The air has turned crisp in the evenings and mornings, fall flowers are vibrant and the skies are filling with hot air balloons. We love fall at the Mauger, and Albuquerque has much to entertain, from the State Fair to the Duke City Marathon, there is something for everyone. We begin the season with the New Mexico State Fair, September 8th – 18th, 2016. With a great entertainment line up, rodeo, carnival, local food and much more, the State Fair is on the “do not miss” list. http://www.exponm.com/default.aspx Following the State Fair is New Mexico’s 12th Annual Celebration of World Music and Culture, called Globalquerque! September 23rd – 24th, 2016 http://globalquerque.org/schedule.html This event offers FREE day programming on Saturday for families and adults, including workshops on music and folklore, crafts, and live performances. The next fun fall event is the spectacular Balloon Fiesta. This event fills the skies with hot air balloons from around the world and marvels everyone, from babies to seniors, this event is a favorite for thousands. Over 600 hot air balloons launch in the mornings and glow in the evenings, with great food, activities, entertainment and fireworks, this event should be on your bucket list! http://www.balloonfiesta.com/ Concurrently with the Balloon Fiesta is the top ranked Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Festival. September 30th – October 2nd, and October 7th – 9th http://www.riograndefestivals.com/festivals/balloon-fiesta-show/ This is a shoppers’ and collectors’ paradise. The juried art show features 200 artists from all over the nation. The event offers entertainment, music and a culinary arts tent. Soon after the wonderful Balloon Fiesta is the Duke City Marathon (and ½ Marathon). This race is ranked as one of the top 25 races in the world and is a Boston Marathon qualifier. There is an event for everyone on October 16, 2016! Bring the family to the 5K Walk, 10K Walk, 5K Run, 10K Run, ½ Marathon or the all-time challenge of the full Marathon or Marathon Relay. The events benefit the Boys & Girls Clubs of New Mexico. http://www.dukecitymarathon.com/marathon.html The Mauger Estate B&B offers a scrumptious festival for your palate, such as our sweet potato biscuits, pumpkin apple scones, and Mediterranean frittata, and pumpkin chocolate chip bread to name a few. Come see why sleep is delicious at the Mauger! www.maugerbb.com
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Sacred and secular, old and new, desert and hills – New Mexico is a state of contrasts, making it rich in its diversity of food, culture, terrain and attractions.
The varied offerings of three of the cardinal directions that make perfect day trips from Albuquerque have already been discovered, leaving the western part of the state as the final frontier to explore in this Land Of Enchantment. For an experience that will bring you back 1000 years in time, drive an hour west of Albuquerque on I-40 to the Acoma Pueblo, the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America. Built upon a 367-foot sandstone bluff, the Pueblo is home to 4800 people and 250 dwellings, none of which has running water, sewer systems, or electricity. Also within the Pueblo you will find the San Esteban del Rey Mission, a Catholic mission constructed in 1629. Educational tours and cultural exhibits are offered at the Sky City Cultural Center and Haaku Museum. Pottery making demonstrations are provided, and a visit to the gift shop is an absolute must for anyone desiring to purchase authentic Native American art and jewelry. To take the 90-minute tour of the Pueblo, you must buy tickets at the Center, and photography and dress code rules apply. If you’re in the mood for extremes, then a trip just under two hours west of Albuquerque to the Ice Caves and Bandera Volcano is in order. Located in the west central Zuni Mountain range along the Continental Divide, these natural landmarks can both be reached within an hour’s walk of each other along an ancient lava trail lined with twisted Juniper, Fir, and Ponderosa Pine trees. There is even gemstone mining for the younger members of the family, and a trading post with a shaded picnic area provide opportunities for souvenir shopping and a relaxing outdoor lunch. Continuing your education and appreciation of nature’s gifts drive thirty miles west of the caves and volcano to the Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary, a refuge for displaced, unwanted and un-releasable wolves and wolf-dogs. You can watch, meet, and even feed these majestic creatures by booking a tour in advance, with your visit supporting the rescue and lifetime sanctuary and care of these animals. For a day trip that will whet your archeological thirst, head 180 miles northwest of Albuquerque to the Aztec Ruins National Monument. A preserve of the 11th-century Ancestral Puebloan structures in New Mexico, this monument allows visitors to step back in time and take a self-guided tour of this three-story archeological site. You can walk through the Great House and original rooms, admiring the stone masonry and wooden roofing still intact. You even get to enter the ceremonial Great Kiva, used for religious and purification purposes. There is also a museum, a garden, native plants walk, and interpretive programs. Continuing the exploration of New Mexico from the central location of Albuquerque, this next part of the series will focus on three different areas in the southern part of the state, allunder 3-½ hours from Albuquerque and each unique to the heritage and culture of New Mexico.
