new mexico

Chimayo, New Mexico: The Perfect Mother’s Day Destination

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Mother’s Day was perfection, and I can appreciate it now, because I had some not-so- perfect ones in the past. Interestingly when the kids were little, and I worked so very darn hard, constantly exhausted, I had some disaster Mother’s Days. Now that life is pretty easy they get better and better. Just throwing it out there, in case you are not there YET.

The day started off with me waking up to a sweetly decorated table, the best crepes made by my husband, and of course coffee. And very special earrings, a gift from my son and my husband. So sweet! The girls had gotten up at 2 am to decorate. The silver ware had little notes taped to them: I love you. Melted. my. heart.

For lunch we were joined by our friends for a quick bite to eat at a local diner. I thoroughly threatened my girls not to get ketchup on their dresses, it worked, for once.

Then our friends and our family drove up north to Chimayo, a tiny village on the High Road to Taos. Chimayo is famous for its church and restaurant. We parked in the parking lot and made our way to the church. What I love about Chimayo is that it has the feel of Mexico or Spain. It’s quaintly old world. Built in 1813 the church El Santuario de Chimayo is a very popular pilgrimage and a National Heritage site. It gets very crowded around Easter. IMG_6354IMG_6355PicMonkey Collage-4

Above is my friend’s son taking a break. A rare moment I had to capture…

Below is the church. It seems to be always open to visitors. It is vey small, with a tiny courtyard.

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Here is my friend with her darling baby girl, who wasn’t feeling it at the time, but did great over the course of a very long day. IMG_6378.jpg

This was my third visit to the church, but the firs time catching the flowers in full bloom. IMG_7293.jpgIMG_6370.jpgIMG_6374.jpgIMG_6410PicMonkey Collage-4.jpgIMG_6416 (1).jpgIMG_6412

Aren’t the roses lovely?

During our drive the kids kept asking where the playground was. But then they saw this…Here is Tasha playing with my friend’s son.

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Nearby the church are more quaint little shops, a coffee shop, and another little chapel.

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It was time to go to the Restaurant de Chimayo in time for our reservation. I do recommend making a reservation for Mother’s Day, it was packed.

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Rancho de Chimayo is a destination in itself. It has a little gift shop next to it, and is associated with the B&B across the street. My friend ordered a delicious prickly pear lemonade (pictured above), and I loved my silver Margherita. The guys drank local beer. And the flan for dessert melted in our mouths…

Another must do in Chimayo is a visit to the weaving store Ortegas. They sell hand woven rugs, purses, wall hangings, and more, made by local artists. Sadly they are closed on Sundays so we didn’t get a chance to shop.

Now you know why Chimayo is one of my favorite destinations in New Mexico.

I do hope you will visit it soon.

-Sofija

 

 

Tasha is wearing a blue dress from Old Navy, and a hat from Baby Gap. My top is from Banana Republic.

All pictures taken with a Canon 7D and a 50mm lens. I used PicMonkey for the side by side pictures.

 

 

 

 

Chimayo, New Mexico: The Perfect Mother’s Day Destination

Rapberry Picking in Mora, New Mexico

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We went Raspberry picking last weekend and we were surprised how much fun we had. Take a look.

Upon arriving you get a small bucket to collect the raspberries. You fill those and at the end they get weighed and you pay by the pound. We paid $6 per pound. Everybody gets a row assigned to pick their berries. We were shown how to properly pick the raspberries off the stems. Tasting is allowed; we tasted A LOT. picmonkey-collage-2

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After we were done picking we went to the store to pay for our 4 lb we had collected. There was a small shop that served raspberry sundaes. So good!!picmonkey-collageimg_3470img_5348IMG_3478.jpgIMG_3343.jpg

I recommend bringing bug spray and sunscreen.Which we forgot and paid for the next day.

Be sure to check Salman Raspberry Ranch’s website before you go, fields and stores are not always open. They update daily.

Have a lovely day,

Sofija

 

Rapberry Picking in Mora, New Mexico

A Photo Shoot with the Girls in Taos

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Friends,

Last week the family spend the day in Taos. The hubs took our 12 year old son river rafting on the Rio Grande, while I took the girls to Taos. They had a blast. First they humored me with a photo shoot of yet another adobe church, and then they got rewarded with Slushees and a trip to their favorite playground. Here are some pictures…

First we dropped the boys off along the Rio Grande to go river rafting. They had a blast and I would highly recommend this for older kids. There are two ways to get to Taos coming from Albuquerque or Santa Fe: the High Road, and the Low Road. While I am a huge fan of the High Road, I have to say the Low Road is pretty awesome in the summer, as well. There is a little rafting shack with a coffee shop; there is Heron Brewery, and cute little fruit stand next to it.  Lots of places to stop and linger along the Rio Grande. And places to picnic right by the river, too.

