June 2011 Archives - A Cruising Couple

Napa Valley: Our New Favorite

Jun 302011

Napa Valley was absolutely perfect. We loved everything about it, from the quaint Old World Inn where we stayed, to the fact that we just so happened to be amongst the vineyards on our one-month anniversary. Better yet, still being on our honeymoon, we received numerous freebies that included extra glasses of reserve sparkling wine and all around free wine tastings. We could have easily stayed for a whole week, bouncing from one vineyard to the next without a care in the world. And we definitely left with a newfound appreciation for how complex the wine making process actually is; the way the winemakers make a grape taste like raspberry, blackcurrant and oak absolutely baffles us. As much as I appreciate Trader Joe’s $3 buck chuck (or $2 buck chuck if you live anywhere other than North Carolina), it was a treat to drink the same sparkling wine that the White House always serves to the Israeli Prime Minister during his visits to D.C.

Here are the vineyards we visited coupled with our personal opinions about them.

St. Clement Vineyard: This was our first stop, and definitely a beautiful place to start our wine tasting experience. The winery is located in a picturesque Victorian house on a garden-covered hilltop. You can choose to sample their wines outside with a great view of the surrounding vineyards.

Beringer: This is the oldest, continually operating winery in Napa Valley, and it is definitely one of the most well known today. For starters, Beringer is huge, and quite a bit more touristy than the family owned vineyards nearby. But the place is definitely well manicured and offers the perfect grounds for a picnic. For those interested in learning while on vacation, you can take a tour of the winery and vineyard or read the displays for a brief history of how Napa Valley took off.

Whitehall Lane: This was one of our favorite stops, probably because of the awesome staff member that treated us like royalty because we were newlyweds. We received quite the extensive sampling, for free, while also obtaining a surplus of advice for our married lives. We noticed the staff treating everyone in the winery with the same hospitality, and they had some of our favorite wines.

Goosecross: There are two main roads that run through Napa: Silverado Trail and Highway 29. The latter road is where you’ll find the big name wines available in any grocery store, such as Beringer. In contrast, Silverado Trail is full of small, family oriented vineyards, and often their wine is only available on site in Napa. Goosecross is the quintessential Mom-and-Pop vineyard, with an awesome staff and great service (and wines). They also have a pretty awesome periodic table of wines, organizing all sorts of grape varieties by acidity and color.

Hagafen: This is where we sampled the “presidential wine.” The tasting was free with our stay at the Old World Inn but all of the wines were very reasonably priced. A flight of 5 wines was $5 here compared to an average of about $20 elsewhere. When the staff realized we were here on our honeymoon, they not only treated us but everyone in the winery to a glass of sparkling wine to celebrate.

Mumms: We love sparkling wine, and since that is exactly what Mumms specializes in, there was no way to avoid this winery. All three samples were absolutely delectable, and we thoroughly enjoyed sipping the bubbles from an air-conditioned tasting room. Even better? The ceiling to floor glass windows that provide stunning views of additional vineyards.

Kenan: This vineyard is down a long, winding, country road, giving it a nice secluded feeling from the rest of the Napa vineyards. There isn’t anywhere to sit outside though, and we couldn’t help but think the staff was a little bit awkward.

Pride: Apparently this vineyard is all the rage. A woman at breakfast repeatedly told the couples around her that Pride has a picnic table in which from one side you can see Sonoma, and the other side all of Napa. After hearing this about six times, we figured it must be worth checking out, especially as it is right down the road from Kenan. Unfortunately Pride closed before we could make it there, so it will have to wait until our next visit to wine country.

San Francisco: Our Little Gold Rush

Jun 292011

We tend to do a lot of walking when we visit new cities. So this post is an itinerary for those who would like to spend their time in San Francisco like we did–accumulating lots and lots of miles! We used mapmyrun to retrace our steps and make the count as accurate as possible. (The mile markers at the end of each segment are cumulative, totaling 18.19 miles over both days.)

Day One

3:00: Park your car in the cheapest—aka sketchiest—lot you can find. Don your most comfortable shoes because the walking tour officially begins when you hand your keys to the attendant.

