New Mexico
Published in Woman's Weekly 17th December 2011
Published in Woman's Weekly 17th December 2011
New Mexico
The transatlantic flight had been long, I’d hardly adjusted to life back on terra firma when I’m ushered into a wicker basket at the crack of dawn to experience the journey of a lifetime in a multi coloured hot air balloon. My fellow passengers and I were leading the dawn patrol piloted by the multi-award winning State champion Troy Bradley and the weather was just perfect for sailing. As we rose out of the darkness to greet the first rays of sunlight I had to pinch myself that this was really happening. I felt weightless, as if I was floating on air and I thought of the author Jules Verne whose countless travel and adventure novels had captivated me as a youngster. I was two thousand feet above the city of Albuquerque in New Mexico, the ballooning capital of the world and I was in heaven.
For me, New Mexico has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth yet is often overlooked as a holiday destination to it’s more famous neighbours such as Arizona and Texas. This is a shame as few states in the US can claim such a rich historical past that has embraced Indian, Spanish and Anglo cultures well before the term multiculturalism became fashionable.
From arrows to atoms, New Mexico has seen its fair share of upheaval and unrest. Yet out of this turmoil came some of the most distinctive art and architecture in the whole of the United States. The early Native Americans, first the Pueblo cultures, followed by the Apache and Navajo created spiritual designs of a mystical feel that were largely based on the surrounding natural world. The clear light and scenic beauty attracted artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe and novelist D. H. Lawrence to find inspiration and I was keen to follow in their footsteps.
First stop was to visit The Indian Pueblo Cultural Centre in downtown Albuquerque to further my understanding of the Pueblo world and it’s accomplishments. The bulk of the centre’s collection consists of both contemporary and historic pottery but there are plenty of other fascinating objects to satisfy one’s curiosity. I particularly enjoyed the wonderful decorative murals that adorned the centre’s walls with my favourite being The Turtle Rain Dance featuring men and women in ceremonial dress and I can also highly recommend the fry bread tacos served at the museum’s café and bakery.
With time for a brisk walk around the historic old town of Albuquerque, which was built some 70 years before the American Revolution, we were soon heading for the stars again onboard the world’s longest aerial tramway at Sandia Peak, some 10,000 feet above the desert floor. This tram journey isn’t for the fate hearted as it climbs through different climate zones, differing scenery and finally, the drama of an 11,000 square mile panoramic view. Don’t forget to take your camera and pack a jacket, as even in summer the mountaintop can be chilly.
How I wished for a pleasant summer breeze the following day as I found myself out in the midday sun at the historic sites of the Jemez State Monument and The Bandelier National Park. Both sites featured ancient ruins that were built long before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. At Jemez, the remains of an old Indian village can clearly be seen alongside a Spanish church that was once part of a Catholic mission from the C17th. A paved looped trail at Bandelier takes you past the magnificent cave dwellings and stone structures that were once inhabited by the ancestral Pueblo people between 1250-1600. Whoever said America had nothing much to offer in the way of culture and history?
There was even time to trek across parts of the collapsed crater from a long-extinct volcano at the Valles Caldera National Preserve where a vast area of grassland and forested mountains, rippled with hot springs and clear streams has been set aside for future generations to enjoy. The land sustains one of the countries largest wild elk herds and provides habitat for a wide variety of wildlife including peregrine falcons, black bear and mountain lions.
After all my adventures in the wilderness, there’s nothing like the revitalizing powers of a natural spa to aid weary limbs and there is nowhere quite like Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs, one of the oldest natural health resorts in the U.S. Deemed sacred by the indigenous Native Americans and set in a cottonwood-dotted valley against the banks of the Rio Ojo Caliente, this place has been drawing people since prehistoric times with its thermal waters. Generations of the faithful continually make the pilgrimage to relieve a variety of ailments from arthritis to depression. I particularly enjoyed sipping the water from the Lithia Spring, which is purported to have mood-lifting properties and it certainly put a spring in my step the following day as I headed to the bohemian towns of Taos and Santa Fe.
