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As we bid farewell to 2023, Tom and I would like to express our deep sense of gratitude to all our family, friends, and guests. When it is all said and done, it is you all who make possible everything that we do and the experiences that we offer in Abiquiu, New Mexico. This year we experienced both highs and lows. We had a wonderful season where many of you traveled to The Grand Hacienda and Abiquiu, and others followed along through social media. We published a beautiful book on Abiquiu and introduced new technology to simplify the online experience. We introduced new recipes and expanded our food offerings. We used new seasonings, herbs, and spices discovered during our off-season travels through South America. But we also lost several loved ones this year, including my mother, both of Tom’s sisters, and his aunt. Our small Abiquiu neighborhood lost two close friends. For those who couldn't travel this year due to health concerns, know that you are missed and loved. Through it all, 2023 was a year of blessings and holding tight to our family, friends, guests, and all those who love this community. 2023 Recap We welcomed both first-time guests and many returning guests back to The Grand Hacienda. What a wonderful year – from preparing meals made with love, sharing this beautiful land, and spending time with so many of you. Together we watched the eclipse; agreed on the best wines through wine tastings; hiked this amazing land; explored the lake; honored the Tewa and Navajo who lived here before us; celebrated Georgia O’Keeffe; rested, relaxed, and renewed our spirits; and shared laughter and love. We thank you all – you all are the inspiration behind what we do each and every day. Here at The Grand Hacienda, we celebrated some important achievements this year. For the first time, we closed during the off-season. We didn’t make this decision lightly – but in the end, we joined in with O’Keeffe Home and Studio Tours, New Wave Rafting, the Lavender Farm and so many other businesses that close during the winter months. Mother Nature is not always kind, especially in northern New Mexico. We used this time to reset, update the property, travel, enjoy new experiences, take cooking classes, create new menus, and relax! We continued to focus on health, wellness, and longevity – so Tom will have more updates for all of you interested in that. We thank all of you who organized your travel in the spring, summer, and fall months when we are open. This year’s guests came to us from two countries and sixteen different states. 15% of you came from our home state of New Mexico, followed by Colorado, Texas, and California. The rest of you represented Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Washington.  We also welcomed travelers from Mexico and England. 95% of you made your reservations directly with us, through the website, mobile phone, or by calling. We launched a new reservation system which simplified the availability calendar and online reservation process. The reservation process allows our guests to personalize their experience by selecting packages and services and sharing dietary preferences. It’s now easier than ever to book online. Remember, you will never pay booking fees when you book directly with us, and you will always receive the lowest price. Our repeat guests also get our “BestGuest” discount when they book directly! Gone are the days of being charged booking fees for reserving through third-party sites! We are thrilled and honored to have been selected to join a partnership with the Select Registry family of distinctive inns. Select Registry accepts properties that are deemed to be authentic accommodations that showcase local culture, artisanal craftsmanship, locally sourced food, and personalized recommendations. We love our partnership with this organization and the benefits it offers our guests. Another milestone was publishing Discover Abiquiu from A to Z! This book was authored by Carolyn and illustrated by guest Wendy Cuyler. It’s a wonderful book that allows you to relive your Abiquiu memories, page by page. It is a family book that can be enjoyed by adults and children equally. The book is available for $32 online at The Grand Hacienda Mercado, through Amazon, or locally at The Grand Hacienda Mercado, Abiquiu Inn, Café Sierra Negra, and Nest Gift Shop. It's becoming a local bestseller! Since the book arrived from the printer in late September, we’ve sold 94 copies and we are so thankful!! If you bought a copy, please leave us a review on Amazon as that will help others find the book! The Grand Hacienda remains committed to supporting our local community and local businesses. We are only as strong as our surrounding community. From hiring locally, shopping locally, and generous donations, we recognize that we are all better when working together.  Finally, we are honored to have received several awards this year: Sustainability Distinction from Booking.com, Wellness All-Star from Select Registry, Certificate of Excellence from Hotel.Social, Best Cultural Accommodation in Northern New Mexico award from New World Report Awards, and Top-Rated Lodging from TripAdvisor. Abiquiu Happenings Have you seen Oppenheimer or Surrounded? Both were filmed in Abiquiu this year. Oppenheimer is the story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb. Surrounded is about former Buffalo Soldier Mo Washington who travels West to lay claim on a gold mine. Ghost Ranch now offers Oppenheimer set tours. Ghost Ranch also hosted the Blossom & Bones music festival this year, featuring Spoon, Yola, Japanese Breakfast, The Breeders, and more. A Look Ahead to 2024 As we turn our attention to 2024, we look forward to delivering another great year of travel experiences, pleasure, and the great food and relaxation you expect from us. On some level, we always have you in mind as we prepare for the new year. Our guests are an inspiration to us. So, thank you! We re-open after the winter season on May 1 and look forward to welcoming you all back to our paradise. Reservations are now being taken for 2024 and 2025. We continue to focus on sustainability and health/wellness, and you will find new recipes and more plant-based options on the menu in 2024. Our greenhouse will be loaded with more herbs, sprouts, and veggies – and what we cannot grow, we try to buy locally. 2024 travel trends indicate that people remain captivated by travel, and the desire for a travel “experience”, wellness, and sustainability is rapidly increasing. Our promise to you is to deliver a true New Mexican “experience”, not just a stay. In terms of Abiquiu happenings, the Blossom & Bones music festival at Ghost Ranch will take place September 13 and 14 (line up not yet announced). The Abiquiu Studio Tour will take place on October 5, 6, and 7, 2024. Thank you, on behalf of everyone at The Grand Hacienda. We wish you and your loved ones a happy New Year, a year of good health, and great travel. 2024 - we are excited for you! Carolyn & Tom Calfee thegrandhacienda.com

If you follow social media - pick one: Facebook, Instagram, X, Linked In, Threads or TikTok - then you've likely heard our big news: we finally published our book, Discover Abiquiú from A to Z! We are so excited! (For those of you now asking where the cookbook is...it's coming next!) Now, we want to share some of the back story that led to the creation of this book. Being involved in the hospitality industry in Abiquiú for over twenty years, first with vacation rental homes and more recently with The Grand Hacienda Inn, we’ve had a lot of time to reflect on travel experiences in the area. We are proud to have helped shape lodging choices in the area in the most beautiful, sacred places. Our goal has always been to give our guests exposure to memorable, travel-like-a local experiences and provide a sense of place where they are staying. Part of what drove my husband and I to leave the security of careers in the financial industry and move to Abiquiú is our absolute love for this place…and our desire to share it with others because it is really that special. Maybe because of our location, our guests all tend to be like-minded and share our love for Abiquiú; this is part of what drives us on a daily basis with The Grand Hacienda and Discover Abiquiu. Our guests feel the energy this ancestral, indigenous land provides. Georgia O’Keeffe was right when she said, “It's something that's in the air, it's different. The sky is different, the wind is different," as she described Abiquiú. Because it IS different here, and we want our guests to experience this version of Abiquiú…not a rushed, see-as-much-as-you-can-in-a-day, focus on Georgia O'Keeffe, type of visit. You know what we mean – the version of traveling through a place so quickly that you leave being able to check-the-box and say you came and saw -- you have a few pictures to prove it -- but you really don’t leave with a sense of the place. You may have seen the popular, tourist highlights, but you missed the essence of the region. We call that a tourism fail. So many -- too many -- people experience Abiquiú in a rushed day. They stay in Santa Fe because that is familiar, and they pop into Abiquiú for a day, quickly doing an O’Keeffe Home and Studio Tour (if they are lucky and got tickets in advance) and throw in a Ghost Ranch tour, before dashing back to Santa Fe before it gets too dark. This type of Abiquiú visit hurts…because you miss so much of what Abiquiú is really about, you leave with a very weak understanding and a superficial connection. For many, their memory is limited to Georgia O’Keeffe's Abiquiú, and yet she would be the first one to explain that there is a long history and amazing geologic wonders that took place here long before O'Keeffe ever set foot in the village. Don’t