3:15: You’ll make your way to Market St. after a homeless man tries to bite you. Don’t worry, he’s not really a threat. Wander around for a while until finally deciding to obtain a map from the tourist office below Union Square. (.4 mi)

3:45: After finally getting your bearings, you will want to head toward Chinatown. On the way, admire the famous San Francisco Trolley Cars. (.98 mi)

4:15: Arrive in one of the largest Chinatowns in the US. Take time to browse the stores full of various trinkets, but make sure to leave time for the Vital Tea Leaf. Here you’ll be able to sit at the bar and enjoy various free tea samples while the attendant bashes the unhealthy habits of overweight Americans. (1.14 mi)

4:45: Make your way to the waterfront of Fisherman’s Wharf where you can enjoy all the touristy shops you could ever need, as well as the famous Pier 39 sea lions. (2.94 mi)

5:45: Realize that you only have about an hour to find where you parked your car on the other side of the city before the attendant with your keys goes home for the night and you are stranded in San Fran with no way to make your way back to your CouchSurfing home in Oakland. (4.92 mi)

6:35: You power walked to the car and easily found it using your incredible sense of direction you’ve mastered after four weeks on the road, with a whole 25 minutes to spare. (This really only applies to Dan; Casey is still always hopelessly lost)

6:40: Move your car back to Fisherman’s Wharf—where you just came from—and hope to find a metered spot. Re-walk the waterfront looking for decently priced food or anything reminiscent of happy hour. You’ll end up back where you parked the car at Pier 23, where you can split fish and chips without being charged the split plate fee. They’ll even through in an extra piece of fish to make sharing easy. (5.92 mi)

9:00: The rush hour traffic is officially over so you are free to head to Oakland. Get a good night’s sleep; you completed 5.92 miles today but tomorrow will be a doozie.

Day Two

11:30: Enjoy a huge brunch, compliments of your fabulous hosts and wonderful cooks, to fuel up for the big day.

1:00: Take the BART into 16th and Mission. After the pain of parking yesterday, you definitely don’t want to worry about having a car in the city.

1:45: Explore the Mission District, known for its murals, Mexican food and vintage shops. Walk by Dolores Park and take in all the people strewn across the lawn, listening to music and enjoying their Saturday afternoon. Walk around the Mission District a little more, making sure to spend some time on Valencia Street. (2.02 mi)

2:45: Realize your camera battery is dead and you haven’t even seen the Golden Gate Bridge yet. Call your CouchSurfers and ask them to bring it with them when they come to the city. You now have another hour to kill in the Mission District before they get here. Take the time to grab some cheap frozen yogurt. (2.99 mi)

3:45: Your charger has arrived. Walk back to Dolores Park to pick it up. You can now officially make your way to the Golden Gate Bridge. Surprise!! You’ll be walking because the bus is going to take an hour anyway. (3.15 mi)

4:00: You begin the trek. Fill up your water bottles while refusing the drug offers you receive.

4:30: Stumble across the Fillmore Street Festival and listen to the awesome live jazz music! Be really glad you walked or else you would have missed out on the ragtime rhythms! (4.65 mi)

5:15: Drop into Good Will to buy a $5 sweater because in packing for your summer road trip you forgot that the last time you went to Yellowstone it SNOWED, and you have only packed summery t-shirts and shorts this time around. (4.91 mi)

5:25: Stop into a coffee shop to charge your camera for the 35 pictures you’re bound to take of the Golden Gate Bridge. Like always, you need to have a picture of the monument from every angle possible. (5.4 mi)

5:45: Leave the coffee shop. You are almost there!!! Just a little bit of your hike left until you make it to the waterfront. (6.66 mi)

6:15: You arrive at the Golden Gate Bridge, and it really is just as beautiful as you imagined it would be! Take time from frantically snapping photographs to really take in the massive scale of the architectural feat. (8.67 mi)

7:00: Your next mission is to get to Tommy’s, a Mexican restaurant that has repeatedly been voted as having the best margaritas on Earth. Since you have been on a Mexican food craze since the start of your road trip, this isn’t an opportunity you can pass up. Make your way into the Presidio, a must-see park with many scenic vistas, and climb the Fort Point trail. (9.01 mi)

7:15: Keep following the scenic trail. Don’t forget to turn around and watch the sunset behind the Golden Gate Bridge. There are also plenty of beautiful beaches to enjoy, so try to catch a glimpse of Baker Beach before all the light disappears. (9.89 mi)

8:15: Put some pep in that step! You’re getting closer, and after all this walking you will be able to thoroughly enjoy the heap of calories from the margaritas and tortilla chips. (10.89 mi)

9:00: You finally find your way to Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant, where you collapse in a chair. A few sips later you discover that they really do have the best margaritas you have ever tasted, with fresh lime squeezed into every GOLDEN pitcher. If you stick around long enough you can even obtain your PhD in tequila! Make friends with the owner as he walks by so you can have a slice of his brother-in-law’s white tequila birthday cake. (12.27 mi)

11:00: You are now fed and well rested after your walking tour of San Francisco. Reward yourself by boarding a bus back to Market Street where you catch the last BART back to Oakland.