Art was on my agenda as I approached the traditional adobe-style Blumenschein Home and Museum in Taos. Once the home of the remarkable Blumenschein family who were instrumental in establishing the Taos Society of Artists at the beginning of C20th. The museum is maintained much as it was when they were alive. Inside, time has stood still as the house is crammed with their lifetime collection of art and eclectic-furnishings that reminded me of the home of the Bloomsbury artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant’s at Charleston near Brighton.
My favourite and totally unexpected museum recommendation occurred when I read about the glamorous Millicent Rogers. Socialite, fashion icon and art collector. She looked like Marlene Dietrich and was romantically linked to a number of notable men including Roald Dahl, Ian Fleming and Cary Grant. She had style and loved collecting beautiful things. Her trove of Native American jewellery, pottery, rugs and Hispanic art could not be bettered and this exhibition provides a fitting tribute to an extraordinary woman.
I don’t know what Millicent would have made of contemporary Canyon Road, Santa Fe’s famous art gallery district where the expensive and some may say slightly pretentious work hanging on the walls is of less interest than the adobe style building they are housed in. Yet the traditional Friday night gallery walk where both locals and visitors come out to mingle and flirt over a glass of wine at the many openings is both infectious and a great place for people watching.
Another great stop for people watching occurs at the Saturday morning Santa Fe Farmer’s Market where the great and good dress up in their finest artisan outfits to buy organic fruit and vegetables. A rumour was going round that the actor Colin Firth had been spotted, as New Mexico has become the fashionable location for big Hollywood blockbusters including True Grit and No Country for Old Men. Other Santa famous residents include Gene Hackman and Robert Redford.
Fact Box
America As You Like It offers a 7-night package from £876 per person, including return international flights from London to Albuquerque on United, car hire, 3 nights at the Parq Central in Albuquerque, 2 nights at the Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa and 2 nights at the Sagebrush Inn in Taos. Price based on 2 people sharing on a room only basis.
For more information please contact America As You Like It: on 020 8742 8299, sales@americaasyoulikeit.com or visit http://www.americaasyoulikeit.com/. Website:http://www.newmexico.org
The transatlantic flight had been long, I’d hardly adjusted to life back on terra firma when I’m ushered into a wicker basket at the crack of dawn to experience the journey of a lifetime in a multi coloured hot air balloon. My fellow passengers and I were leading the dawn patrol piloted by the multi-award winning State champion Troy Bradley and the weather was just perfect for sailing. As we rose out of the darkness to greet the first rays of sunlight I had to pinch myself that this was really happening. I felt weightless, as if I was floating on air and I thought of the author Jules Verne whose countless travel and adventure novels had captivated me as a youngster. I was two thousand feet above the city of Albuquerque in New Mexico, the ballooning capital of the world and I was in heaven.
For me, New Mexico has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth yet is often overlooked as a holiday destination to it’s more famous neighbours such as Arizona and Texas. This is a shame as few states in the US can claim such a rich historical past that has embraced Indian, Spanish and Anglo cultures well before the term multiculturalism became fashionable.
From arrows to atoms, New Mexico has seen its fair share of upheaval and unrest. Yet out of this turmoil came some of the most distinctive art and architecture in the whole of the United States. The early Native Americans, first the Pueblo cultures, followed by the Apache and Navajo created spiritual designs of a mystical feel that were largely based on the surrounding natural world. The clear light and scenic beauty attracted artists such as Georgia O’Keeffe and novelist D. H. Lawrence to find inspiration and I was keen to follow in their footsteps.
First stop was to visit The Indian Pueblo Cultural Centre in downtown Albuquerque to further my understanding of the Pueblo world and it’s accomplishments. The bulk of the centre’s collection consists of both contemporary and historic pottery but there are plenty of other fascinating objects to satisfy one’s curiosity. I particularly enjoyed the wonderful decorative murals that adorned the centre’s walls with my favourite being The Turtle Rain Dance featuring men and women in ceremonial dress and I can also highly recommend the fry bread tacos served at the museum’s café and bakery.
