by Pat Wetzel | Feb 27, 2018 | Road Trip, The Story
The CancerRoadTrip Photo Galleries are constantly being updated as I wade through the vast volumes of pictures from my travels! I’ve just posted pictures from Killarney the Beara Peninsula in Ireland.
The Irish trip into the country touched my partly Irish soul, I must admit. The undertone of moodiness, the beautiful landscapes, the elusive skies are all part of what make Ireland so beautiful. I hope that some of that comes through in the pictures.
A yellow boat house connects land and sea
“Photography is the story I fail to put into words.”–Destin Sparks
Photography is turning into part of my world. I may have lost tennis and skiing to cancer, but I am grateful to have a newfound fascination. I look back at some of my earlier pictures in the photo galleries and cringe a bit, but the only path is forward.
I recently took an on-line class, both with MasterClass (these are amazing–do check them out!) and another from DPS (Digital Photography School). The way we learn is changing and web-based learning rocks! More convenient than a classroom, at one’s convenience, and personal interaction via technology answers one’s questions. As a life long student, this is an amazing lifeline to learning.
I have an affiliate relationship with MasterClass (your purchase through this site is greatly appreciated!).
With Digital Photography School , I started with 31 Days to Becoming a Better Photographer class with Jim Hamel. Add in some free Lightroom classes, and voila! Knowledge is born!
The DPS course consists of thirty one short (15 minutes so) discussions of a photo topic, coupled with a task every day. It might be shooting a still life; a sunset; or perhaps using shutter speed for long term, artful exposures.
It is perfect for my web-warped (and chemo brained) mind that only handles so much information at a sitting! And it forces me out to take pictures almost daily.
Along with my photo club, and an upcoming course through the Santa Fe Community College, I’m looking forward to more photo forays for CancerRoadTrip in the near future. I’ve just gotten a wide angle lens, so please be patient with my learning curve as I figure out the best way to use this.
Santa Fe and environs is simply breathtaking. I am grateful that CancerRoadTrip has led me here. Let me leave you with a few shots that will be making their way into some more Photo Galleries shortly:
The caves at Bandelier
Chair looking out at Ghost Ranch, NM
Labyrinth at Ghost Ranch, NM
Benches at Bandelier
The path at Bandelier NM hugs the hills and ascends to the caves
A meditation bench in the snow at the casita
Thanks to everyone following the journey!
Namaste
Namaste
More on Ireland:
Photo Gallery: Dublin, Ireland
The Irish Food Movement in the Beara Peninsula
TBEX in Ireland: From The Liffey To The Atlantic
Culinary Travel Karma:Dublin an dKillarney
Irish Adventures: Burberry in the Land of Guinness
If you’re interested in learning more about photography (or cooking or film or any number of topics) check out Masterclass for on-line excellence:
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What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
Follow me on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and at Anti-Cancer Club. Connect with me! I may need a place or two to stay along the way!
by Pat Wetzel | Feb 23, 2018 | Food, Foodie Forays, Road Trip, The Story
From talks by local historians such as Ana Pacheco to tequila tastings at the elegant Inn of the Anasazi, to African flavors at Jambo Cafe, there is something for everyone in Santa Fe’s Restaurant Week.
One can perfect one’s margarita; sample fabulous French food followed by an equally fabulous organic green chili burger oozing with a bit of spice and melted cheese; or learn to make mozzarella.
You can dine in a strip mall or in the elegance of a four star resort.
It’s an experiential week of creativity and spirit; of food and flavors; and of a bit of the past as the stories of history translate into the ways of today.
All set against the beautiful, artful town of Santa Fe.
Restaurant Week in Santa Fe, aka “The City Different”, is part of of a three week celebration of Northern New Mexico food:
- Santa Fe’s celebration runs from February 18-25;
- Taos Restaurant Week is February 25- March 4; and
- Albuquerque celebrates its culinary talent March 4-11.
Nearly sixty restaurants are participating in Santa Fe alone. Each offers a 3 course lunch and/or dinner at a fixed price, usually well under $50. (Most lunches are $20-35 and dinners around $45). There are many top calibre restaurants on the list (such as the Four Seasons just north of the city in Tesuque, where the horse picture above was oversees their dining room), as well as many fun places for every day dining.
