Stocking stuffers have always been one of my favorite parts of the holiday celebration. Great things can come in small packages, and the thought and ingenuity to make that happen have always been great fun for me.
For my holiday celebration, a new website! I want to profoundly thank everyone who helped with this. The Guides whose generosity and patience are moving CancerRoadTrip forward. And the very talented Josh Woodroffe whose combination of design and tech savvy have made this possible. Not to mention his patience!
Namaste to all.
Stocking Stuffers for Soulful Travelers
While many people are dashing about this time of year, shopping, planning and partying, I tend to be a bit more still. There are a number of social events I’ll attend, but I usually use this time of year to reflect and to plan my travels for the New Year.
In my travels, I look for life’s lessons and wisdom. The gifts I’ve selected are the perfect travel gifts for life’s journeys; they take no space and create no weight; they are of daily use.
“The subconscious mind cannot tell the difference between dreams and reality. Visualize your dreams.”
It’s a distillation of the wisdom across many disciplines. I find myself smiling, nodding and simply loving this book. What it doesn’t have in length, it has in wisdom. For anyone who sees life as a road trip, and a spiritual one at that, I thoroughly recommend having this book along for the adventure.
A classic that must be read is Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. If you haven’t read this, you need to. This book is about the heart and soul of travel and dreams. While Paulo Coelho is known to many, I have to admit he is relatively new to me. My first introduction actually came through a quote on Twitter:
“If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine. It is lethal.”
This has since become one of my all time favorite quotes. The Alchemist is a favorite book in the history of literature. Make it one of yours as well.
The City and The Stars by Arthur C. Clarke is a bit obscure. It was written in the fifties and is perhaps more relevant today than ever. For years this has been my favorite book of all time, and it remains in my top 10. It is prescient. It talks about the homogenization of humanity through technology; about soul; and about adventure. If you’re looking for a good read, this is it. The perfect stocking stuffer: a tale of adventure and humanity, written in the past, about the future.
I am perhaps a broken record when it comes to my admiration for the books of Eckhardt Tolle, but The Power Of Now is truly a significant book. Through his own hardships, Tolle comes to see the magic and power of the present moment and how present moment living cures so many ills. Learning to be present, through mediation and discipline, has changed my life. May this stocking influence yours as well.
I first read Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha as a young person, and I’ve returned to it several times since. It’s a story, a metaphor and an adventure about materialism, spirituality and finding oneself. May this book find itself into your stocking.
Rachel Naomi Remen’s Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories That Heal is another book to take along as you tackle life’s journeys. She has a humble wisdom that connects with the soul. Through her stories, your soul will connect too.
Travel can be in your head and in your world. May your holiday season find a bit of room for both.
Stocking Stuffers From The Road: More Reading On Life’s Adventures
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What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
Some say life is a cabaret, but I see it more as a moving photo foray. Life through the lens fascinates me and on this cold fall day it led me to the Festival of the Cranes at Bosque Del Apache, a wildlife reserve in south central New Mexico.
Wildlife photography is new to me. And it is challenging! Cranes fly at 40 mph and you have to focus, frame the shot, pan (i.e., follow the bird!) and get the shot.
This is not easy.
But thanks to some excellent instruction, I came away with more photos than I’d anticipated. I’m trying desperately not to look at the photos of the professionals, because there is no comparison. But for now, for this photo newbie, I’m fairly happy with my results. Next year, should I attend, they’ll hopefully be even better.
Look out below! There’s a great pilot saying: “Flying is the second greatest thrill known to man. Landing is the first!” Photo from Bosque del Apache. Visit the full Photo Gallery for more.
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What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
Thanksgiving is a holiday associated with gratitude, but I would suggest that giving thanks should become a daily routine.
Gratitude first became a part of my life twenty some years ago. I’d just moved from New Orleans to Pennsylvania with my ex-husband who promptly decided his life was not with me. There’s much more to the story (lawsuits from patients, a pregnant nurse, an elderly, dying dog and more) but it’s really irrelevant.
What is relevant is that I discovered gratitude.
I’d wake up every morning and find something, anything to be grateful for. And somehow this focus helped to pull me through some truly difficult times.
And now, with cancer, gratitude is so important. It reminds me to bring joy into my daily life. I’ve left behind most of the material aspects of my former world and I focus on what resonates with my heart. I’ve gotten better about identifying similar souls, similar travelers, and these are the people I want to explore with.
