Santa Fe Pictures

Sue and Larry at Ghost Ranch

Just returned from a lovely weeklong visit to Santa Fe, NM. It wasn't our first visit, but it had been close to 10 years since last we were there.



We shared an AIRBNB condo with our longtime friends and frequent traveling companions, Mart & Bob Larson.


Martha & John Birney, Denver friends,  drove down from Denver to spend part of the week with us.

John, Martha, Mart, Bob, Sue, Larry

It is so much fun to explore an interesting town like Santa Fe with friends who share your interests in history and art, of which there is a lot in SF.

Dancing St. Francis at the Cathedral

Like Williamsburg, today's Santa Fe is a construct, but also like Williamsburg it is a successful one.  Most of the buildings in the town center are brown or beige adobe, and the main plaza looks like an amalgam of Old Mexico and 1940's America.

We were told that the city's population is around 60k.  On many days, I am sure there are as many tourists as there are city residents, but fortunately during our visit that didn't seem to be the case, so it was easy to stroll along the city's sidewalks taking in the history and looking at the many shops, featuring Southwestern art or Native American jewelry..

Larry and Bob at the O'Keeffe Museum

During our visit, all of us became more aware of Georgia O'Keeffe.  One of our first stops was at the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum which had just mounted a new exhibit on her life and her art.



With the aid of an audio tour that we could download on our phones, we learned about this remarkable woman and her then revolutionary ideas about abstract art.

Photo of landscape

It was an incredibly delightful and enlightening two hour visit and whetted our appetite to learn more about O'Keeffe and the her adopted home of New Mexico.

O'Keeffe painting of landscape

The day after our visit to the O'Keeffe Museum we decided to visit Abiquiu, where she had a home, and the nearby Ghost Ranch, where she often stayed and painted.






When O'Keeffe first visited New Mexico in the 1920's she stayed at Ghost Ranch and instantly felt at home.


Drawn by the isolated beauty, she returned year after year to paint its high plains, mountains, and desert landscapes.



One of her favorite subjects was the Pedernal mountain.  It can be seen clearly both at Ghost Ranch and the town of Abiquiu.

The photo above shows the cloud-shrouded Pedernal mountain on the day we visited; the picture of the O'Keeffe painting is on the right.

Stan and Arin Bader's Guest House

We tried to visit O'Keeffe's home in Abiquiu, but lacking an appointment, we were not able to get in.


Serendipitously, though, we were able to visit with Stan and Arin Bader, friends we first met in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

Stan and Arin have a beautiful 58-acre ranch, orchard and vineyard just outside of town.  Although we had not warned them of our visit, they greeted us with open arms and showed us around their home and grounds.

In addition to selling berries, grapes and raisins that they raise on the ranch, they also operate a small two-room guest house, Las Parras de Abiquiu.  We instantly fell in love with the ranch and guest house and their lovely, landscaped gardens and have vowed to return in the not too distant future for a weekend visit.

Bob and Mart at O'Keeff's cottage on Ghost Ranch grounds

While in Santa Fe, we found a number of great restaurants and had some really fun and delicious eating experiences.  The Shed, just off the main plaza and only a couple of blocks from the O'Keeffe museum, serves traditional New Mexican cuisine--for us that means hot.

Larry, who usually enjoys spicy food, ordered some chili con carne that he couldn't eat.  The others enjoyed their less seasoned but tasty tacos, burritos, and enchiladas.

Santa Fe clouds--nature's art

One evening, the six of us enjoyed tapas and live jazz at El Meson.  The tapas were varied and all that we tried were delicious.

We ate in the bar dining area where an excellent jazz duo entertained us for much of our time at the restaurant.  The service was excellent and we would highly recommend it.

But our favorite eating discovery was the Tea House on Canyon Road.  Every tourist to Santa Fe makes it to Canyon Road which is literally block after block of mostly high end art galleries.

On our last afternoon in Santa Fe, we trudged up Canyon road, dropping in and out of galleries as the spirit moved us, the art attracted us, or the chill drove us to seek warmth. The gallery hosts were invariably friendly and knowledgeable about the art on display and about Santa Fe.  Late in the afternoon, hungry and chilled, we asked one of the hosts for dining recommendations.  She reeled off a number but said her favorite was the Tea House.

It was a great find; featuring simple, organic and locally grown food as well as a large variety of teas and local beers, everything we had was filling and delicious.  As we lingered over our late lunch, the owner/chef Rich stopped by our table for what turned out to be a 15 minute discussion of food, cooking, travel and Santa Fe.  It was the perfect way to finish our day--that, and the carryout desserts that we ordered to feast upon later that evening back at our condo.