The next several posts will focus on my explorations during Santa Fe Restaurant Week. (This post covers days one and two.) My only regret is that the event only lasts a week, and I can only eat so much in a day!
Nevertheless, here, dear reader, are my best efforts!
Santa Fe Restaurant Week
“Only in Santa Fe” by Ana Pacheco
Caffe Greco
233 Canyon Road
This photo from my iPhone (a bit pixelated due to the low light) captures Ana Pacheco as she prepares to give her talk.
Have you ever wondered about the roots of a town? Why things are done a certain way? Why certain attitudes prevail? When it comes to Santa Fe, look no further than Restaurant Week’s featured talk by the city’s former historian, author and speaker, Ana Pacheco.
Ana Pacheco’s presentation, “Only in Santa Fe”, looks at a series of unique events sprinkled throughout Santa Fe’s history to provide some insight into this “City Different” as Santa Fe is called.
Santa Fe is a melting pot of many cultures. Founded by the Anasazi and later the Indians in the surrounding Pueblos, Santa Fe, the city, had 19 founding families, 11 of which were Jewish.
The city itself has been under four flags: Spanish, Mexican, Confederate and American. And while the original adobe style buildings–mud huts– were an inexpensive form of housing, today (as Ana says, chuckling)
“only the rich can afford to live in mud houses.”
Adobe houses around Palace Avenue just outside the Santa Fe Plaza
If you’re not familiar with Santa Fe, the east side is noted for its historic adobe architecture and expensive homes. Although the street view may sometimes seem plain or, on occasion, bordering on run-down, this is prime real estate. The location in the foothills and mountains immediately surrounding town is precious, and priced accordingly.
Ana Pacheco traces her roots to ancestors that settled in Santa Fe in 1694. Her mother, Natalie Ortiz, was a descendant of Diego de Vargas who led the resettlement of Santa Fe after the Pueblo Revolt in 1692.
Don Gaspar Avenue (an upscale and main street linking adobe residences with the downtown) is named after Ana Pacheco’s mothers great grandfather, Don Gaspar Ortiz.
On the Pacheco side, the family moved from Santa Cruz to Sant Fe in the late 1800s. Pacheco Street is named after Ana’s great-great grandfather Jose de la Cruz Pacheco.
The entire lecture, “Only in Santa Fe” is fun and engaging as Ana Pacheco weaves people and history into a unique blend that could only happen in this quirky town. It gave me insights that I’d otherwise have missed such as the story of the late Jewish Rabbi Helman, which is really a story of people and personality set against a palette of eccentric multiculturalism. Here’s the tale:
Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Santa Fe
The Rabbi was well liked in Santa Fe. His outreach touched nearly everyone and his sense of community knew no bounds. When he passed, the services were held in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, i.e., the Catholic Church.
Say Again???
Yes, the Rabbi had services in the Catholic church. Take a moment, if needed, to get your head around this because this is the perfect example of the quirky, generally get along attitude of this arty town.
The decision was partly personal–Rabbi Helman was best friends with his Catholic counterpart–and partly practical. The Basilica was the only religious entity large enough to house the crowds.
From his obituary in the Albuquerque Journal:
Helman was a man of paradoxes: a devout, observant Jew who believed in ecumenism. He attended Christmas Eve Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi every Dec. 24 for 30 years and led those attending pianist John Gooch’s memorial services in a rousing chorus of “Amazing Grace” a few years ago.
Helman’s funeral, at his directive, will be at the Cathedral Basilica at 11 a.m. Monday. A good friend, former Cathedral rector Monsignor Jerome Martinez y Alire, will give the welcome and Rabbi Levy will conduct a traditional Reform Jewish ceremony.
So it was that the town’s popular Rabbi’s final services were held in the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.
Throughout Ana’s talk, two trends jumped out at me:
Santa Fe is–and always has been–almost a mecca for the eclectic in both religion and art.
