Ay Chihuahua, What a Road Trip

Arrow straight, the highway pierces the great desert stretching south from El Paso and Cuidad Juarez into the Mexican state of Chihuahua. From the border to Ciudad Chihuahua, you traverse 231 miles of arid scrub land, once the floor of a great inland sea and now covered in creosote, yucca, mesquite and palo verde.Heading west and south you pass through Cuauhtemoc and the tidy fields of the Mennonite camps before climbing into the mountains. It's a long haul to Creel, the village that serves as a central hub for exploration of the region best known as Copper Canyon.Copper Canyon Country is comprised not of a single canyon but a 10,000 square mile area riven by seven canyons: Urique, Copper, Batopilas, Sinforosa of the Rio Verde, Tararecua, Cusárare and Conchos. We know these collectively by the Spanish term ABarrancas del Cobre,@ a barranca being a type of canyon in which the walls descend in a series of benches rather than in one sheer drop.Most visitors to this area come via the famed Chihuahua-Pacific Railroad, which runs between Ciudad Chihuahua and Los Mochis in Sinaloa. Although the journey is one of the most beautiful rail trips in the world, it does not descend into the canyon system. It's possible to stop at various stations along the route, but only at Divisadero does the line offer views into canyon depths. This is the most popular place for passengers to disembark, do hurried shopping among the many Tarahumara Indian stalls lining the platform, and snap a few pictures of Urique Canyon, at this point 1,300 meters deep.Our group of explorers decided to forgo the tourist route and go down into the canyons. Making a two-day stop in Creel, our first excursion was a hike to Cusárare Falls. Two routes take you to the falls, the first is 3 km and begins at a trail head approximately 14 miles south on the road to Batopilas. The second trail begins at Copper Canyon Lodge and follows the left-hand side of the river for 4 km to the falls. Although not as high as Basaseachi Falls to the northwest, Cusárare is a heady sight with ribbons of turquoise water spilling 100 feet over a rock face and droplets creating a shimmering rainbow. From the overlook on the heights, you can see children splashing in the pools at the cascade’s base.Returning to Creel for the night, we visited the small museum at the train station and the Tarahumara Mission store where we purchased books, baskets and other Indian-made crafts. By morning we were rested and ready to head out.The road to Batopilas is long and tortuous but unabashedly beautifully. Your views are not of massive rock formations like Arizona's Grand Canyon, but of pine-covered slopes dropping down to silver slips of river. As you descend, you pass through a series of climatic zones from subalpine to subtropical. Flowers bloom all year long in Batopilas and summer nights are really torrid.It's 46 miles of paved road from Creel to Samachique and about 40 miles of one-lane dirt from there to Batopilas. The trip takes a minimum of five hours, and top speed on dirt is 25 miles per hour. There’s not much sign of the fabled Tarahumara Indians unless you happen to make the trip on a Monday, as we did. About two hours after leaving Creel, we saw a small Indian boy hopefully scanning our passing vehicle. Our driver, an expert in the Tarahumara culture, pulled to a stop, climbed from the van and spoke to the child. After a quick exchange, the boy quietly hopped on board. This little hitchhiker was going to school, and like many Tarahumara children, his school was in a distant village. Every Monday he would walk the ten miles to the boarding school, and every Friday he would walk the return ten miles back to his family casita. In this region, no one considers this excessive hardship.In their own language, these people call themselves the Raramuri, or the runners, and their feats of long distance loping are legendary. Two Tarahumara men competed in the 1968 Mexico City Olympic marathon but lost badly complaining over the shortness of distance and the fact that they were required to wear shoes.Dusty and tired we arrived in Batopilas late in the afternoon. The town with a population of approximately one thousand runs three miles along the river's west bank and is only a block or two wide. Arriving at our hotel and quickly unloading our gear, we were back in the van for the drive to Satevó Mission before sunset.Located on a wide stretch of flood plain of the Rio Batopilas, the mission was built in the early 1600s by Jesuits using Tarahumara labor. Imposing and completely out of proportion for its location, it has three domes and a bell tower several stories high. In considerable disrepair, it is still the most impressive edifice in the area unless you consider the Hacienda de San Miguel back in Batopilas. On the east side of the river and visible from town, the large complex served as the office of the local mining company and the residence of Alexander Shepard, one of the area's first silver tycoons. For a modest fee, you can tour the ruins which include the remains of an assay office, refectory, boardinghouse, corral and stables, machine shop, iron foundry, ingot mill and amalgamation sheds.After a simple dinner at one of the few establishments still open during the extensive street excavations, we retired to our rooms, only to be beckoned outside by music emanating from the plaza. Some local musicians had formed a group and were attempting to resurrect an old tradition of weekly concerts. Standing on the sidelines while the music played, children pirouetted and an elderly couple gaily waltzed, we concluded that the rewards of the journey had been commensurate with its difficulty. We’d experienced a part of Copper Canyon Country few travelers get to see.If you go (phone numbers reflect dialing from the U.S.A.)For a visitor’s guide to Chihuahua:Secretary of Commerce and Tourism Development, State of Chihuahua, Libertad No. 1300, Chihuahua, Chih., Mexico, C.P. 31000; Phone (011521) 429‑3421 and (011521) 429‑3320; Email cturismo@buzon.chihuahua.gob.mxSelf-drive: Contact your local AAA for regulations on taking your own vehicle into Mexico. Accommodations and restaurants:Creel:Parador de la Montaña, Allende 114 C.P. 31060, Chihuahua, Chih, Mexico; phone 011 (521) 410-4580 or 011 (521) 415-5408.The Lodge at Creel (Best Western), Creel, Chih., Mexico; phone (800) 904-7500 in Mexico, (800) 528-1234 in the U.S.A.; email bwcreel@prodigy.net.mxCusarare:
Sierra Lodge, 20 miles from Creel. For information, (800) 776-3942; for reservations, faxBatopilas (telephone in the city of Chihuahua):Hotel Casa Real de Minas, 011 (521) 456-06-32.