Settling Into Denver--Summer 2016

Charlie, the gardener

 Here we are in Apartment 20-L.  After years of travel—four years moving every three months, except a five-month stint once—we are staying put for a while.  We’ll see how that works out.

Our apartment has a spectacular view of the Rocky Mountains, which we enjoy every day.  The building, Brooks Tower,  has an exercise room, a large living room style “Residents’ Room”, a common laundry (where we often see performers from the Denver Performing Arts Center, especially on Mondays).

Charlie on the "Train to the Plane"

It also has an outdoor swimming pool that we love, and a pool table that we haven’t tried yet, but want to.

We are one block from the 16^th Street Mall that affords great people watching and has a lot of good bars and restaurants and shops.  

Charlie at Opa's birthday

With the free bus running from Union Station to the Capitol, we can get up and down the Mall easily.  

Other buses run from right outside our door to almost anywhere we would want to go, so no car is necessary.  However, we use Bryn’s for grocery shopping, but may stop doing that when the new Whole Foods, on the free bus line, opens in the Fall or Winter.

Our favorite entertainment is Charlie, who gives us lots to laugh about and unending joy.  (Is it not evident from the number of photos on this posting and many others?)

Charlie, Bryn and Oma in Denver Botanic Gardens

We usually have him for an overnight once a week.  We have become adept at pretending to be Star Wars characters or any number of Super Heroes. (Adept, but old and slow...)

A typical day?  It will sound really boring, but we are happy.

Larry, an early bird, gets up around 6:30 am or so and goes to the exercise room and takes a walk.  He then has his daily Honey Nut Cheerios and reads the online version of the New York Times.

Charlie, Oma and Opa at Denver Botanic Gardens

Around 8:00 am Sue rouses and does stretches and yoga in the bedroom, thus giving Larry lots of morning private time.

She is not an early morning eater, so has a cup of tea with Larry on our small balcony, and we both admire the mountain view for a while.

After that, there are always chores around the house, online news to check and emails to delete—does everyone get as many unwanted emails as we do?  

Sad to say, at least Sue is a terrible correspondent.  I should write more regularly and am always composing in my head, but don’t have follow through.  I think Larry is better at this.

Lily Pond at Denver Botanic Gardens

Anyway, Sue is usually the chore do-er while Larry practices his electric piano.  Though, Larry does the laundry and we both share serious cleaning of the apartment.

We try to get a swim in, weather permitting, either just before noon or in the late afternoon.  The swimming schedule totally depends on the storms that seem to appear almost daily this summer.  

View from our cabin in Rocky Mtn. National Park

Blue skies, we jump into our suits; black clouds, we stay in and watch the show as the storms come rolling towards us from the mountains. 

We’ve had some pretty spectacular storm watching—and have lost a thing or two from our balcony; they can get pretty fierce!

Lunch is catch as catch can, and we often go out to the grocery store or to the Botanic Gardens or the Denver Art Gallery during the early afternoon before our nap—a late afternoon nap is really essential to good health, don't you think? 

Bear Lake in Rocky Mtn. National Park

Soon, cocktail hour is upon us, and we love our G&Ts with mixed nuts as we watch TV news—local, Lester Holt and then PBS.  Lots of news; we love it. And with the elections, there always seems that there is something to cheer or jeer.

Sue generally cooks dinner while listening to Gwen and Judy—lately using online meal service, Blue Apron: a lot of work, but a lot of fun three days a week, especially as we have opted for the Vegetarian selection.  

Wildlife in Rocky Mtn. National Park

Other days it’s the lifelong standards that had become boring; thus the Blue Apron perk up.

The evening ends with too much TV.  We keep telling ourselves we are going to break the habit, but it is really, really hard.  

We do turn it off to eat, but head back to the couch afterwards for a movie or a program we think is interesting.

 We used to take an evening walk, but it has become too hot this summer and we stopped doing it.

Us with Cynthia and Nancy in NC

We are looking forward to cooler climes to start that up again. Finally, a bit of reading in bed and then lights out.

This August we did make manage to make it up to Rocky Mountain National Park.  Like so many other national parks, it is a national treasure, and we are so fortunate to be able to visit it and enjoy it.  

Now that we are seniors, we took advantage of a program that the Parks Service offers--a life time membership for $10.  

