Heritage by Glenna

THE MUSEO PRADO MASTERPIECES COME TO SANTA FE

HERITAGE SUMMER/FALL 2017

HOTELS & RESORTS MAGAZINE

EXPLORE CHACO CANYONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S

ANCIENT MAGIC

NATIVE CUISINE

MODERN TOUCHES

LIVE HISTORY

WITH SANTA FE FIESTAS

ROAD TRIPS TO RUINS

A Santa Fe Night Club Exclusive For Heritage Guests

Casa EspaĂąa is located in historic San Francisco Plaza just steps from Eldorado Hotel & Spa. Enjoy specialty craft cocktails and live entertainment in an elegant, intimate and historic setting. This private event venue will be open Friday and Saturday nights only to guests 21 years and older. Private memberships also available

Friday & Saturday Nights 6 p.m. - 1 a.m. Live Entertainment 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. DJs 9:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.

CasaEspanaSantaFe.com

Welcome HERITAGE HOTELS & RESORTS MAGAZINE

SUMMER/FALL 2017 Published by Heritage Hotels & Resorts, Inc. 201 Third St. NW, Ste. 1140 Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102

ur passion at Heritage Hotels & Resorts, Inc. is promoting, preserving, and

advancing the culture and history of the

Phone: 505-836-6700

Land of Enchantment. We are certain

contactus@hhandr.com

that your stay here will continue to

hhandr.com

enchant you long after your visit. Each of our one-of-a-kind properties

Publisher/CEO

transports you to a distinctive piece of

JIM LONG

New Mexicoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rich multicultural legacy.

Heritage Hotels Publication Editors

MOLLY RYCKMAN MARESA THOMPSON Heritage Photography

JEFF CAVEN

Editorial, Production & Design by:

We work with local historians, artists, designers, entertainers, musicians, farmers, and chefs to conjure experiences that delight. Heritage Hotels properties reflect the colorful tapestry of New Mexicoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heritage, and our team of local experts has a genuine desire to share

learn more about what makes Heritage

this knowledge and enthusiasm with

Hotels in New Mexico a destination

every guest. Because we value the cul-

unlike any other place in the world.

tural elements that make New Mexico e-squarededit.com Project Editor

EMILY ESTERSON Art Director GLENNA STOCKS

unique, a portion of your room stay is

means to be in a home away from

donated to our cultural partners to help

home, and we hope that you will be

ensure that this legacy is preserved for

enriched by your stay with us and want

future generations.

to return.

In the last year, our company has added a number of exceptional prop-

Managing Editor KEIKO OHNUMA

Our desire is to redefine what it

erties to our signature experiences. We invite you to explore this publication to

Bienvenidos! Jim Long Founder/CEO Heritage Hotels & Resorts, Inc.

Graphic Designer SARAH FRIEDLAND Contributing Writers ASHLEY BIGGERS KELLY KOEPKE

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Cover Story/Special Section: Chaco Canyon

34 REDISCOVERING THE CENTER OF THE ANCIENT WORLD by Ashley Biggers Chaco Canyon’s vast complex of ruins provides a glimpse into the ancient people who lived there.

ECHOES OF CHACO IN DESIGN

UNIVERSAL ALIGNMENT

Features 20 28 2

THE PRADO COMES TO SANTA FE

CREATING A CULINARY HERITAGE

by Jessa Cast

by Kelly Koepke

Santa Fe hosts reproductions of the Spanish

Hotel chefs learn at the hand of Southwest culinary

museum’s most famous masterpieces.

master Mark Miller.

CULTURAL IMMERSION by Deb Trevino

THRIVING WITH THE THREE SISTERS by Diane Welland

Creating a Heritage Hotel experience demands

In Native kitchens, farm to table means corn, beans,

unmatched attention to culture and history.

and squash.

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Also in This Issue

1 WELCOME

Owner Jim Long shares Heritage Hotels and Resorts’ guiding principles.

4 A WALK BACK IN TIME

By Sonja Dewing

Discover traces of the Southwest’s original inhabitants.

8 OUR UNIQUE HERITAGE By Keiko Ohnuma

Experience New Mexico’s cultural traditions without leaving the hotel.

10 ON THE PATIO

By Kelly Koepke

The Heritage guide to outdoor dining.

12 ROOM FOR TWO By Kelly Koepke

Taos provides a romantic backdrop for your vacation.

16 NEW MEXICO’S WINEMAKING SAGA

By Kelly Koepke

The grand and interesting history of New Mexico’s winemaking tradition.

58 VIVA LAS FIESTAS DE SANTA FE By Andrew Leo Lovato The nation’s oldest festival remains uniquely Santa Fe.

62 CULTURALLY DISTINCT NEW MEXICO HOTELS Plan your next New Mexico trip—explore our hotels.

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Ancient architecture is a short drive away in the Land of Enchantment

A Walk Back in BANDELIER NATIONAL PARK

from the canyon dwellings

nearly two hours from Albu-

CORONADO HISTORIC SITE

One of the best-preserved

to the Alcove House, a large

querque or Taos (depending

The Coronado Historic Site

monuments to Southwest-

cave that includes a kiva. This

on how scenic your route).

holds the ruins of Kuaua

ern prehistory, Bandelier

section of the park is 140 feet

During the May-to-October

Pueblo, northernmost of a

offers a sweeping look at

above the canyon floor, and

high season, you will have

dozen villages encountered

Anasazi settlement and

requires climbing a series of

to park in the town of White

by Francisco Vasquez de

migration, and ranks among

ladders that may prove chal-

Rock, about 15 minutes

Coronado when his expedi-

the top destinations for

lenging to the acrophobic.

away, and board a shuttle to

tion entered the Rio Grande

fans of ancient architecture

A number of trails make for

Bandelier.

valley in search of the fabled

(along with Chaco Canyon,

pleasant day hiking, and there

p. 34). With 50 square miles

is a picnic area. Overnight

of dwellings carved into the

camping requires a permit.

walls of Frijoles Canyon,

Bandelier has been hit

many of which you can walk

hard by flooding and wild-

through, plus interpretive

fires in recent years, but has

trails and helpful rangers,

bounced back with the help

itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good place to consider

of volunteers who have re-

the reasons why the ances-

built many of the trails. Some

tral Pueblo people would

are still missing bridges over

build and then abandon this

the canyon creek, so prepare

and other extensive settle-

to do some creek-hopping if

ments in the 13th and 14th

you are exploring further out.

centuries. 4

A trail leads a half-mile

SUMMER/FALL 2017

Bandelier is a 45-minute

drive from Santa Fe, and

Seven Cities of Gold. The HOURS: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

(6 p.m. during high season). COST: $20

per vehicle

Coronado Monument contains the ruins of a centuries-old pueblo.

Tiwa-speaking communities in the area helped Coronadoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 500 soldiers and 2,000 Indian allies survive the winter.

Cliff dwellings amd ancient petroglyphs can be experienced firsthand at Bandelier National Monument, The Long House at near Los Alamos. Bandelier National Monument, near Santa Fe.

One of the largest petro-

ruins were excavated in the

glyph sites in North America,

1930s. Within an unusual

Petroglyph National Mon-

square kiva on the site were

ument is made up of two

found layers of painted

canyons strewn with basalt

murals, considered to be

rocks from ancient volcanic

among the best examples

eruptions, bearing hundreds

of pre-Columbian art in the

of markings made 400 to 700

United States.

years ago by Native Amer-

Situated in a scenic locaSUMIKOPHOTO / 123RF STOCK PHOTO

Hundreds of petroglyphs can be seen in two protected canyons northwest of Albuquerque.

the Spanish arrived. The

settled in the 14th centu-

By Sonja Dewing

Time

ry and abandoned after

PETROGLYPH NATIONAL MONUMENT

Kuaua Pueblo was first

icans and Spanish settlers.

tion above the Rio Grande,

The 7,244-acre park has a

the site hosts cultural

number of easy to moderate

events on occasional week-

hikes and a visitor’s center, in

ends throughout the year,

separate sections of the park,

and has a covered picnic

all driving distance apart.

area and a visitor’s center

The park is day-use only—

no camping—and water is

tect John Gaw Meem.

not available in all areas,

Driving south from Santa

some of which have vault

Fe on I-25, take Exit 242

restrooms. Picnic areas and

(about 50 minutes’ drive),

shaded seating can be found

then head north on Highway

at Boca Negra Canyon.

550. Look for signs on the

The petroglyphs are easily

north side of the road in

viewed in both Boca Negra,

Bernalillo. From downtown

which has a one-hour loop

Albuquerque, it’s less than a

trail, and Rinconda Canyon,

half-hour drive north on I-25.

a two-hour loop trail. Piedras Marcadas Canyon has an

8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except Tuesday. HOURS:

$5 entry. Free for NM residents on the first Sunday of the month, and for NM seniors on Wednesdays with ID.

COST:

undeveloped, 1.5-mile trail. Miles of hiking are available around the volcanic cinder cones in the Volcanoes area of the park, with clear views from valley to mountains.

HOURS: Boca Negra - 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Rinconda Canyon and Piedras Marcadas Canyon - sunrise to sunset. COST: Boca Negra parking is

$1 weekdays, $2 weekends.

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Garduño’s at Old Town

Located in Hotel Albuquerque 505.222.8766 | 800 Rio Grande Blvd. NW | HotelABQ.com Visit our Albuquerque Winrock & Cottonwood Locations

Abo is one of three settlements that contain both Pueblo and Spanish ruins.

Living History SUMIKOPHOTO / 123RF STOCK PHOTO

DESCENDANTS OF the

communities in the United

Anasazi can be found today

States. It is home to several

in 19 pueblos around New

dozen residents, many of whom

Mexico, the most famous

create the polychrome pottery

of which is Taos Pueblo, a

for which the pueblo is known.

UNESCO World Heritage Site whose adobe structures are more than 1,000 years old. About 150 people live in

HOURS: Open daily, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., March through October

the pueblo today. It is open

THE SALINAS PUEBLO MISSIONS NATIONAL MONUMENT Near the isolated communi-

Quarai is the smallest, at 90

ty of Mountainair, 90 miles

acres, and also has a visitor’s

south of Albuquerque, three

center. The former settle-

sites make up the Salinas

ment of Abo has a short trail

Pueblo Missions National

through the 17th-century

Monument, a testament to

mission. Altogether these

the encounters between the

pueblos housed as many as

early Pueblo people and the

20,000 residents, but were

Spanish.

abandoned in the 1600s.

The ruins include Spanish

The main visitor’s center

missions built in each of the

is located at 102 S. Ripley in

pueblos. Gran Quivira is

Mountainair.

the largest of the three, and includes 611 acres of what was once a vast city. Today it has a visitor’s center with museum and bookstore.

HOURS:

9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

COST: Admission

locations is free.

to all three

to visitors except on religious

MANY OF NEW MEXICO’S

holidays.

19 Indian pueblos allow

The pueblo asks that visi-

visitors, and some artisans sell

tors respect the residents by

their crafts, including pottery,

not taking pictures of people.

traditional drums and jewelry, right out of their homes and

Monday–Sat. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. HOURS:

studios. An overview of pueblo life and history can be found at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque, 2401

ACOMA PUEBLO, about 60

12th St. NW, not far from

miles west of Albuquerque, is

Old Town. The IPCC also has

worth the drive for the stunning

information on how best to visit

rock formations and the ancient

these private communities, and

village perched atop a steep

showcases Native dances in its

rock mesa. Also called Sky City,

central courtyard on weekends.

Acoma is considered (along with Taos) to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited

HOURS: Open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Our Unique Heritage By Keiko Ohnuma

HE ELECTRIC ENERGY of flamenco dance really needs to be experienced in the close quarters of the traditional tablao, with its wooden floorboards and steamy, sultry setting that speaks to the art form’s roots in southern Spain. Just as acoustic musicians are best heard in coffeehouses and cabarets, where they can establish a rapport with the audience, there is something about an intimate setting that conjures the magic of performance—it’s how travelers know they have stumbled on something authentically local. Hosting venues where that improvisational magic can take place is an exciting next direction for Heritage Hotels. The popularity of our Maria Benitez Cabaret Theatre—a 150-seat performing arts venue at the Lodge at Santa Fe—has launched a number of other collaborations making the hotels home to the best in local culture.