The landscapes of Santa Fe are breathtaking, facing west, facing east, facing north or south.
The beautiful and spiritual landscape originally attracted the Anasazi and their Pueblo Indian descendants. Then in the 1600s, the Spanish arrived and christened the city the City of Holy Faith. Over the next several hundred years, other faiths including New Thought and New Age practitioners in the twentieth century, Sikhism (the 5th largest religion in the world) and Buddhism found its way into this small town. It is astonishing that four major lineages of Tibetan buddhism can be found in this town of less 70,000 people (total population is only 140,000 in the entire county).
On an artistic and historic front, the town is a blend of histories, characters, newcomers and old timers. People ranging from Billy the Kid (before he became the well known outlaw) to world class artists and authors have all based themselves in this small town.
How can such a small town in a relatively out of the way location (post Santa Fe Trail) achieve all this? From the founding of a world class opera in the mid fifties (at a time when the city population was only 35,ooo people!), to stays by Willa Cather, Huxley and D.H. Lawrence, not to mention the well known and often difficult Georgia O’Keefe, the depth of culture, history and creativity in Santa Fe is simply astounding.
Speaking of Ms. O’Keefe, did you know that the Georgia O’Keefe Museum in downtown Santa Fe is the only museum named after a woman?
As Ana Pacheco would say:
“Only in Santa Fe”!
Charcuterie at Caffe Greco
The Caffe Greco hosted Ana Pacheco’s talk, and served a beautiful charcuterie board and a glass of wine for $25. The food was wonderful, but I must admit it was the characters of the town, brought alive by Ana, that dominated the evening.
More Reading From Ana Pacheco on Santa Fe:
Ana Pacheco has numerous books about Santa Fe, available through her website and Amazon. One of the most popular is her in depth look at the eclectic spiritual history of this town nested between the Jemez and Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
And a wonderful picture compilation, taken mostly from various archives: Early Santa Fe
While we’re on the topic of the quirky and eclectic, another book I’d like to pass along (which I just started reading) is American Nations: A History the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America. It looks at the settlement and migration trends of North America and how, even today, they influence our varying outlooks and attitudes. It’s a fascinating read that smashes many of the binary cultural paradigms surrounding our current society. If you pick this up, let me know your thoughts!
Santa Fe Restaurant Week
Lunch at Jambo Cafe
2010 Cerrillos Road at the St. Michael’s Drive intersection,
In between Petco and Hobby Lobby
So many restaurant choices! How does one decide?
Darts?
Desire?
Alphabetical order?
Thankfully, there are fewer lunch choices since many restaurants open only for dinner. This day, I decided upon Jambo Cafe, which from the outside appears to be a fairly non-descript restaurant in a shopping center. But what the storefront doesn’t show is the easy going, heart warming, thoughtfully crafted food that resides inside.
The food is eclectic African/Caribbean. Spices and flavors beckon.
The Restaurant Week offerings from Jambo Cafe:
Jambo Cafe Menu
Restaurant Week, Santa Fe
Lunch: $25 Per Person
Appetizers
Goat Cheese & Pistachios With Organic Greens — drizzled with dried apricot tarragon vinaigrette
Curried Roasted Garlic & Coconut Cream Bisque (Vegan) — Winner of the 2018 Souper Bowl’s Cream Soup category
Entrees
Coconut Seafood Stew — with mussels, calamari, shrimp and mahi mahi in a red wine caper tomato sauce served with curry and green onion roti
Marinated Moroccan Spiced Lamb Kebabs — with pomegranate cucumber yogurt sauce over saffron mashed potatoes and garlic roasted Brussels sprouts
Ethiopian Lentil Stew (Vegan) — with eggplant and mixed vegetables slow-cooked in a spiced coconut sauce over basmati rice
Desserts
Date Coconut Flourless Chocolate Cake (with fresh whipped cream)
Jamaican Rum Pecan Pie
Mango Cobbler
Banana Coconut Cream Pie
Pumpkin Coconut Flan
Almond Brownie Sundae
Almond Crust Key Lime Pie
Award winning Curried Roasted Garlic & Coconut Cream Bisque, Jambo Cafe
I opted for the Curried Roasted Garlic & Coconut Cream Bisque and the Lentil Stew. I may have to go back to try the Coconut Seafood Stew as well.