get me wrong. O’Keeffe was a powerful force in Abiquiú. She is one of the people I would most love to have at my table if I could choose any five people from any time to meet. I idolize her – not just for her raw talent and creative lens, but for her bravery, her determination, and for living life her way according to her rules. I love the tours of her homes and places she painted, I loving seeing the actual vistas she painted and then analyzing her paintings to contemplate her interpretation, I absolutely love the wonderful O'Keeffe Welcome Center in town, its gift shop and its staff. But, she is just a small part of the history and legacy of the village of Abiquiú. We want our guests to learn about Abiquiú - thus the name "Discover Abiquiú. The history, architecture and blended cultures. The land and geologic formations; impacts of volcanoes, rifts and plateaus. The dinosaurs and woolly mammoths and the history of the Indigenous, Native and Spanish peoples. The Spanish Trail, nearby pueblos, cliff dwellings and petroglyphs. And, more current impacts: the formation of the lake and the dam; of course, O’Keeffe and Ghost Ranch; and so much more. The harmonious interaction with the location and environment. We want our guests to feel the connection -- call it spiritual, call it energy -- whatever it is to you, it is -- in fact -- different here. Connection to place. We know that most of our guests, once they feel this connection, they want to take that positive, good feeling home with them. And that is what first got me thinking about this book, long before the book had form or even a title. It was a goal to create a tangible, lasting connection to Abiquiú. This Abiquiú experience -- the connection -- I wanted them to be able to take that feeling home with them, to cherish, to ignite memories of their trip, until they could return again. With that as the backdrop, Discover Abiquiú from A to Z was born! A 60 page, beautifully illustrated book that highlights the sights, sounds and discoveries of Abiquiú and northern New Mexico. From Abiquiú to Zozobra, this book will take you on an alphabetical journey through Abiquiú's heart and soul. With original, breathtaking illustrations and informative text, "Discover Abiquiú" is sure to resonate with all you love about Abiquiú, and also teach you a few things along the way. We LOVE how it turned out! Who is we, you ask? Three years ago the idea for this book formed and I had it in my head, but what I didn’t have was a way to illustrate the words or give a sense of feeling to the pages. Over breakfast one morning, our wonderful guest Wendy Cuyler and her husband Chris suggested we put together a cookbook. I explained that the cookbook was on my list, but only after this book in my head materialized…I told her I was stuck as I needed not just AN illustrator, but THE illustrator who could help with the mission to bring Abiquiú to life through its pages. Wendy, an amazing artist, just so calmly and matter of factly said, “OK, I will illustrate it.” Just like that. But what Wendy then did blew me away. I sent her the A to Z topics and the draft language and she created full size, authentic paintings for each page. 28 paintings in all. Amazingly beautiful representations of Abiquiú. A perfect partnership, a perfect fit, a perfect vision. I then set out to find the perfect person to do the layout and editing. We found another person who shares the love of Abiquiú – Anne Marie Arndt from 24 25 Creative. She was able to take my writing and Wendy’s art and blend them into love and beauty across each page. So, yes, A is for Abiquiu, G is for Ghost Ranch and O is for O’Keeffe, but there is so much more to learn about the Abiquiú area on each page. Everything about the dam and the electricity it produces is under D is for Dam. The Native American Tewa were some of the first inhabitants of this land have secured the letter T. The letter Z expands a bit out of Abiquiú into Santa Fe for Zozobra, because even in Abiquiú it is important to release negativity in our lives. From A to Z, we hope you will follow us on a journey through Abiquiú. The rest is book history, so to speak. Three years later, our book is published, printed, delivered (after losing them all in San Francisco for a few weeks) and on shelves. We are so excited to share it with you all. Just in time for the holidays, you can order the book online through The Grand Hacienda Mercado website or through Amazon….or buy it directly in the Abiquiú area at The Grand Hacienda B&B Inn, The Shop at The Abiquiú Inn, or at Café Sierra Negra. We hope to expand distribution over the next few months. We thank all of you – our guests, friends, family and followers – for encouraging us to continue pursuing our dream to create a book that allows everyone to share the love of Abiquiú between the pages of the book and serve as a constant reminder of the beautiful energy, land and cultures in this tiny village we call home. Purchasing Information: Online at The Grand Hacienda Online through Amazon Locally at The Grand Hacienda, The Shop at Abiquiu Inn or Cafe Sierra Negra. Book Details ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CK7BGCRP Publisher ‏ : ‎ Self Published (October 11, 2023) Language ‏ : ‎ English Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 60 pages ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8218025694 Author: Carolyn Calfee Illustrator: Wendy Cuyler Designer: Anne Marie Arndt ### #discoverabiquiu #discoverabiquiufromatoz #booktok #booksofinstagram #abiquiu #ghostranch #okeeffe #love #zozobra #santafe #abiquiulake #abiquiudam #goodreads #thegrandhacienda #thegrandhacienda #2425creative #wendycuyler #carolyncalfee #ReadWithUs #bookclub #2425creative #ghostranch #georgiaokeeffe #zozobra

Discover Abiquiú from A to Z Published, printed and shipped to New Mexico, Discover Abiquiú From A to Z is finally on our bookshelf! I had the idea for this book for some time, but I needed the right illustrations to bring the story to life. One morning over breakfast at The Grand Hacienda Inn, our guest who quickly became a friend, Wendy Cuyler, asked if we would consider creating a cookbook for our breakfast recipes. I explained that the cookbook project was on the list, but not until I published Discover Abiquiu from A to Z…my book which was on hold because I hadn’t found the perfect person to illustrate the pages. Lo and behold, Wendy - a renown artist - jumped at the chance to bring the book to life through her art. Almost two years later, the book is published, printed and stocked! Wendy isn't just an artist -- she is THE perfect artist for this project. She painted 28 original paintings for the book, and they are fabulous. We combined my writing with her artwork and violá -- the book magically came to life. Last week a large truck pulled up to The Grand Hacienda Inn and began to unload a pallet loaded with boxes and boxes of the book. You can’t even imagine our joy receiving this shipment. We ripped open the boxes to find the book – more beautiful than we imagined – and opened the cover to expose page after page. After working on this book, this piece of art, for so long…it’s a dream finally realized. The A to Z descriptions tell a story and the corresponding original paintings bring the story to life. We love the village of Abiquiú and northern New Mexico, and we love bringing the area to life in this new book. A is for Abiquiu, B is for Bodes, C is for Ceolophylis…page by page, the reader takes a journey through the village of Abiquiú and northern New Mexico. With each turn of a page, you will be reminded of all that makes the area so special, even magical. Two pages are devoted to each alphabetical letter – one page describes the location or object and the corresponding page holds a visual of the subject. But these aren’t just ordinary pictures – each started as an original, authentic canvas painting. The book highlights history, culture, events, stories, people and beauty of the region. From dinosaurs and volcanoes, cattle rustlers and Ghost Ranch, lakes and rivers, Tewa and Navajo, to artist Georgia O’Keeffe – original, breathtaking illustrations and detailed descriptions are your companion while you discover Abiquiú from A to Z! A perfect memento for everyone who loves the village of Abiquiu, a treasure for those of you who have visited the area and returned home with so many incredible memories, or a gift for someone dear to you – Discover Abiquiu From A to Z will be a treasure for every bookshelf or coffee table in your home. Your Signed Copy is Waiting for You Now! Order Discover Abiquiú from A to Z through this link for a signed copy. Each book retails for $32 - you can have it shipped for $5 or pick up your copy at The Grand Hacienda. It takes a village - about the Author, Illustrator and Designer Author Carolyn Calfee is the owner of Abiquiú’s luxury bed and breakfast inn, The Grand Hacienda Estate. Carolyn and her husband, Tom, live on Abiquiú Lake and have a great appreciation for the history, culture, and geology of the area. In Discover Abiquiú from A to Z, she takes her readers on a visual and written journey through the region, sharing her love and knowledge of area sights while pages come alive with gorgeous, captivating illustrations. Wendy Cuyler is a renown artist and designer, making her home in Midland, Texas, with her husband, Chris. “I love finding beauty in hidden places, like a surprise that takes your breath away,” Cuyler says. She came to Abiquiú on a bucket list adventure to visit where Georgia O’Keeffe painted and absolutely fell in love with the scenery and the people. “Visiting Abiquiú was like finding a missing piece of myself,” says Cuyler. The design, layout, and presentation of the book are the result of the creative vision of Anne Marie Arndt, owner of 24 25 creative. She has a long-lasting love of the area and appreciates the inspirational landscapes, rich cultural traditions, and calming remoteness. To her, it’s a magical place to discover. Book Details ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CK7BGCRP Publisher ‏ : ‎ Self Published (October 11, 2023) Language ‏ : ‎ English Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 60 pages ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8218025694 Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 years and up Author: Carolyn Calfee Illustrator: Wendy Cuyler Designer: Anne Marie Arndt Order Online Now! ###

