Salinas Pueblo Missions - Quarai, NM

Carlson Branch Library, Fargo, ND

                Quarai photos taken 7 May 2014.

 

 

 

    A first look at the Quarai Pueblo Mission Church ruins.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    "The first blocks of houses were built here about 1300. Evidence also shows that the town stood empty from about 1400 to the 1500s.

 

 

 

 

 

    As noted previously the Egyptians invented the plumb-bob about 4,000 years ago; hence the neat vertical corners are not surprising.

 

 

 

    The first Spanish missionary to arrive in 1627 was Juan Guttierrez de la Chica, under whose direction the "Tiwa women had built the sandstone and adobe church, convento, and corrals you see here."

 

 

 

 

 

    These wall are approximately 380 years old...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    ...as are these.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Square kivas are not unknown; however, most tend to be circular.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Here's what appears to have been a square kiva, where the tribal priests held their gatherings -- mainly of men.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    I assume the small narrow windows are for ventilation.

 

 

 

 

 

    Though weather-worn, this plaques explains the abandonment not just of Quarai but also of Abo and Gran Quivira as well:repeated crop failures and Apaches on the warpath.

 

 

 

 

 

            "The streets and plazas of Quarai stood empty for over 140 years. When Hispanic settlers returned to the Salinas district in the early 1800s, they often built a round watchtower -- called a Torreon -- as part of their fortifications protecting from Apache attacks."

 

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[Return to the top of the page] Links:

• My 16 May post on the Abo Salinas Pueblo Mission
• National Park Service webpages for the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument
• Wikipedia article on the Salinas Pueblo Mission National Monument

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Routes:

Th 19 Jun Actual Route: Bowman Lions Club RV Park - Bowman Lib - Dickinson W/M - Belinger - Medora - Theodore Roosevelt NP Cottonwood CG

F 20 Jun Actual Route: TR NP Cottonwood CG - Medora - Belfield - Kildeer - Beulah - Hazen, ND, City RV Pk

Sa 21 Jun Actual Route: Hazen City RV Pk - Stanton Gift Shop/Lib - Knife River Indian Villages Historical Sites - Washburn - Washburn bd

Su 22 Jun Actual Route: Lewis & Clark Interpretative Ctr - Fort Mandan - Washburn - Underwood - McClusky - Carrington Lions RV Pk

M 23 Jun Actual Route: Carrington Lions RV Pk - Carrington Lib - Cooperstown - Mayfield Trk Stp

T 24 Jun Actual Route: Mayfield Trk Stp - Blanchard - Fargo McDs - Fargo Lib - Fargo W/M

W 25 Jun Actual Route: Fargo W/M - Fargo Lib - Fargo W/M - N. Fargo Trk Stp

Th 26 Jun Actual Route: N. Fargo Trk Stp - Fargo Lib - Dilworth, MN W/M

F 27 Jun Actual Route: Dilworth, MN W/M - Fargo Br Lib - VA Hosp - MN Rest Area

Sa 28 Jun Route: MN Rest Area - Dilworth, MN W/M - Fargo Br Lib

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Finding Campgrounds:

• RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
• Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
• Free campsites website
• Info on finding BLM Campgrounds

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

Chimney Rock & Scotts Bluff, Nebraska

Lemmon Public Library, SD

 

 

    Courthouse Rock and Jail Rock as seen from near Bridgeport, Nebraska, county seat of Morrill County. [Photos take 11 & 12 Jun.]

 

 

 

 

    Courthouse Rock was discovered in 1812 by explorer Robert Stuart and quickly became one of the guiding landmarks for fur traders and emigrants on the trails [west]...."

 

 

 

 

    The two notable rocks from NE88.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Zooming in....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    In the distance on the horizon to the north: Chimney Rock and Scotts Bluff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    As I drove north toward Chimney Rock and Scotts Bluff...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    ...the two key rock formations became more distinct.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    A close-up view of Chimney Rock from the parking lot of the National Historical Site, which is run by the Nebraska State Historical Society, which charges $2 even if you have a Federal Senior Pass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Scotts Bluff as one approaches from the south.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Another view of the rock monolith from the Walmart parking lot, which is to the north-east.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Zooming in....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    The Saddle and "Saddle Horn as seen from near the Visitor Center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Panning right....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Right again....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Saddle Rock, as it's called, as seen from near the Visitor Center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Saddle Rock from a higher vantage point: the parking lot atop of Scotts Bluff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Zooming in, one can see Chimney Rock to the south just to the left of what the Wildcat Hills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    The Visitor Center as seen from the top of the bluff. The road from left to right crosses Mitchell Pass, which replaced Robidoux Pass and an eight-mile swing to the south.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    During the year and a half it operated the Pony Express whizzed by Scotts Bluff.

 

 

 

 

    A close-up of a map of the two passes, Robidoux & Mitchell. The large increase in traffic after the discovery of gold in California likely led to the improvement of Mitchell Pass.

