Let the Beauty of what you Love be what you Do...
~Rumi

Monday, November 15, 2010

Museum of History in Granite

On my trips to & from NM to CA, I have often driven by this monument along I-8 just across the AZ border. The last time my mom & gram visited, they stopped & took pics here, and once I saw them, I knew I'd make the stop as well. You can see the church on the hill from the freeway... but if you ever get the chance to stop here, I'd highly recommend it. It's beyond interesting, and gives one pause to think...


The church itself is quite photogenic... with it's natural elements & manmade lines.


I took quite a few, 'cause there were so many interesting angles... but I narrowed it down to a couple of favorites to share.


Before you get to the church on the hill, there are ROWS upon ROWS of polished & engraved granite. It represents the History of the World. There is the rise & fall of civilizations, the invention of "money," the creation of the universe, world religions, representations from countless cultural influences, art ... you name it & you'll find it here. Below is a memorial to those lost in the Korean War.


Our galaxy & the birth of our Universe~


Even famous artworks, like this one by Michelangelo:
The Creation of Adam~


Below, the engravers tools. He was not around, the visitor's center was not open, and there was not another soul around to question about this place. Walking through, I had more questions than answers. Who decided to put this here? Why? Where did the money come from?


And as you can see, there is much more work to be done. Much of the granite slabs at this time remain unfinished... but make for interesting reflections.


There were many quotes engraved on the ends of the rows of granite. This was one of my favorites.


I've condensed this quite a bit! If you'd like more info, or would like to see more photos on The Museum of History in Granite, click here:

Until next time,
I shall leave you with another of my favorite quotes~

"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." 
~H.H. The Dalai Lama






18 comments:

Pat said...

Wow - that looks really interesting. Did you take pictures inside of the church? It looks so desolate there - out in the middle of nowhere and no people around!

Annie said...

Beautiful quote. This place looks very interesting, I have the same questions you do. It looks like it is on another planet :-). xoxo

TrevorW�� said...

Hi from the UK.

What an interesting place a very enjoyable post.
Great quote from HH The Dalai Lama.

Becky said...

I really love those church photos. Fantastic setting and the colour contrasts are wonderful. Thanks for stopping by my blog and saying hello. It's funny that you actually know my neck of the woods...I hope you come back again and remember the places you've been before.

Rick said...

VERY interesting. And you took some beautiful photos of it - I can see it would have been tough to condense down to a few. Great quotes too !

I'll have to come back and follow the link.

Doris Sturm said...

What a WONDERFUL place - I've never been there even though I lived both in CA and NM yet somehow missed that place whilst driving through. Thanks for the website address for me to explore. You take beautiful photos. I just love them, but then, you already know that.

Have a great week and thanks for sharing your stories and pictures with us.

Kind Regards,
Doris

Barb said...

The steps leading to the church and the reflection of the church in the granite are amazing photos, Becky. Such a curious place - it does seem like the middle of nowhere. Safe trip back to Oregon! Guess what walked through my Breck yard this evening - a Moose! I'm going to cross country ski tomorrow.

Randy said...

Wow how did I miss this one. Nice photos Becky! Registration is open at the community college. Looks like there are some great clay classes.

stock trading said...

What an interesting place a very enjoyable post.

marianne said...

fascinating! love the long photos with the church on the skyline and the desert in front. seems like a setting for a scifi flick.... safe travels-

Wanda..... said...

Beautiful photos Becky and such an interesting place, it has another world feel and look to it, almost like a permnent marker, but for whom! I was left with the same questions you were!

John Brisson said...

Becky...thanks for sharing this. Really interesting!

Dee said...

This place is new to me...very interesting.

J_on_tour said...

I haven't seen some of your images for a while, it was worth popping in from 'Wind's subscribed post to see this set. The clarity and purity of the landscapes are amazing. The reflection shot is literally an unusual slant and apart from all that, it looks like an interesting museum.

Lisa (Mountain Photog) said...

What an interesting monument! And such interesting photos! You're right, it definitely raises more questions than answers.

Daliana Pacuraru said...

Thank you for this post!
Great place and clean photos!
Please have a wonderful weekend!
Regards!

Robin said...

What an amazing place to put a museum! It looks like something out of an Antonioni Film!

Happy Thanksgiving to you!!!

Hugs,

♥ Robin ♥

Lubna said...

Such awesome quotes - both of them.