Rail Runner Express Summer 2017

RAIL RUNNER EXPRESS

www.riometro.org | www.travelnewmex.com | SUMMER 2017

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where do you belong?

The Cultural Atlas of New Mexico leads you to historic and cultural places throughout the Land of Enchantment.

Organized by region, proximity, and interest, the Cultural Atlas will help you find where you belong.

http://atlas.nmculture.org 2

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INDEX

6: Summer Fun Belen Style!

7: SANTA FE: Celebrate the Summer of Love & Michelangelo 8: Eat, Bike and Walk Your Way through Santa Fe! 10: Socorro Rodeo and Sports Complex 12: Artesia: Intimate & Accessible Fun 14: Historic Motor Car Finds a Home in Belen 16: CHAMA: New Mexico’s Mecca for Year-Round Fun 18: Taos Pueblo’s Living Community Has Much to be Admired 19: Taos Pueblo: Art and the Stories Behind It 20: NM Company Acquires Colorado Senior Living Community 23: Q&A 24: Rail & Bus Connections 26: Weekday Schedule

27: Weekend Schedule 28: Holiday Schedule 29: Schedule of Events 32: No Basement, No Problem for Model Railroad Club 33: Paint. Drink Wine. Have Fun! 34: Monuments to Main Street Wilderness Hikes Outside Las Cruces 36: New Mexico State Parks 38: Meet Marie Morra, Rio Metro’s Community Outreach Virtuoso 39: W!ld Moon Couture 22 Year Anniversary!

40: Old Town Albuquerque 42: The Candy Lady, an ABQ Original, Has Moved!

43: Summer Patio Dining at its Finest 46: Route 66 Casino • Hotel

s age 62+ ride FREE through September 2017. Seniors age 62+ ride FREE through September 2017. Seniors age 62+ ride FREE through September 2017. Seniors age 62+ ride FREE through September 2017. Seniors age 62+ ride FREE through September 2017. Seniors age 62+ ride FREE through September 2017. Seniors age 62+ ride FREE through September 2017. Seniors age 62+ ride FREE through September 2017. Seniors age 62+ ride FREE through September 2017. Seniors age 62+ ride FREE through September 2017. Seniors age 62+ ride FREE through September 2017. Seniors age 62+ ride FREE through September 2017. Seniors age 62+ ride FREE through September 2017. Seniors age 62+ ride FREE through September 2017. Seniors age 62+ ride FREE through September 2017. Seniors age 62+ ride FREE

Search for the hidden NMRX logo (15 total) and train facts below: - Seniors age 62+ ride FREE through September 2017.

- There are more than 60 bus connections from Belen to Santa Fe. - Children 9 and under ride the train for FREE. - Catch FREE Shuttles to and from the Albuquerque International Sunport.

- Veterans with a VA medical card receive a Freedom Pass, and ride FREE for life.

PUBLISHERS

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES

GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

WRITERS

MATT GANTNER WILLIAM HALSEY

SCOTT SIMMONS ERIN DE GROOT

ASHLEY CONNER DANA BENJAMIN

MARTIN FRENTZEL MARY ANN HATCHITT

RAIL RUNNER EXPRESS

9400 Holly Avenue NE Albuquerque, NM 87122 (505) 259-7969

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The New Mexico Rail Runner Express Magazine is published three times a year by Moon Dog Publishing and the Rio Metro Regional Transit District. The Publisher and Rio Metro Regional Transit District do not take responsibility for the accuracy or legitimacy of the advertiser’s message or that of the guest writer/columnists (including photos) or any aspect of the business operation or conduct of the advertisers in the magazine. Moon Dog Publishing reserves the right to edit all articles for accuracy and style. For more information and advertising rates, call (505) 350-8695 or (505) 259-7969.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.RIOMETRO.ORG | WWW.TRAVELNEWMEX.COM

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THROUGH OCTOBER 2017 MUSEUM OF INDIAN ARTS AND CULTURE

JULY 7, 2017– JANUARY 21, 2018 IAIA MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY NATIVE ARTS

Into the Future: Culture Power in Native American Art

Connective Tissue: New Approaches to Fiber in Contemporary Native Art

APRIL 7, 2017– OCTOBER 1, 2017 NEW MEXICO HISTORY MUSEUM

Sleeping During the Day: Vietnam 1968 Photographs by Herbert Lotz

ONGOING

ATRIUM GALLERY, BATAAN BUILDING

Michael Naranjo: Touching Beauty AUGUST 8 & 13, 2017

MAY 14, 2017– FEBRUARY 11, 2018 NEW MEXICO HISTORY MUSEUM

Voices of Counterculture in the Southwest

SANTA FE DESERT CHORALE

Liberté and Justice: Music of Resistance and Revolution

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Summer Fun Belen Style!

The land grant on which Belen was established – Nuestra Señora de Belén – was granted in 1740, although a village in the vicinity was reportedly destroyed during the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.

A community that old certainly has some stories to tell, perhaps some skeletons in closets, and more than likely a few ghosts. See for yourself this summer when the Lunatic Devine Ghost Hunting team makes a paranormal visit to Belen’s Old City Hall and broadcasts the experience live on Facebook and on a screen in Belen’s Anna Becker Park.

City of Belen, Becker Avenue.

Photo by Rebecca Medrano.

Belen City Hall. Photo by Rebecca Medrano.

Photo by Tom Greer.

“A couple years ago they looked for ghosts in the Harvey House Museum,” says Steven Tomita, economic development director for the Hub City. “They were able to detect some paranormal activity there.”

TICKETS, TICKETS! The ghost hunting adventure is both a fundraiser for the WPA-era City Hall building, and a way for Belen to attract tourists. Shonda Murillo, ghost hunter with the non-profit Lunatic Devine team, says they will raffle off four opportunities to join the hunt.

Tomita is pretty sure they will encounter something, because a preliminary trip by members of Belen’s fire department and risk management personnel had them ready to leave the building’s old jail cells about the same time they got there.

Tickets are available from lunaticdevineghosthunting@ weekly.com. Or call Murillo at (505) 357-5215.

If ghost hunting isn’t the kind of night

Hub City Brewing at the Rail Runner Station. Photo by Tom Greer. www.riometro.org | www.travelnewmex.com | SUMMER 2017

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life you were hoping to find, you should consider stopping by the Hub City Brewing Company at the New Mexico Rail Runner Express Belen Station.

Proprietor Tom Greer has scheduled a range of bands to play every Saturday night, June through August 26. The music varies from jazz, blues, rock, reggae, hip hop, Latin, and pop to country.

There is a $10 cover charge and a $5 discount for those holding Rail Runner Belen Nativity, Belen is the Spanish word for train tickets. Check out www.facebook. Bethlehem. Photo by Rebecca Medrano. com/HubCityBrewingCompany to learn which night your preferred music will be on tap.

MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE This summer, Belen isn’t waiting until the 4th of July to celebrate our nation. The town’s fireworks and other family activities will be at dusk July 1 at Eagle Park, 305 Eagle Dr. on The Valencia County Fair will be August 21-27. The county fair parade is scheduled for 10 a.m., August 26.

This year’s theme is “Disney in the Desert – Making Dreams Come True in Valencia County.” You are encouraged to dress as your favorite Disney character.

The Rio Abajo Becker Street Festival starts at 10 a.m., September 30 on Becker Street. Classic Cars, a beer and wine garden, climbing wall, and other activities are scheduled.

For more details about these and other events, call the Belen MainStreet Partnership, (505) 864-8091. The MainStreet Partnership celebrates the cultural and historic soul of Belen.

Annual Matanza at Eagle Park. Photo by Rebecca Medrano.

SANTA FE: Celebrate the Summer of Love & Michelangelo

RAIL RUNNER EXPRESS

Whether the moon and stars pique your interest, the history of drawing, the role New Mexico played in the upheaval and social reforms catalyzed by transformational 1960’s counterculture, or how the tradition of the piñata evolved, there is something for every member of the family. Make this summer a fascinating journey of discovery by delving into these topics and more at one of New Mexico’s eight state museums and historic sites. See what’s being offered at NewMexicoCulture.org.

A very big reason to make The City Different a destination for a summer getaway - Santa Fe cultural institutions are banding together for two world-class collaborations. The Museum of Art hosts the U.S. debut of the British Museum’s prestigious Lines of Thought: Drawings from Michelangelo to Now as the anchor exhibition of the Art of the Draw. This collaboration celebrates drawing as the fundamental starting point for creation in both the arts and sciences for representational painting, sculpting, engineering, design and architecture.

The featured exhibitions collectively explore drawing as the root of art, the first form of written expression that informs the creative process.

Further, Summer Solstice, 1969. Photo by Roberta Price.

Art of the Draw collaborators include the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum's presentation of the artist’s drawings in conjunction with her paintings; the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts’ exhibition Action Abstraction Redefined; and the Santa Fe Desert Chorale's

The Virgin and Christ Child with a Cat. Lines of Thought: Drawing from Michelangelo to Now: from the British Museum. Courtesy of New Mexico Museum of Art

2017 Summer Festival Season, Liberté: Music of Resistance and Revolution on the theme of resistance and revolution.

The theme of revolution and resistance is at the core of another multi-venue, multi-event Santa Fe collaboration for the 50th anniversary of the fabled Summer of Love. Be Here Now: Summer of Love Santa Fe, A Series of Happenings. A flashback to the 1960’s unrest, social upheaval, consciousness-raising, which marked the emergence of American counterculture. The New Mexico History Museum hosts Voices of Counterculture in the Southwest, spanning two decades of New Mexico’s role in the era’s protests, communes, experimentation, and creation of environmental and Native activist groups. And Sleeping During the Day: Vietnam 1968: a photographic exhibition telling the story of a young gay man serving in Vietnam in 1968.

Kitchen at New Buffalo, photo by Seth Roffman.

Learn more about the fellow collaborators, events and exhibitions associated with the collaboration at: • Art of the Draw MNM Media Center Art of the Draw • Be Here Now: Summer of Love Santa Fe www.riometro.org | www.travelnewmex.com | SUMMER 2017

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Eat, Bike and Walk Your Way through Santa Fe!

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Santa Fe has been part of some of the greatest trails to ever cross the planet. The Camino Real de Tierra Adentro connected Spain and Mexico to Santa Fe and the San Juan Pueblo in the 1500s. The Santa Fe Trail connected New Mexico to Missouri and traders from the United States in the 1800s.

