Jen’s New Mexico

Ski Santa Fe

Last Sunday was a bluebird day at Ski Santa Fe, where I carved some turns and toasted to friends at Totemoff’s (http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Food/Mid-mountain-Munchies). With a relatively sunny climate and stunning vistas from some of the highest ski areas in the country, skiing in New Mexico is almost never crowded and always fun.

State employees hurried home early today after another stroke of luck: it has been coming down hard all day here in New Mexico’s Capitol City. I’m busily making my plans for Taos Ski Valley on Saturday (for a link to information on all of New Mexico’s great ski areas, please go here: www.skinewmexico.org), and will indulge in a nice long lunch in the sun at the Bavarian, the most authentic, well, Bavarian place I’ve ever been to outside of Munich: www.thebavarian.net.

Ski Santa Fe last Sunday

If you’re within a day’s drive or flight from New Mexico–come this weekend. This timely storm, forecasted to last through Friday evening, will make a sunny Saturday and Sunday the perfect Pre-Olympic warmup.

See you on the slopes!

Jen

Lunch at the Bavarian in TSV

Good morning from a cool and snow covered Santa Fe!

The hustle and bustle of the holidays has found its way to this high mountain town once again, the Historic Plaza is strung with bright lights, the galleries have their doors open to the throngs of art lovers, and farolitos deck the thick adobe walls. A wisp of pinon smoke gathers in the star covered sky each night as New Mexico settles in for another special winter season.

Whether it’s the walk  Canyon Road on Christmas Eve, caroling with friends and strangers alike, a traditional midnight mass at the St. Francis Cathedral, or enjoying some window shopping on the pine-bough-wrapped portal of Palace Avenue, there are few places in the world as magical as Santa Fe, and really, all of New Mexico, for the holidays.

Below is an interview with Patrizia Antonicelli who owns and operates Seven Directions. Patrizia is a Santa Fe-based receptive tour operator with a specialty in Native American art and culture who takes visitors all over the state for hands on experiences with the Land of Enchantment.

Jen: as a receptive tour operator who loves Santa Fe and New Mexico, what do you like about the Holidays here?

Patrizia (Seven Directions): Everything! Truly this is the best season to enjoy the air, the crisp blue sky, the quieter city and nature that, despite the cold, holds marvelous colors in contrast with the shades of the incredible rock formations. All this makes it even more dramatic. It’s a photographer’s paradise! If we get snow, even better!

Jen: So it’s not too quiet is it?

Patrizia: Not at all! It means that there is a feel of belonging that sometimes you miss when there are too many people walking the streets. Santa Fe never stops; cultural activities are sizzling in town and out. The restaurants are at their best with offerings of delicious gourmet food, the museums have new exhibitions that are, as usual, not-to-be-missed, events go on at galleries, the Farmers Market is fun as in every season (the apple cider is so good and warm!). But on top of all this there is the special Holiday atmosphere, when shopping is fun; or even just window shopping. Shopping in Santa Fe is a very unique experience indeed. You never go home empty-handed… alas!

Jen: Where would you recommend going? What do you think is a very unique New Mexico experience?

Patrizia: Bosque del Apache! This is truly something to experience once-in-a-lifetime. To watch the geese take off in the morning, at dawn, in millions, waking up and leaving the large pond where they slept all night, is incredibly exciting. Despite the early wake-up!

If the weather is not too cold or wet, I think that a visit to Chaco Canyon is wonderful; it’s the right time to see it. And Taos Pueblo at Christmas Eve or on Christmas day offers a moving experience of this ancient pueblo.

Jen: And what about Santa Fe during the Holidays? Anything super special to recommend?

Patrizia: Yes, there is THE one thing that belongs to Santa Fe only. The Canyon Road Walk, on Christmas Eve. It is the moment where one feels a connection with all the other people that walk along this historic road, whether you are a local or not. People are happy, smile to each other, sing along around bonfires…it fills your heart! Farolitos are so romantic when they are the only light along your way!

 For more information on Seven Directions please visit www.sevendirections.net

Jennifer Hobson: Cheryl, could you explain what culinary tourism is?

