We're All Ears :: April Inspiration :: Wanderlust

Photo by Andreas Dress on Unsplash

wan·der·lust/ˈwändərˌləst/noun 

a strong desire to travel.

WANDERLUST is the TRAVEL-themed challenge for April's We're All Ears. We are to be inspired by actual places we have been, the methods of getting there, or even the places we want to travel to!

Photo by Kate Torline on Unsplash

With that in mind,  I was reminded of a past road trip from the Lewes, Delaware to the Southwest of the United States.  As someone from the flatlands of coastal Delaware, I was really impressed by the mountain vistas of the Southwest and I have longed to return to their beauty.  Mountains of this size and color are different than beiges and blues of the East coast.   One stop on this trip was Santa Fe, New Mexico.  Being from the East coast, I enjoyed seeing a very different culture set in these mountains. 

 Plaza of Santa Fe is the Heart of Santa Fe, photo by K. Lindemer

Santa Fe, New Mexico’s capital, sits in the Sangre de Cristo foothills. Santa Fe is renowned for its Pueblo-style architecture. Founded as a Spanish colony in 1610, it has at its heart the traditional Plaza named Plaza of Santa Fe. While there I toured the Palace of the Governors which is an adobe structure located on the Plaza of Santa Fe which served as the seat of government for the state of New Mexico for centuries. There you can absorb the history, religion, and culture.

Bead store in downtown Sante Fe, photo by K.Lindemer

Santa Fe is also a creative arts hotbed. While there I visited The Georgia O'Keeffe Museum which is dedicated to the artistic legacy of Georgia O'Keeffe, her life, American modernism. While there I also found time to do some bead shopping.  

Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, photo by K. Lindemer

To absorb the culture of this area, the chapels are a must see. I visited The Loretto Chapel in Santa. It is a former Roman Catholic church that is now used as a museum and a wedding chapel. It is known for its unusual and amazing helix-shaped spiral staircase. The Sisters of Loretto credited St. Joseph with its construction.

                              Georgia O' Keeffe's Ghost Ranch near Abiquiu, New Mexico Photo By Artotem

I enjoyed this trip and I want to return to the area again and this time I want to plan the trip around a visit to the town of Abiquiú, New Mexico which is about 53 miles (85 km) north of Santa Fe. There I want to tour the home of Georgia O'Keeffe which was her vision. Throughout the property one can see and feel the time and love O’Keeffe dedicated to this special property in a very special town, Abiquiu.

Southwestern Turquoise and Red Dangles by BayMoonDesign

These are southwestern turquoise and red dangles that are inspired by my desire to return to a place where the reds in the mountains are set against the blues in long vistas of sky. I love turquoise and red together. These earrings remind me of the colors in the beautiful southwest of the United States.

Southwestern Turquoise and Red Dangles by BayMoonDesign

I love the rustic southwest look of these turquoise earrings. This art jewelry is made with handmade crackle beads by artisan Scorched Earth. I used sterling silver ear wires to compliment the gray in the beads. Red Czech beads surrounded by gray are sitting atop a gunmetal spacer.  These earrings are for sale in my BayMoonDesign shop.

Photo by Walker Fenton on Unsplash

I plan to explore the world this week by reading the blogs of the other participants in this blog hop! Join us and leave comments in your travels through them.