Embark

As a visitor, New Mexico is one of those places–like New Orleans–that feels as if you are traveling to a foreign country–thanks to its local food, culture, and history. Add the mountains, the art, the natural hot springs and the options for adventure, and it’s a pretty idyllic spot.

On a recent trip there, we started our journey by making the ascent to the high altitude of Taos Ski Valley (TSV), nestled in the Sangre de Cristo mountains. TSV is run by the children and grandchildren of founder Ernie Blake, who came from Switzerland after WWII and was one of the West’s true ski pioneers. As first-time visitors to the valley, we were able to feel the sense of family and history throughout.

Though the altitude (9200 feet at the base; 12,800 at its peak) can take a couple of days to acclimate to, the upsides are the resulting ski conditions and terrain, one of the country’s most challenging. And don’t let the sign at the base (see above) frighten you, because there truly is terrain for skiers of all levels.

Both on and off the slopes, there is something very welcoming, very European, and very intriguing about Taos. For example, the legendary ski instructor, Jean Mayer, who came from France to join Ernie Blake in 1956, still doles out soup to customers at his St. Bernard Restaurant and Hotel, when he’s not instructing the mountain’s ski staff on the latest ski technique.

The Bavarian Lodge at Taos Ski Valley

We had the good fortune of staying in the quaint and welcoming Bavarian Restaurant & Lodge, located at the base of Kachina Peak and steps from the #4 lift. Owned and run by German-born Thomas Schulze and his wife, Jamie, the Bavarian offers guests and skiers a true Bavarian experience with its beer–specially imported from the Spaten Brewery in Munich–food, concerts and weekly fondue night. The inn’s four rooms are decorated lovingly with pieces imported from Bavaria, where Thomas spent time as a child. The one thing the Bavarian needs desperately, which Thomas is well aware of, is the apres-ski hot tub–hopefully soon to come.

Taos faces a tough future, however, as it attempts to hold on to its traditions and charm while keeping up with the bells and whistles of other Western ski resorts. There are plans to redesign the base of the mountain, as well as add ski lift accessibility to some of the mountain’s famous high ridges, which skiers currently access via a 40 minute hike.

The iron and arsenic pools at Ojo Caliente

Leaving Taos was not easy–we were loving the snow conditions and the vibe–but a stop to soak in the hot spring at Ojo Caliente, en route to Santa Fe, was the perfect activity to lure us away. Deemed sacred by Northern Pueblo Tribes of New Mexico, Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs has been a gathering place and a source of healing for hundreds of years. Our muscles in dire need of a soothing soak, we spent a few hours at Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort and Spa, trying out the the different pools–the Lithia, Iron, Soda and Arsenic–which vary in minerals, benefits and temperature. We also spent some family time in a private outdoor pool with a gorgeous kiva fireplace and the mountains just behind us.

Rejuvenated by all the minerals, we then headed to Santa Fe, where we spent the next few days doing little other than eating, shopping, looking at art, and taking part in a geocache adventure. We headed straight to our hotel, the recently-opened Hotel Chimayo de Santa Fe , which is conveniently located just one block from the historic Santa Fe Plaza. The hotel’s uniqueness

Chef Estevan and his New Mexican specialties

lies in its connection to the village of Chimayo, an historic agricultural community 30 minutes north of Santa Fe (rumor has it that Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith skipped the Georgia O’Keeffe museum on a recent trip to Santa Fe to collect some sacred earth from Chimayo instead). More than 70 artists from Chimayo contributed to the hotel’s decor–large, colorful weavings adorn the lobby–and members of the Chimayo community crafted 500 hand-made crosses from found materials to accent the fireplace mantels in each hotel room.

It’s not typical for a hotel restaurant to be a highlight for me, but in this case it was, as the hotel’s Tia’s Cocina restaurant and its charming chef, Estevan Garcia, a Santa Fe native, created a memorable meal for our family. Throughout the meal, Chef Estevan, a former monk whose dishes celebrate northern New Mexico’s traditional cuisine, came out to explain the origins of the dishes (some he’d learned from his grandmother), such as a Chile Relleno and the Torta de Huevo. We also learned about the farmer in Chimayo, hired exclusively to produce and provide the restaurant with the famous Chimayo chile. In Santa Fe, “Red or green?” is as common a question as “How are you?” My official response is red.

Speaking of colors, a friend suggested I stop into Back at the Ranch, an alluring store selling handmade cowboy boots, in a myriad of colors, patterns and materials (ostrich was a personal favorite), ranging from about $900 and up. You can even have an image of your dog imprinted on a custom-made pair.

