Driving the high road to Taos brought us to an intriguing site. Chimayó boasts a church- El Santuario de Chimayó- where pilgrims come from near and far, several walk and some arrive on their knees. Many come for healing. Individuals can dig dirt from a hole and rub it on themselves to cure ailments and heal wounds. The antechamber of the room with the special dirt holds crutches and walkers along with pictures and letters from those who have been helped. This room is packed with these relics.
We stopped at various points along our way to Taos and enjoyed the views. Surprisingly, the “low road” turned out to be even more scenic and we were so glad we took this route back to Santa Fe. The first half of the drive follows along a gorge and the Rio Grande river. We were fortunate to be there in autumn because the golden trees were simply stunning.
El Santuario de Chimayó
San JosÃ(c) de Gracia Church
View of the Rio Grande and surrounding hillside: