Saturday, July 24, 2010

On This Trip, Destination Is Well Worth the Journey

For those of us who aren't taking a big vacation this summer, I've discovered another day worth sharing. If you have taken the Turquoise Trail to Madrid, then you can sing along with me. If you haven't, you are in for a real treat.

There is a much easier and faster way to get to Madrid, but who's in a hurry on this recent bright and relaxing Sunday afternoon? Not me nor my faithful tour guide, so we head up Sandia Crest Byway, a national scenic byway heading east on Route 165 out of Placitas, and right into the Cibola National Forest. Las Huertas Canyon welcomes us as the trees begin to canopy over the car and the asphalt road turns to a narrow, winding dirt road. We rattle over washboard sections that remind us we're a far cry from Interstate 25.

Although it seems like the road is taking us deep into the dark and forgotten woods, I feel like I should be dropping bread crumbs behind us. But it seems we're not the only ones to know about this place. Yes, once again I am the last person in New Mexico to discover this popular destination for day campers and picnickers, given the pickup trucks, Jeeps and what-have-yous parked amongst the trees and packed with coolers, hibachis and folding lawn chairs.

I am enjoying the beautiful view as I begin to identify the junipers and piñons and the occasional wild flower. I get caught up in the moment and say to my tour guide, "I hope we spot a bear," which gets me a sideways glance because he knows I only say this from the safety and security of a locked and moving car.

This is the wild adventurous part of the trip, 8,000 feet now, and we are glad it is summertime. A sign reads "Road Closed in Winter — Proceed at Your Own Risk," reminding travelers that in January the snow can get as deep as 6 to 8 feet here. The beautiful aspens start to appear all around and the view is worthy of a few clicks of the camera.

We make it to the top and hit paved Route 536 and the Sandia Peak Ski Area. OK, now I know where I am. It's only a short drive up the Turquoise Trail (N.M. 14) to Madrid for lunch and shopping.

Once an historic coal mining and ghost town, Madrid is a small community with quaint and quirky shops that line the main drag, while tourists and an occasional golden retriever wander by. Shopping here is a treat, given the variety of Gypsy shops, antique stores, art and jewelry boutiques, restaurants and ice cream shops. I think I will have to make a return visit for some holiday shopping later in the year.

It's BLTs for lunch at the Mine Shaft Tavern, another biker bar complete with the quintessential outdoor porch for standing and strutting your bandana, tattoos and tank-topped biker chick. The place is packed, so we grab two seats at the end of the bar and place our order. The sign in the lobby sums up the town's cast of characters and feel-good ambience: We don't have a town drunk, we all take turns.

A cloudburst cooled off the afternoon as the locals prepared for a bluegrass music festival later that evening. We hit the road, taking a secret short cut back and shaving off half the time it took to get there. If you want to take this shortcut to Madrid rather than the Turquoise Trail, head north on I-25 and take the Santo Domingo Pueblo exit at the water tower, heading east until you reach Route 14. But remember, it's the journey, not the destination, so go slow. Enjoy.

Quote of the Week: "Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Want to Cool Off? How Old Are You?

As Appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section July 17, 2010

Dog days of summer? You say that like it's a bad thing. We may be smack dab in the middle of July, 90-plus degrees on the thermometer and barely a breeze at times, but heck, you waited all winter for this; now you finally got your wish.

It's a good thing we are living in the Southwest at this altitude, because I know many of you out there are transplants from the East Coast, Midwest and the South and are well aware of what 90 degrees Fahrenheit with 90 percent humidity feels like. Can you say pea soup?

Here in the Southwest and at an elevation of 5,469 feet, Rio Rancho sits high enough to stay dry, and cool enough to make Money magazine's list of the "100 Best Places to Live."

In 2005, we ranked 83rd on this list. In 2006, we moved up to 56th place. This year we bettered our score, ranking in at 51. While one might surmise it might be due to the new roundabouts the city is installing around town that earned us our best score yet, when actually, according to the survey it was criteria such as jobs, schools, public safety and features that make a place great for raising a family that got us our high marks.

So how do the citizens of the 51st-ranked Best Places to Live City cool off during a scorching summer? That depends on whom you ask.

If you ask the tween set, that would be kids between the ages of 9 and 13, what they do to cool off, their answer would be The Big Flush Water Coaster at Cliff's Amusement Park. And not just once, but as many times as their parents will allow them to go.

