New Mexico Thanksgiving

When we discovered that it would be too expensive to go home for Thanksgiving, having waited too long to try to purchase airfare, Stephen mentioned that perhaps we could do an overnight trip somewhere we hadn't yet explored. Then my Mom's cousin Marge, who lives in Denver, wrote that she and her husband would be in Santa Fe for the holiday and kindly invited us to join them for dinner! What luck to have family nearby on our first Thanksgiving in ABQ. Dinner plans were made, but Stephen and I hadn't had time to come up with any other ideas. We have been so busy getting ready to close on the house and planning the move! So on Thanksgiving morning, Stephen went on the internet, and within a half hour he had a proposal ready. He found an available room at the oldest hotel in Taos, right on the plaza. He suggested we drive the scenic route to Santa Fe, and then after dinner head up to Taos and spend Friday exploring new territory. So that's what we did.

Stephen works for a company that is developing high-tech alternatives to spark plugs. The company owns several vehicles that they use for testing. During this vacation, one of the company cars needed to have some miles put on a new set of plugs to get data for the tests. So Stephen nobly offered to take care of it, and we set off for our little vacation in a 5-series BMW. Ah, the sacrifices Stephen is willing to make for his job!

Instead of driving straight up the highway, we veered off to the West and made a loop, going through the Carson National Forest, past the Bandalier National Monument, through Los Alamos, and coming into Santa Fe from the Northwest. The route took us through some majestic mountain scenery. I have heard from several people that they missed the greens of New York and New England when they visited New Mexico, but I find the color palette of the mountains and desert to be so rich that I am mesmerized by the beauty. I can see why artists such as Georgia O'Keefe wanted to stay here to paint. The range of reds, orange, yellow, tan, and brown in the land and rocks, and the subtle pastel greens of the sand, rocks, lichen, sagebrush, and pine trees create an amazing array of hues.

Dinner was at Ristra in Santa Fe. The restaurant is in a Victorian era adobe house, and the cuisine is French fusion. Our waiter was a delight, gracefully dealing with a party of six including one vegan and two gluten-free diners on Thanksgiving day. I couldn't remember whether I had met Marge when I was a child, but we think this might be the first time we had met in person. I had heard many stories about her from my mother who was her childhood friend and her closest cousin in age. Marge and her friend Priscilla are both retired music teachers, so we had a lot in common, and the husbands are all science-oriented guys who seemed to find plenty to talk about as well. It was a lovely dinner with delicious food and excellent company.

It was getting dark by the time we left Santa Fe, so we didn't get to enjoy the scenery on the way but fortunately it isn't a long drive to Taos. We had been relying on Stephen's phone for GPS however, and the battery died soon after we left the restaurant. We had the address of the hotel and we knew that it's on the plaza, so once we got into Taos we watched for signs to the historic district and found the place without a hitch! The Hotel La Fonda de Taos was renovated in 1998, but there has been some kind of hotel on the site since 1820. Our room was tiny but incredibly charming with Southwest decor and a view of the plaza.

On Friday morning we sat by the fireplace with our coffee and enjoyed the ambiance. We walked down the plaza for an excellent breakfast at Graham's Grill, where Stephen was able to get eggs benedict while I had the vegan breakfast special of grilled veggies and tofu with a side of fresh fruit. Then we walked around the plaza and visited the shops and galleries.

On the way to Taos, we had seen a visitor center for the Rio Grande Gorge. This seemed like a good place to find a short hike with interesting scenery, so we stopped to ask the ranger for guidance. He directed us to the Vista Verde trail head a few miles off the main road. We still aren't sure what the difference is between a gorge and a canyon, but this mile-long trail affords spectacular views of the cliffs and river. The rock here seems to be mostly volcanic, unlike the sandstone cliffs we had driven past farther West and South.

When we finished our hike it was mid-afternoon and we had consumed our water and granola bars, so we headed back in the direction of ABQ, stopping at a diner in Espanola for a late lunch. The diner was kind of old and seedy-looking, but we had delicious New Mexican food with leftovers to take home. The Hispanic waitress seemed slightly amused at some of my questions ("What's a tamale?") but she was cheerful as she patiently answered.

It certainly was a different and non-traditional Thanksgiving, but we had a great time. I missed seeing the family and taking part in the traditional rituals, and I definitely missed my mother-in-law's vegan stuffing and my mother's apple pie! But I know I will get to go to NY for Christmas and that's only a few weeks away. In the meantime, we should be moving into our new house! So we had a fabulous little vacation and there's lots to look forward to.