Santa Fe and Taos and I have finally met

This has been a long day coming...
Five years ago, I was in a large room with about 30 other women in a training session learning the latest in sexual health education. In order to break the ice and get to know each other we were each asked to write down three truths and one lie and read them aloud when we introduced ourselves to the group.

I wrote down:
I grew up in Northern California just a short distance from San Francisco
I nearly lost my eye as a kid and wore an eye patch for a year
I have an aversion to chocolate
I can speak four languages fluently

The room as a whole decided that my big ol' lie was growing up in Northern California because I just looked way too much like a Santa Fe girl. What? Really? I would have guessed the eye bit or the languages but go figure... in any case, they didn't believe me that I wasn't from the Southwest.
And somehow this theory has come up time and time again, well, now I can say I've finally made my way to Santa Fe and I can kinda sorta see what everybody's been implying. I blame the cowgirl boots and earth tones I wear six out of seven days a week. :-)

Anyway, if you too should find yourself in Santa Fe. Go to these two places, drive up Canyon Creek Road and skidaddle on out to Taos where it's a bit more down-home and warmer (not temperature, just the vibe).






1) Cafe Pasqual's
121 Don Gaspar Ave
Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 983-9340
Order the two vegetarian mole enchiladas stuffed with zucchini, spinach, grilled tofu!! The mole is perfection as are the black beans topped with homemade sour cream. Chai latte is yummy spice and sweet combined, well-balanced indeed. To top it all is the chocolate budino tartlet with sea salt and olive oil... So rich and unique decadence that we had to share with our neighbor table. Love this place, everything hit the spot!


2)Kakawa Chocolate House
1050 Paseo de Peralta
Santa Fe, NM 87501
(866) 982-0388
Holy cacao I don't even like chocolate and my taste buds have forever changed... The Atole is indeed an ancient medicine, be sure to try it as it's the oldest recipe for hot chocolate and packed with a chili honey punch. Too bad you can't ship it, it's the only thing here that's just to be had in the moment. Forget doctors, bring on the Atole ;-)













When we got to Taos, the sun was setting so in remaining minutes of light I snapped a shot of the 2nd oldest church in the U.S.



and a few street images that were just a few 100 feet away from our La Dona Luz- the best bed and breakfast EVER. Paco has been renovated his family's property and making the perfect home away from home with local art, traditional Native American rugs, photographs, paintings, and nic-nacks of cute, quirk, and sacred.

The Yellow Bird Deer room, where I stayed last night, is something out of a dream I've had, I slept so well and so sound surrounded by its charms. The staff is so sweet and the location couldn't be better. Must stay here if you ever come to Taos: http://www.ladonaluz.com/