by Pat Wetzel | Mar 31, 2020 | Road Trip, The Story
Hello From…
Hello From…. is a series of bloggers talking about the impact of the Corona virus on their towns and lives. Here are some perspectives on life in the time of Corona. See how people all over the world are adjusting their lives:
Hello From New Hampshire-Roarloud.net
Hello From Houston-One Foot Out the Door
Hello From Minnesota -ThirdEyeMom
Silver Linings in the Storm-Plus ltra
Joburg COVID-19: Lockdown Journal day 1- 2Summers
In the Time of Corona-In flow with Otto
Hello From Northern Virginia-Eat Live Stay Will Travel for Food
Hello From Santa Fe
Santa Fe is my city in a way no place else has ever been. I love it here, and it is heart breaking to see this town of 70,000+ people in lock down.
Looking from the Plaza up to Basilica Cathedral St. Francis of Assisi
The New Mexico Countryside-Photo Credit: David Hoptman
Chimayo scenes, a healing Mecca just north of Santa Feat the base of the Sangre de Cristo mountains
Road tripping New Mexico
Everyone is good humored; we all wave or say hi from six feet away, as we pass on trails and city streets. But as a tourist destination, this lockdown is having serious repercussions on our community.
When you think of Santa Fe, you think restaurants galore, amazing museums and shops, and festivals that go non-stop from spring to fall.
For the moment, all is on hold.
Closed!
Closed!
Closed!
I walk almost every day. My usual loop is to head north, then over to Canyon Road. Canyon Road is a magical half mile lined with over 80 art galleries and more than a few restaurants. With Santa Fe being the third largest art market in the U.S. (behind New York and Los Angeles), art is a part of life here.
But the streets are deserted. The galleries are closed. The restaurants, still.
Down on the Plaza, the Indian tribes usually line up with jewelry for sale. It’s now empty, eerily quiet. The shops brimming with turquoise and silver are shut. And most restaurants are offering takeout, and most of us are supporting them as much as possible.
Indians line up to sell jewelry along the plaza in Santa Fe
Santa Fe is a town that has been around as long as the Pueblo Indians that settled here in 1050 or so. It weathered the Spanish rule in the early 1700’s. We’ll weather this too.
The Serendipity of Santa Fe
I hadn’t intended to land in Santa Fe (this story starts like so may others where serendipity and adventure meet). I was tired of the heat and humidity in Central and South America, and pondered my next move. I’d go to Santa Fe for Christmas!
And I never left.
I first started visiting this Spanish city in the 1990’s and always loved it. And a wonderful confluence of events came together when I landed here just over 2 years ago. It is said that Santa Fe either welcomes you or spits you out. I have been profoundly welcomed.
I have great friends. I’m on the Board of New Mexico Women in Film. I’ve taken classes, joined MeetUp groups, supported local museums and arts through memberships, and have two photo clubs. It is simply the right place at the right time for me.
And I’m profoundly grateful for all of it.
Coping With Corona In Santa Fe
As a single person (and a bit of an introvert at heart), I’m happy working alone. But this quarantine is pushing the limits. I’m usually out and about with friends and events a few times a week.
I miss that.
Zoom helps, but I long for a meeting at one of my favorite restaurants, perhaps a bit of tapas with some guitar music in the background. Or that amazing sea bass in miso from Geronimo’s. Or maybe just a simple cup of tea at Iconic on Lena or at the Teahouse on Canyon Road.
Corona has made me pause (see Silver Linings in The Time of Corona). I recognize that things may be very different on the other side of this. I am watching things carefully and as a result, I’m thoughtful about not planning too far out.
“Things they are a changin’ “
-Bob Dylan
The corporate sponsors we’ve been in discussion with in the travel and health sectors are consumed by the events of this virus, so our funding for our retreats is currently on hold.
As a result, for the first time in two and a half years of building CancerRoadTrip, I have a bit of time on my hands.
So I’m starting a podcast. “Bump In The Road” is the title and it’s a series of interviews with people who have managed their own bumps in the road. My wish is that it brings inspiration and perseverance to all of us, through Corona and beyond.
Health is obviously a priority, especially now. I’ve revamped my routine to include more breaks and movement. More self care. And I intend on keeping this new schedule beyond Corona.
I’ve always been a morning person and I continue to get up at 5:30 am. I find five things to be grateful for and I meditate for 20-30 minutes.
Then I browse the news and my email, shower and get to work. Work right now is sorting through a gazillion technical options for the podcast, ordering the equipment, making decisions about editing and distribution, lining up people to interview, continuing to do interviews with publications and podcasters about CancerRoadTrip, networking and adding some new photo galleries to the site.
I have a set of weights that goes up to 40 pounds (plenty for my needs); resistance bands to get more of a workout out of each step and curl; and I’ve added a second meditation session each afternoon.