And that is how you see San Francisco like us

18.19 miles in 32 hours

Road Trip: LA Monterey Santa Sur

Jun 252011

We have been irreconcilably behind on our blog. No matter how hard we try, we really just can’t seem to keep everyone up-to-date on the daily occurrences of our lives. So we’re going to do a quick catch-up of our Road Trip in three Californian cities and one infamous highway in our attempt to get closer to real-time blog posts.

Los Angeles:

Too many tourists. Too many cars blaring their horns while we sat in traffic for thirty minutes without budging an inch. Too many people talking about how pretty this and that celebrity were at such and such’s multi-million dollar party.

We didn’t really fit in with the Los Angeles/Hollywood vibe. However, we were able to find a few redeeming qualities of the city, mostly because of the great people we spent time with. First there was Patrice, a celebrity travel agent and close friend’s mother who served as our wonderful host. Although repeatedly stating she didn’t cook, Patrice wouldn’t stop feeding us delicious food while we comfortably lounged on her couch and caught up on about five loads of laundry. Then, there was Selina, a lovely British lass and aspiring actress who navigated LA’s congested streets for us. Selina guided us to a beautiful hike outside the downtown area to see Los Angeles’ nighttime radiance from afar—much more enjoyable than actually being in the overcrowded streets. So although we didn’t click with Los Angeles in quite the same way we instantly fell head-over-heels in love with San Diego, a few nice people managed to make the city a tad bit more tolerable.

Monterey:

Monterey turned out to be a little bit of a disappointment. We had visited the city with one goal in mind: scuba diving. After receiving our advanced open water dive certifications in March, we were both pretty antsy to literally get our feet wet again. Our research had told us that Monterey was a great place to dive—a bay where scuba divers often get to swim alongside seals, sea lions and otters. That sounded absolutely AWESOME to us, and thanks to a generous wedding gift, we had been incredibly excited to give it a go. But you can’t always predict the weather, and given our tight schedule we only had one day in Monterey. So when the water was turbulent with little visibility, we were doubtful if it would be wise to shell out $150 to barely see our hands in front of our face. We ended up asking some fellow divers emerging from the water for their viewpoint. They eloquently advised, “Just go to the aquarium. I can guarantee you’ll see a lot more there for a heck of a lot less than renting equipment.” With our diving dreams destroyed we reverted back to what we do best: wandering the streets. In the process we did actually see quite a few sea lions sun bathing next to a pier, and an ADORABLE otter floating on his back while bashing open his fresh crab lunch. Not quite what we were expecting, but worth the stop in Monterey just the same.

Santa Cruz:

We were pretty sad to leave Santa Cruz. The beach town was cool—definitely a surfer’s paradise with massive waves ready for the taking, which made Dan wish he had brought along a wetsuit and a board—but we fell in love with the lazy beach city because of the wonderful people we met. We couchsurfed with a super cool guy named Mitch, who has some really inspiring stories about his time as a media resources teacher. Absolutely hilarious and witty but also incredibly kindhearted and generous, we felt like we could have stuck around and listened to Mitch’s stories for another week. And did we mention that he is a squirrel rehabilitator?! Mitch volunteers for an organization that takes care of all sorts of interesting injured animals, including baby squirrels that need some extra TLC. While we had previously never thought twice about saving squirrels, Mitch’s were absolutely adorable. Seriously, so so so cute.

Highway 1

Probably one of the most beautiful drives in the US, Highway 1 is known as the scenic yet treacherous coastal route that spans California. The northern section of the route is known as Big Sur, and definitely the area that makes you want to pull over at every scenic vista to capture the huge cliffs that tower above the sparkling Pacific Ocean. We wish we could’ve had much more time to explore the numerous hiking options that await jittery road warriors. We did make time for the McWay Waterfall, only a quarter mile from the main road and totally free!! It’s located in the Julia Pfeiffer State Park (but park outside to avoid the fee), and is one of the most popular images from Big Sur. Many winding turns later, we decided to camp on the side of the road at one of those scenic vistas we mentioned. After finding a snug place to hide our tent behind the car, we enjoyed watching the sunset over the ocean while the moon simultaneously rose from behind the mountains. If we’ve ever had one of those ‘at peace with the world, wow we’re so small moments’, this was one of them.

