New Mexico

We have traveled to New Mexico three times now, and although we haven't been everywhere, we like the places we have been. This is especially true of Santa Fe and other parts of the northern New Mexico. The geography is stunning, with mountain and rock formations not seen anywhere else.

Santa Fe

We've stayed at a VRBO on the outskirts of Santa Fe a couple of times now. It's essentially a mother-in-law suite in a large home overlooking mountains and desert. It's comfortable for two, and is a good jumping-off point to do things to the north and west of the city.

Morning view from front porch of the VRBO

We golfed at a nice public course in a very strong wind that kept the air temperature pretty chilly all day. We had a great dinner at Escondido, an upscale southwestern restaurant with a really cool vibe and great food. There were leftovers, which we enjoyed later.

9th hole of the golf course looking towards Santa Fe.

The next day we went to Valles Caldera, a dormant volcano about 50 miles away that literally blew its top 1.2 million years ago and created a 14-mile wide crater that has slowly started to rebuild. It's a really beautiful landscape at more than 7,000 feet in elevation at the caldera floor. It is still capable of eruptions. The last was about 50,000 years ago, a blink in geologic time. The next is said to be at least 30,000 years in the future, another blink.

Lava domes rebuilding in the caldera

The town of Los Alamos and its famous national laboratory is built on its slopes. This is the place where the atomic bomb was developed during World War II. You actually drive through the laboratory grounds on the way to the caldera. Nobody knew about the volcano when the lab was built; all that geologic discovery happened since then. The ranger we spoke to at the Caldera noted that the lab has some very sophisticated equipment measuring any potential eruption possibilities.

We visited old Santa Fe and walked through the square a little bit, but it was rather quiet, compared to other visits when there were festivals or other activities . There are lots of galleries, but since we're not in the market for any more art (no more room at home), we decided to skip them this year. The old Governor's Palace on the square does have some interesting historical displays; Santa Fe is the oldest state capital in the United States, having been founded by the Spanish in 1610.

It's a really charming city with good museums, a good social atmosphere, a little politics and very good food. Exactly the kind of place that is attractive to us. But the real estate is super expensive, at least where we would want to live. It's a Powerball dream for us right now.

Ojo Caliente

This was a day for relaxation and pampering. Ojo Caliente (literally Hot Eye, in Spanish) is a natural hot springs spa north of Santa Fe that has been used by people for hundreds of years, long before the Spanish ever came to these parts. "Tranquilo" (Tranquility) is the overarching goal here, and loud voices and conversations are strongly discouraged.

There are several pools of mineral-enriched water, ranging from 80 degrees to nearly 109 degrees, which felt really good on the cool, windy day we were visiting. There are lithia pools, soda pools, iron pools, and other a number of other pools. There is even a place where you can put mud all over yourself, lie in the sun for a while, then wash it all off; we opted not do that. Also saunas, steam rooms, and massage rooms.

We came here almost 8 years ago on our first trip to this area, and loved it. We didn't stay as long this time, but had a wonderfully relaxing day and great dinner at the restaurant on the property.

Ghost Ranch

This is where the painter Georgia O'Keefe lived and worked for the last 50 years of her life. It is a stunning place, peaceful yet outrageous with vibrant colors and massive geologic formations.

Escarpment on the Ghost Ranch

Chimney Rocks above red rock siltstone

View southwest from the Ghost Ranch.

We did a little van tour of a small part of the ranch's 21,000 acres. Georgia O'Keefe actually owned only 7 acres of the Ghost Ranch, but had full access to the entire property. Our guide showed us copies of some of her paintings and we were able to compare it to the natural landscape that inspired her, which remains just as it was then. Ann has always been a fan of hers and coming to the Ranch was a long-term desire. It was an interesting tour and there is much more to see and do there. We will be back.

Aztec Ruins

This is a mis-named historic place where the Pueblo people built a large settlement more than 900 years ago, similar to others in the region like Chaco Canyon and Mesa Verde. Apparently the Spanish explorers who discovered it in the 1600's thought all Native Americans in the southwest were Aztecs, so they called it Aztec Ruins and the name stuck.

West wall of Great House with layers of green decorative stone.

The north wall of the Great House aligns with the rising sun on the Spring Solstice and setting sun on the Winter Solstice.

This is a fascinating place, and is a great demonstration of the tremendous astronomical, engineering and construction abilities of these long-ago people. It's also a commentary on their determination to build it to exacting specifications, as almost none of the building materials used at the site are found nearby. Every large stone and timber was hauled from 20-50 miles away.

The Great House was three stories, in an arc around a central great kiva.

We've toured ruins in many places in the world -- England, Scotland, Italy, Israel, Mexico, and elsewhere in the US. These don't look all that different from most others, recognizing the differences in environment and available resources. To us that says that building high-quality places that provide food storage, social interaction, spiritual comfort and protection from an unforgiving outside world is not unique to any one culture, region or people. It was, and is, true across the world.

We really are all the same.