They are explorers of experience.
Of the soul.
And of gratitude.
This past week at Bosque del Apache I enjoyed a connection to the patterns of the natural world. Bosque is a wilderness habitat for migrating birds, and thousands of them appear each year, to pause in their travels to warmer weather. With the seasons, they move in the pattern of their ancestors, answering some deep primal call for survival.
Or perhaps they too simply enjoy a change of pace and a bit of adventure!
Whatever the motivation, that connection to the earth and her rhythms offers a soulful feeling of gratitude.
Gratitude for a warm shelter from the coming winter.
Gratitude for food.
Gratitude for others.
My gratitude list, which I visit first thing each morning before I meditate, need not be long. Somedays it’s simply a recognition of a beautiful sunrise.
Others it may be gratitude for the excitement of building CancerRoadTrip.
Gratitude for the New Mexico Women in Film who have provided a network into a most interesting group of people. Gratitude for the quirkiness of New Mexico where leading scientists and world class artists come together in creativity. The list goes on.
So this Thanksgiving I hope you find the time to pause and be grateful. Who knows, it could turn into a habit!
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What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
The final leg of this foray is from Mesilla to Bosque del Apache then back to Santa Fe. I stayed overnight in Socorro so that I could spend a bit of time scoping out Bosque del Apache, where I’ll be spending some time later this month for the Festival of the Cranes.
My route for a southern New Mexico Road Trip
Mesilla to Bosque del Apache: First Stop–Hatch, NM
Hatch is named after the famous Hatch chile. It’s self proclaimed title is “Chile Capital of the World” with an annual Labor Day celebration to share joy in all things chile. Located just 37 miles north of Las Cruces along Route 25, it’s a logical stop.
Hatch is a small village with just 1,648 people. Agriculture is the major industry, and it is dominated by the chile. As is the town.
The town has a very south of the border feel to it. Lunch at a recommended restaurant was frankly not very good. And not all that inexpensive. Should you stop, wander a bit and visit with people. May you have a better lunch than I did!
But I do have a very fond memory of a lunch about all things chile, where I learned about the various chile, how to cook them and why the red vs. green discussion is so New Mexico. Click here to read the full post.
Chile preferences are a topic of passionate discussion in New Mexico.
How hot. How to prepare, store them and cook them. Ultimately the discussion comes to a pivotal question:
Red or Green?
Photo by Calum Lewis on Unsplash
This is a serious topic of debate.
Some say green chile is for chicken and pork. Some prefer red. Or red chile with meat, but certainly not green.
The difficulty of deciding has led to a compromise solution that everyone seems to accept:
Both Red and Green
AKA, Christmas style. That way everyday is a holiday in your mouth.
Why all the brouhaha? What’s the difference? Is it just heat? Flavor? Preference? Or perhaps a combination of all the above?
Let me see if I can summarize the dissertation of red versus green chile.
There are several cultivars of chile including New Mexico 6-4′, ‘Big Jim’, ‘Sandia’, and ‘No. 6’ and ‘No. 9’ . All chile start off green. When they’re allowed to ripen further they become red.
Same pepper, but two different products.
The Green Chile
The green chile is often eaten as a pepper. They may be layered with eggs, on burgers and made into sauces. Some say that the green chile tends to be a bit hotter, although I am inclined to believe it really depends on the preparation. I can’t eat anything too hot, but I adore green chile.
The skin of either the red or green chile isn’t digestible, so the pepper has to be roasted then peeled.
In Carlos’ house, his mother would purchase fifty pound bags of fresh green chile. They were roasted and sweated in large plastic bags. The sweating helps the skins slide off easily.
There are several methods to preparing chile. They can be roasted, peeled and frozen. They can be frozen with the skin in place. (The skins then pull off easily when defrosted.) One cook claims this leads to superior flavor.
Green chile can also be freeze dried, made into a powder, packaged and shipped. Green chile is often associated with chicken or pork, although there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to chile preferences.
The Red Chile
Red chile is a slightly different animal. Here is where the techniques start to differ. It is usually dried for storage. It then needs to be reconstituted.
