thin places
Many years ago, when I was looking for places to stop on one of our cross-country drives, I consulted the American Automobile Association tour guide. Do you remember those? They contained information on each town, notable attractions, restaurants and options for lodgings at every price point. Somehow, I stumbled upon a resort on the Pueblo of Santa Ana, land owned by the Tamayame people of New Mexico. I was immediately enthralled. I took my mother there as we drove to Michigan one year; I took my daughter and two of her boys, and I took my husband multiple times. After a long drive across the great plains, my body physically relaxes, and my spirit exhales. Dave and I stayed a night in June, and I told him then, that I intended to book us for two nights on our way home in October.
One of the things I remembered fondly about this resort was that they had a lovely restaurant called the Corn Maiden. In 2021 when I was driving to Michigan with my daughter and two of her sons, my mouth started watering before we’d even arrived. Unfortunately, the Corn Maiden had closed during the pandemic, which hit native peoples so hard. By 2022 they still had no plans to reopen. Thankfully, this year they did.
Here I can walk to the banks of the Rio Grande through a copse of cottonwood trees. One could ride horses, borrow bikes or swim in one of three pools. There is art and beautiful architecture, a spa, and the music in the public spaces is hauntingly beautiful native pipes.
Upon arriving I watched the sunset reflected on the Sandia mountains; and in the morning I stepped out on the balcony at sunrise to see hundreds of hot air balloons rising as part of Albuquerque’s annual Balloon Fiesta. Spectacular.
This is an inspirational place, an indulgence after seven days of driving… a perfect spot for a mid-journey sojourn.
Love, Liz
“Try to find the right place for yourself. If you can’t find it, at least dream of it.”
Mary Oliver