For an eclectic day of sightseeing, begin by driving 90 minutes south to your first stop of the day, the Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. Located between two mountain ranges and fed by the Rio Grande, this sanctuary is a temporary home to thousands of sandhill cranes, geese, and other waterfowl that migrate here each winter, as well as a permanent home to ancient petroglyphs, lush groves of cottonwoods and willows, and abundant and varied wildlife. Continuing south to Truth or Consequences, you will find a town famous for its natural hot springs, with a myriad of spas to choose from for a soak and a massage. It is rumored the great Apache chief and shaman Geronimo dipped himself in these healing waters. You can find out more about him, and the area in general, by visiting the Geronimo Springs Museum. And if space exploration is what you’re after, then you must take time to visit Spaceport America for an experience that is out of this world! The last stop of the day is Hatch, New Mexico. Known as the chile capital of the world, this small agricultural community boasts piles of roasted chilis for the asking year round. And make sure to stop at Sparky’s Burgers, BBQ and Espresso for a green chili cheeseburger and a slice of old-time Americana to top off your day. For a more leisurely (but no less fun!) day, consider a southern stroll through some tiny towns and the Very Large Array. Heading south on I-25 and then west on US-60, you will come to Magdalena, a hamlet filled with rich treasures, to include a Box Car Museum, a 16th-century mission church, art galleries, and a trading post. Twenty-four miles westyou will trade small-town charm for the awe-inspiring Very Large Array, one of the world’s first – and largest – astronomical radio observatories. Here you can wander through the visitor center, explore all the exhibits describing radio astronomy, and view antennas and telescopes through both self and guided walking tours. After immersing yourself in dish antennas, head west for 40 miles to Pie Town to immerse yourself in a dish or two of pie at either Pie Town Café or Pie-O-Neer Café, or both! Sitting on top of the Continental Divide, this settlement has its roots in the dustbowl era, and continues to survive (and thrive) on pure determination and innovation –as a slice of New Mexican Apple Pie with Green Chili and Pinon Nuts will attest to! Another must-do southern New Mexico experience is a day excursion to Roswell. Two hundred miles southeast of Albuquerque, this is the site of the 1947 “Roswell UFO Incident” in which an unidentified flying object (purported by the Air Force to be a weather balloon) crashed on a ranch during a thunderstorm, spurring decades of theories regarding aliens and government cover-ups. One result of the incident is the International UFO Museum and Research Center on Main Street, where several hours can be spent learning about the 1947 occurrence and subsequent research into extraterrestrial life. Other Roswell attractions include wineries, art museums, and a picnic at Bottomless Lakes State Park. The Land of Enchantment has vast and varied tourist options in every direction, with something to entertain and enthrall everyone. In the third of this four-part series, attractions and activities east of Albuquerque will be explored, with each day trip providing ideas of how to best experience the uniqueness and beauty of New Mexico.
Just thirty minutes northeast of Albuquerque you will find the Sandia Aerial Peak Tramway, where you can ride for 15 minutes almost 3 miles up the side of a mountain whose treasures include deep canyons, granite rock faces, aspen groves, pine and oak trees, and a myriad of wildlife. On top of the mountain, you are treated to an 11,000 square-mile view of New Mexico, which you can enjoy while setting off on a hike or dining in one of the restaurants atop the peak. If you choose to hike the Sandia Mountains, there are a variety of trails to choose from both at the Tramway summit and within 30 to 60 minutes’ drive of Albuquerque. Many of the hikes begin in cactus country and wind their way up to mountain meadows teeming with wildflowers. A past haven for Apache warriors, gold miners, and bandits, the Sandia Mountains are also a sacred place for the Pueblo Indians and a 37,000-acre wilderness that provides a relaxing respite from the city. For a taste of blue waters, old byways and Billy the Kid, head east on I-40 a little over 100 miles, where your first stop is The Blue Hole in Santa Rosa. This lake, born of a geological phenomenon called The Santa Rosa Sink, is an oasis in this harsh land of sand and sagebrush. With visibility at 100 feet, swimmers, scuba divers and sightseers can delight in this cold crystal-clear water year-round. If you’re in the mood for some Wild West nostalgia, head southeast on NM 84 from Santa Rosa for 45 minutes to Fort Sumner, where, in 1881, Sheriff Pat Garrett gunned down Billy the Kid. Competing museums and grave sight locations vie for tourists’ attention, and if you’re in the area the second week of June, you can participate in the town’s Tombstone races. If a trip down Route 66’s memory lane is more your style, then head east for an hour on I-40 from Santa Rosa to Tucumcari, where you will encounter a dinosaur museum, an historical museum, a Route 66 museum, and the world’s largest mural dedicated to Route 66. Photo opportunities abound here, with the best one being the Route 66 Roadside Attraction in front of the city’s convention center. For more active pursuits, consider taking a day trip to Ruidosa, a town 180 miles southeast of Albuquerque that is surrounded by more than a million acres of National Forest and wilderness, providing countless hiking, mountain biking, and horseback trails for hours of outdoor fun. You can also try your luck at one of the areas three casinos, wager on the ponies at the track, or spend time wandering through the town’s eclectic shops. And for a taste of Wild West excitement, consider seeing a Flying J Wrangler show replete with gunfights, a Chuckwagon dinner and show. Day trips from Albuquerque are a perfect way to experience the best of both worlds in New Mexico. Staying in downtown Albuquerque offers a wide selection of dining, shopping and nightlife options by night, while providing a central location from which to explore the myriad activities the Land of Enchantment has to offer by day. This four-part series will provide ideas for every type of traveler wishing to discover the unending delights of this state.