Trails continue to be an important aspect of living and visiting Santa Fe, and the New Mexico Rail Runner Express is now part of these historic connections. Whether you want to get your exercise on the Santa Fe Rail Trail, stroll through Santa Fe’s historic plaza, or eat your way across Santa Fe’s 10 major food districts, the Rail Runner’s Santa Fe Depot Station is the place to start.

The Depot is staffed by the City of Santa Fe’s Tourism Office (800-777-2489). Within that building, one also finds the EcoMotive Electric Bike Shop. Whether you want a train schedule, a map of the city’s trail system, or just a friendly face to talk to, this is where you should start your tour of the City Different. Be forewarned, however, you can’t do this place in one day, and there are 40 restaurants just in the Railyard/Guadalupe food district alone.

MAPS AND MORE

The Depot’s racks of publications cover practically every town in New Mexico that’s big enough to hire a publicist. There are vacation guides, the New Mexican’s award-winning “Pasatiempo,” and every Santa Fe visitor should pick up a copy of the Santa Fe Reporter’s “Santa Fe Manual.” The manual has 25 pages devoted to dining.

If you can’t find the map or magazine you want, employees like Frank Garnica are willing to help you benefit from their intimate knowledge of the city.

Garnica has lived in Santa Fe for 40 years, and in addition to knowing the streets and how to get around, he can provide a rundown of the restaurants in the Railyard and Downtown food districts and their specials. If price is an issue, he recommends “a funky little place” in State Government’s Bataan Building called Fox’s Downtown. The Del Charro Saloon (101 W. Alameda) also gets high marks for affordable prices, good food and a real Santa Fe atmosphere. Of course, Second Street Brewery in the Railyard District is another favorite for anyone seeking New Mexico’s craft beers.

Pam Sawyer, owner of the EcoMotive (505-795-3782), has lived in Santa Fe for 42 years. Her pick of a Santa Fe Restaurant is the Pink Adobe, but she is biased by the fact she managed the place for 20 years and it’s still owned by a friend. The Pink Adobe (406 Old Santa Fe Trail) is in the Downtown Food District.

If you want to stick closer to the Depot, Pranzo Italian Grill, is just a few blocks away at 540 Montezuma Ave. Pranzo features Italian comfort food, and its awards from “Wine Spectator” are prominently displayed. Owner/Chef Steve Lemon says the restaurant has been in Santa Fe for 29 years and he’s happy people are discovering the Rail Runner can be used for more than commuting to work.

RIDE ON

After eating your way through a food district or two, you will probably need to spend some time on the Rail Trail or another trail through the city. The Rail Trail – which begins at the Santa Fe Depot but is also accessible off Rabbit Rd. on the south end of St. Francis Dr. – is a well-defined, easy to locate route popular with lots of www.riometro.org | www.travelnewmex.com | SUMMER 2017

walkers, bicyclists, and even horseback riders on the more remote stretches, who want to enjoy a few minutes of sunshine and fresh air. The trail goes as far as Eldorado, but riders will be bushwhacking if they try to reach Lamy.

“There are 60 miles of Pam Sawyer at the EcoElectric bike shop with trails across Santa Fe,” says rescue dog Fiddy Cent, named by Val Kilmer.

Dan Jeffrey, a veteran who works at the EcoMotive Bike Shop. Jeffery is predominately a mechanic who helps rent and sell the lightly motorized bikes that assist riders. He also issues the Rail Runner’s Freedom Pass at the shop. “I try to watch out for veterans,” Santa Fe Rail Trail he says, “because I am one.” The passes are free to those with a VA medical card, and with connecting bus routes, veterans can travel anywhere from Taos to Socorro.

Veteran or not, Jeffrey will help you find the “Santa Fe Bikeways and Trails Map.” Even if you have no intention of riding the trails and prefer shoe-leather express to the Plaza or the New Mexico History Museum, this map is an excellent resource. It lists nine bike shops in Santa Fe, plus websites for more trail information, cycling advocacy groups, and public safety agencies like the Santa Fe Police Department and the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Department.

The trails map has excellent graphics illustrating roads, train and bus stops and transit centers. Even the Pecos Wilderness and the off-limits Santa Fe Watershed are included. Get this map if you are planning a Santa Fe visit.

Of course, there are other maps you may find handy as well. The “Historic Santa Fe Visitors Map,” published by Tourism Santa Fe, is a full-color guide to the city, including major museums and art galleries. Can’t find the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum? You will find this most popular venue on Johnson St. between Guadalupe and Grant (www.okeeffemuseum.org).

Want to visit Museum Hill? There is a detailed map of the botanical garden and four museums right off Old Santa Fe Trail. Want to see the oldest church in the U.S.A.? It’s on East De Vargas St. and Old Santa Fe Trail. The oldest house is just a few steps farther east on East De Vargas.

Consider picking up a copy of Santa Fe Selection’s Mini-Guide Maps, too. It has suggestions for shopping, spas, festivals, dining, and more. Visit SantaFeSelection.com if you are interested.

Santa Fe Trails offers free downtown shuttle service that connects Rail Runner passengers to all of these museums, the Plaza, and more directly from the Depot. Visit www.takethetrails.com to find the schedule for the Santa Fe Pick-Up Shuttle when you have exhausted your legs biking or walking through historic, dynamic Santa Fe.

Socorro Events

RAIL RUNNER EXPRESS

Bosque del Apache

1ST SATURDAY EVENTS The first Saturday of each month our historic Hammel Museum is open to the public from 9 am - noon.

Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array conducts guided tours from 11 am – 5 pm.

New Mexico Tech hosts 1st Saturday Star Party at Etscorn Observatory at 8 pm.

25TH ANNUAL 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATIONJuly 4th at the Macey Center Free outdoor festival featuring family entertainment, a lineup of some of New Mexico’s favorite bands, water slide and jump balloons, BBQ and food for sale, and NM Tech’s Famous Fireworks Display at Dark.

In person it is even more stunning.

SOCORRO COUNTY FAIR AND PRO RODEOSeptember 1st & 2nd, Socorro Rodeo & Sports Complex. A Labor Day weekend tradition, this event contains professional rodeos, exhibits, music, games, judged art, quilting, canning and more! Visit the Socorro County Fair‘s website for more information.

COWBOY MOUNTED SHOOTING ASSOC.NEVER FORGET 9-11!

September 9th &10th All Day. City of Socorro Rodeo & Sports Complex NM HIGH SCHOOL RODEO- September 16th & 17th, Socorro Rodeo & Sports Complex WORLD SERIES OF TEAM ROPING- September 29- October 1. This exciting event will be held at the Socorro Rodeo & Sports Complex. Come join us for all the fun and competition. Great for all ages.

SOCORROFEST- October 6th & 7th. Let your heart sing and your toes tap to great NM music at Socorro’s Old Town Plaza Stage, and Historic Capitol Bar Stage. Get giddy at the spirits tent featuring NM breweries and wineries.

Savor delicious food and pamper yourself with beautiful and unique arts & crafts. Bring the kids, we have a fun play area to keep them entertained.

NMRA FINALS- October 14th & 15th.

Join us for all the exciting competition at the Socorro Rodeo & Sorts Complex

www.Socorronm.gov Photography by M. Colleen Gino

ENCHANTED SKIES STAR PARTYOctober 17th-21st. The ESSP offers a unique astronomy experience in the Southwestern US. In the Cibola Nat’l Forest, just outside the tiny town of Magdalena, NM. The full 5 day/night program is designed for the serious amateur astronomer, and will again include the popular VIP tours of the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array and the Magdalena Ridge Observatory and Interferometer.

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Socorro Rodeo and Sports Complex

Saddle up and head south, partner. A new rodeo arena and sports complex just opened in the little city that offers something to love for everyone - Socorro. The complex is part of a larger, long-term vision that Socorro city leaders hope will attract athletes, rodeo cowboys and patrons, concert-goers, and others to the area.

The new $2.5 million City of Socorro Rodeo and Sports Complex opened on February 18 for an inaugural two-day event, the “Clint Benjamin Rope for Hope.” The rodeo facility/ sports complex features a covered rodeo arena, an outdoor practice arena, 100 horse stalls (50 covered, 50 uncovered), a two-mile walking/running trail, a concession stand, a 50-space RV park, four regulation-sized soccer fields, and a 5k crosscountry track.

Funding for the complex came from a loan from the Lodgers’ Tax, and the other half came from the State Legislature. A future civic center near the Rodeo and Sports Complex is also in the works. City leaders also plan to establish a “Central New Mexico State Fair” in Socorro that could potentially be held at

the complex. Many events are planned for the new facility, including polo tournaments, dog shows and concerts.

Food and beverages are available on site. The Rodeo and Sports Complex restaurant is Fat Man & Little Boy Grill, which offers burgers, a pulled pork sandwich, nachos, hot wings, Frito pie, chili cheese fries, breakfast burritos, and cinnamon rolls. Those thirsty for a libation can get that need quenched at the Capitol Bar, which features domestic and craft beers, and a variety of mixed drinks. Come join us for all the fun and competition at the following exciting events, great for all ages: • July 4th: 25th Annual 4th of July Celebration at the Macey Center

Photo by Dave Jennings, • September 9th &10th: Jennings Rodeo Photography.

Cowboy Mounted Shooting Association-Never Forget 9-11! City of Socorro Rodeo & Sports Complex, All Day.

• September 16th & 17th: NM High School Rodeo Socorro Rodeo & Sports Complex

• October 14th & 15th: NMRA Finals-Join us for all the exciting competition at the Socorro Rodeo & Sorts Complex Look for the arena on Facebook, or visit www.SocorroNM.org or www.SocorroNM.gov, 575-835-0240, 1 Rodeo Road, Socorro, NM 87801. Exit 147, left on NM 1 S, then right on Rodeo Road.

Photo by Delilah Walsh.

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www.facebook.com/SocorroRodeoSportsComplex www.socorronm.org

RAIL RUNNER EXPRESS

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ARTESIA: Intimate & Accessible Fun If you’ve got a taste for adventure, some good old fashioned competition, or a weekend getaway, here are some of the reasons you should make Artesia a destination this year. Whether shooting clay targets, cooking competitions, or art strolls interest you, find them all in New Mexico’s ‘best kept secret’ city, Artesia.

Expect the strong smell of barbeque in Artesia June 23-25 for the Smokin’ On the Pecos NM State BBQ Championship, a “Backto-Back” “Double Header”, sanctioned by the Kansas City BBQ Society. Teams from across the nation compete. There are fun activities for all ages, including live music all day Saturday & Sunday, a Beer Garden, premier concerts both Friday and Saturday night, plus the Cowboy Mounted Shooting competition.