The Santa Fe chile hangs outside at the Farmers Market
Carlos explained that his mother would buy an edible (not lacquered) chile rista. The individual chile would be boiled in water, the water and stems discarded. Then she would fill the blender with garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano; blend it; strain it to catch seeds and skin; and pour the mixture into a pot and let it simmer. It would then be reduced or thickened with a cornstarch roux and served as a gravy. Some people sauté onions or garlic separately. There would appear to be as many variations as there are cooks.
The flavor of the New Mexican red chile can also be found in powder form, but to bring out the flavor, it needs to be bloomed, much like curry powder, by sautéing it first in oil.
Hatch chile have gained renown largely through a marketing program sponsored by the State of New Mexico. Why Hatch, New Mexico when chile are grown all along the Rio Grande? Hatch simply had a lot of land available!
The fame of the Hatch chile is what most people are most familiar with. The success of the New Mexican pepper has led to wannabe competitors. One town, Hatch, Colorado has tried to cash in on the growing popularity of Hatch chile by (legally) marketing peppers grown in Colorado as “Hatch Chile”. But only chile grown in New Mexico, and particularly the Rio Grande Valley, have the authentic flavor profile so prized.
Mesilla to Bosque del Apache: Next StopTruth or Consequences, NM
Truth or Consequences, formerly named Hot Springs, NM, is named after the famous quiz show from the fifties. Ralph Edwards, the original host, announced that he would air the program on its 10th anniversary from the first town that renamed itself after the show. Hot Springs, NM won the honor. Every year thereafter, the show returned for the town’s fiesta, bringing with it Hollywood stars. Thus Truth or Consequences came to be named.
The show was hysterical, and the humor is timeless. Here is one old clip from the show Truth or Consequences (sit down and be ready for a good old fashioned belly laugh!):
Should you visit Truth or Consequences, the hot springs are the draw. Here is an excellent link with information on the mineral waters.
Bosque Del Apache
Bosque Del Apache is the final stop of the day. For me, its a reconnaissance trip. The Festival of the Cranes, a 5 day event that brings together major camera and lens manufacturers and photography enthusiasts to view the spectacular migration of tens of thousands of birds. I am signed up for a variety of courses (starting at 5:30 am!) and look forward to mingling with fellow photo enthusiasts.
I’ll have a separate post (with I hope some good photos!) but in the meantime, here is a quick look at this spectacular wild life preserve:
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What is #CancerRoadTrip and how did it come to be? Read this post to get the backstory!
From Carrizozo, it is off to White Sands and then to the quaint town of Mesilla, just west of Las Cruces.
My route for a southern New Mexico Road Trip
White Sands is the largest gypsum sand dune area in the world. Two hundred and seventy five square miles of endless pure white powder, mounded into shifting dunes. Here are just a few photos from dawn to dusk at this remarkable site. Check out the Photo Gallery for much more on White Sands.
Hurricane Willa is working its way across the region. That means rain, rain and more rain. “Frog strangler rain storms”, as they say in Texas. The rain started just as we were departing White Sands, and it never stopped. Torrential downpours paused intermittently only to continue with a renewed vengeance. It would be a wet day.
And what better way to spend a rainy afternoon than investigating Mesilla and some of its haunts.
Haunted haunts included.
The Village of Mesilla was incorporated in 1848 when the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo moved the border south, placing Mesilla firmly in the U. S. In 1853, after some years of dispute, the Gadsden Purchase finally and officially made Mesilla part of the U. S.
Mesilla has always been a western town, known for its festivals and attracting a few outlaws like Billy the Kid, Pancho Villa and Pat Garrett. By 1881, it had become the most important city in the region and it was assumed that the Santa Fe railway would go through the town.
But it didn’t.
Mesilla demanded too high a price, and a rancher from Las Cruces, a much smaller village at the time, won the bid. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Nevertheless, Mesilla was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961.
Like most Spanish towns, Mesilla is organized around a Plaza. There is a church at one end, a green area where people can gather, and the plaza is ringed by adobe buildings sheltering stores and restaurants. It is a delightful village, with the surrounding fields planted with cotton and pecan. Shops carry a range of things, from Ken Edwards pottery to leather items and clothes.
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Mesilla is located along the Rio Grande, and with the water from the river and the periodic rains, the immediate countryside is quite lush. Which was quite unexpected in the middle of the southern New Mexico desert.