Award Double Header

This week it's been raining blessings. My book Backroads & Byways of New Mexico: Drives, Day Trips and Weekend Excursions was named a winner in the New Mexico Book Awards. The publisher is The Countryman Press, a division of W.W. Norton, and the guide is available through bookstores and on-line.

In addition, I received notice that I had been awarded writer of the year in "2008 Best of Albuqueque," sponsored by the U.S. Local Business Association. I am honored to receive the accolade because no matter where I roam in my writing career, Albuquerque is home--my favorite place on earth.

International Gastromony & Tourism

Put a dozen or so international foodies in a room, give them a couple hours to discuss their culinary traditions, and you have a fascinating afternoon. During the UNESCO International Conference on Creative Tourism, I participated in a symposium on gastronomy and how it influences travel.

Within the circle of experts, the lively discussion hit on diverse topics. After briefly introducing ourselves, we discussed our favorite food cities and why their food appealed so strongly. As with many such interactions, the primaries lead quickly into the discussion of culinary issues.

One of the first to speak was Julia Chiu from Toronto, who concentrated on the social aspect new regulations had on Japan, especially the inferior material found recently in imports from China. She also touched on the Japanese custom of producing special foods which Asian custom believes a benefit to the elderly.

Benedetto Zacchiroli, from the Bologna Mayor’s office, entertained us with tales of his experiences with Italian food in the U.S. Now we know real pasta Bolognese is not made with spaghetti but tagliatelli, the meat is never beef but pork, and the sauce is called ragu. The American version, he commented, is but one example of the globalization of traditional dishes.

A representative from Santiago de Compostela provided insights in Galician cuisine, generally misunderstood outside her country. The foods of Spain’s northwestern peninsula are not, as often portrayed, Mediterranean, but Atlantic. The Galician’s catch over 80 different types of saltwater fish, both along their coast and world-wide as well as a tremendous quantity of mussels and other shellfish. Vigo, the largest city in Galicia, is Spain’s most important fishing port and the third largest in Europe.

George Poussin, who oversees UNESCO Creative Cities program, spoke of the cult dimension of gastronomy and the “intangible heritage” of traditional cooking. Emphasizing the difference being creativity, he said we need not only protect the past but open new culinary criteria.

In addition, he mentioned how difficult it was, especially in developing, countries, to initiate the Creative Cities plan. Currently, there are only 12: Aswan, Egypt; Berlin: Bologna: Buenos Aires: Edinburgh;: Glasgow; Lyon; Melbourne; Montreal; Seville; Popayan, Columbia; and Santa Fe, the only U.S. representative.


Perhaps Jo Harvey Allen of Santa Fe voiced the most interesting topic. She has been instrumental in a program electronically joining farmer’s markets around the world. Dubbed “SEE,” it involves ten mammoth LCD screens to be mounted in select growers’ markets, starting with Santa Fe’s well-known Railyard Market. “Markets are the heartbeat of a whole city,” she said, “and we plan to connect time-zone adjusted video installations. If you’re in Barcelona’s Boqueria, you can see the action in Santa Fe.” The program has been funded and a committee is considering appropriate locations.

Summing up our feelings as we dispersed to the ballroom to hear Geoffrey Godbey speak, Duncan Sill of the Santa Fe County Planning & Development Division, said, “As travelers, gastronomy is a good way to engage in the human condition.” Amen to that!

Conference on Creative Tourism

In the first global gathering of its kind, delegates from around the world met in Santa Fe this week to explore the concept of Creative Tourism. The comprehensive program included talks, seminars, and interaction with Santa Fe artists, musicians, filmmakers, photographers, craftspeople, and business experts.

What is creative tourism? The definition developed cooperatively by UNESCO’s Creative Cities is “engaging travelers in a community’s culture through active participation which provides the visitor an authentic experience of a community’s heritage”. The goal is to promote the social, economic, and cultural development of municipalities in both the developed and developing world.

Why did UNESCO choose the city format?

1. Cities harbor the entire range of cultural actors throughout the creative industry chain from the creative act to production and distribution.
2. As breeding grounds for creative clusters, cities have great potential to harness creativity, and connecting cities can mobilize this potential for global impact
3. Cities are small enough to affect local cultural industries but also large enough to serve as gateways to international markets.

Santa Fe holds the distinction of being the only Creative City in the U.S., joining Aswan, Berlin, Bologna, Buenos Aires, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Lyon, Melbourne, Montreal, Popayan, Columbia, and Seville.

I was able to attend the Wednesday session, and in the following days, I will discuss our roundtable on Gastronomy, which attracted delegates from Japan, France, Santiago de Compostela, Barcelona, Bologna, as well as several of us New Mexicans.

In addition, I hope to share with you ideas from a fascinating lunch speaker, Geoffrey Godbey, a specialist on re-positioning of leisure and tourism services for the future.

Stay tuned!

Santa Fe Conference on Creative Tourism

To every avid traveler, there comes a time when home is best. Healing from skin cancer surgeries, I've been a two-month recluse, and I apologize to my readers for my lack of communication. Next week I'll be crawling out of my cave into the light of day--however with a 55 SPF sunblock and a jaunty new Tilley wide brim hat.

