Home for the Holidays
Over the past two weeks, we were fortunate enough to go back to the Southwest and visit family. As many people know, Southwestern New Mexico is beautiful all year-round but during the winter, it is an especially great location. After spending a couple days in New Mexico, we drove to Telluride, CO; also our old home!
After a 10 hour drive, we were extremely happy to have finally arrived and get some time to relax. Our family rented a private condo in the Mountain Village from a local property rental company. Telluride is such a great destination both in the winter and the summer; it is a must see! Having lived in Telluride for years, it was so nice to be back and see friends. The skiing was great and so was the company.
Telluride is an old mining town that was founded in 1878 as a silver mining camp. Over time, Telluride has grown (a little) and the location has become a destination vacation spot with lots to see and do. During the winter, you can go skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, Nordic skiing, held-skiing, back-country skiing, hiking and more! Don’t worry, if you aren’t an outdoor adventure enthusiast there is still plenty to do! Telluride has great museums, restaurants, and shopping for all walks of life.
One of the best things about Telluride in my opinion is the gondola which takes you from Telluride to the Mountain Village. It is a free gondola that takes 13 minutes to travel from either end. This is a great tool to have because driving in Telluride during the winter isn’t always enjoyable; it actually takes longer to drive than to take the gondola.
After spending 7 days in Telluride, we made our way back to New Mexico to see family and explore. Once back in New Mexico, we drove to Santa Fe to enjoy the culture, history, and amazing Native American jewelry and pottery. Santa Fe is known for many things, most popular being the Palace of the Governor’s where local Native American’s sell their pottery, jewelry, and clothing. The Palace of the Governor’s is where the original governor’s were houses; it was built in 1610.
Santa Fe and New Mexico in general holds a very special place in my heart. Having grown up in Southern New Mexico and having family in Northern New Mexico, I feel like I’m home where ever I go. It was so nice going back to Santa Fe to explore and visit family. While we were there, we got to see my Aunt and Uncle; my uncle is the former Governor of New Mexico so he was very happy we were there to visit and see the town.
After Santa Fe, we traveled back to Las Cruces to spend some time with my parents and grandparents who live in El Paso. One of my absolute favorite frozen custard/ice cream places is in Las Cruces and is called Caliches; they have two locations and they are both amazing! We are obsessed to say the least. Southwen New Mexico is known for their amazing Mexican food and of course I have my favorites which are: Andele’s, Napolitos, La Posta and Cha Chi’s . If you are ever in Las Cruces, you won’t be disappointed if you go to these restaurants!
Two weeks later, it was time to come home to New York and get ready for the New Year. We had a great flight back with Southwest Airlines; they were exceptional and getting 2 free checked bags (including skis) was a huge plus! We came back to snow and sunshine, what more could you ask for?
We hope that everyone has a very Happy and Healthy New Year!