Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Website update...

I'm currently working with the web designer for my new site! I'm not positive when the migration of this blog will happen over to Wordpress, but it will likely be soon.

xoxo Sarah

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

Quick update...

Hey, everyone!

Just a quick update-I'm still working with my web designer, and I'll still be migrating my blog over to Wordpress.

She's also working on a new logo for me--I love what she's come up with so far!

We recently moved into a new house and have been super busy unpacking, so I haven't been around online much.

I'll keep you posted when I know more!

xoxo Sarah

Saturday, April 30, 2016

Z is for Zia @AprilA2Z #AtoZChallenge

The Zia Sun Symbol is commonly seen around New Mexico, even on their state flag. But where did it come from?

New Mexico's state flag, Picture from Wikipedia

The Zia people are an indigenous tribe, and they currently live on the Zia Pueblo outside of Albuquerque. 

The sun is considered a sacred symbol, and the Zia symbol design reflects the tribe's philosophy of harmony of all things in the universe.

There are four rays in four directions on the Zia Sun Symbol, meant to show the four points on the compass, four seasons of the year, the four seasons of life (childhood, youth, middle age, old age), and the four sacred obligations one must develop according to Zia belief (strong body, clear mind, pure spirit, and devotion to the welfare of others). 

The state flag of New Mexico (pictured above) has the red Zia on a field of Spanish yellow, symbolizing both parts of the state's culture and heritage.

I hope you've enjoyed these little snippets of New Mexican information! I've learned a lot about my new home (though there's a lot more out there) and I can't wait to explore my new home state. 

Happy A-Z-ing!

xoxo Sarah

Friday, April 29, 2016

Y is for Yucca @AprilA2Z #AtoZChallenge

New Mexico's state flower is the yucca, and has been officially since 1927.

Yucca
Yucca Flower Photo by DM on Flickr
There are about 40-50 species (including perennials, shrubs, and trees) and none are actually specified as the state flower.

They're pollinated by a specific moth that goes from flower to flower and deliberately transfers the pollen from the stamen of one to the stigma of another, then lays eggs in the flower. The moth's offspring eat some of the developing seeds when they hatch.

Pretty cool, huh?

xoxo Sarah







Thursday, April 28, 2016

X is for Explora! @AprilA2Z #AtoZChallenge

One of the most fun museums I've ever been to has to be Explora! (yes, it has exclamation points in its name), located on the west side of Albuquerque.

It's an interactive museum--all of the exhibits are things you can touch and play with.

Most of the topics are science and technology, and the different exhibits are fun to play with.

Want to learn about aerodynamics first-hand? Try and float various items on a stream of air!

Sound waves? Light? Gravity? Learn about all of these while interacting with objects and instruments.

Even better, Explora! has special events like Adult Night. If you've ever been to a science museum and watched kids play with the children's exhibits, trying hard not to move them out of the way and play with the exhibits yourself, you're in luck--this is exactly what it's for. We had a blast making giant bubbles and playing with blocks without worrying we were going to get kicked out.

If you want to have a fun day out, I totally recommend checking out Explora!

xoxo Sarah

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

W is for Watermelon @AprilA2Z #AtoZChallenge

Sandia, in Spanish, translates to "watermelon". So, the pretty Sandia Mountains are really the Watermelon Mountains.

Why the odd name? 

Because, at sunset, the Sandias turn a lovely pink shade in the fading light. Sorry I don't have a picture of it (it only lasts a minute or two, and I'm often not near my phone), but here's a great shot of the mountains.

A photo posted by Sarah Allan (@sarahallanauthor) on

xoxo Sarah


Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Bonus V: Valency Genis Art @AprilA2Z #AtoZChallenge @Valency

So I decided to do this extra post because my friend, Valency, is a talented artist and because she lives in New Mexico, it's perfect for my A-Z Challenge theme!

Valency got her BFA degree at the University of New Mexico, and has been creating what she calls vegan taxidermy ever since. Her extraordinary pieces resemble, well, decapitated Dr. Seuss creatures, and each one is lovingly crafted to find their forever home. Some of her creations have gone to people from Pixar, and even Vincent Price's daughter took one home!

She recently had a very successful show in Chicago, and I know she's creating new creatures for some upcoming events. If you like her work, she ships all over the world.

Before I link to some pics of her amazing work, Valency can be found on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/ValencyArt/

And on Instagram and Twitter as @Valency






A photo posted by Valency Genis (@valency) on

xoxo Sarah

V is for Vino @AprilA2Z #AtoZChallenge

No one was more surprised than me when I learned that New Mexico has vineyards.

