An Inspired Cook

My journey in blogging began 15 years ago today, back when we were living in Olathe, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City. In the early years my focus was all about food and recipes. This anniversary I want to reminisce on the travel adventures that Joe and I have shared over the last 8 years. I had always dreamed of going home to New Mexico but there would be a lot of bingo balls to juggle in order for that to happen. I dreamed of traveling the state and taking pictures of the places I remembered growing up and the new places I had yet to explore. In 2018 an opportunity came about for Joe to work remotely within his company. It would allow us to move without Joe having to start all over. Cameron decided to remain in Kansas City and Josh was on a year long visa in Australia traveling and working at an observatory giving stargazing tours. Our boys were clearly starting their own lives so we jumped at the chance to start a new adventure of our own. It was scary leaving behind 25 years worth of memories in KC, but there hasn’t been a single regret and honestly Joe and I are happier than ever. We made an agreement that we wouldn’t waste a minute and we would never become complacent to stay at home. We created a bucket list and have pretty much checked off that list one by one. We have traveled all over the state with a hiking folder of over 75 destinations checked off and counting. I’ve only posted a fraction of the places we’ve traveled to, but today I would like to share a few of our favorite destinations that are historic, interesting and beautiful. If I had to pick one place that calls to me it would be Ghost Ranch. The picture above is from the Kitchen Mesa Trail, it’s the hardest trail I’ve ever hiked and the most rewarding. The views from up high on the mesa are about as majestic and beautiful as it gets. Don’t stop now, there’s a lot more to see!

Los Cerillos and Waldo Coke Ovens

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Click on any photo to enlarge

“The Turquoise Trail” is a scenic byway which runs along Highway 14 from Cedar Crest north to Santa Fe. Los Cerillos is an old mining town that looks like it belongs back in the late 1800’s. The Black Bird Saloon is still open and serves grub with a menu including trout, venison, elk and bison along with cleverly named burgers and Miner’s Hand Warmer Burritos.

Los Cerillos State Park has trails that go along several old mines, including one called the Josh Lode.

I’ve always been fascinated by the Waldo Coke Ovens, they are so cool! They were used primarily from 1895 to 1906 to “cook” coal in a low-oxygen environment for 48-72 hours to create coke, a high-heat fuel necessary for industries like steel production. They were made in the shape of a bee hive brick structure and located along the railway where the “coke” could be collected and transported where it was needed.

Pecos National Historic Park

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Pecos Ruins are located 25 miles east of Santa Fe, just off of Interstate 25. It’s one of the most well preserved Pueblo Ruins in New Mexico. Pecos Ruins have one of only a few kivas where you are able to go down via ladder to witness what they might have looked like inside. We visited in June of 2023 under gorgeous blue skies; it was such a beautiful day. We followed a loop where several other small ruins remained. However, along our walk, Joe headed me off in a different direction after he spotted a rattlesnake. He knows that snakes of any kind are my biggest fear and would have induced a panic attack. We saw all the ruins albeit Joe’s detour.

Aztec Ruins

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The Aztec Ruins National Monument are located in the Northwest corner of New Mexico. We visited the ruins on our way to Wyoming in September, 2021. It’s just another of many national treasures that reflects the Native American culture of New Mexico. Archaeological evidence puts the construction of the ruins in the 12th and 13th centuries. I love these grinding stones which were used to process food, turning seeds, nuts, dried corn, and roots into flour or meal.

Shiprock (Tsé Bitʼaʼí)

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Shiprock is a sacred volcanic plug and a Navajo landmark in the four corners area of New Mexico. The Navajo name for it is Tsé Bitʼaʼí meaning Rock with Wings. It’s one of the most majestic natural wonders you will ever witness. This towering rock with a volcanic spine was formed approximately 27 million years ago. It’s really hard to describe unless you see it in person, but click on any photo and you just might get a feel of what it’s like standing beside it. The bottom picture was taken by Josh who spotted Shiprock while flying home. How amazing is that!

Plaza Blanca

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Plaza Blanca is located near Abiquiu and owned by the Dar al Islam. They have a complex that you can visit but they also allow the public to hike through the beautiful rock formations. There is no marked trail and as we wandered through we found a slot canyon that was pretty cool! Go online and register to get permission to visit. It’s a wonder in the desert full of towering sculptures made by nature.

Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah

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Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah is southeast of the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness. While they are similar, they are also unique in their own way. Ah-Shi is a much smaller area, but a lot of walking between each set of formations. It was a hot day in May of 2022 and we didn’t get to all the attractions because of the heat. The top row is “The Wave”, “The Three Wise Men”, and the most photographed “Alien Throne”. One formation reminded me of Yoda and the 2 pots were the perfect decor for the area. The road in is wicked, I hated the 13.5 miles after the turn off onto NM 57. It was full of deep ruts and washed out arroyo’s to drive through. Rarely will you see another person there; there are no facilities and cell service is spotty at best so make sure to have food and water on hand.

Nambé Falls / Nambé Lake

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Nambé Falls and Nambé Lake are in Northern NM around 20 miles from Santa Fe. It’s within the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Joe loves waterfalls but there aren’t many here in New Mexico that rate very high, however he really enjoyed this trek through the water to reach the double waterfall. We brought our water shoes and enjoyed the cool water on a warm May day in 2022. We drove around the lake and were wowed by the gorgeous blue water. There were many people fishing and having picnics. What an enjoyable day!

Coyote Call Trail

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The Coyote Call Trail was ravished by the Las Conchas fire in 2011 leaving a trail of burned trees that look like toothpicks in the distance. I’ve never hiked through a fire burn before but I found beauty in the trees left behind. Some of the burned areas are so shiny they fairly sparkle in the sunlight. This trail begins across State Route 4 from the Valles Caldera. It’s been 15 years since that brutal fire burned over 60% of the Jemez area and Valle Caldera. Much of the area has recovered but some scars still remain. We see new growth but it’s a slow process.

Crow Canyon

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We visited Crow Canyon recently in March. It’s located in the four corners area, south and east of Bloomfield. Take Road 4450 off of US-64 and follow the dirt road for 19 miles. Don’t follow google maps which will navigate you to a non-existent road and a dry river bed filled with sand. I had a paper map which Joe used to re-route us to the road, which also had a sign to turn off to Crow Canyon The first area is a trail looping around rock formations where you will find so many petroglyphs. There are some very artistic carvings that have stood the test of time while others have faded. We drove up the road a little further to see the other petroglyphs on the map, but once again there was a sand filled dry creek that looked too dangerous to cross. We hiked in adding another mile because it felt like the safer option. We found several more petroglyphs but they were quite faded. If you can only visit one, just make it to the 1st parking area, you will find a treasure trove of petroglyphs that are so worth the trip. Make sure you have a 4 wheel drive and plenty of water and food, there are no facilities and very few people travel this road so it’s important to be prepared and safe.

VLA (Very Large Array) and Trinity Site

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This one’s for Josh who is the history and science geek in our family. Joe and Josh went to the 70th anniversary of the first atomic bomb test at the site called Trinity located within the White Sands Missile Range. The Trinity Site is only open to the public 2 days a year, the first Saturday in April and the third Saturday in October.

On their way home they took a detour to the VLA which is the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. With Josh having a degree in Physics with an emphasis on Astronomy, this was high on his bucket list. The VLA is located along US 60 West of Socorro. Its visible from the highway but they are open to the public 7 days a week so stop by if you have time.

The Photos that Capture the Land Of Enchantment

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At the top is the entrance to Carlsbad Caverns. The cave formations are the ultimate natural wonder!

The Valley of Fires is a lava field that erupted and left molten rock that expands over 125 square miles. There is a boardwalk loop that is easy to navigate and see all the volcanic rock up close.

Nestled in the village of Chimayo along the High Road to Taos sits a national historic landmark, El Santuario de Chimayo, a church that was built in the early 1800’s. It receives almost 300,000 visitors per year and as many as 30,000 who make the pilgrimage walk from Santa Fe and Albuquerque during holy week.

The middle picture is from the Tunnel Trail in the Manzano Mountains. The mountain in the background is the east side of the Sandia Mountains. The east side has many more trees and forest like. The Sandia Ski run operates from the east side.

In September of 2025 Joe, myself and our sis Melody went to Taos and walked along the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge. You can book rafting trips in the summertime and raft under the bridge. Visit my “Travel” page for all our day trips and fun attractions throughout New Mexico.

I can’t believe how lucky I am to have this guy beside me, Joe is ready to go anytime or anywhere. I pick the area and he picks the trail. We have had so much fun over the past 8 years exploring and hiking New Mexico. We’ve made the decision to retire next year which will free us to do more than just day trips. Who knows where that road will lead us!

Family Photo at Ojito Wilderness
Cameron, Josh, Jan and Joe