Lunch at the SantaCafé offered another great meal (chicken confit enchilada green chile, asadero cheese and calabacitas–yum) before a tour of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. In addition to the art—so connected to the terrain of New Mexico, which she made her permanent home in 1949 until she died in 1986—O’Keeffe’s life, including her relationship with renowned photographer, Alfred Steiglitz, was captivating. She was deeply tied into the New Mexican culture, and never afraid to express it. Her quotes are legendary:

In front of the Georgia O'Keeffe museum

“When I was at Mabel [Dodge Luhan]’s at Taos…there was an alfalfa field like a large green saucer. On one side of the field was a path lined with flowers…one day walking down the path I picked a large blackish red hollyhock and some bright dark blue larkspur that immediately went into a painting—and then another painting.”—Georgia O’Keeffee, 1966

If traveling to Santa Fe, do not miss a meal at Maria’s of Santa Fe on Cordova. In addition to their delicious, down-home spicy New Mexican cooking (blue corn enchiladas and steak relleno), there are over 100 combinations of margaritas to choose from. (As the menu states: A margarita is “one that’s made with “Real” tequila, “Real” triple-sec and “Real” lemon or lime juice–we use fresh-squeezed lemon juice instead of lime, because of it’s year-round consistency). Each margarita has its own name and everyone that goes there has a reason why you should like theirs best.

After breakfast at the Teahouse at the top of Canyon Road, we ambled along, ducking in and out of a sampling of more than 100 art galleries and studios. We then made a stop to check out the Railyard, Santa Fe’s recent addition of shops, galleries, cafes and a farmers’ market.

Our last day in Santa Fe began with huevos rancheros and good coffee at Café Pasqual’s, where we sat at its long, oval communal table. We needed the energy for our final adventure—geocaching on snowshoes.

Simon reads his GPS device while geocaching

Organized by Santa Fe Mountain Adventures and led by a guide named Rowlie, our “Trails to Treats Snowshoe Scavenger Hunt” (treats were key) began on a snow-covered trail system part way up to the Santa Fe ski mountain. Using GPS technology, we negotiated our way using clues based on the natural surroundings (trees, animals, etc) to help find a series of destination points—where the treasures lied—while navigating the trail system on snowshoes through several feet of fresh snow. It was an invigorating way to end our journey.

After all of our adventures–eating and otherwise–nothing proved a better way to cap off the week than an incredibly soothing massage in the traditional Japanese style at Ten Thousand Waves—a 15 minutes’ drive from downtown Santa Fe.

My last visit to Santa Fe was 17 years ago, when we had no choice other than to fly from New York to Albuquerque and then drive an hour north to Santa Fe. Now that you can fly directly into Santa Fe, the ease to travel there will bring me back soon. Skiing in Taos, visiting the museums and galleries of Santa Fe, and eating all those chile-laden dishes make it an entirely worthwhile trip, and you don’t even need a passport.

I am married to a man who loves to compete. He is long and lanky, yet as strong as an ox. Much less competitive but also athletic, I have shared many challenges by his side for more than two decades—from running and cycling to rock climbing and skiing. While he strives to win, I just want to sweat, stretch and inhale the intoxicating, fresh air. Would he ever be able to sit still and learn the power of the breath?

The legendary blue-footed booby

In these islands we seem nearer to the great fact—the first appearance of life on earth.

These words, written by Charles Darwin after he visited the Galapagos in 1835, only hint at the magic that lies in this cluster of islands. On a weeklong trip last year, my family had a taste of the magic, coming face to face with incredible wildlife and the unique personalities of each island we visited.

Organized by Geographic Expeditions, who’s been bringing travelers to the Galapagos for more than 25 years, our trip took us aboard La Pinta, a state-of-the-art, 48-passenger vessel that would transport us—mostly at night—to 8 of the archipelago’s 19 islands. Equipped with wetsuits and snorkeling gear that were ours to use for the week, we began each morning and afternoon boarding a panga (inflatable zodiac boat), built to hold about a dozen passengers. Always escorted by a naturalist, the panga delivered us—via dry or wet landing depending on the shoreline—to one of the islands, or to a specific destination where we’d slip into the chilly waters.

Like a safari on the sea, our adventures under water and on guided hikes were an eye-opening opportunity to get up extraordinarily close to numerous types of iguanas, sea lions, giant tortoises, frigate birds, the legendary blue-footed boobies, yellow warblers, flamingos, Darwin finches, doves, sharks and penguins.

I was amazed by the lack of fear in the animals when we approached. Respecting their habitat, we often stood silent, watching in awe of their trust and grace—even the iguanas. Our visit in late December was during the sea lions’ birthing season, so we’d often come across throngs of sea lion babies, suckling their mother or trampling one another along the beach in search of her.

First known to the whalers, traders and pirates of the Pacific as Las Islas Encantadas (the Enchanted Isles), the Galapagos were eventually given the name of the galapago, meaning tortoise, by Spanish explorers. The islands’ topography varies greatly—from white, sandy beaches to black volcanic rock to red, lava terrain. As
we hiked across volcanic craters and pristine beaches, there were frequent surprises—a sea lion bull aggressively chasing off his competition, two albatrosses doing a complex mating dance, or a blue-footed boobie tending to her white, fluffy newborn.