SUMMER/FALL 2017

A prime example is the Tablao Flamenco Albuquerque, which opened at Hotel Albuquerque in 2016. A first in New Mexico, this venue was built to showcase an art form that has flourished in our state for 75 years, while paying tribute to flamenco’s roots in Spain. In partnership with the National Institute of Flamenco, the tablao hosts local, national, and international musicians and dancers performing every Thursday through Sunday. “The tablao is key in any flamenco community,” notes Eva Encinias, founder and executive director of the National Institute of Flamenco, whose family played a central role in turning New Mexico into a mecca for the art form. A kind of flamenco club, the tablao serves as the traditional home for the culture, encouraging improvisational energy between dance, song, guitar, and rhythmic clapping (toque des palmas) that make the performances so electrifying.

MARESA THOMPSON

An authentic tablao at Hotel Albuquerque transports guests to flamenco’s intimate, Old World setting.

Casa Esencia by Hotel Albuquerque and Hotel Chaco provide upscale nightlife.

MARESA THOMPSON

The space is designed to highlight the stage and allow views from the entire room, which seats just 100 people. “We wanted the space to reflect not only the rich and raw Gypsy influences of flamenco, but also a contemporary take on Spanish Colonial design elements blended with modern design aesthetic,” says Adriana Long, Heritage Hotels interior designer. Tablao’s kitchen serves authentic Sevillan tapas created by Chef Mark Miller of Coyote Café and Hotel Chaco/ Hotel Albuquerque’s Chef Gilbert Aragon. The beverage menu will include various sangrias and cocktails popular around Seville. A similar goal led to establishment of performance space at El Monte Sagrado for Robert Mirabal, an internationally known musician and performer from Taos Pueblo. The Native American “Renaissance man,” winner of multiple Grammy Awards, finally has a home stage that will allow for the kind of intimate audience exchange that preceded his global fame following the 2002 PBS special Music From a Painted Cave and accompanying album. Performances at El Monte Sagrado will feature music, dance, theater, and special guests in a celebration of pueblo life, with dining and cocktails available before and after the show at De La Tierra Restaurant and Anaconda Bar. “My goal is to find the personal relationship

between the audience and myself, and how we can help each other,” Mirabal told the Taos News when the venue opened in summer 2016. Through his songwriting and stories about life on Taos Pueblo with his family, Mirabal connects audiences with the living culture of the centuries-old settlement, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Yet another exclusive experience is available to Heritage Hotels guests at Casa España, a new nightclub next to the Eldorado Hotel. This one-of-a-kind, exclusive venue features multiple rooms with space for socializing and enjoying live music, a sophisticated menu, and inspired cocktails. Heritage Hotel guests enjoy exclusive entry to the elegantly restored hacienda, where they are free to mingle and meet local Santa Fe club members. Casa España adds a hip, elegant venue to a destination that had everything but. It’s another way that Heritage Hotels strives not only to introduce visitors to the best of New Mexico, but to help nurture and sustain it. CEO Long vows that these are the first of many experiences that Heritage guests will enjoy.

Grammy Award winner Robert Mirabal of Taos Pueblo.

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On the Patio

The Heritage guide to outdoor dining

Luminaria Restaurant & Patio in Santa Fe

SUMMER/FALL 2017

Garduño’s at Old Town Restaurant & Cantina in Albuquerque

NEW MEXICO IS KNOWN FOR ITS SUNNY DAYS (MORE THAN 300 OF THEM), AND AUTHENTIC CUISINE. CONSIDER COMBINING THE TWO IN THIS ROUNDUP OF THE BEST PLACES WE’VE FOUND TO DINE AL FRESCO.

Santa Fe LOW ’N SLOW LOWRIDER BAR / ESTEVAN RESTAURANTE AT THE HOTEL CHIMAYO 125 Washington Ave., 505-988-4900, HotelChimayo.com SECRETO LOUNGE GRUET WINERY TASTING ROOM / TABLA DE LOS SANTOS AT HOTEL ST. FRANCIS 210 Don Gaspar Ave., 505-983-5700, HotelStFrancis.com LUMINARIA RESTAURANT & PATIO AT INN AND SPA AT LORETTO 211 Old Santa Fe Trail, 505-988-5531, HotelLoretto.com Tabla de Los Santos in Santa Fe

Albuquerque

Azul Ultralounge in Las Cruces

LEVEL 5 AT HOTEL CHACO 2000 Bellamah Ave. NW, 505-246-9989, HotelChaco.com GARDUÑO’S AT OLD TOWN RESTAURANT & CANTINA AT HOTEL ALBUQUERQUE AT OLD TOWN 800 Rio Grande Blvd. NW, 505.843.6300, HotelAbq.com

Las Cruces GARDUÑO’S BY THE POOL AND AZUL ULTRALOUNGE AT HOTEL ENCANTO DE LAS CRUCES 705 South Telshor Blvd., 575-522-4300, HotelEncanto.com HHANDR.COM

Room for Two Taos Sparks the Perfect Romance

By Kelly Koepke

HAT DOES ROMANTIC MEAN TO YOU? they sampled the offerings at several area breweries and poked Does it mean hand-in-hand strolls through the into the local shops, galleries, and boutiques steps away from woods, candlelit dinners for two, chocolate- the hotel. covered strawberries and champagne on the The private balcony of their Taos Mountain Room overlooked bedside table? Or are you an adventhe tree-filled property’s greenbelt and fature-seeker whose idea of romance mous bronze elk statue. A leisurely walk is a thrilling ski weekend, après-ski around the grounds at dusk harkened in-room couples massage, and cozy back to the solitude they had found during white robes? Do you even leave the hotheir beach honeymoon, complete with tel room? We asked three New Mexthe babbling of the brook running through ico couples what they do when they the property. want a romantic getaway. “We didn’t feel like we were in town,” Through the Heritage Local El Monte Sagrado Resort & Spa in says Susan. “We stood on the bridge over Treasures program, available at all Taos turned Susan and Branden Moore’s the water, then came upon the fire pit, of the properties, guests enjoy a first anniversary into the perfect weekwhere we sat and watched the flames. It 15 percent discount at local end. “We wanted to go somewhere fun,” felt like our own personal space, and took restaurants, shops, galleries, and says Susan, a marketing and communicaus out of our regular life.” As a surprise, attractions. The hotels also offer tions manager. Susan arranged for chocolate-covered Heritage Inspirations tour packages The couple started with dinner at strawberries in the room later that evening. made up of special experiences that Martyrs Steakhouse, a beautiful renoThe leisurely return drive from Taos showcase the best of each city. vated adobe home with courtyard just a took them along the scenic High Road hhandr.com/local-treasures few blocks from the hotel. The next day through the valleys and picturesque small

SUMMER/FALL 2017

towns of Northern New Mexico. They stopped at the historic, award-winning Rancho de Chimayo Restaurant for a snack on the multilevel landscaped patio. KATIE SWANSON AND HUSBAND MARK also stay at El Monte Sagrado when they hit the slopes at Taos Ski Valley, and again when they hike the area in summer. Their idea of a romantic weekend means unplugging their phones, lacing up their boots, and spending time together outdoors. “It feels like we’re in a whole different world when we’re in Taos,” says Katie, contrasting it to their weekday life in Albuquerque, where she works as an executive assistant. “We’re creatures of habit — we love the pool and the hot tub at the hotel, plus De La Tierra restaurant is spectacular.” El Monte Sagrado’s one-of-a-kind heated indoor saltwater pool and hot tub always soothe away the Swansons’ From couple’s massages to candelight dining even a short weekend getaway can be romantic. Right: Tha babbling brook adds to the alluring atmosphere at El Monte Sagrado in Taos.

Santa Fe’s romantic cityscape as seen from Eldorado Hotel & Spa

AOS ISN’T THE ONLY PLACE TO CUDDLE: Santa Fe offers The Hotel St. Francis and Hotel Chimayo —luxurious accommodations and amenities in smaller, more intimate establishments mere steps

from the Santa Fe Plaza. Perfect for a couples stroll around town, both ooze with old Spanish touches, offering guests a far from ordinary vacation. The Inn and Spa at Loretto features all the pampering a couple could want to set the tone for a romantic getaway. This boutique hotel, a stone’s throw from the Plaza, is known for its eclectic, upscale shopping, as well as its celebrated Luminaria Restaurant and Patio. Relax with a custom cocktail in the cozy Living Room lounge before exploring nearby attractions, dining, and the cultural life of the nation’s oldest capital. A weekend in Las Cruces can include a stunning sunset over the Mesilla Valley and sunrises over the nearby Organ Mountains. Hotel Encanto offers gorgeous gardens, an outdoor fire pit and fireplace for lounging year-round, and shaded pavilions and patios for relaxing with a cocktail or appetizer. Choose a terrace pool room for quick access to the swimming pool and hot tub, or a Jacuzzi suite for private, in-room relaxation.

SUMMER/FALL 2017

physical exertions. For a truly romantic interlude, they book one of the hotel’s Living Spa couples’ suites for treatments to heal mind, body, and spirit. “We always ask advice from locals on the best places to eat or explore, especially the less flashy places, like Michael’s Kitchen for breakfast or Love Apple for dinner,” says Katie. “This summer we’ll be whitewater rafting and bringing our dogs hiking, because for us adventure is romance all year long.” FOR JAMIE AND JOHN LEWINGER, by contrast, romance happens when everything aligns: terrific weather, a beautiful facility, privacy, a memorable event or occasion. The professional couple from Albuquerque love Palacio de Marquesa, the eight-room inn for its seasonal artist workshops and cooking classes in the communal living/dining area, and guest rooms designed to honor women who made Taos the destination it is today: Millicent Rogers, Mable Dodge Luhan, Agnes Martin, and Georgia O’Keeffe, among others. Room amenities add to the romance: fluffy robes, breakfast in bed, in-room massages, and wine/cheese plates. The Lewingers also arrange through the hotel for special experiences, like a private tour of the Harwood Museum—which was a highlight of these art-lovers’ stay. “That was very special,” Jamie says.

World Class Relaxation

Nidah Spa

The Spa at Loretto

Living Spa

Located in

Eldorado Hotel & Spa

Inn and Spa at Loretto

El Monte Sagrado Resort and Spa

309 W. San Francisco St., Santa Fe 505.995.4535 EldoradoHotel.com/NidahSpa

211 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe 505.984.7997 HotelLoretto.com/Spa

317 Kit Carson Rd., Taos 575.737.9880 ElMonteSagrado.com/LivingSpa

New Mexico’s Winemaking Saga Thank tax-dodging priests, floods, and Prohibition for the fruit of the nation’s oldest vines. A version of this story appeared in The Collector’s Guide, Vol. 27. No. 1 (2013) under the title “1629: The Story of Wine in New Mexico.”

