As we started our hike up the trail overlooking Silver City, a man appeared on the path, seemingly out of nowhere. He wore a pair of slides reinforced with silver duct tape (incongruous footwear for the rocky trail), a white straw cowboy hat, and carried a guitar slung around his neck. “First time here?” he […]
Archive for New Mexico
The last “real” hiking we did was back in the fall as we were making our way cross-country to Florida for the winter. We spent the winter and spring doing a lot of biking, kayaking, and what passes for hiking in the flatlands of the South. But none of this keeps us in shape for […]
While perusing the website for Carlsbad Caverns National Park, we decided to make reservations for a guided tour. We knew we wanted to visit the Big Room, the main cavern that’s open for self-guided wandering. But—what the heck! Let’s do it all! I was in charge of making the reservations and considered signing up for […]
I must admit that our expectations for Kasha-Ketuwe Tent Rocks National Monument weren’t high. We’ve hiked in Arches, Bryce, Canyonlands, Cedar Mesa, Zion—all locations renowned for spectacular canyon hiking and rock formations. When we’re visiting Santa Fe, our focus is more on art and culture than hiking. But this time, we decided to make the […]
Let’s see…where were we? Oh yes, Santa Fe! Allow me to rhapsodize for a moment here as I relive our mid-November visit… The curve of adobe against cobalt skies; the spicy scent of pinyon smoke curling from kiva fireplaces; the exuberance of colorful art and sculpture adorning every corner of the city; the quiet calm […]
If you’re interested in visiting an ancient Native American ruin that doesn’t require trekking into remote canyons or hiking arduous trails, you’ll enjoy Aztec Ruins National Monument. Here, you can drive right up to the monument entrance, walk through the visitor center, and step back 900 years into an Ancestral Puebloan community. For the ultimate […]
Local festivals are some of our favorite happenings. On Memorial Day weekend, we pulled into Silver City, New Mexico, just in time for their annual outdoor Blues Festival. The weather was gorgeous, the crowd mellow and happy, and the music excellent. It was a perfect recipe for a fun weekend. Less than 200 miles from […]
The forecast was for “blowing dust.” “What the heck kind of forecast is that?” I asked Eric. We found out. We were camped in early May in the midst of a barren dust bowl in far southwest New Mexico, 200 miles from our last stop at Hueco Tanks in Texas. The winds blew for two […]
When I was 19, a college friend invited me to drive from Tallahassee to Santa Fe in her Volkswagen camper van. I didn’t go—(it took me a while to grow into my adventurous spirit)—and I regret to this day that I passed up that opportunity. In the ensuing years, I’ve tried to remember the maxim, […]
Okay, so I suspect these circa 1950’s salt-and-pepper shakers are not politically correct. Nonetheless, they are so kitschy that they’re really cute, and I find myself wanting a pair of my very own. They adorned our table at The Dragonfly, a locavore-downhome-gourmet café in Taos. The food was fabulous, as was our entire visit. Which […]
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If you enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking, birding, art, music, quirky towns, good food, and good friends—you'll enjoy traveling with us. Join us as we explore the backroads of North America—we love company and comments!