The southwest is a mystical place, suffused with pure light, vivid color, and deep mystery. The iconography has become familiar (in some instances, hyper commodified and detached from spiritual meanings like Kokopelli), but for most visitors there, the images, symbols, and structures are still a wonderment. My first visit to Taos, New Mexico, was 1974, and I made a silent wish to live there someday. I am a couple of hours away now in southern Colorado, but Taos continues to inspire me and color my dreams.