Okay so now we are getting closer to being caught up! Just have to get around to San Fran, Napa Valley, Portland, and Seattle…..

Natural Spring Water: More Than Just Water

Jun 232011

Around 5:00 pm, five of us squeezed into a truck to make the trek to the mountains outside of San Diego. We spent an hour driving past ripe avocado bushes while the smell of wild sage streamed through our open windows. We were in pursuit of something readily available inside the city; however, we wanted to get to a purer source. Finally we arrived at the perfect spot, pulled the truck to the side of the road, and began to unload. What we sought literally awaited us on the side of the road, pouring out of a spicket, natural spring water.

Natural Spring Water

Our San Diegan host, James, graciously allowed us to accompany him on this expedition into the mountains to partake in his ritual of retrieving natural water. For months, James has been drinking purely wild spring water. Chlorine, fluoride, plastic, chemicals, antibiotics… the list of additives in tap water goes on and on. And even though there are systems to filter most of this out, you can’t really filter out everything. So James made the decision that he only wanted to drink the best of the best. After all, when your body consists of up to 60% water, why wouldn’t you pay attention to what you’re drinking?

What we really wanted to know was what made spring water so different from, say, well water. James says that he prefers natural spring water over well water because essentially spring water has matured. When you are drinking well water, you are drinking water from way down deep in the grown that hasn’t had time to make its way to the surface. Spring water has had more time to naturally filter off extra minerals on its trek to the top. That makes it a purer and more natural source. And bottled spring water? Well, all those companies advertising spring water actually have some leeway in the water they end up bottling, and they can add quite a bit of additives after they extract the water from the ground. Not to mention the fact that the water is sitting in heavily-chemicalized plastic bottles. Again, when you’re searching to hydrate with the purest and most natural source available, these alternatives just don’t measure up to natural spring water.

While we had pictured a long and rugged hike to a lake where we would fill our buckets with water and then balance the goods on our head, the actual process was pretty easy. Someone who found the spring installed a spicket, literally producing a sort of running faucet with water ready for the taking on the side of the road. The whole process (because of driving) still takes a few hours, and James devotes every other Saturday evening to retrieving the water he will drink for the next two weeks. He explained that the whole process had become a sort of personal ritual, to go out, immerse himself in nature and appreciate the water that he is putting into his body. We were impressed with this devotion.

While we aren’t sure if we are quite committed enough to only drink wild water, we love the idea of really connecting with nature on such a deep level. If you’re interested in trying something similar, check out Find A Spring. The user-based site will help you locate a natural spring in your own area. One thing is for sure: the spring water we drank with James was absolutely incredible, and you can definitely taste a difference! And James says he feels much better after only drinking spring water for so long.

We’re curious…has anyone found a natural spring in their area, and if so, do you retrieve water from it?

6 Reasons Why We LOVE San Diego

Jun 222011

1. Farmers’ Markets

We always love farmers’ markets (they are concentrated areas of free samples) but the ones in San Diego are just especially delectable. You can actually find fresh and local produce in an assortment of neighborhoods almost every day of the week. We visited two during our weekend stay: the Little Italy Mercato and the Hillcrest Farmers’ Market. The market in Little Italy is by far the most famous farmers’ market San Diego has to offer. Many of the cruise ships that dock in the local harbor bring their cruising guests to the market; with live music, produce, flowers and food, it has a ton to offer. The Hillcrest market is a smaller neighborhood market with many of the same products as its larger counterpart. What we loved most about both the markets were the numerous stalls of foreign food you could pick up for lunch. We had pad thai the first day and chana masala the second. Nothing like good cart food cooked right in front of your face!

2. The Big Bay

The Big Bay is 34 miles of waterfront alongside San Diego’s Harbor. The scenic walkway has plenty of shops and restaurants to explore along with numerous bicyclists haggling to take you a few miles down the harbor for a ‘mere’ $20. We spent a full afternoon people-watching and enjoying a small stretch of the extensive harbor.

3. Balboa Park

This park made me feel as if I was in Spain again (probably due to that fact that one of the gardens was modeled after the Alcazar in Sevilla and the buildings were constructed using Spanish-Renaissance architecture). Of course, I absolutely loved it! The 1,000 acres of urban park provide countless entertainment opportunities including 15 museums, the San Diego Zoo and the world’s largest outdoor organ. You can also find gardens with names such as the Australian Garden and the Japanese Friendship Garden which represent the ethnic diversity inherent to the population of San Diego. Another super cool aspect of the park is the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages. Each of the 32 cottages represents a different country, and together they promote global education and understanding. On Sundays at 2:00pm each cottage takes a turn providing lawn entertainment and illustrating their particular culture. During our visit it was the Philippines’ turn, so we watched as they sang their national anthem, talked of their history in San Diego and cooked ethnic food. Of course, the other cottages were also open, offering the public a chance to explore their history as well.

