A Colorado State of Mind: A New Mexico State of Mind- Day 1

It is a long drive down to White Sands National Park- 1141 miles total, round trip. After finding a good car rental deal we decided it best to leave our aging cars at home. We picked up our rental on a sunny and warm Friday afternoon, and, after listening to a lot of threatening words from the man working behind the counter (liable ... collision ... impounded) we still managed to refuse all that extra pricey insurance. We were off!

Our first stop- Las Vegas, New Mexico- not Nevada. Las Vegas, New Mexico is a town that at first glance is a little rough around the edges. But, after pulling up to the historic plaza and hotel I felt like I just walked into a movie set- with all the historic buildings it's not surprising that countless big name movies have been filmed in town such as Wild Hogs, Not Forgotten, Beer for my Horses, and No Country for Old Men, which was mostly filmed right in the plaza and inside The Plaza Hotel, our stop for the night. The receptionist told me that when they were filming No Country for Old Men, set on the Mexican Border, the signs in town were changed ("You are now entering the US" or "you are now leaving Mexico"). Apparently there were a lot of confused tourists wandering into the hotel, trying to figure out when they drove into Mexico! But looking around town and experiencing the rich Hispanic culture that dominates it wouldn't be too hard to believe.

Everything about the Plaza Hotel, built in 1882, is grand- the massive lobby and staircase, the renovated rooms with 15 foot tall ceilings and bathrooms so large you could do a cartwheel in. Everything but the price that is; I found our room as an online off-season special for $69. Included in this price was a sit down breakfast for two in the hotel's restaurant. I ordered huevos rancheros on blue corn tortillas, covered with green chile and my husband the breakfast burrito with red chile. "Red or green?" is the question most often asked while traveling through New Mexico. Just about everything is, or can be covered in or made with red or green chiles (not chili!)- from the obvious like burgers, burritos, enchiladas, chile rellenos, and tamales to the more strange- pizza, chocolate, even beer! The finest chile peppers are grown in Hatch, New Mexico (a stop for later in our trip). The green chiles are picked earlier and the red chiles are allowed to fully ripen. The best chiles impart heat, fragrance and a touch of smokiness. On this trip I would learn to no longer tolerate or accept a red chile sauce with a slightly brownish hue that is made from powder or (gasp!) the canned variety. Real red chile sauce is made with freshly roasted chiles and is unmistakable in its bright, fire engine red color. During harvest season in late summer you can find farmers roasting and selling their chiles in large, cylindrical roasters over hot coals on the side of the road. The smell is enough to make you salivate. Luckily, for the rest of the year dried, whole chiles (chile ristas) can be had that still make a fine sauce.