by Jim and Melanie
The influence of the Spanish on the Native American and Mexican families of the southwest is strong. One can see it in the culture and the architecture. An example is the mission church in Ranchos de Taos a few miles south of Taos, New Mexico. It is called San Francisco de Asis. The sign by the road tells part of the story.
We arrived late morning intending to view the interior. A funeral service was in progress. So, we didn’t tour inside. The exterior is one of the most photographed and painted churches in the Americas.
Front gate.
Painted and imaged by Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams, among many other artists.
The poles cast long shadows
Note the straw in the adobe
Rear of the church
Doors on a building nearby
Our View From Iowa 
Reblogged this on JAR Blog….
Beautiful pictures! I swear the sky is a different blue in the deserts of the southwest – azure!!
I really love that color. Once in a while in Iowa, we get exceptional clear skies and cool temps with that color of sky. Here, there is less atmosphere above, so it happens more often. I could see living here this time of year for long periods of time.
Thanks for visiting.
Wonderful pictures!
Thank you!…
I SO look forward to your posts… “traveling” and learning with you!
Thanks for taking a look!
I am so glad to hear that is is still used as a church to this day, not just serving as a photo op for tourism. I like the simplistic style. Having grown up with the California Missions, some of them got pretty ornate in comparison. Great shots!
Me, too. This one is a classic that has drawn many to it.
Thank you for stopping by.
It’s too bad you weren’t able to go in. Still, your photos are wonderful. I helped out with that “most photographed” category. Mine is more abstract, also taken from the back. It’s perched on a ledge in my kitchen. I do love looking at it every day.