Notes from our trip...

During our long trip we spent a couple of days near Old Mesilla, NM. Because we have lived in this part of the country we take the adobe buildings as normal. However, I'm sure there are some people who haven't seen this building material so I thought I'd share a bit with you.
The building below shows an unfinished wall -- adobe bricks visible. Adobe is a building material used in places where there isn't much rain. The bricks are made of a clay/soil mixture with straw or grass mixed in. They are formed in molds and then dried in the sun. They can be homemade or can be purchased. After they are dry they make a strong brick that can be used just like baked bricks -- however, it can begin to melt if exposed to rain over a long period of time. Adobe walls may be as much as 12 - 24 inches thick. The thick clay walls form a natural insulation and they are cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Usually the outside of the building is plastered over the bricks to keep they from melting. The melting process doesn't happen overnight and the building below has probably been there for a loooong time!



The building on the left is the US Post Office in Mesilla -- it has been plastered as has the house on the right.

The gate show above is known as Josefina's Gate or Josefina's Old Gate. I've heard it is 400 years old but the website says that it dates back to the early 1900's. The gate is part of an old house that is now an Inn and Restaurant. If you go to www.josefinasoldgate.com

you can see pictures of this place. It will show some of the other building features common in this area. We love visiting NM because we love the adobe styles of building.