The UNESCO Santa Fe International Conference on Creative Tourism will be held September 8-October 2, and I will be on the scene reporting. The program focuses on providing the skills and knowledge necessary for developing creative tourism programs. Attendees will experience practical applications and learn through sessions with some of the world's foremost leaders in the field. Tune in for my take on the proceedings.

Just When It Was Safe to Go Into the Woods...

For your first experience at Geocaching, I suggest you steer clear of timing your trek to coincide with a July mid-afternoon in New Mexico. This cautionary tale is based on sweat, exhaustion, and frustration, all of which could have been avoided with a bit of common sense.

For husband Dick’s recent birthday, our children decided to present their dad with the latest in electronic gadgetry, a Global Positioning System (GPS) unit. After a few auto jaunts with our in-car navigator, we figured we’d give the popular new sport of Geocaching a try.

For those not keeping up with the trends, Geocaching is a seek and find game where participants use a GPS to unearth hidden containers or caches. Locally we have hundreds. A typical cache is a waterproof container, frequently an old Army ammo can, filled with a logbook and “treasure,” usually trinkets or toys. Geocaches are registered on various websites. We downloaded our selected cache’s coordinates from http://www.geocaching.com/.

To make our search easier, we selected to find our cache in the Rio Grande Nature Center, a nearby state park. This year New Mexico Geocachers in cooperation with New Mexico State Parks are celebrating the parks’ 75th Anniversary by placing a cache in each of the 34 state parks. A prize is awarded for cachers completing the entire series by December 31, 2008.

The Rio Grande Nature Center is a serene oasis along the river bosque in Albuquerque. Included on the riverine site are interpretive nature trails, demonstration gardens, a visitors center with numerous exhibits, and a wetland blind overlooking a pond filled with Canada geese, native and migrating waterfowl, a brace of lazy turtles, and in summer a swarm of hummingbirds.

Having worked as a volunteer at the Center, I figured finding this cache would be easy and quick. Experienced cachers would probably have found the exercise easy. We made several mistakes. Not fully understanding the workings of our GPS unit was the first; not taking a supply of water, the second; and walking the trails at noon was the third. We hiked and hiked. Every time we got close to one coordinate, the other was wrong. Finally we stopped and asked a park ranger. He laughed and pointed to the spot where I stood. It was within three feet.

Now we have 1/34th of our list complete. It was fun, but the next time we go Geocaching, we will be sure of our equipment, try to find the place in early morning or evening if in summer, and carry plenty of water.

To round off the day, we drove downtown for lunch at one of the Burq’s top boutique pizza places, Il Vincino. Our shared 12-inch wood-oven-fired Testarosa featured marinara sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, roasted red peppers, calamata olives, caramelized onions, mushrooms, and fresh oregano, all washed down with big glasses of their in-house brewed root beer.

For a cooling dessert, we walked a couple doors down to Ecco Gelato for a cup of one of their daily 22 flavors. I tried a sample of the strawberry habañero. What a flavor explosion! It starts out smooth and sweet, ending at the back of the palate with a pepper blast. Perhaps the next time I’ll go for the full cup, but that afternoon I settled on fig and orange paired with the honey apricot, an agreeable reward for a day of bushwhacking.

Rio Grande Nature Center, 2901 Candelaria NW, Albuquerque, 87107. Hours: Gate opens, Monday-Sunday, 8 AM to 5 PM; Visitors Center, 10 AM to 5 PM. Admission $3 per vehicle. Leashed dogs allowed only on the path bordered by a fence that extends west from Candelaria NW (guide dogs excepted).

Geocache web site: http://www.geocaching.com/

Il Vicino, 3403 Central Ave. NE, Albuquerque 87106. 505-266-7855. Hours, Sunday-Thursday, 11 AM to 11 PM; Friday and Saturday, 11 AM to midnight.

Ecco Gelato, 3409 Central Ave., Albuquerque 87106. 505-660-4721. Hours, Monday-Thursday, 7 AM to 10 PM; Friday and Saturday, 7 AM to 11 PM; Sunday, 8 AM to 10 PM.

The Mystery of the Hidden Pueblo

Discovering Piedras Marcadas was like finding Machu Picchu in your backyard. I’ve written about Albuquerque’s new Open Space Visitors Center before, but until this past weekend I had no idea they protected treasures like this pueblo as well.

A part of the Petroglyph National Monument, Piedras Marcadas or Marked Stones, was a pueblo occupied between AD 1300 and the mid-1500’s. With three main multi-storied structures and over 1,000 rooms, it is the largest remaining intact pueblo in the middle Rio Grande Valley.

If the pueblo was so large, why haven’t we seen ruins, or why hasn’t it been reconstructed like the pueblo at Coronado State Monument? The answer is part luck and part preservation. In the 1940s and 1950s archaeologists were everywhere in the Rio Grande Valley, digging and hauling artifacts away to museums. At that time Piedras Marcadas was on private land, and the site had only a small home.

By the early 1980s the landowners wanted to develop the land for condominiums. In a forced move, the city purchased the property for open space. Due to the religious connection between the ancient residents and the rich concentrations of petroglyphs on West Mesa, the pueblo was included in the Petroglyph National Monument’s boundaries.

To provide an introduction to the tour, city archaeologist Matt Schmader gave a 45-minute talk on the history of the terrain and the people who inhabited it. We learned paleo-Indians wandered our land as early as 12,000 BP. Before Coronado and his depredations, dozens of pueblos rimmed the Rio Grande.

Our visit was a rare privilege. The location is fenced and locked and open only for special events such as the talk and tour organized by the Visitors Center. As we plowed through a crop of dead weeds, we made our way to the first of three mounds. No foliage grew there. Under a layer of sand, the old adobe walls provide an obstruction to growth. Pot shards, grinding tools, and flint knapped chert covered the ground.