I’m working on integrating a yoga routine into my schedule. I know its benefits; yoga has saved me many times, but it’s never been a natural for me. Even so, I started some on-line classes and have set aside time each afternoon to “go to class”.
I cook every night. Partly as self care; partly to pass the time. I’ve been using delivery services for food shopping once a week and my freezer is well stocked with wild fish and whatnot. I’ve always loved to cook (and eat) and I’m enjoying the time to be a bit creative and self nurturing.
And finally, as a “bone” to my creativity, I treated myself to a macro lens (a Nikon 105mm f/2.8). If I can’t travel out to a broader world, perhaps I can travel deeper within the world immediately around me as spring starts to blossom.
Because spring always comes after winter.
“Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius.”
-Pietro Aretino
Spring trees starting to bloom
Final Corona Thoughts
At the end of February, I was in Sacramento for a TV interview about CancerRoadTrip. Afterwards I went down to Sonoma for two nights. The day I departed, I didn’t feel well and by the time I got to the airport, I was coughing terribly. And I was sick for 2-3 weeks afterwards. Given my symptoms, I’m wondering if I didn’t have the Corona virus. It had yet to really hit the news and our consciousness.
A friend sent me an article just this morning talking about how many flus may have been misdiagnosed (USAToday). At some point I want to get tested to see if I have the antibodies. But right now, other people need access to testing more than me, so I’m just sitting tight. And staying safe.
More Reading on Santa Fe and Environs
If we can’t travel in person, let’s travel vicariously! Here’s some New Mexico travel to inspire and amuse:
The Santa Fe Opera: Music, Art and Tailgating
Winter Zen in Santa Fe: Upaya and Ojo Caliente
Powwow: The Gathering of Nations
The Botanical Garden in Santa Fe
The Mesas, Buttes and Badlands of Bisti Wilderness
Chimayo: Chile, Weavings and Miracles
New Mexico Road Trip: The Road To Carrizozo
Inside The Georgia O’Keeffe House: Ghost Ranch
Inside The Georgia O’Keeffe House In Abiquiu
Georgia O’Keeffe Country: Abiquiu
Art in Abiquiu: Visiting The Abiquiu Art Project
Timeless Truchas
Photographing Chaco Canyon
Autumn in Taos
Inside TheGeorgia O’Keeffe House in Abiquiu
The Not So Quintessential Ghost Ranch
Like This Post? Pin It!
If you’re interested in learning more about photography (or cooking or film or any number of topics) check out MasterClass All-Access Pass for on-line excellence:
This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links.</p style)
[et_bloom_inline optin_id=”optin_10″]
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!
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
by Pat Wetzel | Mar 23, 2020 | Road Trip, The Story
The Corona virus.
Social distancing. Stay at home. Quarantine.
Travel is obviously on hold and hopefully we’ll be looking at the Spring of 2021 for our first retreat. But in the meantime, I for one, am using this time to re-arrange my schedule.
I’m walking every day. Doing weights. Stretching.
I’m working on getting more Photo Galleries up so we can all travel vicariously.
And for my mind, and hopefully my audience, I’m starting a podcast.
And looking for your thoughts and suggestions.
I tend to have a fairly wide ranging, eclectic curiosity. When I think of a podcast, I think of places, people, culture.
When I think of healing, I think of traditions, modalities, and wisdom.
When I think of travel, my mind wanders from physical places to books, to places in my mind.
I want to create stories of hope, inspiration and adventure.
What would you like to hear about?
Is there someone you know I should interview?
What do you think of the podcast title The Traveling Soul?
***
A friend shared this via email this morning. It’s written by Kristin Flyntz and it’s a must read about our time with the Corona virus.
An Imagined Letter from Covid-19 to Humans
Stop. Just stop.
It is no longer a request. It is a mandate.
We will help you.
We will bring the supersonic, high speed merry-go-round to a halt
We will stop
the planes
the trains
the schools
the malls
the meetings
the frenetic, furied rush of illusions and “obligations” that keep you from hearing our
single and shared beating heart,
the way we breathe together, in unison.
Our obligation is to each other,
As it has always been, even if, even though, you have forgotten.
We will interrupt this broadcast, the endless cacophonous broadcast of divisions and distractions,
to bring you this long-breaking news:
We are not well.
None of us; all of us are suffering.
Last year, the firestorms that scorched the lungs of the earth
did not give you pause.
Nor the typhoons in Africa,China, Japan.
Nor the fevered climates in Japan and India.
You have not been listening.
It is hard to listen when you are so busy all the time, hustling to uphold the comforts and conveniences that scaffold your lives.
But the foundation is giving way,
buckling under the weight of your needs and desires.
We will help you.
We will bring the firestorms to your body
We will bring the fever to your body
We will bring the burning, searing, and flooding to your lungs
that you might hear:
We are not well.
