out about the silver. The town was settled in 1880 at a cost of $1.25 an acre.

In June of 1881, Chloride had 3 stores, 3 cafes, 8 saloons, and 2 butcher shops. It did not have a church or a jail.

Just before its decline began, Chloride had about 350 buildings. The town suffered when silver prices went down in 1893.

Historical Sites

El Morro National Monument is a fantastic place; in fact, it’s one of my favorite sights to see. El Morro means “the headland” or “the bluff” and it is a large sandstone outcropping in the middle of a golden prairie.

There is a naturally-formed pool at El Morro which is fed by rainwater. The pool can reach 12 feet deep and hold 200,000 gallons of water. This natural pool made El Morro a popular stopping off place across the centuries.

The writings of Spanish conquistadors, date from 1539 to 1774. The first governor of New Mexico, Don Juan de Onate, left a message in 1605, 15 years before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock. The Spanish used daggers or horseshoe nails to make their marks.

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CCXGKR1H
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Julie Bettendorf (July 26, 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 176 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8986772776
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.7 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.25 x 0.4 x 8 inches