Nov 19, Part 1 - Jemez State Monument

Today we took a day trip along SR 550 and Hwy 4 to Jemez State Monument and Bandelier National Monument. The route along Hwy 4 was really beautiful with a few camping spots we'll have to check out . Check out the next entry in order to read about Bandelier.

Our first stop was at Jemez State Monument. Over 600 years ago the Jemez people built villages along this narrow canyon. Jemez SM preserves one of these villages, Giusew and its 17th-century Spanish mission. As is usual in the pueblo ruins that have been touched by the Spaniards, the mission and convent are much better preserved than the pueblo. There is a reconstructed kiva and some pueblo walls, but most of the ruins you will see are of the mission church and the attached convent.

There is a small museum located at the site and the admission fee is $3 per adult with a self-guided trail guide.

Looking toward the nave & bell tower

Courtyard of convent

Just past the Jemez State Monument is the Soda Dam, a 300 foot natural dam that was created by mineral build from nearby hot springs. Before the paved road went through in the 1960's the road went over the dam. The building of the "new' road affected the hot springs and the dam is no longer growing. Notice in the photo below, right-hand side, the Jemez River squeezing through the dam.

Soda Dam

On our way to Bandelier we went thru the Valle Caldera National Preserve. A working ranch (95,000 acres) from 1860 to 2000, the ranch was purchased by the government and turned into a national preserve - monitoring the coo-existance of ranching and wildlife preservation. There are many activities in the area but all are by reservation (www.vallescaldera.gov). The valley in the photos below was created when a volcano caved in on itself.