An Inspired Cook

An Inspired Cook
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  • Tag: Valles Caldera National Preserve

    • Living the Dream One Day Trip at a Time

      Posted at 7:11 am by NativeNM, on July 1, 2026

      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!

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      Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments | Tagged Ah-Shi-Sle-Pah, Aztec Ruins, Aztec Ruins National Monument, Carlsbad Caverns, Coyote Call Trail, Crow Canyon Archaeological District, El Santuario de Chimayo, Ghost Ranch, Kitchen Mesa, KItchen Mesa Ghost Ranch, Los Cerillos, Los Cerillos State Park, Manzano Mountains, Nambé Falls, Nambé Lake, Nambe Falls, New Mexico Hiking, New Mexico Hiking Trails, Ojito Wilderness, Pecos National Historic Park, Pecos Ruins, Plaza Blanca, Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, Shiprock, Shiprock New Mexico, Taos, The Turquoise Trail, Trinity Site, Tunnel Trail, Valles Caldera National Preserve, Valley of Fires, Very Large Array, VLA, Waldo Coke Ovens
    • Valles Caldera National Preserve

      Posted at 9:56 am by NativeNM, on July 5, 2024

      The Valles Caldera is the result of a volcanic eruption that happened over a million years ago which created a volcanic depression in the earth approximately 14 miles wide in diameter. Located in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico, it is now a beautiful valley known for it’s huge grassland meadows, the East Fork Jemez River and hiking trails. It is also a wildlife preserve and home to the 2nd largest elk population in New Mexico. You might see prairie dogs that pop up along the road to the Valle Grande entrance station or a coyote strolling through the grassy meadow. There are numerous hiking trails in and around the preserve but if you want to hike or backpack in the backcountry you will need a pass or a code to drive to the backcountry trails. They only allow a few vehicles in the backcountry per day. Check in with the entrance station or reserve a pass online. Over the past 5 years we’ve visited the Valles Caldera numerous times and each time is a different experience. Sometimes it’s sunny, sometimes foggy or low lying clouds in the valley. Depending on the rainfall, the meadow can be gorgeous green or a dull wheat color. We love to go in late Spring and early Summer when the wildflowers are in bloom. This is one of our favorite places to get away. Here’s a fun fact: If you’ve ever seen the tv show “Longmire”, you might recognize the cabin and stables where Walt Longmire’s ranch scenes were filmed. While the series took place in Absaroka County, Wyoming, it was actually filmed in NM. The Sherriff office and town scenes were filmed in Las Vegas, NM. I hope you will enjoy some of our adventures over the past few years exploring the Valles Caldera National Preserve.

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      Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments | Tagged East Fork Jemez River, Elk Preserve, Hidden Valley Hiking Trail, hiking, Jemez Mountains, mountains, national-parks, New Mexico, New Mexico Wildflowers, Travel, Valles Caldera, Valles Caldera National Preserve
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