4. Black’s Beach

Our awesome host recommended this gorgeous beach to us, so we knew it had to be good! Located around La Jolla—a ritzy beach neighborhood—Black’s Beach is only accessible after a slightly treacherous hike down a cliff. But once you make it to the bottom, the views are extraordinary. Above you can see colorful paragliders flying out above the expanse of the Pacific Ocean. The cliffs shelter you from the road above and invoke the feeling of a secluded island. But be aware, the seclusion comes with a price. This beach is also known as one of the best nudist beaches, so it is likely you will see a few people dawning only their birthday suit.

5. Gaslamp Quarter

This 16 block historic district is home to restaurants, boutiques, art galleries and nightclubs. Most of the buildings were constructed during the Victorian Era, and recent renovation has made them even more inviting than ever. The name ‘Gaslamp’ is actually fairly new (it accompanied the renovation in the 80’s and 90’s) and is a reference to San Diego’s gas lamps that once lit the entire city.

6. Stuff is Free!!

San Diego has the reputation of being a very expensive city. And if you are living there, it probably is. But San Diego also has a ton of stuff to just walk around and see—for free!! Other than our lunches at the Farmers’ Markets (which were only $7 total for the two of us to eat more than our fill) we didn’t spend any money enjoying all the activities above.

What Happens In Vegas

Jun 182011

Neon glow. Riotous cheers. General debauchery. Pure indulgence in the senses. An oasis from the vast desert surroundings.

That’s right. We’re talking about….Las Vegas!!!

We took on the City of Lights for three days before finishing out the first portion of our journey, I40. We knew Vegas was going to be bold and showy, but we couldn’t get over just how truly overdone everything actually is! If the Venetian casino has canals and gondola rides, then the casino Ceaser’s Palace has a replica of the Coliseum and Trevi fountain. If the Paris casino boasts the Eiffel Tower, than MGM Grand has REAL lions. And of course, thanks to the famous Ocean’s movies, everyone knows about the Bellagio casino water show! Although this main strip in Vegas is really just a few blocks, there is so much to look at while walking back and forth. And we had a great time doing just that, taking in the feel of Vegas and watching some of the crazy characters that invade the city.

We also tried our hand at roulette, and although we did quite well for awhile, the house always wins. But we were fine with that. We went to Vegas with a set amount of money we were okay with loosing, and once that money was gone, we were done gambling. So although we didn’t win big, what we spent was worth the hours of entertainment we received.

Vegas is commonly referred to as ‘Sin City’—which far too many people take way too literally—but it is also known as the ‘Entertainment Capital of the World’. And for good reason! One of the highlights of our weekend was having the opportunity to see Cirque du Soleil’s Mystere. For two hours we watched breathtaking acts of balance, strength and agility as performers twirled above and danced below. We won’t give away the details in case you see the stunning show for yourself, but rest assured you will leave amazed.

There are also plenty of opportunities to do some exploring off the main Vegas strip. We spent one afternoon visiting the Hoover Dam (along with every other tourist in Vegas). Constructed during the Great Depression, it was a massive engineering feat that required the hard work of thousands of workers. The dam diverts the water from the Colorado River (the same epic river that carved out the Grand Canyon) and provides energy to California, Nevada and Arizona.

We spent another afternoon exploring Red Rock Canyon. Casey’s cousin-in-law, Douglas, was kind enough to take us on a scenic drive and short hiking venture through the mountains. Although we didn’t see any rock climbers (the canyon attracts rock climbers from around the world) we did witness the magnificent shades of reds and grey that blend together in crazy rock formations and leave you wondering “how did this happen?”.

We had a fabulous weekend in Vegas, and although we didn’t win the jackpot, it was a fantastic last-stop on our I-40 Journey.