 

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[Return to the top of the page] Links:

• Photos of Courthouse & Jail Rocks
• Nebraska Historical Society website on Chimney Rock
• National Park Service webpages for Scotts Bluff National Monument
• Wikipedia article on Robidoux Pass

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Routes:

T 17 Jun Actual Route: Faith City Park - Lemmon, SD, Lib - Lemmon bd

W 18 Jun Actual Route: Lemmon bd - Lemmon, SD, Lib - Hettinger, ND - Bowman Lib

Th 19 Jun Actual Route: Bowman Lions Club RV Park - Bowman Lib - Dickinson W/M - Belinger - Medora - Theodore Roosevelt NP Cottonwood CG

F 20 Jun Actual Route: TR NP Cottonwood CG - Medora - Belfield - Kildeer - Beulah - Hazen, ND, City RV Pk

Sa 21 Jun Actual Route: Hazen City RV Pk - Stanton Gift Shop/Lib - Knife River Indian Villages Historical Sites - Washburn - Washburn bd

Su 22 Jun Actual Route: Lewis & Clark Interpretative Ctr - Fort Mandan - Washburn - Underwood - McClusky - Carrington Lions RV Pk

M 23 Jun Actual Route: Carrington Lions RV Pk - Carrington Lib - Cooperstown - Mayfield Trk Stp

T 24 Jun Actual Route: Mayfield Trk Stp - Blanchard - Fargo McDs - Fargo Lib - Fargo W/M

W 25 Jun Actual Route: Fargo W/M - Fargo Lib - Fargo W/M - N. Fargo Trk Stp

Th 26 Jun Route: N. Fargo Trk Stp - Carlson Br Lib

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Finding Campgrounds:

• RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
• Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
• Free campsites website
• Info on finding BLM Campgrounds

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

Salinas Pueblo Missions - Abo, NM

Brighton Public Library, CO

 

 

 

    Until Coronado arrived in 1540 the Ancestral Puebloans and Mongollons lived mainly by hunting and some small-scale agriculture, as they had for 7000 yrs; indeed, their ancestors, who were nomadic Indians, may have arrived 20,000 years ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Once the Franciscian missionaries arrived and methods of building pueblos migrated south from the Colorado Plateau, pithouses fell into disuse as larger apartment-like buildings were built.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    After a single padre arrived in 1622 the Indians also built churches.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    "Kivas are special places to Puebloan peoples -- ceremonial and social spaces located between the underworld, where the people had their origin, and the world where they live now." [From the Pecos Natl Historical Park brochure.]

 

 

 

 

 

    As the Franciscan padres taught the Puebloans to build cathedrals to the sky the Pueblo priests clung to their kivas, which were on top of the underworld where the spirits dwelt who could help them plant and harvest a successful crop

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Note how straight the corners of the building are. Reason? The use of a plumb bob, which was invented by the Egyptians more than 4,000 years ago.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Friar Francisco Fonte, the pueblo mission's first priest, supervised the building of the first church from 1622-27. His successor, Friar Francisco de Acevedo, replaced Fonte in 1640 and completed a renovation by 1651. San Gregorio de Abo was then similar to the fortress churches in Mexico.

 

 

 

 

 

    Wood for the window frames as well as sills and door jams was available in the nearby Manzano Mountains.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    It's unclear in this last photo from the Salinas Pueblo Mission at Abo whether the roof over the door was built by the natives or done by the park service as a minor revision.

 

 

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[Return to the top of the page] Links:

• National Park Service webpage on theSalinas Pueblo Mission at Abo
• Wikipedia article on the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument

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Routes:

Th 12 Jun Actual Route: Scottsbluff W/M - Scotts Bluff National Monument - Minatare - Alliance Lib - J & C RV Pk

F 13 Jun Actual Route: J & C RV Pk - Alliance McDs - Chadron McDs - Chadron Lib - Chadron W/M

Sa 14 Jun Actual Route: Chadron W/M - Smithwick, SD

Su 15 Jun Actual Route: Smithwick, SD - Rapid City McDs - Walmart - North R/C Br Lib - Badlands NP - Sage Hen Crk CG

M 16 Jun Actual Route: Sage Hen Crk CG - Badlands NP - Cottonwood - Phillip - Faith City Park

T 17 Jun Actual Route: Faith City Park - Lemmon, SD, Lib - Lemmon bd

W 18 Jun Actual Route: Lemmon bd - Lemmon, SD, Lib - Hettinger, ND - Bowman Lib

Th 19 Jun Actual Route: Bowman Lions Club RV Park - Bowman Lib - Dickinson W/M - Belinger - Medora - Theodore Roosevelt NP Cottonwood CG

F 20 Jun Actual Route: TR NP Cottonwood CG - Medora - Belfield - Kildeer - Beulah - Hazen, ND, City RV Pk

Sa 21 Jun Actual Route: Hazen City RV Pk - Stanton Gift Shop/Lib - Knife River Indian Villages Historical Sites - Washburn - Washburn bd

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Finding Campgrounds:

• RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
• Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
• Free campsites website
• Info on finding BLM Campgrounds

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

Bill and LuzMaria Shearer

Fort Morgan Library, CO

 

    The Adams County, Colorado, Sheriff and one of his inmates? No. In a photo taken by LuzMaria Shearer on 4 June we see Bob Lemmon (aka "The Road Genealogist") and the former Adams County Sheriff, Bill Shearer, both 1957 grads of Santa Cruz HS in California.

