Abo Ruins

One of the things I really wanted to see on our road trip were some ruins. We originally planned to go see the Gila Cliff Dwellings, but it didn't work out. I spotted some marked on the map, only a few hours from Albuquerque. We stopped at one of the three sites, and were pleasantly surprised. We're planning to take a day trip out to see the other two sites, and possibly revisit this one. I really have a love for these kind of things, from ancient ruins to old, decrepit houses. Something about the history, and the fact that this exact spot is where people lived their lives is really intriguing. Here, at the ruins, I was so tempted to walk around the ruins barefoot and feel the earth beneath my feet- the same earth the Pito Indians and Spanish settlers walked on. It really sparks something inside me, and I can't wait to go back. A little bit of history: The first mention of Abo was in 1598, by Juan de Onate. What is left of the large church was built by a Spanish missionary named Frey Francisco de Acevedo, who built over the very small, existing church. The church is surrounded my the ruins of the pueblo- the small houses that most of the people living there called home. They estimate the population during the early mission days to be approximately 2,000 people. Abo was abandoned sometime before 1680 due to Apache raids. It was used as a post office during 1910 and 1911.