A Journey to the American Southwest
Lately I have been traveling in one of the most awesome countries in the world - America. We have so many wonderful places to explore in the United States and often times we take advantage of what we have in this country and feel obliged to visit far off lands. Don't get me wrong I still travel at least once a year abroad, but now have an inkling to see and experience America.
I recently spent an extended weekend in New Mexico at the fabulous Hyatt Tamaya Resort and Spa. Having never been to this state which epitomizes the American Southwest, I really did not know what to expect. Sure I had heard of artsy Santa Fe. Georgia O'Keefe is famous for her paintings depicting the breathtaking landscape of Northern New Mexico. So when coming to New Mexico I was ready to explore the countryside and see all that the state of enchantment had to offer.
The Hyatt concierge was instrumental in planning my stay, and without their help I am not sure I would have known where to begin as this area of New Mexico is chock full of things to do and can be overwhelming for the uniformed traveler.
On our first day of arrival we headed to Petroglyph National Monument that is literally located smack dab in the middle of a suburb of Albuquerque. This area is rich in history and contains tens of thousands of images from civilizations who once lived and traversed through this area long ago. The access is very easy, as is the hike through the canyon. You will not be disappointed in the amount of images you will see and it is easy to discern the oldest of the petroglyphs from those that are from newer generations. http://www.nps.gov/petr/index.htm.
After our very interesting walk we were famished. Dinner in Old Town was on our list and thanks to the guidance of the concierge we ate at the Church Street Café, www.churchstreetcafe.com. The host told us that the home was owned by the same family for several hundred years and was recently (1990's) sold and converted to a restaurant.
The next day we were off to visit the Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument. Along the way to our destination we drove along the famous Jemez Trail, www.byways.org/explore/byways/2061/. The reason to visit the Tent Rocks was to see the fairy like volcanic formations created by a volcanic explosion that mirrors the formations we saw at Cappadocia Turkey years ago. We hiked along the valley floor and somewhat back into the very narrow canyon - the scenery along the way was breathtaking, but what I remember most was the delightful and powerful scent of the Pinon Pines that dotted the landscape. It had rained a bit the night before so the air was pungent with the smell of these evergreens. After our hike we headed along the Jemez Trail to Bandolier National Monument, www.nps.gov/band/historyculture/index.htm.
I have to say this area of New Mexico is stunning. Close to Bandelier is Los Alamos, the famous scientific lab that created the Manhattan Project - the atomic bomb. There is a museum here but we did not have time to visit this time. Bandelier is a must see visit for the first time traveler to this area. The museum, café, and gift shop are charming, the entire park facility was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and the architecture is amazing. The canyon was once home to nomadic people known as the Anasazi's or Ancestral Puebloans who lived here over 10,000 years ago and up to circa 1550 at which time the Ancestral Puebloans moved to permanent dwellings along the Rio Grande. At the park you can climb ladders into the homes that the inhabitants built from the soft volcanic substance. The biggest complex is composed of a series of ladders with over 140 steps!
The following day we headed out to the famous El Santurio de Chimayo, the Lourdes of America where people from around the world make a pilgrimage to the saint of this church www.holychimayo.us. The sanctuary is set in a somewhat remote area that is absolutely stunning, the people are warm and very friendly and again the landscape is just gorgeous. Amazingly we had the best tamales ever right here at the sanctuary, at Leona's www.leonasrestaurante.com she even ships!
Of course, a visit to this part of New Mexico would not be complete if you didn't visit Santa Fe, which is America's oldest capital city, a UNESCO Creative City and one of the country's top artistic cities.
I hope all this information has inspired some of you to visit America, our country has a lot to offer. I am so glad I took the time to visit New Mexico - the epitome of the American Southwest and I can't wait to go back!
For those who would like more information please call me, Joyce Craddock at 888-729-6899 I would love to share my adventure with you!