Because the first thing I think of when I think "wine" is a dry, desert environment. Perfect for growing grapes, of course. /sarcasm

So, of course I had to sample some New Mexican wines to figure out exactly how bad--or good--they were.

Here were the contenders:

A photo posted by Sarah Allan (@sarahallanauthor) on

There was St. Clair Winery Cabernet Sauvignon and Blue Teal Reisling. I figured it would be good to have a red and a white. The third wine, a Moscato from Voluptuous, was purchased because it was as close to a dessert wine I could find.

Of course we had to have delicious snobby wine-tasting snacks.

A photo posted by Sarah Allan (@sarahallanauthor) on


And now for the verdicts. Disclaimer: Neither of us are professional wine tasters; we normally just drink what we like. All opinions are our own--if we didn't like a wine, it doesn't mean it's bad. It just means it wasn't for us.

The St. Clair was, by far, not our favorite. I'll preface this by saying that neither of us are huge fans of red wine (though there are a few I've come across that I do enjoy), but neither of us thought the Cabernet had rich flavor or was enjoyable.

The Blue Teal Reisling, on the other hand, was very good! Surprisingly so. Hubs is a big fan of sweet wine, and this Reisling was a bit on the sweeter side (for a Reisling), so he was in heaven. I enjoyed it, but it almost bordered on dessert wine to me. I'd definitely get it again, though!

The Voluptuous Moscato was very sweet--definitely a dessert-like wine, but it's supposed to be. The flavor was good, and it was best chilled.

Summary: New Mexican wines are worth a try. Apparently an arid climate can produce tasty grapes! Who knew?

Have you ever had a wine from a surprising place? How about New Mexican wine? What did you think? Tell me in the comments!

xoxo Sarah


Monday, April 25, 2016

U is for University (UNM) @AprilA2Z #AtoZChallenge

The main campus for the University of New Mexico, a large public university, is located right in Albuquerque. If you can't make it to the main campus, there are four satellite campuses around New Mexico.

It was founded in 1889, and is very close to Nob Hill and central Albuquerque. It offers more than 200 undergraduate degree programs, and offers a variety of associate and certificate programs as well as graduate and professional programs.

UNM is well-known for its research programs, and has a hospital associated with campus as well.

The UNM mascot is the Lobo (wolf), and their athletic teams play NCAA Division I in the Mountain West Conference.

We haven't seen any games yet, but it's definitely on our list! Hubs and I love college sports.

xoxo Sarah

Saturday, April 23, 2016

T is for Tram @AprilA2Z #AtoZChallenge

One way to get to the top of the lovely Sandia Mountains is to take the tram. The Sandia Peak Tramway begins in the foothills at the base of the Sandias and runs over two and a half miles to the top. It's one of the most popular things to do in Albuquerque.

It's supported by two towers between the first and last station, and took two years to construct. It was built by a Swiss company in the 1960s, and made its first trip up in 1966. The journey takes about fifteen minutes each way, and each tram car has a guide on it who will talk you through what you're seeing--the landscape, the different rocks, the trees.

Picture from the Summer Tram Photo Gallery
There's even a restaurant at the very top, so you can stop and have something to eat and enjoy the gorgeous views.

From the top, you can get to the Sandia Peak ski area as well as hike various trails. The tram is also one of the outlets for the La Luz Trail we discussed on L, and a lot of folks take the tram down after they've hiked all the way up.

At any rate, this is one unique way to see New Mexico!

xoxo Sarah


Friday, April 22, 2016

S is for Sandia and Skiing! @AprilA2Z #AtoZChallenge

The beautiful Sandia Mountains border Albuquerque on the eastern side. While Albuquerque itself is at about 5,500 feet in elevation, Sandia Crest is its highest point at 10,678 feet, and the mountains provide a lot to do.

Hiking is a popular activity, and from the Crest, you have breathtaking views of Albuquerque and beyond. There are over twenty trails, and they range from easy to very difficult, so there's plenty to satisfy every hiker.

Sandia Peak is also known for its skiing. The ski area is on the eastern side of the mountain, and is a short drive for those with the urge to enjoy some winter sports.


A photo posted by Sarah Allan (@sarahallanauthor) on

xoxo Sarah




Thursday, April 21, 2016

R is for Rio Grande @AprilA2Z #AtoZChallenge

The Rio Grande ("Grand River" or "Big River" in Spanish, in case you've never really thought about it) runs from Colorado into New Mexico and then forms the border between Mexico and Texas as it empties out into the Gulf of Mexico.