The BBQ Competition is held on the Eddy County Fairgrounds.

The gates open at 5pm on Friday for those holding concert tickets to see New Mexico’s own Tobias Rene, followed by The Texas Tornadoes. Saturday gates are open from 10am-11pm, and from noon-4pm on Sunday. Admission is free all day Saturday and Sunday.

Artesia hosts the Red Dirt Black Gold Festival on August 26, a day-long festival celebrating the oil and gas industry. Admission is free and includes live music featuring New Mexico’s own Bri Bagwell and headliner, Whiskey Myers, the NewMexiCan Beer

Garden, and activities for all ages. There’s an Oilfield Cook-Off and Oilfield Olympics, which both require a team entry fee. The Red Dirt Black Gold Festival is held in Downtown Artesia at Heritage Plaza at the intersection of Texas and Roselawn.

Artesia is home to the Eddy County Shooting Range where patrons can take a shot at ‘sporting clays’. The Clays Crusher Sporting Clays Fun Shoot is set for September 15 and 16. Friday night is family game night, and there are two rotations available on Saturday at 9am and 1pm. The registration fee includes gifts, targets and lunch.

During the first weekend in November each year, enjoy the crisp fall air at Artesia’s Balloons and Tunes event, when hot air balloons launch on Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting.

Unlike larger ballooning events, Artesia’s Balloons and Tunes is more intimate with easy access. A perfect weekend getaway, enthusiasts can individually sponsor a balloon and get a chance to help inflate the hot air balloon.

dical card receive a Freedom Pass, and ride FREE for life. Veterans with a VA medical card receive a Freedom Pass, and ride FREE for life. Veterans with a VA medical card receive a Freedom Pass, and ride FREE for life. Veterans with a VA medical card receive a Freedom Pass, and ride FREE for life. Veterans with a VA medical card receive a Freedom Pass, and ride FREE for life. Veterans with a VA medical card receive a Freedom Pass, and ride FREE for life. Veterans with a VA medical card receive a Freedom Pass, and ride FREE for life. Veterans with a VA medical card receive a Freedom Pass, and ride FREE for life. Veterans with a VA medical card receive a Freedom Pass, and ride FREE for life. Veterans with a VA medical card receive a Freedom Pass, and ride FREE for life. Veterans with a VA medical card

• Ideally Located on Highway 285 Just One Block from Main Street within Walking Distance of Artesia’s Finest Restaurants and Shops • Free WIFI Throughout • Free Breakfast with Custom-Made Hot Breakfast Sandwiches • Complimentary Use of Nearby Artesia Health and Racquet Club with Free Weights and Exercise Pool • Flat Screen TVs with DVD Player in Every Room • Microwave and Refrigerator in Every Room • Work Desk with Built-In Power Strip and Ergonomic Desk Chair in Every Room • Home of the Tower Lounge with Full Cocktail Service • We are a Completely Non-Smoking Hotel

888-746-2066

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203 North 2nd Street • Artesia, New Mexico • www.hotelartesia.com

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Balloons & Tunes Festival

Where inflation sends spirits soaring sky high.

artesiachamber.com

Annual Artesia Events Main Event Car Show & Cruise

Eddy County Fair & Rodeo

Balloons & Tunes

Smokin’ on the Pecos BBQ Championship

Red Dirt Black Gold Festival

Clays Crusher Fun Shoot

Fourth of July Celebration

Art in the Park

Last Weekend in March Last Weekend in June July 4th

Last Week in July

Last Weekend in August

Third Weekend inwww.riometro.org October |

First Weekend in November September 15-16

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Historic Motor Car Finds a Home in Belen This is a tale of two trains and one man devoted to preserving them.

One train is Motor Car 190, that now resides in Belen. The other is steam locomotive No. 457, permanently parked in Mason City, Iowa. The link between them is Gene Green, an Army retiree and resident of Rio Communities.

Let’s start in Belen.

You can see Motor Car 190, or M.190 as it is commonly referred to, in person at Belen’s Doodlebug Park. Or, pick up a copy of “New Mexico’s Railroads” by David F. Myrick, and you will see M.190 on pages 42 and 43 when it was in service in Carlsbad, NM, and in Pecos, Texas.

Fascinating as the photographs from Myrick’s book are, it is still really hard get a sense for how big M.190 is, or how far it traveled.

This is a motor car – not a locomotive in the traditional sense of the word – that in its day was the most powerful rail car ever built, sporting a 900-horsepower engine. It weighed 122.5 tons, but could travel at 80 miles an hour.

The “Doodle Bug,” aka M.190, has traveled from San Diego to Kansas City, but now rests in Doodle Bug Park in Belen. Photograph by Martin Frentzel.

The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad tested M.190 on numerous stretches of track, including the rails between Los Angeles and San Diego. It made runs from Kansas City to Emporia, Kansas, and between Amarillo and Lubbock, Texas. In 1956, it was running from Clovis to Carlsbad and it stayed on track until retirement on August 28, 1967.

PASSENGERS AND MORE Motor cars were constructed with versatility in mind. They could haul passengers, mail and small freight loads. The M.190 was designed to pull up to five standard cars, but the design was never repeated. These kinds of self-propelled vehicles were given the common name of “doodle bug,” Green says, although where he grew up in Iowa they were called “puddlejumpers.”

U.S. Army retiree and train aficionado Gene Green is hoping to find volunteers to repair the historic Doodle Bug in Belen. Photo by Martin Frentzel. www.riometro.org | www.travelnewmex.com | SUMMER 2017 14

M.190 had a nice, warm retirement in Albuquerque from 1967 until 1986. That’s when the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe railroads

(continued on Page 20)

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CHAMA: New Mexico’s Mecca for Year-Round Fun One of the best-kept secrets in New Mexico is the enchanting Village of Chama. With an elevation of 7,860 feet, Chama is nestled high in the Southern Rockies, just 120 miles north of Santa Fe. The historic Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad steam trains leave the Chama depot daily from Memorial Day weekend to midOctober. Riding the railroad is a day trip of exhilarating mountain views, deep gorges, beautiful spring wild flowers, and later in the season, amazing fall colors.

Fishing local trout streams and lakes is a leisurely pleasure, but for a real experience, try fly fishing the Rio Chama, which runs the east side of the village. Hikers and mountain bikers find many trails, including the Continental Divide Trail nearby. The Sargent’s Wildlife Area surrounds Chama with meadows and trails for hiking and horseback riding. Hunting adventures with reliable guides are close to town.

Chama has a lively western-style business district with lodging, RV Parks and cozy dining establishments. Located at the junction of Highway 17 and U.S. 84 (take State Hwy 285 north from Santa Fe to Española, then take the “Chama Highway”/84 north.), the Village of Chama is the perfect destination for anyone seeking scenic outdoor recreation.

Crowds gather in Chama for the famous Fourth of July fireworks display. The Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad offers a fireworks train in the evening. Chama Days, the second weekend of August, is always fun with a softball tournament, NMPRC Rodeo, dances and a parade. Enjoy the Valley Studio Tour every Labor Day weekend and visit our local artists.

Cool times in cool pines are the epitome of summer fun in Chama’s cabins and vacation ranches. And it’s an absolute mecca for winter sports, too!

For your safety and comfort, take a light jacket or sweater for those cool evening walks, and check with the local ranger district before heading out to hike. Never travel alone and make sure you are adequately prepared. At these altitudes, the weather can sneak up on you.

Chamarr.com 16

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Summer on the Chama River. Photo courtesy of www.exposureandfstop.com.

Rio Grande

This is city life.

seemoreofnm.com

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Taos Pueblo’s

Living Community Has Much to be Admired Taos Pueblo welcomes visitors from all over the world. It’s considered the oldest continuously inhabited community in the United States by archaeologists who say ancestors of the Taos Indians lived in the valley long before Columbus discovered America and even hundreds of years before Europe emerged from the Dark Ages.

And the people of Taos Pueblo are happy to share their storied history with tourists. It’s something the Pueblo has been sharing openly since the 1920s.

“Take a tour of the pueblo, if possible,” says Illona Spruce, tourism director for Taos Pueblo. “Some of our guides are college students who were born and raised here and come back to share their perspective of the pueblo. There’s something very special about this because they are truly proud of “An Afternoon in Taos Pueblo.” Photography by where they came from and who we John Rodman. are as a people.”

Parts of this Northern New Mexico pueblo remain much like they were when the first Spanish explorers arrived in New Mexico in 1540. Those explorers were looking for the fabled Cities of Gold and believed Taos was one of them.

Architecture is a big draw of the Pueblo. The structures are made entirely of adobe — earth mixed with water and straw, made into sun-dried bricks.

Roofs of each of the five stories are supported by large timbers (vigas) hauled down from the mountain forests. Smaller pieces of wood, pine or aspen latillas, are placed on top of the vigas. The roof is then covered with packed dirt.

“Adobe Gold” photo courtesy of Taos Pueblo.

The outside surfaces of the pueblo are continuously maintained by plastering with thick layers of mud. Interior walls are carefully coated with thin washes of white earth to keep them clean and bright. The pueblo is actually many individual homes, built side-by-side and in layers, with common walls but no connecting doorways. In earlier days there were no doors or windows, and entry was gained only from the top.

Today, about 150 people live at the pueblo full time, and another 1,500 or so other families own more modern homes to the north or south of the oldest two structures.

“When people visit for the first time, I like to remind them to be mindful that our pueblo is a living community,” Spruce says. “Even though we openly welcome our visitors, we also need to let them know that these are people’s homes and some of the most beautiful and architecturally unique spaces.”

Taos Pueblo is a World Heritage Site as well. The pueblo is open to visitors daily from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except during tribal ritual days that require closing the Pueblo. Late winter to early spring, the pueblo closes for about 10 weeks. Visit www.taospueblo.com for more information and to view events “The Jewel of Taos Pueblo.” Photo courtesy of open to the public.

Cameron Martinez Jr.

Taos Pueblo Tourism, 120 Veterans Hwy. Taos, NM 87571 18

(575) 758-1028

www.riometro.org | www.travelnewmex.com | SUMMER 2017

www.TaosPueblo.com

Taos Pueblo: Art and the Stories Behind It The artists of Taos Pueblo have more to share than their finely crafted jewelry, pottery, drums and other Native American art. Some have traveled the world; others are using their art to express their views about things happening in our world. They all have great stories to tell.

