A Road Trip to the Sandia Crest
Trip Start
Jan 02, 2012
1
57
69
Trip End
Apr 12, 2012
Where I stayed
High Desert RV Park
What I did
Sandia Crest, New Mexico
Monday, March 26, 2012
Along the way we wanted to stop at the Museum of Archeology & Material Culture Museum in Cedar Crest but found that they were not open for the season. However, this left more time for a stop at the Tinkertown Museum!
I remember seeing a TV special on the Tinkertown Museum. Ross Ward carved, painted, tinkered, collected and built this legacy over a number of decades before his untimely death from Alzheimer's in 2002. His family continues to manage this site which has been called one of the best little museums in the USA. He started whittling circus miniatures while in high school, then painted for circuses in addition to pursuing an art career in illustration and drawing. Over the years he built villages and circus displays while collecting folk art as he traveled throughout the country. He began with a traveling exhibition which he took to local events and fairs, then moved to a one room display and now the museum winds through hallways leading from one building addition to another - each built from old bottles and 'found' materials. Throughout the museum are some of his favorite quotes, each revealing something of the man.
One of the exhibits was his brother-in-law's boat from his circumnavigation of the globe. The story and map that were part of the exhibit were facinating.
The Sandia Crest was almost anti-climatic! However the scenery was beautiful as we navigated the switchbacks along the way and the jewelry store at the Sandia Crest House was superb! Authentic native jewelry from the various Pueblos in the area.