We will be able to visit any National Park or Monument, free of charge, for the rest of our lives.  We stayed in a little cabin along a babbling mountain creek, just three miles from the entrance.  

We had a great time and managed to take a few interesting hikes (or in our case, walks).  Driving thru the park, along the continental divide and above the timber line is extraordinary--we recommend it to all.

We should volunteer or do some other do-gooder thing, but haven’t found an avenue for that yet.  Maybe if we stay here a full six months as we’ve promised one another, something will appear. 

Ah, but the elections have given us the opportunity to volunteer, at least for a few weeks.  We are making phone calls or roaming the the Saturday Union Station Farmers' Market trying to get people to register.

Johan, Erin, Angie, Larry and Diego the Cat in DC

Earlier this summer, we took an extended trip back East, and got to visit with Erin and some other friends and family, but our favorite entertainment is to have visitors and we are hoping to have some this fall.  

Several people have promised us…we can’t wait!

Ashley Shares Portland with Us

Tasting Teas

After an interesting week in CA, we took a short flight from Sacramento to Portland, OR.

Our "soul daughter" Ashely Brown (daughter of our long time friend, Anita Brown) was on hand to greet us at the airport and then bundle us into her car for the short trip back to her home.

Ashley is an indefatigable host and guide.  She loves Portland and Oregon and delights in showing it off to visitors like us.

A beautty in the Rose Garden

A trip to the Saturday Farmers' Market on the grounds of Portland State University was the beginning of a whirlwind of activities.

We have seldom enjoyed a market more, with all its wonderful fresh fruit and produce and its myriad food tasting opportunities.

After loading up our baskets and bellies, we headed to the Smith Tea Room for a tea sampler.

Sue and Ashley are much more into tea than Larry, but we all enjoyed the experience and the calm and welcoming atmosphere of the tasting room.

The Washington Park Rose Garden

Then it was off to Washington Park to see some of Portland's world famous roses.

They certainly lived up to the hype.  It was really a joy for the eyes and nose.

A beautiful Portland Saturday, the Park was full of people, seemingly from all over the world, and we cannot remember ever having seen such beautiful rose gardens.

Ashley & Sue in the Japanese Garden

Also located in Washington Park is a lovely Japanese Garden.

It provided a totally different garden experience, with it formal layout and many shades of green.

Giant Sequoia Bonsai'd

But the highlight of that garden, at least for us, was a temporary exhibition "American Bonsai,"  featuring the incredible bonsai creations of Ryan Neil, who studied bonsai in Japan for several years and then returned to America to create his own uniquely American bonsai.

We marveled at the artistry and creativity he displayed, using only trees from the American West.

One that particularly appealed to us, especially after our visit to Kings Canyon, was a giant Sequoia, thought to be 150 years old, but only about five feet tall. It was like you were a giant gazing down on the General Sherman tree. Wow!

Ashley and her friend's baby

To enhance our visit, Ashley planned a Memorial Day picnic and cookout and invited friends and neighbors, including what has to be the happiest of babies.   (By request we can send you a video of his "Stevie Wonder"moves--it will uplift you and make you laugh forever.)

It was a delightful, sun filled experience of wonderful people and of Portland, including some great food.

Ashley is lucky to have such friends and we felt special to be introduced to them.

We "Perched" for a few days on the Oregon coast

On the Tuesday after Memorial Day, we made the short but scenic drive out to the Oregon Coast.

Ashley has discovered a delightful little cottage called "The Perch" which does just that on a cliff overlooking the town of Oceanside.

View towards the Pacific from "The Perch"

From the tree shaded deck, you have a perfect view of the beach below.

The Oregon Coast, with its rocks and cliffs, is a shock to those like us who are more familiar with the mid-Atlantic beaches.

The beach below "The Perch"

Oceanside is just a few miles from Netarts--home of  world-famous Netarts oysters. Both of us really love oysters, especially raw.

During our stay, we feasted on these fat and briny oysters every day--once we learned to shuck them--thanks to a U-Tube video.

Larry at Tillamook

Nearby was the town of Tillamook, home of the famous cheese and ice cream. We toured the Tillamook Cheese Factor, learned a lot about the history and process of cheese making, got up close and personal to a life-sized cow model, and, best of all sampled their delicious cheese, fudge and ice cream.

Their peanut butter swirl ice cream can't be beat!

One of the many fabulous views at Cape Meares

Our favorite discovery, though, was Cape Meares State Park--just a five mile drive from our cottage in Oceanside.