SUMMER/FALL 2017

ONTRABAND SMUGGLING MONKS. Revolts. Floods and decay. Pestilence. The elements of a spy thriller or mystery novel? Nope. Just a few of the essential happenings in the story of winemaking in the oldest winegrowing region in the country, New Mexico. First some numbers. New Mexico boasts more than 65 wineries, vineyards, and tasting rooms, according to New Mexico Wine, the association for winemakers and growers. This is a substantial jump from a decade ago, when the state had only about a dozen wineries. Last year, winemakers produced just over 800,000 gallons of wine from the heatloving red varieties of the southern climes of the state to whites that thrive in the cooler, northern regions — tastes as varied as Zinfandel and San-

By Kelly Koepke

giovese to Riesling, Pinot Noir, Cabernet, Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Tempranillo, and Malbec. The economic impact on the state is enormous as well. In 2016, New Mexico Wine estimates nearly $90 million in economic activity generated by New Mexico wineries, vineyards and by the several wine festivals around the state. But the story of wine in New Mexico begins before our state was even a glimmer in the grape grower’s eye. In the late 1500s, when Spanish colonists led by Don Juan de Oñate traveled up the Camino Real from Mexico into the Rio Grande Valley, they brought with them their Catholic faith. And the priests to celebrate Mass each day. And wine for Communion. Alas, the arduous journey of goods by cart, coupled with a prohibition from the Spanish crown from planting grape vines in the

New World (revenue from the export of Andalusian wine was essential to government), caused the priests to fret about their sacramental supply. Cue the smuggling monks. In 1629, the Church planted contraband vine cuttings from Mexico near what is now Socorro, in the fertile Rio Grande Valley. New Mexico’s viticulture history began as a way of avoiding taxes and securing access to a requirement for religious ritual! Those scofflaw priests found New Mexico’s climate well suited to grape growing. Our higher elevation, warm days, and cool nights result in higher UV intensities that stimulate color formation in the berries, according to Bernd Maier, state viticulturist. “All the good stuff is in the color in the grape. That means more color in the wine. This also means the development of a stronger bouquet.” Maier came to New Mexico from Germany in 1983 to help wine growers adapt to the varied terrain and climate of the state. One of those wine growers is John Calvin. He formally established Casa Rondeña in Albuquerque’s North Valley in 1995, though he started making (and pouring out) wine when he and his sons planted vines in 1990. “Winemaking is a challenge here because of tem-

perature and humidity swings,” he says. “We’ve adjusted our growing to coax out the best in grapes, though it’s intriguing that it’s natural for grapes to grow here in our cruddy soil with little water.” One of Calvin’s most popular wines is an award-winning blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Tempranillo grapes with the historical moniker 1629. Now comes the revolution. Those Spanish priests tended their vines happily until 1680, when the Pueblo Revolt drove colonists out of modern-day New Mexico, effectively ending wine making. Twelve years later, Spanish rule and the need for sacramental wine returned. So did grape vines. Only, this time vines found their way throughout the state, from today’s Las Cruces all the way north to Española. By the 1800s, a flourishing New Mexico wine industry made fermented grape juice one of the area’s top three exports. By 1812, New Mexico wineries were producing about 1,600 gallons per year. This number rose to 10,000 gallons in 1850, when New Mexico became a territory of the United States. Wine was such big business here that in 1868, Territorial Governor Robert Mitchell actively encouraged landowners to grow grapes. As did new Catholic missionaries — this time Italian Jesuits invited by Archbishop Jean Baptiste Lamy (himself a Frenchman) — who founded their own wineries. Fast-forward to 1880, when New Mexico had 3,150 acres of grapevines — double that of New York State, and fifth in the nation. French and Italian immigrant winemakers and new winemaking techniques boosted wine production to a staggering 908,000 gallons that year. Newly introduced grape varietals, like Black Malvoisie, Muscat, Black Hamburg, and Malbec joined the Mission grape originally brought from Mexico. Is it time for floods and decay and pestilence? From 1890 to 1920, winter freezes, flooding in the sediment-filled Rio Grande Valley, a rise in groundwater that turned previously fertile fields to swamps, and the resulting root rot began to reduce grape yields dramatically. The rise of California’s wineries, too, created competition for New

New Mexico’s winegrowing culture has its roots in Spain. The state’s climate is well suited to grape-growing.

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ALTITUDE TERROIR How does a French winemaking family find itself making world-class sparkling wine in the New Mexico desert? The late Gilbert Gruet’s dream of expanding the reach of fine quality methode champenoise (Champagne) and still wines beyond Europe’s boundaries led him to the New World in the 1980s, his daughter Nathalie and son Laurent in tow. They planted, waited, and endured, growing grapes near Truth or Consequences in Central New Mexico at 4,300 feet, some of the highestaltitude vineyards in the country. Sandy, loamy soil and lack of humidity allows Gruet to produce Raymond Vigil checks the grapes at Casa Abril in Algodones, New Mexico.

award-winning wines without the use of pesti-

Mexico wine. Only 1,684 gallons of wine were produced in 1910. By the time of Prohibition in 1919, almost no grapes were harvested. Ironically, or perhaps as a result, wine production in New Mexico actually increased during the two decades of Prohibition. The wine trade had gone underground, and the number of grape vines (which were not illegal to grow) doubled between 1920 and 1930. The repeal of Prohibition in 1934 meant the opening or reopening of about a dozen wineries throughout the state. But in 1943, another historic Rio Grande flood destroyed many wineries for good. The 1970s and 1980s witnessed a resurgence of wineries in New Mexico, and another wave of European immigrants. This time the Swiss and French, led by families like the Gruets of their eponymous winery, contributed their viticultural prowess and investment capital to our grape-friendly growing conditions. Gruet’s international award-winning Champagne-style wines opened the door for New Mexico winemakers, says Calvin, himself a multiple award-winner for his Meritage. “Gruet’s success on the world stage gives others permission to try New Mexico wines, and for winemakers here to produce better-quality wines.” Sample Gruet’s sparkling wines at its “bubble bar” on the Level 5 rooftop in Hotel Chaco. Calvin eloquently sums up the appeal of growing grapes and making wine in New Mexico.

cides, too. Today Gruet produces some 1.5 million bottles annually, and has established itself as one of the largest methode champenoise houses in the United States. As the quality of the wines continues to improve, so does the demand. Gruet is now distributed almost everywhere domestically, and has started shipping internationally. For a selection of 11 Gruet sparkling and still, red, white and blush wines visit Gruet’s tasting room at Hotel St. Francis in Santa Fe or main facility in Albuquerque, where you can take a bottle of wine or two home. If you are looking for a glass of sparkling wine and the best views of Albuquerque visit the newest bubble-bar at Level 5 in Hotel Chaco.

“There is a mystical aspect to winemaking here that’s hard to describe. It’s easier to grow grapes in California or Oregon, but you don’t get the same sense of satisfaction when you have to coax them out of the land as you do here.” Those eager to try our homegrown wines can track their progress with the New Mexico Wine Passport Program from New Mexico Wine, which encourages oenophiles to collect stamps from participating wineries and festivals. What a great way to sample the fantastic wines of New Mexico and support our burgeoning industry.

Travel

Central New Mexico Round Trip Tickets are only $10

Ride comfortably and venture out with FREE bus connections at select stations. Plan your trip at: riometro.org Call us at: 866.795.7245

Fall in love with Hispanic cultures through our many exhibits and events!

#ChooseCulture National Hispanic Cultural Center • 1701 4th Street SW • Albuquerque, NM 87102 • (505) 246-2261 • nhccnm.org

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The Prado Comes to Sante Fe Cathedral Park hosts full-scale reproductions of Madrid museum masterpieces By Jessa Cast

ANTA FE ALREADY HAS INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION as a world-class destination. And while visitors come every year to enjoy the sunny weather, gourmet food, world-class artwork, and cultural treasures, 2017 is a great time to visit the City Different to experience artistic masterworks as well. In recognition of the city’s successful cultivation of its cultural authenticity, National Geographic recently named Santa Fe the winner of the World Legacy Award for Sense of Place. Ever a travel destination for art aficionados and foodies alike, Santa Fe has always taken pride in its heritage. “Everyone you meet here is a caretaker,” says Randy Randall, executive director of Tourism Santa Fe. “Santa Fe is special among the world’s destinations for preserving its natural resources and cultures for future generations.” This year Santa Fe takes that global cultural awareness a step further by bringing highlights from one of the world’s top art gems to downtown Santa Fe. Dubbed The Prado in Santa Fe, this unique exhibit consists of 93 reproductions from the world-famous Museo Nacional del Prado in Spain, to be

Fra Angelico (h. 1395-1455). The Annunciation. c. 1425-28. Tempera and gold on panel. © Museo Nacional del Prado.

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exhibited outdoors in the park next to the Cathedral Basilica in Santa Fe, from May through October. The result of a partnership among a half dozen cultural organizations including the Spanish Colonial Arts Society, American Friends of the Museo del Prado, Tourism Santa Fe, New Mexico True, and Heritage Hotels & Resorts, these 93 full-scale, high-quality photographic reproductions promise to bring the Prado Museum to Santa Fe in greater intimacy than would be allowed by seeing the originals. Santa Fe’s enduring interest in both art and Spainsh heritage helped generate the enthusiasm behind the exhibition, says Christina Simmons, a director of the American Friends of the Prado Museum, the institution’s fundraising arm. “The exhibit gives the opportunity to appreciate the artistic taste of the Spanish royal collection, which is the origin of many of the masterpieces in the Prado.” The project was spearheaded by Heritage Hotels & Resorts’ founder and CEO Jim Long, as part of his continuing interest in highlighting and supporting New Mexico’s unique cultural resources. “The Prado in Santa Fe exhibition will connect celebrated artwork from Spain’s most prominent museum with the Unit-

ed States’ oldest Spanish city,” says Long. As one of a handful of Americans to serve as an international trustee of the Museo del Prado Foundation, Long saw great potential in showcasing these works in a former Spanish colony, reinvigorating the cultural and historic ties between the two lands. This is the first time this exhibition has come to the United States, and as Randy Randall puts it, “of rich significance that this debut takes place in a city with Spanish roots as old as the artwork itself.”

Top, Hieronymous Bosch Bosch (h. 1450-1516). The Garden of Earthly Delights. c. 1500-1505. Oil on panel. © Museo Nacional del Prado. Above right, Prado Santa Fe in Cathedral Park. At right, Diego Velázquez (1599-1660). Las Meninas. 1656. Oil on canvas. © Museo Nacional del Prado.

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Those roots go back more than four centuries, to when conThe Prado museum was founded in Madrid by King Ferdinand quistador Don Juan de Oñate claimed the region for the Span- VII of Spain in 1819. The museum has expanded in the 200 years ish Crown in 1598. Originally founded 25 miles further north, since, amassing a peerless collection of 14th to 20th century Eurothe capital city was relocated to its current location by the city’s pean art, including the world’s largest collection of Spanish massecond Spanish governor, Don Peterworks. With its 6,700 paintings, dro de Peralta, in 1607, making it 1,000 sculptures, 8,000 historical Versions of this Prado exhibition the oldest state capital in the Unitdocuments, and 4,800 prints, the have previously traveled to the ed States. museum has come to play a special Dominican Republic, Honduras, Spanish soldiers, explorers, and role in preservation and restoration. Franciscan missionaries made their As with other museums of its caliGuatemala, El Salvador, mark upon the art and architecture ber, the Prado draws most of its 3 miland Costa Rica. This is its first of Santa Fe until 1821, when the lion annual visitors to see the works appearance in the United States. territory was seized in the Mexican of a handful of legendary Spanish, War of Independence. Throughout French, German, Flemish, Italian, and its history, and long before the U.S. took control in 1848, this Dutch masters, including Botticelli, Fra Angelico, Albrecht Dürer, region has been home to a diverse blend of ethnicities, from Titian, El Greco, Hieronymous Bosch, Diego Velázquez, Peter Paul Native Americans to Europeans and Mexicans—a mix that has Rubens, and Francisco de Goya. Among the perennial pilgrimage always attracted artists. Randall feels the city’s artistic connec- destinations are Velázquez’s enigmatic Las Meninas (1656), Rogier tion with Spain has never ended, pointing to the privileged van de Weyden’s Descent From the Cross ( before 1443), Goya’s The connection with the Prado as proof. 3rd of May 1808 in Madrid (1814), and Titian’s Philip II (1550). 24

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Given that crowds and security prevent most museum visitors from examining artworks up close, The Prado in Santa Fe presents an unusual opportunity to view these works from nose level to as far back as a public park allows. “Short of a visit to the Museo del Prado in Spain, this is the sole way to experience this full-scale compendium of paintings,” says David Setford, executive director of the Spanish Colonial Arts Society. “Setting them in a public park is a unique way to bring art to the people.” Created with utmost regard for quality, the reproductions, printed in Spain, will be mounted at eye-level behind acrylic glass, on custom-made supports. “These works will be displayed to the highest standard, and it was only on that agreement that the Prado would do this,” Setford notes.