The soup was guiltless and fabulous. It needed a touch of seasoning–salt and pepper– but the subtle curry flavor and spice lingered just enough to tease another spoonful into your mouth. The garlic was rich and subtle, showing a deft hand in the kitchen. This sensibility was evident in all the dishes.
Vegetarian Lentil stew that rocks! With Basmati Rice on the side.
The Lentil Stew was fragrant, fun and warm. Fragrant with…I’m not sure what. But the light taste of the basmati rice was perfect with the rich stew. The flavors of celery, carrot, eggplant, tomato and spices simmered long and slow, building just a bit of heat, but never too much. A total winner. And a healthy choice as well.
Normally I’m not much of a dessert eater, but I decided to try the Date Coconut Flourless Chocolate Cake (with fresh whipped cream) just to see how the chef’s skills from lunch translated into dessert.
And did they! The cake was rich and dense, but never heavy. The soft puddles of hand whipped cream were perfect with the dark chocolate. It was not too sweet, which suited my taste just perfectly.
The Date Cocount Flourless Chocolate Cake with hand whipped cream from Jambo Cafe
Jambo Cafe has an extensive menu including a few future must-tries:
Savory Stuffed Phyllo
(Phyllo pastries filled with spinach, Moroccan black olives, organic feta, roasted red peppers, chickpeas, over organic field greens, drizzled with pomegranate sauce);
Spiced Rubbed Salmon Salad
(Grilled salmon with baby greens, capers, shaved red onion, crispy sweet potatoes and a mango-mustard dressing);
Banana Leaf Wrapped Island Spiced Maki Mahi
(Over wild black rice, with garlic sautéed baby boy choy, topped with a mango tamarind coconut sauce);
Spiced New Mexico Lamb Burger
(With tomato chutney and feta cheese)
Not to mention the Jambo Cafe Caribbean Goat Stew, the Sandwiches and Wraps, and an assortment of intriguing starters.
Santa Fe has many restaurants and I’d venture to guess the ones that stay, stay for a reason. I can see why Jambo Cafe is a popular spot, with others, and now with me.
From the New Mexican Restaurant Week website on Jambo Cafe:
“Jambo Café and Chef Ahmed are winners: “Best International Cuisine” for 6 years running and “Best Chef” in 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 in the Santa Fe Reporter’s “Best of Santa Fe.” …Pasatiempo reviewer, Nouf Al-Qasimi said, “Obo’s food is spirited, and at its best, it strikes a superb balance between vibrant and subtle, making it better than most of what’s being served locally at many times the price.”
Chef Ahmed’s Cookbook, available through his website
Chef Obo’s cookbook is available through his website www.jamboimports.com as are his spice mixes and curries. The book is part memoir and part recipes. Chef Ahmed Obo also runs an African import business, a food truck and recently opened another Jambo Cafe location in Albuquerque, JamboCafeABQ.
And to think it’s only Monday!
Santa Fe Restaurant Week ho!
More Reading on Santa Fe and Santa Fe Restaurant Week:
Warming Up to Restaurant Week in Santa Fe
Winter in a Santa Fe Casita
Santa Fe via Las Vegas, N.M.
Photo Mission: Cold
Photo Mission: Winter at Taos Pueblo
The Art, Culture and Beauty of Santa Fe, N.M.
Santa Fe Tequila Tasting at the Inn of the Anasazi
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If you’re interested in learning more about cooking (or photography or film or any number of topics) check out Masterclass for on-line excellence:
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What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
Follow me on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and at Anti-Cancer Club. Connect with me! I may need a place or two to stay along the way!
by Pat Wetzel | Feb 17, 2018 | Foodie Forays, The Story
This coming week is Restaurant Week, a celebration of food, cooking and history in Santa Fe, aka The City Different, ranging from tapas at La Boca to African flavors chez Jambo Cafe.