Scenic Highway 89a

Jun 162011

On our trek from sea to shining sea, we’ve driven past some beautiful scenery and changing landscapes. We’ve passed through the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, seen the outskirts of the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee, experienced the Ozarks in Missouri, and watched the flat, green landscape of Oklahoma turn into the desert of New Mexico and Arizona. With all the gorgeous scenery the US has to offer, how are we possibly to choose which routes are absolutely necessary to drive and which are okay to skip?! Well, we’ve found that there is one road that is definitely worth the 45 minutes it takes to drive: Scenic Highway 89a. This scenic road takes you from Flagstaff, AZ to Sedona, AZ, through the lush Ponderosa Pine forest and into the Oak Creek Canyon.

The road is full of switchbacks and steep curves hugging the canyon, so unfortunately the driver (in this case Dan) didn’t get to take in the magnitude of the gorgeous views as his eyes were glued to the road to ensure that our car didn’t go tumbling off a cliff. Be prepared to follow speed limit signs and take your time navigating this one.

Along the way you’ll see mesmerizing red rock cliffs, tall and lush green pines, and a gently trickling blue creek. Vacation homes and Inns dot the entire drive, and there are multiple places to pull over and snap a few photos of the landscape (although you do have to pay a parking fee to do so). The short drive of Scenic Highway 89a ends in the quaint town of Sedona, the perfect stop for picking up some Native American crafts or just grabbing ice cream in relief of the heat. Definitely plan to spend some time on this road if you can—there are multiple hiking and picnicking options ready to lead you into tranquil relaxation!

*Disclaimer: We are about a week behind on our blog. With limited access to internet and trying to get our documents ready for Taiwan, we’ve fallen a little behind. So even though we’re blogging about Arizona, we’re currently in Santa Cruz, CA

Grand Canyon: Isn’t Life Grand!

Jun 132011

Whenever I hear someone mention the Grand Canyon one thing always comes to mind: Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?! I hope you know the game I’m referring to because it was the sole reason I had any interest in geography as a child. It’s the one where Carmen is the international criminal and you have to go chase her around the world while following clues from random strangers. There is one episode where she has stolen the canyon, and now all that’s left is a hole in the ground. THAT NEFARIOUS SCOUNDREL! Of course I was able to track her down (being the brilliant 10 year old that I was) and I had it returned for all to enjoy. See for yourself (and you’re welcome).

Mather Point

Bright Angel Trail coming out of the Grand Canyon

by Dan

Hot Air Balloon: A Different Perspective of Albuquerque

Jun 122011

We quickly decided that exploring Albuquerque solely by foot just wasn’t going to be enough for us. That meant only one thing: taking to the skies via a hot air balloon. After all, when you’re in the hot air balloon capital of the world, it only makes sense to try it out!

We hadn’t planned on taking a hot air balloon ride in New Mexico, but a last minute decision to cancel our day trip to Santa Fe and a quick phone call to Rainbow Ryders sealed the deal. We woke up the next morning at 4:45am, ready to start our ballooning adventure.

Here you can see the awesome crew getting the balloons set up and filled with hot air.

We then all piled into the basket, ready to take off. We hovered over trees and skimmed the Rio Grande before ascending to 3,000 feet.

It was absolutely gorgeous, and definitely an experience like no other. But maybe floating effortlessly over endless miles of desert landscape and historic petroglyphs seems boring. The idea of gliding inches above the Rio Grande while gently sailing wherever the winds take you just sounds dull. Then you’re probably looking for something a little more fast-paced to get your heart rate up. Perhaps a ride through the desert in Pat’s corvette would peak your interest?

Thanks Pat and Debbie for your awesome hospitality and for making us feel at home during our stay in Albuquerque!!

New Mexico: How America Does Mexico

Jun 112011

We adored New Mexico. Maybe it was because the desert landscape is completely different from the East Coast. Maybe it was because of the huge diversity of the state, with large Native American and Hispanic populations. Or maybe we had no power against ‘the Land of Enchantment’ taking us in and making us fall in love with it.

Just walking around the Old Town of Albuquerque transports you to a sleepy world where churches date back to the 1700’s and red-roofed adobe houses surround you. But one of the things that really struck us about Albuquerque was the chili peppers hanging on every corner.

Aren’t they beautiful? We loved the character they gave to the city, and it didn’t take us long to figure out why these red chili peppers are so easy to find. New Mexico produces ALL the chili peppers for the rest of the nation. This huge crop is an abundant and essential addition to New Mexican cuisine; it’s so important that the state’s official question is ‘Red or Green?’ referring to your preference of red or green chili peppers in your food. But the reason why you’ll see them hanging all over the streets is because in the summertime red chili peppers aren’t readily available. So you buy your red chili peppers in autumn, hang ‘em up to dry and take one down as needed to spice up your life. Pretty cool, isn’t it?