As we walked from area to area, Schmader fielded questions and pointed out exceptional examples of different types of pottery. A frantic killdeer mother scurried this way and that, pretending a broken wing to lure us away from her clutch of four speckled eggs. A metate, abandoned a century ago, rested near a patch of buffalo gourd.

Out of respect for today’s Tiwa people, who are direct descendents of the ancient villagers, new non-invasive methods using electrical current are being used to delineate structures. It is a work in progress. Piedras Marcardas will never be uncovered using the old methods of excavation. It will sleep peacefully under its blanket of sand, safe for further generations.

City of Albuquerque Open Space Visitor Center
6500 Coors Blvd NW
Between Montano Blvd. and Paseo del Norte at the end of Bosque Meadows Rd
Albuquerque, NM
(505) 897-8831
www.cabq.gov/openspace/visitorcenter.html

Dem Dry Dino Bones

Wanna’ feel like a kid again? Hustle over to the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. Greeting you as you enter the lobby, Stan, the Tyrannosaurus Rex, assumes a threatening pose. After your first introduction to ancient bones, start your “walk through time,” by hastening up to the second floor where you begin with “Origins,” an introduction into the beginnings of life on earth. All fossils and artifacts were discovered in New Mexico.

From single-celled organisms to the age of super giants, the Jurassic, it’s an experience in awe and wonder. You progress through the dawn of time when New Mexico actually had a seacoast, to the explosive Age of Volcanos, the evolving Grasslands, the Pleistocene represented by a cave mock-up, and the Ice Age.

In the new Triassic exhibit you view the battle between the crocodile-like Phytosaur and the armored Placerias. If this doesn’t give you the shivers, nothing will. A two-ton piece of rock from the Ghost Ranch near Abiquiq illustrates how pile on pile of fossilized bone can present paleontologists with a merry puzzle.

From the Dawn of the Dinosaurs, the Triassic, you progress into the Age of the Super Giants, the Jurassic. It’s impossible to describe the feeling of puniness standing next to the immense plant-eating Seimosaurus, locked in battle with the meat-eating Saurophaganax (see photo). The big lizard’s name means “earthquake lizard,” and it’s 110 feet long from snout to tip of tail. It weighed about 30 tons.

Your next stop is the Extinction Room which illustrates in sound and light the devastation caused by the huge meteor which is believed to have finished off the big boys in the preceding exhibit.

After completing up your explorations, you can attend a show at the Planetarium or visit the Lockheed Martin Dynatheater presentations of “Dinosaurs Alive!” and “The Living Sea.” Check out the interactive Nature Center, or pick up a souvenir at the Nature Works store. The museum’s M Café is a great place to stop for a snack or a meal. I’d especially recommend their green chile stew.

New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, 1801 Mountain Road NW (Old Town), Albuquerque. 505-841-2800. Daily, 9 AM to 5 PM. http://www.nmnaturalhistory.org/.

Zacatecas, Mexico

Deep in the mine, the guide’s flashlight beam illuminated the vein of white quartz streaked with a tracing of pure silver ore. On such a slender thread was Zacatacas founded by Spanish miners in the 16th century.

Today Zacatecas rests like a rose in the desert of what was once Mexico’s northern frontier. And like that rose, its pink canterra stone buildings glow in the clear, clean light. Called “The Silver City” for its origins, today Zacatecas offers travelers a wide variety of experiences from a tour into the only remaining mine to a exhilarating ride on a zip line from the heights of La Bufa hill into the valley.

For the museum lover, even a week’s stay is too short to cover them all. A full day can be spent at the Rafael Colonel with its extraordinary collection of over 12,000 Mexican dance masks. Museo de Guadalupe has one of the country’s finest collections of 18th century religious art, housed in what was originally a Franciscan convent.

A trip into the countryside brings amateur archeologists to La Quemada, a group of prehistoric ruins perched on the rim of a hill. After investigating the Hall of Columns and the Votive Pyramid, an alfresco lunch at a local restaurant is the ticket.

Unusual hotels include the Quinta Real, constructed around the city’s original bull ring, and Meson de Jobito, a rambling assembly of plazas, alleys, and houses centered around an old city neighborhood. Food runs from the traditional gorditas at legendary Dona Julia’s to fine dining at the Hotel Empirio or the new Santa Rita.

Turismo Zacatecas, Av. Hidalgo#403, Centro Historico, Zacatecas, Zac. Phone +52 (492) 922 6751. http://www.tourismozacatecas.gob.mx/



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A New Generation Views Los Alamos

Whenever guests arrive for a prolonged stay, they usually have certain attractions on their list of places to see. One of my least favorites is Los Alamos. As a child of the atomic age who remembers her dad bringing home an 8mm reel of the bombing of Hiroshima, I still have that horror implanted in my psyche. For those who were born after the end of WWII or for those who never saw the news clips of the human and property devastation visited upon Japan, Los Alamos is merely a tourist attraction on New Mexico’s Pajarito Plateau.

Recently our daughter, son-in-law, and teenage grandson wanted to drive up through the Jemez Mountains to Los Alamos. We agreed to mount the excursion but included some other, gentler sites such as Valle Caldera National Preserve, Jemez Pueblo, and the tiny city of Jemez Springs. For our grandson, it was to be a history lesson wrapped up as an outing.

For travelers unfamiliar with Los Alamos, it is a city unlike any other in New Mexico, perhaps in the U.S. First, the cultural mix, so obvious in the rest of the state, is missing. Instead of Anglos, Hispanics and Native Americans, you find an international amalgam of highly educated nuclear physicists, chemists, and other branches of science. Los Alamos schools always come out on top in state ratings, and the per capita income is also highest.