Despite what you might think or feel, we are not the enemy.
We are Messenger. We are Ally. We are a balancing force.
We are asking you:
To stop, to be still, to listen;
To move beyond your individual concerns and consider the concerns of all;
To be with your ignorance, to find your humility, to relinquish your thinking minds and travel deep into the mind of the heart;
To look up into the sky, streaked with fewer planes, and see it, to notice its condition: clear, smoky, smoggy, rainy? How much do you need it to be healthy so that you may also be healthy?
To look at a tree, and see it, to notice its condition: how does its health contribute to the health of the sky, to the air you need to be healthy?
To visit a river, and see it, to notice its condition: clear, clean, murky, polluted? How much do you need it to be healthy so that you may also be healthy? How does its health contribute to the health of the tree, who contributes to the health of the sky, so that you may also be healthy?
Many are afraid now.
Do not demonize your fear, and also, do not let it rule you. Instead, let it speak to you—in your stillness,
listen for its wisdom.
What might it be telling you about what is at work, at issue, at risk, beyond the threats of personal inconvenience and illness?
As the health of a tree, a river, the sky tells you about quality of your own health, what might the quality of your health tell you about the health of the rivers, the trees, the sky, and all of us who share this planet with you?
Stop.
Notice if you are resisting.
Notice what you are resisting.
Ask why.
Stop. Just stop.
Be still.
Listen.
Ask us what we might teach you about illness and healing, about what might be required so that all may be well.
We will help you, if you listen.
If you’re interested in learning more about photography (or cooking or film or any number of topics) check out MasterClass All-Access Pass for on-line excellence:
This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links.</p style)
[et_bloom_inline optin_id=”optin_10″]
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!
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
by Pat Wetzel | Mar 1, 2020 | Food, Road Trip, The Story
Napa/Sonoma is one of those wonderful spots one never tires of.
And for me, there are so many memories.
My first glider ride in Calistoga.
Wine clubs and parties.
Great meals.
Fox 40 in Sacramento
So when Fox 40 in Sacramento asked me to join them, the thought of running down to Napa/Sonoma did occur to me. Since I couldn’t get a flight back ’til Tuesday, I added one extra night and voila! I was going to one of my all time favorite spots, the Sonoma Mission Inn.
Napa/Sonoma
Napa/Sonoma is an easy drive from Sacramento.
Napa is just about an hour from Sacramento
And once you leave the highway, the road winds through beautiful countryside, interrupted only by the lines of vineyards that wind up the slope.
Napa has undergone a great deal of renovation in recent years, including the Oxbow Public Market. The 40,000 square foot facility located along the Napa River showcases local companies and food producers with an emphasis on sustainable and organic farming practices. It was designed by San Francisco architects, Baldauf, Catton, and Von Eckartsberg, (who also did the Ferry Building in San Francisco).
The bridge over the Napa River leads to all sorts of wine country intrigue
The Oxbow Public Market in Napa
Produce at Oxbow Public Market
Located in the market is an eclectic assortment of butcher shops, a fish market, artisan cheese and wine, organic produce, olive oil and…
Drum roll please..
Hog Island Oysters.
At the oyster bar, Oxbow Public Market
A selection of Kumamotos, Eld Inslet Chelsea Olympia and Disco Hama oysters
Hog Island has a location in Tomales Bay where they harvest 160 acres of intertidal waters, as well as in the Embarcadero in San Francisco. And now, in Napa.
Hog Island Oyster at Tomales Bay
Sitting happily at the oyster bar in downtown Napa, I chose a selection of my favorite oysters, including Kumamotos, with a glass of Muscadet.
Briny heaven.
The Oxbow Market is a fun place. Food, wonderful oils and vinegars, craft beers and more provide culinary amusement. And next door is Copia CIA (as in Culinary Institute of America). The grounds include the restaurant, outdoor sitting areas and a wonderful retrospective of Julia Child in France.
Julia in France
Outside the Copia CIA
The CIA also has another California location in St. Helena. The St. Helena facility (Greystone) is in the old Christian Brothers Winery building, a massive stone building that perches on the hill. Inside Brother Timothy’s collection of corkscrews (hundreds of them!) are a must see.
From Napa, it’s on to Sonoma, just down the road.
A short drive to the west is Calistoga
Napa/Sonoma: The Sonoma Mission Inn
Back in 1995, I headed west with my sailplane, supposedly for the summer (although the trip lasted a good deal longer and ended up with my moving to Tahoe). I pulled into the airport in Truckee. The bunkhouse was $6 a night and a hot shower cost an extra dollar.
Aviation Hog Heaven.
But my go-to escape from the airport became wine country where I discovered the Sonoma Mission Inn.