The landscape is breathtaking--giant cliffs, covered with old growth forest, jutting out into the cold Pacific, seeming to go on forever.

More Meares--a photographer's dreamscape

The cliffs are home to a large variety of birds such as  loons, cormorants, murres and oystercatchers.

We loved looking out to sea and watching the many birds floating, diving into the water, or nesting on the distant cliffs.

The Octopus Tree

As we walked along the hiking trail that hugs the lookout point at Cape Meares, every turn in the trail seemed to bring a different and more beautiful view.


We also took the short hiking trail into the woods to see the Octopus Tree, a 300 year old Sitka Spruce with multiple trunks.


Supposedly the native American tribes used the tree for ceremonies and multi-tribe gatherings.

Sunset at Cape Meares

Just the week before we had visited Yosemite, one of the most visited parks in the world, and it is beautiful, but we much preferred the wild beauty, and much less touristy Cape Meares.  Highly recommended!

The Oregon Coastline is so picturesque and enchanting.

A picnic by the sea

On our last day we enjoyed Cape Lookout State Park where we stopped for a seaside picnic lunch; there were a few places where you could dine with the ocean practically lapping at your feet.

View from our picnic table

And with an incomparable view only a few steps away.

We hated to leave the park and the seashore, but Ashley was expecting us back in Portland.

Also, we had made plans to meet up with our long time friend, Teresa Cunningham Byrnes.

Dinner with Teresa (David and Michael collaborating on the photo)

We first met Teresa in Alexandria more than 40 years ago but had not seen her since she moved to Portland 35 years ago; nor met her husband, David,  and son, Michael.

Thanks to the Internet. we were able to reconnect when they invited us to a homemade pizza night in their beautifully restored early 20th century Portland home.

What great fun it is to re-establish old friendships. We had a delightful evening together, and so did Ashley.

Our welcome to the Nike campus

For several years now, Ashley has worked as a building designer for Nike, the giant sportswear company which is head-quartered in Portland.

The lovely Nike campus

We were anxious to see the company's campus so she took us for a tour: impressive and beautiful.

A trip to the company store, provided us both and Charlie with new Nike sneakers.

Nothing can beat wine in the afternoon

Our last outing took us to the Willamette Valley to visit several wineries and sample their wares.

The vines of Willamette Valley

Our favorite--both for location and for the quality of their wine-- was Raptor Ridge Winery where we enjoyed our tasting on a beautiful balcony overlooking acres of grape wines and the snow topped Mounts Hood, St. Helens and Rainier in the distance.

It was a delightful end to an incredibly fun and varied visit to Portland and environs.  We were so impressed and thankful to Ashley for her superb hospitality.

We'll be back!

On the Road Again: California

Central Valley California

Eddie and Elma in downtown Visalia, larger town close to Dinuba

After about three months in Denver, we are on the road again, this time just for a short trip, including California and Oregon.

We flew into the Sacramento airport, rented a car and drove down the California central valley to visit with our friends, Eddie and Elma Gonzalez, who live in a small city called Dinuba--about 30 miles from Fresno.

Eddie with some of Abe-El's produce

We first met Elma and Eddie three years ago in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico and have kept in touch since.

Eddie and Elma were both born in Nueva Leon, Mexico but didn't meet until both their families came to California when they were teenagers. They met picking tomatoes.

Eddie has worked for the same farming company for the past 43 years; he now supervises all of the crews who pick the fruits and vegetables. Elma worked as a school secretary and together they raised three beautiful & successful daughters.

Squash field

For us, their story seems like a testament to the American Dream and epitomizes the hard work of so many immigrants to our country.



The owners of the company where Eddie works are now changing their business plan and doing less farming and more food processing.

Many of the vegetable fields are being converting to oranges--especially the little Cuties that have become so popular recently--and other tree crops.

Enjoying one of the great Mexican restaurants

The Gonzalezes were surprised at our interest in their area and our desire to see the fields, but they were happy to drive us around the countryside.

We had never visited the Central Valley and were really unfamiliar with the incredible agricultural production.

We were so impressed with the large farms and the fruits and vegetables that they produce--all dependent on the water runoff from the Sierras.

Our three day visit flew by (at least for us).  It was lots of fun being with Eddie and Elma. They treated us like royalty, and we had some wonderful times together, especially over some great Mexican food. We hope they will let us reciprocate by visiting with us in Denver.

Sequoia National Park

Lake in front of Montecito Sequoia Lodge

We left Dinuba and headed to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks.  It took us less than two hours, even though the last hour was through steep hills and mountains with lots of twists and turns. 