Ask a teenager what they do to cool off and you will get a variety of answers. The mall is always top of the mind for this age group. But a favorite and probably the coolest place to be is at Blades ice skating rink on Loma Colorado for brushing up on triple toe loops and flying sit spins. After, there is nothing better than hitting Sonic Drive-In and not ordering anything, but just hanging out and hoping some interesting boys pull up in the space next to yours.

Moving on to the age group that is most likely reading this column in the newspaper today, I offer up some options for you. For the homebodies, how about a delicious new recipe for gazpacho, that chilled summer soup that tastes best right about this time of year with a cold glass of mango iced tea.

For the wanderlust souls in the crowd, we are lucky Rio Rancho is so centrally located; the choices are many. Remember the temperature drops 5.4 degrees for every 1,000 feet you climb, so I say head for the hills. Possible day trips to cooler locales include Madrid (elev. 5,997) or Santa Fe (elev. 7,000). But for those really looking to cool off head on up to Taos (elev. 7,249) or even Angel Fire (elev. 8,379) to really get away from it all. Remember to take your sweater.

Stay cool, my friends. Before you know it we will be switching the furnaces on, putting the big comforters back on the beds and wishing it was summer.

Quote of the Week: "Hot town, summer in the city. Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty. Been down, isn't it a pity, doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city." — Lovin' Spoonful's "Summer in the City."

Monday, July 5, 2010

Jemez Loop Leaves Day Tripper in Awe

As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Rio Rancho section 7/3/10

In another installment of my day tripping columns, I have to admit, and to the surprise of my tour guide, that having lived here for five years, I had never ventured up US 550 to explore the natural beauty of this part of our state.

I recently took a day trip and did “the loop,” mainly Route 4, Jémez Mountain Trail National Scenic Byway that started out through the beautiful red rocks of the Jemez Valley.
We ventured off the beaten path to pay a visit to the Ponderosa Valley Vineyard and Winery, where on this particular Sunday afternoon every seat at the tasting counter was taken as the connoisseurs swilled their chardonnay and chatted it up with owners Henry and Mary Street. We grabbed a bottle of Summer Sage, put the dog back in the car and continued on our way.
Sitting on the tail gate of the parked car between the red mesas, I must say the colors are enough to leave you in awe. The mountainsides are a rich, dark reddish orange color that contrasts with the green of the brush and the blue of the sky. Where’s my camera? At home on the counter where I left it, of course.
Before continuing up Rt 4, another quick side trip on N.M. 485 lead us to the Gilman Tunnels; man made in the 1920s for a logging train passage. The tunnels frame out the waterfall and vertical rocks making for a beautiful picture, if only to be saved in my mind this time.

It was a beautiful cool, sunny day and although we were in a yellow Honda Element, a more open means of travel proved popular as seen by all of the motorcycles parked outside of the Los Ojos Restaurant & Saloon in Jemez Springs.

Nevertheless, I rolled my window down in the Honda and stuck my arm out the whole way; next stopping at Soda Dam, a natural phenomenon formed over time. My inner geologist was marveling at the mounds of calcium carbonate deposited over millions of years by the hot springs that made the rocks smooth in appearance, while my inner child likened it to melting scoops of ice cream.

The red rocks gave way to Aspens and pine trees as we continued north into the Santa Fe National Forest and passed Battleship Rock, a sheer cliff that rises suddenly above the river like a land locked lost ghost ship. Another picturesque moment.

We lunched on green chili Reuben sandwich and chicken fried steak in La Cueva at the Ridgeback Café where Animal Amigos was holding a yard sale in the parking lot to raise money for their dogs and cats.
Being the only New Mexican to not know about this, the 89,000 acre Valles Caldera National Preserve caught me off guard. We pulled off the road to take in the beauty of one of the largest volcanic calderas in the world, now a breathtaking expanse of mountain meadow and forest. Through the binoculars we saw herds of elk and cows grazing in the distance. This was definitely my favorite stop on the trip, as was it for Wayne, a full time RV’er who wandered over from his parked motor home to make friends with us and talk about the natural beauty of the area and how he surprisingly still had cell phone service.

Continuing the loop, we drove through Los Alamos. The damage can still be seen some ten years later from the 2000 Cerro Grande fire that burned 48,000 acres of lush forest and over 400 family homes. The blacked hillside is a sad reminder just how vulnerable life is.

Rounding Santa Fe, we continued down the home stretch on I-25 south and back to Rio Rancho in time for sunset. A day trip worth doing for visiting guests or your own family.

Quote of the Week: “It was a beautiful day, the sun beat down, I had the radio on, I was drivin’. Trees flew by, I was flyin’,” – Tom Petty, Runnin’ Down a Dream.