Enchanted Circle, New Mexico

Hi Everyone,
Today I'm writing from the Enchanted Circle in northern New Mexico! This is where my family home is located...this is definitely an enchanted and enchanting place to live and visit. The Enchanted Circle is a scenic byway centered around Wheeler Peak, the highest peak (at 13,161 ft or 4,011 m) in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, just north east of Taos, New Mexico. The Enchanted Circle byway goes through the Carson National Forest, and the towns of Red River, Eagle Nest, and Angel Fire...ending back in Taos. This route is a very popular day-trip out of Taos. There is much to see and do along this enchanted route, but the most popular activities are those that take visitors outdoors--hiking, skiing (both down hill and cross country), etc!

My daughter and I moved up here due to my allergies and asthma. We made a new life here, and found ourselves healthier living in this high altitude and dry air--it was much better for us than when we lived along the Gulf coast of Texas. Our house sits at about 9,000 ft on the top of a small mountain, surrounded by pines, aspen, and many forms of wildlife! We have seen everything from deer to elk, a coyote pack, bears, a bobcat, along with the smaller animals, such as squirrels and chubby chipmunks and birds. It is never dull around here--you have only to watch out of the window to see which animal neighbors are busy at different times of the day. This drives Pal and Jade (our two dogs) absolutely crazy! Along with all the wildlife, we have many wild flowers and even wild strawberries and raspberries!


My daughter started high school when we moved here. Four days a week, she had a one hour bus ride from our home to her school. The bus route goes through the Cimarron Canyon, which is very windy and curvy, to the town of Cimarron, on the other side of the mountains. The ride was long, but my daughter didn't mind--she would do homework and reading on the trip to and from her school. How she managed this, I don't know...I would have bene sick trying to work on the bus as it drove through that canyon! The kids had some adventures on this ride--sometimes the bus would have to stop due elk, or even bear who decided to stay on the road for a while!


Many people were amazed that my daughter and I were able to survive up here, in the high altitude with our asthma! Truly, it was not a problem, unless we were in the midst of an asthma attack...then it was a bit tricky. Even so, we managed to survive just fine. The Enchanted Circle area is somehow very healing--physically, mentally and spiritually. There are no major cities nearby, so the air is very clean here. The Native Americans who once lived in this area counted this to be a very healing place. Many people, to this day, come up here for the air and the peaceful, clean environment. There are even some who say that ancient lay lines run through this area. I'm not sure about that, but the Enchanted Circle area is a very healthy place to visit and live!

On my next post, I'll tell you a bit about Taos--its history and some of the interesting places to visit here. This part of New Mexico is deep and rich in history--and it offers much in the way of culture, too.

That's all for today--you all have a great day!

God bless,
Sherry :0)

PS The mountain chain, here, is called the Sangre de Cristos (The Blood of Christ) because of the red color they sometimes have during sunrise and sunset. Please see my pictures, above.

http://czechoffthebeatenpath.googlepages.com
(c) 2008 by czechoffthebeatenpath
All photos property of S. A. Vacik