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After dropping them off, we headed to San Francisco de Asis Mission Church in Taos. It is easy to miss, you don’t see it from the road, thus  I have passed it a few times without knowing. Georgia O’Keeffe painted this church and Ansel Adams photographed it. I can see why…

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I love the softness of the adobe churches and the white and beige detail of this church. So lovely.

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A random house near the church with the signature blue shutters and red chilis hanging from the roof. IMG_3697.jpg

What a great day!

This summer we didn’t really have time or finances for a vacation. Day trips like this make a staycation a lot more bearable for me. Exploring new places and spending a lot of time in the pool is what gets me through the long and hot New Mexico summers.

Have a great day,

Sofija

 

 

A Photo Shoot with the Girls in Taos

Family Photo Shoot

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Friends,

How are you? Are you enjoying holiday preparations, or are you overwhelmed? It has been super busy for us, my oldest son had a few very important deadlines, but overall I am not overwhelmed. The predominant feeling I have is thankfulness. This time last year my husband slipped with his bicycle on some ice on his way to work. After I took him to the hospital he ended up having hip surgery that same night. It was the week when my oldest son had his finals and most of our kids were sick with a stomach flu. I’m not sure how, but Finn managed to take care of all of his siblings and finish his finals well, while I was driving to and from the hospital. The week was very dark and surreal, but the help of Finn and lots of friends got us through it. This year I am just so thankful we are all together in one piece. And since Finn will be graduating in May it seems like an era is coming to an end. I felt the huge need to document this moment in our lives and was so thrilled when Emily said she would take time out of her busy life and do the shoot.

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For the next pictures I asked our good friend Jon if he would let us use his VW bus.

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Playing in the bus was the most fun the kids have ever had at our photo shoots.

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I am so pleased how these pictures turned out. We did a lot during this shoot: Finn’s senior pictures, our Christmas pictures, and a few really fun ones of just the girls. Oh, and a short time-lapse movie, as well. I will be posting more soon.

Have a fun day,

Sofija

All pictures taken by Emily Mulder. VW bus on loan by Jon Shodean.

 

 

 

Family Photo Shoot

The High Road to Taos

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In October my husband and I drove to Taos. You might remember that we have been to Taos quite a few times before in the summer. I was exited to see it in the fall with the leaves changing. Also, usually we drive up using the Low Road to Taos, which goes alongside the Rio Grande river. This time we decided to take the High Road. It is one of New Mexico’s scenic byways. It takes a lot longer and it is quite windy. Since in the past we have always come up with the kids who are prone to car sickness, we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try it. It was our anniversary and we left the kids at home.

In Pojaque we took the 503 heading north (it is easy to miss this right turn, if you are heading towards Espanola you have missed it). Nambe was our first stop. My main goal was to take pictures of the Catholic Churches (which is kind of an obsession of mine, I love their architecture) and the views along the way.

Here are  pictures of the Sacred Heart Church in Nambe. This is not the prettiest of all the churches, keep going, it will get better…

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Sacred heart Church in Nambe, NM

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The church is not original, it had to be rebuilt after a botched renovation. There is a pueblo nearby, which we did not drive to. We saw the church and then went on our way to Chimayo.

Chimayo is the highlight of the Road to Taos. Nestled in a beautifully green valley it is a town you want to linger in. There is a well known restaurant Rancho de Chimayo. There are also quaint weaving shops, below is Ortegas. Ortegas Weaving shop Chimayo, NMOrtegas Weaving Shop in Chimayo, NM

Right next to the weaving shop was a little museum with a cute little orchard.IMG_1443

The church Santurio de Chimayo, built between 1811 and 1816, is a pilgrimage site for thousands of visitors each year, especially on Good Friday. They were installing Christmas lights while were there. So cute!Catholic Church Santurio de Chimayo in NM

Santurio de Chimayo, NMSanturio de Chimayo doorCatholic Church Santurio de Chimayo in NM

The church is tiny, really, but so quaint and cute. I can see why it is so popular. There are a lot of touristy shops around it, but this Trading Post caught my eye.

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Between Chimayo and Cordova the views become quite breathtaking.

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We kept driving and did not stop until Las Trampas, which also has a cute little church San Jose de Garcia, completed in 1776.

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My ever so patient husband rolled with it, stopping every couple of miles so I could take pictures. He is a keeper! We realized this trip that we both really like road trips. He likes driving and I like to take pictures. We promised ourselves we would do it more often.