In 1917 in what is now Los Alamos, a wealthy Detroit businessman named Ashley Pond purchased the Harold H. Brook homestead. His dream was to create a school dedicated to transforming sheltered boys from wealthy families into robust scholars. By 1918 his vision was a reality in the Los Alamos Ranch School.

During the dark days of World War II, the U.S. government embarked on the Manhattan Project, a top secret venture to tame the power of the atom. They had five considerations for the location of their lab: available housing for 30 scientists, land owned by the government or easily acquired in secrecy, and area large and uninhabited enough to permit safe separation of experimental sites, easy control of access for security, and sufficient cleared land so new building could be started immediately.

The Los Alamos Ranch School was selected because J. Robert Oppenheimer, the director of scientific research, knew about the academy. His family summer home was in the mountains at the headwaters of the Pecos River, and as a boy he’d ridden over the mesas of the Pajarito Plateau on pack trips.

After the detonation of bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan surrendered and World War II ended, but the work at the labs has gone on with half the effort devoted to the peaceful uses of atomic energy. Detailing the history of the labs and the city, the Bradbury Science Museum has 8,500 feet of exhibit space devoted to interpreting the role of the laboratory to the lay public. To envisage an authentic picture of the time period, no one should miss the 20-minute video, The Town That Never Was.

Located next to the Bradbury, Otowi Station Science Museum Shop & Bookstore has the best selection of books on Los Alamos, the region, and New Mexico in general. In addition, they stock tee shirts, educational toys, stuffed animals, etc. Of course our grandson had to have an atomic bomb tee to impress his buddies back in New Jersey. Maybe I should dig out that old film clip.

The Los Alamos Historical Museum, housed in the former Ranch School infirmary, is a personal favorite. Here, more than anywhere else, you get an idea of the flow of time and events. Exhibits deal with area geology and prehistory, homesteading, the Ranch School, and the Manhattan Project. A small bookstore is in one wing of the building.

Los Alamos has two restaurants of note, The Blue Window Bistro for fine dining, and The Hill for solid diner food. As we pulled into the Hill parking lot, we noticed a great many customers leaving with Styrofoam containers. This should have told us something. The portions are huge! My chicken fried chicken with mashed and glazed carrots would have fed three normal hungers. Their special, banana cream pie, almost defies description. We shared three pieces among five people, and even our grandson with his teenage appetite couldn’t finish his portion. We left Los Alamos totally surfeited with food, returning to Albuquerque via the highways rather than the byways.


The Bradbury Science Museum, Central Avenue and 15th St, Los Alamos, 87544. (505) 667-4444. www.lanl.gov/museum

The Hill Diner, 1315 Trinity, Los Alamos, 87544. (505) 662-9745. http://www.hilldiner.com/

Los Alamos Historical Museum, 1921 Juniper Street, Los Alamos, 87544. (505) 662-4493. http://www.losalamoshistory.org/

Albuquerque Aquarium & Rio Grande Botanical Gardens

Spring was definitely showing her slip on a recent visit to Albuquerque’s Botanical Park. Delicate snowdrops dipped their heads to the breeze, and saffron and purple crocuses showed their true colors.

Although it was very early for garden tours, children of all ages were out enjoying the early March warmth. Toddlers staggered through the Children’s Fantasy Garden, whizzed down the tree trunk slide, watched the G-scale model railroad threading its route through miniature landscapes, and in general attempted escape from parental control. Ducks and geese made a noisy confusion at pond edge. Older couples walked arm and arm, checking out plant varieties and wondering when the flowering trees would pop.

Activity at the Heritage Farm was just beginning. A lazy Jersey heifer and a couple of somnolent sheep stretched out in the weak sun. The vegetable garden had been plowed, and the vineyard looked ready to leaf out. A single white Peking duck nibbled new green shoots, and in the chicken coop a few hens tentatively tested the weather. Lazy pigs, too exhausted to move from the barnyard door, made small moan.

In addition to the Gardens, the Farm and the Japanese garden (which we shall cover in another visit), the Park is the site of Albuquerque’s Aquarium. Don’t expect another Atlanta extravaganza. The floor plan is considerably more modest, but it takes visitors on a journey down the Rio Grande from Albuquerque to the river’s mouth in the Gulf of Mexico. Special highlights include an eel tunnel, luminous jellies, and a 285,000 gallon ocean tank where sharks swim alongside reef fish, sea turtles, and open ocean species. On the day of our visit we saw several new-born black tip shark pups.

A perfect end to our visit was lunch at the Shark Reef Café with its multiple aquarium windows and broad wall backing on the Aquarium’s shark tank. Children love this place, and it was packed with kids, parents, and grandparents, all taking in the constantly moving panorama swimming by. We found the food excellent, well above the usual burgers and fries. My Shark Reef Breakfast plate was a mélange of home fries, sausage, bacon and ham topped with cheese, chile and an egg. The half serving ordered was enough for two! My husband’s guacamole burger was tasty, well presented, and served with a crisp green salad. Breakfast is served all day.

Those with shorter time frames can view much of the Biopark, which includes the Zoo, by hopping aboard the narrow guage ¾ scale Thunderbird Express which travels between the Zoo and Aquarium/Botanic Garden with a stop at Tingley Beach. The Biopark is handicap accessible, and both stroller rentals and wheelchairs are available.