Sonny Spruce, a silversmith who has been making jewelry and crafts for more than 40 years, displays foreign currency on the wall behind the counter of his “Indian Shop.”

“I have money from North Korea, South Korea, Germany, all over,” he says. His additional talents as a drum maker and powwow dancer have taken him to Europe 11 times. He likes to share the fact that he’s been to the Vatican two times, where he took the opportunity to pray for his people and the pueblo.

Patrick A. Trujillo is a mixed-media artist who, like Spruce, has seen the world, including Panama, Thailand and Indonesia.

It was his military service that took him there.

“I was in the Navy and the Army for 12 years total,” Trujillo says. About a year or so ago he started drawing and painting.

“I saw a buffalo dancer and I said, ‘I have got to paint that,’” he says. His paintings include bighorn sheep, birds, all kinds of wildlife and, especially, buffalo.

Taos Pueblo started its buffalo herd in the late 1920s, and plans to continuing building its herd for years to comes. Photo by Martin Frentzel.

Christopher Lujan – also known as “Deer Snow Trail” – learned to make jewelry from his father. All of the products in his shop, including the drums, jewelry and pottery, are made using traditional products and in traditional ways. “I am an advocate for keeping our traditions alive,” he says.

Those traditions, he notes, have kept the pueblo inhabited for more than 1,000 years and have sustained Taos Pueblo during the long battle to regain ownership of the sacred Blue Lake at the head of the Red Willow Creek. That Taos tradition of protecting watersheds was among the reasons that Lujan went to Standing Rock, a Sioux reservation in the Dakotas, to fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline, which could pollute the tribe’s water supply if it breaks or leaks.

Another Taos Pueblo artist, C.J. Bernal, is protesting mistreatment of Mother Earth in his own way. A dancer and choreographer, Bernal helped form Ballet Taos, a company that produced “Mechanical Nature Movement 7,” which was presented in May at the Taos Center for the Arts.

Sonny Spruce is a Taos Pueblo silversmith who has traveled the world as an artist and dancer. Photo by Martin Frentzel.

“The performance showed what we are doing to Mother Earth, and it’s not OK,” Bernal says. Like Lujan, he spent a month at Standing Rock, and he opposes digging more pipelines and fracking. His art helps him spread that message. “It’s my form of protest,” he says.

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NM Company Acquires Colorado Senior Living Community Ralston Creek Senior Living for-profit community in Arvada, Colorado is the newest affiliation of the Haverland Carter LifeStyle Group (HCLG). HCLG is an integrated retirement lifestyle provider which currently operates two Life Plan Communities located in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho, and an Assisted Living and Memory Care community in Oklahoma.

Life Plan communities are designed to offer more than one level of care on a single campus, ranging from seniors who are looking for an active lifestyle while providing a plan for long term care.

HCLG is a mission driven, faith-based New Mexico not-forprofit 501(c)(3).

The Arvada facility will be known as the Ralston Creek Neighborhood featuring both assisted living and memory care. Ralston Creek becomes an affiliate of the other HCLG facilities – La Vida Llena in Albuquerque’s northeast heights, the Neighborhood in Rio Rancho, and Sommerset Neighborhood in Oklahoma City. The Neighborhood also offers supportive care providing residents assisted living, memory support,

rehabilitation and nursing care. Sommerset Neighborhood is an assisted living and memory care community.

“This acquisition is in perfect alignment with HCLG’s notfor-profit mission of offering senior housing and health care options,” stated E. DeAnn Eaton, the Chief Executive Officer of HCLG. “The experienced leadership of HCLG will benefit the residents and employees of Ralston Creek Neighborhood.”

“We are happy that Haverland Carter LifeStyle Group is the company who purchased Ralston Creek and know that they are a quality organization that strives to meet resident and family expectations,” said Patrick Dooley, Chief Operating Officer of Milestone, which sold the facility to HCLG. Committed to providing excellence in retirement community management, HCLG’s mission to enhance the well-being and quality of life for older persons with competency, compassion and ethical behavior.

To learn more about the Ralston Creek Neighborhood or any HCLG properties, visit www.haverlandcarter.com.

and from the Albuquerque International Sunport. Catch FREE Shuttles to and from the Albuquerque International Sunport. Catch FREE Shuttles to and from the Albuquerque International Sunport. Catch FREE Shuttles to and from the Albuquerque International Sunport. Catch FREE Shuttles to and from the Albuquerque International Sunport. Catch FREE Shuttles to and from the Albuquerque International Sunport. Catch FREE Shuttles to and from the Albuquerque International Sunport. Catch FREE Shuttles to and from the Albuquerque International Sunport. Catch FREE Shuttles to and from the Albuquerque International Sunport. Catch FREE Shuttles to and from the Albuquerque International Sunport. Catch FREE Shuttles to and from the Albuquerque International Sunport. Catch FREE Shuttles to and

Historic Motor Car Finds a Home in Belen (continued from Page 14)

planned a merger, and M.190 was among the equipment moved to Sacramento, California. Unfortunately, the merger fell through, and the motor car was kicked out of the Southern Pacific shop and stored in the open where it was vandalized as so many uncovered trains are.

Eventually, M.190 became part of the California State Railroad Museum collection until, at the request of Belen Mayor Ronnie Torres, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, the car was returned to Belen.

Restoring old railroad engines, cars and motor cars isn’t cheap or easy. The exterior of M.190 was restored by Lionsgate following completion of the movie “The Last Stand,” partially filmed in Belen.

But to keep the paint from fading, the car still needs shade to protect it from the legendary New Mexico sun. Fortunately, M.190’s friend, Gene Green, is devoted to trains and even has experience repairing and protecting such old equipment.

Now let’s go back to Iowa.

Retiree Green was going to college in Mason City, Iowa, in 1959 when steam locomotive No. 457 was moved into East Park.

Having grown up near the tracks of the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad where the No. 457 once ran, Green was there when it was permanently “parked.”

The engine was still there in the late 1980s when Green’s career in the U.S. Army concluded and he periodically returned to Mason City. The old locomotive was in disrepair, but Green’s interest in the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad held him enough to write a book about railroading. In 2003, he obtained permission to measure

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No. 457 for a computer-aided drawing, and while doing that he heard lots of visitors talking about their fond memories of the park engine.

The visitors also told Green they could, or would, help repair parts of the engine. He decided that if these people would walk their talk, then the engine could be repaired and covered at no cost to the city.

VOLUNTEERS TAKE CHARGE

The Mason City Parks Board granted Green authority to start the repair work, and he began cleaning and repairing No. 457 until a heart attack stopped him in September of 2004. Fortunately, other volunteers took up the cause, and today, the engine has a roof overhead and interpretive panels alongside.

Now living in Rio Communities, Green has visions of rounding up enough volunteers to clean up and repair the interior of old motor car M.190, now lovingly called the “Doodle Bug” and sitting in Belen’s Doodle Bug Park.

Green dons his conductor uniform and provides tours of M.190 when duty calls. He has a few volunteers now and then, but what he needs is an army of paint scrapers, welders, or even just someone willing to donate cash to cover the motor car repairs and provide security.

If you would like to help in any way, email Green at genegreen1942@ yahoo.com. Rail fans wanting to see the Doodle Bug in person can take the New Mexico Rail Runner Express to the Belen Station. Walk south across the pedestrian bridge, and you will find the M.190 on the corner of 2nd St. and Castillo Ave., just 3 blocks south of the Harvey House Museum.

NeighborhoodRioRancho.com

(505) 994-2296 LaVidaLlena.com (505) 293-4001

Care.NeighborhoodRioRancho.com

(505) 994-2296

Call today to schedule your tour

Learn about the quality choices and peace of mind the Only Life Plan Communities in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho provide.

Not-for-profit affiliates of

All levels of care – Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, Nursing Care, Rehabilitation and Skilled Care.

Should care already be needed - Supportive Care at The Neighborhood is available for direct admission without an entry fee.

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Questions & Answers How do I buy tickets?

Tickets can be purchased online at nmrailrunner.com, onboard the train from the ticket agents, or on the Rio Ticketing app. We accept cash, debit, and credit cards (except American Express).

Are discounted tickets available?

Reduced fares are available to youth ages 10-17, students with a valid ID, seniors age 62+, and people with disabilities. Children 9 and under ride free. Please see the fare information listed in this magazine for details and a list of acceptable ID cards. Discounted tickets are also available to groups of 25 or more through the Customer Service Department. Call (866) 795-7245 for information about group travel.

What is the Freedom Pass?

The Freedom Pass is a lifetime pass that allows veterans with a VA medical card to ride the New Mexico Rail Runner Express at no cost. Passes are issued to eligible veterans at the Rio Metro Customer Service office Monday-Thursday, and at additional locations in Albuquerque, Los Lunas, and Santa Fe. Call (866) 795-7245 or visit nmrailrunner.com for times and details.

Can I charge my cell phone/laptop/tablet on the train?

Electrical outlets are available for passenger use at each of the tables on the train. Tables are located on the mezzanine and upper levels only.

How do I store my luggage or packages on the train?

Luggage or packages may be stored under the seat or in the overhead racks. Please do not block an aisle or take up an extra seat with luggage or packages.

Can I bring my bicycle/sports equipment on the train?

Bicycles, skis and other sporting equipment are welcome on the train at no charge. Each New Mexico Rail Runner Express train car has designated space for up to 8 bicycles. During the winter months, the train also provides storage containers for ski equipment. Please store your equipment in the designated storage areas.

Are pets allowed on the train?

Pets are not allowed onboard, only service animals. Service animals can be guide dogs for the blind or visually impaired, signal dogs for the hearing impaired, or other types of animals that can be individually trained to work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability. Learn more about riding with a service animal at riometro.org.

Can I take a stroller on the train?

Strollers are welcome on the train. Please store large strollers in the bicycle storage area marked with a bicycle symbol.

Is my ticket refundable if I don’t use it?

Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable.

How old do children need to be to ride alone?

Children must be at least 10 years old to ride the train without a supervising adult.

Can I buy a ticket for someone else?

Yes, you may purchase a ticket for another person from our online ticketing (nmrailrunner.com). You will need to email the ticket to the person you are buying it for; they can either print it out or show it to the ticket agent on their mobile device.

What happens if I leave something on the train?

