We made 2 visits recently to New Mexico and along the way to the New Mexico Populatoion Center is this grand place.
Sorry for the night shots but it was late when we got here.
Lets see some good images.
FROM:
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visit link)
"Mountainair is the starting point for the places that gave this byway its name - the ruins of Abo (9 miles west on US 60), Quarai (8 miles north on NM 55), and Gran Quivira (25 miles south on NM 55) pueblos (Abo 505-847-2400; Quarai 505-847-2290; Gran Quivira 505-847-2770). They are units of the Salinas Pueblos Missions National Monument, and a visitors' center in Mountainair (505-847-2585; open 8:00-5:00) provides a video and museum which interpret them.
The pueblos lie within the Estancia Basin, which was a lake until about 10,000 years ago. When the brackish water evaporated, salt was left behind, a valuable trade commodity for later settlers. This area alternated between peace and war --puebles against Apaches, and both against Spanish settlers. In the peaceful interludes, Trade routes ran through the Basin between the pueblos of the Rio Grande and Plains tribes. The people of the Saline Pueblos traded salt, corn, pinon nuts, beans, squash, and cotton with their neighbors.
Each of these places has its own special beauty. The red stone walls of Abo's San Gregorio Mission (late 1620s) and Quarai's La Purisima Concepcion (1630) rise up suddenly against a deep blue sky cushioned by massive cumulus clouds. By contrast, the ruins of San Buenaventura Mission (1659) at Gran Quivira are gradually revealed as you walk to the top of Chupadero Mesa. The gray stone walls blend with the muted colors of the desert but still contrast with the piercingly blue sky.
NM 55 and NM 337 pass through several small settlements with lyrical Spanish names on their way north to Tijeras: Manzano, Tajique, Chilili, Escobosa, and Yrisarri. Each of these communities has an intriguing history, and each is built around its small Catholic churches. The churches differ in appearance, but their importance to the lives of the communities is the same.
Like icing on the cake, there are hiking, picnicking, and camping opportunities in the lovely forested valleys of the Cibola National Forest south of Tijeras. Take your pick --Tunnel Canyon, Otero Canyon, Cedro Campground, and Pine Flat Picnic Area."
This has to be one of the best Enchanted Routes in New Mexico.
As always have fun be safe and
HAPPY...................................WAYMARKING