Day 104 - Off to Santa Fe

Day 104 - Saturday - A short trip to one of our favorite cities

The reason we drove all the way from the Dakotas to New Mexico was for our annual visit to the Santa Fe Opera.  This is our 4th year since we discovered it along with our friend Heather from New Zealand, and we now have a subscription to what they ca;; "Quintet 1", a chance to see all 5 of their operas in 5 days.

Today we have only a 40 mile journey from the campground at Bandelier National Monument to Trailer ranch RV Park in Santa Fe where we will be based for the next week.  Sounds easy, right?  It would have been except that one stretch of the road isunder construction.  The speed limit on the only lane open is 25mph, which I obey religiously in the RV with the car towing behind.  Judging from the large open space ahead of me and the long line of traffic behind me, most people don't obey this speed limit!  The lane is narrow - marked by large traffic cones.  After I get though it there are a couple less upright cones than when Istarted, but otherwise no harm is done.

We arrive at the campground, pet the office cats, disconnect the car and settle in to a nice shady spot with full hookups.  After feeding our own felines we set up our camp and take a rest. 

This is the only "free" evening we'll have all week so we've arranged to have dinner with Michelle, a friend who is also an advertising executive who Vicky works with.  They'll be having business meeting later in the week, but tonight is all about catching up with each other after a year.  We let Michelle choose the restaurant and find ourselves outside in the garden of the "Midtown Bistro".  Although we're outside, next to a fountain, we have tables set with linen tablecloths, and elegant garden decor.

The ladies start with healthy salad and gazpacho, and I indulge in crispy calamari with a habanero sauce that wasn't as hot as it might have been, which is probably a good thing.  It was a great choice anyway.  For my main I order blue corn steak enchiladas.  Unusually for New Mexico, I can get my steak rare and the dish, with a delicate cheese sauce, is a skilful blending of flavors and textures.  Michelle's salmon and Vicky's chicken receive equally favorable reviews and we still leave room to share a decadent chocolate cake and a delicate tres leches cake.  A magical evening to start our week of culture.