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San Francisco de Asis Church, Taos LbNA #65708

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Aug 31, 2013
Location: San Francisco de Asis church
City:Taos
County:Taos
State:New Mexico
Boxes:1
Planted by:Viewfinder
Found by: JoySong
Last found:Aug 2, 2023
Status:FFFFFF
Last edited:Aug 31, 2013
In Taos, you must visit the San Francisco de Asis Church, on Paseo de Pueblo Sur (NM 68), ½ mile south of the intersection with hwy 518 (High Road to Taos-Santa Fe) about 4 miles south of Taos. This beautiful old church is immediately recognizable from the many photos and paintings (think Georgia O’Keefe, Ansel Adams). The church, built between 1772 and 1815 by Franciscan Fathers, has inspired more depictions than any other building in the United States. Georgia O’Keefe described it as “one of the most beautiful buildings left in the United States by the early Spaniards.” My stamp and letterbox to honor this beautiful place came from one of my own photographs on an earlier Taos visit.

After visiting the church and taking your own photos, then go find the letterbox. The drive to the letterbox will take you up along the High Road to Taos (highway 518), where you can enjoy some beautiful scenic overlooks. Maybe you’ll even see a double rainbow as we did the day we planted this letterbox!

To find the letterbox: From the intersection of Paseo de Pueblo Sur (NM 68) and Hwy 518 in Rancho de Taos, turn right if going north from the church toward Taos (this is the High Road). After a few miles, you will pass SMU in Taos campus on your right. Keep driving, enjoying the road. At 8.9 miles, watch for FR 476 on the right. Turn onto FR 476 and park near the cattle guard. You will see the Smokey Bear sign just beyond the cattle guard. Behind Smokey, under a large blue juniper tree, SPOR at base, you will find the San Francisco de Asis letterbox pouch. Please re-bag, reseal, and recover the pouch completely to protect the stamp and logbook.

Now, continue on south on hwy 518 for 3.4 miles, passing several pullouts, and watch for the Scenic Overlook sign, a nice place to enjoy a beautiful view! Thanks, Viewfinder