Browsing in Bernalillo

Out into the desert

Bernalillo is the county seat of Sandoval County. It’s got several places to eat, a casino, and is developing into a small city. There is a tradition of growing grapes and making wine, and it’s close to Albuquerque. But none of these characteristics was the reason we visited. Two friends, Dave, and I went to Bernalillo for the Enchanted Bead Retreat. And did we have a good time!






Coronado's explored ‘New Spain’ as early as 1540 near what is presently Bernalillo; however, it took another 50 years to establish the first colony. The history of Bernalillo is the same as that of Santa Fe and Albuquerque

Sandia Mountains

with the Spanish dominance and the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.  Eventually the Spanish claimed the ‘New Spain’ territory. Originally a military outpost, the Village of Bernalillo was not recognized by that name until 1695. Evidently Bernalillo County was named for the town of Bernalillo since it was the original county seat. The name Bernalillo is thought to be from original settlers of the village, the Bernals; Bernalillo was first called Bernalita, or ‘little Bernal’, the children of the Bernal family. Farmers and ranchers lived here in the 1620s. At this time the wine grape was introduced and the wine industry grew and flourished. Drought and floods caused the market dipped but slowly the wine industry came back has continued. Bernalillo hosts the New Mexico Wine festival annually on Labor Day bringing locals and tourists to the event.

Things rocked along for a couple of hundred years until Mexico declared

Sandia Peak

itself free from Spain In 1821. Under Mexican rule the area was reorganized, extending as far south as Socorro crafting the origin of Bernalillo County. An early map shows this area, but still had enough serious flaws that the development and execution of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo between the United States and Mexico was impacted. El Paso's true location was off by 34 latitudinal miles and 100 longitudinal miles. By 1846 General Stephen W. Kearny had claimed New Mexico for the United States.

The Enchanted Bead Retreat was great fun. Our three instructors were Nikia Angel, Dustin Wedekind, and Heidi Kummli. They are gifted artists

L to R: Wayward Heart by Nikia Angel, Enchanted Bosque
by Heidi Kummli, Wooly Crescent and Bezel by
Dustin Wedekind

as well as excellent teachers. They also participated in the madness that was the Woodstock Party. I have yet to finish any of the projects, but I did learn some new techniques that I will be incorporating in my designs. 

Bernalillo was a very nice place to visit and I’m looking forward to going there again. We got some exceptionally good food during this trip – not a bad surprise! For information about my rating system, see Reading the Reviews.

Where we stayed:

Four Carrots

Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa (1300 Tuyuna Trail, Bernalillo, NM 87004, 505-867-1234) is billed as: ‘Situated between Santa Fe and

L to R: Bathroom, Bedroom

Albuquerque at the base of the Sandia Mountains this New Mexico resort reflects the rich history of the Tamayame and it is located on 200 acres of Santa Ana Pueblo land along the Rio Grande, 2 miles from Santa Ana Star Casino.’ It is a lovely facility sits below the hills and has an unobstructed view of the Sandia Mountains. Our room was large enough for two queen beds, but we opted for a single king, giving us more walking around room. The pillows were too soft, but the bed was comfortable. The bathroom was roomy with plenty of toiletries. Internet was free and at an acceptable speed. Our view was of two very pretty pools that had walls around them to keep the still cold March winds at bay. There were also two restaurants, but we only dined at one. Service was good and the staff were helpful. They all seemed to be happy in their jobs.

What we ate:

Four Carrots

Abuelita's New Mexican Restaurant (621 S Camino Del Pueblo, Bernalillo, NM 87004, 505-867-9988) has ‘Mexican and New Mexican specialties like pozole and sopapillas in a bright, simple dining room.’ We

Top L to R: Menu, Chips and salsa
Middle L to R: Chile Relleno, Indian Taco
Bottom L to R: Combo plate, Taco plate

were among the only non-locals in the restaurant. Our waitress was very concerned that we understand just how hot the green chiles were and ask several times if we were sure of our orders. There was plenty of food and although we were warned about the heat in the chiles, they were good. Teri had a Chile Renillo that she said was very good. Dave had a combo plate that had a bit of everything; he really liked it. John had an Indian Taco that he thought was quite tasty. I had some nicely prepared tacos that had just the right amount of seasonings. We were all pleased with our dinners; the chips and salsa were very good, too. Teri and Dave got sopapillas with their meals, but they were kind enough to share with John and me. We’d certainly go back to this restaurant for the good food, the effective service and the reasonable prices.

The Range Café (925 S Camino Del Pueblo, Bernalillo, NM 87004, 505-867-1700) is a well-known, funky place that was quite crowded when we

Top L to R: Menu, Elote, Burger
Middle L to R: Chile strips, Chile relleno
Bottom L to R: Meatloaf, Quesadilla

arrived. The restaurant is listed as, ‘New Mexican dishes and spins on diner classics served all day in eclectic digs with whimsical art.’ And I did enjoy the art! The food was imaginative and flavorful; we actually saw things on the menu that weren’t what we’d seen before. We all shared the Chile Strips (lots of flavor without lots of heat) and the Elote (amazing blend of corn, creamy chile de arbol lime sauce, and cotija cheese). We could have made that our dinner – both dishes were very good. John had heard about Tom’s Meatloaf and had to try it; he was very glad that he did. Teri had the Relleno Plate that she said was excellent. Dave had the Original Range Burger that came with ham and cheese on the burger; he said it was different and well prepared. I tried one of the seasonal dishes, the Pear and Poblano Quesadilla; it was an interesting blend of sweet and spicy, along with some gooey cheese. I really liked it. The food was worth the prices charged and the service was good. We’d all go back – maybe next hear!

Sandia Café (1300 Tuyuna Trail, Bernalillo, NM 87004, 505-867-1234) is in the Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort and Spa. Dave was immediately put off by the fact that there were no hours posted for service at any of the

Left T to B: Menu, Salad
Right: Omelet

restaurants in the resort. There were also no hours listed in any of the materials found in the hotel rooms. The food was excellent but the service was very relaxed to slow and the meals were overpriced. We had breakfast in the restaurant several times. Teri and John had the buffet; they both talked about how varied and delicious the food was. Dave had the Green Chile Omelet; he said it was spicier than he expected, but that it was well prepared. I ordered the Moxi Breakfast Bowl that included kale color crunch, boiled egg, bacon, strawberries, citrus, avocado, goat cheese, croutons, and lemon yogurt dressing; while it was very good, it was twice what could eat. Our other breakfasts were some sort of bread and coffee – a more reasonable amount of food and much cheaper.

Cow in phone booth at
Range Cafe

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