We saw firsthand how each island has its own ecology and unique population of species and sub-species—as Darwin saw in the historically pivotal finch, which has evolved into 13 species, each adapted to a different island environment.

Sitting on the deck of La Pinta eating lunch one afternoon, the captain announced over the loudspeaker that we might want to take a look over the starboard side of the ship. We put down our ceviche, and there, below, were scores of dolphins, performing for an enthusiastic crowd while escorting us to our next destination.

Today, the day before Thanksgiving, I am happy to be traveling NOWHERE. There is little that gets me more charged up than the anticipation of a trip, including the ride to the airport, the at-times lengthy waits at the gate, and my personal favorite–waking up before sunrise for an early morning departure. The airline boarding announcements, the race to the newsstand for a pack of gum, Twizzlers, and a bottle of water–these are all part of the excitement (strange, but true).

Today, however, with the rain falling and in preparation for feeding 18 people tomorrow, I’m particularly happy to be staying put in my cozy abode. This year, I have new perspective and an added appreciation of the meaning of home, largely due to the fact that one of my chickens (my 18-year-old daughter) has flown the coop (to college).

Watching her the first few minutes after she arrives home—though it’s no longer officially hers—makes me smile both inside and out. After a quick hello hug, she makes a beeline straight to the kitchen pantry (lot of goods in there). Her face lights up as she clutches her favorite and familiar snacks in hand, speaking excitedly about sleeping in her “old” bed, taking a hot shower and eating mom’s home cooking. While extremely happy at school, she revels in the comforts of home.

And so, for me, that makes home—and the ways in which we nurture it—even more meaningful this year. Over the next few days, it’ll be hard to find me anywhere but in the kitchen and curled up close to the fireplace.

For those of you who are traveling, enjoy and be safe. I’m staying home.

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My first taste of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Mexico, was atop a lovely, but slightly neurotic, horse named Abril. Reassured by a local wrangler that Abril was indeed gentle–despite her bizarre sidestepping response to unfamiliar objects–I joined my group on a trail ride through the misty-covered hills of San Cristobal’s El Encuentro Reserve to the El Arcolete ecological park.

Located in the central highlands of Chiapas, Mexico’s southernmost state bordering Guatemala, San Cristóbal is a colonial-era city and one of Mexico’s most indigenous–an isolated Maya refuge that the Spanish conquistadors never completely Europeanized.

On a recent visit here for the Adventure Travel World Summit–a yearly gathering of over 600 adventure tourism professionals from over 50 countries–I stole some time between seminars and meals to wander the streets of this charming city, known as the region’s cultural capital and dotted with museums, galleries, artisanal workshops and markets to prove it. I was especially touched by the warmth of the local people–from wranglers Gloria and Juan Castellanos of Enduro Encuestro, to the women of the local weaving cooperative, Sna Jolobil, to the owner of the Kakao Natura Chocolatería, to the chef at Tierra y Cielo, where I had my final San Cristóbal meal (of this journey, that is).

Although Chiapas is among Mexico’s poorest regions, it is rich with natural beauty comprised of roaring rivers, soaring mountains, deep canyons and life-fortifying forests, making it a natural draw for adventure-seeking travelers. As part of this inspiring forum, organized by the Adventure Travel Trade Association, I had a chance to participate in one of a myriad of locally hosted adventures. In a region such as Chiapas, the choice of adventures is plentiful, and I struggled over the decision whether to spend a day rock climbing at central Chiapas’s Copoya Plateau, rappelling with parrots at Sima de las Cotorras, or riding with Abril on the Encuentro-Arcotete equestrian experience.

Locally made chocolates at Kakao Natura.

I was happy with my decision, and mostly grateful to have discovered a corner of this vast country which is in great need of winning its tourism back. The effort to make that happen is so strong, in fact, that our gathering was welcomed with a speech by Mexico’s President Felipe Calderón*, who summed it up with these words:

We are a country my friends, of enormous natural wealth and enormous cultural wealth. And, no doubt, Mexico is truly a land of adventure, wherever you see fit.

But more than all that, my friends, what has Mexico, we feel, to bring to the world, it is not only its natural wealth, immense and many of them still unexplored, it is not only their cultural riches, is perhaps even more important, that is its people…

Here in Chiapas, from Chenalhó or Navenchauc, or in many places where poverty, indeed, is material. But the native is there…and when he says: This is your house, truly, he means it. We, my friends, we are a hospitable people. We have problems, yes.

Women at the local weaving cooperative.

But we are people with courage and character, determined to fix our problems. And more importantly, we are a people that we like to greet people. It is our nature, is in our DNA, that Mexico is truly a friend of the world, and we like it. So we are a country that celebrates both its visitors, because the joy of Mexico, a joy that has to do with what we are, with life, with death, with the colors, the flavors of our Mexico, is a joy that we share.

And San Cristóbal, with its colors and flavors, is worth sharing.

*To read President Calderón’s speech in its entirety, click here.

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