This winter Tom and I decided to take time off and close The Grand Hacienda in the off-season (November - April). Quite frankly, we needed to reset, refocus and recharge - to do what our quests do at The Grand Hacienda – go exploring, travel, relax and unwind, and redefine. We decided to spend our newly acquired free time in a state of renewal – renewal of our wellness, our recipes, our offerings and guest experiences at The Grand Hacienda. With a focus on wellness, health, cooking and gastronomy, we set out on a long journey through Central and South America to explore culture, meet its people, experience traditional food dishes, and take new cooking classes. Our food-minded adventures introduced us to wildly different recipes and techniques, which varied from region to region. We found it easy to prepare and eat delicious, organic, clean and healthy food everywhere we went. We learned new styles of cooking that blend Spanish and indigenous influences. We experimented with herbs and spices that were new to us. We went to large and expansive fish markets and purchased fresh tuna, shrimp, crab and mahi-mahi that had just been unloaded from the boats. In fact, we spent some time watching the days' catch being unloaded from large and small ships onto trucks that delivered the fish to markets, restaurants and warehouses. Some of the large ships from deep out on the ocean unloaded fish from its frozen storage onto truck, after truck, after truck - for hours. We wondered how there could be any more fish left in the ocean! We drank incredible coffees and teas and learned more about the health benefits of both. We learned about cellular health and how food is a medicine that can be used to hold off aging. We took cooking classes...and more classes. We experimented with flavors and spices. We soaked up the sun and new cultures. We ran (literally) through the streets of villages along the way, up and down stairs and along beaches...performing endurance runs and High Intensity Interval Training....and often debating, strategizing and trying to figure out change along the way: why this with that? … do we need to change this? … should we add this? … is this idea a better approach? In addition to getting in great shape, we figured out our new strategies for The Grand Hacienda while running over those uneven, cobblestone, village streets. Our journey started in Mexico, where – like our home in New Mexico - local recipes are a blend of indigenous and Spanish influences. Most recipes contain their most important crops: corn, beans, squash, fresh fruits and vegetables, chilies, and cacti. The creativity of food was inspiring…different regions and even different villages have their own recipes – all fresh, all healthy and all delicious. So many flavors! Combining chocolate and chilies. Meats and fruits. Even insects and tacos – don’t worry, we won’t be including insects in our menu planning! The tradition of handmade tortillas. We had our fill of tacos, burritos, enchiladas, pozole and wonderful moles. The culture surrounding food is beautiful – meals are times to share with family and friends, where the love of cooking and the love of communicating over food is evident. After Mexico, we set off to Central America - first stop: Guatemala. The regional dishes were similar to Mexican cuisine, but recipes had a bit more of a Maya influence. Pepián stew is considered to be the national dish and combines roasted meat, tomatoes, chilies, seeds, cilantro, onion and spices. Guatemala is also said to be the birth place of chocolate, and the Mayans considered chocolate to be the food of the gods and cherished for its health benefits. Cacao was so precious, it was a form of currency and was traded. A highlight for us was visiting a chocolate farm and making (and eating) our own chocolate bars from cacao beans. From Guatemala we ventured into El Salvador, the smallest country in Central America. Salvadorean cuisine has an entirely different flavor profile, but still relies on indigenous foods such as corn and beans. The country dish is pupusa, a corn or rice flatbread stuffed with fillings - meats, cheese, beans, squash and loroco flower buds – and served with tomato sauce and curtido, which is a side dish of cabbage, carrots cucumbers and vegetables. Pupusas are served for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We learned that pupusas originated in El Salvador as long as 2,000 years ago! Soups are very popular…although I had to pass on the cow feet and tendon soup varieties. Continuing south, we traveled into South America, first stop: Ecuador. Did you know the famous Panama straw hats are actually made in Ecuador, with the finest hats being hand-crafted in the small village of Montecristi, Ecuador? Another important fact about Ecuador is they were the first country in the world to recognize and declare the rights of nature, that nature has a right to grow, flourish and exist, and charged the government with the responsibility to protect nature. Much effort is put into protecting Ecuador’s carbon-absorbing mangrove forests, which are actually protected under the Ecuador constitution. We thought we lived in high altitude in Abiquiú, around 6,200 feet above sea level, but the capital city of Quito has us beat at 9,350 feet above sea level. Its historic center is so well preserved that it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The varied typography and climates in the country enable Ecuadorians to grow some of the finest produce in South America. Another fun fact – Ecuador is the top exporter of bananas…chances are the last banana you ate was from Ecuador. A national dish of bolon de verde should be experienced – a baseball sized ball of dough layered with green plantains and stuffed with pork and cheese. I couldn’t bring myself to join Tom in sampling cuy (pronounced ‘kwee’) – the Ecuadorian specialty of guinea pig, but I could eat llapingachos (like potato pancakes) all day long. Ecuador has extensive shrimp and mangrove mud crab industries. Crabbers, or cangrejeros, make a living by collecting crabs that burrow in the mud under the mangrove trees, and they have taken on the role of trying to protect the mangroves by reporting illegal activities that impact the mangroves. Protecting the mangrove sites is at odds with the booming shrimp industry; shrimping farmers need more space for their shrimping pools, and too often illegally cut down the mangroves for expansion. In fact, the country has lost about 23% of its mangroves since the 1970’s, and much of that loss is due to uncontrolled expansion of shrimping pools. As we took a ride down through the river on small, long boats, we could see shrimping pool after shrimping pool, all guarded by armed guards. We left Ecuador and passed over Peru, unfortunately. Due to political unrest, Peru was not allowing visitors to enter the country. Our last country to visit was Chile. Chile is a long and narrow country – almost 2,700 miles long from north to south and only 112 miles wide from east to west. 90% of its population lives in the middle third of the country. Chile’s diverse geography and climate allows the country to produce wonderful fruits and vegetables, and menus are filled with fresh seafood choices due to the country’s long coastline. Many say the national dish is Pastel de Chocio – a corn casserole, using the corn variant called chocio, with meat. Dinners are served, and recipes enhanced, with local wines – Chile is the six-largest producer of wine in the world, behind Italy, France, Spain, the US and Australia. Have you ever enjoyed dulce de leche? This is another notable contribution to cuisine from Chile. And, of course, Chileans are very proud of their pisco – a locally produced brandy. Chile and Peru both claim to have the most authentic, highest quality version of pisco. Since we couldn’t try pisco in Peru, we gave the winning nod to Chile. Chileans have another meal each day called "once", which is a version of tea time. Families enjoy ‘once’ daily, usually between 5 – 9 pm. In addition to tea, the meal might include bread, jam, avocado, meat, cheese and cakes. Tea time is a function we definitely want to incorporate at The Grand Hacienda, with our first tea occurring over Mother’s Day weekend. Our tea time will focus on fantastic organic teas, each with their own health benefits, served in a setting to relax, calm and restore. Read more about our experience, The Art of Tea! Like Abiquiu, Chile is a dream for astronomers who love to sky gaze without light pollution. Chile is home to almost 40 observatories. From Santiago, Chile we flew back home, loaded with new ideas for recipes, coffee and tea, spices, herbs and seasonings. We left behind the recipes using insects, Guinea pigs and cows’ feet. We returned to The Grand Hacienda in April with new energy, love and invigoration…and ideas for new guest experiences…and we left behind about 60 pounds between the two of us. We look forward to welcoming you back this season, our fourth season, as we introduce new additions to our menus reflecting this adventure. We also are enhancing our focus on wellness and look forward to you joining us on this journey! Happy Travels, Carolyn and Tom www.thegrandhacienda.com