The Prado exhibit helps usher in a commitment by many cultural institutions this year to showcase “Santa Fe’s Celebration of Global Art & Culture.” This naturally ties in to the Big Three annual summer art fairs: Spanish Market and the International Folk Art Market in July, and the Santa Fe Indian Market in August. The Museum of Spanish Colonial Art has brought to Santa Fe a world-class exhibition of portraits of Frida Kahlo, many by iconic 20th-century photographers. On loan from the Throckmorton gallery in New York, the show got strong reviews there and at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Setford says the museum worked hard to bring the show to Santa Fe as a way to further emphasize the city’s legacy of Spanish Colonial art and the influence it continues to have on contemporary artists across the Americas.

Opposite, Santa Fe is hosting the Prado exhibition in Cathedral Park. Above, Francisco de Goya (1746-1828). The 3rd of May 1808 in Madrid or “The Executions”. 1814. Oil on canvas. © Museo Nacional del Prado.

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SPANISH INFLUENCE GIVEN NEW MEXICO’S ELEVATED CONSCIOUSNESS IN ALL THINGS RELATED TO ART AND HISTORY, it’s no surprise that the state’s major cultural institutions all touch on some aspect of Spain and its influence. Following are some of the museums that contribute significantly to telling the story of what is known as New Mexico’s Hispano heritage. Museum of Spanish Colonial Art (Santa Fe) The only museum of its kind in the U.S., the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art focuses on New Mexican examples from the Spanish Colonial period. The permanent collection includes more than 3,700 pieces—wooden sculpture, paintings, furniture, tinwork, textiles, straw appliqué, and ceramics— primarily from the mid-1700s to the present. Museum of International Folk Art (Santa Fe) This vast collection, the world’s largest of folk art, includes more than 130,000 objects from more than 100 countries. The museum has sections for both Spanish Colonial and contemporary Hispano and Latino art that include Spanish and Mexican pottery, textiles, costumes and masks, Northern New Mexico weaving, and flamenco dress. The museum also puts on the International Folk Art market in July, the largest of its kind in the world. Palace of the Governors/ New Mexico History Museum (Santa Fe) The Palace dates to the early 1600s, and has served

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as a seat of government for Spain, Mexico, the Confederacy, and the Territory before New Mexico gained U.S. statehood in 1912. It is the oldest public building in the U.S. and served as a home to 100 governors. The neighboring New Mexico History Museum displays the state’s collection of more than 15,000 historical objects. Permanent and temporary exhibitions narrate the history of New Mexico from its indigenous people through the Colonial and Mexican periods, including the seminal contributions of the Santa Fe Trail. New Mexico Museum of Art (Santa Fe) The oldest art museum in New Mexico, built in classic Pueblo Revival style, played an important role in nurturing the Santa Fe art colony. Permanent and rotating exhibitions from the collection of more than 20,000 pieces focus on the art of the Southwest. The collection includes some fine examples of Spanish Colonial furniture. The museum will be closed from mid-September until Nov. 24.

Santa Fe Mayor Javier Gonzales says the city is “especially honored to be the first U.S. site for these stunning Museo Nacional del Prado masterpiece reproductions.” It’s all part of a growing awareness that the nation’s oldest capital also lays claim to a special relationship with the former empire that has left a cultural legacy ranging from flamenco to cathedral architecture to the Prado in Santa Fe.

Above, Titian (h. 1485/90–1576). Philip II. 1550-51. Oil on canvas. © Museo Nacional del Prado

National Hispanic Cultural Center (Albuquerque) Dedicated to the advancement of Hispanic culture, the large campus of the NHCC includes concert venues, classrooms, a library, and an art museum that exhibits one of the state’s best selections of contemporary Hispanic art from the growing collection of some 2,500 pieces. New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum (Las Cruces) This interactive museum spread across 47 acres chronicles the agricultural history of New Mexico, especially the late Spanish Colonial period through World War II.

It includes historical vehicles, the re-created workshop of a saddlemaker, a room from a Spanish Colonial home—not to mention cattle, horses, sheep, goats, donkeys, pony rides, orchards and gardens.

El Rancho de las Golondrinas (Santa Fe) A historic ranch on the Camino Real donated and restored by a prominent Santa Fe family, las Golondrinas is now a living-history

The Prado in Santa Fe runs through October 29 in and around Cathedral Park in Santa Fe. Mirror, Mirror: Photographs of Frida Kahlo runs through October 29 at the Spanish Colonial Arts Museum, 750 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe

museum spread across 200 acres. Weekend festivals over the summer months demonstrate daily life during the Spanish Colonial period, 1700-1800. The Albuquerque Museum (Albuquerque) A short walk from Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town and Hotel Chaco, the Albuquerque Museum celebrates early Spanish Colonial life through its exhibition, Only in Albuquerque. Casa San Ysidro in Corrales is an historical restoration of an 18th-century New Mexican home.

Performances Friday - Sunday, Tickets: TablaoFlamenco.org World-Class Performances • Tapas • Custom Cocktails Located in Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town 505.222.8797 | 800 Rio Grande Blvd. NW | HotelABQ.com A partnership between Heritage Hotels & Resorts and the National Institute of Flamenco HHANDR.COM

Cultural Immersion Creating a Heritage Hotel requires envisioning the past for the guest of the present. By Deb Trevino 28

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f you’re a frequent traveler, you probably know the feeling. You wake up in a strange hotel room, and for a moment you don’t know exactly where you are. It’s a common phenomenon, especially at big-box hotels, where homogenous décor, design, and amenities can make guests feel like they could be just about anywhere. It was that unsettling experience that inspired Heritage Hotels & Resorts founder and CEO Jim Long to buy and renovate the Sheraton Old Town in Albuquerque, transforming it into the acclaimed Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town. Since then, it has been a principle of Heritage properties to immerse guests in a particular place and its culture. From the newest — Albuquerque’s Hotel Chaco — to the group’s existing properties in Santa Fe, Taos, and Las Cruces, this idea of building experiences rather than cookie-cutter hotels resonates for the multigenerational New Mexico native. “When we acquired the Sheraton Old Town, it was one of those hotels that had a great location but could have been in any city in the U.S.,” Long explains. “It was generic. We wanted guests to feel the history and culture of the hotel’s historic location, so we fully embraced New Mexico’s signature blend of Native American, Spanish, and Western influences — all of the forces that made Albuquerque New Mexico’s biggest city, and a true melting pot.”

Long and his team continue to create distinctive New Mexican experiences at all of their properties, through architecture, décor, landscaping, entertainment, and cuisine.

CURATING EXPERIENCE, ONE HOTEL AT A TIME

Opposite: The Hotel St. Francis offers a sense of peace and tranquility. Above, the lobby of the Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town looks nothing like its past as a generic Sheraton.

Nowhere is this philosophy more obvious than at Hotel Chaco, the first property designed and built by Heritage. Hotel Chaco allowed Heritage to shape the guest experience. “Starting from the architecture, design, foundation, and throughout every detail, Hotel Chaco has been designed to give our guests a modern interpretation of Chaco Canyon,” says Jason Cosyleon, the group’s vice president of design. “The hotel was inspired by the Native Americans who lived here before us, found harmony with their surroundings, and infused a sense of spirituality in their aesthetic. Every single design decision was authentic and very carefully considered. Chaco Canyon is the greatest archaeological site in North America and it was appropriate to honor this ancient civilization in the creation of Hotel Chaco.” (See “Universal Alignment,” page 44.) Every Heritage Hotel tells a unique story. A closer look at any of Heritage’s properties will reveal the same careful attention to deHHANDR.COM

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tail. Usually that means contracting with local craftsmen and artists to inject each property with a memorable sense of place. Lighting fixtures, upholstery, furniture, customized artwork, and even landscaping reflect the true and unique culture and history of the state. When Long acquired Santa Fe’s Eldorado Hotel and Spa, he sought to create an immersive experience that told the story of Eldorado, the search for the lost city of gold. Guests can now marvel at the chapel’s gilded altar screen, designed and built by the same master carver who designed chairs for the Pope’s visit to Mexico. How it all came together had much to do with interior designer Adriana Long. The hotel’s grand scale deserved a grand theme,” says Long. “The storytelling approach affects the design decisions in terms of textures, patterns, materials, and artwork, and how these design elements coalesce to form a unified experience and theme for guests to experience.” Santa Fe’s historic Hotel St. Francis was remodeled to reflect the simple, spiritual style of the Franciscan Missionary Order, offering guests a sense of peace and tranquility as they experience the calming white marble lobby with flickering candles and a large stone baptismal font. The hotel’s 80 guest rooms extend upon that ambiance. “The guest rooms have a beautiful, rustic simplicity to them, using neutral tones throughout,” says Interior Designer Kris Lajeskie. “Design highlights include handmade wooden furniture, custom-embroidered half shades on the wall sconces, and for the beds an accent pillow with a dove symbol appliquéd on them.” At the Palacio de Marquesa in Taos, each guest room is named and designed to honor remarkable female artists of the 1920s and beyond who shaped Taos’s culture, from Georgia O’Keefe to Mabel Dodge Luhan, with a custom portrait of each by New Mexico artist Audrey Bell. Interior designer Adriana Long, who also designed Casa Espana in Santa Fe, the Casa Esencia in Albuquerque and Azul Ultralounge Patio at the Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces, had clear motives. “We hope that our guests not only get a better sense of the impact this group of inspiring The Eldorado Hotel women had on the culture of chapel’s gilded altar Taos, but that they also experiscreen was designed and built by the same ence for themselves why these master carver who women were so inspired by the designed chairs for the surrounding landscapes and way Pope’s visit to Mexico. of living.” HHANDR.COM

Outdoor spaces are also integral to the Heritage experience. At the Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces, guests enjoy the award-winning landscape design of Greg Trutza, who designed the Royal Palms Resort and Spa in Scottsdale. In the patio’s décor, designer Long continued that inspiration. “The patio at Azul Ultralounge is designed to pay homage to the Spanish Colonial and Mexican cultures by using a mix of bold colors, contemporary baroque furnishings, and traditional elements,” she notes. “The mix of these elements makes for a sophisticated and unique experience in southern New Mexico.”

IT TAKES A COMMUNITY What guests might not see — but will certainly feel — is Heritage Hotels’ deeper commitment to the communities surrounding its hotels and resorts. Supporting New Mexico’s cultural preservation is a critical part of the company’s mission. Each property supports an individual cultural cause that receives a donated portion of revenue from every room night. For Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town, it’s the National Institute of Flamenco, an organization dedicated to the promotion and preservation of this folkloric dance form. Other properties support causes ranging from the Chimayo Cultural Preservation Association (Hotel Chimayo de Santa Fe) to the Spanish Colonial Arts Society (Eldorado Hotel & Spa). This cultural connection also extends to local artists. Art32

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works from 75 artists were commissioned for Hotel Chimayo’s The Icon Room at the guest rooms and public spaces, Palacio de Marquesa and automotive craftsmen helped celebrates Georgia create the authentic ambiance of O’Keeffe; other rooms focus on the influential the hotel’s popular Low ‘n’ Slow women who shaped Lowrider Bar. Taos, such as Mabel Dodge Lujan, Dorothy According to seventh-generation Brett and Agnes Martin. Chimayo Weaver Irvin Trujillo, “The display of my work in the lobby, and the work from Centinela Traditional Arts, is a great honor for us, and allows the hotel guests a chance to see our tribute to the fiber art tradition of Chimayo which started in the 1700s.” Whether partnering with community organizations, or ensuring that every guest leaves with an authentic cultural experience of the Southwest, Jim Long takes the company’s role in carrying on tradition seriously. “We recognize New Mexico’s intrinsic appeal — a special blend of cultures both ancient and modern that distinguish it historically, artistically, and even spiritually from any other place in the United States,” he says. “Whether that experience is in music, entertainment, culinary experiences, art, architecture, or connections to cultural experiences, we want our guests to leave New Mexico with memories that will last a lifetime.”

