Just When the Temps Cool Down and Pumpkins are Everywhere....

...I'm taking off for paradise!

It's our annual girlfriend trip!  This will be the 4th year in a row that we take off the first week of October to enjoy white sands and blue waters together.  We stay in the same place and almost do the exact same things every year....which amounts to basically nuthin'!!!

This group usually tries to get together every few weeks for lunch or a movie but this year, everyone has been so busy that we've hardly gotten together at all ... we are all looking forward to it!!

Before we know it, the busy holidays will be upon us so I'm taking this time to just chill!!!

I'll be back to pumpkins and halloween and turkey for Thanksgiving before you know it!!

God paints beautiful images!

On the last day of our trip, we drove the Turquoise Trail, passing thru small quaint picturesque towns.  We also decided to drive to the top of Sandia mountain to see those views.  All I can say is that we have a beautiful country and I'm so happy I got to see this part of it...

His paintbrush was brilliant when He worked on this part of the country!

He also outdid Himself when He made this friendship!!

Santa Fe, New Mexico

2017     

Blue Skies, Cool Breezes & Happy People

Now, come on.....every gal pal trip should participate in room service at least once, eh??!!!  And since our breakfasts were completely complimentary.....why not?  We slept in on this day and what better way to get moving than having french press coffee and LOTS of food delivered to our door while still in our pjs!!!!!!  (both of us full heartedly admit to being spoiled rotten)

We'd heard the Farmer's Market was really cool so off we went...

So many booths, so much fresh food, gifts, turquoise! and new friends!!

While walking, we approached this sweet girl.  I told Lisa...Look how all american she looks with her fresh produce in her turquoise bicycle basket!  So we stopped to talk to her.  Turns out that she lives in chicago working in the corporate world and came down to visit santa fe....fell in love with it...and bought a small house not far from the railyard.  She is packing it all in, on a whim, hoping it all works out!!  Lovely story and I plan to keep in touch with her story!

Next stop?  Meow Wolf art gallery...talk about crazy?!!

"Meow Wolf is an arts collective based out of Santa Fe, New Mexico established in 2008. The group is composed of more than 100 artists across several disciplines including: painting, architecture, sculpture, video production, audio engineering, writing and many more."

An amazing interactive experience!

After all that?  Definitely time for refreshments!

Earlier I mentioned foregoing dinner for a meal from our fridge....this was the night!

Ending to another wonderful day!

Part Dos....

The first thing I saw from our hotel, only a block away, was a very cool church.

and why is it so cool?

And now I have a lil story to tell....

There is a huge bell at the back of the church

the structure was covered in mexican milagros charms that had been put on by the people. I immediately knew that I had to attach a "heart" charm in memory of what my son suffered thru last year...knowing that if a replica of his heart was attached to the oldest church in the country....it would be a good sign for health!  (I really really believe in this stuff!)

"Milagros (also known as an ex-voto or dijes or promesas) are religious folk charms that are traditionally used for healing purposes and as votive offerings in Mexico, the southern United States, or other Latin America, and parts of the Iberian peninsula."

(wikipedia)

A moms gotta do all a mom can do to keep her babies healthy, happy and safe!!

Lit votives for the rest of my family....while ms lisa was banging on the church bell and scaring every lil ol lady around her!

We visited the oldest house in the country as well..

Walked to the most exquisite chocolate shop for a taste of their famous elixer...

get ready daughter in laws....ol' yaya just may have come home with some of this!

YUM....with RUM!!

Next on the agenda was walking the streets of santa fe with all of its shops and art galleries!

But then, lunch called and we found the MOST PERFECT spot ever, Terra Cotta wine bistro!

Our fave spot on the whole trip.  Great food. Better wine!!

after a short rest back at the suite, where we watched a wedding take place right in our courtyard,

Dinner was a slow, easy walk to Il Piatto, a farmhouse Italian restaurant, where I splurged on Duck Confit as appetizer. Lisa had fresh beet salad.  All I can say is WOW!

We watched the Gay Pride parade in town and then danced a leetle bit in the plaza with all before calling it a night!!!

I slept well that night!!!!

Take a Trip with Me!!!

On a beautiful late summer morn, I took off from our home airport right at sunrise.  This sight always calms me yet excites me for I know FUN is to follow..

As we made our descent, the pilot told us there was rain on the ground.  I just rolled my eyes...OF COURSE, it was raining in the desert, my PNW friend was meeting me and she brings rain everywhere she goes.  But I didn't care.  Seeing her was worth it all.  Then I looked out the window and what did I see???

A sign of the beginning of a wonderful adventure!

My friend, Lisa, and I try to take a trip together once a year.  She lives in WA state and I'm in deep south so we take turns going to different coasts.  We've done Savannah/Tybee Island, Sedona, Cape Cod, Mexico, even took a long trip to Italy together.  And we just returned from Santa Fe, New Mexico.  So far....every dingle dangle trip has been awesome!

Nothing makes me smile bigger than looking up in the airport and seeing this!

We flew into Albuquerque and then took a train to Santa Fe where Uber became our best friend. I love that most uber drivers are a wealth of information about their cities. We were informed about 

Great food and they were nice enough to let us stow our bags there while we walked thru old town of Albuquerque until it was train time.  

And we just so happened to see the Candy Lady store.....for those of you who are familiar with the TV show Breaking Bad.....

Since it was filmed here, it's a very popular topic of conversation.  The shop owner even had this funny photo area for tourists.  I was informed that my children did not think this was very grown up  of me to take this pic...........but my friend and I thought it was highlarious!!!!

ALL ABOARD!!!!

90 minute ride into Santa Fe where we were picked up by our boutique hotel for the short ride there.

~THE INN OF 5 GRACES~ 

I cannot even explain in words about this hotel except for WOW!  Just take a look...

the name of our suite

our courtyard

the foyer and steps leading up to our door

let me expound on this lil area!  2 refrigerators containing everything you can imagine....drinks, waters, candy, crackers, brie and goat cheeses, fruits...all complimentary. One night, we just stayed in and had dinner from the fridge outside!

one bedroom with lil balcony

2nd bedroom

view outside my bedroom balcony

the juju dolls I picked up at the airport....sitting over our fireplace...to protect us in our ventures!

what we found on both of our beds when we returned to the suite the first night!

the breakfast courtyard where we enjoyed the most awesome foods every morning....will include food pics later!

everywhere you looked, flowers were blooming in abundance!!!

....and I've yet to touch on all we did....back later!