Less than an hour’s drive northwest of Albuquerque is New Mexico’s state capital, Santa Fe. But since it’s best explored on foot, consider leaving your car behind for the day and taking the New Mexico Rail Runner Express from downtown for a 90 minute ride through the Rio Grande Valley up to the nation’s oldest capital. The Plaza is the best place to begin your exploration of this city rich in history. The Spanish settlers built their homes here in 1610,with the following centuries seeing riots, revolts, and respite by travelers from the Santa Fe Trail. A great city for history buffs, Santa Fe also boasts the nation’s oldest public building in continuous use, the oldest church, and the oldest house in the United States. But you don’t have to be a history buff to enjoy Santa Fe! In all directions from the Plaza, shoppers, art lovers, and food connoisseurs can find their fill of treasures by spending a day in the city of ‘Holy Faith.’ If you’re in the mood to combine human history with hiking, then a visit to Bandelier National Monument is the perfect place to go. Approximately 2 hours north of Albuquerque, this park’s human history dates back over 10,000 years, where you will find petroglyphs, ancient dwellings, and old masonry walls. With over 33,000 acres of preserved land, there is plenty of hiking, camping, boating, and picnicking opportunities, as well as interpretive programs and even Opera on the Rocks! If geological history is your thing, or you’re simply looking for more breathtaking hiking trails, then head to Kasha-KatuweTent RocksNational Monument. A joint venture between the Cochiti Pueblo and the Bureau of Land Management, this area is dotted by tall spires of volcanic ash that were formed from eruptions that occurred6 -7 million years ago. And as with any outdoor adventure in New Mexico, don’t forget your sturdy shoes, sunscreen, and plenty of water. With all good things comes both commonality and uniqueness. A taxicab driver in Manhattan and a Masai warrior in Kenya can both be watching the full moon rise, and yet geography and culture lend themselves to a different experience.
So it goes with New Mexican cuisine. Influenced by Spanish, Mediterranean, Mexican, Pueblo Native American and Cowboy Chuckwagon cultures (according to Clyde Casey in the 1994 issue of New Mexico Cooking), much of New Mexico’s food bears a common resemblance to other dishes found throughout the world. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that the New Mexico chile is a ubiquitous staple, garnishing almost every dish imaginable, from burritos to bagels, huevos rancheros to hamburgers, and pizza to posole. It should come as no surprise then that the chile is New Mexico’s largest agricultural crop, and can be green or red, depending on when they’re picked (hint: green is hotter than red!). In fact, New Mexico is the only state with an official question – “Red or green?” And in 1983, the official spelling of ‘chile’ was entered into the U.S. Congressional record, with the state senator calling it a “magical and life-giving fruit.” In addition to chiles, New Mexican gastronomy includes copious amounts of shredded iceberg lettuce and tomatoes, as well as sopaipillas dripping with honey. What is largely absent is the Tex-Mex use of sour cream, and the Cal-Mex use of guacamole. This is because of early lack of refrigeration in New Mexico, and the fact that avocados can’t be grown naturally in the southwestern dessert climate. Another staple to the New Mexican diet is the tortilla. The bread of choice for New Mexicans, it can be slathered with peanut butter, or drizzled with melted cheese. Even chocolate sauce is used as a common topping on this thick and chewy flour flatbread. Beans and corn or papas (fried potatoes) and calabacitas (mixture of squash, onions and spices) complete the basic ingredients of New Mexican cuisine, providing basic nutrition and a delicious addition to chile sauce of any kind! And these, my friends, are all good (and tasty) things! The trees are budding, the flowers are blooming, and Albuquerque is bursting with opportunities for spring frolic and fun! From festivals to museums, to sporting events to animals, there is something going on here for everyone to enjoy. Take a look at just some of the many events to choose from this spring, then book your trip to Albuquerque and come experience the fun!
Downtown Albuquerque is not only a great place to stay, but also a fantastic place to shop and dine – especially if you love the thought of buying local. Opportunities abound for supporting the local community, being a more ‘green’ consumer and filling your body with fresh, seasonal, locally grown food.
