Reunited after each our own stints in Texas, Will and I spent one of our last weeks on the road in New Mexico, the land of enchantment and green chile.
Our Airbnb, walking distance from downtown Santa Fe, was a cute little casita in the typical adobe style with a spacious loft bed, skylights and windows in every direction, and a hot tub(!). The community is small and cozy and the streets were already lined with snow. I played A Charlie Brown Christmas religiously every day. Welcome to December.
Unbeknownst to us, New Mexico welcomed us with its own kind of "New Mexican" food, not to be confused with "Mexican" food (the type you'd find in other states such as California), or the food in Mexico (just "food"). At the helm of this cuisine is the famous green chile stew (often just referred to as chile), consisting of primarily roasted Hatch green chiles (grown in the Hatch Valley of NM) along with a mix of other ingredients, most often: potato, onion, chunks of meat, tomato. We sought out and ranked the chile from a few different restaurants:
1. La Choza
2. Atrisco's Cafe & Bar
3. The Pantry Rio
4. Mine Shaft Tavern (a short drive out of town in the former ghost town of Madrid)
Second to chile, our favorite thing to explore in Santa Fe was the local arts community, which is quite robust and welcoming. On one of our first nights, we attended a screening of short films by locals who had enrolled in an arts program to learn the tools of storytelling through filmmaking. We learned of the stories from a range of locals, from a proud Navajo female archaeologist to a budding artist to an addiction survivor to a woman who dedicated her entire slideshow, erm, I mean video, to her dog. Later in the week, we returned to the same arts center (the Center for Contemporary Arts) to watch Fallen Leaves, a funny Finnish film with quirky, downtrodden characters in a love story despite their unfortunate circumstances.
We visited the famous Georgia O'Keeffe Museum to see a great exhibition of her paintings throughout her lifetime, from her earlier, experimental works to her life in New York City to her homes in New Mexico. There was even a little section with her belongings, garments, and info about her home life (apparently she was interested in quitting painting at some point to write a cookbook).
Another fantastic arts highlight in Santa Fe is the original Meow Wolf exhibit: House of Eternal Return. After visiting the other Meow Wolves(?) in Las Vegas and Denver, I found visiting the original location to be a fun and less daunting experience with a slightly more straightforward storyline. Will and I easily spent about two hours digging into the house's artifacts and secret passageways to the universe beyond.
Our final local arts gem: searching for unique local bars and nighttime experiences, Will and I discovered Remix Audio Bar, a hidden, second-story vinyl bar in downtown. Sadly, we learned it's only open from 1-6pm daily and had to return during the afternoon, but when we did, we enjoyed its cozy and tucked away atmosphere. They have delicious kombucha on tap and tasty espresso drinks (mocha!). Run by a super friendly and welcoming owner, the audio bar allows different DJs to spin vinyl for the small 12-seater room. On this particular Saturday, it was modern electronica.
Leaving Santa Fe to drive westward was tough. Of the many highlights, I knew I'd miss the green chile (obviously) and the 360-degree mountain views and sunny skies the most. Will and I had started every morning with a neighborhood walk, and although they were often frozen and slippery, they were tranquil, refreshing, and, indeed, enchanting.