The tiny village of Abiquiú in northern New Mexico is an artist enclave – there is a collective of artists who live in the village and use the jaw-dropping beauty of the natural surroundings as inspiration for their art – whether the art form emerges from oil or watercolor; metal, wood or paper; ceramics or pottery; jewelry or clothing; photography or music. The beauty, culture and history of this area attract creative souls who are inspired by the red cliffs, reflective lake, adobe buildings, dirt roads, and surrounding mesas, hills and plains. Other artists opened studios here to follow the footsteps of renowned artist Georgia O’Keeffe, who called this area home and lived in the village and at Ghostranch. The result? The village and surrounding area is home to many incredible artists who add a creative and vibrant energy to the area. Many artists in the Abiquiú area have studios and galleries where collectors can visit. Visiting an artist’s studio can be fun, thought-provoking, and inspire creativity. Some studios and stores are open during published hours, others are open with advance reservation only. There are studios where you can see the artist at work and make purchases, galleries where you can view art, and stores where multiple artists' creations are featured and sold. Many galleries and studios are off the beaten track, set in beautiful natural settings. Whether you are devoted to one artist or interested in multiple artists – a day of art in Abiquiú will not disappoint. ABIQUIÚ ARTIST STUDIO AND GALLERY VISITS Please note that many artists’ galleries are by appointment only, and you must contact them in advance to schedule a showing. Below is a list of artists that have studio and gallery visits. ARMANDO ADRIAN-LOPEZ Painting and 3D Mixed-Media Gallery/Studio Gallery open by appointment only. Artist Statement Armando Adrian-López, a Mexican-born artist now residing in the United States, works primarily with two mediums, painting & 3D mixed-media. Armando Adrian-López's techniques and inspiration are gathered from the Old European Master and the Latin American Magical Realists of the 20th Century. "My life is not separate from my art; my life is art and has always been art. I am, for all intent and purposes, self-taught. I have an unshakable belief in La Unidad, Unity in all things. I believe we are all connected to everything and everyone. I see myself as a spiritual storyteller; the narrative-symbolic allows me to tell a story in which I am not the sole interpreter; the viewer is also an interpreter. My imagery is intentionally accessible and universal by way of archetypes that are open and flexible enough to allow for many interpretations—not one interpretation. My use of visual language, the symbolic, expresses my intent to engage the viewer in a dialogue. Through this unspoken dialogue, an intimacy arises and the space to dream, imagine, contemplate—that, to me, is freedom." Contact | Follow Website: https://armandolopez.com Instagram: @armandoadrianlopez Phone: (505) 685-4585 Email: armando@armandolopez.com ARIN AND STAN BADER Folk Art, Crochet and Woodworking Gallery/Studio Las Parras. Open by appointment. Artists Statement: Arin and Stan own a certified organic farm with a vineyard, alfalfa hay and hemp along the Rio Chama River in Abiquiú. Arin took her first art class in high school, with the next one 32 years later in Cheyenne, Wyoming. They moved to Abiquiú in 1996. While attending an art fair at the Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, Arin met the gourd artist D. R. Nance and took his class. She then started to make feathered gourd masks, which are sold at the Abiquiú Studio Tour. Arin also makes gourd bowls, Christmas ornaments, watercolor cards and crocheted afghans. Stan creates beautiful cottonwood bird houses. Contact Email: spbader1@gmail.com Phone: 800-817-5955 JIM BAKER Mixed Media Sacred Devotional Artist Gallery/Studio Santuario El Mirador (Sanctuary with a View). Gallery open by appointment only. Artist Biography Jim Baker is a New Mexican mixed-media artist working in the creation of three dimensional devotional art. Jim’s work is strongly influenced by his years as a pastor and by his love for the Bible and sacred writings. His art uses antique religious artifacts, repurposed Bibles, reliquary altars, crosses, clay sculptures and spiritual symbols to illuminate Biblical passages, metaphors, and stories. Jim’s prayer is that his art will inspire devotion and worship of God, provoke spiritual conversations, and help to uncover the often hidden meaning in Holy Scripture. Exhibitions and Galleries Seraphym Sacred Art Gallery (Santa Fe), Santa Fe Loretto Inn and Spa (Santa Fe), Jemez Fine Art Gallery (Jemez Springs), and Convento Gallery, Espanola. Contact | Follow Website: https://www.sacredstructuresart.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SacredStructuresArt Instagram: @jimbakersacredstructures Email: jim@sacredstructures.org Phone: 615-512-4700 LISA BAKER Painting/Mixed-Media and Repurposed Personal Gallery/Studio Santuario El Mirador (Sanctuary with a View). Gallery open by appointment. Artist Biography Though I have a BFA, with an emphasis in painting, from the University of Memphis, I cannot remember the last time I finished a painting and was NOT surprised. All too often, feathered, furry and scaly friends, on the canvas, invite me to take adventures not only with them, but also within. There I find an interconnectedness with nature and a bit more self-awareness. Exhibitions and Galleries Lisa shows her art at Convento Gallery in Espanola and annually, on the Abiquiú Studio Tour. Her work has been accepted in calls for art: Millicent Rogers Museum, Taos; Arte de Descartes XIX, Taos; Fuller Lodge Art Center, Los Alamos; Abbey Arts,Canon City, CO; Ghostwolf Gallery, Albuquerque; Jemez Springs Fine Art Gallery, Jemez Springs; Lavender Festival, Purple Adobe Lavender Farm in Abiquiú. Contact | Follow Website: https://sacredwithin.us/art Email: lisa@SacredWithin.Us Phone: 615-430-9410 CONNIE BURKHART Metal Design Artist Personal Gallery/Studio Abiquiú Dome studio and gallery. Open during high season (open May through October.) Artist Biography Widely known as ‘The Dinosaur Lady’, Connie has embraced her multifaceted interests and talents to create a life that allows her to follow her dreams. She is a metal design artist, singer-songwriter, musician, mother, educator in earth sciences and a true renaissance woman! Living in canyon country where the ancient ones once walked has been a desire of hers for decades and in 2016 with her move from Lyons, CO to Abiquiú, NM, her dream became a reality. Her studio and home sit nestled near the cliffs in the Chama River valley surrounded by red rock mesas, archaeological sites and the amazing geology at the edge of the Colorado plateau. Her gallery for her metal designs has found a home the Abiquiú Dome, her unique adobe structure on HWY 84. Just a few miles away is Ghost Ranch, where she began her adventures in the art of burning metal during an Art Welding workshop. Ghost Ranch offered Connie a space to indulge in many art forms as well as ‘excavate’ her love of music, songwriting and hunting for fossils and cultural artifacts in the rich history filled land of Northern New Mexico. She is an instructor at the ranch teaching Art Welding and sharing her love of the high desert through hiking workshops and other special events. Connie's love of the Southwest flows through all of her work including the images she produces with metal, the lyrics of her songs and the stories she tells of hunting dinosaur bones or discovering ancient artifacts. Her ability to celebrate her love of art and science blends her varied interests to her businesses - a metal arts division, performance/CD division and the geology/earth science education division. For Connie, creative inspiration comes from many things, whether it be finding a treasure in a pile of scrap metal, exploring the land, watching the sunset as it washes the land in warm light or finding a sunflower that grows in the sand. Contact | Follow Website: https://connieburkhart.com Instagram: @Abiquiudome Phone: 505 484-9887 JAYE BUROS AND BILL PAGE Painted Landscapes Personal Gallery/Studio Raven in the Sun Studio. Directions: 1150 Country Road 142, Abiquiú. Take 84 south through the village of Abiquiú. Turn left at 554 to El Rito (by Mamacita’s Pizza). Drive over the Rio Chama bridge, and take a right onto 142. Artist Biography Color is such a treat for my eyes, sometimes I go outrageous and other times I can actually enjoy the subtle soft color in a face. I like to have the full range of expression. To experiment and to leave room for play. I am still emerging - so come visit and see for yourself. Wander through our gardens and enjoy the gentle beauty of Jaye Buros painted landscapes and playful paintings by Bill Page in their space, called Raven in the Sun, surrounded by adobe walls. Contact | Follow Email: jnb36@valornet.com Phone: 505-685-4159 DEBRA FRITTS Ceramic Sculpture and Mixed Media Personal Gallery/Studio Studio One Thirty Nine. Gallery visits are by appointment only. Call 505 685-9468 for reservations. Artist Biography Debra Fritts is a studio artist working in Abiquiú, New Mexico. She has national recognition for her work in ceramic sculpture through invitational exhibitions, museum exhibitions and collections, gallery representation, private collections and publications. Her sculptures are hand-built and multiple fired with a painterly glazed surface. The sculptures are a continuous story of awareness and the celebration of daily living. As a child I had dirt under my fingernails. I continue to allow the earth to feed me information for my art and daily living. Working intuitively from pounds of wet clay, forms appear and stories develop. I may be questioning an occurrence or