“Cooking is like love. It should be
entered into with abandon or not at all.” -Harriet van Horne
As you can imagine, I’m joyfully plotting my meals and managing my itinerary to try some new places. One of the benefits of Restaurant Week is that many of the very upscale restaurants offer a 3 course meal for $45. It’s a spectacular opportunity to sample some of the restaurants without breaking the bank.
There are so many finds in this town, from food trucks and carts to Santa Fe tradition to innovative luxury dining. This morning I had a business meeting at The Chocolate Maven. It’s located in an industrial building, with almost no signage and almost no parking. You’d have to know that this was there.
The front area has cases of cookies, pastry and cakes, but it’s the dining room that is so intriguing. It is encased in a glass wall that allows you to watch everything being made:
Bakers roll up sweet rolls in the glass enclosed kitchen.
Their menu tempts, from Blue Corn Blueberry Pancakes (Blue corn pancakes, with fresh blueberries, and sweet brown sugar piñon cream with syrup) to Green Eggs and Ham (Two organic eggs over thick cut challah, two house made green chile sausage patties, green chile hollandaise sauce and breakfast smashers).
Do note that I ordered fruit and yogurt for breakfast!
And sat next to the window and watched as various pastries were made and assembled for baking.
***
La Boca
In my wanderings, I stop at food stalls, like the ones at the Farmer’s Market or the cart on the Plaza with great, cheap tamales wrapped in paper. So good! And just down the street from the Plaza, I wandered into La Boca the other day.
I’d been walking for hours, taking pictures and exploring. My next photo class has a somewhat daunting topic: Body of Work. I was hoping my wanderings would help clarify the content.
Suddenly, I realized I was hungry.
I’d spied La Boca some time ago, but today was obviously the day I was meant to dine here.
Each and every menu item is so tempting, it’s hard to choose!
La Boca is a “modern tapas restaurant” not far off the Plaza, located at 72 W. Marcy St. In addition to the small bites (and paella and seafood stews and salads and olives, and…..) it also offers a daily three course menu that is as mouthwatering as it is breath-taking in it’s offerings. It’s almost impossible to choose! This is a place to bring friends, and I will be bringing my Foodie Foray club here in the coming months. (I started a monthly dining club that sold out almost instantly!) Stay tuned for more La Boca.
This visit to La Boca, I sat at the bar and opted for the Grilled Radicchio and Fennel Salad: Sherry Vinegar Reduction, Romaine Lettuce, Golden Raisin Compote, Pimenton Pistachios, Crispy Jamon Serrano and Taos Honey Cabrales Vinaigrette.
Seriously?!
Seriously superb. Bread with a vibrant, green, fruity olive oil was equally noteworthy.
And a cup of green tea, although the wine list was impressive and tempting.
For restaurant week, their dining menu is as follows:
La Boca Dinner Menu
Santa Fe Restaurant Week
$45 per person
I’ll be returning here, solo and with my dining group. Stay tuned for more La Boca pictures and menu updates!
***
Vegetarian green chili stew at Coyote Cafe
Personally I am always on a quest for the green chile stew, a regional soup of potatoes, green chile, onions, sometimes tomatoes, usually meat (beef and or pork) and vegetables. It occasionally comes in a vegetarian version, such as at the Coyote Cafe and Rooftop Cantina, a casual spot associated with the well regarded Coyote Cafe. There are endless variations, one per cook I believe! The key are the green hatch chile.
Green chile stew has a special place in my heart. Years ago–when I was on the road with Whiskey Oscar–I stopped in Old Town Albuquerque where I had my first bowl of green chile stew. It was a more of a soup than a chunky stew, with subtle heat from the hatch chile, and oh so nourishing. Since that day, this simple stew is always in my sights.
The arrival of the hatch chile in New Mexican culinary history may have coincided with the founding of Santa Fe, although the history is a bit cloudy. But what has evolved is a local industry of growing this chili with its unique flavor. At the Farmer’s Markets, stands have fresh roasted hatch chile. But for those not local, roasted chile can be ordered from a variety of sources, including The Hatch Chili Store who will deliver the frozen peppers, roasted, cleaned and even chopped, to your door.
