DJ and Mike's Place

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Heading for the Land of Enchantment

to celebrate Mike's 60th Birthday

I wasn't able to get good pictures from the car, and for some reason Mike didn't want to stop in the middle of the highway for me to get out and take pictures along the way. Sheesh. The mountains in Colorado are for the most part larger, many "14-ers" (mountains over 14,000 feet high), and more dramatic. Still, there is something special about the rolling brush covered hills backed by blue or red mountains en route to New Mexico that, like the ocean, touches my soul. On Sunday, when we left, the cloud formations were lovely.

More to come . . .

It's a six hour drive from Arvada to Santa Fe, unless you get hung up in terrible traffic

around Colorado Springs. We didn't on the way out ~ but took an extra hour to get through

it on the way home. We went directly to the Hotel Santa Fe, and our home for the week

in the Hotel's Hacienda.

The hotel, owned by the people of the Picuris Puebo, is the only venture of its kind

in the United States. It began in 1988 when local business people approached Picuris

tribal leaders about a joint development. The agreement that ensued is a culturally-honorable

step toward financial independence for the tribe, which settled nearly 800 years ago in a

verdant valley northwest of Santa Fe (“Picuris” means “people of the hidden valley”).

It became one of the largest tribes in the region. By 1900, war, religious strife, and disease

reduced it to the smallest.

In March 1991, Hotel Santa Fe opened.

The Hotel Santa Fe's Four Diamond addition, The Hacienda at Hotel Santa Fe,

opened in September 2001. Much of the hotel staff is Native American, and the

Arts and Crafts Gift Shop is owned by the Picuris.

Our Butler was called to take us to the Hacienda. We didn't have just one

assigned butler, but a whole cadre of them on call. Much less intimidating than

I had feared. lol. They are charged with making sure our stay is pleasant, and

serve as Valet/Concierge/etc.

The Hacienda is behind the Hotel, reached either by driving or by walking through

the hotel to a covered walkway which joins the two.

After we were unpacked, we were invited to enjoy complimentary hors d'oveurs in the hospitality

room on the top floor. We decided to have a glass of wine, too, which was not complimentary.

It was very good Chardonnay, for which we were billed $14 a glass! Teach ME to act like

I didn't need to ask price! For those of you interested in wine, it was from a local vineyard,

Gruet, and really was very good. We bought a bottle at Trader Joe's for a whole lot

less money the next day. (lol) That was another nice surprise ~ Trader Joe's in Santa Fe!

Back to the room to freshen up, and then to dinner at Amaya, the restaurant in the hotel.

You can sit either inside or outside. We chose outside. It's quiet, secluded and the

strains of Native American flute music are playing.

Another glass of the Gruet Chardonnay (@ "only" $9.00 per) and a lovely dinner.

For Mike: Green Chile Bisque garnished with a cheese qusidilla and cream fraiche,

followed by a New York strip with wine reduction sauce and a green chile potato cake.

For DJ: Buffalo Tenderloin Medallions in a lovely sauce served over polenta.

We shared a Chocolate Mousse Tepee (choc. mousse covered with a dark choc ganache.

Back in the room, the covers had been turned down, there was ice in the ice bucket,

and a small box of heavenly chocolates from Senor Murphy were on the pillow.

A lovely ending to a very nice day.

Day 2, Santa Fe.

Complimentary Breakfast was served in the Hospitality Room on the top floor of the Hacienda ~

assorted rolls and crescents, fresh fruit, oatmeal, different fruit juices, coffee, tee, etc.

Because the TM chose today to kick me in the buns, and because we have been here many times

before, we opted for a low key day in Santa Fe. We thought we would see if I could handle a trip

to the Plaza, and considered taking one of the hotel's Purple People Pickers which would take us

to the Plaza and pick us up when we called them to return to the hotel. These babies are

SERIOUSLY purple ~ lol!

We weren't sure how long I would last, so we decided to drive and let whether or not we

could find parking determine if we would stay. Old Town Plaza is, as you might imagine,

a lovely little park in the center of town, surrounded by several blocks of shops. You can

find anything from cheap tourist trinkets to some really lovely Indian art. Buyer beware ~

that cute turquoise bracelet may have been made in China using pretty turquoise colored

plastic.

That might be fine if you just want a fun remembrance, but if you want authentic

you need to be sure of the shops you use, or go to the artists who sit in front of the Palace

of the Governors. They must all be registered in their various tribes, and their work

authenticated before they are allowed a space there. Don't assume you will be able to buy

from them cheaply, although occasionally you might.

One place we always visit in Santa Fe is Keshi. They carry quality merchandise and

genuinely respect the artists they represent. Mostly Zuni, but other Nations are represented

too. We went to look for a birthday present for our niece, but a couple of fetishes followed us home.

The one Mike bought disappeared. That's usually a good sign that it might just reappear

at Christmas or on my next birthday or . . .

I have been told to forget about it, but before the

memory fades completely I will tell you it is a wonderful male cougar by a new-to-us Navajo artist

Terry Wilson. How do I know this cougar is male? Well, when he rolled over on his back, it wasn't

hard to see that he was "anatomically correct". LOL

This is the one I bought, also from a new-to-us Zuni artist. I'd never heard of the

material either. I'll have to look it up. Phosphosiderite.

Back to the hotel and a visit to the gift shop, which is owned by the Picuris. By this time my

back pain was really bad, so we promised to come back the next day. After a little rest, we

went to dinner at Mike's favorite Mexican restaurant, Maria's New Mexican Kitchen. I bought

Mike a copy of their book "The Great Margarita Book". Our waiter told us that the week before

the BBC had called the manager for information on margaritas, so I guess that means that they

not only 'wrote the book' but they are really considered experts. It's a fun book with an intro by

Robert Redford.