celebrating a relationship or just being present in daily life. The search continues until I reach the core: the spiritual level of the sculpture. Then the work can speak. At the present, I am exploring new territory in the west while embracing my southern heritage. I am touching ground, getting to the basics, and listening. I hand build each sculpture, primarily using thick coils, and fire three to five times depending on the color and surface I am trying to achieve. I approach color on clay as a painter. My palette is a combination of oxides, slips, underglazes, and glazes. The form of the piece informs how I should approach the surface. Exhibitions and Galleries Debra's work is shown in her private gallery in Abiquiú, Studio One Thirty Nine, and in Leipers Creek Gallery, Nashville, Tennessee; Jones Walker Gallery, Taos, NM; Trove Gallery, Park City, Utah; Homefrocks, Canyon Road, Santa Fe, NM. Small pieces are also available in the Mercado gift store at The Grand Hacienda Inn. Contact | Follow Website: Debrafrittsartist.com Instagram: @Debrafritts Facebook: Debrafritts, Debrafrittsartist, StudioOneThirtyNine RICK HILSABECK Painter Personal Gallery/Studio Open by appointment only. Artist Biography Rick Hilsabeck was a highly successful professional actor on the Broadway stage and around the world, playing diverse roles such as The Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Dad in Billy Elliot, The Musicalamong many others. While Rick has been painting from a young age, his experience as an actor, singer, dancer, choreographer and director have greatly informed his fine art. Rick has loved color ever since he can remember and is a consummate colorist, mixing his oil paint both on the palette and directly on the canvas, board or paper. Frequently utilizing gold leaf as well as metallic pigments along with oils, acrylics and pastels, applied with brush, knife, fingers, cloth, and trowels, Rick paints impressionistic landscapes and still lifes. His current work is in abstract landscapes. He has studied at The School of The Art Institute and is a student of Colorado Impressionist painter, Chuck Ceraso, protégée of Henry Hensche. He was selected to paint in the Impressionist galleries of The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art and has shown throughout New England. Rick is happy to be painting full time now in his permanent new home and studio here in Abiquiú, where he finds limitless inspiration. He and his wife, Sarah love their new community of many gifted artists and wonderful neighbors. Rick’s work hangs in many private collections and he also accepts commissions. Exhibitions and Galleries Rick's work is exhibited at the annual Abiquiú Studio Tour and hang in many private collections throughout the country. Contact | Follow Website: www.rickhilsabeck.com Instagram: @rickhilsabeckart Phone: 203-286-9201 TAMARA KAY Jewelry Personal Gallery/Studio Jewelry is crafted and sold in her gallery, Nest, located along the Old Spanish National Historic Trail in Abiquiú. Directions: Take Hwy 84 to County Rd 162 ( if traveling from Santa Fe north on 84, the turn is on the left after Bodes...If traveling from Abiquiú Lake south on 84, the turn is on the right before Bodes. You will have the river Chama to your right on 162.) In 1.4 miles continue straight onto 167. Go 150 yards and turn left onto 166. Follow the nests and feathers. Tamara: I am a metalsmith. I love to manipulate the precious materials I work with by dapping, hammering, heating, twisting, sculpting and etching to create textures and images that, to me, are like the landscapes that surround me. I love to select unusual and collectable rare gemstones to embellish these "landscapes in metal" and bring the observer in for a closer look, much like a flower, a rock, a drop of water , or some Suessian plant can be a miracle when happened upon and truly observed. As a woman, I understand how this translates to the embellishment of the female figure. I understand the beauty that is drawn out from within when one wears something that is treasured and has a sacred connection with the wearer. I imbue this spirit into each and every piece that I create. Contact | Follow Website: www.abiquiunest.com Email: abiquiunest@gmail.com Instagram: @tamarakayjewelry Phone: 520-289-0656 HILARY LORENZ, MA, MS, MFA Large-scale Printed and Cut Paper Installations Personal Gallery/Studio StonetriggerPress. Gallery visits are by appointment only. Artist Biography In the fall of 2021, Hilary Lorenz left her home in NYC and moved to rural New Mexico to create ambitious projects that draw from her experience and infatuation with frontier living. Lorenz is a multi-disciplinary artist specializing in large-scale printed and cut paper installations. Her work in paper, wood, and mixed media revolve around her physical exploration and relationship with the natural world. Her artwork has been reviewed in NY Times, LA Times, Art in America, and Art on Paper. She received her MA and MFA from the University of Iowa in Printmaking and Intermedia. Her residencies and awards include TIDES Institute, Maine; LMCC Governors Island, NY; Yukon Arts Centre Chilkoot Trail Residency, Parks Canada; LMCC Process Space, Governors Island, NY; National Seashore C-Scape Residency, Cape Cod, MA; ARTS Tasmania, Australia; Lower East Side Printshop, New York, NY. Lorenz is a Fulbright Scholar and NEA Mid-Atlantic Fellow; her artwork has been reviewed in NY Times, LA Times, Art in America, and Art on Paper. When Hilary is not working in her studio, you can find her running in the mountains with her dogs or serving as a volunteer firefighter and EMT. Exhibitions and Galleries Lorenz is internationally exhibited, including Denver Botanic Garden, CO; Bundaberg and Gympie Regional Galleries, Australia; Sunbury Shores Art Center, New Brunswick, Canada; Wave Hill, Bronx, NY; 516Arts, Albuquerque, NM; Bridge Park Commission, Brooklyn, NY; Scuola Internazionale di Grafica, Venezia, Italia, Atelier Lacourière et Frélaut, Paris, France; National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taichung, Taiwan. Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts, Taipei, Taiwan among others. Contact | Follow Website: http://hilarylorenz.com and http://mothmigrationproject.net Instagram: @StonetriggerPress Email: hilary@hilarylorenz.com RON MILHOAN Painter Personal Gallery/Studio Gallery is located inside Cafe Sierra Negra in the village of Abiquiú. Gallery is open during Cafe open hours. Artist Statement My drawings are a direct representation of where I am at the time. I carry a sketchbook most days and enjoy the immediacy. My paintings come out of this same process. I use color to express luminosity, and abstract patterns to camouflage the narrative. This ambiguity creates the mystery. When creating my constructions I start working with recycled materials from my own paintings and drawings and from randomly collected objects, both natural and manmade. When juxtaposition occurs and an image and narrative appear I continue to work until it has meaning from fragmented memories. I find the process of making the constructions more tangible and playful, freeing me, by eliminating preconceived ideas it opens the possibilities of new discovery. Contact | Follow Website: https://ronmilhoan.com Instagram: @ronmilhoan Email: ronmelmilhoan@gmail.com LISA NEIMETH Ceramics Personal Gallery/Studio Lisa Neimeth Ceramics, located behind Bodes General Store. Open by appointment only. Artist Statement Everything inspires me. I am constantly taking note of colors in nature, food, magazines, newspapers, fashion, street art and graffiti and love seeing colors put together unexpectedly. Travel has been a big influence on my work as it heightens observation skills and offers opportunities to experience things in new ways. I have traveled extensively to Mexico, Central and South America, infusing my vision with the collecting of folk art, perusing ancient indigenous sites and wonderful age old traditions of pottery. I also spend a lot of time in the American Southwest where the tradition of pottery and combining function and design has survived thousands of years and has greatly inspired my approach to clay. I take lots of photos when I travel. They could be of color combinations, or scenarios that are juxtaposed in a way to either amuse or encourage further observation. I like to think about my plates as little tableaus to capture these recorded and observed images. Also, just living in an urban environment, I get to travel a little bit each day to new neighborhoods with new people, sights, smells and images. I bank these images which often wind up on a plate. I have always been a collector—flea markets, the beach, the woods, the street, second hand shops, the desert—basically I am always on alert to pick up an object anywhere. The vintage objects I use a lot include broken off pieces from old tourist toys that one may have purchased early in the 20th century in Mexico: an old plaster bird or just an arm from a doll. I love to use old figurines. I also use a lot of found natural objects—textured branches, pods, berries, bones...I’ll press anything into a piece of clay. I really make my work to be used, not just displayed or admired. The plates can inspire and tell a story so they are evocative in the traditional “art” sense—but are completely functional. I also love the notion of high-end craft and taking time to carefully make everyday items. It is the way things used to be made—by hand and with great care and craft. It encourages an appreciation of the everyday. Exhibitions and Galleries Lisa Neimeth Ceramics are displayed and/or sold at Sundance catalog; DeYoung Museum (San Francisco); SilverOak Vineyards (Oakville, CA); Mollers Garden Center (Palm Desert, CA); The Gardener (Berkely and San Francisco, CA); Valerianne (Scottsdale); Sarabande Home (Albuquerque); Bodes (Abiquiú); Citywoods (Highland Park, IL); Zieben Mare (Franklin, MI); and Folly Home (Santa Barbara, CA). Contact | Follow Website: www.lneimeth.com Instagram: @lisaneimethceramics Phone: 415-640-3999 Email: neimethceramics@gmail.com FRANK SHELTON Painting and Sculpture Personal Gallery/Studio Studio One Thirty Nine. Gallery visits are by appointment only. Artist Statement My process of working may best be described by paraphrasing a quote from the late Israeli artist, Moshe Kupferman. "...I first put in emotion and expression. Next, I cover it up. Then, I put in silence..." While the process and product are important to me, I feel both are dead without passion. It is the passion that sustains me as an artist and human being. Contact | Follow Website: franksheltonart.com Email: frankshelton998@gmail.com Instagram: @frankshelton_artist BRIAN THOMAS Rock Art Personal Gallery/Studio Workshop visits by appointment only. Artist Statement Rocks. Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon, let us know that, “Geologists have a saying – rocks remember.” Rocks are abundant. Often, they are in the way. In a pile, they are labor awaiting. They are in the way of your shovel, your spade, your car, your bike; they block your path and just make life more difficult. But, individually, they have a story to tell. They have been soaking in each ray of sunshine, each drop of water, every vibration and every sound for millions of years. Individually, they can be breathtaking to look at. By using them in my art, I can tell a story. A story about the beauty in differences. A story about choices, about struggles, about beauty, all from special rocks that were selected from the millions available to me. To take something that is stubbornly resistant and to help it tell a story —that is why I love working with rocks. Each rock can stand on its own, but combining it with others to form a larger meaning—that is my passion. How do I work with some of the hardest objects on our planet? Deliberately, slowly, and with great effort. Bringing Mother Nature into our homes is beneficial. Bringing eons of stories into our life helps us set our perspectives. You’ve been here for decades. They’ve been here forever. Exhibitions and Galleries Thomas' work is displayed in Abiquiu's luxury inn - The Grand Hacienda and is available for sale in the Hacienda's Mercado gift store. Contact | Follow Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abiquiu.art/ Email: abiquiuartgallery@gmail.com Instagram: @abiquiuartgallery JIM WOODSON Painter Personal Gallery/Studio Gallery on Abiquiú Lake is open by appointment only. Artist Statement Memory images serve to identify, interpret, and supplement perception. No neat borderline separates a purely perceptional image-if such there is- from one completed by memory…-Rudolf Arnheim. These paintings draw inspiration from the high deserts of the southwest, mostly in Texas and New Mexico. These “outer” landscapes are modified by “inner ones”. The inner concerns are a dialogue with dreams, memories, thought fragments and streams of consciousness. By the contextual placement or overlay of inner and outer, I hope to convey my own thoughts about the nature of imagination: to achieve a sense of the imagination’s movement (tempo) against a relatively unchanging environment (duration). I’m interested in calling attention to the act of painting as well as to how one understands visual conventions by combining self-referential marks and forms with more traditional rendering. I hope that these juxtapositions enliven the surface and create an ambiguous space that causes the viewer to question his/her notions about perceptional space. I would like to provide the viewer choices that lie between dualities like cultural and natural, perspectival and encompassed, near and far, representational and abstract, mythic time and geologic time, movement and stillness, order and chaos. I want the landscapes to be understood as a “verb” rather than a “noun”. Exhibitions and Galleries Woodson's art is displayed in the Valley House Gallery and Sculpture Garden in Santa Fe, NM. Contact | Follow Website: jimwoodsonart.com Email: jimwoodsonart@gmail.com Instagram: @jimwoodsonart Phone: 505 929-7489 ABIQUIÚ GALLERIES, SHOPS AND EXHIBITIONS In addition to artists' private galleries, there are additional places to take in the Abiquiú Art Scene. ABIQUIÚ DOME GALLERY The dome is the gallery of metal design artist, Connie B. Burkhart. In addition to Connie' art, other local artists are featured in this one-of-a-kind, earthen gallery space. The Dome is open seasonally on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am-4pm May-Oct, and weekdays by appointment (becca@abiquiudome.com) BOSSHARD GALLERY AND HISTORIC MERCANTILE John Bosshard has honored art, history and tribal cultures for over 35 years. His historic adobe compound in Abiquiú, New Mexico is a tranquil oasis overlooking the Chama River Valley, filled with hand selected treasures, from around the world and New Mexico. The Bosshard Gallery features the very best art, antiques, and handcrafted furniture from around the world, plus an Old West Collection representing Pueblo pottery, Navajo weavings, jewelry, paintings and photographs. Open Daily 10 AM - 5 PM. Located up the hill from the Bodes store, past the post office, just off Hwy 84, and directly across from the O'Keeffe home and studio in Abiquiu. Phone:(505) 685-0061 | Email: bosshard1@yahoo.com Facebook / Instagram / You Tube: Bosshard Gallery MERCADO Located within The Grand Hacienda Inn on Abiquiú Lake, the small mercado gift store includes pieces by local artist Debra Fritts and other southwest artists, as well as gift items. The Mercado also offers online shopping. If you are not staying at The Grand Hacienda, visits are by appointment only (thegrandhacienda@gmail.com). Open seasonally. NEST SHOP AND SHOWROOM Nest is the gallery of jewelry artist, Tamara Kay, and also features works by other local artists. Plus, the shop is filled with beautiful objects and treats. Nest is open seasonally. Email - abiquiunest@gmail.com. THE SHOP AND GALLERY Explore local art and jewelry in The Shop, while The Gallery features monthly art exhibitions and an outdoor sculpture exhibition. Located within the Abiquiú Inn on US-84. ART TOURS O'KEEFFE HOME AND STUDIO TOURS AND O'KEEFFE LANDSCAPE TOURS. In addition to artist visits, be sure to purchase tickets to tour Georgia O’Keeffe's home and studio in the village, or take a tour of the landscapes where she painted at Ghostranch. O'Keeffe first visited Ghost Ranch in Abiquiú in 1934 and decided that she needed to live right there amongst the red cliffs and colored rock formations. Many of her most famous paintings are landscapes inspired by the vistas that surrounded her. These tours sell out quickly so book your reservations in advance. The Home and Studio tour season runs from March to November, while Ghostranch tours are available year-round. ABIQUIÚ STUDIO TOUR. And, you won't want to miss the annual Abiquiú Studio Tour, where artists open their studios for visits. Always over Indigenous People's Day weekend (second weekend of October), the tour is a self-guided, driving tour that takes visitors and collectors through the village of Abiquiú and the surrounding area where you can visit many studios and galleries and talk to the artists. PLANNING YOUR TRIP | WHERE TO STAY THE GRAND HACIENDA INN. If you are looking for a luxury lodging option in the middle of O'Keeffe territory, check out The Grand Hacienda Inn with breakfast on Abiquiú Lake. With only three suites and a culinary experience, your stay here may just be the highlight of your vacation. 575-425-0663. thegrandhacienda@gmail.com | thegrandhacienda.com ###

Abiquiú Lake: New Mexico's Seventh Largest Lake We credit Abiquiú Lake with our move to Abiquiú – once we saw the still and calm lake, reflecting the red cliffs and Cerro Pedernal, we knew this was a very special place. It was the beauty, the glassy water, the absence of people and traffic, and the history and culture of the area…and also the energy. While many people flock to Abiquiú to visit O'Keeffe's home and studio and/or Ghostranch, they inadvertantly pass by the lake. It is not to be missed! Swim, float or fish – Abiquiú Lake must be experienced when you visit the area. From River to Lake…or Reservoir Abiquiú Lake is actually a reservoir managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Nationally, the Corps manages nearly 600 dams and lakes in the United States. Abiquiú Lake was not always a lake…or a reservoir. Before the earthen dam was built, the Chama River flowed through the beautiful canyon, lined with colorful rocks and cottonwood trees. This all changed with the approval to construct a dam at the far south end of the canyon in order to create a reservoir. In 1956, construction of the dam began, turning the Chama River into a 5,200-surface-acre made-made reservoir. The dam - 1,800 feet high and 340 feet long - was completed in 1963 at a cost of $21.2 million. Not everyone was happy about the creation of the lake where the Chama River once ran. To create the lake, the US Army Corps of Engineers, with approval from Congress, needed more land to create the lake. Thousands of acres of privately held land around the lake, including land once held by Ghost Ranch, were usurped or forcibly purchased. The water pool covered what was once a cottonwood bosque, it destroyed animal habitations (including the winter habitats for the bald eagle), and flooded and covered the ancient sites of the indigenous peoples who had lived in the area for centuries. Under the lake are over 340 stone-walled structures, dating from 1640-1710, that were once the homes to the Tewa, Navajo and Spanish. Progress can be difficult. About Abiquiú Lake