Albuquerque's newest urban destination

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Get ready to take in New Mexico with a one of a

kind, truly delicious experience. The highly anticipated Sawmill Market, curated by Albuquerque's culinary duo, Lauren and Jason Greene of the celebrated Grove Cafe & Market, will open its doors to the public in 2019. The Greenes have partnered with Heritage Hotels and Resorts, Inc. to create this 25,000 square foot artisan market in a stunning, repurposed warehouse. Showcasing New Mexico's culinary traditions with emerging food and drink trends of today, Sawmill Market will feature restaurant experiences, craft cocktails, local food vendors and unique retail to create a culinary destination unlike any other.

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(b(Q)o Albuquerque's premier urban shopping destination hosts it's grand opening this Summer 2017. We are excited to announce our partnership with Tess Coats, owner of Spectacle Caravan. Tess brings her eye catching fashion and merchandise techniques to the southwest retail scene in a whimsical boutique of curated fashion and hand crafted products. Spur Line Supply Co. celebrates local contemporary designers, makers, and craftsmen from New Mexico. It's a magical place where immersive retail vignettes offer guests an experience to explore beyond the typical racks and shelves .

To learn more about how to get involved in the Sawmill District visit us at sawmilldistrictabq.com

Rediscovering of the Ancient A vast complex of ruins on a remote plain holds the origins of modern Pueblo society

N THE DESOLATE COLORADO PLATEAU of northwestern New Mexico, Fajada Butte exudes a stately presence straight out of a John Ford Western. High on its shoulder, three sandstone slabs bearing the handiwork of an

ancestral Puebloan have quietly marked the passage of time for a millennium since this remote place may have formed the center of an ancient world. Each day at noon, sunlight shines through the slabs onto the cliff face and, precisely at noon on the summer solstice, bisects the larger of the two spiral petroglyphs carved there as two shafts bracket the spiralâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s outer edges. At the spring and autumn equinoxes, a shaft of light pierces the smaller of the two spirals.

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g the Center t World By Ashley M. Biggers

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FAJADA BUTTE ACTUALLY SERVES AS AN ENTRANCE GATE TO A COMPLEX OF 16 MASONRY STRUCTURES IN THE ARID CANYON BELOW. The ancient architecture protected within Chaco Culture National Historical Park represents the culmination of a civilization as enduring as that of Stonehenge in England or Teotihuacan in Mexico. The buildings that today share the same frayed edges and timeworn hues of Fajada Butte once housed some 2,000 residents who built, farmed, and prayed here. The multistory great houses they constructed between 800 and 1250. Archeologists estimate that the Anasazi were among the most populous groups in North America until the 19th century. Yet the builders drifted away from their economically complex society, leaving behind as many questions as answers. They didn’t disappear, but evolved into the people of the 19 pueblos of New Mexico as well as the Hopi, who reside in Arizona. At ceremonial occasions and at the solstices and equinoxes, Pueblo people still return to Chaco as to an ancestral homeland. Chaco was made into a national monument in 1907, and a national historical park with enlarged boundaries in 1980. In 1987, Chaco Culture National Historical Park was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, joining other historical and natural marvels worldwide from Machu Picchu to the Great Barrier Reef. It has been speculated that Chaco’s astronomical alignments and pictographs reflect its residents’ efforts to connect the heavenly order with a tumultuous world in which they were vulnerable to extremes of heat and cold, drought and monsoon in this isolated landscape. As Phillip Tuwaletstiwa writes in The Mystery of Chaco Canyon, “If there was a way to transfer the orderly nature of the cosmos down onto what seems to be chaos that exists here, then you begin to then integrate at this place

both heaven and earth. And this would be ... the center place.” The significant architecture of Chaco Canyon begins “downtown,” home to the great houses Chetro Ketl, Casa Rinconada, and Pueblo Bonito, accessible along a nine-mile scenic drive through the park. Pueblo Bonito is one of the canyon’s most beautiful as well as the grandest. The massive D-shaped structure once towered four to five stories, with a honeycomb of some 650 rooms cascading from the central plaza toward a cliff face at a scale that rivals Rome’s Coliseum; 33 kivas (ceremonial chambers) completed the structure. Common practice of the time was to add rooms to existing structures as families expanded, but these building were planned at the start — the original master-planned community. Pueblo Bonito feels like a labyrinth, with one antechamber connecting to the next through a series of low doorways. Builders carefully considered the placement of the several-foot-thick walls, allowing sunlight to pass through unique corner and T-shaped doorways. Sight lines to surrounding buildings would have allowed the residents to communicate with each other from afar. Casa Rinconada also hints at Chaco Canyon’s archaeo-astronomy. The structure is aligned precisely to celestial north. At the summer solstice, an opening on the northeastern wall casts a beam onto an opposing kiva wall, which at sunrise hovers pre-

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ROBERT RECK

Top, Photographer Robert Reck captured the light reflecting on Pueblo Bonito. Right: The doors align along the path of the sun. Center: Kin Kletso, Navajo for “yellow house,” featured 65 rooms and five kivas. Far right, it is one of Chaco’s grandest structures, and once consisted of 650 rooms.

WILSILVER77 / 123RF STOCK PHOTO

ALBERTO LOYO / 123RF STOCK PHOTO

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ROBERT RECK

cisely over a niche, suggesting a sophisticated attunement to the seasons. This astronomical awareness can be observed throughout the canyon. For example, a pictograph near Penasco Blanco, one of the more remote structures, is thought to represent a supernova from the year 1054; it is depicted next to a crescent moon and a human handprint, asserting the human presence in the cosmos. In its heyday, Chaco formed a center of civilization in multiple ways. Archeologists have traced the Chacoan organizational system far beyond the park boundaries, to related sites at Aztec Ruins National Monument in New Mexico, and to some 150 to 200 sites stretching across 20,000 to 40,000 square miles of the American Southwest (see “A Walk Back in Time,” page 4). Roads not unlike the wide boulevards that radiate from the Capitol in Washington, D.C., cut swaths across the ancient landscape, connecting Chaco to the broader world. The Chacoans had no carts or beasts of burden, and few signs of trade have been found on these precisely straight, 35-foot-wide “roads,” so their purpose remains a mystery. 38

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The Puebloans who farmed in the high-desert environment, with its long winters, short growing season, and scant rainfall, subsisted on the “Three Sisters” of the Puebloan diet — corn, beans, and squash — hunting for rabbit and occasional large game, such as deer. Their resources grew from commerce. They amassed turquoise beads and crafted immense stores of blackon-white and red-ware pottery to trade with visitors from as far as Mesoamerica. A mysterious cache of 181 cylindrical vessels found in just a few rooms turned out to bear traces of cacao, and to mimic Mayan cacao-drinking vessels from 1,200 miles south, where the plant naturally grows. Archeologists have also unearthed copper bells, conch-shell horns, and macaw feathers at Chaco, further indications of the canyon’s role as a continental gathering place. Some archaeologists theorize that Chaco was not designed to house large populations, but that its great houses overflowed seasonally with pilgrims traveling to this ceremonial center with the solar and lunar cycles. Rituals tied to planting, harvests, and

Chaco Canyon is part of the Dark Sky Park initiative. Natural darkness and few artificial lights mean superior stargazing. The park offers star parties twice a year.

rain would have taken place in the kivas (ceremonial chambers, usually round and underground), a prominent feature in Chaco’s architecture. The kivas would have had benches along the walls and in the center a sipapu — a covered hole on the floor that symbolizes the original place from which people emerged into the world. Only its residents know whether visitors overtaxed the canyon’s fragile environment or whether drought struck, but the builders abandoned Chaco after a few centuries of vigorous development. The canyon went on to house other residents, such as Navajo settlements traced to the 1500s. By the late 1800s, it was archeologists who most frequented Chaco Canyon. The first major excavation began in 1896 with Richard Wetherill. Many of the artifacts he discovered were shipped to the American Museum of Natural History, where they remain. Visitors today tour the canyon via its scenic drive, and hiking routes such as the Pueblo Alto Trail, which climbs a cliff face for spectacular views overlooking Pueblo Bonito and Chetro Ketl. The longest trail, Peñasco Blanco, includes a spur to numerous Pueblo and Navajo rock carvings and pictographs. Overnight camping at the park, particularly at the solstices and equinoxes, offers glimpses into the canyon’s subtle complexities. Stargazing is world-renowned at Chaco Culture National Historical Park, recognized as an International Dark Sky Park, one of just a handful in the United States. The park reduces artificial lighting, which makes for prime star viewing. Throughout the year, rangers and volunteers from the Albuquerque Astronomical Society host programs to help visitors view nebula, planets, and other phenomena at the Chaco Observatory. Standing beneath the vast expanse of the Milky Way as it stretches across the inky heavens, you may feel at once grounded and diminutive, intrigued and awestruck — just like the Chacoans who once dwelled and worshipped here.

Brilliant

Art and History. Jewelry to sculpture. Folk art to fine craft. Paintings, prints, and photography. Experience the unique artistic juncture of Native, Hispano, and Anglo cultures on exhibit at Albuquerque Museum.

Albuquerque Museum 2000 Mountain Road NW Albuquerque, NM 87104 Located in the heart of Old Town 505-243-7255 Top to Bottom: Luis Jiménez, 1940 El Paso, Texas – 2006 Hondo, New Mexico Howl, 1986, cast and patinated bronze (1/5), Museum purchase, 1987 General Obligation Bonds, 1988.27.1 Tom Palmore, born 1944 Ada, Oklahoma; lives Santa Fe, New Mexico Survivor, 1995, oil on canvas, Museum purchase, 1993 General Obligations Bonds, 1995.30.1

HERITAGE INSPIRATIONS, the partner tour company of Heritage Hotels and Resorts, leads day trips and overnight camping tours to Chaco Culture National Historical Park departing from Hotel Chaco in Albuquerque. HeritageInspirations.com

Tonque Pueblo Jar, Rio Grande Glaze Ware, ca. 1450–1600 Clay, slip, glaze paint, Gift of Richard A. Bice via the Albuquerque Archaeological Society, PC1974.33.9 Cultural Services Department, City of Albuquerque, Richard J. Berry

cabq.gov/museum

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Echoes of Chaco in Design

MINH QUAN

Modern-day descendants commissioned for hotel’s interior

THE ROAD TO CHACO CANYON BEGAN IN THE 1990S FOR HERITAGE HOTELS AND RESORTS DESIGNER KRIS LAJESKIE. She had moved to Santa Fe to pursue an interest in indigenous cultures, and visited the park’s Puebloan great houses scattered across a remote wash in the San Juan Basin. Besides the architecture, building techniques, and art of a culture that inhabited the region from 800 to 1250, something about the place struck a deeper chord. “When I went there for the first time, I had this connection,” the New Jersey native says. “I felt part of it. It was a home center for me.” 40

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Long before she worked on Hotel St. Francis and designed the interior for Hotel Chimayo in Santa Fe (see “Cultural Immersion,” page 28), Lajeskie had ventured into the archives of the American Museum of Natural History and seen an artifact pulled from an 1800s dig at Chaco Canyon — a jetblack frog with turquoise eyes — that would be incorporated into Hotel Chaco’s iconic logo three decades later created by McKee, Wallwork + Co. advertising.

Immersive Cultural & Active Guided Tours Chaco Canyon Tours | Taos Day Tours Eat Pray Love Multi-Day Tour from Santa Fe to Taos 575.779.5516 | HeritageInspirations.com

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Her deep interest in Chaco culture, and expertise in designing experiential cultural hotels, drove the conceptualization of Hotel Chaco. “Our job is to edit and focus on what the essence is,” she said, “and the essence of Chaco is simplicity.” Translating ancient inspirations into contemporary aesthetics is “always the trick,” she says, “not only into what’s current, but what’s timeless. Chaco is one of those places where spirit is as present today as it was alive 1,200 years ago.” Lajeskie drew from Navajo weaving for the interior’s naturally calming hues. Weavers from the Toadlena/Two Grey Hills area are famous for a distinctive pattern made up of the natural shades characteristic of the churro sheep that they also raise and shear. It took two years for a team of 20 traditional Navajo weavers to create the rugs in Hotel Chaco’s 118 guest rooms. The natural hues used — ivory, brown, and black — ripple through bed lin-

ens and upholstery, creating a grounded feeling. “The artists have been weaving these for hundreds of years,” says Lajeskie. “We’re helping to keep that art alive. It’s a beautiful investment in culture, and we’re bringing it to every guest room.” The designer, founder, and principal of Kris Lajeskie Design wove artisanal Native creations throughout the hotel (see “Meet the Artists,” opposite page), commissioning New Mexico artists who could capture the spirit of Chaco Canyon as members of New Mexico pueblos, descended from the Chaco people. The tall, narrow cylinders she saw in the American Museum of Natural History, with their unique black-on-white designs indicative of Chaco origin, she commissioned from three different artists: Roxanne Swentzell (Santa Clara), Robert Tenorio (Santo Domingo), and Flo and Leland Vallo (Acoma) to interpret the ancient through the living Native culture of today.