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After Trampas we headed towards Chamisal, which was quite enchanting with its golden colors. With my telescopic lense I took these pictures, which turned out to be my favorite.

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We kept going to Sipapu, but there was only the ski resort there, nothing too spectacular.

The plan was to end this post with pictures from the famous church San Francisco de Asis in Taos. However we got to hungry, had lunch in Taos, and then forgot to go back to it. 😦

I came back the next summer, so these pictures have a different light to them.

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That night we ate at a restaurant that also happens to be an old adobe church:

The Love Apple: Seasonal, fresh harvested, delicious, and so romantic!

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I hope you enjoyed coming along on this trip. Another reason to make New Mexico your destination.

Have a lovely day,

Sofija

All pictures taken by Sofija Burton except for the one in Trampas. David Burton took the one that has me in it.

 

 

The High Road to Taos

Cedar Crest, New Mexico

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A couple of weeks ago Tasha and I hung out in Cedar Crest while my oldest son had a meeting at the Gutierezz Canyon Open Space. He will be doing trail work there this weekend for his Eagle Project. So proud of him! Anyway Tasha and I had some time on our hands, so I decided to take some pictures…
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Dress: Tea Clothing
Shoes: Crocs
I was ecstatic to find a field of wild flowers in New Mexico! Imagine that!
Have a lovely day,
Sofija

All pictures taken with my iphone 5.

Cedar Crest, New Mexico

Winter Wonderland

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Last weekend we got the most snow we had in years. The city came to a sort of standstill.

 

Our property backs up to open space, with a lovely path through cotton wood trees and a small creek that barely ever has water in it. It is kind of magical…

IMG_0256 IMG_0260 winter trees IMG_0290 IMG_0281 IMG_0273 IMG_0280I imagine this is what Narnia might look like, all we need is a lamp post..

Now that we had our snow I look forward to spring.

-Sofija

 

Winter Wonderland

Slow Travel: Taking the Scenic Road to Santa Fe

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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.

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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.

 

 

Slow Travel: Taking the Scenic Road to Santa Fe

Bike-In-Coffee along the Bosque Trail in Albuquerque

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My favorite place to bike in Albuquerque is the Bosque Trail along the river Rio Grande, as it is the ONLY flat trail around here. 16 miles right by the river. I must add here, you don’t always get a good view of the river, because the area has been left natural and parts of it are wildlife sanctuaries. It is very family friendly, no cars in sight. Though the trail can get packed on the weekend with cyclists, runners, and the occasional inline skater.

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What makes this trail even better is the fact that there is a Bike-in-Coffee easily accessible, near the southern end of the trail (Montoya st.) Bike in Coffee is a little trailer that sits on Old Town Farm. Old Town Farm also operates as a horse facility and a produce farm. You can see the stalls behind my husband and the bikes.

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I’d like to add here that the food coming out of this little trailer is superb. Items on the menu are made with freshly picked ingredients from the farm. We tried the mini quiche and their and the scones, and we kept coming back for more. It was packed with flavor, melt in your mouth kind of food. I read on their website that they offer lunches, too. I can’t even imagine…IMG_0708 IMG_0699

Here is a pump and repair station for your bikes. How cool is that?IMG_1101

There are several places to sit and eat. We sat near the vegetable garden and then later realized that there was a beautiful shaded area.IMG_0704 IMG_1100

 

Bike in Coffee is open on the weekends and can only be accessed by bicyclist or hikers.  I highly recommend this place for your next bike ride.

Have a great day,

Sofija

 

Bike-In-Coffee along the Bosque Trail in Albuquerque

Good-bye Summer!

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“Aah, summer-that long anticipated stretch of lazy, lingering days, free of responsibility and rife with possibility. It’s a time to hunt for insects, master handstands, practice swimming strokes, conquer trees, explore nooks and crannies, and make new friends.”
Darell Hammond

Well friends, summer is over, at least for us. School starts tomorrow for my two oldest. Need to get myself in high gear preparing the next school year for my three middle kids. I know, I am über prepared as usual…But I feel ready to leave this beautiful summer behind and start a new routine. At least right now, ask me in a week or two, or the week my husband will be on travel. By then I will probably be ready for my middle schooler to walk herself to school, barefoot and backwards, like we used to do, right?!
How about you, is your summer still in full swing, or almost over, or even worse “what summer are you talking about!”? Interesting tidbit of information: my German nephews are just now starting their 6 week summer vacation! Say, what?
Have a lovely day,
Sofija

P.S. I found the quote above in a random place on the internet. I used it because it described so well how our summer went. I sure hope Mr. Hammond is a nice person, worthy of being quoted…

Good-bye Summer!