Do You Know The Way (To Santa Fe)

Day Ten: Moriarty to Santa Fe NM

•         50 miles

•         1 hour

•         41 N to 350 to 385

•         # of days within budget so far: 3

No, you didn't just read that mileage wrong. We really did only spend one hour on the road today. We milked our hotel stay right up until 11 am, and then enjoyed a leisurely drive through the desert to Santa Fe. The smoke from the forest fires covers everything to the west in a haze, and the campfire aroma still permeates the air. Fields of a leg-y looking cactus called cholla (choy-ah) bloom with bright fuscia flowers.

Our route takes us through Gallisteo, an adorable little settlement with the dreamiest adobe houses ever. The thing about these dreamy stucco houses out here is that they're small. I'm sure I could find stucco mansions o' plenty, but for the most part the homes are reasonable. This is both reassuring and inspiring. I can feel the Pirate's wheels turning (well, pun intended I guess).

Santa Fe is where we hook up with my friend Alix. Alix also has some land in Sodom; hers actually borders ours at the ridge line. When I met Alix, she was tent camping on her land and getting up at 3 am in order to walk to Marshall. Walk. Like, 12 miles. Needless to say, she is a bad-ass, and stunningly beautiful to boot. She is living here in Santa Fe with her boyfriend, Anderson. They are graciously hosting us for this stay. They have a private little courtyard with peach trees and hollyhocks, and with the weather being so lovely, we decided to set put the tent up in this perfect bower.

Once we arrived to A&A's house, we were fed a delicious lunch and then sent off for much needed naps. Refreshed and ready to go by the afternoon, we all walk to downtown Santa Fe. The plaza is just as I remember it- buskers playing music and tying balloon animals, tourists, merchants set up under the veranda selling look alike turquoise jewelry. A & A lead us down side streets and through some neighborhoods that show off the funky Santa Fe esthetic. Band-aid brown stucco with turquoise or cobalt trim, low adobe walls that line the front yards, metal grates and nichos, virgins, and tile mosaics seem to define the look.

 

Dinner is at the Second Street Brewery in the hip railroad district. We feast on nachos and fish-n-chips (Alix's recommendation) It's fantastic, especially because the fries are covered in  green chile. We chat and catch up, I coax their love story out of them (it's very sweet), and we watch as the setting sun turns red behind the smoke.

I am writing this from our courtyard. It's dark, and the crickets are chirping all over the neighborhood.  The temperature is cooling off fast. We have candles lit, a soft breeze is blowing and the Pirate is smoking his pipe.

I just want to say that I feel ya’ll. I’m constantly grateful for your enthusiastic support.  Thank you.

Sweet dreams,

The Mermaid