Marla Allison of Laguna Pueblo (above); at right, from top Roxanne Swentzell of Santa Clara, Mateo Romero of Cochiti and a weaver at Toadlena. Photos by Maresa Thompson.

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Meet the Artists

ROXANNE SWENTZELL (SANTA CLARA PUEBLO) Clay and bronze sculptor Swentzell, who is from a renowned family of Pueblo potters, created the sculpture The

TONY ABEYTA (NAVAJO)

Guardian above the reception

Mixed-media painter

desk. She is also creating five

New Mexico Governor’s

Chacoan cylinders.

Excellence in the Arts award

roxanneswentzell.net

Abeyta painted the multimedia piece on the lobby focal wall.

MATEO ROMERO

He strives to communicate the

(COCHITI PUEBLO)

emotional experience of New

Contemporary painter

Mexico’s landscape.

Sometimes abstract, sometimes

tonyabeyta.com

inspired by the landscape, Romero’s work is always intrigu-

MARLA ALLISON

ing. The award-winning artist’s

(LAGUNA PUEBLO)

work is displayed on guest floors.

Contemporary painter

blueraingallery.com

Allison contributed paintings to the second-floor elevator

PATRICIA MICHAELS

landing.

(TAOS PUEBLO)

marlaallison.com

Clothing designer Michaels lent her talent to

JOE CAJERO (JEMEZ PUEBLO)

wearable art, visible on the staff

Clay and bronze sculptor

members as they circulate the

His monumental lobby sculpture

hotel. She earned international

Oneness represents the four

acclaim for her Peabody Essex

directions, male/female, and the

Museum Show, Native Fashion

levels of creation.

Now, earning the prestigious

cajerofineart.com

Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian Arts and

IRA LUJAN (TAOS/OHKAY

Design Award, and for her two

OWINGEH PUEBLOS)

appearances as the first Native

Glass sculptor

designer on the reality show

Lujan created the antler

Project Runway.

installation in the lobby, plus a

pmwaterlilyfashion.com

solstice-themed piece on the third-floor elevator landing.

TAMMY GARCIA (SANTA CLARA PUEBLO)

RHETT LYNCH (NAVAJO)

Potter and sculptor

Weaver, sculptor, and painter

Descended from four generations

Lynch painted two works flank-

of Santa Claran artists, Garcia

ing the fireplace in the “relax-

incorporates ancient and historic

ation/chill” room. He is known

Puebloan motifs in her work.

for communicating universal

She designed the main doors

themes through intense color.

and lobby ceiling.

rhettlynch.com

blueraingallery.com

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Universal Alignment

otel Chaco designers Adam Gumowski and Kristen George Fraumeni sat in awe as the sun set from their perch on a mesa off the Pueblo Alto Trail, where they had come to explore their source of inspiration at Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Below them sprawled Pueblo Bonito, a stone masonry great house built by ancestors of today’s Pueblo peoples some 1,200 years ago as part of an extensive complex at the center of the ancient world. “We spent many hours photographing and sketching, letting the inspiration set in,” Gumowski recalls. “We spent time hiking through the land and really understanding the spirit of what can be found there.” Every few minutes the two would look at each other in wonderment. “It became a magical place in terms of the overall special quality, the light, the use of materials, shade and shadow,” Gumowski says.

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MINH QUAN

The iconic black-and-white designs of Chaco pottery inspired the hotel’s details.

MINH QUAN

The two designers from Gensler, a global architecture firm that designed the Shanghai Tower (China’s tallest building), among other prominent buildings, sought to answer the vision of Heritage Hotels CEO Jim Long to honor one of the most significant civilizations in North America. The goal was not to replicate Chaco, but to embody the architecture and culture in a way that offers a new language for Southwest architecture. The great houses of Chaco are notable for their alignment to the cardinal directions, solar and lunar cycles, and each other, so the Hotel Chaco architects squared the exterior walls to the cardinal directions. The garden wall runs east/west, so at noon no shadow falls on it. “There are subtleties we wanted to borrow,” says Jason Cosyleon, vice president of design and development for Heritage Hotels & Resorts. “This culture studied the cosmos and created order out of a seemingly random world.” The building materials and shapes also reflect Chaco influenc-

es. Stone, earth, and wood are used throughout, but the designers play with scale in a modern way. “The hotel finishes are more subtle and organic. There are not a lot of shiny metallic or plastics,” Cosyleon says. As guests enter the hotel, they pass through a series of solid doors and alcoves that help leave the modern world behind. Elements of fire and water greet guests in the lobby. The rotunda is edged with bancos (low bench seating) and apertures (small windows) high on the walls, echoing the circular structures at Chaco. “Everything is meant to be of this earth,” Cosyleon says, an intention that is felt in the center of the lobby, where Joe Cajero’s sculpture Oneness is seated. Just as the spiritual and commercial life of the ancient world radiated from Chaco, hotel activity radiates from the lobby. “This is a place where you’re no longer captured by the world you came from,” Gumowski says. Yet Hotel Chaco is situated very much in our time. “We incorporated modern materials such as steel, concrete and glass to contrast the natural ones,” Cosyleon says. Occasionally the two blend, as where the concrete floor in the lobby is scraped away to reveal rock, giving the feel of a riverbed. Although the hotel has state-of-the-art connectivity — each room has its own wireless access point and flat-screen TV — technology is not the focus. The Gensler architects drew inspiration from Chaco as part of a larger goal to evolve Southwestern archetypes and define new ways of inhabiting space. Cantilevers, either built in stone or etched in cliff, are echoed throughout the hotel, including one that juts from the guest rooms to shelter the second-story spa terrace, allowing guests to feel protected and at one with their surroundings. Sensing that the Chacoans felt a symbiosis with their environment, the architects “tried to open up the inside to the outside as much as possible,” Gumowski says. The scenery appears close from the guest rooms, which look out onto Old Town Albuquerque, the Sandia Mountains, and hot-air balloons rising from Balloon Fiesta Park. Level 5 restaurant and lounge on the hotel’s top story connects to a terrace at much the same elevation as Pueblo Bonito once offered—like the view the architects enjoyed as their vision first took shape. HHANDR.COM

Creating a Culinary Heritage Hotel chefs learn at the stove of a Southwest master By Kelly Koepke

D EMILY JOANNE

INERS AT THE RESTAURANTS IN HERITAGE HOTELS & RESORTS enjoy delicious, flavorful, authentic cuisine that represents the best that New Mexico farmers, ranchers, and growers have to offer. Three of these chefs, known for their culinary pedigree and dedication to their craft, also benefit from Heritage’s relationship with legendary chef Mark Miller, known as the originator of modern Southwest cuisine. The original chef/owner of Santa Fe’s Coyote Café and author of eleven bestselling books and cookbooks, Miller’s influence is evident on the plate, as well as the palate.

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LVL 5 F l avo r

Beauty

from

the

wild

in Hotel Chaco | 2000 Bellamah Ave NW, Albuquerque | 505 246 9989 | hotelchaco.com

Ancho Chocolate Cherry Sorbet

the perfect ending to a meal at Hotel Chaco as a way to demonstrate the interplay of ingredients indigenous to the Americas. INGREDIENTS 1 ancho chile, seeded and toasted 2 cups cherry juice 2 ounces dried cherries ½ cup sugar 3 ounces chocolate (62% cacao) 1 pound fresh or frozen tart cherries 1 orange, juiced

METHOD Toast the chile slowly in a 300 F oven for 4 to 6 minutes. Place it in a bowl with cherry juice and let hydrate for 20 minutes. Combine these ingredients with the dried cherries, sugar, and chocolate in a saucepan and bring to a low simmer (about 115 F). Add the fresh or frozen cherries and remove from heat. Blend and strain through a fine sieve. Add the orange juice. Freeze or use an ice cream machine to create sorbet. SERVES 6 48

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LEVEL 5 AT HOTEL CHACO AND TABLAO FLAMENCO ALBUQUERQUE Two chefs drove together to Santa Fe one afternoon. As they looked out the window at New Mexico’s famous sunset, the younger said to the more experienced, “I wish I could put that on a plate.” That was Gilbert Aragon’s wish, to capture the hues of purple, orange, red, and pink and serve them up to diners. And Miller, taste maker and mentor, was just the man to help make it happen as Aragon embarked on a menu for the new Level 5 Restaurant & Bar at Hotel Chaco. This wouldn’t be the first time Miller had worked with Aragon, Hotel Albuquerque’s executive chef. Miller had mentored him during the development of the hotel’s Tablao Flamenco, even taking the young chef to Seville to experience firsthand the food, culture, and passion of the Spanish world of flamenco. But his work with Aragon on the concept, décor, and menu for Level 5 was even more intense. The chefs spent a week at Miller’s Santa Fe home strategizing and developing recipes that celebrate New Mexico’s indigenous heritage. Practically speaking, Level 5 is about a return to food that is unprocessed, simpler, with more integrity, natural vivacity, and flavor. “That resonates with Gilbert. He understands that there has to be a real story there,” says Miller. “The idea was about how Native peoples preserved foods—wild herbs, mushrooms, berries, game—and asking, ‘What kind of world would they inhabit?’ The idea of venison gravlax seems crazy, but this is the best dish I’ve ever done,” says Aragon. “I can’t wait for people to try this food. Every dish speaks to pulling beauty and flavor from the wild.” Working with Miller was a blessing, personally and professionally, he adds. “To get pushed that way, with his caliber and willingness to say, ‘How can I help you?’ I aspire to get to his level, and contribute to the culinary culture of the world.”

JORI TURPIN

developed this subtle spicy-sweet sorbet as

LIZ LOPEZ

Executive Chef GILBERT ARAGON

Chef Gilbert Aragon of Hotel Chaco and Hotel Albuquerque collaborated with Chef Mark Miller on the Tablao Flamenco Albuuquerque and Hotel Chacoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Level 5 menus.

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DE LA TIERRA AT EL MONTE SAGRADO: EXPRESSING THE LAND IN TAOS Cristina Martinez’s first meeting with Miller came when she interviewed for the executive chef position at El Monte Sagrado. She was already a respected executive chef (at Albuquerque’s Artichoke Café), had opened her own catering company at age 18, and had solid training (Le Cordon Bleu in California) and experience at Heritage Hotels’ Hotel Albuquerque. She’d won awards, actively gave back to the community, and embraced the culinary traditions of New Mexico. The interview required an audition at Miller’s home, where she would cook some of his recipes—for him. “I was extremely nervous!” she says. “We talked a lot about his food—I’ve had his Indian Market Cookbook for years— his techniques, and he taught me quite a bit. My mind was pretty blown.” Over the course of the eight-hour interview, Martinez cooked and Miller tasted. Then the two cooked and tasted together, dissecting dishes and delving into cooking philosophy. “He has endless amounts of knowledge and is a nice guy, extremely helpful, enjoys passing on his knowledge and working with people to improve their skills.” Martinez clearly impressed Miller, too, both with her ability and her vision for De La Tierra Restaurant, the Anaconda Bar, and the spa and room-service menus at El Monte Sagrado. “Cristina’s instincts are good, and you can’t teach that,” he says. The concept for El Monte Sagrado’s culinary program is healthy, clean eating inspired by indigenous and local vegetables, fruits, and meats raised by area farmers and in the hotel’s garden. Martinez’s take on that concept spins it into modern fusion—a little New Mexican, a little French, a little Asian and Mediterranean. “El Monte’s culture is rich, with different rooms featuring design from different countries,” she says. “That represents the diverse influences and visitors we get here in Taos. So we do smaller plates and awesome burgers, but also flatbreads, and salmon and lamb, and gorgeous composed salads. Fresh, flavorful, and healthy is the key, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free.”

