Santa Fe - April '23
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The Build Up
This crew has been going strong on our annual guys trip for sometime. We all have jobs, house chores, and families, so we strategically build our marriage equity for our annual trip.
Last year was Southern Utah. This trip set the bar high, and there were a few aspects of that weekend that became the foundation of a good next trip: hiking and outdoors and fun, spacious accommodations.
Like the quant nerds we are, we literally used a ranking system on a spreadsheet to vote for the destination. Santa Fe eeked out Asheville (next years trip!) and Mexico City.
It checked many of our boxes. For most of us it was our first time in Santa Fe and New Mexico.
Getting In
Getting in is straight forward. There's a direct flight from Austin to Albuquerque ABQ. Most folks had a direct flight as well. From ABQ it's an hour drive to Santa Fe.
There are a few other options:
- Train - the New Mexico Rail Runner takes your right into Santa Fe for about $10.
- Shuttle - shuttles run from ABQ to Santa Fe for $40-50, one-way
- Rental Car
The train and shuttle seemed like good options, but we opted for a rental car given the amount of people we had and the things we wanted to do.
ABQ airport leaves something to be desired. There were a few standard airport bars and restaurants with high-priced drinks and mediocre food. Nothing to see here.
If you're a spicehead like me, I do recommend you take a look at the spice shops there. Yes, you'll get beat over the head with tourist prices, but New Mexico is known for its peppers and spices. If you forgot them while you're in Santa Fe, pick some up at ABQ before you head home.
I landed with a buddy. Decision time. We had two hours before the next guy landed. Do we wait it out in ABQ's ho-hum dining options or venture out into the Land of Enchantment. Sorry, friend, we'll text you where we go.
A quick Uber ride and we were off to grab lunch and wait for the team to assemble.
We went to El Pinto, and we couldn't have asked for a better spot.
It's a classic New Mexican restaurant (note on New Mexican food in a bit, because it's its own thing).
The patio was buzzing and we found a good spot in the shaded part. Our waitress was amazing and gave great recs. Two immediate Modelos took the post-flight edge off as we looked at the menu. I went with the stuffed sopapillas - Christmas style (more to come on what that means).
Crash Course on New Mexican Food
New Mexico has it's own food, and it's delicious. It's not Mexican. It's not Tex-Mex. It's New Mexican.
Many of you will hear "Mexican" and your first impression will be, "yum, burritos and tacos." Yes, you'll find those, but skip these while you're in New Mexico. There is so much more here.
New Mexican food influences are a blend of the people that have shaped the state. The area's history is a complex and rich mix of Spanish, Mexican, Native American, and other cultures that have made an indelible mark on the state that you can still feel today.
The food is a tasty way experience this culture. You'll recognize the food, but it's also distinct.
Here's a primer and some must-haves and a very important pro-tip you can use to wow your friends.
Chiles, chiles, chiles! This is a hallmark of New Mexican Food. Chiles will be everywhere on everything. The state is a capsaicin lovers paradise and produces some of the best chilis in the country. They're just called chiles in the state, but you may hear them called Hatch peppers.
Red or Green chilies? Now this is more religion than science. Red and green chilies come from the same plant. Chiles grow green then redden as they ripen. Which is hotter? Eh, that's also a matter or debate.
Christmas Tree Now get ready to impress your friends. At every meal you'll be asked if you want red or green chilies. Pick your preference. But if you want to sound like a local, you'll say "Christmas." You've just told the server to bring both. Go ahead try it. It'll feel awkward, but you'll score points.
The portions are GRANDE! If you're on a diet, good luck. New Mexican food is heavy, and most plates can feed two people. You've been warned.
Sopapillas - These are fry-bread goodness. Stuff them with protein and douse them in chilis. Or serve them sweet and load these guys up with honey.
There's much, much more here, but learning is best done through eating as much NM food as possible.
Resume slideshow...
... Back to the Trip
El Pinto was exactly the landing spot we needed, and as an extra bonus, we ran into some Hollywood magic.
As we rolled into the restaurant, we spotted a whole movie crew buzzing around - trucks, extras, cameras - the whole set up. After some post-Modelo inquiries, we found out that they were filming a show in the one of the back rooms.
