We gave Las Vegas, NM a quick tour on Thursday morning. there are a lot of nice old western style buildings, a brick library built with Carnegie money (there’s one not far from home too – they are all first-class buildings), the courthouse square and two things I think make a town livable

a farmers’ market and a health food store.

It’s about an hour to Santa fe, and I hadn’t ever been there, so we went to take a look.

On the advice of my cousin Jon, I went to cafe Pasqualle and had the smoked trout hash.

That’s a potato and Gruyere pancake topped with two poached eggs and pieces of smoked trout, garnished with cilantro and served with a tomatillo salsa. Pretty darned yum.

Downtown Santa Fe has lots and lots and lots of expensive shopping. The buildings are all adobe or made to look like adobe, and if they aren’t all exactly the same color, the color selection is pretty dang narrow. There is a Luchese boot store on the main square and real cowboys still shop there, there are Native American crafters lined up in the shade selling their wares as they have since we invaded their lands, there are enough interesting restaurants and galleries to keep you busy for weeks or months . . . and the whole place creeped me out.

A nice shop owner directed me to some open space where Chico and I could go for a walk.

No dogs here, but near by are dog friendly trails.

Trails that went here,

and here,

and here.

Between the shopping district and the hike, I worked up enough of an appetite to try the New Mexico staple, the Green Chili Cheeseburger. Two shopkeepers and Jane & Michael Sterns Road Food, all advise having one at Bobcat Bite, just east of Santa Fe. So I went there. It’s a tiny place, and I was able to be seated immediately by sitting at the counter. I ordered my burger and an ice tea.

Fresh chuck ground daily, hot-but-not-too-hot green chilies, American cheese, on a homemade bun.

It’s a really good burger. A man came in who’s clearly a regular, and sat next to me. We got to chatting about my trip and an upcoming storm and he convinced me to go to Albuquerque and take a room for the night, not to head west towards Flagstaff, but look at going south before going west. Flagstaff is at 6,000 feet or something and the storm would be snow there, but rain further south. Sound advice. As was his suggestion I get an order of coleslaw to go. No mayo here, this was German style with a vinegar dressing. It made a great lunch item the next day. So I say “Thanks”  to Crow Joe, for all the good ideas. We spent the nigh in a much less satisfactory Super 8 motel, watching the weather channel and looking at maps.