SANTA FE VISIT II

Tuesday, October 12th:

We enjoyed breakfast in Klara’s room at 0830. 

Afterwards we were off to drive the Chumayo loop which takes you North of Santa Fe and out in the country. It started to rain shortly and continued most of the day. It was not a heavy rain, but did put a bit of a damper on the day's activities. We visited a couple of galleries along the loop, as well as three weaving shops. 

                                Gallery Art

Lunch was at Rancho Chumayo Restaurant. We enjoyed the prickly pear lemonade >>

                               KLARA AND TINA

                             NANCY AND GEORGE

which was as good as I remembered it. George and I had eaten here several years ago with our good friends Pat and Janeane when we had joined them to enjoy the Santa Fe Opera. Lunch was excellent as well - George and I split a shrimp enchilada plate made with blue corn tortillas. Afterwards we visited the Ortiz Weaving Gallery and found not only some nice placemats but also some very nice jewelry. Christmas presents were purchased for all.   

 

Back in Santa Fe we had a beer with Justin and Tina in their room, before we were called out by Klara to walk a bit around town. After visiting the La Fonda Inn we returned to the hotel and enjoyed a little wine and chocolate with Klara and Tina before calling it a day.

Wednesday,October 13th:  

Breakfast at Tia Sophia’s again. I Had the Wednesday Special Breakfast: a breakfast quesadilla with bacon. An excellent choice.

We were then off to Canyon Road to browse the various galleries. Canyon Road consists of many galleries and shops, and is about ¾ of a mile in length. It was a pleasant time. Saw some different art and jewelry.—My favorites were painting in feathers and Karina’s for art and jewelry.

Bright Fall Color along Canyon Road

                          One of Many Galleries

 We reconnected at the Tea House where I had a cup of soup and a lemonade, should have gotten a hot tea or mocha as it was chilly sitting outside. 

George took off on foot to the hotel with Klara.  Tina, Justin, and I drove to Fort Marcy located strategically at the top of a hill that overlooks Santa Fe and is the site of the first fort constructed by the USA under Gen. Kearny.  It has a grand panoramic view of the city and its surroundings.

Thursday, October 14th: 

Up and off from the Hotel at 0630 to photograph morning light around the Basilica.

Basilica in Morning Light

Artists at Work

Morning Glow

It was fun to get out with the camera and do some photography. The girls worked their magic with water colors. The temperature hovered around 30˚F! We called it a morning about 0800 and enjoyed a mocha at the French Crepe and Pastry shop for a much needed warm up. Brought some pastries to the Hotel where we had breakfast in the  room.

Santa Fe Architecture

Afterwards we were off to the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and Ghost Ranch where Georgia O"Keeffe spent a great deal of her time which is located Northwest of Santa Fe and about 50 miles away. It was a pleasant drive and we enjoyed a little photography on  the way into the ranch area. 

    Old Cart

                          Small chapel in Abiquiu

Aging?     

 

    Rural Scene

o No sooner had I gotten out of the car and was recognized by Sandy Sparks—— a participant from our Galapagos Trip in 2018!!!! She was there with her sister but she immediately recognized me. What a small world.!!!! 

    

   Entrance area to Ghost Ranch

Again we enjoyed wandering around taking in the sights and colors, as well as the geology. Klara and Tina again set up for some watercolor painting at the Ranch site. We were there for an hour and could have spent more time but dinner reservations called. I would also have preferably been able to stay later in the day as the light would have been softer. 

I enjoyed walking around the area with my camera:

It was nice to experience what makes New Mexico Fall Color special.

Back in town we changed some clothes and headed to the La Fonda to celebrate our anniversary with dinner. We all enjoyed the meal and the setting.

                Enjoying a Delicious Dinner

On our walk back to the Hotel we found this bumper sticker on display in a shop window:

We wished that we could have purchase one, but the store was closed.

Back at the Hotel we started the packing process for tomorrow when we will take Klara to the Albuquerque Airport, and then go onto  Winslow, AZ and an evening with our good friends, Janeane and Pat.

Friday, Saturday October 15-16th:  

Les artistes went out again this morning for another wander around the Basilica. The girls again did some painting while I meandered around with my camera. The architecture in the town is very Southwestern around the square and downtown, and fun to photograph.

After a quick breakfast we were off for points West. The drive was pleasant though the truck traffic on I-40 was heavy. 

Pat and Janeane were waiting for us by the train tracks at La Posada. The La Posada is a stop on the route of the Amtrak's Southwest Chief that goes from Los Angeles to Chicago.

We enjoyed a pleasant evening with them having not seen them for a couple of months. We look forward to seeing them in San Juan Capistrano in early December.

Saturday, October 16th: 

The drive on to San Diego went smoothly, and we were home about 1800. After a quick unpacking of the car we went and picked up our dog, Sierra,

who had been staying with her breeder and family.

In summary, it was wonderful to see the girls and enjoy the sights and sounds of Santa Fe.