A Royal Winter Send-off for Spring Break

I'm loving the 70 degree weather, nodding daffodils and blue skies out my window. Meanwhile, my son, daughter-in-law and three grandsons are keeping their fingers crossed for great skiing in New Mexico

And it looks good. All four of the ski areas I visited last month are open now with ample snow -- all trails are open and no snow-making machines needed!

My family is headed to Angel Fire -- staying in the lodge. It's so convenient just to walk out the door and you're ready to go. Angel Fire has the easiest check-in of the four places. They have computer terminals to enter your height, weight, shoe-size -- and, if you're a regular -- that information comes right up.

I have to admit, my skiing days are now behind me. I discovered I could still ski a bit after a 35-year hiatus -- but the lift totally conquered me! I spent some quality time in the Stray Dog Cafe adjacent to the ski area and browsing in the gift shop in the lodge. I also toured the property -- there are some gorgeous homes here and, in summer, golf and horseback riding.

Ski Santa Fe has great facilities for serious skiers. I played around on the baby slope for a while -- but there were too many babies and not enough slope (and I'd given up on the lift by the time we got here -- our third stop). There were plenty of places to sit and watch the action and the facilities are expanding to accommodate more guests inside. This ski area is strictly that -- so if you're not a skier, stay in Santa Fe!

I loved Taos -- very European-looking! This was our last stop and I'd given up even pretending to ski and concentrated on apres-ski! The day was gorgeous and it was comfortable sitting in the sun and watching others negotiate the slopes. And I met this nice guy with the most precious little husky puppy!

I'm very nostalgic about Red River -- it was the last place my family skied years ago -- back when I could actually get off the lift by myself. And it was the first place we skied on this press trip. The first afternoon we took beginners' lessons and I was rockin'. It was the next morning when the lift was added that things began to look bleak for my career as an antique Olympian. I couldn't stand up fast enough. First trip up the lift -- pow, I hit the snow. The next few times, the instructor boosted me off. After that, I'd just shout at the attendant, "Watch out, here I come!" And he would grab my hand and pull me off. Humiliating! Fortunately, there are other things to do and the moonlight snowmobile ride we took was a super experience -- full moon and snow-covered pines looking like they belonged on a Christmas card. The town has such a great family feel -- very laid-back.

In spite of not being the skier I'd hoped to be when I signed on for the trip, I had a great time. Now I'm going to breathe deep and enjoy the pollen-laced spring air here in Oklahoma!

I'm SOOO Fond-a La Fonda

Santa Fe's historic La Fonda hotel is iconic with its pueblo-style architecture and Spanish Colonial decor. And I love it. So I was thrilled to find that I'd be staying there on my recent trip to New Mexico.

My room was in the La Terraza (concierge) section with a small balcony looking out on the Cathedral. My suite featured beautiful wood floors with woven Indian rugs, colorful tiles and painted furniture.

The wine, fruit and cheese was a lovely surprise.

Both Spanish and Indian themes blended nicely and appeared in creative ways like these cut-outs of corn on the closet door.

The hotel rambles all over the block and it's easy to get lost in the maze of hallways. I took a few unplanned detours myself but enjoyed it because on every wall and around every corner you'll find interesting touches like the stained glass and punched tin light fixture I found in a stairwell.
Of course I had to have huevos rancheros for breakfast -- it's my tradition whenever I'm in New Mexico. And La Plazuela, the La Fonda's charming cafe, made the perfect setting.

I loved my room; I loved my bed; I loved my breakfast but here's what put the La Fonda and its great staff forever in my heart. I was in a hurry to get dressed and packed and took my pearl earrings out of my suitcase. Before I put them on, I stopped to do something else and promptly forgot them. They're small and simple -- not terribly expensive -- but they had a lot of sentimental value to me. I didn't realize until we were in Red River that I didn't have them. I didn't hold out much hope for getting them back. It would have been easy just to sweep them off the table without noticing. I called the hotel -- as did my trip host -- but didn't hear back that day -- or the next. I had given up when I got the message that they had been found and had been put in the mail. They beat me home. Thank you, La Fonda, for a great stay and a happy ending!