The two parks were created separately in the early 20th century but are now administered as one as they are contiguous.

Our first stop was our hotel, the Montecito Sequoia Lodge which is just a few miles inside the park. What a funky but fun and convenient place.  

One of the grand sequoias

The rooms remind you of a Motel Six, but your rental includes all of your meals--and what great meals they were. Despite being served buffet style, they were surprisingly tasty--almost gourmet and plentiful.

You eat communally and in the three days we spent there we met people from all over the US, Germany, Spain, Japan, and Russia. 

Often we met some of our fellow lodgers as we traveled through the parks, and it was very helpful to get viewing hints from them. We loved the Parks and would happily go back.

Gorgeous sequoias

As the name implies, the park is home to the giant Sequoias, and they were truly magnificent and awe-inspiring.  It is really quite humbling to stand in front of a 2500 year old tree and contemplate the history it has witnessed and survived.

Size comparison--amazing trees !

Although much of the Sierra Nevada forests, including the sequoias, were extensively, one might say brutally logged by the end of the 19th century, there were some visionary politicians and civic minded citizens who recognized the natural treasure that this land represented and fought to save some of the forest for future generations. For that we are truly grateful.

Grizzly Bear Falls

As wonderful and awe-inspiring as the sequoias were, the grandeur and scenery in Kings Canyon is not to be believed; it is glorious--and was a complete surprise to us.  

When we planned this trip, our first goal was to see Yosemite, but since Kings Canyon and Sequoia were so close to the Gonzalezes we decided to pay them a visit as well, without really knowing what we would encounter.  

We are so happy that we did.

Waterfalls.  Wildflower strewn alpine meadows.  Glacial canyons. Spectacular views. Scary mountain roads. Lakes, streams and rivers. Peaceful and serene hiking trails.

There was so much to see and do.

Happy tourists

Our last day in the Parks, we packed a lunch and soon after yet another great breakfast, we set out for the floor of the Kings Canyon and to drive to Road's End.  

As we left the Lodge, it was spitting rain and snow and the temperature was in the mid-thirties, but the road was clear and there was little traffic to contend with.

For the first half hour or so, we drove along the ridge line and through some pretty impressive forests--although some of it had been touched fairly recently by fire.  (Remember last year's Kings Canyon Fire--evidently it was one of the biggest in California history, but it had not registered with us until our visit to the Parks.) 

Despite the fire damage, the scenery is beautiful--and fire is a natural phenomena that makes for a healthy and diverse environment.  Without fire, the sequoias cannot reproduce; something the park managers didn't understand until a few decades ago.

Soon you come out of the forest and you see an incredible river valley, many thousand feet below you and a narrow ribbon of a road that takes you to the bottom.  As you gradually descend the eastern slope, the temperature climbs, it becomes drier and the scenery and plant life change dramatically. It is a trip of less than 50 miles but a world apart from the rain forest of the Western slope and home of the sequoias.

Zumwalt Meadow in Kings Canyon

Three hours and many "viewing" stops later we arrived at Road's End: the road actually dead ends here. But your reward is that there is a peaceful picnic area situated along a beautiful, swift flowing mountain stream.  

We enjoyed our lunch looking at the river, under a canopy of Ponderosa pines and watching the antics of the resident Western Blue Jays. It was truly idyllic. 

From the picnic area, a path leads to Zumwalt Meadows, one of the most beautiful and serene places you can imagine.  The meadow is really more of a bog or swamp with grasses and rushes and all kinds of insect and bird life.  Because there are so few people, you can stop and listen and hear the wind blowing, the insects buzzing, and the birds singing.  The video below will give you some idea of the tranquility of the place.  (You can see a video by clicking on the picture caption above.)

Our hike around the meadow took about an hour, partly because of the boulder field that you have to negotiate for some of the way, but also because we kept stopping to enjoy the vistas and quiet majesty of the place.  After the hike, we reluctantly climbed back into our car to make the return trip back to the lodge.

Wild flowers (notice fire damaged trees in background)

Our last stop was at the top of the canyon off a closed road  that leads up to a picturesque alpine meadow.  (One of our fellow lodge guest had told us about it) It is filled with thousands of wild flowers, many of which were new and unknown to us, and the songs of the resident birds.  

We climbed the steep and rutted road slowly, but our reward was a great view of the entire Kings Canyon valley and much of the surrounding countryside.  It was a great finish to a wonderful day.

Coming back to life after the burn