{"id":2972,"date":"2025-06-24T16:10:58","date_gmt":"2025-06-24T22:10:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sustainingplace.com\/?p=2972"},"modified":"2025-06-24T16:23:19","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T22:23:19","slug":"from-in-place-to-of-place-on-the-high-road","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainingplace.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/24\/from-in-place-to-of-place-on-the-high-road\/","title":{"rendered":"From ‘In Place’ to ‘Of Place’ on the High Road"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today\u2019s Substack post continues the theme of \u00a0framing in understanding places:<\/em><\/p>\n

Sometimes, the dust motes in the late afternoon sun invite exploration of more expansive landscapes and varied scales of view.<\/p>\n

I realize that north of Santa Fe, one need not drive south. It is well within our reach to become curators of the less filtered or familiar by moving in another direction.<\/p>\n

An early evening drive\u2014with a visual documentary purpose\u2014is a way to ward off the onset of subtle ennui, to avoid discovery of a wild bird now tamed and taught to sing on command.<\/p>\n

Brian Wilson has just passed, and his words seem everywhere. \u201cGod only knows what I\u2019d be without you,\u201d lauded by Paul McCartney<\/a>\u2014apply differently on this drive. The \u201cyou\u201d here is not a person. Instead, it is a more fundamental connection, one that exists on the walls and bookshelves, and in museum displays full of Georgia O\u2019Keeffe, Tony Hillerman, Ansel Adams, and many more\u2014something that explains why so many people end up gazing at and reinterpreting New Mexico.<\/p>\n

\n

And then, the impulse.<\/p>\n

Rather than dance with the partially manufactured charm of the City Different, with walks past vigas and portales to rooftop bars where pi\u00f1on is suddenly a favorite word, I drive the opposite way. Then, I turn right, and in a few moments, I immerse myself in the landscapes of Nambe Pueblo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Immersing in Nambe Pueblo. Charles R. Wolfe photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Even on the road to a housing cluster, the senses attune. It is not just the sunlight, but the way it falls and changes, and how, if not photographed now, the particular shades of rust, sienna, and crevice shadows will disappear.<\/p>\n

Is it the act of going somewhere? No, it is the art of finding something.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The Middle of the Pilgrimage Road and Descent to Chimayo. Charles R. Wolfe photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Soon, the High Road to Taos<\/a> descends to Chimayo with a gentle curve. The road\u2014shown above\u2014is empty, and I cut the engine. The only sounds are the wind and the murmurs of any approaching car, of which there are few. My walk to the middle of this road of pilgrimage frames the view.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The Sanctuary at Chimayo. Charles R. Wolfe photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"
At Chimayo. Charles R. Wolfe photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Down the hill, on the legacy sideroad, the Sanctuary<\/a> at dusk\u2014unlike when I have photographed it before\u2014stands quiet, serene, and somehow charms emotions to the surface as it reflects the evening sun. No matter the history or denomination of this well-known church, at this time of day, the experience transcends any dogma.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Another land in Espa\u00f1ola. Charles R. Wolfe photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Then, in Espa\u00f1ola<\/a>, after crossing the Rio Grande, the sanctity of Chimayo reweaves in uncurated delight. At first, the hostess suggests takeout as she does not know when the restaurant closes. Then a colleague intervenes, and when seated, the clock yields to the eclectic surroundings.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Espa\u00f1ola. Charles R. Wolfe photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When I order something familiar from the laminated menu, the carne asada plate that emerges is entirely different than what I thought it would be. Not a steak, but a generous melange of tortillas, seasoned beans, a roasted chile, and shredded meat. It<\/span> is an evening of unscripted moments, varied from preconception, and all in all unforeseen. This impulsive drive north, then, is a spontaneous realignment, and part of my continued efforts to not only be in<\/strong> a place, but also part of it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
A Sanctuary Window. Charles R. Wolfe photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I asked a kind author friend\u2014someone far more experienced with external and internal travels\u2014to comment on my words.<\/p>\n

I appreciate his affirmation:<\/p>\n

You make me want to be there right now, though actually you make me feel as I’m right there already.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Today\u2019s Substack post continues the theme of \u00a0framing in understanding places: Sometimes, the dust motes in the late afternoon sun invite exploration of more expansive landscapes and varied scales of view. I realize that north of Santa Fe, one need not drive south. It is well within our reach to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2973,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false},"categories":[1093,1173,1172,21,1096],"tags":[985,24,621,734,18,6,878,989],"class_list":["post-2972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ideas","category-landscapes","category-new-mexico","category-blog","category-photography","tag-context","tag-culture","tag-heritage","tag-history","tag-landscapes","tag-nature","tag-photography","tag-placeparts"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sustainingplace.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/image.png?fit=1456%2C1092&quality=80&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pc03Hh-LW","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sustainingplace.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2972","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sustainingplace.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sustainingplace.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sustainingplace.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sustainingplace.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2972"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/sustainingplace.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2972\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2989,"href":"https:\/\/sustainingplace.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2972\/revisions\/2989"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sustainingplace.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sustainingplace.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sustainingplace.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sustainingplace.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}