The Best of What We Ate in 2016

Angora sheep

It’s been fun running around the planet this year staying in interesting places, doing exciting things and eating marvelous food! This blog is concerned with the best of the best; in this case, anything with a rating of four carrots, unless otherwise labeled, from my evaluation scheme (see Reading the Reviews). The review blog is actually divided into two parts. The first is about the places we stayed and our activities (The Best of What We Did and Where We Stayed in 2016), with the second having to do with food (The Best of What We Ate in 2016). Within each blog there are also two sections: International and US.

The Best of What We Did and Where We Stayed in 2016

It’s been fun running around the planet this year staying in interesting places, doing exciting

Canada Geese in Texas

things and eating marvelous food! This blog is concerned with the best of the best; in this case, anything with a rating of four carrots, unless otherwise labeled, from my evaluation scheme (see Reading the Reviews). The review blog is actually divided into two parts. The first is about the places we stayed and our activities (The Best of What We Did and Where We Stayed in 2016), with the second having to do with food (The Best of What We Ate in 2016). Within each blog there are also two sections: International and US.

Holiday Feasts

Solar reindeer and trees

It seems as if we haven’t been out of Texas in months but that doesn’t mean that we’ve stayed strictly at home. As is usual during the holidays between Thanksgiving and the New Year, we’re prowling the area shopping, visiting with friends and family and for the most part eating at places we’ve patronized previously. However, since restaurants tend to come and go rather frequently we have found a place or two that are new to us. For information about my rating system, see Reading the Reviews.  

Going to Grapevine

Statue chatting with Cynthia

The little town of Grapevine has been one of the places I’ve visited many times without stopping to think about its origins much. There are lots of places to eat, both chains and those owned by individuals, lots of places to shop, and a few places to explore just because they are there. It’s also the home of Grape Fest in the fall and Christmas grandeur during the holidays. Now Grapevine is most dependent on the tourist trade, but that hasn’t always been the basis of their economics.

Taking it to Taos

Overlooking the Rio Grande River

From Albuquerque you can run up the highway to Taos and go through some of the interesting desert countryside or you can take the Turquoise Trail up through Santa Fe. Since we’re more enamored of back roads than of freeways when we’re just out to explore, we chose the Trail. Along the Turquoise Trail are some interesting small towns that caught our attention and put us in mind of the old song, Old Hippie.

All the way to Albuquerque

The fact that the Angel Glamp Retreat was held at the Enchanted Trails RV Park in

Top L to R: Sunrise bracelet, Tessellation Lariat
Bottom: Crystal Fidget pendent

Albuquerque was quirky enough to tempt me, and when my friend, Teri, said she was going, I packed my bags and jumped on a plane. I was also attracted to this retreat because of the instructors. While bead embroidery isn’t difficult, it takes a special vision to design these pieces and a lot of patience to complete the work. Having taken a class previously from Kinga Nichols, I knew that we’d get to make something that was unusual and reflective of her artistic insight; I wasn’t disappointed with the Sunrise and Sunset Shores bracelets (I chose Sunrise). Nikia Angel, our other instructor, has been one of my inspirations for quite a while and I was delighted to finally get to spend some time with this creative lady. She gave us a choice of constructing either her Crystal Fidget or the Tessellation Lariat. Of course, I chose both and they are both wonderful! She introduced us to her Sparkly Wheel component and invited us to use it in our own designs. A lovely bonus came from Judith Bertoglio-Giffin; she volunteered to teach a group of us bead crochet. That was exciting to learn, too! These three ladies are exceptionally generous with their talents, helping beaders take what they learned and incorporate it into their own designs. This retreat was fun and I’m glad that I made the journey to Albuquerque! And although I’d been here twice before for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, I’d never really taken the time to explore the old section of the city, nor had I realized that one of my cousins lives in the area. Besides the hot air balloons, the city has a rich cultural history, extensive petroglyphs from the Ancestral Pueblo peoples, and an interesting geologic landscape.