Ah! Autumn in New Mexico!

Autumn weather has not yet arrived in my home town of El Paso, Texas, even though the calendar says it should have arrived weeks ago.  No worries!  A four-day trip to our neighboring state of New Mexico fulfilled my longing for colorful leaves, crisp air, and fragrant burning piñon wood.

My husband, Wayne, and I recently made a road trip to meet family members in the small town of Chama, New Mexico for a nostalgic ride on the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad.

Our first ride on this historic railroad was several years ago.  The experience was so unforgettable that we were inspired to write a novella about a fictional train robbery on the line. (Rails, Robbers and Wraiths, by Wayne and Linda Calk, available on amazon.com)

Chama is within striking distance of El Paso by car, about seven and a half hours as the crow flies. Not being the efficient travelers that crows are, we made the trip in about nine and a half hours, including a stopover for shopping at the REI store in Albuquerque.

Travelers in other parts of the world may consider a road trip of that length too long, but in the Southwest, it is not unusual. Traffic is usually light, and roads are good, that is, with the exception of the unpaved road we encountered between Cuba, New Mexico and Chama.  Our reward for bouncing around in the car for about 20 miles was the view of a large dam and long bridge, which led us to pavement again.

Arriving in Chama, we found our hotel, the Chama Station Inn, and settled in for an evening in front of the kiva fireplace.

The next morning we rode the train from Chama NM to Antonito,CO with a stopover in Osier for a home-style meal for lunch.

The scenery was engaging, with aspens displaying golden autumn finery. Good photo ops were plentiful, especially when the train rounded a curve.

Our next stop was Santa Fe, NM, where we stayed at a new hotel to us, the Hotel Chimayó, well located right off the central plaza. Breakfast the next morning was a splurge at La Plazuela, the dining room of the Hotel La Fonda on the Plaza.

Santa Fe offers a variety of activities for tourists.  In one day, we visited a folk art store, relaxed in the plaza, shopped at a Farmer's Market in the newly developed Railyard District, and even took in a movie in the new Velvet Crown theater.

That evening we were sitting at an outdoor cafe, sharing chips and salsa, when we heard the sound of drums coming from the plaza.  Three young performers were drumming and chanting for a small attentive crowd.  I felt transported to another time and culture.

Another day's drive and we were back in our home town with memories of train whistles, autumn colors, spicy food, and Native American drums.  How fortunate we are to live in the Southwest where a diversity of cultures and experiences can be found within a day's drive.

Can you tell I love New Mexico in autumn?

Serendipity in Santa Fe

"We've definitely got to find an exotic location to celebrate Christmas this year," I complained to my husband Wayne several months ago.  As much as we love our home town of El Paso, Texas, after decades of spending Christmas at home, we had pretty much partaken of all the holiday spirit that is offered locally.

So that's how we found ourselves this December in Santa Fe, New Mexico.  A short drive (in West Texas terms) of six hours took us from an altitude of about 4500 feet to 7000 feet and from about 50 degrees daytime high temperatures to the 20's and 30's. I pulled jackets, sweaters, boots, and gloves out of the back of the closet.  I even found an old pair of long underwear that I tossed in the suitcase at the last minute.

A four day stay at the lively La Fonda Hotel on the Plaza was plenty of time to discover small pleasures that are often not mentioned in travel guides. The first afternoon we sat for a quiet moment in the ornate Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.  Soon the very entertaining dress rehearsal of a Christmas pageant began..The leader instructed children with angel wings to position themselves on the top row of platform, the shepherds to take the middle row, and the animals to position themselves on the bottom row.  Delightful!  

Rehearsal at St. Francis

     

The next stop was the lounge in La Fonda, always an opportunity for great people watching. Chips and salsa and tea sustained us until dinner that evening.

View down the bar at La Fonda Lounge

Dinner  at La Fonda gave us a decorating inspiration for our home.  Why couldn't we (or rather Wayne) paint some of our glass window panels like the ones adorning the hotel dining room?

Decorated glass panels at La Fonda

And why was the guacamole concocted and served fresh at our table so much better than the guacamole we make regularly at home?

Dusk arrived early, but the views around town were memorable.  Our room with a balcony overlooked a quiet side street.

View from our room

The main plaza turned into a wonderland of lights in the evening.

Main plaza

And the Basilica of St. Francis was especially inspiring at night.

St. Francis Basilica

But the highlight of the trip was joining 30,000 revelers in making a Christmas Eve walk, with a full moon adding to the magic. Bundled figures of all ages ( and some magnificent furry dogs) made their way slowly up Canyon Road, stopping to admire houses and art galleries adorned with farolitos and Christmas lights.  Groups of carolers joined in spontaneous singing of Christmas carols around small campfires. The Ghost of Christmas Present must have sprinkled the revelers with magic dust, because a holiday spirit hovered over the crowds.

Canyon Road with moon peeking through tree

We had a memorable Christmas holiday, enjoying the serendipity of small delights in Santa Fe.  I hope your Christmas was a merry one as well.

Three ways to enjoy Santa Fe

Santa Fe, New Mexico, prides itself on being "The City Different"  I certainly found this to be true when my husband Wayne and I spent last weekend in the New Mexico state capital.  Santa Fe has much to be proud of.  It is the oldest state capital in the United States.  Its architecture, art, music, food, and festivals reveal influences from several cultures. It is lively, colorful, and, at an elevation of 7000 feet, cool in the summertime.

Santa Fe also has the reputation of being artsy, expensive, and, well, a little snooty. Where better for Wayne and I to add a little culture to our West Texas lives? Ignoring joking remarks from friends and relatives, we bought tickets to a performance of the opera "Carmen" being presented at the Santa Fe Opera House. What we discovered is that Santa Fe can be enjoyed on several different cultural levels.

Let's start at the highest cultural level - the opera.  The Santa Fe Opera House is located a few miles out of the city, surrounded by wide open spaces and breathtaking mountains.

View from Santa Fe Opera House

The opera house is an open air (but covered seating) structure with a modern architectural design.

Santa Fe Opera House

We arrived early to hear an excellent talk about the opera and then returned to the parking lot to tailgate. Yes, tailgate at the opera! Our dinner was not as fancy as the champagne, fruit and cheese of other diners, but we had stopped by Whole Foods Market earlier for some healthy snacks.  The opera performance was enjoyable, although as the hour was nearing 11:00 pm, both of us later confessed we secretly wished Don José would get on with stabbing his gypsy love, Carmen, so we could get to bed!

On the next level of cultural experience, two typical tourist activities stand out.  One was having breakfast at La Plazuela, the distinctively decorated dining area at La Fonda on the Plaza hotel.

La Plazuela

Another was attending a flamenco dinner show performance at El Farol, the oldest restaurant in Santa Fe. 

El Farol on Canyon Road

It was a whole evening's entertainment, making our way through various tapas and watching the very energetic flamenco show presented on stage.

Fellow diners at El Farol

An example of the third level of cultural entertainment was sitting in the central plaza, just a few steps out of the La Fonda hotel, eating tamales from a stand, listening to accordion music, and, best of all, people watching. 

La Plaza on a Sunday afternoon

Flowers in La Plaza

Musician in La Plaza

So, which level of culture did we enjoy most?  It is difficult to choose, because each type of entertainment had its own charm.  But my mind keeps drifting back to La Plaza, with the happy buzz of people of all ages and all walks of life enjoying life in Santa Fe with friends and family.