The Rio Grande runs through Albuquerque, and you can enjoy it in non-motorized craft. There's a lot of wildlife to see near the river, and the plant-life is green in the desert landscape.

There's even a Rio Grande Nature Park Center in northwest Albuquerque, which is worth a look!

See you next time for S! I hope you're enjoying the blogfest.

xoxo Sarah

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Q is for Queso @AprilA2Z #AtoZChallenge

As you've seen from H is for Hatch Chiles, they're the bee's knees in New Mexico and they're in everything here. Creme brulee, bagels, wine (no, I'm not kidding), and one friend even ordered a lobster roll with green chiles. Being from New England, she was not thrilled with the result, but that's not the point. The point is, New Mexicans love their chiles, even putting them in things that, well, probably shouldn't be tampered with.

But queso isn't one of them. It's made for Hatch chiles.

In the interest of finding a delicious restaurant-style queso dip you lovely readers can try, I tracked down two recipes on the interwebs (Pinterest, to be specific), and taste-tested them for you.

It's a tough job, but somebody's gotta do it.

Queso Recipe #1: Roasted Hatch Chile Queso Dip from Cook Like A Champion

A photo posted by Sarah Allan (@sarahallanauthor) on

First off, this recipe was very tasty! I got the American cheese from the deli (Boar's Head brand; I'm a bit of a deli snob), and the Monterrey Jack in a block from the regular 'ol cheese section which I took home and grated. I had everything prepped and sliced ahead of time which was good, because once we started, this dip came together quickly. I had a can of Hatch Green Chiles (whole), and there were probably 10 of them in the can, already skinned and seeded. They'd actually be perfect for stuffing, but that's for another time. Anyway, I chopped up two of them, and I think this recipe could actually use a third. These were very mild, but had a nice, sweet flavor to them. I was actually a little disappointed that it didn't have more heat and wasn't quiiiite as flavorful as I'd expected. The dip thickened very quickly once it was off the heat, and we microwaved it the next day (adding about a tablespoon of milk to thin it out and microwaving it in 30 second intervals, stirring after each) and it was just as good.

Queso Recipe #2: Roasted Hatch Chile Queso Dip from The Wicked Noodle

A photo posted by Sarah Allan (@sarahallanauthor) on


Though the other queso dip was good, this one was the clear winner! It had a stronger chile flavor (it uses 3 chiles instead of 2), and we thought it would be even better with another chile added. The Mexican cheese blend was better as well. It was very thick while mixing, but thinned out readily when the half-and-half was added. It also didn't firm up so much as it cooled that you couldn't dip a chip, a complaint we had about the first recipe.

Time for me to go warm some up and enter another cheese coma!

What's your favorite queso?

xoxo Sarah


Tuesday, April 19, 2016

P is for Petroglyph National Monument @AprilA2Z #AtoZChallenge

Picture from Wikipedia
Petroglyph National Monument falls under the National Park Service, and stretches along Albuquerque, New Mexico's west mesa. As the NPS website says, "Petroglyph National Monument protects on of the largest petroglyph sites in North America, featuring designs and symbols carved into volcanic rocks by Native Americans and Spanish settlers 400 to 700 years ago. These images are a valuable record of cultural expression and hold profound spiritual significance for contemporary Native Americans and for the descendants of the early Spanish settlers."

There's a visitor's center, but there aren't any petroglyph viewing areas there, so you'll have to go to the trails, which you can hike.

There are three trails where you can see petroglyphs and one without any. It's very neat to be able to be up close and personal with such vivid history.

xoxo Sarah



Monday, April 18, 2016

O is for October: Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta @AprilA2Z #AtoZChallenge

Considered to be the most photographed event in the world, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is the largest ballooning event in the U.S. and is held every October.

A photo posted by Sarah Allan (@sarahallanauthor) on

The Fiesta has many events, including mass ascensions, special shapes, and even special events and competitions.

What makes ballooning in Albuquerque so good? It's what's known as the Albuquerque box--predictable wind patterns that are great for ballooning. Below is a diagram of how the winds in the Albuquerque box work from Balloon Fiesta Park. The balloons rise and are taken south by southerly winds, then rise and are swept north in the higher altitude by northerly winds. When they drop in altitude, they are caught by the southerly winds again which bring them back to the park.

Pic from Wikipedia

Of course, things don't always go so neatly, so each balloon has pilots and crew. This includes people to keep track of and chase the balloons down and help load them back up after landing.