Cristina Martinez’s cuisine at El Monte Sagrado fuses international cuisine with locally sourced ingredients.

Winter Squash Salad with Apple Champagne Vinaigrette and Goat Cheese El Monte Sagrado Executive Chef CRISTINA MARTINEZ highlights the hotel garden’s bounty with this light yet satisfying salad. INGREDIENTS 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and diced 1 teaspoon maple syrup 1/4 cup pecans 2 large beets, cleaned 1 portobello mushroom, sliced 2 large heads of butter lettuce, torn and washed Goat cheese, crumbled, to taste Vinaigrette (recipe follows) METHOD Heat oven to 350 F. Toss the squash in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and 1 teaspoon maple syrup. Roast on a baking sheet until the edges get color and are soft, but not dry and mushy. Rub beets with oil and wrap in foil. Roast about 1 hour or until knife goes in easy. Peel while warm and dice the same size as squash. Toast pecans until golden and flavorful. Toss mushroom slices with oil, salt, and pepper. VINAIGRETTE INGREDIENTS 1 shallot, minced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 cup champagne or white balsamic vinegar 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/2 green apple, diced small 2 tablespoons brown sugar 5 large basil leaves, torn 5 mint leaves, torn 2 cups vegetable oil 1 cup olive oil

Garden-to-Glass Craft Cocktails | Happy Hour Located in Hotel St. Francis 210 Don Gaspar Ave, Santa Fe 505.983.5700 | HotelStFrancis.com

Live Entertainment | Craft Cocktails Located in Hotel Chimayo de Santa Fe 125 Washington Ave., Santa Fe 505.988.4900 | HotelChimayo.com

Sweet Creamy Corn Soup Executive Chef JEAN-PIERRE VINCENT of the Eldorado Hotel served this fresh and creamy soup with a Sauvage Rose from Gruet at a wine dinner.

Jean-Pierre Vincent speaks five languages and has worked at several Michelin-starred restaurants.

INGREDIENTS 1 stick (8 ounces) butter 8 fresh ears of yellow corn 2 cups heavy cream 4 cups chicken stock 1/2 cup white wine 1 cup celery, diced 4 shallots, diced 2 leeks (white part only), washed and diced 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary 2 tablespoons fresh thyme Kosher salt and white pepper to taste METHOD Clean corn, grill two ears until charred, and set aside to cool. Shave the kernels off the other six ears. In a stock pot, combine the kernels with thyme, rosemary, and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, then strain, returning stock to the pot. In a sauté pan, melt the butter and sweat the shallots, celery, garlic, and leeks, cooking until soft. Add these to the stock. Deglaze the sauté pan with white wine, scraping up any burned bits, and add to the stock. Add the cream and simmer for 10 minutes. Purée soup until smooth. Strain and season to taste. Garnish with grilled corn kernels.

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ELDORADO HOTEL & SPA: CONSISTENCY AND HIS OWN STAMP Jean-Pierre Vincent, executive chef at the Eldorado Hotel & Spa since late 2016, hasn’t yet worked with Mark Miller — that will happen soon as the hotel’s Agave Lounge undergoes a planned reconstruction and rebranding. What Vincent does know is that with any restaurant, consistency in execution and service are key. Born in Venezuela to a Cuban mother and French father, Vincent speaks five languages, has traveled extensively, and cooked at Michelin-starred restaurants and hotels, as well as the Ritz-Carlton Hotels in the United States. Most recently the executive chef at the Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles, he also served as Donald Trump’s personal chef. He came to New Mexico to be closer to family. Vincent revamped the Eldorado’s menus to better feature his French/Mediterranean style of cooking, while keeping the focus on locally sourced ingredients. He and his staff do as much of the prep work as possible in house. For example, they age their beef (all prime cuts) in the kitchen meat locker. For Vincent, consistency — making every dish with the same quality ingredients the same way — is what makes or breaks a restaurant, and what diners expect. He’s not the kind of chef who secrets his recipes away. In fact, he believes that being a teacher (he was chief instructor at Le Cordon Bleu in Miami) and sharing wisdom with his staff is what being a chef is all about. “My job is to find structure for the kitchen, to give people a sense of stability. ... And of course, getting to know the local flavors and put my own stamp on things, too. I’m enjoying the job, taking it as a challenge to make the place better.”

So close you can taste it... Just steps away from Hotel Albuquerque & Hotel Chaco in Old Town

OLD TOWN ALBUQUERQUE 2031 Mountain Road NW 505.766.5100 SeasonsABQ.com

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Thriving with the

Three Sisters A Native cuisine that saved a people and transformed a nation By Diane Welland Reprinted from Cowboys and Indians, September 2010, by permission from the author.

ONG BEFORE COWBOYS ROAMED THE WESTERN FRONTIER, American Indians lived off the land, hunting, gathering,

and cultivating indigenous plants and animals. The dishes they created were complex, refined, and nourishing enough to sustain whole tribes as well as early Anglo settlers who were unaccustomed to their foreign environs and relied on the agricultural outreach and trade from their new neighbors. Eventually these foods, altered by the influences of English, Spanish, French, and other immigrants, would become the backbone of todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Western cuisine. And now, thanks to rising interest in sustainable agriculture and traditional diets, regional Native American cookery is enjoying a well-deserved renaissance.

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In the Southwest, where red rock mesas and low-lying deserts meet rugged mountains, the Native American diet historically relied on three primary foods: corn, beans, and squash. These sacred foods, which can be found throughout the Americas, thrive even under the harshest conditions. Traditionally planted together in one mound, these gifts from the Great Spirit became known as the “Three Sisters.” “They’re called the Three Sisters because they support and help each other, and because they grow harmoniously together,” says Lois Ellen Frank, a New Mexico-based chef, photographer, anthropologist, and author of Foods of the Southwest Indian Nations (Ten Speed Press, 2002). “Each one makes the other stronger.” The tall cornstalk in the center acts as a pole for the tender climbing bean vines that surround it, while the large, broad squash leaves carpet the earth, forming shade to prevent weeds and keep the soil moist. But perhaps even more surprising than the plants’ symbiotic architecture is the way they environmentally sustain each other. “Corn draws nitrogen from the soil,” says Frank, “and beans put it back in. They’re perfectly balanced.” Nutritionally they are also interconnected, as beans are rich in protein and two essential nutrients that corn lacks. Corn, the chief source of carbohydrates, provides energy, while squash is high in vitamin A and is a valuable source of oil through its seeds. Of the three, corn was by far the most important culinary staple, representing the essence of life. Consequently, it became 56

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the object of numerous dances, songs, religious ceremonies, works of art, and cultural traditions. The five kinds—dent, flint, flour, sweet, and pop—come in an array of beautiful colors, from the familiar yellow and white to red, speckled, and a range of blues. Even with this emphasis on corn, Native American cuisine is amazingly diverse, as this vegetable can be prepared in myriad ways. While sweet corn is often steamed, roasted, or grilled whole, dried maize can be boiled for hominy stew, coarsely ground for grits, or finely mashed into a masa for tamales. Flour corn is generally dried, ground, and used in baked goods from tortillas to cornbread. Blue corn, a kind of flour corn that yields a slightly coarser meal than yellow or white corn, has a sweeter, nuttier flavor that is prized by the Hopi Indians. Piki bread, a crispy, paper-thin cornbread made from blue corn, is a quintessential Hopi dish traditionally made on a large, flat stone heated over burning fire. Hopi women dip one hand in a thin, blue cornmeal batter, then quickly swish their hand across the hot stone, leaving a thin layer of batter. Once cooked, the parchment-like sheet is peeled off, then folded and rolled into a tube about the size of an ear of corn. In addition to breads and dumplings, you can also find blue cornmeal in stews, stuffings, baked goods, the now-ubiquitous blue corn tortilla chips, and even beverages. Native peoples traditionally dry their corn so it lasts through the winter, then grind it for flour or soak it in wa-

ter and ash from burned juniper, suwvi, or chamisa plants. The ash acts like lime (calcium hydroxide), breaking down the corn and allowing the hull to be easily removed. Known as hominy in the Southeast and posole in the Southwest, these hulled corn kernels are then boiled for several hours and used in a variety of dishes. Game, another Native American staple, usually supplemented soups, stews, and bean dishes. Indians hunted deer, antelope, elk, and bison, as well as small game like quail and rabbit. Today these proteins have morphed into sheep, beef, and pork in daily diets, but contemporary Native American chefs are finding ways to reintroduce traditional meats in inventive ways while continuing to use chiles, tomatoes, and a variety of seeds and nuts in their dishes, especially the piñon, or pine, nut, and acorn. Yucca, hibiscus, and squash blossoms appear on menus in salads or on their own, stuffed and fried. But even with the introduction of modern ingredients and techniques, all American Indian cuisine shares the same intertwined roots. “Native American foods can be broken down into three distinct categories,” says Frank. “First are ‘pre-contact’ foods, which are the foods that existed and grew here naturally, like the cultivars of corn, beans, squash, chilies, and tomatoes, and all the wild food like cacti, wild greens, berries, fruit, and wild game. It was an extremely diverse cuisine. “The second big influence on the cuisine was what I call

‘first contact’ foods, which were the foods the Spanish brought to the Southwest that evolved into Native American cuisine. These foods were introduced to the Native Americans about 500 years ago and include pork, beef, sheep, and stone fruits. “Finally there are the government-issued foods, which are things like white flour, sugar, powdered milk, and lard.” Even these have been creatively incorporated into Native American cuisine with lasting results. Take, for example, the most iconic Native food—Indian fry bread. Served at roadside stands, powwows, and state fairs throughout the West, drizzled with local honey or served taco-style topped with a meat-and-bean chili, lettuce, tomato, and plenty of shredded cheese, fry bread tells the story of both culinary tragedy and triumph. Navajo fry bread originated in the 1860s, after the United States government forced more that 8,000 Navajos to make the 300-mile journey known as the “Long Walk” from their home in Arizona to Fort Summer in New Mexico. Far from home and planted fields, they were given little more than white flour and lard to eat. The Navajo women created fry bread as a means to survive on their poor-quality rations. Love it or hate it, fry bread is at its core about making something out of nothing. And now, going back to their roots, Native chefs are able, once again, to make something out of something—the sacred ingredients that existed long before us all. The result? Absolutely delicious. HHANDR.COM

Viva las Fiestas de Santa Fe! This article ran originally in the September 2012 issue of New Mexico Magazine and is reprinted with permission of the author.

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The longest continuously running celebration in the U.S. marks its 305th year By Andrew Leo Lovato

OR SOME FOLKS, Las Fiestas de Santa Fe is all about the ecstatic burning of Old Man Gloom (Zozobra). Others revel in the music and dancing on the Plaza, the colorful parades, and the great food—like the legendary Navajo taco. Of course, the Fiesta also reflects its religious origins, and for many it is an occasion for reverence. Fiesta clearly means different things to different people, and that’s because in many ways it is a hybrid event that mirrors Santa Fe’s epic history. Over 300 years old, the Fiestas’ history reveals key insights into the shaping of our capital city.

1712: THE ORIGIN Eight years after Don Diego de Vargas’s death in 1704, a group of Spanish colonists gathered to commemorate his memory. De Vargas played a momentous role in the establishment of Santa Fe as a Spanish citadel. In 1692 and 1693, following the Pueblo Revolt of 1680, which drove the Spanish out of Northern New Mexico, de Vargas led two entradas that re-established Spanish rule in Santa Fe. The colonists pledged to make it an annual event, and this date is cited as the historical beginning of the Santa Fe Fiesta.