On this day, rain made picture taking nearly impossible, so a quest for a respite from the rain led to the bar at La Posta de Mesilla.
La Posta de Mesilla is an integral part of the history of this National Register town. This territorial style adobe building started life as the Corn Exchange Hotel. It was a critical stop on the mail route to California.
The route took 25 dangerous days to cross the country. Weather, distance (2,795 miles) and Indian raids made it a grueling trip. A writer for the New York Herald said of the trip:
“Had I not just come out over the route, I would be perfectly willing to go back, but I now know what Hell is like. I’ve just had 24 days of it.”
Needless to say, the route was not for the faint of heart. So arrival at Mesilla, complete with blacksmith and food for all, was a most welcome respite.
The building today is comprised of numerous rooms, each with its own history. But it wasn’t the history of the bar that beckoned on this blustery, rainy day, but the 100 tequilas and a bartender most adept at mixing them appropriately.
When you can no longer decipher the letters, your tequila is cut off!
So it was, nestled in a dry bar, with a friendly bartender and an absolutely perfect margarita, a rainy afternoon was passed.
The solution to an afternoon of torrential downpours.
Dinner was at the Double Eagle de Mesilla. This place is out of a movie set, with a story to match.
The entry to the Double Eagle, Mesilla, NM
First, as you enter, there is the Imperial bar.
It’s a 30 foot hand-carved bar, “supported” by four gold leafed columns. The foot rail was originally from the Billy the Kid Saloon (now the Billy the Kid Giftshop, where in 1881, Billy the Kid stood trial for the assassination of Sheriff William Brady. He was found guilty but the hanging never occurred; Billy escaped to live a bit longer, rustling cattle and generally creating a bit of havoc until his death later that year.)
Massive (and valuable) antique French Baccarat crystal chandeliers hang above the mahogany hand carved bar.
The bar is certainly eclectic. Renaissance paintings hang on the walls. A Louis XV style mirror, French Baccarat chandeliers and a tin ceiling create a most atmosphere for just hanging out.
But even more fascinating than the Imperial Bar is the story behind the Double Eagle itself. It makes Romeo and Juliet look like a childs play.
From the Double Eagle website (you can read the complete story here):
The first owner of the house that is now the Double Eagle Restaurant, was the Maes family.
The family was in the import-export business. .. From the grand size of the house the Maes family built, one can see the family had big plans for the future–especially the mother.
…Her grand plans centered around her eldest son, a teenager named Armando…
Such a big house required many servants. One of the servants was a teenage girl named Inez, who is said to have been very beautiful, with long black hair reaching her waist. Armando fell in love…
Armando confessed his love for Inez, but the Senora refused to listen…Then, one day, the Senora returned early from a trip…she found beautiful Inez — in Armando’s arms.
Enraged , the Senora plunged her shears into Inez’s breast. Armando rushed to shield his beloved Inez. The Senora, unseeing, drove the shears into her own son’s back…Armando never regained consciousness and died three days later.
Armando’s former bedroom is now the Carlotta Salon and it is here that the young ghosts break wine glasses, move tables, and generally create a bit of kind, ghostly havoc. If you’d like to read more about some of the ghosts at the Double Eagle, check out this ghostly list at the bottom of the page!
Dinner was munchies at the bar, which included a Chile Relleno in tempura batter. After Carrizozo, I am on a chile relleno quest. But so far, there is no competition with the 4 Winds.
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New Mexico can be hot in the summer. Santa Fe’s elevation of 7,200 feet creates a comfortable climate. But just an hour south, the temperature will climb ten degrees and more.
I’ve been waiting months for the weather to cool enough to head south. Finally, fall! Time for a short New Mexico road trip: Three days on the road, starting with Route 285 South to Route 54 South to Carrizozo.
Here’s the 3 day route:
My route for a southern New Mexico Road Trip
Carrizozo is en route to Almagordo, which will be my base for White Sands, a place I’ve wanted to visit for some time.
And from Almagordo, to Old Town Mesilla and then to Bosque del Apache. (Visiting Hatch and Truth or Consequences along the way). Then back to Santa Fe.
I’ll be returning to Bosque del Apache in November for the The Festival of the Cranes, a celebration of photography and nature with tens of thousands of migrating birds. World renown photographers will be teaching classes and all the major camera and lens manufacturers will be there as well. Stay tuned for that!