Duster is a 1970's drama featuring Josh Holloway and directed by JJ Abrams. Now we did our best to sneak back and were politely showed the way out. We chatted up with the extras who were done up in 70's suits. Unfortunately, there were no A-list sightings, but we did catch a scene or two.
The show looks great, and I'll be watching out for it.
About this time, three of the others guys showed up, and pitcher of margaritas showed up five seconds after. We relaxed, sipped, and enjoyed the patio before heading up.
The Lodging
Last year's lodging in Southern Utah (Cliff Dwellers) on VRBO was a hit. This year's house was a grand slam!
We prioritized a few things on this trip based on what we liked from the previous year:
- a big living room so we could all hang out together comfortably
- remoteness and not in a neighborhood
- competition, baby!
This year we booked the High Desert Hacienda in Santa Fe.
This house checked all our boxes and more. It was in Santa Fe in what I would sort of a neighborhood, but we couldn't see our neighbors. It offered amazing views of Santa Fe. The cool thing we were less than 10 minutes away from the city.
With 6000 sq. ft., 6 rooms and a casita it was the perfect headquarters. The place was done up in true Southwest style - adobe, turquoise, Native American design.
Outside, a patio and balcony (with a fireplace) gave us spectacular views of the area.
Inside, the living room was the centerpiece. It provided ample seating for everyone. At night we yelled at the NBA Playoffs in comfort.
The MVP of the house was the shuffleboard table. No less than 100 games, many involving money, were played in 3 nights. Guys are so easy to entertain.
Imagine waking up to this view everyday from the back balcony.
I have to get better a taking more pictures of the inside. But, hey, VRBO has my back.
You can take a deeper look at the property and book here - High Desert Hacienda
Other amenities:
Fireplaces - one outside and one in the main living room and other rooms
Casita - there's a small house outside where 2 guys bunked
Parking - you can park in the drive, but only up to 4 cars. No trailers or campers. It wasn't a huge inconvenience, but it was something we had to manage around.
The basics:
Bedrooms / Beds - 6 / 9
Bathrooms - 5.5
Hosts - great and responsive
Day 1 - Hiking Dale Ball Trail
Day 1 we woke up, had a quick breakfast at the house, and then hit the trails. Dale Ball was 10 minutes away from us, and the entire car ride was full jokes about the trail name, none of which I'll put in writing here.
Dale Ball is a network of trails at the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. There are multiple trailheads, and we started at the Cerro Gordo entrance.
You can make your hike as long or as short as you want. Some guys went on a morning jog, others just strolled. The landscape is heavy juniper trees and rock, so expect partial shade. But it offers amazing views of the area. Remember, that Santa Fe is around 7000 ft above sea level. Coming from Austin - elevation 500 ft - my lungs felt it.
All in all we were there for an hour, but we could have easily spent the whole day exploring.
Now for the best part of a hike - the post-hike meal. We ventured into town amongst the ubiquitous adobe buildings and found - surprise, surprise - a New Mexican restaurant.
Tomasita's hit the spot. It's a low key joint, but the food was excellent. I thought there were more unique options here than the prior day, but I won't complain.
I went with the Carne Adovada. Who wouldn't love chunks of pork marinated in a spicy red chile sauce combined with fry-bread. Of course I flexed my local knowledge and went "Christmas"
Chili + pork goodness
You can get the whole vibe on their IG
The rest of the night was tame. Beers, shuffleboard, and NBA Playoffs. We ordered in pizza from Il Vicino in downtown Santa Fe. It's wood over pizza, and it was solid. The pizza itself was barely enough for one guy. Be warned. But overall, it did the trick.
Il Vicino
Day 2 - Hiking Santa Fe National Forest
Day 2 was hiking again, and this time we went to Santa Fe National Forest about 20 minutes out.
This place is massive. Weighing in at 1.6 million acres, it's a great place to get lost, in the good kind (and the bad kind if you're not with it). There are hundreds of miles of hiking trails and all sorts of trailheads. The trails weave in and out of each other, so pick your starting point and go.
Hello, elevation my old friend. Yep, we all felt it, and for the first 30 minutes, there was more huffing and puffing than talking.
We hiked for 2 hours and soaked in the scenery. This hike is moderate. Don't forget water or sunscreen.
