Quist World Tour

Are we there yet? Incredibly, that is not a question I have heard on this trip. Except from me of course—the driver is always read to get there. I think, for the most part, my passengers are pretty happy to kick back, read, talk, or listen to music. Especially since we dropped Allison in Colorado and got rid of one of the suitcases. The sleeping bags have taken up residence in the front passenger seat—they are bigger than Allison. Sometimes I get lost in my thoughts and then think someone is sleeping there, but it’s just a pile of sleeping bags! Today was another driving day. We left Taos in the morning, late as usual, and drove to Santa Fe. I was a little sad to leave Taos, partly because there was more to do and partly because the place we rented was great for hanging out. We stopped in Santa Fe for only an hour and a half, just to look around, a way to break up the day. Santa Fe has a beautiful main plaza, and the shops are amazing. The prices are also amazing, in a different...

Randall LaGro is an artist, part of the large art community in Taos and the rest of New Mexico. He has found success in the art world for his paintings and monotypes. He is also a man of deep faith who works hard to remain open to God’s leading in his life. He is a family friend of one of our passengers, and he generously invited us to visit his incredible studio today. His studio was once the studio of artist Joseph Sharp, who was one of the founding members of the Taos Society of Artists in the early 1900s. Sharp built the studio in 1915, and it is on the National Historic Register. It’s an incredible space all by itself, but Randy’s art makes it even more fascinating.   Randy had watercolor supplies laid out for the girls, and they set to work creating some art. Meanwhile I watched them and did my best to carry on an intelligent conversation about art when I know so precious little about it! He was gracious about answering my questions and giving suggestions and inspirati...

Three strikes and you’re out, right? Well, sort of. Last night we decided on going to church at San Francisco de Assisi Mission Church. This unusual and striking adobe church was built by Franciscans in the late 1700s and early 1800s. It is still an active parish, and the whole community works together every June to re-mud the exterior. Georgia O’Keeffe famously painted the church. The website listed services at 9 and 11:30; I’ll let you guess which one four 16-year-olds chose. So we arrived there around 11:10, and we walked into the back of the full church where a service was still in progress. My co-travelers’ greatest fears were confirmed—the service was going to be 2 ½ hours long. We debated and decided we’d sit in the back row of the 11:30 service, stay for a while, and leave when it seemed a good time. Meanwhile, the ladies of the church had set up a spread of cookies, cinnamon rolls, deviled eggs, etc., and they were delighted to have these young ladies take a plateful. ...

Today we got a taste of real Taos. Taos the town became a thing long after Taos the Pueblo, about a mile away. The pueblo, which Brian and I got a tour of 5 or 6 years ago, is often open to the public. It’s a great introduction to what life in a Native American pueblo was like, a great cultural experience. It’s part of a reservation where almost 5,000 people reside. The pueblo is closed this weekend, due to the fact that this weekend is the annual Taos Pueblo Pow Wow. The Pow Wow is held near the pueblo, but not on the grounds. A pow wow is a gathering of different groups in common friendship. This one is in its 30 th year, which is a long time for such events to run continuously. We were able to see the Grand Entry, a long procession of people of all ages in traditional ceremonial dress, performing their ceremonial dances to the sound of the drum circle. The dancers come into a sort of arena encircled by a shelter of logs tied together and covered with branches. Two family f...