If you leave an item on the train, please contact our Customer Service office at 866-795-RAIL (7245), Monday-Friday 8 a.m – 5 p.m. Lost items are turned in to the Customer Service office and are held for 60 days. If you find an item on the train, please turn it in to a ticket agent or conductor.

Is there parking available at the train stations?

Free onsite parking is available at all of the Rail Runner stations with the exception of Downtown ABQ and the Santa Fe Depot. Parking at Downtown ABQ and the Santa Fe Depot is available for a fee at adjacent parking facilities.

How can I find out if the train is delayed?

There are several options for passengers to stay informed about the status of the train. Rider Alerts are posted on the home page of the Rail Runner website. You can sign up to receive text alerts for specific train routes and be notified of any delays longer than 10 minutes. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to receive updates about train delays and other information.

Are there restrooms on the train?

At least one restroom is available on every New Mexico Rail Runner Express train. Longer trains will have more than one restroom.

Can I bring or buy food on the train?

Passengers are welcome to bring and consume food and beverages (excluding alcohol) on the train. Food and beverages are not available for purchase on the train.

Can I use the train to get to the airport?

Passengers can travel between the Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) and the New Mexico Rail Runner Express using ABQ RIDE buses. Connections are available Monday-Saturday.

Visit nmrailrunner.com or call (866) 795-RAIL (7245) for a complete list of airport connections. www.riometro.org | www.travelnewmex.com | SUMMER 20172017 www.nmrailrunner.com | www.travelnewmex.com | SUMMER

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Holiday Holiday Schedule Schedule

Day After Thanksgiving Friday, 24, 2017 - SUNDAY SCHEDULE Day November After Thanksgiving

Memorial Day Monday, May 29, 2017 Memorial Day- NO SERVICE

Friday, November 24, 2017 - SUNDAY SCHEDULE

Monday, May 29, 2017 - NO SERVICE

Christmas Eve Sunday, December Eve 24, 2017 - SUNDAY SCHEDULE Christmas

Tuesday, July 4, 2017 - SUNDAY SCHEDULE

Christmas Day Monday, DecemberDay 25, 2017 - NO SERVICE Christmas

Monday, September 4, 2017 - NO SERVICE

New Year's Eve New December Year's31,Eve Sunday, 2017 – SUNDAY SCHEDULE

Independence Day Tuesday, July 4, 2017 - SUNDAY Independence Day SCHEDULE

Sunday, December 24, 2017 - SUNDAY SCHEDULE

Labor Day Monday, LaborSeptember Day 4, 2017 - NO SERVICE

Monday, December 25, 2017 - NO SERVICE

Columbus Day Columbus Monday, October 9,Day 2017 - REGULAR WEEKDAY SCHEDULE

Sunday, December 31, 2017 – SUNDAY SCHEDULE

Monday, October 9, 2017 - REGULAR WEEKDAY SCHEDULE

Veterans Day Veterans Day11, 2017 - SATURDAY SCHEDULE Saturday, November

Saturday, November 11, 2017 - SATURDAY SCHEDULE

Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving Thursday, November 23,Day 2017 – NO SERVICE

Thursday, November 23, 2017 – NO SERVICE

Fares Fares

3 Ways to Purchase Your Ticket 3 Ways to Purchase Your Ticket Mobie APP (NMRX) Mobie APP (NMRX) For Apple and Android.

For Apple and Android.

(Receive Discount Online) (Receive Discount Online)

HOW HOW TO TO CALCULATE CALCULATE YOUR YOUR FARE FARE

Step 1: Count the number of zones Step 1: Count the number of zones Count Count the the number number of of zones zones through through which which you you will will travel. travel.

Step 2: Pick the type of fare you need Step 2: Pick the type of fare you need Do Do you you want want aa one-way one-way ticket, ticket, aa day day pass, pass, aa monthly monthly or or annual pass?

Are you eligible for a reduced fare? annual pass? Are you eligible for a reduced fare?

Step Step 3: 3: Check Check the the chart chart below below and and see see how how much much your your fare fare is is

FULL FULL FARE FARE 11 zone zone 22 zones zones 33 zones zones 44 zones zones 55 zones zones 66 zones zones

one-way one-way $2 $2 $3 $3 $5 $5 $8 $8 $9 $9 $10 $10

day day pass pass $3 $3 $4 $4 $6 $6 $9 $9 $10 $10 $11 $11

monthly monthly pass pass $39 $39 $55 $55 $72 $72 $105 $110 $121

annual annual pass pass $385 $385 $550 $550 $715 $715 $1045 $1100 $1210

REDUCED REDUCED FARE FARE zone 11 zone zones 22 zones zones 33 zones zones 44 zones zones 55 zones zones 66 zones 28 28 28

one-way one-way $1 $1 $1 $1 $2 $2 $4 $4 $4 $4 $5 $5

day day pass pass $2 $2 $2 $2 $3 $3 $6 $6 $7 $7 $8 $8

monthly pass $19 $28 $36 $52 $55 $61

annual pass $187 $275 $352 $517 $550 $605

www.riometro.org || www.travelnewmex.com www.nmrailrunner.com www.travelnewmex.com ||| SUMMER SUMMER 2017 2017 www.nmrailrunner.com | www.travelnewmex.com SUMMER 2017

nmrailrunner.com nmrailrunner.com Purchase and print tickets.

Purchase and print tickets.

Fares are are On Train: Fares On The The Train: collected by a ticket agent. collected by a ticket agent.

SYSTEM MAP SYSTEM MAP Santa Fe Depot Santa Fe Depot South Capitol South Capitol Zia Road Zia Road Santa Fe Co. SantaNM Fe 599 Co. NM 599

Kewa Pueblo Pueblo Kewa

REDUCED FARES ARE AVAILABLE TO: • • Youth Youth ages ages 10-17 10-17 • Students with a valid student ID • Seniors age 62+ • Medicare Card holders • People with disabilities who show: - An NM Motor Vehicle Department notification - A letter from a doctor indicating the disability (with exp. date) - An ABQ RIDE Honored Citizen Card - A Santa Fe Ride Card or Santa Fe Trails Half Fare Card - A disabled veteran ID card

Children

9 and under ride free!

Sandoval Co. Co. // US US 550 550 Sandoval Downtown Bernalillo Bernalillo Downtown

Sandia Pueblo Pueblo Sandia Los Ranchos Ranchos Los Journal Center Center Journal Montaño Montaño Downtown Downtown Albuquerque Albuquerque Bernalillo Bernalillo Co. Co. Isleta Isleta Pueblo Pueblo

Los Los Lunas Lunas Belen Belen

Schedule of Events ONGOING EVENTS Seniors 62+ Ride Free New Mexico Rail Runner Express Wednesdays through September All Trains, All Day riometro.org Santa Fe Farmers Market Santa Fe Railyard Saturdays & Tuesdays 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Exit the train at the Santa Fe Depot.

(505) 983-4098 santafefarmersmarket.com Railyard Artisan Market Santa Fe Railyard Sundays 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Exit the train at the Santa Fe Depot.

(505) 983-4098 artmarketsantafe.com Santa Fe Artists Market Santa Fe Railyard Park Saturdays through December 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Exit the train at the Santa Fe Depot.

(505) 310-8766 santafeartistsmarket.com Downtown Growers’ Market Robinson Park, Albuquerque Saturdays through November 4 8 a.m. – Noon Exit the train at Downtown ABQ and walk ½ mile west to 8th & Central.

(505) 252-2959 downtowngrowers.org Rail Yards Market Blacksmith Shop, Albuquerque Rail Yard Sundays through October 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Exit the train at Downtown ABQ and walk ½ mile south to 1st & Hazeldine.

(505) 600-1109 railyardsmarket.com Exhibit: Outstanding in His Field – San Ysidro, Patron Saint of Farmers National Hispanic Cultural Center, Albuquerque 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday through November 5 Exit the train at Downtown ABQ and take ABQ RIDE Route 54 to Bridge & Avenida Cesar Chavez.

(505) 332-0446 nhccnm.org

Exhibit: Owls in the Land of Enchantment NM Museum of Natural History & Science, Albuquerque 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wednesday-Monday through September 25 Exit the train at Downtown ABQ and take ABQ RIDE Route 66 or 766 west to Central & Rio Grande.

(505) 841-2800 nmnaturalhistory.org JULY JULY 1 Red & Green Vegfest Albuquerque Convention Center 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Exit the train at Downtown ABQ and walk ⅓ mile north to 2nd & Tijeras.

(505) 332-0446 redandgreenvegfestabq.wordpress.com JULY 1-3 Route 66 Summerfest Nob Hill, Albuquerque 2 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.

Exit the train at Downtown ABQ and board ABQ RIDE Route 66, 766 or 777 east to Central & Girard.

(505) 768-3556 cabq.gov JULY 1-15 Valencia Art Center Summer Exhibit Harvey House Museum, Belen Noon – 5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday Exit the train at the Belen Station and walk ½ mile south across the pedestrian overpass to 1st & Dalies.

(505) 861-0581 belenharveyhousemuseum.org JULY 14 Mariachi Spectacular Student Showcase Civic Plaza, Albuquerque 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Exit the train at Downtown ABQ and walk ⅓ mile north to 2nd & Tijeras.

(505) 768-3556 Mariachispectacular.com

JULY 15-16 International Folk Art Market Museum Hill, Santa Fe 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Saturday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday Exit the train at the South Capitol Station and take the shuttle to the market.

(505) 992-7600 folkartalliance.org JULY 22 Belen Old Books Road Show Harvey House Museum, Belen 10 a.m.

Exit the train at the Belen Station and walk ½ mile south across the pedestrian overpass to 1st & Dalies.

(505) 861-0581 belenharveyhousemuseum.org JULY 29-30 Traditional Spanish Market Santa Fe Plaza 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Exit the train at the Santa Fe Depot and walk or take the Santa Fe Pickup Shuttle to the Plaza.

(505) 982-2226 spanishcolonial.org JULY 29-30 Contemporary Hispanic Market Santa Fe Plaza 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Exit the train at the Santa Fe Depot and walk or take the Santa Fe Pickup Shuttle to the Plaza.

(505) 331-5162 contemporaryhispanicmarketinc.com AUGUST ALL MONTH Exhibit: Hollywood Southwest Albuquerque Museum of Art & History 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday through August 27 Exit the train at Downtown ABQ and take ABQ RIDE Route 66 or 766 west to Central & Rio Grande.

(505) 243-7255 cabq.gov (continued on next page)

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Schedule of Events AUGUST 4 Meet Local Author Anne Hillerman Belen Public Library Please call for times Exit the train at the Belen Station and walk ½ mile south across the pedestrian overpass to 3rd & Becker.

