New Mexico Trip #3

Good afternoon readers! I am running on about 4 hours' sleep, a cup of coffee, a cup of green tea and a 16 oz Rockstar energy drink - I'm kinda just waiting for the crash at this point. Why am I so sleep deprived? I arrived back in Raleigh at 1:00 AM this morning and then endured about an hour of bag claiming, car shuttle riding and driving back to my place after spending a wonderful weekend with my amazing hubby! Gushy and gross, I know. You'd be the same way if you and your significant other were apart for a month. So buckle up and get comfy, readers! This-un's a long one!

Thursday

I arrived in Albuquerque at 10:30 PM Thursday (that's 12:30 AM to my body) and was greeted with a black bean and vegetable stuffed pita and a giant hug. I cried a little bit...I was just so happy to see that sandwich -- uh! I mean that husband of mine! We drove back to Los Alamos and I'm not ashamed to admit I fell asleep in the car and woke up covered in drool.

Friday

Friday morning saw another trip to Nate's new haunt: Morning Glory (original review found here). I decided to give one of their burritos a try and it was phenomenal! I got the Hilltopper Burrito which was filled with eggs, perfectly seasoned hash browns, cheese, bell peppers, diced tomatoes, onions and mounds of delicious chile! The burrito was almost beyond words. The thing was enormous first of all and gave me plenty of energy for the hike around Bandelier National Park. Go to Morning Glory and get yourself one immediately, I'll wait. I had also ordered another Morning Glory muffin - a muffin I have literally been pining over for a month as a post-hike snack. When we got back into the Jeep after our 2 hour hiking excursion, I was MOST DISAPPOINTED (sorry-not-sorry that I had a meltdown that involved a temper tantrum) to find that I was not given the fruity, crunchy and moist pastry I had ordered but instead a Banana Nut disappoint-Muffin. I was very upset whilst eating it. I hate-ate that muffin.

After breakfast but before the disappoint-muffin, we decided to check out Bandelier National Monument. We had gone a few years ago with his parents in the fall and were eager to check it out again. The weather couldn't have been more perfect for this! It was sunny, dry and about 85 degrees with a slight breeze. It made hiking around the cliff dwellings very enjoyable. Bandelier is quite the experience. Visitors are required to take a 30 minute shuttle bus ride from White Rock, New Mexico (suburb of Los Alamos) to the Monument and the price is pretty steep - $20/vehicle but it's definitely worth it. The cliff dwellings are preserved and in some cases can be explored by visitors. There are self as well as Ranger-guided tours of the dwellings available and miles upon miles of hiking and backpacking trails surrounding the picturesque landscape.

I am afraid of heights and some of the dwellings can be a little harrowing to get to - namely the Alcove House. This dwelling is about 1/2 a mile from the "main hike" and set on the side of a cliff. Yes, you read that correctly, on the side of a cliff. The only way up is a series of about 20 foot ladders and narrow footpaths. I took some convincing to go up but the view was spectacular. Miles and miles of sky and mountains. It was the kind of scenery that makes my heart ache for New Mexico.

After the hike and subsequent shuttle bus ride, Nate and I decided to head over to the Jemez House Thrift Shop located at 13 Sherwood Blvd, Los Alamos, NM 87544. This store is always filled with great stuff and occasionally run special "$5 Bag Days" which involves anything you can fit into a large paper bag totaling $5. I've gotten work clothes, a winter coat, an adorable mini cooler and board games all in near-perfect condition! Like most thrift stores you have to dig a little bit but everything seems to be in pretty decent condition. This trip I got myself an L.L. Bean button up shirt and a Sierra Nevada t-shirt!

Still in the thrifting mood, we checked out the newly moved and remodeled Seeking Chameleon antique store located at 35 Rover Blvd, White Rock, NM 87544. We discovered this gem of a store during Nate's first summer in Los Alamos and fell in love. Vintage Pyrex your thing? They have tons of it (a significant portion of which resides in my kitchen). Old coins? Vintage jewelry or glassware? They have tons! They recently moved and the store is absolutely filled with great finds (and occasionally smells like bacon due to the Pig + Fig restaurant located next door)! I bought myself two vintage Pyrex mixing bowls, a darling Corning-made measuring cup, and Nate got a cute little picture. Could've easily spent more money there. Probably would've if not for the task of transporting them back to Raleigh.

We attempted to pay the Don Quioxe winery in White Rock but they have apparently moved their tasting room without updating their website or signage. Another disappointment.

Have you ever had the urge to grab a drink while you're shopping for produce? Your tiny screaming demon child throwing a tantrum because you won't buy them the Hot Wheels toy they didn't know existed until 2 seconds ago and your only thought is "this sound would go much better with beer"? Well, the Atomic Bar & Grill located Smith's Marketplace at 751 Trinity Dr, Los Alamos, NM 87544 may be the place for you! This grocery store is more comparable to a compound. They sell everything from name brand clothing and shoes and regular grocery items to lawn furniture, Starbucks, sushi and freshly made ready-to-eat foods. And in the center of it all is the Atomic Bar & Grill. They have a handful of seats a the bar with a few additional stools along the perimeter of the half-walls separating the bar from the grocery stores and 3 high definition televisions. The bar offers draft and bottled beers and a wine-on-tap system and a selection of sandwiches, paninis and pizzas made at the nearby deli counter.