Albuquerque Biopark
2601 Central Ave. NW
Albuquerque 87104
(505) 848-6200
Hours: Monday through Sunday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM; Saturday & Sunday (June-August only) 9:00 AM through 6:00 PM
http://www.biopark@cabq.gov/

The Reef Café, (505) 646-7182
Hours: 9:00 AM to 6 PM Saturday and Sunday in summer: 9:00 to 5:00 rest of the year.
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Natural Albuquerque: Our Open Spaces

A duet of high-altitude clacking drew my eyes upward as a pair of sandhill cranes negotiated two mammoth cottonwoods and gracefully landed on the cornfield in back of Albuquerque’s Open Space Visitor Center. A kettle of their stately compatriots were making short work of the recently cut agricultural field specially planted for their delectation.

The late winter day was in the 30s, and I knew we were fortunate to see the cranes before they undertook their yearly spring migration to Nebraska’s Platte River. Wintering along the Rio Grande Valley from Albuquerque to Bosque del Apache and south, they are one of the delights of our region.

It was my first visit to the Center and I was impressed by the facility, which had opened in 2006. Perhaps I hadn’t visited before because it was so darn accessible, a short distance off Coors Boulevard on the West Side where I live. I’d brushed it off thinking it probably was some uninspiring shack on the bosque. I was so wrong.

The center sits on 55 acres, half of which is harvestable cropland planted in sorghum for the wildlife, and half contains the unexcavated site of Piedras Marcadas, prehistoric pueblo ruins. The building was originally the private residence of Mr. and Mrs. Coda Roberson. Little evidence of the home remains since the structure has been transformed into a multi-use facility with an art gallery, meeting rooms, kitchen, exhibit space interpreting the natural and cultural resources Open Space protects, and lots and lots of big windows opening out to one of the most beautiful views in Albuquerque. The Center hosts special art exhibits and educational programs throughout the year.

Albuquerque’s Open Space program is one of the most ambitious in the Southwest. Since 1969 the city has acquired more than 24,000 acres of open space land, and it manages another 4,000 acres. To name a few plots, this includes Elena Gallegos/Albert G. Simms Park at the base of the Sandias; Rio Grande State Park including Alameda/Rio Grande wetlands; Rio Grande Nature Center; Los Poblanos Fields; and in Petroglyph National Monument a number of areas of cultural and geologic importance like Piedras Marcadas Canyon, Boca Negra Canyon, and Rinconada Canyon.

To support the city’s program, the Open Space Alliance (OSA) is a group of volunteers working with the town to preserve, maintain, and improve our natural, historical, and cultural resources. Funded solely through membership dues, the OSA provides a tax-exempt means for citizens, organizations, and corporations to donate to the city’s Open Space Division.

The cranes will soon be gone on their unending journey between nesting and wintering grounds. They will be missed as we trace their journey by the faint sounds of their passing. As the seasons transform the unparalleled views of bosque and mountains, visitors in the know will stop at this quiet place for hiking the river trail, nature study, and contemplation.

City of Albuquerque Open Space Visitor Center
6500 Coors Blvd NW
Between Montano Blvd. and Paseo del Norte at the end of Bosque Meadows Rd.
Albuquerque, NM
(505) 897-9931
www.cabq.gov/openspace/visitorcenter.htm
Open Space Alliance
P.O. Box 91265
Albuquerque, NM 87199
(505) 452-5200
www.openspacealliance.org

Pueblo Women Artists

On a hot, humid summer day in the upper Susquehanna River Valley, I discovered a passion. Always a hound for hand-thrown pottery, I went on a day trip to visit my favorite Pennsylvania craftsman, Bill Lynch of Penns Creek Pottery. After a sojourn with Bill and lemonade and cookies with his wife and family, I decided to continue on to Mifflinburg, a tiny town known mainly as the site of a buggy museum and a store selling Amish quilts.

Strolling down the quiet streets I came upon an old white Georgian home advertising antiques. It looked deserted but a jangle on the bell brought the stooped, grey-haired proprietor to the door.

“Wha’ cha’ lookin for,” he queried without much grace. “Old Indian stuff,” I replied. I’d visited the Southwest recently and admired the Pueblo pottery. “Well, I got some arrow heads,” he said. When I shook my head, he reached under the counter and brought up a pot. “Had this ugly black thing for 30 years, and I’d like to ride myself of it. You can have it for $25.” I almost fainted. He had a 1920 Santa Clara wedding vase. Of course, I paid the ridiculously low price, grabbed the vase, and ran out the door like a thief in the night.

Eventually I moved to New Mexico, the genesis of my treasured pot. Luckily Albuquerque and Santa Fe are rife with museums highlighting Native American art. Currently, the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in collaboration with the Adobe Gallery of Santa Fe is presenting “Timeless Beauty: Pueblo Women Artists of the 20th Century.”

Represented artists include Maria Martinez of San Ildefonso; Lucy Lewis, Acoma; Pablita Velarde, Santa Clara; Helen Hardin, Santa Clara; Margaret Tafoya, Santa Clara; Helen Cordero, Cochiti; Tonita Pena, San Ildefonso/Cochiti; and Blue Corn, San Ildefonso.

Not all are potters. Paintings include Pabilta Velarde’s watercolor of Mimbres Turtles and Helen Hardin’s geometric abstracts like “Medicine Woman.” If you’re attracted to pottery, you won’t want to miss Blue Corn’s eggshell polychrome pot or Helen Cordero’s storytellers, which she described as coming “out of my heart. They’re singing. Can’t you hear them? I talk to them. They’re my little people. Not just pretty things I make for money.”

Leaving the exhibit room I walked over to a single display attributed only to an early Santa Clara potter. Before signing became the norm, potters did not dignify their work this way. The huge black storage pot had a true timeless quality and lent a baseline for the remarkable pottery which came after. Its rag and stone polished surface mirrored the finish of my old wedding vase, and I wondered once again at the skill, talent, and patience which created such timeless beauty.

Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, 2401 12th St. NW, Albuquerque 87104; (866) 855-7902. www.indianpueblo.org. Timeless Beauty runs through June 14.

Two Albuquerque Mysteries

Two Albuquerque businesses sitting side by side on Lomas have deceptive names. Monroe’s is a restaurant serving New Mexican food, and The Palms is a store selling Native American jewelry, Pueblo pots, and other assorted hand-crafted goods.

My first trip to Albuquerque in the 1980’s introduced me to Monroe’s. Asking around for good local food in a non-pretentious atmosphere, I was steered to the small restaurant. I have been returning ever since for its enchiladas, huevos rancheros, excellent green chile cheeseburgers, and sweet potato fries.

My curiosity was piqued on the history of the non-Hispanic name, and I discovered Monroe’s originally was owned by Monroe Sorensen, a Scandinavian who had a little chile parlor on the corner of Rio Grande and Mountain. When Sorensen retired, Miguel Diaz, a native of Puerto Rico, purchased the eatery in 1979 and moved it to a refurbished gas station on Lomas, retaining the name and customer base. A second Monroe’s is located on Osuna, and although the menu is the same, the decor is the more typical adobe style. You can’t go wrong eating at either location. For my dollar, Monroe’s fresh ingredients and consistency rate it among Albuquerque’s best little gems.

The Palms was a discovery made one day after lunch at Monroe’s. Somewhat off the beaten path for a trading company, the selection and prices make The Palms a must-stop for any visiting friends and family wanting to purchase Native American art.

Guy Berger, the owner, worked at the trading post during summer vacations as a young man, and now has over 20 years experience in the business. Berger says the unusual name came from the original owners, the Del Frate brothers, who opened a beer garden at the corner of Rio Grande and Central in 1941. Searching for a name, they glanced at a cut-out ad featuring a group of palm trees and decided The Palms would fit their purpose nicely.

The beer garden location, which thrived on weekends, needed cash flow during the week so a small food market was instituted using The Palms name. In 1967 the market moved to a larger location on Lomas and 15th NW. Popular among local residents and many Indians from Albuquerque’s surrounding pueblos, The Palms often accepted trade goods in lieu of payment for groceries.

In 1968 the market acquired so much jewelry that Angelo Del Frate decided to open the back room to collectors, and the Palms Trading Company was born. Currently, the 5,000 square foot showroom contains one of the most complete inventories of Pueblo pottery and Indian jewelry in the industry.

The entry room is chock-a-block full of silver from concha belts to bracelets, and the side room displays pots, storytellers, rain gods, kachinas, antique pottery and more. There’s a small selection of Navajo rugs. You won’t go wrong purchasing a piece from The Palms, and you might be treated to the sight of a potter from Acoma or Jemez auditioning their wares for Berger or one of his knowledgeable staff.

Monroe’s New Mexican Food, 1520 Lomas Blvd. NW, 87104; (505) 242-1111 or 6051 Osuna Road NE, 87109; (505) 881-4224. www.monroeschile.com

The Palms Trading Company, 1504 Lomas Blvd. NW, 87104. (505) 247-8504. www.palmstrading.com
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Tut Comes to the Burque

For a place once described by writer V.B. Price as “A City at the End of the World,” Albuquerque continues to amaze. Case in point is the current exhibit at The Albuquerque Museum of Art and History. “Temples and Tombs, Treasures of Egyptian Art from the British Museum” is currently enjoying a three-month run. How the American Federation of Arts and the Brits picked our humble town for such an honor is a happy mystery.

The exhibition covers four periods of pharaonic history from shortly before the Third Dynasty, about 2686 B.C., to the Roman occupation of the Fourth Century A.D. Sculpture, reliefs, papyri, jewelry, cosmetic objects, and funerary items in various media illustrate four themes: the king and the temple; objects from the lives of artists and nobles; statues of Egyptians from temples and tombs; and the tomb, death, and the afterlife.

From the magnificent life-size red granite lion which greets you when you enter the gallery to the carved quartzite head once gracing a twenty-five foot statue of Amenhotop III, the 85 exhibits run the gamut from intriguing to awe-inspiring. Sometimes it is the small pieces which create the greatest wonder. How did a wooden scribe’s palette survive the centuries with its paint samples still intact?

Temples and Tombs” will end its run February 10 and move on to Fresno, so hustle your bustle to the museum before it departs. If you should miss “Temples,” other good traveling exhibits are scheduled: Bill Brandt: a Retrospective, March 2-May 18; In Contemporary Rhythm, the Art of Ernest Blumenschein, June 8-September 7; and Jamestown, Quebec, and Santa Fe, Three American Beginnings, October 26-March 29, 2009.

In addition to the major transient exhibits, the permanent collection of works by contemporary and historical regional artists includes major paintings by the Taos Society of Artists. A gift shop carries a wide selection of quality merchandise and books, and a small cafe provides sustenance for starving art lovers. Outside visitors can stroll through the sculpture garden filled with over 50 works, some traditional some avant-garde. A favorite is the giant head which from a distance appears to be a near-sighted sculptor's version of a pig.

The Art Museum is a bargain any time of the year. Admission to the Temples exhibit is so reasonable and is included in the admission fee, $4 for adults with a $1 discount for New Mexico residents.

The Albuquerque Museum of Art & History, 19th and Mountain Road NW, Albuquerque 87104. Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (505) 243-7255. http://www.cabq.gov./museum. Lots of free parking!

One of Santa Fe's Greatest

With all the gorgeous hotel properties in Santa Fe, what makes La Fonda stand out as “the” place to stay? A recent visit made me consider its distinctive qualities.