Here’s the first leg of this trip, to Carrizozo.
New Mexico Road Trip: The Road To Carrizozo
Route 285 is a pleasant drive. It’s a great two lane road, in better condition than many “larger” highways. It cuts through the country, and in turn, through numerous small towns, many of which are partially abandoned.
An abandoned storefront, near the railroad, in Duran, NM
Duran is one such town. Not officially a ghost town, it has about 35 residents. Like many New Mexican towns, its livelihood was determined by access to the major transportation routes. The El Paso & Northeastern Railroad created jobs servicing the rail line and transportation for area ranchers. At it’s peak, nearly 300 people lived here.
But the railroad moved its operations to Carrizozo, Route 25 was built further west and over time, the residents of Duran moved on.
Duran was once a prosperous town, as reflected in some of the remaining architecture.
The lettering for the General Store and Hotel, located along the rail line, is barely visible.
The Church is locked but it’s tin roof reflects brightly in the autumn sun.
The road to Carrizozo
And then one comes to Carrizozo.
On this road trip, it was time for lunch.
The dining options in Carrizozo are limited. Everything is a bit run down, seedy even. The possibilities for a decent lunch looked dim.
I’ve long ago given up on the typical on-line restaurant reviews. Many are bought and skewed; some are even true. But I’ve come to rely more on my own instincts. I wander, read menus, sniff the air, talk to locals and generally try to assess the likelihood of a good meal. This day, I simply look for the restaurant with the most cars in its parking lot.
Hands down, it was Four Winds Restaurant.
The 4 Winds in Carrizozo, New Mexico
Decision made.
The interior did not look promising. A long counter with a window through which the food was passed from the kitchen to the dining room. Probably a good thing that I couldn’t see into the kitchen.
The menu was a smattering of Americana. Burgers to burritos. I decided to give the Chile Rellenos a go. My travel buddy opted for the Posole. I was hungry and whatever emerged would simply have to do.
Service was a bit slow. The Chile Rellenos finally arrived. The food was mounded on a plate, not too artfully.
I’d requested both red and green chile on the side.
Chile Rellenos, 4 Winds, Carrizozo
It looked like too much. Too much cheese; too much batter; too few vegetables, spilling off the plate in a careless manner.
Not to mention too many calories.
I have a saying about some of my own home cooking:
“Looks aren’t everything.”
And that certainly applied here. Because when I cut into the Chile Rellenos, I cut through a textured, perfectly fried corn meal crust and hot, molten cheese that readily oozed onto the plate. I couldn’t quite believe my first bite; so I had another. And another.
Crunch, goo and a bit of heat.
It was simply delicious.
And obviously homemade.
My travel buddy had a similar encounter, with an incredible Posole. Posole (“hominy”) is a traditional Mexican soup with as many variations as there are cooks. Generally it is a slow simmered combination of hominy, meat and spice.
Perfect Posole!
And this Posole rocked. Layers of rich chile flavor, pork and posole so perfect that it had to be someone’s grandmothers recipe.
And it was.
I have to wonder if this lunch is a fluke, or if the food is always this good.
Another road trip to Carrizozo is definitely in order.
***
New Mexico Road Trip: Carrizozo
Carrizozo started as a railroad town in the early 1900’s. The railroad, once the lifeblood of the town, no longer stops at Carrizozo. But today, many of the old buildings are being restored and a growing Arts District is emerging. Historic 12th Street is the focus of this renaissance.
One of the must sees is the Tularosa Basin Gallery of Photography which is devoted exclusively to photography of New Mexico. The gallery hosts an exclusive exhibition of the Winners of the 17th Annual New Mexico Magazine Photography Contest. These photos are simply spectacular. Visit the gallery’s website for hours and availability.
Tularosa Basin Gallery of Photography in Carrizozo
And here is a brief look at the road to Carrizozo:
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:
Inspiration, joy & discovery through travel. Oh, did I mention with supposedly incurable cancer?
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CancerRoadTrip is about making lemonade out of lemons.
As you read my story, you may want to start at the beginning to "grok" how CancerRoadTrip came to be. You can click here to start at the end (which is actually the beginning) and read forward! The posts are chronological, with the most recent posts appearing on the front page.
