Our venture into New Mexico started with rubbing shoulders with aliens in Roswell. On 7 July 1947, around 75 miles north of Roswell, debris from an unidentified flying object was recovered by a ranch worker on his property. Since then it has been widely debated and hypothesised as to where the debris came from and the theories run from flying saucers to weather balloons. Whether a government cover-up was involved or not, it is abundantly clear that the people of Roswell have whole-heartedly embraced their UFO heritage and we loved spotting the aliens that are dotted throughout the town.
From Roswell we headed north to picturesque Santa Fe where all the buildings reflect the Pueblo-style of architecture with their distinctive adobe walls and flat roofs. Santa Fe is 7,000ft / 2133m above sea level which fosters a great climate but also some not-so-great altitude sickness as I found out. Doing my best to ignore it, we set about wandering through the city center and soaking up the architecture and art on display. With over 240 galleries to capture our attention, we were almost overwhelmed by the historic and contemporary art of New Mexico, Native American traditions and beyond.
We visited Meow Wolf after many recommendations to do so. It is an immersive gallery supporting art across a variety of media and was nothing short of a surreal experience as we ventured from one room to another trying to solve the mystery that is presented upon arrival. I can’t even begin to describe Meow Wolf. What we will say is that despite the rave 5-star reviews the museum has received since opening in 2008, we left slightly confused and very bewildered 😂 You have to come and see it for yourself.
What we did 100% understand, appreciate and enjoy was the best Indian restaurant we have found in America, right here in Santa Fe. Paper Dosa is the creation of Chef Paulraj and we may be slightly biased because he hails from Coimbatore, South India, where we have family and I have visited many times since I was a child. Rather than offering the usual gamut of Indian cuisine, the menu predominantly focuses on a variety of dosa and uttapam with four different curries also on offer. Every bite of every dish we sampled burst with flavour. Sammy fell in love with the mango salad, I believe the rasam cured my altitude sickness and the rasmalai was as airy as a cloud. We know we’re meant to be reviewing the fine Mexican cuisine in Santa Fe, but Paper Dosa is an absolute must if you’re in Santa Fe and want something different.
Further north of Santa Fe is Taos, home of the Red Willow People at Taos Pueblo. The Red Willow People were America’s first indigenous tribe to have their land returned to them by the federal government in 1970. Over one thousand years old, the Pueblo continues to be the full-time home to eight to ten families and runs as it always has done without electricity or running water. The residents are warm and welcoming and we enjoyed spending time here as we visited the shops on the Pueblo selling handmade wares. Taos Pueblo was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.
“Do you still recall the frightful night we crossed the Rio Grande?” – Fernando, ABBA
Also in Taos was my excuse to tie an ABBA song into the blog 😂 We stopped at the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge and stood on the bridge in awe at the surrounding landscape with mountains on the horizon and the Rio Grande weaving its way along the gorge 650ft / 200m below us.
New Mexico has been spectacular, almost magical. Colorado, you’re next and you have big shoes to fill!
P&S