This is the time every year that New Mexico is rocking. The Balloon Fiesta is happening, and the state is filled with folks laying eyes on it for the first time. Last week those folks included my college friend Wayne. He arrived late Tuesday, took some down time Wednesday, but was up and at’em come Thursday. Time for me to slip into my tour guide hat.

Thursday we met another New Mexican friend of his in Old Town. We chatted, shopped a little, toured the Rattlesnake Museum, and had lunch of yummy posole. Afterwards we headed over to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center on the other side of Interstate 40.

 

 

You know, guests give you a chance to look at “your place” with fresh eyes. And that’s a very good thing. I hadn’t been to Old Town in a while, had never eaten in the Hacienda del Rio Cantina. Things do change. Wayne purchased a hat at the same shop, the Old Town Hat Shop & Accessory Boutique, that I bought my own – and my father before that! (Being of Celtic heritage, I am skin cancer just waiting to happen. And yet, I did choose to live in the desert at high altitude, yes.) They agreed to visit the Rattlesnake Museum! I love that place, and Tom still refuses to go back with me. After five years I found myself some willing compadres!

 

 

 

Like I said, after lunch we decided on the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center for our next venue. Should you make your way to ABQ, this is an excellent place to learn all about the 19 Native

American pueblos here in New Mexico, something I never learned growing up back in Connecticut:

The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center’s museum is the preeminent place to discover the history, culture, and art of the 19 Pueblos of New Mexico. Our permanent collection houses thousands of rare artifacts and works of art, including a world-renowned collection of historic and contemporary Pueblo pottery, as well as baskets, weaving, painting, murals, jewelry, and photographs.

-Indian Pueblo Cultural Center website

 

 

Friday was Santa Fe day. Wayne and I had a big breakfast and said “see ya later” to Tom and Tynan who would meet up with us later for a late lunch in Madrid on the Turquoise Trail. Again, I experienced something new. I hadn’t managed to visit the Loretto Chapel with its mysteriously constructed spiral staircase. The story is that when the church was built, they neglected to include a way to get up into the choir loft. The nuns pray and this mysterious stranger comes in and builds the staircase for the nuns then…disappears. Oh, and there are no nails in the thing. You can read more about it here.

 

 

 

After that, we made our way to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum which I visited right after moving to New Mexico. It’s always a joy to go there, and this time it was filled with pretty much only the lady’s work. When we went back in 2015, there was a American modernists exhibit. The museum did not disappoint. Afterwards we puttered some, in and out of shops, ending our Santa Fe visit at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi which is just a beautiful and very accessible church. By that, I mean it’s understated, not at all stuffy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then we were on our way to Madrid to meet Tom for lunch at our favorite place. (That’s Madrid, New Mexico, pronounced mad – like when you’re angry – rid.) I almost always get the same thing, the seared ahi tuna steak sandwich. Who knew you could get seafood like that in the middle of nowhere (read no cell phone coverage). Best tuna I’ve had in the Southwest, bar none. Plus there’s rustic ambiance, good wine, and even a menu for the doggies! The place is Tynan-approved. I highly recommend the Hollar if you get a hankering for eats in Madrid. And even if you don’t. It’s that good. See the menu!

 

And lastly but not leastly…

Next week we’re off on some travel, our first time back to New England since we moved here. You might remember that we were supposed to do this last year, but there were some, er, technical difficulties. No worries this year. I won’t always have access to my laptop, and I doubt I’ll have time to blog. I will, however, be able to post on Instagram and Facebook, so subscribe to my feeds and keep an eye out for the lovely and leafy (it is fall!) and the weird and wacky. I’ll try to make it entertaining. Happy fall, all! No more AC needed in ABQ! Woohoo!