I digress. We did have a Margarita, and then Mike had hot tamales for an appetizer (way to hot

for me) and his favorite Carne Advado burrito for dinner. I had chicken/guacamole tostados and

we shared a flan and sopipillas for dessert.

Back at the Hacienda, Senor Murphy left his lovely chocolates on our bed to ensure

sweet dreams.

Day 3, Albuquerque

Continental breakfasts are fine for me, but Mike likes a hearty hot breakfast. We

decided to have breakfast in Amaya instead of the Hospitality Room in the Hacienda.

The same continental breakfast was offered there ($10 for those not staying in the Hacienda),

and for a few $ more you could add on a "real" breakfast. Mike added on a 2 egg omlett

(bacon, cheese, chiles, green and red pepper and jalipinos) with home fried potatoes.

I stayed with rolls, juice and coffee. We came down late so there were very few people there,

the air was cool and crisp and Native American flute music was playing. It really was a lovely

way to start the day.

You can make reservations to eat in the Tepee if you like. It looked to me like you'd

be sitting on the ground. My ground sitting days are over ~ but I'm sure it woud be fun.

We took some pictures around the hotel grounds and re-visited the gift shop. Mike found

a wonderful little Santa Clara pot with etching around the top and I offered to buy it for him

instead of the dinner at Ruth's Chris I had promised him when we got home. He opted for the

pot, and I'm so glad he did! BTW, do you know what makes Santa Clara pottery black? Do you

want me to tell you? <giggle> We also found a beautiful wooden bowl made from the

burl of a tree.

On to Albuquerque. Perhaps not as much a "tourist city" as Santa Fe and Taos, but there

is much to do and explore there. There are great museums, the Pueblo Cultural Center and the

Ben Muir Gallery, just to name a few. Luckily for me, we had 'done' and 'explored' before.

Sandia Peak, Sangre de Christo (Blood of Christ) Mountains

There is a lovely restaurant on top that can only be reached by a tram. If the wind is

too strong or if there is a lot of lightening, you have to wait to go up ~ or down.

(Ask me how I know

)

Old Town Albuquerque is much like Old Town in Santa Fe. A lovely little park surrounded by

shops. We tried to visit a couple of favorite shops only to find that they had been replaced.

It was sooooooooo hot I thought I was melting. I had forgotten that Albuquerque, like

Kansas City, is hotter than Hades in the summer. I didn't last long.

On to one of our favorite restaurants, The Artichoke Cafe'. Their artichoke appetizer, served

with three dipping sauces, is one of my favorite things in the world. Mike opted for the Crab cakes w/Chinese spice & ginger sauce for his appetizer and tenderloin on sweet cream mashed potatoes

for his entree. I had White Bass (spicy) on polenta and spinach with “mild” chile sauce.

Dessert: Coffee/Capucino ~ Birthday Cake: Flourless chocolate torte w/Berry Compote

The drive home is about an hour, and the night was beautiful.

Day 4, Taos

Again we started out with breakfast in Amaya, this time with Mike switching to Huevos Rancheros.

I was walking a bit better, so we went back to Old Town Plaza, and checked out the

lovely things being sold by the Indian artists at the Palace of the Governors.

That evening, we had reservations for Mike's birthday dinner at one of our

favorite restaurants, Joseph's Table which is located in the Old Town Plaza in Taos.

The drive over is beautiful.

St Francis de Asis, Ranchos de Taos

In Ranchos de Taos.

When we arrived in Taos, the Plaza (which is very like the Plazas in Santa Fe and Albuquerque)

was blocked off! We had to park at a meter nearby.

Well, that couldn't be right ~ we walked to the

hotel which houses Joseph's and learned that Joseph's was closed. Apparently the event,

what ever it was, was last minute and they had just decided to close. They had called ahead to

Lamberts and made reservations for us, but we were still very disappointed. My back was going again,

so we did very little browsing on the Plaza and headed for Lamberts where the staff went

out of their way to make things special for us.

After visiting with other guests in the bar, we went in to dinner were I had an appetizer of

"Wild local mushrooms picked by fuzzy hippies in the Ski country". (That's the way our waiter

described them, so it must be so. lol!) However they were obtained, they were fabulous.

Mike had crabcakes in a curry sauce that he said was

wonderful, followed by a tenderloin filet in a wild mushroom sauce.

I had a lovely salmon in a white chocolate buerre blanc sauce! (Yup, you read that right.

It wasn't sweet, but it was rich and delicious.)

Dessert was a white chocolate ice cream soda for me (home made white chocolate

ice cream with home made chocolate syrup). Oooh, yum. For Mike, the white

chocolate ice cream and chocolate syrup without the soda. lol

My Mushroom appetizer and Mike's Birthday Ice Cream.

The drive home was about an hour and a half, which gave us time to digest our dinner before

coming back to the room and letting Mike open his birthday presents.

The trip was Mike's 'real' present, but he had to have a few things to open on

his birthday. Ok, so he had already gotten a couple of presents early.

Time to say Good Night.

Day 5, Santa Fe to Arvada

After breakfast in Amaya, we enjoyed a last minute look around our lovely hotel,

then finished packing and called our butler for help with the bags,

and we were on our way home.

We hit the usually rotten traffic around Colorado Springs, so the drive took us seven hours.

The cats have told us we can never leave home again. Tosh was all over us, and Chrystie

was really REALLY mad at us. It took her two days to forgive us.

The party continues . . . .

Not Posted from Photobucket. Da-yum.

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