(505) 966-2600 belen-nm.gov AUGUST 5-6 Great Southwestern Antique Show EXPO NM, Albuquerque 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sunday Exit the train at Downtown ABQ and take ABQ RIDE Route 66, 766 or 777 east to Central & San Pedro. greatsouthwesternantiqueshow.com AUGUST 11-13 Objects of Art Santa Fe El Museo Cultural, Santa Fe Railyard 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Exit the train at the Santa Fe Depot. objectsofartsantafe.com AUGUST 16-18 Antique American Indian Art Show El Museo Cultural, Santa Fe Railyard 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Exit the train at the Santa Fe Depot. antiqueindianartshow.com AUGUST 19 Exhibit: Cross Pollination 516 Arts, Albuquerque 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday through November 11 Exit the train at Downtown ABQ and walk ½ mile west to 5th & Central.

516arts.org AUGUST 19-20 Santa Fe Indian Market Santa Fe Plaza 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Sunday Exit the train at the Santa Fe Depot and walk or take the Santa Fe Pickup Shuttle to the Plaza.

(505) 983-5220 swaia.org 30 30

AUGUST 25 Exhibit: Frida Kahlo – Her Photos UNM Art Museum, Albuquerque 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. Saturday through November 11 Exit the train at Downtown ABQ and take ABQ Ride Route 66, 766 or 777 to Central & Cornell. unmartmuseum.org AUGUST 26 Albuquerque Hopfest Isleta Resort & Casino 2-6 p.m.

Exit the train at the Isleta Pueblo Station and take the free shuttle. albuquerquehopfest.com SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER 1 Burning of Zozobra Fort Marcy Park, Santa Fe 3 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.

Exit the train at the South Capitol Station and take the free shuttle to and from the event.

(855) ZOZOBRA burnzozobra.com SEPTEMBER 2-4 Fiesta Fine Arts & Crafts Market Santa Fe Plaza 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Exit the train at the Santa Fe Depot and walk or take the Santa Fe Pickup Shuttle to the Plaza.

(505) 471-8763 santafefiesta.org SEPTEMBER 7-17 New Mexico State Fair Expo New Mexico, Albuquerque 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday Exit the train at Downtown ABQ and take ABQ RIDE Route 66, 766 or 777 east to Central & San Pedro.

(505) 222-9700 exponm.com

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SEPTEMBER 9 Old Town Salsa Fiesta Old Town, Albuquerque Noon – 6 p.m.

Exit the train at Downtown ABQ and take ABQ RIDE Route 66 or 766 west to Central & Rio Grande.

(505) 768-3556 cabq.gov SEPTEMBER 9 Harvey Houses on the Air Harvey House Museum, Belen 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Exit the train at the Belen Station and walk ½ mile south across the pedestrian overpass to 1st & Dalies.

(505) 861-0581 belenharveyhousemuseum.org SEPTEMBER 16 Fiber Art Demonstration Harvey House Museum, Belen 1– 4 p.m.

Exit the train at the Belen Station and walk ½ mile south across the pedestrian overpass to 1st & Dalies.

(505) 861-0581 belenharveyhousemuseum.org SEPTEMBER 23 Steam Locomotive Open House AT&SF 2926 Restoration Yard 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Exit the train at Downtown ABQ and take ABQ RIDE Route 10 north to 4th & Haines. Then walk .5 miles west to Haines & 8th.

(505) 246-2926 nmslrhs.org SEPTEMBER 30 Becker Street Festival Becker Street, Belen 10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Exit the train at the Belen Station and walk ¾ mile south over the pedestrian overpass to Becker & Main.

(505) 864-8091 belenchamber.com

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No Basement, No Problem for Model Railroad Club

Rail Runner train built by the Rio Grande Model Railroad Club. Photo Courtesy RGMRC.

Trains don’t have to tower over adults to get the attention of children. Sometimes a shiny, clicking version spinning around the Christmas tree is enough to spark a lifetime of interest in riding the rails, or at least running a model train engine.

Al Hovey, 70, received his first model train set when he was 8 or 9 and living in Iowa. Today he finds great fulfillment in helping boys, and the occasional girl, work on model railroads through the Rio Grande Valley Model Railroad Club. Kids ages 5 to 18 meet with Hovey and other leaders at the North Domingo Baca Multigenerational Center, 7521 Carmel NE in Albuquerque. Meetings are held 9 to 11:30 a.m. the second Saturday of every month.

The club has 22 boys attending sessions and would welcome any girls who would like to join.

RUNNING THE TRAINS “Overwhelmingly, the boys want to run the trains,” Hovey says.

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“That is largely because only a couple of the boys live in homes that have a place for layouts.”

That was one advantage of growing up in Iowa, Hovey says.

“In the Midwest, everybody had a basement.”

The Rio Grande club does what it can to make up for that. The club has several model train layouts that are assembled and run occasionally. In August, he says, the group will start work on a modular Lionel layout with each club member being assigned assembly of a 3-foot section of track. “We are working with Lionel because the trains and components are a little bigger and a lot of the boys are 5-, 6-, 7-year-olds who don’t have the dexterity of older boys,” he says.

Each meeting of the group begins with a “Show and Share” segment when the children are encouraged to bring in any new engines or cars they have been working on.

(continued on Page 44)

Paint. Drink Wine. Have Fun!

Just off 4th Street in the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, there is a one-of-a-kind, popular, must-see factory outlet gallery that features stunning pottery and ceramic creations for purchase, and a place for would-be artists to test their wings. The brainchild of owner and celebrated artist Kelly Jo Kuchar, Kelly Jo Kelly Jo Kuchar Designs has been handcrafting functional artwork in New Mexico for more than 25 years.

With a long history of pottery production, this extensive and unique collection of ceramic plates, bowls and vases reflect our stunning New Mexican landscape and bright colors. An elegant addition to any home, a perfect gift to be treasured for years to come, or a personalized wedding gift (with ample lead-time), Kelly Jo and her skilled artisans create these unique treasures, which are sold and shipped all over the United States to galleries, wineries, stores, and to private collectors.

Recently, Kelly Jo was commissioned to design and paint 170 tile murals, which are installed in Santa Fe’s historic hotel, the newly renovated La Fonda.

In recent years, Kelly Jo and her staff decided to share the fun, joy and satisfaction of creativity with the public by creating Kelly Jo Designs by Wine, an interactive sip and paint experience, which has created quite a buzz in Albuquerque and nearby communities among people who aspire to create art. Classes are offered daily and feature a variety of distinctively New Mexican painting choices. There is also a beautiful patio oasis for artists to drop in to paint their own pottery. The patio features a full wine bar, too.

RAIL RUNNER EXPRESS

One class participant admitted before receiving a gift certificate to Kelly Jo Designs by Wine that a fresh canvas sat in her closet for 15 years because she had no idea how to start painting. “With the stepby-step guidance from instructors at Kelly Jo’s, I have now created many paintings, losing myself entirely in the process and I love the way creating art has shown me a new way of ‘seeing.’”

There is nothing intimidating, and everything encouraging, about the process of creating art here. This comfortable and upbeat environment features long tables with easels set up at each work station. Participants are advised about brushes and told how many pumps of the colorful paint to put on their paper plate palette.

The room is cool, bright and spacious. An added bonus is that the classroom shares the same building with the working production studio, so guests can even take a tour during their breaks. The instructor carefully guides participants step-by-step, from start to finish, on how to create their paintings. Music plays in the background throughout, and small breaks are taken to allow each paint layer to dry before adding the next feature. This is affordable, wholesome, creative fun that will broaden your horizons, change your perspective, and have you looking for sales on acrylic paint and canvases to continue a wonderful new hobby.

Enjoy the new outdoor wine bar patio and explore all that Kelly Jo Designs has to offer - a perfect venue to shop for art, create art, enjoy wine or schedule your next private party. Kelly Jo Designs

by Wine, 6829 4th St. NW, Los Ranchos de Albuquerque, NM 87107, 505.341.1893, kelly@kellyjodesignsbywine.com

Children 9 and under ride the train for FREE. Children 9 and under ride the train for FREE. Children 9 and under ride the train for FREE. Children 9 and under ride the train for FREE. Children 9 and under ride the train for FREE. Children 9 and under ride the train for FREE. Children 9 and under ride the train for FREE. Children 9 and under ride the train for FREE. Children 9 and under ride the train for FREE. Children 9 and under ride the train for FREE. Children 9 and under ride the train for FREE. Children 9 and under ride the train for FREE. Children 9 and under ride the train for FREE. Children 9 and under ride the train for FREE. Children 9 and under ride the train for FREE. Children 9 and under ride the train for FREE. Children 9 and under ride the train for FREE. Children 9 and under ride the train for FREE

DAYTIME TOURS | TELESCOPE VIEWING INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS | FAMILY FUN!

FLAGSTAFF, AZ

www.lowell.edu | (928) 774-3358 www.riometro.org | www.travelnewmex.com | SUMMER 2017

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Monuments to Main Street Wilderness Hikes Outside Las Cruces

If precious solitude is what you seek, pack your camera, sun hats, sunscreen, water, and snacks, and head south to Las Cruces to experience the beautiful backcountry of the Organ MountainsDesert Peaks. New Mexico’s newest national monument is all about the steep-sided crevices, canyons and majestic spires of the Organ Mountains, as well as the landscape, wildlife, vegetation and rich history of edible and medicinal plants along the path.

Established on May 21, 2014 by presidential proclamation, the 496,330-acre Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument protects the Organ Mountains, Desert Peaks, Potrillo Mountains and Doña Ana Mountains. There are 243 known artifacts and more than 5,000 archaeological sites along the monument’s desert nature trails.

Petroglyph-lined canyons hold 22 miles of the route traveled by the Butterfield Stagecoach, which carried passengers and mail from Memphis, Tenn., to St Louis, Mo., to San Francisco, from 1857 to 1861.

These canyons were roamed by western legends like Billy the Kid and Geronimo, and later provided training grounds for World War II bomber pilots and the Apollo Space Program.

The Dripping Springs Natural Area, located on the west side of the Organs, 10 miles east of Las Cruces, offers more than four miles of easy, spectacular, scenic hiking trails for anyone from beginners to experienced hikers. Desert Springs Trail has excellent wildlife viewing opportunities and a landscape peppered with desert scrub.

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There is also a visitors’ center, offering information and tours.