If you visit, going up in a balloon can be quite expensive (during the Fiesta they're more expensive and run about $300 per person, give or take) but it might be worth it if it's on your bucket list!

Otherwise, enjoy the festival and the colorful balloons.

xoxo Sarah



Saturday, April 16, 2016

N is for Nob Hill #AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z @abqnobhill

Nob Hill in Albuquerque is actually named after Nob Hill in San Francisco, and is considered to be the commercial area alongside Central Avenue (which we discussed on C day as also being U.S. Route 66) and the surrounding residential areas. Nob Hill is east of the University of New Mexico, and encompasses a roughly square shape that runs from Lomas on the north side, Girard on the west, Garfield/Zuni to the south, and Washington on the east.

Nob Hill (which turns 100 this year) is a vibrant community filled with locally-owned shops and restaurants. Events are often held along Central (like Route 66 Summerfest).

It's a great place to enjoy a small-community feel in a city, and a wonderful place to enjoy a night out, whether you want to go to the cinema, go dancing, or enjoy a nice meal out.


A photo posted by Sarah Allan (@sarahallanauthor) on


Stay tuned for O!

xoxo Sarah

Friday, April 15, 2016

M is for Museum (Nuclear Science & History) #AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z

The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History (yes, I'm aware it technically starts with N, but I'm taking liberties here) is located in Albuquerque, and is a great way to spend some time.

A photo posted by Sarah Allan (@sarahallanauthor) on

We've gone once so far and we had a great time. It's easy to get to, has plenty of parking, and, best of all, is very interesting.

When we visited, there was a Modern Marvels from the History Channel show that they broadcast in the little theater. It was about 45 minutes long, and gave a great history of the Manhattan Project and nuclear science in general. It was worth watching before we went and explored the rest of the museum because we found we recognized names, locations, and dates from the show as we walked around.

The museum itself isn't huge, but it's laid out in a way that makes it easy to explore. There are interactive and kid-friendly areas scattered about and not one large kid area--great to hold their interest as you all walk through. The exhibits are labeled well and are often in chronological order, so you can follow nuclear history through...history.

There are special exhibitions as well, so check their website to see what's there.

I'd definitely go back, and I'd encourage anyone visiting Albuquerque to budget half a day or so to this fun museum.

xoxo Sarah

Thursday, April 14, 2016

L is for La Luz Trail #AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z

Picture from Wikipedia
The La Luz Trail is an approximately 8 mile hiking trail that leads from the base of the Sandia Mountains to Sandia Crest.

It's a strenuous trail and folks attempting it should be in appropriate physical condition. Be sure to leave enough time to do the loop (or take the tram down), bring plenty of water and snacks, and to wear proper gear.

It offers lovely views of Albuquerque and the surrounding area.

No, we haven't done the trail yet, but it's on our list of things to explore!

xoxo Sarah

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

K is for Kirtland AFB #AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z

Kirtland Air Force Base is a big part of Albuquerque. It's in the southeast part of the city, and adjacent to Albuquerque International Sunport (the airport).

It was born out of three private airfields in the late 1920s, and actual construction was completed in the early 1940s. Before it was named for Col. Roy C. Kirtland, it was known as Albuquerque Army Air Base. During WWII, B-17 and B-24 bombers were trained there. After the war, the base was placed under a different command and took up the task of test flight activities for the Manhattan Engineering District, the same organization that produced the atomic bomb.

In 1973, Kirtland enlarged due to the combining of Kirtland, Manzano, and Sandia bases.

Kirtland is also celebrating its 75th anniversary this year!

It's currently the sixth largest base in the U.S. Air Force, and is known for being home to the Nuclear Weapons Center, and is also home to other well-known research facilities such as Sandia National Laboratories.

Stay tuned for N!

xoxo Sarah


Tuesday, April 12, 2016

J is for Jackrabbit #AtoZChallenge @AprilA2Z

New Mexico has a variety of interesting wildlife in general, including Black-Tailed Jackrabbits which inhabit a good portion of the state.

Picture from Wikipedia

Even stranger, though, is that New Mexico--the southern bit, anyway--is home to jaguars. They're extremely rare, but they are listed as a native species.

So, of all the interesting things that can kill you on your outdoor explorations--snakes, falling, etc.--fierce felines are also on the list. They're not common, though, because most of New Mexico is dry and desert-y, and jaguars prefer places with trees. So just watch out for the mountain lions and you'll be all set.

xoxo Sarah