mother-daughter trip, new orleans

As I've mentioned in the past, my mother and I recently started a tradition where we try to get away for a few days each year to take a trip somewhere, just the two of us. This year, we went to New Orleans.

It was my first visit to the city and what a wonderful visit it was. We stayed in the central business district and the very pleasant International House Hotel and spent the four days we were in town eating and drinking and wandering. We ate oyster po' boys and muffaletta and beignets. We drank sazeracs and French 75s and champagne cocktails. We strolled through the French Quarter and took the Trolley out to the Garden District. We took afternoon naps. It was such a treat to share the experience with my mother.

Anyway, I'm back in San Francisco and gearing up for the start of the school year this week. After all of the lovely trips I've taken, I'm actually ready to settle in at home for a bit and get back into a normal routine!

new york in the fall

Hello from NYC! I'm in the city for a few days visiting friends and family before heading down to New Orleans for a little vacation with my mother. So far, my New York agenda includes lunch at Bouley, dinner at Batard, a visit to the MoMA, a trip to Bronxville and then New Haven, and a bit of shopping and general strolling around the West Village. New York in the fall is heavenly.

Back soon, hopefully with some photos from New Orleans!

bandelier national monument

On our first full day in Santa Fe, Kinzie and I woke up early, breakfasted at Cafe Pasqual's, and then drove out to Bandelier National Monument.

When we first walked in to the entrance to the park, we saw a band of tiny owls. I'm still not totally clear as to why the owls were there, but they were very small and very awesome. I wish it was feasible to keep a tiny owl as a pet. 

We walked the main loop that takes you by some of the cliff dwellings. It was very hot and bright out; also very beautiful.

Part of what was so great about our trip to Santa Fe was how much there was to see and do in the surrounding area. There is so much beauty in the landscape and while at first I thought it was a bit silly that the state is called the "land of enchantment", after seeing it for myself, I get it.

santa fe, part II: canyon road

Santa Fe was just so darn gorgeous I couldn't stop taking photos, so I'm doing a few posts to spread them out a bit. As I mentioned before, the house we stayed in was a short walk from Canyon Road and we ended up spending a lot of time in the area because it was so charming and relaxed. I think we went to the Teahouse every day of our trip and wandered around, dipping into the various galleries and pocket gardens as often as possible. 

I'm not sure exactly what I expected Santa Fe to look and feel like but I was surprised by the color and the light. Everything looked so pure and fresh and there were flowers everywhere. 

labor day weekend, santa fe

I spent Labor Day weekend in Santa Fe - a sort of brief getaway with my friend Kinzie, just because. Kinzie and I were freshmen roommates in college and it's hard for me to believe that it was ten years ago, almost to the day, that we moved in to our dorm room and quickly became fast friends. She is one of my favorite traveling companions because we basically like doing exactly the same things, so when we found out that we both were free over the long weekend, we jumped at the chance to plan a little trip.

We chose Santa Fe because neither of us had been and because it seemed just right for a short trip - the travel time is reasonable and there seemed to be plenty to do but not so much that three days would be wildly insufficient. We flew in to Albuquerque and then drove to Santa Fe, arriving mid-day on Saturday. We stopped for a drink and a quick snack at the Teahouse, which was on Canyon Road, just a short walk from the house we rented on Airbnb. Afterwards, we drove into the center of town to wander around and take in the sights. We sat outside on the patio at the Inn of the Anasazi and drank glasses of rose; we did the same at 315 Wine Bar and La Casa Sena before making our way to the Shed for dinner. This was basically the theme of the trip: wander around, stop for a drink, wander some more, stop for another drink, eat something delicious. Repeat.

Our second day, we woke up early to head out to Bandelier National Monument, stopping in at Cafe Pasqual's for a fortifying pre-hike breakfast. The place was already mobbed at 8:45am (we weren't the only ones who thought spending the long weekend in Santa Fe sounded like a good idea) but we eventually made it in and had a terrific breakfast of huevos rancheros (me) and griddled polenta with chorizo (Kinzie). They take their breakfasts quite seriously in Santa Fe. After our hike, we dusted ourselves off, napped, and headed back in to town for margaritas at the Pink Adobe and dinner at Taberna. We ended the evening curled up on the couch watching old episodes of Sex and the City - truly, a girls weekend.

 

Monday was the last full day of our trip and we spent the better part of it at the spa at Ojo Caliente. We both got massages and took mud baths and paddled around in the mineral springs.  The sky was absolutely blue, with the occasional fleecy cloud; the sun was hot and direct but there was a breeze that made you shiver when you stepped out of the water. In other words, it was heavenly.

When we got back in the evening, we headed straight to the rooftop bar on the top of the La Fonda hotel to watch the sunset (and drink margaritas). We followed this up with a terrific dinner at Joseph's of Santa Fe - a seriously charming restaurant on the outskirts of town. 

Really, it was such a great trip - some wonderful time spent with a dear friend and a chance to explore a truly lovely place. I hope everyone had an equally delightful Labor Day weekend!