Guided tour wilderness hikes offer plenty of local lore about ancient inhabitants of these lands. Recreational opportunities include primitive and developed camping, rock climbing, historical sites, hiking, mountain biking, geologic points of interest, horseback riding and picnicking.

The dates for this fall’s annual Monuments to Main Street Wilderness Hikes had not been set as of deadline for this story. But you can check out VisitLasCruces.com for dates, times and meeting locations as they are posted. Space is limited.

For more information, contact the Las Cruces BLM office at 575-525-4300, www.organmountains.org or Dripping Springs Visitors Center, 575-522-1219.

Reason #6

monumental moments Follow prehistoric footprints that date back 280 million years. Blaze a trail on white gypsum sand dunes. Trek along historic and archeological sites in the Organ Mountains. Exploring national monuments is just one of the many reasons to experience all of our natural treasures - request a visitors guide to ďŹ nd more.

575.541.2444 www.riometro.org | www.travelnewmex.com | SUMMER 2017

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Meet Marie Morra, Rio Metro’s Community Outreach Virtuoso Whether you call it outreach, marketing, or public service, the result is the same: individuals or groups learn about a product or service, and when they try it they find that it improves their lives.

Service is probably the key word, and Marie Morra, marketing specialist for the Rio Metro Regional Transit District, learned about service as a youngster in Clayton.

“I was one of seven children, but our dad passed away at 41,” she says. “My mother was 38. They owned a dry-cleaning business, and we all worked at the dry-cleaners.”

A GIFT TO HERSELF

Morra left home to attend the University of New Mexico, studying recreation and sociology, and she calls her education “a gift I gave myself.”

That gift provided her a first career in marketing for the City of Albuquerque, from which she retired. She started with Rio Metro 10 years ago, and her dedication to serving people has not wavered.

Among the highlights of the last 10 years was meeting a guy named Danny, who lives in Los Lunas and works in Los Alamos.

“He rides his bike to the Los Lunas Station, and takes the Rail Runner to the 599 Station outside of Santa Fe. There he catches the bus to Los Alamos,” she says. “On the train he can relax, work on his computer, or watch television.

“He figures that he saves $564 a month by using public transportation rather than buying gas, putting miles on his car, and paying higher insurance premiums. I asked him what he intends to do with the money, and he said he has a daughter who golfs and he is going to send her to the best school for golf that he can find.”

Morra also knows a family from Rio Rancho whose parents live in Santo Domingo Pueblo. The family regularly rides the Rail Runner to the pueblo to care for their horses and gardens, and spend time with their family.

THE PROGRAMS

Teaching people how to use the New Mexico Rail Runner Express is a big part of Morra’s job, and she has helped develop several programs with that intention.

“We have a program called ‘The Smart Business Partnership,’” she says. “We go to major employers and talk to them about getting their employees to give the train a try one or two times a week.”

Employers are encouraged to promote the use of various forms of alternative transportation among their employees, including taking the train, the bus, carpooling, and even using bicycles. Even if the employees don’t become regular rail or bus passengers, we hope that they will tell their family, friends and neighbors about their transportation experiences, and word-of-mouth is great marketing.

A program that blends Albuquerque’s seniors with seniors from nearby pueblos also has been successful. “I woke up one morning at 2 and told myself, ‘I am going to teach our seniors how to use 38

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Marie Morra spreading the word about Rio Metro services.

the train,’” she says. That wake-up-call resulted in the Senior Exchange Program, with a much-needed cultural exchange.

“Seniors are still doing this on weekends,” Morra says. “Seniors from Barelas Community Center ride up to Cochiti Pueblo on the Rail Runner with a connecting bus. They do arts and crafts, share meals, and play games.”

At a conference in Florida, Morra learned that other public transportation programs around the nation offered veterans free passes. When she returned to Albuquerque she talked to a grant writer about it, the grant writer determined that the Rail Runner qualified for public funding. Today there are thousands of veterans riding the Rail Runner and connecting buses from Taos to Socorro.

“I love getting up in the morning,” she says. “My greatest passion is helping people use the Rail Runner.”

Morra’s dedication makes it clear that her education was not only a gift to herself, but also a gift to the citizens of New Mexico.

And let’s hope that other kids working at dry-cleaners across the state take to heart what it means to provide service, just like Marie Morra.

Old Town Albuquerque

W!ld Moon Couture 22 Year Anniversary!

Nestled in a picturesque courtyard off the southeast corner of Albuquerque’s historic Old Town Plaza is a unique and eclectic oasis of color, culture, and one-of-a-kind hand-woven, beaded, laced, embroidered and hand-crafted apparel, jewelry and accessories. W!ld Moon Boutique and W!ld Moon Couture sit across from each other in the beautiful Patio Market; you can most likely find owner, Sally Moon, at either of her shops.

Moon custom designs with hand-made exquisite leather apparel and bags at the W!ld Moon Couture ~ Design House & Gallery. You will find her Wearable Art Collections, Pure Tribalist™ and Xochitl™ in her Gallery showcasing her stunning artistry and crafts-womanship. Sally Moon is celebrating her 22 year anniversary in business. “W!ld Moon Couture is dedicated to create and provide the world quality leather couture, wearable art. Guided always by integrity, excellence, and beauty.”

A few steps across the patio you will find the W!ld Moon Boutique featuring hand-made, natural fiber clothing from 16 countries from around the world. The clothing comes in a vast array of designs, functionality, and a kaleidoscope of color.

The Boutique features sizes from S to 5X and promises, “We take care of all of our Goddesses!” You can find hand-painted

silks or Batiks from Indonesia and hand lace from Brazil, but you will have to visit the store to see the other 14 countries. There is also a selection of boots, accessories and chunky jewelry handmade by artisans at Santo Domingo Pueblo, perfect accessories to complement your wild woman ensemble.

“I love it when women come in and allow me to help them step out of their “box” and let them express their sassy wild self.” said Moon. “Most of my customers are over 40 -- we all experience the effects of life and gravity; I call this (as she motions with her hands to her whole body) the ‘scale of time.’ We use camouflage and illusion here.” She adds in a spunky tone, “My philosophy is, if you can’t fix it, cover it up pretty! -- whether it’s your body or the sofa!”

It is definitely worth a trip to Old Town to spend a little time in this charming boutique to unleash the wild woman within.

Check out the fashion show of Moon’s leather couture and clothing at the W!ld Moon websites WildMoonBoutique.com & WildMoonCouture.com or shop at the WildMoonMarketplace.com W!ld Moon Boutique 206 ½ San Felipe NW, Old Town Patio Market, Albuquerque, 505-247-2475.

There are more than 60 bus connections from Belen to Santa Fe. There are more than 60 bus connections from Belen to Santa Fe. There are more than 60 bus connections from Belen to Santa Fe. There are more than 60 bus connections from Belen to Santa Fe. There are more than 60 bus connections from Belen to Santa Fe. There are more than 60 bus connections from Belen to Santa Fe. There are more than 60 bus connections from Belen to Santa Fe. There are more than 60 bus connections from Belen to Santa Fe. There are more than 60 bus connections from Belen to Santa Fe. There are more than 60 bus connections from Belen to Santa Fe. There are more than 60 bus connections from Belen to Santa Fe. There are more than 60 bus connections from Belen to Santa Fe. There are more than 60 bus c

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Historic Old Town

Crossroads of the Southwest Historic Old Town is the oldest district in Albuquerque, dating back to the city’s Spanish founding in 1706. For decades, it has been a popular shopping and tourist destination. Old Town consists of about 10 blocks of historic buildings grouped around a central plaza. On the north side of the Plaza, Plaza, stands San Felipe de Neri Church, built in 1793. On the east side you will find the Portal Vendors, local artist selling their handmade jewelry.

Many of the buildings were homes that were converted into quaint restaurants and locally owned shops. There are over 100 unique specialty shops, galleries, tours, and restaurants. There are beautiful patios courtyards sprinkled throughout Old Town.

And within walking distance, you will find three museums along with top rated lodging.

Summertime Concerts at the Historic Old Town Gazebo - FREE May – September Fridays: 7 - 9 p.m.

Saturday: 7 - 9 p.m.

Sunday: 1 - 3 p.m.

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Albuquerque Old Town Special Events: July 16 - Western Youth Day July 22 - Frida Fiesta Sep 9 - Salsa Fiesta Noon - 6 p.m.

Oct 31 - Dia del Dulce Dec 1 - Old Town Holiday Stroll April 7, 2018 - Fiestas de Albuquerque Noon - 5 p.m. www.riometro.org | www.travelnewmex.com | SUMMER 2017

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Old Town is located off I-40, Rio Grande & Central NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104 www.riometro.org | www.travelnewmex.com | SUMMER 2017 www.AlbuquerqueOldTown.com • FB: Albuquerque Oldwww.nmrailrunner.com Town | www.travelnewmex.com | SUMMER 2017

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Old Town Albuquerque

The Candy Lady, an ABQ Original, Has Moved!

Whether your sweet tooth craves a familiar square of homemade fudge or wants to try a baked good with an adults-only flare, you can be sure to find it at The Candy Lady, an Old Town fixture for more than 30 years.

Debbie Ball, who runs the store, worked with her mother in the early days to create a delightful assortment of candy for tourists and locals alike. It’s a mixture that has evolved to reflect not only what customers want but also to offer the unexpected, and even the controversial.

Most recently, The Candy Lady has been in the news for creating the blue sugar rock candy that served as the “meth” prop for the award-winning Breaking Bad series.

But it was the store’s line of X-rated edibles that first garnered The Candy Lady major media attention. That was in the 1980s.

The decision garnered both news coverage and protest by a local church. It also helped her business take off.

Today, The Candy Lady offers more than 500 sweets, including “red or green” New Mexican candy, licorice (more than 50 kinds of black), chocolate dipped fruits, custom cakes, rock candy, truffles, coconut creams, dipped pretzels, marzipan, jellies and mints. To top it off, just about anything at the store can be dipped with a customer’s chocolate of preference - milk, dark or white.

Fudge comes in 19 flavors, and a variety of turtles line the display cases. Imported glazed ginger and multiple fruits add color to the toffees and crunches.

In addition, the Candy Lady offers a selection of more than 25 diabetic candies, including raisin clusters, coconut haystacks, almond butter crunch and truffles. “When people come in, we greet them, give them samples and enjoy every opportunity to visit with them. I don’t think anybody can beat us for customer service.

That’s why people come back.”