JAY GOEBEL / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Colorful Fiesta celebrations honor New Mexico’s Spanish roots.

UNIVERSAL IMAGES GROUP NORTH AMERICA LLC / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

Dressing in costume and recreating the past is part of the Santa Fe Fiestas tradition.

1883: FIESTA GOES COMMERCIAL The 1883 celebration was titled The Tertio-Millennial Exposition, in honor of the 333rd anniversary of the founding of Santa Fe. The only catch? The year 1550 had no such significance. However, it was a great hook for promoting Santa Fe business and tourism. The Fiesta was being transformed from a mostly religious event into more of a civic celebration, exemplified by its merger with the Fourth of July. Previously it had been held in June. By 1883, the Santa Fe community was vastly different from what it had been in Fiesta’s early years. The Mexican Revolution, the opening of the Santa Fe Trail, and in 1846 the annexation of New Mexico by the United States, changed the cultural character of Santa Fe. The coming of the railroad in 1880 further accelerated the American influence. 1912: FIESTA GOES RED, WHITE, AND BLUE The year 1912 marked a grand Fiesta celebrating New Mexico statehood. Both the Mexican and American national anthems were played. This multiculturalism was exemplified by a gentleman named

George Washington Armijo, who played the role of Don Diego de Vargas during Fiesta. Armijo had been a Rough Rider with Teddy Roosevelt in the Spanish-American War. 1919: FIESTA REVIVED For six years after the exuberant 1912 celebration, only religious observances of Fiesta were held. One major factor was World War I; as an American city, Santa Fe was now preoccupied with other matters. In 1919, Fiesta was revived and reorganized by the Museum of New Mexico and the School of American Research, which mostly comprised Eastern-educated non-natives, and was moved from July 4 to Labor Day. Hispanic participation in the civic aspects of the event dropped sharply, as many Santa Feans felt that Fiesta was being redefined by outsiders, and losing its cultural and religious identity. CHARLES MANN / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

JAY GOEBEL / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO

De Vargas was a deeply religious man, and his reverence for a 28-inch Marion bulto (figurine)—now the oldest continuously venerated image of the Virgin Mary in the U.S. and called La Conquistadora—inspired his belief that the reconquest would be successful. Ever since, this relationship between De Vargas and La Conquistadora has underpinned the celebration of Fiesta. Observances through the 1700s and 1800s were not well documented, but were primarily religious in nature, the main points of focus being the Corpus Christi and La Conquistadora processions.

1926: THE BIRTH OF ZOZOBRA In 1924, artist Will Shuster built a puppet in his backyard that he burned for a few friends, in an attempt to re-create a ritual he had seen performed in Mexico. The next year, with the help of E. Dana Johnson, editor of the Santa Fe New Mexican newspaper, he increased the puppet’s size to 18 feet and named it Zozobra (“gloomy or anguished one”). To this day, the burning of Zozobra serves as a way for those in attendance to release a year’s worth of sorrows and trouble. In 1926, when the first public burning

The burning of Old Man Gloom, known as Zozobra, traditionally opens the Fiestas celebration.

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took place, a Fiesta tradition was born. For many, 100 National Guard reserves were called out to rethe burning came to signify the beginning of Fiesta. store order to the Plaza. The Fiesta Riots triggered an Shuster was one of a number of artists, writers, effort to make the Fiesta smaller, calmer, and more and photographers who had been drawn to San- local by no longer holding it on Labor Day weekend. ta Fe in search of a more meaningful lifestyle. They shared many native Santa Feans’ dissatisfaction with 1973: THE KIDNAPPING the reinvented Fiesta. In response, a program of free An incident that shook the foundations of Fiesta Fiesta activities, under the title El Pasatiempo, was occurred on March 19, 1973, when La Conquistalaunched to rival the organized Fiesta. These new dora was snatched. Evidently, the perpetrators had activities included a Hysterical Parade featuring exag- hidden in the choir loft of St. Francis Cathedral, gerated dress, community street singing and dancing, and had carried her out of the building undetecta children’s animal parade, and, of course, Zozobra. ed. Church, media, and public officials raised their The 1920s also saw revoices in outrage, and reward newed Fiesta religious activimoney was raised. On March SANTA FE FIESTA EVENTS: ties, as Hispanic participation 25, a day of mourning was BURNING OF ZOZOBRA increased. The 1920 Fiesta declared by the Mayor’s ofSeptember 1 was highlighted by the dedfice. Bells tolled in the city, 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. ication of the Cross of the and church leaders asked for OTHER EVENTS Martyrs, in memory of the 21 prayers for La ConquistadoSeptember 1-6, 2017 Franciscan friars who were ra’s safe return. Three weeks killed during the 1680 Pueblo later, a ransom note was reVisit santafefiesta.org for details. Revolt. In 1925, the concludceived demanding $150,000. ing Candlelight Procession On April 15, after a massive was added to Fiesta. By the late 1920s, the local search by state and local police, she was found in community’s involvement in Fiesta had been rein- an abandoned mine in the foothills of the Manzano vigorated, and many of the diverse Pasatiempo influ- Mountains, about three hours south of Santa Fe. ences became permanent parts of the annual event. Two local teenage boys were arrested for the failed extortion attempt. La Conquistadora’s return was 1964: FIESTA LOSES ITS FOCUS marked by a solemn procession; the Mayor called In the 1950s and ’60s, Santa Fe sought to capital- the homecoming “a most memorable day in the hisize on its popularity as a tourist destination. Art tory of Santa Fe.” galleries and souvenir shops sprang up around the Plaza and along Canyon Road. This profit-oriented 1993: MENDING BRIDGES attitude disturbed the Church when it crept into In 1992, a documentary film, Gathering Up Again: the Fiesta celebrations. In 1964 the Archdiocese The Santa Fe Fiesta, was released. Guided by a of Santa Fe withdrew its support of Fiesta because Pueblo Indian perspective, it examined the Fiesta of the perception that the event had become too with a critical eye, and generated debate among commercialized and had lost its connection to Ca- local leaders and in the community. The following tholicism. However, Church support was reinstated year, Archbishop Robert Sanchez gave La Conquisin 1966, after the Fiesta Council promised to place tadora an additional name, Señora de la Paz (Our more emphasis on religion. Lady of Peace), and a Mass of Reconciliation was added, in order to help heal the wounds resulting 1971: THE FIESTA RIOTS from the Pueblo Revolt and Reconquista. The definitive event that led to a shift away from Santa Fe is a diverse community that includes holding the Fiesta on Labor Day weekend occurred people of varied backgrounds and interests, and in 1971. Civil disobedience during the Fiesta led to Fiesta reflects this diversity. This year’s celebration widespread vandalism in the downtown area, and will pay witness to more than three centuries of histhere were confrontations with the police. About tory, and pave the way for many more.

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Each of our hotels and resorts in New Mexico celebrates the rich, multicultural heritage of the Southwest, drawing from its unique blend of Native American, Mexican, Spanish, and Western cultural and historical influences. Through architecture, interior design, original artwork, landscaping, entertainment, and cuisine, Heritage Hotels & Resorts provides guests with an authentic cultural experience in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Taos, and Las Cruces.

and modern elements. Hotel Chaco is the first New Mexico property designed by legendary global design firm Gensler, which drew inspiration from the Anasazi people and the ruins of Chaco Canyon.

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Heritage Hotels & Resorts, Inc. 201 Third St. NW, Suite 1140 Albuquerque, NM 87102 HHandR.com Email: contactus@hhandr.com

SUMMER/FALL 2017

Inn and Spa at Loretto

El Monte Sagrado

Eldorado Hotel & Spa

211 Old Santa Fe Trail Santa Fe, NM 505.988.5531• HotelLoretto.com

317 Kit Carson Rd. Taos, NM 575.758.3502 • ElMonteSagrado.com

309 W. San Francisco St. Santa Fe, NM 505.988.4455 • EldoradoHotel.com

This iconic Santa Fe property is just steps away

Offering the best accommodations in Taos,

One of the premier Santa Fe hotels, Eldorado

from the historic Santa Fe Plaza. Reflecting the art

this luxury resort features the eco-conscious

Hotel & Spa is conveniently located near the

and soul of Santa Fe, the architecture is modeled

award-winning Living Spa and exquisite indoor

historic Santa Fe Plaza. Guests experience

after Taos Pueblo and the property features an

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luxury amenities including an on-site restaurant

award-winning spa, outdoor pool and Santa Fe’s

facilities. El Monte Sagrado is located just steps

and bars, rooftop pool, world-class Nidah Spa,

only penthouse suite. The hotel has 12,000 square

from the Taos Plaza but surrounded by nature.

and more than 22,000 square feet of indoor and

feet of meeting and event space.

Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town 800 Rio Grande Blvd. NW Albuquerque, NM 505.843.6300 • HotelABQ.com Offering historic grandeur and comfort, Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town exemplifies Albuquerque style, with an on-site restaurant and bars, outdoor swimming pool, romantic wedding chapel, and more than 62,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting and event space.

outdoor event space.

Hotel St. Francis

Hotel Chimayó de Santa Fe

210 Don Gaspar Ave. Santa Fe, NM 505.983.5700 • HotelStFrancis.com

125 Washington Ave. Santa Fe, NM 505.988.4900 • HotelChimayo.com

This boutique historic hotel embodies the spirit

A boutique hotel in the heart of downtown, Hotel

of old Santa Fe and is named for the city’s patron

Chimayo is conveniently located a half block

saint. The décor features authentic wood furniture

from the historic Santa Fe Plaza and celebrates

hand-crafted by local artisans. It also features

the magical culture of Chimayó, a distinctive

Tabla de los Santos restaurant, Secreto Lounge

Northern New Mexico town on the High Road to

and Gruet tasting room. Hotel St. Francis is listed

Taos.The hotel features the Low ‘n Slow Lowrider

on the National Register of Historic Places and

Bar and Estevan Restaurant on site.

sits just one block from the Santa Fe Plaza. .

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Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces 705 S. Telshor Blvd. Las Cruces, NM 575.522.4300 • HotelEncanto.com A unique hotel that reflects New Mexico’s Spanish and Colonial traditions, Hotel Encanto has a beautiful resort pool lined with palm trees and 35,000 square feet of meeting and event

EXPERIENCE OUR LODGES

space. Featuring Garduños Mexican Restaurant & Cantina and Azul Ultralounge.

Palacio de Marquesa 405 Cordoba Rd. Taos, NM 575.758.4777 • MarquesaTaos.com The boutique hotel Palacio de Marquesa is conveniently located near the historic Taos Plaza.The design pays tribute to the remarkable women artists of Taos. This inn offers custom made-to-order daily breakfast.

SUMMER/FALL 2017

Nativo Lodge

Lodge at Santa Fe

6000 Pan American Fwy. NE Albuquerque, NM 505.798.4300 • NativoLodge.com

750 N. St. Francis Dr. Santa Fe, NM 505.992.5800 • LodgeAtSantaFe.com

Inspired by the vibrancy of Native American

On a hilltop overlooking downtown, the Lodge at

culture and traditions, Nativo Lodge features

Santa Fe is just five minutes from the Santa Fe

contemporary artist rooms that provide the

Plaza and minutes from Ski Santa Fe and the

uniquely memorable experience of living amid

Santa Fe Opera. Experience rooms furnished in

large-scale installation Native art.

custom Southwest décor, with an outdoor pool on site and beautiful mountain views.

THE ART AND SOUL OF SANTA FE A Her it age Hotels & R es or ts Prop er t y

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J OU R NEY F R FROM B ECO MING TH E PER SO N W H O L LS OT H ER TE LLS PEOPLE’ S STO R IES. Write your own in a place so far off the beaten path, it spans as many centuries as it does miles. At Hotel Chaco, you’ll cross paths with the soul of an ancient civilization while unwinding in modern luxury and discover so much more than a mere change of scenery. You'll meet the part of yourself you’ve been searching for.

A Her i tage Hote ls & Re s orts prope rty

20 0 0 Bellamah Ave NW p h on e 5 05 246 9989

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