Spring in New Mexico: 2025

I’m back on the road again! It’s been a while.

My last big trip was to New York last Autumn. Since then, I’ve been in winter hibernation mode. Spring is waking things up, including myself. It feels wonderful to be back in my truck exploring the big beautiful world. I have art supplies, snacks & a great playlist. The open road stretches ahead of me. Onward & Inward I go.

I started this road trip heading south from Colorado into New Mexico. My first stop was at Pecos National Historic Park, a federal land near Santa Fe, NM. This place is amazing...and free!!!

This ancestral site was a church & village of the Pecos people. At its height around the 14th century, this pueblo housed around 2,000 people & served as a main trading hub between Pueblo communities & Spanish colonizers. 

It was amazing to walk through the maze of this structure. The Pecos were known for their elaborate ceremonial life, sophisticated agriculture & strategic diplomacy. Walking through these grounds, I could feel the energies of the past so deeply in my bones. The medicine in this earth is powerful & this space was moving and exciting for me to explore.

If you find yourself near Santa Fe, I recommend a visit here. With so many federal lands & cultural sites facing defunding or closure under the Trump administration, this place feels all the more precious to honor & donate to. 

I stayed several nights in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I was there to pick up a friend flying in from San Diego, then we would head out together on the next leg of our adventure together.

One of the areas I like to explore in Santa Fe is Canyon Road. This area has an amazing collection of over 100 art galleries that are fun, funky & wonderful. The street is lined with sculpture art and there are so many nooks & crannies to explore. The neighborhood has spectacular Adobe homes, with some of them dating back to the 1750’s. This is a great area to walk around if you're in town.

After I picked up my friend from the Santa fe airport (which is very small), we headed to the International Museum of Folk Art. This is one of my favorite museums. I visit it every time I'm in town & was excited to share it with my friend.

I deeply appreciate this museum’s commitment to sharing various traditions of folk art & spiritual practice from around the world. This is a beautiful expression of DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) that supports cross-cultural understanding and celebrates the rich diversity of the human spirit & how it expresses itself all around the globe.

One of the highlights of the museum is the exhibit titled "Multiple Visions: A Common Bond". In 1981 Alexander Girard donated over 100,000 pieces of folk art to the museum & a new wing was created to display them. This permanent exhibit showcases so many amazing pieces of folk art scenery of the human experience, from birth to death & the afterlife, and everything in between.

I really enjoyed the exhibit they had there this time on prison art. It was deeply moving. I will be writing a whole separate blog on that. They also had an exhibit about baskets made in South Africa…from telephone wire! 

It’s inspiring to see how people use art to express themselves. The human race has so much talent & creativity. My prayer is that we are all inspired to use our creativity in uplifting & expansive ways, for all beings & the planet at large. 

As we headed north out of Santa Fe, we stopped by El Santuario de Chimayó, a historic Catholic church in Chimayó, New Mexico. It was built in 1816 & is still used for Sunday service to this day. There are large altars throughout the grounds built to the dead & dying, with pictures of them taped to the wall around various religious statues. It was interesting to observe these large scale tributes to love, hope & prayer.

Behind the main chapel was a little church called Santo Niño de Atocha built in 1856. It had such lovely energy. A unique tradition with this chapel involves pilgrims leaving children's shoes at the feet of the Santo Niño statue. According to local legend, the Holy Child embarks on nightly journeys to aid those in need, wearing out his shoes in the process. As a gesture of support & gratitude, devotees offer new footwear to ensure he can continue his benevolent travels. There is a room with hundreds of tiny shoes affixed to the ceiling & walls, with each pair symbolizing a prayer, a hope, or a miracle sought for healing. It was a powerful room to be in.

Our next stop on our road trip was in Abiqiu, NM. I love this region of northern New Mexico. We stayed at the Abiqiu Inn, a place I discovered on my last trip in the region. We got a cute room with a fireplace & a wonderful seating area perfect for making art. We had horses & donkeys outside our back door & ample space to spread out & be comfy. 

I love the river that runs through this area & was excited to share it with my friend. The Rio Chama is a 130-mile-long river that originates in the San Juan Mountains of southern Colorado and merges with the Rio Grande in New Mexico. The Rio Chama has been a source of inspiration for many artists in the area, including Georgia O’Keeffe.

The hotel we're staying at has art work from various artists in the area & the below painting was one of my favorites by Barbara Clark. I love this style of New Mexico art. It's bold, colorful, evocative & fun.

The last time I was at the Rio Chama, it was late autumn & the land was preparing to move into its Winter slumber. Now I’m here in early Spring, experiencing the land as it wakes up from its winter hibernation. Both ends of this cycle have such unique energies; the rising vs the falling, the waking up vs. the preparing to rest. As I experience this range of energies in the landscape, I am able to experience these energies within myself too.

I took my friend to an extra special place in the area, “The Monastery of Christ in the Desert”. This Benedictine monastery was established in 1964. It was designed by woodworker & architect George Nakashima, who blended the monastery’s architecture with the natural surroundings of the area.  

We did a silent hike to the monastery, and when we got there we were met with an amazing ringing of the bells. We spent time in the meditation garden reflecting on peace, beauty & expansive presence. There is a lovely silence here that is sweet to connect into.

In the main chapel I noticed all the religious artifacts were covered in purple cloths; everything from the altar, the crucifix, and even the holy water was covered. After doing some research, I learned this is a common practice during the final weeks of Lent leading up to Easter. During this period, many churches veil crosses, statues & images with purple fabric as a form of preparation for Holy Week. By veiling familiar symbols, worshippers are encouraged to focus inwardly. Then, when the veils are lifted at the Easter Vigil, it heightens the joy & wonder of resurrection & renewal.