Chef and cookbook author Cheryl Alters Jamison

Cheryl Alters Jamison: In the broadest sense, culinary tourism is the pursuit of unique and memorable culinary experiences of all kinds. This includes restaurant dining, but is much broader in scope, and can include cooking classes, food festivals, wineries, breweries, food growers and producers, manufacturers of food products, farmers’ markets, food and wine stores, kitchenware businesses, chuckwagon cookouts, and even museum exhibitions. Growing numbers of people are making travel choices based on where they can find authentic culinary experiences, and New Mexico offers a wealth of these.

JH: Yes, New Mexico does seem a perfect destination for this, with more than 400 years of history.

CAJ: That’s true for visitors from in-state, cross-country, and around the world. We have something very special here. Our early blend of Native American and Spanish cultures created a singular cuisine, different from elsewhere in the American Southwest or Mexico. Combine that with our contemporary chefs and restaurants creating their own signature cooking styles, plus the world of global flavors also available here, from pupusas to papadums. Chefs have driven an exciting return to locally-raised beef, bison, lamb, pork, turkey, and chicken. Generations-old orchards and vegetable farms nestled along the Rio Grande provide much of our produce. You can find all these and more, including New Mexico pecans, pistachios, and cheeses, at 50 farmers’ markets. The state’s wine regions are North America’s oldest, and three dozen wineries offer stunning scenery with their tastings. Microbreweries are another culinary resource, and are now found from border to border. Are we hungry yet?

JH: What are the goals of the culinary tourism initiatives you are designing?

CAJ: To increase recognition of New Mexico as a culinary destination, increase visitor numbers and expenditures, and further support the state’s economy and local businesses. Eating meals is probably the one shared characteristic of all visitors!

JH: One of the initial projects you’ve been working on is the first in a series of “culinary trails,” the Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail.

CAJ: Can you imagine anything more fun? It does have a serious intent, however. The state is just full of great places offering this signature New Mexican dish, and we want to let people know about the many delicious offerings in every corner of the state. Starting the trails with burgers also helps make it clear that culinary experiences come in all kinds of price ranges and styles. This is not something focusing only on trendy or expensive white-tablecloth spots. Later trails will highlight many of the other kinds of restaurants and culinary experiences we’ve talked about briefly. All the trails will be plotted out on maps with descriptions of the possible stops, available online at newmexico.org for residents and visitors to view and download.

JH: What do you consider some of the New Mexico’s venerable culinary treasures?

CAJ: A handful of places with long history—the Barelas Coffee House and Mary & Tito’s in Albuquerque, Rancho de Chimayó in Chimayó, La Posta in La Mesilla, Jonnie’s Cash Store, Maria’s, and the Pink Adobe in Santa Fe, the Velarde family’s fruit stand in Velarde. As you know, we’re working on the Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail right now, and some of the older burger places include Manny’s Buckhorn Tavern and the Owl Café in San Antonio, and Bobcat Bite and Bert’s Burger Bowl in Santa Fe. There are so many more that we don’t have time to mention but will get included over the months ahead on the culinary trails.

JH: How did you develop your interest in this field?

CJ: I was a culinary traveler before anyone coined the term or I knew anything about it. When I was a child, my family always traveled around by station wagon, and good food would be a part of those trips, whether we gawked at sides of beef hung in Boston markets, sampled tea in San Francisco’s Chinatown that sure didn’t taste like Lipton’s, or stopped for a great pork tenderloin sandwich in rural Iowa. My dad always made a detour in Illinois for some particular cantaloupes that grew near Beardstown. That has continued to be a major focus of my travels, whether searching out a spectacular sushi bar near the Tokyo fish market, leading small groups through France’s Dordogne markets, walking blocks out of my way in New York to eat an unusual Indian-style kati roll, or planning trips to Albuquerque around the hours that Mary & Tito’s is open to enjoy the carne adovada in enchiladas, empanadas, or simply by itself. You can really get to know about people and their culture by expressing interest in their food.

