What We Did
UT --> AZ --> UT --> AZ --> NNSN --> UT --> AZ --> NM
The morning after our day in Zion, we got up well before the sunrise again. After saying goodbye to Annie and James, we set out on a very weird and remote route. We crossed from Utah into Arizona, then back to Utah, then back to Arizona again. It was beautifully desolate, especially watching the sun rise in front of us. It was also freezing outside, hitting 12 degrees at one point in the high desert. After a quick stop for crepes and coffee in Page AZ, we entered the Navajo Nation. Here, the landscape was even more sparse. The cliffs and canyons gradually turned into large buttes and plains. At Kayenta, we turned north on the famous Rte 163 through Monument Valley. It was surreal seeing such an iconic location - ourselves and many other cars stopped to take pictures at Forrest Gump point.
The remainder of the drive took us back into Utah, then Arizona for the final time before we entered northern New Mexico. This stretch climbed quite a bit more elevation, very gradually until we were in the mountains. We passed several small farms and remote houses in this area - including the home of famous painter Georgia O'Keefe - before connecting with the main highway into Santa Fe.
Santa Fe
Our place in Santa Fe was in an apartment complex just north of downtown. We didn't do too much exploring the first few days, just running errands and getting back into the routine of everyday life. On Friday, we explored the downtown area for the first time. After stepping into an "audio bar" for a warm drink, we walked around the city a bit before heading to dinner. The city is centered on a large square surrounded by shops, restaurants, an old cathedral, and state government buildings. You can tell the area is very old - the streets are narrow and winding like those of an old European city and the architecture is entirely the traditional native adobe style. When we visited again on Sunday, we unknowingly stepped into the original trading post of the town, in continuous operation since since 1603! We also visited the Georgia O'Keefe museum, definitely a must-do. We visited some of the more modern parts of the town too. On Canyon Road, we stepped into one of the many famous art galleries and discovered that the paintings were a bit outside our price range. Lastly, we stopped for some artisan chocolate elixirs at Kakawa Chocolate House. Some of the more traditional mesoamerican recipes were a little too intense for our tastes, but the classics were a perfect end to the day.
Taos
Saturday was the first ski day of the season, not without its hiccups of course... We woke up early to begin the drive north to the mountain. The town of Taos is a historic thousand-year-old Pueblo about an hour north, but Taos Ski Valley is 30 or so more minutes up the winding road into the mountains. It was not crowded at all - probably because it's really early in their season and only a quarter of the runs were open. Both of us had new boots which led to a pretty painful breaking in process. Katon could barely put his on. Because of this, we didn't do too many runs. But overall, the snow was great, it wasn't too cold, and there was a solid 'despues de ski' scene.
Thoughts
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We were both shocked by how old the city felt. The Native, Spanish, Mexican, and Western influences were everywhere.
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The art scene here is no joke. The one gallery we went into had pieces ranging from $2k to $100k, and other galleries were similar. Every cafe had art for sale. There are art museums everywhere, and sculptures and murals in the streets.
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The rush hour traffic was insane. There's a high-frequency railroad that goes right through the main two roads of the town, and we got backed up more than once.
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Red and green chiles are a way of life. Massive Chile Ristras hang to dry from every building, street lamp, fence, and house.
Favorites
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Georgia O'keefe Museum - Excellent museum that holds the largest collections of her paintings and tells the story of her life, especially her love for northern New Mexico.
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La Boca - We went to this cozy tapas bar in downtown kind of last minute - too bad we're doing dry January and couldn't take advantage of all the drink pairings. We opted for some delicious craft seltzers instead.
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Tia Sophia's - Classic New-Mexican brunch spot that may or may not have invented the breakfast burrito. Homey old diner vibes. Breakfast burrito with the Christmas sauce (red on one half, green on the other) obviously a must try.
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El Camino Real Trail - A 4.5 mile trail that runs along a river through many neighborhoods of Santa Fe. Lots of people were biking, jogging, and walking there dogs here every day. Made us feel like locals.
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Kakawa Chocolate House - We tried some crazy chocolate Elixirs here. A flight of four 3-oz drinking chocolates with different herbs and spices added. We bought a few truffles for home too. To our friends in the northeast, they just opened a location in Salem, MA too so keep an eye out.
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Remix Audio Bar - We stepped in here to warm up before dinner one night. Very quirky coffee/ramen place with a DJ spinning vinyls. Chess tables, books, and music memorabilia made for an interesting stop.