The Entry to The Sonoma Mission Inn
The grounds at the Sonoma Mission Inn
The main building was designed by Joseph L. Stewart. Spanish mission details, like the beautiful tiled roofs, lend a timeless air to the property.
Spanish style tiled roof at Sonoma Mission Inn
The Sonoma Mission Inn has a distinguished history. Native Americans sought out the sacred location for the healing waters. Today, the Willow Spa sits atop the ancient thermal mineral spring which runs 1,100 feet below, bringing 135 degree water for a serious wellness retreat experience. This natural hot artesian well makes the Sonoma Mission Inn the only luxury resort in the western U.S. with its own source of thermal mineral water.
The main pool is just outside the spa.
Tucked under the trees, a place to relax.
The fountain greets you as you enter the spa area. To one side is a fully equipped workout room. To the left is a store full of tempting items. And below, around the Willow Spa, a series of pools and secluded hideaways for a bit of rest and relaxation.
Upon arrival, one is greeted with a sparkling wine. And in the room, a bottle of cabernet awaits.
Cheers!
Life is good at the Sonoma Mission Inn.
Sante, the AAA Four Diamond Award and Michelin designated restaurant, is available for breakfast and dinner. Breakfast one morning featured Mama’s Warm Banana Bread with Espresso Peanut Butter.
Now this is breakfast!
Sante is open for breakfast and dinner. Tuesday and Wednesday evening Executive Chef Marcellus Coleman as a pop-up test kitchen and tasting menu where they bring new dishes to life, inspired by the culinary instincts and insights of their guests.
And should you wish to go into Sonoma, the car service will deliver you wherever you’d like to go, and pick you up again later. I especially appreciated this because it meant I didn’t have to park or drive, and could indulge in a nice meal with a glass of wine.
Napa/Sonoma: The Girl and the Fig
The Sonoma Square is quiet and even a little sleepy. But the culinary scene is very much alive. I’ve eaten at many of the restaurants around the square over the years, and this evening, The Girl and The Fig beckoned.
The Girl and The Fig on the Sonoma Square
It’s a casual restaurant with a fun bar. And as a single traveler, I always appreciate a bar with good energy for dinner. And this evening’s dinner was moules with pommel frites and aioli. Simply perfect.
Moules with pommel frites
And around the square, various shops beckon with that indescribeable California flare.
Beautiful homewares tempt one along the Sonoma plaza
Napa/Sonoma Nostaglia
With just one full day I decided to pass on wine tasting and revisit some old haunts. There was something that needed closure for me. What, I wasn’t sure. Perhaps it was a revisiting of old memories. Perhaps it was just the recognition that time moves on.
But I had to travel to know. To understand what my intuition was telling me. So I headed up to Healdsburg, one of my long time favorite wine country places.
Healdsburg Square
Memories of wineries and dinners abound in this Northern California region. And as I wandered the streets, I was met with the a sense of dislocation. What had once been such a focus in my life, has now moved to a back burner. It was more than “been there, done that”.
It was a soulful recognition of a wonderful past, accompanied by the permission to move on.
The last two years of travel and moving have changed me. Much of the beautiful tableware, decorative items and furniture that once constituted a stunning home are still in storage. And now I find my beauty in fleeting light seen through my camera. In a good meal. In the company of friends, and often simply in the company of myself.
The sense of closure is a good one. It’s not as much about letting go as it is about getting going. Life moves on and so do we.
And for a bit of nostalgic solace, there are always oysters. This time at Willi’s.
Willi’s Seafood
The drive back was through the backroads into Calistoga. I remember the very first time I visited and the arts and craft house where I stayed. The French antique shop that is no more. A dinner with a vintner at a restaurant/bar that is closed.
And at the end of the street, I sought out the airfield where I went for my first glider ride. But the airfield is no longer operational and the old buildings are fading away.
The old building at the end of the airstrip
One of the old glider hangars
Things change and we all move on. In Napa/Sonoma the roads are better, the crowds are not, and memories meet me at every turn.
Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.
~From the television show The Wonder Years
I’m so grateful for the many memories of this wonderful area. Of food and wine (and oysters!). Of people and places. For the introduction to soaring, which led to a decade of flight and so much more. Memories are part of the fabric of life and they need to be honored. And sometimes relinquished as well.
Cheers To Our Memories
And Cheers To New Adventures
Copia CIA
More Nostalgia, Travel and Oysters
Travel Lessons: Oysters And Whatnot
Oyster Quest
Culinary Travel Karma: Dublin and Killarney
Traveling With Cancer: A One Year Anniversary
Like This Post? Pin It!
If you’re interested in learning more about photography (or cooking or film or any number of topics) check out MasterClass All-Access Pass for on-line excellence:
This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on these links.</p style)
[et_bloom_inline optin_id=”optin_10″]
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!
Follow my blog with Bloglovin