Pro tip - if you're here during the spring - check ahead on snow. The first trailhead we tried was by a ski lodge. The trail was packed with snow. After a bit of debate, we wisely opted for another trailhead.
Apres-hike BBQ? Yep!
Cowgirl BBQ in downtown was the spot. Now, I live in Austin, the BBQ Capital of the Universe, so I'm always skeptical of not-Texas BBQ.
This place was solid. I went with the Pulled Pork Sandwich and an NMX Standard from Santa Fe Brewing. It's a light, easy drinker.
The rest of the night was filled with ever increasing bets on shuffle board and NBA Playoffs (again).
Day 3 - Breaking Bad & Navajo Tacos
Back to life, back to reality as the Soul II Soul song says.
We woke up and did our obligatory house cleaning. We handed out our MVPs for the trip... who drank the most, who was the best shuffle board player, etc. After tossing around a few ideas for next year's trip (Asheville, NC!), everyone trickled out to catch their flights.
A few of us had later flights, and a frequent traveler to ABQ suggested Navajo tacos for lunch. The rest of us looked at him like, "did you just invent that in your head?" Nope, it's a real thing.
We trekked back to ABQ and stopped at the Indian Pueblo Kitchen, which is connected to the Indian Pueblo Culture Center.
I travel to experience new things. I get a rush when seeing something completely new. This was it.
The culture center is a gathering place for Pueblos and a place to showcase their culture. I highly, highly, highly recommend walking around this place. There was an authentic Pueblo dance being held while we visited. The center has cool, authentic native art. Everyone bought a thing or two from the gift shop.
Check out this cool art
We settled into the Pueblo Kitchen. This is a place to sample authentic Pueblo food. It's safe to say you will not find this anywhere else in the world. The Navajo Tacos are the signature item here.
It's fry bread, topped with beef or lamb (I went beef), chiles (of course), beans, cheese, and veggies. When you eat something new, it sort of shocks the brain. So for a minute, five guys sat around chewing slowly and looking at each other.
We didn't even scratch the surface here with a meal. The rest of the menu you'll find other Pueblo inspired meals.
Navajo taco.... so good
Fear not. The three last remaining cruised down to Lost Pollos Hermanos (aka Twisters) on the southside of the city. We got a little nostalgia buzz. They have a few posters up, and it brought back the scene where we first meet Gus Fring, the best character in the while show in my opinion.
If you're in the area or have some to kill, no pun intended, stop by. But there's not much here.
Side note -- on a previous ABQ trip -- a coworker and I found Walter White's house. It's literally someone's house in a neighborhood, and I hear the owner will scream bloody hell if you walk onto the property. I mean, you know what you got yourself into when you bought the house.
The Road Less Traveled
Trips are always too short to do everything. But it gives us an excuse to come back. Here are two things we look forward to.
Whealer Peak
There was MUCH discussion about this option. Whealer is New Mexico's highest point at over 13,000 ft. It's a near 9 mile out-and-back trail. With a 2-hour drive and 5+ hours of hiking, ultimately, it would've taken a whole day, plus the weather wasn't cooperating with us. Next time.
My Plane Reading
Q: What's better than reading Moby Dick?
A: Reading the real-life story that the classic was based on.
Except this one tells you what happens after the whale strikes back - hunger, death, perseverance, cannibalism. And I'm holding back here to prevent spoilers.
In 1700's and 1800's Nantucket wasn't the touristy island where folks summer. It was a gritty island dedicated to slaying sperm whales for their blubber to turn into oil. Whaleships hunted all across the Atlantic and later the Pacific for these beasts. Men were at sea for years, while their wives and investors held the fort down home.
The ship Essex was one of these ships. In an ill-fated and ill-led expedition it was on the receiving end of a bull whale that single-handedly (single-findedly?) took the ship down. What happens next is the core of this NYT best seller. The story weaves together human psychology, economics, history, and nautical knowledge into one of the of least told, but most psychologically intriguing story I've read in awhile.
Departing Thoughts
Santa Fe. It may not be an immediate guy's trip local that comes to mind. But the food, culture, and vibe is unlike anywhere else. You can get better hiking elsewhere, but you can't get New Mexican food outside of New Mexico. You don't have the glitz of Vegas, but nowhere else can you wake up to mountains in your adobe house.
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