In our first four days in New Mexico, we’d covered over 700 miles with stops at Carlsbad Caverns, White Sands, and Bandelier National Monument. For the next four, our only home base would be Santa Fe, and we were looking forward to settling in—if not quite slowing down.
I was also, of course, looking forward to seeing Santa Fe for the first time, a city that so many call a favorite. The small city sits among the beautiful foothills of the Sangre de Cristos, and even as you’re walking by galleries and restaurants, you can sense that you’re close to more far-reaching views. You can be out of town in minutes. Within the city limits, you can find history—ancient by our country’s standards—and culture, great restaurants and spas, all in a distinct-looking, walkable core.
Our visit was brief, and a bit off season, but I definitely get the appeal!
Our plan to visit New Mexico came about in an odd fashion: The idea was to get the cheapest airfare out of of Sacramento to someplace warm—Phoenix, AZ, we devised—and just find a large resort with a good pool to relax, and maybe do some day trips. Next thing I knew, I was drawing up sample maps between places as distant as White Sands, New Mexico, and the Grand Canyon. Wanderlust got the best of us yet again.
As it turned out, most of the places we were most excited to visit were in New Mexico and so, it soon became evident, we should simply concentrate our efforts there. We rearranged our plans to fly into El Paso, Texas, from where we would rent a car and drive north into the “Land of Enchantment”—from Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands in the south, up to Albuquerque and Santa Fe in the north. Alas, the tickets weren’t cheap, and most of our stops in New Mexico were not warm (it even snowed in Santa Fe!)—it was not at all the Spring Break we’d been in search of—but in the end it was all a wonderful surprise. It was, indeed, enchanting.
Any fun plans for the weekend? We’re going to stick around Saturday for the farmer’s market and a friend’s party and then take the kids to Santa Rosa on Sunday for a daytrip!
We also picked up some bigger bikes at the school bike swap last weekend and so I’m guessing we have some riding to do. Looking forward to getting outside in the sunshine.
Kaiser (Aron’s employer), just pledged $2 million to researching gun violence! (““We should be thinking about this problem and studying interventions for it in the same way we study heart disease or diabetes or any other leading cause of death.”)
So upsetting: The latest Trump nominee for a federal judgeship has claimed that oral contraceptives can be linked to adultery and a promiscuous lifestyle that can expose women to increased risk of “violent death,” and isn’t clear on whether she supports civil rights like the school desegregation set forth in Brown vs Board of Education. So far, no Republican senator has bucked President Trump on a judicial confirmation vote, so she’s likely to be confirmed.
I’ve been hearing a lot of excitement about this cookbook.
These folks just sent me some samples from Ireland, and the lemongrass scent is taking me back to Thailand.
Seth Meyers on the birth of his baby boy. In the lobby! And I got all teary with him when, in his very recognizable newborn-haze-fervor, he basically thanks his “entire family lineage”for having lived so that it would be possible for him to have a baby.
Brilliant alternative to the summer jumpsuit. (I actually just bought the little girl’s equivalent for Skyler.)
Whenever I start seeing promos for the big annual Shopbop sale, it’s my cue to check out the swimsuits and rash guards. My favorites this year: Ella Moss, Norma Kamali, Eberjey, and Tory Burch.
