Yes Virginia, there is a Corona, New Mexico. And it’s just as bizarre and wonderful as you might imagine. Aliens in phone booths? Check. Aliens on porches? Check . A sign proclaiming: “Corona virus? Nope - just a Corona allergy”. Double check . One for the sign and one for its unusual message. *March, 2020
Corona, New Mexico
Corona, New Mexico is the closest populated community to a purported UFO crash in 1947, about 30 miles (48 km) to the southeast. (hence the alien in the phone booth and the one on the hotel porch).
Waiting for room service?
As on all of our road trip adventures, we stumbled upon Corona, New Mexico serendipitously. A wrong turn here or there often leads us to the most amazing places.
Our initial road trip itinerary included a visit to the Acoma Pueblo (Sky City), regarded as the oldest continuously inhabited community in the United States. Acoma Pueblo has always been a bucket list must-see for me after reading Willa Cather’s “Death Comes for the Archbishop” . Imagine our disappointment upon arriving at the Pueblo only to discover that they had just closed due to the unforeseen pandemic. *March, 2020
A few local vendors stood in the parking lot outside the Sky City Cultural Center & Haak'u Museum selling their beautiful pottery and art. We were informed that there would be no conducted tours by Native Acoma guides until further notice. Disheartened were we but glad to meet and chat with the lovely vendors. After oohing and ahhing over the exquisite pottery on display we chose a small pot that just spoke to us.
Acoma Pueblo Pottery
“Where to now?” we wondered as we bid adieu to the glorious landscape behind us.
Acoma Pueblo from afar
We checked our map and found that a little place called Pie Town, whose scrumptious history dates back almost a century, was within driving distance. Pie Town is home to two amazing pie cafés and an approximate population of 200. What’s not to love? Only two hours away- a piece of cake, pardon the pun, for road trippers in New Mexico - we steered north.
The journey, however, is just as important as the destination. And thus there were many stops along the way.
Sandstone Bluffs, NM
Somewhere in New Mexico
Somewhere Else in New Mexico
The drive to Pie Town was sublime and full of surprises. We had our coffee break (Swedish style) at Sandstone Bluffs and continued on our amazing journey in awe of the beauty around us. Wanting to know more about our destination, we googled Pie Town and discovered that March 14 (our travel date) was International Pi-Day. How fitting! Pi-Day in Pie Town!
Pie Town
Them Pies
Veni, Vidi, Veci, Yum
Pie squared is pie loved! What a treat to sit with the pie bakers/owners and chitchat. And oh my goodness; what tasty pies!
The Floor of the Sky
Bellies and hearts full we returned to Santa Fe with impressions to last a lifetime.
“Elsewhere the sky is the roof of the world; but here the earth was the floor of the sky. The landscape one longed for when one was far away, the thing all about one, the world one actually lived in, was the sky, the sky!” - Willa Cather
Interesting links to enjoy and explore:
https://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/26/travel/26Footsteps.html
https://www.newmexico.org/places-to-visit/ghost-towns/pie-town/
https://www.newmexico.org/places-to-visit/native-culture/acoma-sky-city/
https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/new-mexico/sandstone-bluffs-trail
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corona,_New_Mexico