With time for a brisk walk around the historic old town of Albuquerque, which was built some 70 years before the American Revolution, we were soon heading for the stars again onboard the world’s longest aerial tramway at Sandia Peak, some 10,000 feet above the desert floor. This tram journey isn’t for the fate hearted as it climbs through different climate zones, differing scenery and finally, the drama of an 11,000 square mile panoramic view. Don’t forget to take your camera and pack a jacket, as even in summer the mountaintop can be chilly.
How I wished for a pleasant summer breeze the following day as I found myself out in the midday sun at the historic sites of the Jemez State Monument and The Bandelier National Park. Both sites featured ancient ruins that were built long before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. At Jemez, the remains of an old Indian village can clearly be seen alongside a Spanish church that was once part of a Catholic mission from the C17th. A paved looped trail at Bandelier takes you past the magnificent cave dwellings and stone structures that were once inhabited by the ancestral Pueblo people between 1250-1600. Whoever said America had nothing much to offer in the way of culture and history?
There was even time to trek across parts of the collapsed crater from a long-extinct volcano at the Valles Caldera National Preserve where a vast area of grassland and forested mountains, rippled with hot springs and clear streams has been set aside for future generations to enjoy. The land sustains one of the countries largest wild elk herds and provides habitat for a wide variety of wildlife including peregrine falcons, black bear and mountain lions.
After all my adventures in the wilderness, there’s nothing like the revitalizing powers of a natural spa to aid weary limbs and there is nowhere quite like Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs, one of the oldest natural health resorts in the U.S. Deemed sacred by the indigenous Native Americans and set in a cottonwood-dotted valley against the banks of the Rio Ojo Caliente, this place has been drawing people since prehistoric times with its thermal waters. Generations of the faithful continually make the pilgrimage to relieve a variety of ailments from arthritis to depression. I particularly enjoyed sipping the water from the Lithia Spring, which is purported to have mood-lifting properties and it certainly put a spring in my step the following day as I headed to the bohemian towns of Taos and Santa Fe.
Art was on my agenda as I approached the traditional adobe-style Blumenschein Home and Museum in Taos. Once the home of the remarkable Blumenschein family who were instrumental in establishing the Taos Society of Artists at the beginning of C20th. The museum is maintained much as it was when they were alive. Inside, time has stood still as the house is crammed with their lifetime collection of art and eclectic-furnishings that reminded me of the home of the Bloomsbury artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant’s at Charleston near Brighton.
My favourite and totally unexpected museum recommendation occurred when I read about the glamorous Millicent Rogers. Socialite, fashion icon and art collector. She looked like Marlene Dietrich and was romantically linked to a number of notable men including Roald Dahl, Ian Fleming and Cary Grant. She had style and loved collecting beautiful things. Her trove of Native American jewellery, pottery, rugs and Hispanic art could not be bettered and this exhibition provides a fitting tribute to an extraordinary woman.
I don’t know what Millicent would have made of contemporary Canyon Road, Santa Fe’s famous art gallery district where the expensive and some may say slightly pretentious work hanging on the walls is of less interest than the adobe style building they are housed in. Yet the traditional Friday night gallery walk where both locals and visitors come out to mingle and flirt over a glass of wine at the many openings is both infectious and a great place for people watching.
Another great stop for people watching occurs at the Saturday morning Santa Fe Farmer’s Market where the great and good dress up in their finest artisan outfits to buy organic fruit and vegetables. A rumour was going round that the actor Colin Firth had been spotted, as New Mexico has become the fashionable location for big Hollywood blockbusters including True Grit and No Country for Old Men. Other Santa famous residents include Gene Hackman and Robert Redford.
Fact Box
America As You Like It offers a 7-night package from £876 per person, including return international flights from London to Albuquerque on United, car hire, 3 nights at the Parq Central in Albuquerque, 2 nights at the Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs Resort & Spa and 2 nights at the Sagebrush Inn in Taos. Price based on 2 people sharing on a room only basis.
For more information please contact America As You Like It: on 020 8742 8299, sales@americaasyoulikeit.com or visit http://www.americaasyoulikeit.com/. Website:http://www.newmexico.org