Another stop in the Abiquiu area that I shared with my friend was the Labyrinth at Ghost Ranch. I love walking labyrinths & there are several in this region that are magnificent. This one is particularly spectacular at sunset. I was excited to be in this location again & go deeper with the prayer that emerged from me when I was here last.

The last time I was here I created a little art book and walked the Labyrinth with it. As I walked the spiral I received guidance from each chakra on how to best live my aging years. I wrote this guidance in my book & it was a powerful experience to download into my body, mind & spirit.  

I brought that little art book back here on this trip & revisited the lessons. As I walked the Labyrinth towards the center, I reflected on ways I've been living these chakra assignments. As I walked out from the center of the Labyrinth, I reflected on ways to deepen the application of these teachings in my life. This little art book is a fun way to capture wisdom guidance for how to celebrate the gift of aging in my life.

I really enjoyed our time in Abiqiu. This place is sacred & special and it’s been lovely to revisit it as the season of Spring wakes up. The world is moving through so much turmoil & being in places like this is what my being needs to recalibrate. The sun is shining, the river is flowing and my heart is radiating. I am grateful. 

Now on to the next location…

Our final destination in New Mexico was Ojo Caliente Hot Springs Resort. I love this place. I try to get here at least once a year. I missed coming here last year so I had some making up to do!!! 

This historic spa was established in 1868. It’s one of the few places on Earth where four distinct mineral waters emerge naturally, all without sulfur.  

• Lithia: Believed to have mood-stabilizing properties.

• Iron: Thought to benefit blood circulation & the immune system.

• Soda: Traditionally used to aid digestion.

• Arsenic: Historically used for relief from arthritis & skin conditions.  

I made sure to get into all the pools to soak in the medicine! The two pools I spent the most time in are the Lithia & Iron pools. The iron pool (featured below) has a wonderful pebble bottom and was just the right temperature for deep meditation.

My friend & I had a cute little room that held us for a couple days as we soaked, reflected, healed, connected & sat with the fullness of all that is. It was nice to have a couple nights here so we could truly sink into the magic & medicine that is so unique to this location.

I woke up early, found a hammock & claimed my spot for the day. In between soaks, I painted in my art journal, prepped for my upcoming Creative Arts Playshop & sat with the contents of my own mind & being.

I love the mud bath area at Ojo. Mud baths have been used for centuries across various cultures for many therapeutic benefits. The minerals in the mud draw out toxins, improve circulation & promote relaxation.

On my second day here I had the mud bath area all to myself, which was wonderful. Feeling the remains of my ancestors drying all over my body in the shining sun, detoxing me of so many things was rich medicine for me (and yes, I bring some of the mud home with me).

I worked with the labyrinth at Ojo quite a bit while I was there. It’s small but powerful. It’s divided into 3 sections. At first, I saw these 3 sections as representing the classic trilogy of a woman’s life: Maiden, Mother, Crone.

As I sat more deeply with this trilogy, especially after conversations with others here at the hot springs & witnessing elders soaking their fragile bodies in these healing waters, the pattern shifted into the trilogy of independence, interdependence & dependency.

• In youth, we revel in independence; wild, capable, free. 

• In adulthood, we enter the realm of interdependence, needing one another to thrive; within family, within community & within love.

• As we age, we inevitably move toward a state of dependency on others; for care, support, and even survival.

As I walked the labyrinth, I began with the medicine of independence, honoring my youthful freedom & strength. I felt into gratitude that I had the experience of youth (and wished I had utilized it better).

Then, I entered the spiral of interdependence. I named where I stand now & recognized my need for others & the strength that comes from reciprocity. To give & receive. To hold & be held. And also the call to utilize this time of my life better since it is fading.

Walking through the final spiral section of dependency brought up sadness for me, knowing this will be my future (if I live that long). The thought of needing help in such intimate & constant ways stirs discomfort for me & involves such a big level of ego death and surrender. 

When I got to the center of the Labyrinth I sat with all these energies & reflected on these 3 stages of my life; where I’ve been, where I’m at & where I’m going. 

• Then, walking the path back out from center, I started with the stage of dependency & asked myself the question: What kind of elder do I want to be?

• I let that question take root as I returned through the spiral of interdependence, shaping intentions for my living that will better support my future (and my now).

• Then I walked through the stage of independence, carrying gratitude for all the freedom and fire that has shaped me & my life journey to this point. 

As I stepped out of the labyrinth, I felt a new level of peace within me around my journey of aging. Walking this path & doing this ceremony was a powerful experience. I hope to hold onto these teachings as I move forward so they can continue to guide & inspire my living journey forward.

One of the things I like to do on road trips is collect free magazines & pamphlets along the way. I cut images & words out from them and add them to my art journal. This is a fun and easy way to create art on the road & it connects me to the spirit of the region. Here's one of the pages I created on the road. I love how colorful this page is & all the aspects of New Mexico that emerged.

This road trip has been a wonderful adventure of sacred places, soulful conversations, silent reflections, healing waters, and art made by hands & heart. Taking this trip with my dear friend made it all the more rich and amazing. Throughout the trip, we had our own individual retreat times, giving each other space for solo reflection. We also had wonderful connection points where we had courageous conversations about big & deep things happening in our individual lives & in the larger world. 

Every place we visited held its own kind of medicine. Every walk, soak, hike & labyrinth journey stirred something essential inside me. Travel, for me, is never just about moving across land. It’s about moving through the inner terrain as well; revisiting layers of who I am, who I’ve been & who I’m becoming. I carry these blessings with me as I continue onward into the next chapter of this ever-unfolding journey if life.

See you on the road ahead.

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