02/05/2020 to 02/08/2020
We just wanted to get out of town for a few days so we thought these two places were close enough for a quick trip.
El Paso is a place we drive through on I-10 and have never thought it was pretty; ugly maybe. But it does have history.
There are 3 missions in the El Paso area, and we love missions, so that was a draw.
Las Curses had a ghost town we thought we would check out - New Mexico is great for touristing.
So a days drive out there, a couple days enjoying each area, and a drive home through some great scenery.
Great little get away.
- San Elizario Mission
- Old El Paso County Jail
- Socorro Mission
- Ysleta Mission
- Fort Bliss Army Base - El Paso
- Fort Selden - New Mexico
- Lake Valley Historical Site - Hatch, New Mexico
- Santa RIta Copper Mine - New Mexico
George had read of 3 missions on the old El Camino Real. We love missions with their architecture beauty, but these were especially lovely.
Our first stop was San Elisario. Built around 1877 it is still an active church today.
We expected some nice exteriors and interiors, but these were unique. Also unique were the people who volunteered to impart their knowledge about the church and it's history, as well as the history of the area.
I think the enthusiasm and knowledge of the local people really added to the enjoyment.
A little history of the chapel
San Elizario
Inside is quite lovely
We have never seen such colors before
The ceiling was painted as well. I think all artwork is done by parishoners
One of the stained glass windows
I found the detail on the columns most interesting
Looking toward the altar
A couple more of the stained glass windows
Actually this is San Elizario, not actually El Paso.
This old jail was also the courthouse in old Elizario district.
Today it is owned by an artist who loves the area and has been quite passionate about highlighting El Paso, the district, artists and history.
The jail is on the next street over from San Elizario Mission, an easy stroll, so well worth the couple of minutes it takes to visit.
Again, the passion folks here have for the history is commendable.
San Elizario Historic District
The old jail
Interior
Two of the old cells were refurbished
A statue of Billy the Kidd.
This was our favorite. The interior is just lovely with old and reconstruction living side by side, but because of the woman who was our docent while there.
As with everyone else we met on this trip she was well versed in the history of her church as well as the area.
The mission has been destroyed and rebuilt several times since the 1600s. This one was completed in 1843.
Several years ago it was found to be falling apart and the reconstruction took years. Thankfully many of the old beams and vigas were reused.
And they have one of the official copies of The Pieta.
Socorro Mission
A little history
Inside looking toward the door from the altar
Looking toward the altar
Check out the ceiling Amazing they saved so much
Note the "sky light" which was used to provide light on the altar as well as air circulation
Some inscriptions on the original beams
The paintings flanking the altar are hundreds of years old
The Tabernacle
The sconces and stations of the cross were made by a parisioner
A wealthy parishioner paid for 112 Vatican approved replicas of The Pieta. They gave 11 to churches including their own, Socorro.
Our last mission was Ysleta, which claims to be the oldest continuously operating mission in Texas.
Like the others it has been destroyed a couple times; once by fire and then again in the big flood of 1740.
As with the others, this has a totally unique focus, with many native American paintings as well as old Spanish.
This was also the only one with no docent on hand to espouse the history of the church and the area. Sorta of missed that I must say.
Looking down the aisle
The stations of the cross are elaborate paintings
The altar, quite different from the other missions
Notice the fabric used on either side
Very native design
Note the garment worn by Mary - very much calico as worn by Native Americans
St. Theresa and another saint I do not recognize
The Native American woman is honored here
Local weaving is also on display
Naturally we stopped at the museum on Fort Bliss - couldn't pass up a bunch of tanks.
Dad was stationed here in the early 50s when I was about 2 to 3, and Colleen was born here.
Unfortunately no plaque to that auspicious event - and we did look.
Getting on base required a bit of finding the right gate and the correct "little red building" to sign in at, getting your picture taken, having your driver's licence scanned, and probably a quick check of a terrorist watch list.
It was a fund little stop, although the map we were given was geared toward new military personel and showed the library, laundry, PX, etc. No Museum designate.
Obviously the don't really want to encourage tourists.
After Fort Bliss we started to meander west and home.
Along the route, well not exactly on the route but somewhat in the area, is old Fort Selden.
Located north of Las Cruces it was established in 1865, like so many Southwest forts, to help protect settlers from Indian attacks.
This was also one base of The Buffalo Soldiers.
In 1884 Captain Arthur MacArthur, Jr. was assigned as post commander. Yup, little Douglas MacArthur's dad.
It closed in 1891.
Not much is left, but it's still a very nice place to stop, stroll and enjoy a little history.
An abandoned town and dirt roads - two things we can not pass up.
Lake Valley was founded when silver was discovered in the area. At one time there were 4,000 residents.
The silver panic, a fire and most of the people left.
Manganese was mined for a while in the 1950s but that did not last.
The last resident left about 1994.
Today it is taken care of by BLM folks. When we visited an older couple had stopped by to reminisce about the dances they attended here.
Welcome sign
The road into town
Just a few buildings left
That's the old school which is now the office you check into
Inside the old school
Outside there is a lot of trash left from the residents. Bottles galore
Looking back at the school from one of the roads
Cans, tons and tons of rusty cans everywhere
Chapel
The old coal sorter. The railroad came here in the heyday and it needed coal
Inside you can see the different shoots for different coal
JUst some debris
An old washing machine tub. Probably had a wringer on top
Old depot
The gas station
Some left over machinery
The Martinez house. They lived here until the mid 1990s.
It was probably pleasant at one time
The Martinez outhouse. It had just recently been blown over
I thought this was as close as I wanted to get
Another old house. I'm in for scale
Looking inside the old house
One of the old homes, now just a few walls
An old car
No idea why the old safe is here, or what it was from
Shack - well it's a ruined shack now but it was a home at one time
Stove
Tailings and the mine entrance
The area is fenced off for safety.
Water towers
After Lake Valley we were meandering home on the back roads and noticed NM 152 goes by the Santa Rita Copper Mine.
We had been on the overlook way back in 2005, so it was an opportunity to see if things had changed.
Nope. Still a really, really, really big pit. The huge truck are constantly moving up and down the road hauling rock to wherever they haul that stuff, and the vastness is pretty overwhelming.
Supposedly the land will be reclaimed and restored as sections fail to provide any usable ore, but looking at this big hole it's hard to believe it could actually look nice again.
A brief history of the mine
A tire from one of those dump trucks My head came no where near the top, and I am 5'7"