***
Food in Santa Fe is not limited to all things green chile. Au contraire. French, Italian, Eclectic and Pan Asian restaurants are also present. The creativity of The City Different, as Santa Fe describes itself, spills into the culinary scene.
Located next to the DeVargas Shopping Center, a somewhat dated run-of-the-mill local shopping center (with great boutiques, a Sprouts market and the usual litany of strip mall shops like CVS), is a pan-Asian restaurant, JinJa Bar and Bistro.
I love Asian flavors, and I wanted my Foodie Foray group to have an interesting Asian experience that could be sharable and communal. So I stopped in for lunch to check it out.
To test an Asian restaurant, I’ll often order something very mainstream. How good a job do they do with the basics? In this case, I ordered potstickers and Pad Thai.
I had no idea what I was getting into!
Both were superb and very well prepared. The potstickers had been properly crisped in the pan; the Pad Thai may have been the best I’ve ever had. It was not your typical Pad Thai.
First, it was made with wide noodles, rather than the traditional spaghetti-like rice noodles. This allowed the dough to absorb an amazing balance of flavors and sensations: hot, sweet, fragrant, crunchy, all at once. It was the intensity and perfect balance of flavor that totally wowed me.
Plus the on-line reviews which were stellar. Now I see why.
***
Stay tuned for my upcoming posts on Santa Fe Restaurant Week which will range from Tequila Tastings at the Inn of the Anasazi to Joseph’s Culinary Pub , a foodie tour and more. After this series, I have to believe that Santa Fe will be on your culinary hit list. It certainly is on mine.
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Read more on my travels in and around Santa Fe:
If you’re interested in learning more about photography (or cooking or film or any number of topics) check out Masterclass for on-line excellence:
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What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
Follow me on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and at Anti-Cancer Club. Connect with me! I may need a place or two to stay along the way!
by Pat Wetzel | Feb 5, 2018 | Featured, Road Trip, Santa Fe, The Story
In Santa Fe, a casita is a common form of housing:
Adobe building peaks from behind the compound walls
Casita (noun): A small house or other building (especially in the US Southwest)
ca•si•ta
kəˈsēdə/
Origin: early 19th century: from Spanish, diminutive of casa ‘house.’
I am staying at a charming casita on a one acre compound. Casita is a diminutive of casa which means “house” in Spanish.
The morning dawn over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains from the back porch of my little casita
Mornings I’m greeting by a soulfully blue adobe wall that surrounds the property. Above and to the east, I watch the sun rise as the day dawns over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
The Casita is small but beautifully turned out: a bedroom and bath and a small but functional kitchen and sitting room. I set my computer on the rolling island in the kitchen, pull up a stool, and I’m in business.
Within the casita compound, restful places to pause and be still abound. The interior compound wall is painted a beautiful blue.
A casita sounds luxurious and exotic but this type of living arrangement isn’t uncommon in Santa Fe and with the advent of AirBnB, it’s become a substantial income for many.
Staying here is not cheap; it is not a long term solution. But it is a fabulous way of landing in Santa Fe for now.
I’m just under 10 minutes from the plaza, just a few miles—there isn’t necessarily a lot of traffic here, but it can be painfully slow. Traffic, like much of NM, adheres to the manyana school of time.
A recent road trip to Reno, NV and back to pick up a few things underscored the vast distances of the west.
Road trip!
The road winds around Walker Lake, NV
Road Trip! Route 95 North in Nevada
The relative isolation of this Santa Fe becomes more evident with time. Mile after mile of southwestern landscape rushes by, mile after mile of desert and high desert with few towns in between.
The distances between cities become vast in the American West
Isolation can be good and bad. In this day of instant communication and connection a bit of physical isolation feels good if you like your locale. And many people in Santa Fe love it here.
I am one of them.
The downside: travel anywhere means a bit of a drive or a flight. And it may be a bit more expensive and time consuming as well.
Time is a strange concept in this timeless place. There is no metropolis nearby to create a sense of shortage or urgency. Life simply unfolds at its own pace. If you pay no mind to the shrieking heads on television or the relentless pounding of advertisements (ie. unplug the box!), life is peaceful.
