A New Mexico Thanksgiving

Last week I spent my much needed break visiting family and exploring New Mexico, and there was a lot to explore!

We spent a day in Santa Fe at The Plaza where there were plenty of swanky shops, galleries, and restaurants. Lunch was served at the Blue Corn Cafe where the chalupas with calabacitas were delicious!

 

Our first stop was the Andrew Smith Gallery, which housed collections of beautiful photographs from many different artists, including Ansel Adams and Annie Leibovitz.

My favorite artist was Elliot Erwitt with his humorous and charming photos of everyday life.

Next on our list was the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and the Chuck Jones Museum, co-creator of many Looney Tunes characters.

A stop into a french pastry shop led to tiramisu and funky animal bread. Nothing says Thanksgiving like a loaf of turkey shaped bread!

After we had our fill of shopping and galleries, the following days were very scenic to say the least.

There was a chilly, but breathtaking drive up through the Santa Fe National Forest on a long and windy road. I loved the vintage font on the signs in the park.

Another interesting stop was Dixon's Apple Market, the only place to find Champagne apples. While apple season was over, it was still a neat drive up to see an orchard in the middle of the desert.

A quick stop at a scenic overlook gave us great views of Cochiti Lake.

Back in the city again, we had lunch at Flying Star Cafe. The Rustic Salad, with lentils, pearled couscous, beets, goat cheese, and avocado vinaigrette was my pick. I did sneak a bite of my grandmas "Californian" though, a tasty crimini mushroom sandwich on sourdough, and it was tasty! The atmosphere was eclectic and fresh. Definitely a great place to get a bite to eat.

My favorite portion of the trip was the visit to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, but I'll save the details of that for another post.

And what would be a Thanksgiving and family get-together with out lots and lots and lots of food? We baked pies, made mashed potatoes, and I even served my sweet potato and black bean enchiladas. Oh, and the wine was ENDLESS. I felt like I needed to go into detox after the week long lush binge.

 

And just for my mother, here is an angel statue that she fell in love with during our walk through The Plaza.

Stay tuned for more on the tent rocks trip!

To see more pictures of this week long extravaganza, check out myphotoalbum for more.