Lost in Secco

It’s funny how music can trigger memories.  Listening to Charlie Parker and Chet Baker’s Inglewood Jam immediately transports me to the small village of Arroyo Seco, New Mexico.

The music reminds me of smoking nice cigars, drinking, and philosophizing with Noah Desmond, an artist from Milwaukee who came to Seco to paint. 

The village is just outside the artist community of Taos in the northern half of New Mexico (about 60 km from Santa Fe).  Taos has been the artistic home of Georgia O’Keeffe, writer   D.H. Lawrence, and hundreds of artists.

Taos, with a population of 5,000 people, has more art galleries than Paris.

Arroyo Seco has a population of 26 people and has seven buildings in the village. It is located near the local youth hostel. I originally planned to stay for three days and ended up spending two months at the Abominable Snow Mansion in Seco.

Initially, Noah Desmond went to Santa Fe and hated the tourists. He drove north, came to Seco and fell in love with the area.  

“People are very nice, generous, and they stay out of your way if you’re doing something creative,” said the 26-year-old Desmond. “In Santa Fe, you’re on stage, you can’t go and paint anything because all the tourists will be taking pictures.”

“Toas is like the country, it’s still unspoiled, and I like unspoiled things.”

Saying that the land draws people to this incredible place is easy. After all, there are mountains with lush green foliage. The mountains have some of the best skiing on the continent. Hidden high in the hills is Williams Lake, which lies just below the tree line. The only way to get to the secluded lake is to hike there.

 Only five minutes away from the mountains is the desert-like Mesa, which stretches throughout New Mexico. Sagebrush is the only thing visible for miles.  The grassland area is home to grazing cows and bison. This is where Seco is found between the desert and the mountains.

 The Rio Grande carves itself out of the land, creating an 800-foot gorge. Besides the river,  hot springs are found with temperatures reaching  35 degrees. Getting down to the springs is an adventure with the climb along the treacherous path in the burning sun. 

The incredible part of the area is the people and the overall charm of Arroyo Seco. For example, there is Abe’s Cantina Y Cocina, which serves as a bar/liquor store/grocery store/restaurant / and meeting place for everyone in the area.

Abe was the grand marshal of the Arroyo Seco Independence Day parade. Organizers were so desperate for people that they tried to recruit me for the festivities. The parade wound through the community, then turned around and retraced its path back to the beginning. The parade had a fire engine, children with their faces painted and people on stilts. There were more people in the parade than the population of the town. The whole parade took 15 minutes.

It was the village’s first parade, and preparations had already begun for this year’s. They are hoping it will last 20 minutes this year. I desperately want to be in this year’s parade.

The parade wasn’t the only event happening in town. The annual rodeo took place while I was in town. It was the first rodeo I had ever attended.  I’ve never seen so many Stetsons and cowboy boots in one place.

The rodeo was a three-day event, and it took place over one day.  I experienced my first dust storm. Dirt covered me from head to toe, as the cloud of brown moved across the Mesa. The rodeo was fun, especially the bull riding. It was my first and probably my last rodeo.

Another fun aspect of the area was hitchhiking into Taos to explore the sights. Most people are happy to give someone a lift. If no one picks you up, it’s only a four-hour walk back to Arroyo Seco. Trust me, I know.

In Taos, there is a gallery opening every weekend. Instead of going to bars on weekends, people go to gallery openings. I went to a couple of them. Since I was on a tight budget, it was nice to get free food.

As another way to save money, I worked 20 hours a week at the hostel and got my bed for free. I would check people into the hostel, perform odd jobs, and wash and clean the rooms. Most hostels have this type of program. It’s a great way to save money and meet many people.

I spent two and a half months in Arroyo Seco before continuing my journey through the United States. It’s the most excellent place I’ve ever been.