Pie Heaven is in the mountains of New Mexico.

Pie-O-Neer Pie Bar in Pie Town, NM. Photo credit: Elizabeth Winfrey

A few miles from the Wide Array and walking distance from the Continental Divide, sits Pie Town, New Mexico, population 186. Whether you have specifically mapped your pilgrimage along US Highway 60 to the Pie-O-Neer Pie Bar, or just happen to run across the delectably named town, you have arrived in pie heaven. Now this is not just any pie. This is blue ribbon, win-the-fair pie. The kind of pie you dream about. There they are, pie after pie of perfectly, golden flaky crust, wrapped around the most unique pie flavors ever put together. Pie-O-Neer offers up scrumptious choices and inventive flavor pairings made from organic ingredients like Starry Starry Blueberry Night (with blueberries sourced from Vermont), New Mexico Apple or Peach with Green Chile, Chocolate Chess with Red Chile & Walnut, Pear Ginger, Apple Cranberry Crumb and Cheer-y Cherry. Huge peaks of decadent Meringue are piled high atop the Chocolate, Coconut and Banana creme pies. Slices are topped with generous dollops of ice cream or whipped cream, your call.

The Peach & Green Chile pie is particularly divine. Photo Credit: Elizabeth Winfrey

The quest for pie began in this area began in the 20s, when a local gold prospector opened up a gas station in the New Mexico desert and started selling pies to help make ends meet. The station was in the perfect location for weary travelers to stop along their way to have a piece of pie and a cup of coffee. Word spread about the delicious pies and the store was so popular, that the area eventually became known as simply Pie Town. By the 30s, people were coming from far and wide to have pie and socialize. Pie Town was famous for being the place the to cut a rug and have a slice of the best homemade pie around. As times changed, business dwindled and the gas station closed. After that, the location was transformed into a Native American Trading Post but that business failed too.

Proprietor Kathy Knapp put Pie Town back on the map in 1998 when she bought the place for her Mother. The two discovered the abandoned Trading Post when they came through on vacation. Knapp says her Mother saw the name of the town on a map and in the spirit of adventure, they went in search of pie. When they found out there was no pie in Pie Town, her Mother just couldn't let it go. So they opened Pie-O-Neer Pie Bar. When her Mother's health failed, Knapp left an advertising career in Texas to take over and she has never looked back. Knapp's Mother taught her the recipes and she took it from there and created a legend. Now people travel from all over the world to the little town in the desert for a taste of the past and their very own slice of heaven.

Pie Town and its people were famously photographed in 1940 by photographer Russell Lee during the Great Depression. A documentary about Kathy Knapp, Pie Lady of Pie Town, can be found online: http://www.pieladyofpietown.com

Pie-O-Neer Pie Bar: pieoneer.com

Photos not credited to me are the property of Kathy Knapp sourced the Pie-O-Neer website for this article only.