 

 

 

 

    Have you seen photos of either of these two in a post office? If so, it's probably of the guy on the left.

 

 

 

 

 

    LuzMaria and Bill Shearer in the well-kept backyard of their home near Brighton, Colorado.

 

 

 

 

 

    Cropping out most of the backyard, here's a closeup which LuzMaria brightens in more ways than one.

 

 

 

 

 

    But there are more members of the household. The white horse, who is the older of the two, is Pancho.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    The younger, brown horse is Jalapeno.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    And the final member of the "family" is Chico, the billy-goat, whose beard is longer than mine. When Bill called their two cats the previous evening, Chico answered with what was probably a "Feed me too!"

 

 

 

 

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[Return to the top of the page]
Links:

• 3 Jul 2013 post with photos of JoAnne Boch & Dick Teman
• Wikipedia article on Brighton, CO
• History and photos of Brighton
• Wikipedia article on Fort Morgan, CO, boyhood home of Glenn Miller

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Routes:

W 4 Jun Actual Route: Boondock at classmate's home - Wiggins - Ft Morgan Lib - Ft Morgan W/M

Th 5 Jun Actual Route: Ft Morgan W/M - Ft Morgan Lib - Ft Morgan W/M

F 6 Jun Actual Route: Ft Morgan W/M - Ft Morgan Lib - Ft Morgan P.O. - Ft Morgan W/M

Sa 7 Jun Actual Route: Ft Morgan W/M - Ft Morgan Lib - Sterling Lib - Sterling W/M

Su 8 Jun Actual Route: Ft Morgan W/M - Visitor Ctr - Sterling P.O. - Sterling W/M

M 9 Jun Actual Route: Sterling W/M - Hm Depot - Ogallala, NE, McDs - Sleepy Sunflower RV Park

T 10 Jun Actual Route: Sleepy Sunflower RV Park - North Platte Lib - Ogallala - US26 bd

W 11 Jun Actual Route: US26 bd - Lewellen - Bridgeport - Chimney Rock SP - Scottsbluff W/M

Th 12 Jun Actual Route: Scottsbluff W/M - Scotts Bluff National Monument - Minatare - Alliance Lib - J & C RV Pk

F 13 Jun Route: J & C RV Pk - Alliance McDs - Chadron McDs - Chadron Lib - Chadron W/M

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Finding Campgrounds:

• RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
• Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
• Free campsites website
• Info on finding BLM Campgrounds

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

Valley of Fires National Recreational Area, NM

Lamb Branch Library, Pueblo, CO
Mt Harney, SD, now included in 30 Mar post below

 

 

 

 

    This New Mexico state Historical Marker mentions Billy the Kid since Carrizozo is the county seat of Lincoln County, where Billy gained part of his reputation. [Most county seats have libraries; not so in Carrizozo; hwr, Capitan, which is "up the hill" to the east, has an excellent all-volunteer library.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Malpais, the Spanish word for badlands, was used to characterize the lava flows both near Carrizzo and west of Albuquerque in El Malpais National Monument.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    From one of the campground sites here's a view of a layer of lava which is like an arrow pointing to the right.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Panning left....

 

 

 

 

 

    Panning left once more it's clear that there is a considerable amount of vegetation betwixt and between the rocks.

 

    See links below for a few more photos.

 

    

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[Return to the top of the page]
Links:

• Bureau of Land Management webpages on Valley of Fires NRA
• Photos on A Year Less Bored blog
• Wikipedia article on the Carrizozo Mailpais
• Wikipedia article on El Malpais National Monument

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Routes:

W 28 May Actual Route: Lisa's Truck Stop - Moriarty Lib - Pecos Natl Historic Park - Las Vegas, NM, W/M

Th 29 May Actual Route: Las Vegas, NM, W/M - McDs - Las Vegas Lib - Ft Union Natl Monument - Springer - I-25 bd

F 30 May Actual Route: I-25 bd - Raton Lib - Trinidad, CO - Walsenburg Lib - US160 bd

Sa 31 May Actual Route: US160 bd - Walsenburg Lib - Pueblo Lamb Br Lib - Northern Av W/M

Su 1 Jun Actual Route: Northern Av W/M - Dollar Tree - Fountain, CO - Fountain W/M

M 2 Jun Actual Route: Fountain W/M - Castle Rock McDs - Aurora Pub Lib - Brighton bd

T 3 Jun Actual Route: Brighton bd - Walmart - Brighton Lib - Gasamat - Boondock at classmate's home

W 4 Jun Actual Route: Boondock at classmate's home - Wiggins - Ft Morgan Lib - Ft Morgan W/M

Th 5 Jun Actual Route: Ft Morgan W/M - Ft Morgan Lib - Ft Morgan W/M

F 6 Jun Route: Ft Morgan W/M - Ft Morgan Lib - Ft Morgan P.O. - Ft Morgan W/M

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Finding Campgrounds:

• RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
• Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
• Free campsites website
• Info on finding BLM Campgrounds

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.