Los Poblanos, the Perfect New Mexico Summer Escape

June 5, 2016 sofijaburtonDestination Wedding, Farm to Table, Los Poblanos, New Mexico Travel, Travel2 Comments

Los Poblanos is many things, most of all a great escape, a relaxing way to spend your day with your best friend, your partner, your mother. The restaurant has fresh farm to table food, the shop is full of lavender products, the grounds invite to stay. Oh, and there is an inn, too, making it the perfect place for a destination wedding.

The tree lined entrance alone is worth a visit.

The shop

The lavender field

The Inn

The view of the mountains from the parking lot. IMG_2561 (2)

Their lavender hand soap is my favorite. My husband and I have eaten here for our anniversary, it was lovely.

Have a great day,

Sofija

Desert Child

March 12, 2016March 12, 2016 sofijaburtonhome-schooling, kid's fashion, New Mexico Travel, Travel, White Mesa2 Comments

I have been thinking a lot about what it means to raise children in the desert. It is such a unique experience and one that I never anticipated. I grew up in Germany in a city near a dense forest. Everything was small, green, and urban. New Mexico is almost the opposite. It is vast, brown, you can see for miles and miles, and it is wild. There is hardly any grass, just a sea of rocks. I wonder if the surroundings will affect their views on life. Will they see this world as big and limitless and be eager to discover it?

Bringing Tashi to White Mesa made me realize how much at home she is in this terrain. There was no: “I’m bored, what is there to do?” She immediately started walking and interacting with her surroundings. She could have spend all day there.

She found some chalky rocks and was delighted that she could draw pictures with them.

She decided the rocks would make excellent furniture. Here she is holding a couch, but it looks more like a telephone….

I have been reading a lot about forest pre-schools in Europe. Children spend all day outside in the woods. I guess my children have been going to rock school…

Have lovely day,

Sofija

On :

Pants: H&M

Top: Olive Juice

Vest: Old Navy

Cat Socks: Gymboree

Shoes: Hand me downs

Taos Pueblo with Our Three Youngest

August 2, 2015 sofijaburtonNew Mexico Travel, Taos, Taos PuebloLeave a comment

My mom is visiting us from Germany, so exiting! We decided to take her to Taos, New Mexico for the day. Taos is a great place to visit for many reasons, one is the Taos Pueblo. It is one of the oldest Native American villages that still has people living there. I like visiting there, because the village is a walk in museum that is pretty relaxed. Kids can run around freely, off limit areas are clearly marked. Native Americans sell their home made wares and go about their business. They are friendly and don’t mind people asking questions.
Taos Pueblo is a village with houses, a church, a cemetery, little stores, and a stream flowing through (which was the highlight for my girls). I was told that 2-4 families still live there, all the others live somewhere else, because of the lack of electricity. The houses get handed down to the next generation.

On Lucy (left):
Dress: Old Navy
Bracelet: from the local toy store
Sunglasses: Fossil
On Tasha(middle):
Dress: from Mexico
Shoes: The Children’s Place
Bracelet: from the local toy store
Sunglasses: H&M
On Ella:
Top: Old Navy
Pants: hand me down, originally from the Children’s Place

Be sure to check their website or call before you go, because they close for ceremonies and funerals. If you like to know how we spend our whole day in Taos go here.

Have a lovely day,

Sofija

Spring Break in New Mexico

March 31, 2015April 1, 2015 sofijaburtonAlbuquerque, New Mexico TravelLeave a comment

How are you doing? Is March really over? Our March was a whirlwind with doctor appointments, another surgery (my son), school testing, a leaky roof, …my head is still spinning. Now we are on spring break and not a day too soon. Usually our spring breaks are pretty awful, windy, and cold. You know those windstorms you have seen in Western movies with tumbleweeds and sand clouds? Yup, those are for real. But this time it’s been quite warm, sunny, and all around pleasant. So I really don’t mind staying home and enjoying this week here.
Above are some pictures from recent outings. So glad our three youngest have decided they like hiking now. And what a pleasant surprise we can actually get on the trail and hiking without turning around for various reasons (like “I forgot to pee”, “I’m too cold”, to name a few). Of course we go nowhere without a five day food supply, but still it’s a huge improvement…
Fun surprise: the middle picture with the cactus was featured by Visit Albuquerque on their website stream.

Have a lovely week and a wonderful Easter!
Sofija

Slow Travel: Taking the Scenic Road to Santa Fe

January 13, 2015January 13, 2015 sofijaburtonGolden, new mexico, New Mexico Travel, Santa Fe, scenic routes2 Comments

This is my favorite drive in New Mexico. If you are coming from Albuquerque, take I-40 East. Take the Cedar Crest exit, heading north on Highway 14. It takes you through Golden, New Mexico, where I usually stop at a cute little Catholic Church to take pictures. The gate was closed and the kids were freezing, so we didn’t stay long.

Another great stop is Madrid, a little Hippie Town, with cute little shops and more affordable art galleries.

If you are coming from Santa Fe, going south on I-25 take the Cerrillos exit.

Here are some more pictures of the church in the summer.

Have a lovely day,

Sofija

3rd picture from the top taken by Lucille Burton. 4th from top taken by David Burton. All others taken by Sofija Burton.

Madrid, New Mexico

January 17, 2014May 27, 2015 sofijaburtonNew Mexico TravelLeave a comment

Between Santa Fe and Albuquerque (when you take Highway 14 through the mountains) there is a fun little mining town called Madrid. It seems to be populated with Hippies and artists. There are galleries, coffee shops, little trinket stores, and boutiques. The perfect little town to stop, stretch your legs, and get a beverage for the road. Here are some pictures from our recent stop with our friends right after the holidays.

First up, our friends the Hollands, with David and Tasha in the middle. You can see the main road behind them, where most of the shops are.

The whole town still decked out in Christmas lights.

This painting is outside of the Tavern where we stopped and ate.

Found this sign inside the Tavern. Luckily Tasha was attended to.

Always a delight when cute little Tasha tags along.
If you ever make your way from Santa Fe to Albuquerque, and you are not prone to car sickness, I highly recommend stopping in Madrid.
Have a lovely weekend,
Sofija

Teach Where You Live

Where homeschooling, style, and life intersect, here and around the world

New Mexico Travel

Los Poblanos, the Perfect New Mexico Summer Escape

Desert Child

Taos Pueblo with Our Three Youngest

Spring Break in New Mexico

Slow Travel: Taking the Scenic Road to Santa Fe

Madrid, New Mexico