Abiquiú Lake is the seventh largest lake in New Mexico at 5,200 acres. The lake is over 12 miles long and lies at an elevation of 6,200 feet. The water is deepest in the original river channel, which runs close to the middle of the lake, and is about 20 feet deep on the north end and over 100 feet deep in front of the dam. The Army Corp of Engineers manage the water releases from the reservoir, focusing on flood control and water right obligations. Changing lake levels are to be expected, and is a sign of the lake doing its job. The amount of water released is based on conditions throughout the region and the purpose of the lake. As water is released, the lake level may drop. As water flows into the lake, the water is replaced and the lake level rises. Water is released from the lake through the dam on a daily basis and releases range from 50 cfs (cubic feet per second) when water needs below the dam are minimal, all the way up to spring releases which can be 1500 cfs. Water flows are heaviest in the spring months, especially on weekends to promote recreational use (ie: rafting.) You may notice there is an absence of businesses, docks, marinas and other enterprise on Abiquiú Lake. There is a stark difference, as an example, between Navajo Lake, which is managed by the Bureau of Reclamation and bustles with activity, marinas, restaurants and more, and quiet Abiquiú Lake. This is because Corps land use policies limit public development and private ownership use along the shoreline. Abiquiú Lake is surrounded by national forests, colorful rock formations, red cliffs, and Cerro Pedernal. The red and yellow rocks are sedimentary rocks of the Permian Cutler Group and the Triassic Chinle Group, both which were formed by flowing water and rivers about 250 million years ago. The rocks on the canyon walls are home to hoodoos…tall, thin rock spires with heavy rock caps. They are formed over centuries by weathering forces where the soft rock beneath the cap is eroded by rain or wind. Dinosaur, wooly mammoth and other reptile fossils that are over 200 million years old have been discovered in the land around the lake. Standing guard over Abiquiú Lake is Cerro Pedernal, a popular local mountain which rises up 9,862 feet. Pedernal is a Spanish name meaning “flint hill” because it is the source of chert. Chert is a hard rock, often called flint, that is located around the base of Pedernal. Indigenous peoples used chert to make arrowheads, spear points, and scrapers. Georgia O’Keeffe painted this mountain many times and gave it its nickname, “Old Flat Top”. The distinctive flat top is capped with materials from the Jemez Mountain volcanic field about 8 million years ago. People love to hike to the top of Pedernal – once there look for a book you can sign to prove you were there! Lake with a Purpose Army Corps managed lakes have specific, designated purposes. Abiquiú Lake is the storage location for the city of Albuquerque’s drinking water. The water is also used by Santa Fe, downstream acequias, and to feed the Rio Grande. Another important function is flood control for villages and farmland downstream. The lake serves as a critical storage reservoir while the Southwest manages a decades-long, severe drought. With that being said, Abiquiú Lake is one of the fullest reservoirs in the state. The Corps also focus on maintaining a natural environment for fish and wildlife. To this end, they coordinate with federal fish and wildlife agencies. The Abiquiú dam is home to the Abiquiú hydroelectric facility which generates efficient, renewable energy. Hydropower plants contribute to cleaner air because they do not burn fossil fuels like coal and oil, but rather use the force of the water to generate electricity. The facility is operated by Los Alamos County and is a publically owned utility. Water released from the dam is channeled into the Abiquiú hydroelectric facility, and as the water turns the blades of the turbines, it spins a shaft connected to a generator – and electricity is produced. The average annual net hydropower generation is 32,087.2 mWH. After water flows through the hydroelectric facility, it continues down the Rio Chama with no water loss. Recreational Activities One of the purposes of Abiquiú Lake is recreation, and the lake serves as an important source of recreational activities in the area. Stop by the Visitor’s Center at the dam to learn more about the lake and the area. There are hiking and closed-loop biking trails that start behind the Visitor’s Center. There is a public boat launch, a beach area and camping facilities nearby, and a recreation area on the back side of the dam. Abiquiú Lake and Rio Chama below the dam offer some of the best fishing in northern New Mexico. In fact, the state record for the largest brown trout catch was from the Chama River below Abiquiú Lake in 1946 – the trout weighed 20 lbs 4 oz and was 34.5” long! Birds and animals are also drawn to the water, making the lake a prime spot for birding and wildlife watching. On the backside of the dam in the recreation area, the Army Corps of Engineers created a Class II surf wave while completing a restoration project. The wave is surfable when water is released above 500cfs. Bring your boogie boards, short and medium surf boards and play-boats! Because the water comes from the bottom of the lake, under the dam, it is cold year-round…wet suits, personal flotation devices and helmets recommended. For those of you looking to get out on the lake, you can launch your own watercraft at the public launch near the dam. If you don’t have a boat, SUP or kayaks, reach out to Ghostranch (www.ghostranch.org) to inquire about guided kayak and canoe tours. Sorry, there are no boat or kayak rentals on the lake. Lakeside Lodging If you want to stay in luxury on a mesa top overlooking the lake, check out The Grand Hacienda Inn…a wonderful experience overlooking the lake and Ghostranch. www.TheGrandHacienda.com For campers, Riana Campground on Abiquiú Lake provides 54 tent and RV sites. The sites are beautiful – located about 150 ft up from the water on a bluff. The campground has electric and water hook-ups, toilets and showers, picnic shelters, grills, a playground and a dump station. Land for Sale If you are interested in purchasing a beautiful lot on the lake - contact us. We have one lakefront lot for sale. #Abiquiulake #Abiquiu #lake #newmexico #discoverabiquiu #thegrandhacienda #pedernal #riana

The Grand Hacienda’s Great Traveler Reviews Land it a Place Among Travelers’ Favorites The Grand Hacienda today announced it has been recognized by Tripadvisor as a 2022 Travelers’ Choice award winner for Accommodations. The award celebrates businesses that have received great reviews from travelers around the globe on Tripadvisor over the last 12 months. As challenging as the past year was, The Grand Hacienda stood out by consistently delivering positive experiences to its guests. “We are so honored to be recognized with this award. We opened The Grand Hacienda two weeks before COVID hit, and despite all the challenges the hospitality industry faced with COVID, The Grand Hacienda proved to be a travel oasis for those seeking remote, private locations with natural isolation. We are so grateful for all our guests who discovered us, trusted us with their travel plans, and spread the word about this property, the culinary experience and this spectacular location. We loving sharing this space and the history and culture of Abiquiú with our guests,” said Carolyn Calfee, General Manager and Owner. “Congratulations to The Grand Hacienda, a 2022 Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Winner,” said Kanika Soni, Chief Commercial Officer at Tripadvisor. “The Travelers’ Choice Awards recognize the best in tourism and hospitality, according to those who matter most: your guests. Ranking among the Travelers’ Choice winners is always tough — but never more so than this year as we emerge from the pandemic. Whether it's using new technology, implementing safety measures, or hiring outstanding staff, I’m impressed by the steps you've taken to meet travelers' new demands. You've adapted brilliantly in the face of adversity." About The Grand Hacienda The Grand Hacienda Estate is a luxurious bed and breakfast inn located on Abiquiú Lake in northern New Mexico. The Hacienda was built in 2020 from a blank slate – a combination of pueblo and Spanish hacienda architecture, inspired design, modern technology and a very green footprint. With only three suites, the Hacienda is an serene escape, a retreat nestled on a mesa top overlooking Abiquiú Lake, Ghost Ranch, the Red Cliffs, Pedernal, and plains of red, yellow, purple and green. Dramatically perched on its mesa this elegant, high-end bed and breakfast offers a luxury experience in a location surrounded by quiet stillness. Located in the middle of Georgia O'Keeffe country, you will feel what she did when saying, "It's something that's in the air – it's different. The sky is different, the wind is different." This breathtaking land and the beauty of The Hacienda are sure to soothe, calm and inspire exploration. About Tripadvisor Tripadvisor, the world's largest travel guidance platform*, helps hundreds of millions of people each month** become better travelers, from planning to booking to taking a trip. Travelers across the globe use the Tripadvisor site and app to discover where to stay, what to do and where to eat based on guidance from those who have been there before. With more than 988 million reviews and opinions of nearly 8 million businesses, travelers turn to Tripadvisor to find deals on accommodations, book experiences, reserve tables at delicious restaurants and discover great places nearby. As a travel guidance company available in 43 markets and 22 languages, Tripadvisor makes planning easy no matter the trip type.