About Cheryl Alters Jamison:

Four-time James Beard award-winning cookbook and travel author and culinary authority Cheryl Alters Jamison is consulting with the Tourism Department to expand culinary tourism marketing opportunities, including the Culinary Trails campaign. Before writing more than a dozen books with her husband Bill Jamison, she worked in management for nonprofit arts organizations as well as with state and local government agencies managing arts and cultural programs.

Happy summer!

Yesterday Southwestern Association of Indian Arts Executive Director Bruce Bernstein announced the memorialization of a new and special week for NM: Indian Arts and Culture Week–which will culiminate in the world renown Indian Market, August 22 and 23 here in Santa Fe. This is an event that showcases the finest in Native Art from around the state, giving visitors a chance to shake hands with the artisans responsible for both contemporary and tradition productions in everything from clothing and jewerly to painting and pottery.

Read Inez Russell’s article on the ribbon cutting here: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Local%20News/Ceremony-kicks-off-Indian-Arts-and-Cultural-Week

For general information on Indian Market, visit www.swaia.org. 

Let me now introduce Ken Lingad, who has personally represented some of the Southwest’s best Native artists. Ken tells us some of his tips for this year’s artists.

I was honored to wear Fritz Casuse's contemporary take on the squash blossom necklace.

Ken Lingad’s Best Bets for Indian Market

Jennifer Hobson: You’re known as a specialist in American Indian art of the Southwest.  As we head into what promises to be another spectacular Indian Market season, are there specific artists you have your sights on?

Ken Lingad:  I always keep a finger on the pulse of new and established talents, alike.  There are some stellar standouts every few years, and this year will see a select few, in my opinion.  For example, I stated last year in Santa Fean magazine that Picuris Jeweler Tol-pi-yine Simbola was on my radar – this year he was honored by SWAIA with a Youth Fellowship Award.  If you haven’t planned on making it to his booth, get there.

JH: Are you following other jewelry artists?

KL: Absolutely.  Samuel LaFountain, Melanie Kirk-Lente, Steve LaRance, Pat Pruitt, Cody Sanderson, and Kathy Whitman-Elk Woman.  I’m looking forward to being significantly impressed by Fritz Casuse – he raises the bar for all of his peers and juniors.

JH: Who’s on your pottery list?

KL: I will be checking out Marvis Aragon’s pottery works, in addition to Goldenrod, Dominique Toya, and Ed Kabotie.  I expect Santa Clara Pueblo artist Autumn Borts-Medlock to keep reaching even newer heights of near-perfection with skillful precision and clarity of thematic development.

JH: You’ve personally managed some of the biggest names in Contemporary Native Art, specifically painters.  Who impresses you?

KL: I would have to say – hands down – C.J. Wells.  If you can get anything of hers, do it now.  Unlike many other artists, the sheer depth and quality of C.J.’s masterpieces justify the consistent rise in market value.  While other artists have come and gone in Santa Fe, C.J. remains a force that cannot be reckoned with – only honored.  I can stare at her pieces for hours.  I do stare at her pieces for hours. 

Mateo Romero continues to blow my mind, while other talents on my radar (not relegated to a specific medium) include Sheridan McKnight, Ryan Singer, Eve LaFountain, Wanesia Spry-Misquadace, Dyani Reynolds-White Hawk, and the legendary Ed NoiseCat.

JH: Great information Ken; I hope I can pick your brain again at some point regarding the art scene.

KL: Definitely! I am particularly excited about the energy a handful of new galleries are bringing to the table.

About Ken Lingad:

Ken Lingad (Isleta Pueblo) is a recognized authority on Southwest American Indian Art and Culture.  He works frequently with organizations such as the SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market, Museum of Indian Arts & Culture (MIAC), Museum of Fine Arts (MoFA), and other scholarly institutions.  Working behind the scenes on some of Santa Fe’s most successful large-scale exhibition premieres, Lingad remains a significant figure on the city’s fine art scene.

As you peruse the wonder of New Mexico’s Native Art this weekend, enjoy some of the summer’s best weather too–we have been loving the hot, clear days and cool high desert nights. 