La Fonda’s unusual character is found not just its history, of which there is ample evidence. There’s been an inn on the site since the city was founded in 1607. Two centuries later another incarnation served travelers on the Santa Fe Trail. The current building dates to 1922, and in 1925 it was acquired by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, which in turn leased it to Fred Harvey, the marketing genius behind the promotion of the West through his chain of Harvey House hotels and tours. Since 1968, the massive adobe monolith overlooking the Plaza has been locally owned and operated.

From the outside, La Fonda is not remarkable among its brown brethren except for its size. You might even walk by with small notice except for the cluster of shops which line its sides. Perhaps you have stopped for a croissant at the French Pastry Shop on the West San Francisco side or bought a Western style belt from Tom Taylor. If you haven’t shoved through the old wooden doors and entered the lobby, you’ve missed the heart of the city.

At first dim and cavernous, the lobby takes a minute to come together. Settees of wood and leather line the walls, and the dark tile floors gleam with polished patina. But as your eyes become accustomed to the soft light, you begin to pick out the thick wooden beams, latilla ceilings, carved corbels, handcrafted chandeliers, and tin and copper light fixtures. The lobby, hallways and meeting rooms are filled with paintings, carvings, historic photos. Art is everywhere. In particular, I admire the ten great figures by Ira Diamond ”Gerald” Cassidy, immortalizing outstanding figures of the great Southwest. The Matachine is a particular favorite, and I always spend a minute or two admiring the massive portrait.

At the heart of the hotel, the main dining room, La Plazuela is enclosed in an interior courtyard with soaring ceiling, ornately carved furniture by local artisans, folk art murals, and over 400 windows painted with birds, chiles, and flowers by resident artist Ernest J. Martinez, who started working at La Fonda in 1954.

Martinez’s work is one of the things which make La Fonda special. His paintings grace not only the public rooms but many of the guest rooms as well. My room on the second floor carried a kachina theme and bore examples of his work in the head board, nightstands, blanket chest, desk, dresser, and the glass panes of the door leading to the sitting area. After so many nights spent in cookie-cutter accommodations, my room at La Fonda was a visual joy, and I slept well watched over by my kachinas.

La Fonda on the Plaza, Santa Fe, (505) 982-5511

Santa Fe Budget Restaurants

Although Santa Fe is touted as “the city different,” perhaps it should be known as the city of restaurants. On a recent trip, I discovered two new watering holes which deserve mention for visitors.

A problem I’ve always encountered on visits is finding a good, reasonable place to eat on the Plaza. So many times walking down Lincoln Avenue, I’ve passed by The Plaza Café. Usually packed, I’d erroneously assumed it was just another tourist trap with bad food, depending for its existence on its great location.

Was I wrong! The truth is that The Plaza has a varied, reasonably-priced menu with something for everyone. In fact, it’s a good alternative for the visitor trying to avoid another dose of chile or whose tastes run to simple comfort food like meatloaf or a hot turkey sandwich. If someone in the party wants chile, they too will be satisfied with the complete menu section of Southwestern cuisine: enchiladas, tostadas, and chile rellenos. A surprise is a selection of Greek dishes such as moussaka, gyros, and kebabs. After all, what would you expect from the owners, the Raztos family, which has run the restaurant for 61 years?

Another Plaza plus is the hours. They are open from 7:00 A.M. to 9:00 P.M., seven days a week. This was handy for me because when I’m working, I usually discover I’ve missed lunch by 4:00 P.M. Both my visits were mid-afternoon.

On the first visit, I ordered the batter fried cod with garlic mashed potatoes and a small Greek salad accompanied by pita bread. The cod (my favorite fish) was immaculately fresh and the coating crisp and not at all greasy. Sides were well done, and the pita was the best I’ve ever tasted. Owner Dan Razatos has it imported, and it’s soft and chewy. Except for the pita, all baked goods are done on premises including their award-winning cakes and pies. I sampled their carrot cake and found it praise-worthy.

My second lunch/dinner was a gyro, a lovely combination of beef and lamb wrapped in one of those delicious pitas and sauced with the cucumber/garlic/yoghurt sauce known as tzatziki. It was so huge that it defied hand-held attempts at consumption. A spicy tortilla soup accompanied it. What a blend of cultures.

A second Santa Fe restaurant discovery was The Pantry, on Cerillos Road. Definitely a favorite for locals, it was packed to the rafters when I stopped for a light lunch on my way south to Albuquerque. The light lunch went by the wayside when I saw the menu with another favorite, grilled liver and onions. The meat was perfectly done, not overcooked. So often liver ends up as shoe leather. The presentation was massive with mashed potatoes and an ocean of grilled vegetables.

With a varied menu and reasonable prices, The Pantry is open for breakfast and lunch. Breakfasts run the gamut from cinnamon French toast to breakfast burritos. A nice touch is the ability to order according to your appetite. You may request one or three pancakes, and for $1.35 they’ll toss in some buckwheat to make heartier flapjacks. Lunches include sandwiches, burgers, soups, salads, Southwest plates, comfort food like pork chops, and a local delicacy, the Frito Pie, a heap of corn chips covered with beans and meat, and buried under melted cheese with red or green chile. Try to visit the Pantry on slightly off hours or be prepared to wait in line for a table or a place at the counter.

Although Santa Fe’s great restaurants like The Compound and Geronimo’s definitely deserve a visit, they are reserved for special occasions for most of us with modest budgets. It’s good to know that you can find a decent meal, properly prepared without taking out a second mortgage. On your next visit, be a bit adventurous and eat where the locals go.

The Plaza Cafe, Lincoln Avenue, Santa Fe, (505) 982-1664
The Pantry, 1820 Cerillos Road, Santa Fe, (505) 986-0022