Life is good, as we are reminded by our travels.
It has been a while since our last blog. The holidays have come and gone with only a short post from us at Christmas. Sorry 'bout that. Life has been busy for me, mostly from a busy work and training schedule, but things are starting to slow down (for the time being), and so I hope to blog a little more.
So we have a lot of catching up to do!
That said, Susan and I have taken not one, but TWO weekend trips to Santa Fe, day trips to Palo Duro Canyon (Texas) and Roswell, NM ...and we just got back from Susan's birthday weekend in Ruidoso (NM). Whew! I told you we have been busy!
So I thought I'd start with the two trips to Santa Fe, New Mexico. We took our first trip up there in early December. It was cold, but clear, the Holiday shopping season was in full swing and we were ready to escape Clovis (after three weeks in a musty mobile home). So we escaped.
Yes, our motorhome was continuing to enjoy the Florida sun, getting some much needed warranty repairs, while we were in eastern New Mexico, going through withdrawals. Santa Fe just seemed to have much of what we were missing; fresh mountain air (NOT eau de cow manure), good food and libations, Trader Joe's market and that culture of adventure that we tend to gravitate towards.
As far as I can tell I have only been near Santa Fe. My best recollection is traveling on I-40 to I-25 en route to Colorado Springs...sometime in high school, many brain cells ago, so this was a trip of discovery for me. So around every corner, every vista and every sight was something new and exciting.
We thoroughly enjoyed sightseeing in Old Santa Fe. Susan's favorite was strolling through town at night with the lights and luminaries glowing. It was magical. I especially liked the iconic southwest architecture, from the adobe buildings to the magnificent churches and government buildings in North America's oldest capital city! Be sure to check out our Santa Fe Web Album.
We tried New Mexico red and green chili salsas for the first time and I immediately became addicted. Growing up in southern California has made me a discerning critic of all things hot and spicy, but let me be the first to tell you that New Mexican's can do it right! We had some awesome food and I toured two microbreweries ( a trait that I have adopted from long-time pal Lyn Willoughby).
The Second Street Brewery was DaBomb.
Trader Joe's didn't disappoint, restocking our chocolate and wine.
The doggies partied hard at the Dog Park, and we all left Santa Fe exhausted, but content.
Trip number two was for New Year's Eve. We thought nothing of traveling nearly four hours to celebrate the end of 2010 and to welcome in 2011 in Santa Fe. We had dinner at my favorite microbrew and listened to two local bands play. We sipped champagne and to slip into bed before the stroke of midnight. Happy New Year!
New year's Day began with a cold doggy run at 6am. It was MINUS 18 degrees Fahrenheit, brrr! Then it was off to breakfast at Tecolote Cafe (good hot breakfasts and salsas to warm us) and then a drive north to Espanola/Santa Cruz and back to the Tesuque Pueblo, before returning to Santa Fe.
Somewhere along the way our friend (and now business partner) Nadia, bought a hotel. Yes people, we are the proud new owners of an old hotel, Hotel Albert, in De Borgia, Montana. talk about starting 2011 with a BANG, we did just that. The rest of the weekend involved a fair amount of drinking...just to ease the shock, and we have been hard at work (finalizing the deal) since.
But don't worry you Curious Georges out there, because there's a new blog on the horizon. So be on the lookout for a Hotel Albert Blog!
Ciao for now.
E&S