By frequenting locally-owned businesses, you help to keep the community unique, with a flavor and flair all its own. You are also able to find one-of-a-kind gifts and mementos, not to mention having distinctive and intimate experiences that big businesses just can’t offer. Another benefit to buying local is the reduction of harm to the environment. Dining, shopping and staying locally cuts down on the processing, packaging and transportation required to being non-local items to shelves and tables. Ideas for local Albuquerque fun, shopping, dining and lodging experiences include:
As a mid-western farm girl from Kansas, I grew up on fresh, homemade food. So when I turned 18 and moved to the city, I discovered, after just a few restaurant meals, how much more satisfying (and cheaper!) meals could be if I made them myself. And no matter who I was cooking for, I found that when I chose the freshest and most colorful ingredients, my dishes were not only healthy and fresh, but I believe they tasted better than any restaurant meal ever could!
When I bought the Mauger Estate B&B, I went overnight from making meals for my family and friends to creating breakfasts for large groups of strangers with a variety of needs and tastes. As the owner of the B&B, it is important to me to offer both quality and value to my guests, and breakfast is no exception! I made the decision early on that while I couldn’t afford to buy organic or locally grown food, I could buy fresh, and the freshness and flavor of these breakfasts are now a hallmark of my B&B, and it is one of the main reasons guests return for another stay. If you love the idea of making and eating homemade meals, start by following a simple recipe that allows you to buy whatever fresh ingredients are available to you locally. When I’m cooking small quantities at home, I use locally grown and organic foods from the farmer’s market. For the B&B, I usually find large quantities at Costco, and buy smaller quantities at Sprouts, both provide good quality at a reasonable price. I also make sweet bread, muffin batters and cookie dough from scratch, and refrigerate them or freeze them so that I can make them fresh anytime in small quantities. Other ideas for healthy, fresh and homemade meals using organic and locally grown food include homemade pizzas, homemade baked sweet potato fries, homemade quiche, and homemade tacos (use fresh soft corn tortillas), and you can delight in eating an inexpensive and TASTY meal! Even if you have a craving for something that isn’t so healthy (like nachos!), if you make it yourself, it will be so much more flavorful and healthier than going to a bar or restaurant. I’ve found that baked flour tortillas make a great substitute for fried corn tortilla chips, and I use chicken instead of beef. Other favorite substitutions include whole black beans instead of refried beans, and fresh jalapenos instead of canned. Once you get started, you’ll become so creative with your cooking, and you’ll always feel better about knowing exactly what you’re eating, where it came from, and how good it is for you! Bon Appetit! The year may be 2016 but you can explore a different year right now. If you are thinking of a trip to Albuquerque New Mexico, why not take a small step back in time to the Mauger Estate B & B (pronounced major). Found in downtown Albuquerque, the Mauger Estate is a Queen Anne Victorian home built in 1897, and set in a neighborhood of equally fascinating older homes. A wide covered porch with inviting chairs greets you. This warm, welcoming property encourages you to slow down and take a break from the hectic day to day race and put your feet up. Here, you’ll sit back, relax and sip lemonade quietly on the porch. Beautiful architectural details from the past emphasize the slower pace of that bygone era. Walk through the nearby streets lined with these historic older homes and mature trees that speak of a rich and wonderful history. Step into the home where traditional details beckon you to relax at a slower pace. Rich woodwork, etched glass and the decor of past elegance flirt with your senses and tease you with a past romantic era. Once escorted to your room with a private bathroom, you can relax and enjoy moments of quiet restfulness yet be spoiled with modern comforts and amenities. You can easily rejoin the modern world with a few steps to a fitness center or a nearby restaurant to taste a bit of New Mexican cuisine. The present is never more than a few steps away as you walk down Central Avenue (Route 66) to enjoy the nightlife and sample the beverages of the many breweries of New Mexico. After a pleasant night’s slumber, wake to the aroma of locally roasted coffee and homemade breakfast. Eat inside or if weather permits, sit outside and enjoy your breakfast in the warm New Mexican sunshine. Eggs, pastries, New Mexico green chile and fresh fruit abound to tantalize your appetite and energize you for the new day. If you wish to indulge in culture, walk or drive to nearby Old Town Plaza experiencing a part of New Mexican history while visiting local shops, or the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History. If nature is your preference, you are also minutes from the Botanic Gardens/Aquarium and the Albuquerque Zoo. Bike or walk along the scenic Rio Grande Bosque Trail, or visit a beautiful nearby park. Visit the past with a stay at the Mauger Estate Bed & Breakfast while you complete your business or simply relax in Albuquerque. |
AuthorThe Mauger Estate Bed and Breakfast is a classically-restored Queen Anne style residence situated in the heart of Albuquerque. Archives
April 2017
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