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 |  I travel the country on business, sometimes the world. Come see where I've been. |
| Locale: Santa Fe, New Mexico This past week, I went 'home' to New Mexico, delivering a class in Santa Fe. I grew up in Albuquerque, about 55 miles south of here, so this was a major homecoming for me.  Santa Fe is a beautiful town nestled at the foot of the Sangro De Christo mountains in North Central New Mexico. It is the oldest state capital in the United States, and sits at an elevation of 7000 feet above sea level. It still has an old world type charm to it, with roads that are not like the roads you find in most American cities. For one thing, the roads are not 'north-south' or 'east-west' like they are in many places. Plus, they are narrow, more like roads you'll find in Europe, and maybe the NE corner of New England. Green Chile is the new 'craze' (not all that new anymore, but still a big thing in New Mexico) here, and the state's unofficial question is, Red? or Green? For me, it's almost always green. This past week was pure heaven for a foodie like me. Green Chile Enchilada's, Green Chile Cheesburgers, Green Chile Cheese fries, Green Chile Stew... Do you get the impression I love Green Chiles? I drove this trip, and the drive was everything I expected it to be. I had a little snow on Thursday as I left Illinois, but it was clear and beautiful the rest of the way. Once I was in New Mexico, I had a Green Chile Cheeseburger at a local fast food chain called, Lotaburger. It was pretty spicy, especially for a 'Gringo' like me!  I spend Saturday night in Albuquerque resting up before going on to Santa Fe Sunday. My hotel was about 2 miles north of my high school, so I was in very familiar territory that night, and many fond memories flooded my mind. On Sunday I drove to Santa Fe, and a little beyond. My goal was a contemporary pilgrimage site in a small town. It is 'Santuario De Chimayo', and an amazing place to visit. The faith and belief of the Spanish people never cease to amaze me, this place epitomizes that faith and belief.  See the photo in my travel photo album for a little more info about this place, or visit the website. Once class was done on Friday, I drove back to Albuquerque to visit two of my nieces, and to finally visit my mother's grave. It was a bit sobering, but a great time all the same. On the way, I visited a winery. I couldn't come back to Illinois without some excellent New Mexico wine, could I?  It was really good to see Diana and Marie. I hadn't seen Marie in over 20 years, she has grown to be a beautiful young woman. Both of these women really loved my mother, and take great care of her grave. I am forever grateful to them for doing something I feel I should be doing...  I stayed at the Hilton Santa Fe in the heart of downtown Santa Fe, not two blocks from the Georgia O'Keefe museum, and three blocks from the world famous Loretto Chapel. The Loretto Chapel has a spiral staircase in it that has to be seen to be believed. It is made of pure wood, and has no centerpost. Of course there's a legend around how/why it was built too, but still... Noteworthy Restaurants: http://bluecorncafe.com/brewery-menu/ The food here is exceptional. The chips and dip was so tasty, but the Indian Fry Bread Taco was even better. I also enjoyed a sampling of their beers, in the form of a flight. Six small glasses of different beers they serve. http://tomasitas.com/menus/ The food here was excellent also, I only wish I could had sampled more.... Chile Relleno's were excellent, nuf said....I had to finally leave Friday afternoon, and hated doing so. But all good things must end, and I know I will be home again in the future. I did see one thing on my drive home that was very unique, and well worth a three hour delay in the drive. Who would have thought you'd find a WWII submarine in the middle of Oklahoma? I'm proud to be a Submariner from Muskogee.... Oh wait, that's not quite how it goes. Still, that's where it is.  My next trip will be to Toronto, my 4th or 5th time there in the last 13 months. But that's not til the end of February,. Right now we're in the middle of winter here in the Northern Hemisphere. Y'all stay warm and comfy. Til next time.... Be Good! |
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