Out of the west, up to the "Northwoods"

Santa Fe

... Time to put a wrap on last month's trip to New Mexico. After visiting Los Alamos and Taos, we headed for Santa Fe. I was looking forward to hiking through the city, good food, and the art galleries along the famous Canyon Road.

Also, I was on the hunt for Mexican tile (a private obsession) - particularly the traditional patterns that originated in Spain. I found the ultimate source at Artesanos, (222 Galisteo St.).

In addition to rooms of tiles in myriad sizes and patterns, Artesanos also carries traditional southwestern and Mexican folk art. Talking with one of the owners, I learned that much of the folk art, particularly the stamped tinwork, has been learned and recreated by successive generations of families, stretching back in some cases to the late 18th century.

It's probably a cliche to comment on the depth of blue in western skies, but looking at the horizon over the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, I experienced a sense of endless clarity (not generally available in the midwest).

During our stay, we camped out at the Hotel St. Francis. Built in 1880 and located in the heart of downtown, it offers nice proximity to the Canyon Road, shops and restaurants, and the Plaza Mercado (location of the Cross of the Martyrs, Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, and Institute of American Indian Arts).

When it was time to leave, I was completely committed to a return visit in the fall of 2006.
The smells (an invigorating mixture of pine, mesquite, and heated desert soil), the skies, the history, and memories of a lot of great food and music will be with me for a long time to come.

Up to Wisconsin's "Northwoods"
The beginning of summer in northern Wisconsin - specifically in and around Minocqua - is the ideal time for a retreat. In June, the bugs haven't entirely taken over yet, and the hardwoods are veiled with the pale, almost iridescent green leaves of the season's start.

My wife and I will head for lodgings on the Wisconsin River over this Memorial Day weekend. The walleye fishing is going to be fun (though not as intense as it will be during the traditional fall ritual). We'll drift down the river in canoes from a dam located on the south end of the Rainbow Flowage for a few miles, stop to eat, indulge in an afternoon siesta, and then take in a fish fry at a local restaurant followed by cribbage games into the wee hours.

If the George Brown, Jr. Ojibway Museum and Cultural Center in Lac du Flambeau is open during our visit, I'll check it out, too. If not, that's OK. A quiet afternoon among the trees by the river will suffice as well, and I always have a guitar and writing pad with me.

More to follow when we return...