Santa Fe has a reputation of being snooty, arty and woo. And it is. But it’s also earthy, beautiful and soulful. Take your pick on your point of view and your experience.
Morning sunrises are just gorgeous. There is little pollution in this city at 7,000 feet which traces its roots back over a thousand years before the Spanish “founded” the town in 1610. The air is clean and this time of year, cold in the early morning and late afternoon into evening. But mid day, even on a “cold” day, it is lovely. The warmth of the sun overcomes any vestiges of winter and it’s a pleasure to be outdoors.
Because in addition to art, culture and history, the outdoors in this area is world class.
The outdoors in and around Santa Fe, Northern New Mexico is world class
I’ve only begun my explorations. Some locales like Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument deserve a dawn arrival that may be better done in the spring. Ghost Ranch, just an hour north, is a bit easier to access now.
Ghost Ranch, NM, The American West
Hiking the American West at Ghost Ranch, NM
Ghost Ranch offers some of the most stunning geography in The American West
Ojo Caliente (a world class spa) is nearby, if you can tear yourself away from the incredible geography. Taos in any season offers a spectacular trip into time.
Pueblo, Taos New Mexico
And on any given day, I am happy to just walk the streets of this charming town, chat with people (everyone is incredibly friendly) and explore.
Just off the Plaza, a covered walk in Santa Fe, decorated for Christmas
Traveling has rewired my “needs”. With less, life is so much simpler. Without ownership, I have no maintenance concerns. I need to pay my rent and feed myself.
And, of course, have a bit of fun.
Landing in Santa Fe I have found a vibrant film industry. Efforts to build the industry date back some years, and a good infrastructure has been developed that encourages and mentors young people interested in film and offers incentives that lean towards local hires. A win/win for everyone.
Especially CancerRoadTrip.
I will be basing the first CancerRoadTrip here in Santa Fe. There is a zen monastery in the hills overlooking town that offers a wonderful retreat for daily meetings. Staying near the Plaza offers endless museums, restaurants and shopping. Combined with our thought leaders from a variety of health oriented disciplines, a healing retreat in Santa Fe may be just what the doctor ordered. I mean, do you know anyone that has had to deal with cancer who couldn’t use a healing retreat?
“Healing is a matter of time, but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity.” – Hippocrates
In pausing for a bit in one locale, I know I feel a need to stop and heal. The constant travels of the past months have been tiring at times. This week, in addition to film meetings and writing, I am taking the time to meditate, to walk and to get my body moving. In just a few days, I already feel the difference. I am once again focused on organic, low glycemic, healthy eating, and the impact is noticeable.
Sadly, it took the illness of a new friend here in Santa Fe to make me slow down. She survived ovarian cancer a few years ago, but found herself run down and exhausted this past month. She’s now in the hospital.
I am worried. I worry about all my “cancer friends” because I know what they have lived through, and what they may be facing. I fear for them, as I fear for myself. I do not want to join these ranks again, just yet. I want to stay healthy for a bit longer; I want to enjoy my travels; I want to get CancerRoadTrip up and running for others in the cancer community.
So, as far as I may travel, I travel with myself and with the timeless truths of good health: good food, movement, meditation, and community. And here in Santa Fe I seem to be readily finding it all.
More on my travels to Santa Fe:
Santa Fe via Las Vegas, N.M.
Photo Mission: Cold
Photo Mission: Winter at Taos Pueblo
The Art, Culture and Beauty of Santa Fe, N.M.
Ojo Caliente, Wind Chimes and Waters
The Zen of Upaya
Warming Up To Restaurant Week in Santa Fe
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Winter in a Santa Fe Casita
If you’re interested in learning more about photography (or food or film or any number of topics) check out Masterclass for on-line excellence:
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What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
Follow me on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and at Anti-Cancer Club. Connect with me! I may need a place or two to stay along the way!
While we’re on the topic of the quirky and eclectic, another book I’d like to pass along (which I just started reading) is 