Customers can expect to taste samples upon entry and learn a little about Ball, too. She can be found in the store most days talking with her customers with subjects ranging from economics to alternative medicine.

After being in one Old Town location for more than 30 years, the Candy Lady moved a few years ago to 424 San Felipe, also in Old Town.

The Candy Lady offers a plethora of tempting treats.

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Summer Patio Dining at Its Finest, Church Street Café!

After a day of sightseeing in Albuquerque’s historic Old Town, or a visit to a nearby museum, experience old world hospitality and sample the delicious cuisine at the Church Street Café, just behind (north) of San Felipe de Neri Church. An inviting, peaceful oasis of charm and beauty, the back patio at Church Street is a perfect place to relax, refresh, and refuel. Ancient grape vines shade the pergola, with stunning tile work, colorful plants and flowers, and the soothing sound of an outdoor waterfall.

The Church Street Café is located in a house dating back to the 1700s with two-foot thick adobe walls which were originally built as a residence for one of the city’s founding families. It remained a private residence until the last member of the Ruiz family died in 1991.

Today the Casa de Ruiz Church Street Café offers an impressive selection of standard fare and traditional New Mexican cuisine Whether red or green or ‘on the side’ is your chile preference, the chile at Church Street Café never disappoints. New Mexico’s signature crop is prepared Patio dining at Church St. Café. fresh daily here, and is always flavorful and moderate in heat. Steak and eggs, omelets, delicious papitas (potatoes), Carne Adovada (red chile marinated pork), Huevos Rancheros, breakfast burritos, assorted breakfast meats, tortillas, sopapillas, pancakes or granola and yogurt, are just a few of the breakfast options to appeal to even the most discriminating palate. The coffee is bold, the lattes satisfying, and the cappuccinos are a subtle frothy treat.

Lunch and dinner options feature a vast selection of appetizers, sandwiches, hamburgers, salads, and traditional New Mexican dishes, enchiladas, tacos, tamales, chile rellenos, carne adovada and more. All dinners are served with sopapillas and honey, frijoles (beans), and a choice of calabacitas (squash), arroz (rice), or quelites (spinach).

Church Street Café offers imported and domestic beers, New Mexico wines and flavored Margarita options that pair perfectly with the cuisine.

Make sure to save enough room for dessert (Postres) including fried ice cream, traditional Mexican deserts Natillas (pudding) , Flan (custard) and Buneuelo (cinnamon-sugared fry bread).

Club Sandwich with Green Chile, Delicious!

To get to Old Town from the New Mexico Rail Runner, you can take Rapid Ride #766 (red line) from the Alvarado Transit Station at First St. and Central Ave, or Westbound Bus #66.

Buses leave approximately every 15 to 20 minutes based on the time of day.

Casa de Ruiz Church Street Café, open daily 8am-9pm, Sundays 8am-4pm, 2111 Church Street NW, Old Town Albuquerque, 87104, (505) 247-8522. www.riometro.org | www.travelnewmex.com | SUMMER 2017

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No Basement, No Problem for Model Railroad Club (continued from Page 32)

“The boys always seem to be assembling new cars, and we teach them how to set up the cars so they run flawlessly on the layouts,” Hovey says.

“We teach basic skills, like how to pull out a tape measure and read it,” he says. Sometimes the group works through a “Tool Man” series of exercises that involves buying tool boxes from Harbor Freight and equipping them with screwdrivers, scale rulers, and those tape measures.

“I love developing in kids the pride of ownership,” Hovey says. That pride also prevents Hovey from considering model trains “toys.” “There is too much pride involved to think of them as toys,” he says. “This goes back to the strict standards we require when they are setting up their equipment – the kids get everything fine-tuned and that develops an element of pride.”

MANNERS, TOO

In addition to the mechanical skills being taught, Hovey says the members are instructed in how to greet other people, look them in the eye and shake hands. “They develop a lot of poise, and we have an emphasis on sending thank you cards to people who donate items to the Rio Grande Valley Model Railroad Club,” he says.

There is a trial membership fee of $9.95 for six months, and children who continue with the club are expected to pay $36 annual dues. For more information about the club, contact Al Hovey at alhovey@comcast.net, or call him at (505) 459-8087.

Hovey’s organization isn’t your only option for learning about or practicing model railroading. In fact, Hovey says, there are about 19 model railroad clubs in the Albuquerque and Santa Fe area. ASHOME, the Albuquerque Society of HO Model Engineers, is one of them.

“We are model railroad enthusiasts and real rail fans,” says Chuck Aylward, the group’s spokesman. “Basically, we try to operate as realistically as possible,” he says.

There are about 30 members in ASHOME, and they meet at 1 p.m. the third Saturday of every month at the group’s permanent layout at Hoffmantown Shopping Center.

The Santa Fe Model Railroad Club of Northern New Mexico provides a forum for enthusiasts in and around Santa Fe. They hold monthly meetings at available locations, usually at the Santa Fe Children’s Museum. Meeting dates and information on related events can be found on their website at santafemodelrailroadclub.org.

“We have programs for children older than 8 and a class for youngsters 8 and under,” says Bob Spude, secretary for the organization. “The kids have a great time. We do a ‘pizza railroad’ that is a small circle about the size of a pizza.

“It is HO scale and the kids get dirty building it and landscaping it, and they get to keep it,” he says. The Santa Fe Children’s Museum is the entity responsible for the children’s programs; donation of equipment should be made to the museum. Donations are tax deductible, Spude says.

HOLIDAY SPIRIT

In addition to working with children, members of the Santa Fe Model Railroad Club work with the First National Bank of Santa Fe annually to put Christmas trains in the main office across from the plaza. “The bank has been doing this since the 1950s,” Spude says. “The bank is very proud of their trains.

They have a big Lionel set with all the bells and whistles. It’s a chance to get people in the holiday spirit.”

Other events are held around Santa Fe throughout the year, and interested individuals should look at the website for newsletters and announcements.

The New Mexico Council of Railroad Clubs is basically the communications arm of the model railroading community in the Santa Fe and Albuquerque areas, says Harlan “Buzz” Lenander, the superintendent of the Rio Grande Division 6, Rocky Mountain Region, National Model Railroad Association.

Buzz says the council has no officers, no dues, and they meet four times a year. “We try to promote the hobby and exchange information,” he says.

The best way to have something posted on the council’s website is to send it directly to Buzz at Jerry Bruce Town Croissings, built by the Rio Grande Model Railroad Club. lenanderjrs@msn.com.

Photo Courtesy RGMRC.

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ASTROLOGY SANTA FE “Self-Discovery Through Astrology”

Bina Thompkins

Understand, Accept and Embrace Your Strengths and Weakness.

The Choice is Yours.

Take Control of Your Destiny and Your Finances. Also Guide Them in the Light Mirror.

Readings from $100 per hour.

Please call for an appointment.

505-819-7220

AstrologySantaFe.com

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The open road to excitement is at Route 66 Casino Hotel. Rev it up with thrilling casino action featuring over 1,300 slot games and 15 actionpacked table games. Fill up with delicious dining options, including New Mexico’s best casino buffet. Switch gears with top-notch, toe-tapping entertainment. Coast into indulgence and stay the night in our classy and comfortable hotel.

Have an out-of-this-world experience. An unidentified flying object has landed in the center of the Route 66 Casino Hotel gaming floor, and its alien presence has drawn the newest slot games in the country. The larger-thanlife flying saucer draws inspiration from both Area 51 and Route 66. Slot machines within the Area 66 realm will be regularly replaced with brand new exclusive machines, making Route 66 Casino first-to-market with 18 new games every 90 days!

Experience world-class quality, service and value at one of our award-winning restaurants and three lounges.

Tempt your taste buds at Thunder Road Steakhouse and Cantina. Located in the heart of the casino, this multi-level restaurant serves up sizzling steaks, spicy tacos and specialty drinks from the tequila bar.

Enjoy free entertainment by the best local bands every weekend on the bar-top stage. Voted best buffet many times over, Buffet 66 is a world of fresh choices all in one place, with an array of international flavors on the menu. When it comes to All-American

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comfort foods and cocktails, we’ve got it all!

Flashback to the good ol’ days in the newly renovated Johnny Rockets restaurant. Swing by the '50s-inspired diner for an All-American burger, onion rings, and milkshake. Main Street Restaurant & Bar is the perfect place for breakfast, or order a home-style special. Grab an indoor patio table and watch all of the casino excitement. If you’re looking to simply wet your whistle, swing by the 360 Lounge, Poker Pub or Main Street Bar, and ask about the drink specials.

Let us entertain you. With 2,800 plush theater-style seats in Legends Theater, every seat is a good seat. Experience performances from some of the best comedians, rock legends, country superstars, and premier tribute bands in the business.

Legends Theater features more than 20 headliner performances every year. The Spring 2017 lineup includes rock bands Kenny Rogers, Jethro Tull, Move Beyond LIVE with Julianna and Derek Hough, Cheech and Chong, and other exciting shows.

The fun doesn’t have to end when the sun goes down. Relax in one of the 154 newly renovated rooms at Route 66 Hotel.

Refreshed from floor to ceiling, a recent $2 million remodel features an inviting ambiance of lively designs, modern furnishings and many upgrades to make your stay comfortable.

Re-energize with in-room amenities from top brands like Simmons Beautyrest®, Starbucks®, and Bath & Body Works®.

Hotel reservations are available now. For rates, member discounts and reservations, please call 866-711-STAY (7829).

The entire family can get their kicks at Route 66 at Kids Quest and Cyber Quest, the on-site hourly child care and a non-violent game arcade. Route 66 Casino Hotel is the only casino property in New Mexico to offer this children's program. Open seven days a week, Kids Quest accepts children ages 6 weeks to 12 years.

The best gaming, dining and entertainment is just a hop, skip and short 18-minute drive west of Albuquerque, exit 140 on Interstate 40. Get all the latest Route 66 Casino Hotel news and announcements at www.rt66casino.com.

READY. SET.

GO PLAY!

Get away from the everyday and head toward excitement. Enjoy thrilling casino action, delicious dining options, top-notch entertainment and then stay the night in our classy and comfortable hotel.

866-352-RT66 (7866) • RT66CASINO.COM

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Moon Dog Publishing 9400 Holly Avenue NE Albuquerque, NM 87122

BANK HERE. Make deposits, pay bills, manage accounts with a few taps of your finger. Truly Mobile Banking.*

* Internet connection required. Check with your mobile service provider for message and data rates.

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