Jen 

Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial
202 W. Coal Ave.
Gallup, New Mexico 87301
Phone: (505) 863-3896
gallup-ceremonial.org/

For more information on Gallup, Inter-tribal Ceremonial, and the opportunities to enjoy Indian Country in its most genuine form, please visit this site: http://newmexico.org/explore/regions/northwest/gallup.php

Jen

Hello there!

This weekend was another one in paradise–between the Vinyasa yoga at Body of Santa Fe (http://www.bodyofsantafe.com/) and “skinning” up Ski Santa Fe, plus a nice afternoon sitting outside at the Teahouse on Canyon Road (http://www.teahousesantafe.com/), I was in heaven.

One hour later we made it to the top of Ski Santa Fe (http://www.skisantafe.com/), a resort nestled high in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and a mere 16 miles from the historic Plaza.

Hello!

Right now I’m working on an exciting new initiative for the New Mexico Tourism Department, one that could redefine our state as a “green” destination: Ecotourism. Ecotourism is a big word with a lot of baggage, so let me break it down for you here with the International Ecotourism Society’s definition, on which we are building this program:

“Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.”

When Secretary Cerletti and I recently held a press conference (Jan. 15, 2009–see a photo to the right with guest speaker Stuart Ashman, Secretary of Cultural Affairs, at the podium)) to unveil our Ecotourism project, it was with the intention to share our plan for promoting and preserving the already rich treasures that bring visitors to the state—scenic beauty and cultural heritage—repackaging and rebranding what is qualified and vetted by Ecotourism experts as Ecotourism, thereby putting the state on the map as one of the country’s first statewide Eco-destinations.

Ecotourism is the fastest growing segment in the tourism industry and brings a desirable type of visitor—one that stays longer, spends more money, and has an interest in authentic, hands-on experiences. Here are some bottom-line facts regarding what the state has to gain by this initiative, as provided by the International Ecotourism Society.

Since the 1990s, Ecotourism has been growing 20% - 34% per year.

In 2004, Ecotourism/nature tourism was growing globally 3 times faster than the tourism industry as a whole.

“Experiential” tourism—which encompasses Ecotourism, nature, heritage, cultural, and soft adventure tourism, as well as sub-sectors such as rural and community tourism—is among the sectors expected to grow most quickly over the next two decades.

Analysts predict a growth in Eco-resorts and hotels, and a boom in nature tourism — a sector already growing at 20% a year — and suggest early converts to sustainable tourism will make market gains.

In Europe:

–20%-30% of travelers are aware of needs & values of sustainable tourism.

–10%-20% of travelers look for ‘green’ options.

–5%-10% of travelers demand ‘green’ holidays.

Nearly half of those surveyed in Britain said they would be more likely to go with a “company that had a written code to guarantee good working conditions, protect the environment and support local charities in the tourist destination…”

The question shouldn’t be why are we looking to bring Ecotourism to New Mexico, rather, why wouldn’t we? By branding and marketing ourselves as such, we stand to gain sustainable tourism that values scenic beauty, wildlife, outdoor adventure, and cultural heritage and will be a huge boon to an industry that already touts an economic impact of $5.2 billion dollars in direct spending each year in the state.

By identifying ourselves as the Ecotourism destination in the United States and offering Eco-adventures and packaged vacations across the state, New Mexico has the capacity to lead a rapidly growing sector of the tourism industry. This is our chance to embrace our already magnificent “Enchantment”, capitalizing on our existing assets in a new and growing market, and setting ourselves even further apart from our competitors in a time when ingenuity and freshness are in high demand.

If you can’t tell–I’m excited about this project! The flood of interest and support from communities across the state and the country have been heartening. This is a big opportunity. For more questions feel free to email me: jennifer.hoffman@state.nm.us

Jen

Dear friends,

Hello everyone,

While Shanghai impressed with astounding architecture and an efficient, bustling, and polite people, it sure was good to get back to New Mexico and take a deep breath of big, clean, high desert air. We are so lucky!

Jen