The Mustang horses were brought to North America by the Spanish, and were descendants of Iberian horses. Some of these horses escaped or were captured by Native Americans.  This guy looks like he has been here awhile.

Santa Fe, New Mexico Photo by Nicki Hurd

We had good timing, there was an artisan festival in the main square.

Santa Fe, New Mexico Photo by Andrew Leggett

Santa Fe, literally means holy faith in Spanish

Santa Fe, New Mexico Photo by Andrew Leggett

We stopped here on our way to Colorado, had lunch and a look around.  Santa Fe is easy on the eyes, and I am hoping for a more lengthy return in the near future. Even the overpasses of the highway were colorful and attractive. The affluent neighborhood that we passed through first was full of beautiful homes of contemporary southwestern architecture, and natural landscaping well suited to this area.  The southwestern lunch was tasty, as we sat on a Territorial-style balcony overlooking Santa Fe Plaza and took in the mix of architectural styles including Adobe, Pueblo-style vigas, and the Romanesque architecture of Saint Francis Cathedral.  There is a deep beauty to witnessing the imprints  that all of the different cultures have left on this region.

As we traveled on to Colorado, it was tempting to stop and take pictures everywhere. It’s easy to see why Georgia O’Keeffe got inspiration from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the foothills of the Rocky Mountains.  The mountains were magnificent, and have a redder tone than in Colorado.  We were trying to make it to Pagosa Springs where we had reservations for the night, before sundown. August, 2009