Décor: the décor is the surrounding aisles of beers, loaves of bread and produce.

Food appearance: we ordered two Manhattan Project Paninis. Smoked gouda cheese, white cheddar cheese and delicious chopped green chile sandwiched between crunchy sourdough bread and served with a spicy pickle spear. Since you are located in a grocery store, the sandwiches were served in plastic take-out style containers.  

Food taste: everything was excellent and exactly what I was craving after a day of hiking and thrifting. It was cheesey, melty, spicy, salty, crunchy and oh-so-good. It also paired nicely with the two glasses of Rose I enjoyed during their happy hour.

Service: the staff is friendly and helpful. Our bartender came over and took our order, followed back up with us a few times and offered us samples of a punch she'd made. I observed a few "regulars" who had a running banter with the other bartender so they must be doing something right.


Cleanliness: everything was clean and orderly.


I would recommend a trip down to the Atomic Bar & Grill if for no other reason than the novelty of going to a bar located inside a grocery store. You can also check out there if you only have a few items. I also advise carrying cash for tips, there is unfortunately no way to tip on a credit card.


On our way back home, we made a stop at the Rose Chocolatier at 149 Central Park Square, Los Alamos, NM 87544 for a sweet treat of assorted house-made truffles. I can't even remember all the flavors we got other than they were all scrumptious. The Chocolatier also has house-made pastries and a coffee bar. And of course, a trip to Los Alamos wouldn't be complete without a trip (or several) to Bathtub Row Brewing Co-Op. 

Saturday

The third Saturday of every month, the Masons in Los Alamos host a waffle breakfast that benefits different youth charities in the community. $7 gets you unlimited Belgian waffles, scrambled eggs, crispy bacon and succulent sausage and a whole mess of toppings! What's not to love?! Nate and I decided to check it out and were so stuffed after our 1 waffle and bowl of eggs each we thought we were about to go into a coma! Best part? Money goes straight to helping the community!

This weekend was Los Alamos' Sciencefest - a weekend full of events and activities mainly geared toward children but with a few adult-centered activities (i.e. a beer and wine garden). We went to the PBS Science Café presentation of NOVA Invisible Universe Revealed at the Nature Center about the 25th anniversary of the Hubble Telescope with a presentation afterwards. The documentary itself was incredible (you can find it on YouTube) but the talk was a little science-heavy for my taste. And a little long when you're sitting in planetarium-style chairs. Still an overall enjoyable experience. The Los Alamos Nature Center at 2600 Canyon Rd, Los Alamos, NM 87544 is small but an excellent educational opportunity (especially for youngsters!) as the docent on duty stated "we explain the natural history of Los Alamos". There are live animals and insects on exhibit and several observation windows overlooking the nearby canyon with spectacular natural views. 

After the video presentation, Nate and I went over to Ashley Pond to partake in the beer and wine garden and live music.

When we were eventually hungry again, we made a stop to El Parasol. El Parasol is a local chain with a few locations scattered between Santa Fe and Los Alamos. We visited the 1903 Central Ave, Los Alamos, NM 87544 location.

Décor: the restaurant hosts several long connected tables with a few single tables scattered around the wall. Probably about 50 seats in all. The beautifully carved wood chairs prominently feature the New Mexican zia symbol. There is a large natural rock façade on one wall.

Food appearance: everything is served to-go style in foil, wax papers or Styrofoam boxes.

Food taste: I ordered the vegetarian burrito which was stuffed with pinto beans, cheese, red and green chile (aka Chrismas), broccoli and guacamole. Once again, the burrito was gigantic but didn't skimp on the quality. It was utterly delicious.

Service: there are no "servers". You walk up and order from the counter. They call your number and you pick up your food yourself.

Cleanliness: the restaurant was exceptionally clean even down to the bathrooms.

Definitely give El Parasol a try if you're in the region! The chile is hot, the food is huge and there's a vegetarian menu!

Sunday

After a quick stop for bagels at Ruby K's, yesterday was spent mainly at the AT&T store upgrading cell phones. I finally have (well, unfortunately not in my possession yet) a current generation iPhone! Yes, I sold my soul (and probably also my first-born child) to get an iPhone 7 and will unfortunately be saying goodbye to my beloved "Shark-phone". I realize most of you have no idea what this means but just take my word that I'm pretty heartbroken about not being able to use my shark-shaped phone case anymore but will instead have "Cactus-phone". 

After the 2 hour telephone situation, we made a quick stop at Marble Brewery for a few beers with my dad. It was nice to catch up with him, especially on a beautiful day with a cold beer in hand. Marble Brewery currently operates 3 taprooms in the Albuquerque area. Hard to believe it was only 1 when we moved away! Yesterday their flagship location (111 Marble Ave NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102) hosted a bluegrass festival. Granted we only heard the first band but I would be hard pressed to call them "bluegrass". They were folksy dad-rock at best. Not bad to listen to just not as advertised. We sat on their beautiful rooftop patio and watched a quick-moving storm come up from the north.

I then returned home and now here we are. Typing away reflecting on my wonderful weekend. Stay tuned for upcoming recipes! Have a great evening, readers!