City of Faith

Just a block off the Plaza in Santa Fe is the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. The massive Romanesque structure was consecrated in 1887, built under the direction of Bishop Lamy. The first church on the site was built in 1610.

A number of impressive sculptures stand on the grounds. One would expect a statue of St. Francis. This one is quite traditional -- sculpted by Betty Sabo. Another representation, more contemporary, is St. Francis of Assisi Dancing on Water by Monika Kaden. Its exuberance makes me smile.

Also in front of the church is a statue of the Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, the first Indian of North America to be promoted toward sainthood. Here's what I learned about that. There are four steps to sainthood. The first step is an intial investigation. Completing the second level, the candidate is declared Venerable. The third step is beatification and the candidate is called "Blessed." The final step is canonization. It made me wonder -- we talk about St. Joseph but what about the Blessed Virgin? Any Catholics have the answer? The Blessed Kateri statue is by sculpture Estella Loretto. I love it that all these statues were by women artists.

On our visit to the cathedral, we (the press trip participants) spent most of the time in the St. Joseph Chapel. We were honored to meet the santera who was responsible for painting the reredo behind the altar. (Old school teacher digression -- excuse me if you already know this. A santero or santera is a maker of sacred images. These images, common in Spanish colonial art, are called santos. Paintings of saints on flat panels are called retablos; three dimensional carvings are called bultos. The reredo is the decorated screen behind the altar. This one, like many others, is made up of retablos.)

Arlene Cisneros Sena didn't discover the art form until she was an adult. Now she is one of the foremost painters of santos. "It's teaching the faith -- telling the stories," she says. Her work is widely sought after and she has pieces in a number of museums. In addition, a reliquary, which she made in collaboration with a local jeweler, is in the Vatican.

We had little time to see the rest of the cathedral but I was able to snap a quick picture down the main aisle.

And we made a short visit to another side chapel, a remnant of the 1625 church, dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, La Conquistadora.

This is the oldest Madonna in America. She arrived in Santa Fe around 1625 and has remained an important icon for the community.

The cathedral is a lovely spot for worship and reflection. We tried to be inconspicuous as we snapped away like frantic tourists!

New Mexico 1

I arrived in Albuquerque yesterday afternoon and was picked up and driven to Santa Fe where we (other journalists and I) toured the New Mexico Museum of Art. It is in a beautiful pueblo-styled building with a picturesque courtyard. Their current exhibit, How the West Was One, is brilliant. The museum started as a studio and gallery where artists could create, show and sell their work and was open to any artists working in New Mexico. The exhibit includes works from the time of the railroad's arrival to the present and includes an amazing variety from Native American and Hispanic artists to Easterners who came here (like John Sloan, Marsden Harley and Georgia O'Keeffe) to work. Some of the contemporary pieces are real stunners. Upstairs, the curator has paired works. I don't have my notes, but trust me, the exhibit is top-notch.
Today we started with a 7 a.m. architectural walk, breakfast at the La Fonda (where I am staying) then visits to two museums (I'll get the names wrong so I'll put them in later) on Museum Hill -- one featuring Native American art and heritage and the other Spanish Colonial. Then the most spectacular lunch at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. We got to tour the museum which is currently closed while they install a new exhibition which opens Friday. Oh my, the fabulous O'Keeffes. And the curator went around with us and gave us great background material.
The weather is the most gorgeous New Mexican weather -- a sky so blue it's beyond belief, warm sun, cool breeze -- absolutely perfect. The 7000-foot altitude is telling on me -- hopefully by tomorrow I will be more used to it and not so short of breath. (Couldn't be those extra pounds from the great food we're having?)
Must go -- I leave in 50 minutes to eat again!!!!!