Read more about the article A Day in Santa Fe
The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

A Day in Santa Fe

At the expense of a day in Santa Fe, we spent one of our two allotted days skiing at Taos. Although I wouldn’t trade the opportunity to snow ski on a perfect April sunny day in uncrowded conditions (rare), we didn’t get to explore Santa Fe as much as I hoped.

We arrived at the Sante Fe Plaza, the heart of the 400-year-old city around dusk. Not only is it the oldest US capital city it’s also the highest elevation US capital city at 7,000 feet (surpassing Denver by over 1,000 feet). No wonder visitors flock here during the hot summer months.

Historic Santa Fe

Although the plaza was quiet, we walked around the historic district taking in the adobe architecture. Soon, we came to a park and the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis Assisi.

The Romanesque Revival style cathedral felt more European than American Southwest. Although the site of a church since its founding. Santa Fe’s first bishop, Father Baptist Lamy, replaced the 1714 structure with the new cathedral in the 1870s honoring his French roots.

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Read more about the article A Day in Taos, NM

A Day in Taos, NM

For the past several years, I’ve wanted to take our teens skiing. DH and I debated about whether to take an expensive, week-long ski trip out West or to give them a quick introduction closer to home in North Carolina. Just after Christmas, we headed up to Beech Mountain in North Carolina for a ski lesson and an afternoon of skiing. Everyone loved it.

When we found ourselves going to Arizona and New Mexico at Spring Break, I looked up the ski season at Taos Ski Valley. Fortunately due to lots of snow, they were still open during our trip. I packed a suitcase of ski pants, gloves ans hats — just in case. After checking the snow report and temperatures once our trip started, I found discounted ski lift tickets online since it was a weekday at the end of the season.

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Read more about the article Petrified Forest NP – Arizona: Part 2 – Painted Desert

Petrified Forest NP – Arizona: Part 2 – Painted Desert

People mistakenly interchange the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest. However, the Painted Desert is just one part of Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. Located at the northern end of the park just off I-40, visitors can see the pinks, oranges and red hues of the Chinle Formations for miles.

Even though it encompasses 218,000 acres, the park doesn’t offer lodging. In fact, the park closes nightly so plan your visit accordingly. Most visitors exit I-40 (Exit 311) and only tour the Painted Desert area. However, you can take the 28-mile Park Road to see the Blue Mesa area and the concentration of petrified logs closer to the southern entrance. Two visitor centers offering refreshments, bathrooms and information flank both ends of the park.

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