American artist Georgia O’Keeffe was born on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, and lived in many different places before settling in New Mexico - Chicago, New York City, New York’s Lake George, Charlottesville, Virginia and Amarillo, TX. She first visited New Mexico in 1917, and from that time on she would declare that “I was always on my way back.” So many of us here in Abiquiu feel the same way. In 1929 and 1930, O’Keeffe spent her first two summers as a guest at Mabel Dodge Luhan’s home in nearby Taos. When she returned in 19321 and 1932, she stayed in Alcalde, just outside of Taos. While in Alcalde, she heard about a beautiful place in Abiquiu called Ghost Ranch - a place where O'Keeffe just might find the privacy, remoteness and solitude that she was seeking. From that moment on, O'Keeffe began driving her Model-A Ford from Alcalde to Abiquiu - on a daily basis. She would park her car amidst the magical landscapes and paint from the backseat of her car. She loved the land, the vistas, the mountains, rocks and bones. When O'Keeffe discovered Piedra Lumbre in Abiquiu, she felt she was on sacred land. Once she saw Ghost Ranch, Cerro Pedernal, the Red Cliffs, mesas of yellow and purple – she knew she was home. Starting in 1934, she would stay in Abiquiú whenever she visited New Mexico. Because her husband, Alfred Stieglitz, an American photographer, lived in New York, O’Keeffe would split her time between New York and New Mexico, spending summers and falls in Abiquiú and returning to her husband and New York in winter months. It is said that O’Keeffe and Stieglitz wrote over 25,000 pages of love letters to each other during these times. O’Keeffe went on to purchase two homes in Abiquiu – her home located on what is now Ghost Ranch property and her home/studio/garden in the village. At the time, Ghost Ranch was owned by Arthur Pack and Carol Stanley. Pack and Stanley operated a dude ranch on the location, a business that originally caused O’Keeffe distress. But she loved the vistas and solitude of the land, so she continued to stay at the dude ranch as a guest of Pack. In 1937, Pack offered to let O'Keeffe stay in one of his homes on the property - Rancho de los Burros – as it was located away from the crowds and activities. O’Keeffe claimed, “As soon as I saw it, I knew I must have it.” Rumor has it that O’Keeffe arrived in Abiquiú one year and found someone else staying in Rancho de los Burros. She was very angry that someone was in "her" home, and demanded to know why people were in “her house.” Pack tried to explain that it wasn’t her house, but she would not listen and insisted that he sell the home to her. Pack eventually gave in, and sold O’Keeffe the home and seven acres of land. This home would become her summer home in the desert because the home wasn’t winterized. O’Keeffe also wanted a place suitable for the winter months and a place where she could have a garden to grow fruits and vegetables. She was very interested in an old adobe hacienda sitting on three acres of land in the village of Abiquiu, just down the road from St. Tomas Church. The house was a pueblo style adobe hacienda, with rooms arranged around an open plaza. The courtyard wall had a door in it, and when she saw the door, O’Keeffe said, “That wall with a door in it was something I had to have.” (Are we seeing a trend with things O'Keeffe "had to have"?) The hacienda home was owned by the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and they were not interested in selling it to O’Keeffe. The hacienda was a donation to the Archdiocese by Martin Bode; he made the donation for it to be used as a parish school. But O’Keeffe was persistent and in 1945 the Archdiocese sold her the hacienda for $10. The hacienda was falling into disrepair – the oldest rooms in the house were built around 1744 - and O’Keeffe spent the next four years remodeling and rebuilding the home. As for the door in the courtyard? O’Keeffe made it a feature in many of her paintings. She decorated her home simply – in a modern style, with rocks and bones from her collection placed throughout the home. The butterfly shaped dining room table in the home was allegedly designed by O’Keeffe herself. O'Keeffe started a garden outside the hacienda to grow herbs, vegetables and other plants. On Wednesdays and Fridays in the summer months, area student interns plant, maintain and harvest the same variety of vegetables that O'Keeffe originally grew in her garden. After O’Keeffe’s husband, Stieglitz, died in 1946 and she settled his estate, O’Keeffe moved permanently from New York to New Mexico. She spent winters in her Abiquiu village hacienda, and summers in her home at Ghost Ranch. In 1955 Arthur and Phoebe Pack donated the Ghost Ranch land to the Presbyterian Church. O’Keeffe was shocked and horrified – she did not want to share her land with the Church and she though Pack should have sold the land to her. Over the years, however, the relationship improved and the Presbyterian Church continued to respect her privacy – visitors were told that Rancho de los Burros was on private land with no public access. O’Keeffe is the most celebrated female painter of all time, also the most photographed (thanks to her husband photographer.) The natural world that surrounded her – the landscape, rivers, mountains, lakes, arroyos, flowers, bones, rocks, shells, leaves, Cerro Pedernal, the Red Cliffs, Plaza Blanca and the Black Place – became the subjects for O’Keeffe’s abstract paintings. Her large flower paintings, which are so easily recognized, only make up about 10 percent of her work. Her most famous painting is probably Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1. This painting hung in the White House during President George Bush’s term. This painting sold for a whopping $44.4 million in 1994! O’Keeffe never signed her paintings; she expected people to recognize them! When O’Keeffe began losing her vision, she turned to experimenting with clay sculpting. She continued working with clay sculpting until she was about 96 years old. You can see one of her clay pots in her bedroom when you take the Home and Studio tour. O’Keeffe’s contributions to the Abiquiu area were significant - she assisted in funding buildings at Ghost Ranch, the Abiquiu Library, Abiquiu Elementary School and the Abiquiu community center. O’Keeffe lived in the hacienda until her health began failing in 1984. At this time, she moved to Santa Fe to be closer to medical facilities. She died in Santa Fe on March 6, 1986, at the age of 98. After her death, her ashes were spread along the top of her favorite mountain, Cerro Pedernal. The O’Keeffe Home and Studio was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998 and is now part of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. For many years, people referred to the Abiquiu area as "O'Keeffe Country." However, this is not an appropriate term. While O'Keeffe is one of Abiquiu's most famous residents, her presence was just a small part of the story of Abiquiu, with the history and culture of this area dating back thousands of years with Tewa puebloans, Navajo and Spanish conquistadors all influencing this magical land....and geologic formations dating back 300 million years. O’KEEFFE HOME AND STUDIO TOUR IN ABIQUIU VILLAGE The O'Keeffe Museum — the only museum in the United States named for a woman artist — is located in nearby Santa Fe. The museum owns and manages both of her homes in Abiquiu, and thousands of visitors are drawn to Abiquiú to visit her home and studio. Visitors wanting to explore O’Keeffe’s Abiquiu should start at the Georgia O’Keeffe Welcome Center. The Welcome Center houses a fabulous gift shop, a theater which shows videos explaining her life in Abiquiú and helpful O’Keeffe employees who are ready to answer questions. The Welcome Center is also the meeting spot for the tour of her home and studio. To visit her home and studio – which exists today just as she left it..with her kitchen still stocked with spices and dishes, her bone and stone collection still decorating the home - you must make reservations for a tour in advance. The tours sell out quickly so book your tour just as soon as you solidify your dates and finalize your trip reservations. Tours run from March to November. On the day of your tour, check in at the O’Keeffe Welcome Center at least 30 minutes before your reservation time. This will allow time for viewing a short film about the Abiquiú home and studio and get ready to board the shuttle bus that will take you to her home up in the village. You cannot drive to her home – you will take a shuttle bus. A standard Home and Studio tour allows you to see how she lived, and worked. You will visit her gardens, patio, pantry, kitchen, and studio with an expert guide. Tours are limited to six people and run approximately 60 minutes. You can book tickets and reserve your tour at the O'Keeffe museum website. O’KEEFFE TOURS AT GHOST RANCH While you cannot visit O’Keeffe’s home at Ghost Ranch, there are other tours to choose from to get a glimpse into her life – the O’Keeffe Landscape Tour and the Walking in O”Keeffe’s Footsteps Tour. The Georgia O'Keeffe Landscape Tour is available via bus or horseback riding, and is offered throughout the year. The tour is a narrated journey into the red hills and colorful cliffs that Georgia O’Keeffe painted while living at Ghost Ranch. The guide will show you reproductions of paintings close to the actual painting sites. The bus tour also takes by her Ghost Ranch house. The bus holds 14 passengers and there are three stops along the way where you can get out to spend time in the landscape. Walking in O'Keeffe's Footsteps Tour is similar to the Landscape Tour, except you walk the land, arroyos and paths that she used while your guide shows you reproductions of her paintings close to the actual painting sites. The guide will also tell stories about her life at Ghost Ranch. You will walk past her home. Be prepared to walk for an hour and a half at an elevation of 6,400’ – you will want hiking shoes, water, sunscreen and probably a hat. PLACES TO STAY – BECAUSE ABIQUIU IS MORE THAN A DAY TRIP! When you visit Abiquiu to experience O’Keeffe, you will want to stay in the heart of O’Keeffe Country, on Abiquiu Lake – away from the hustle, bustle and crowds. The Grand Hacienda Estate – the serenity of an adult-only atmosphere, along with gourmet breakfasts each morning, afternoon treats, private entrances, private patios, luxurious rooms, spa bathrooms, spectacular views, and so much more. O'KEEFFE GIFT ITEMS If you are staying at The Grand Hacienda, stop by the Mercado gift store to pick up wonderful O'Keeffe gift items, including note cards, post cards, books, paper dolls, playing cards, note pads, and more. If you are staying elsewhere, send an email to schedule a time to visit the Mercado. BOOKS ABOUT ABIQUIU AND O’KEEFFE To learn more, here are links to our favorite books about the area: Ghost Ranch, by Lesley Poling-Kempes Valley of Shining Stone: The Story of Abiquiu by Lesley Poling-Kempes Georgia O’Keeffe and Her Houses: Ghost Ranch and Abiquiu by Harry N. Abrams Georgia O’Keeffe and New Mexico: A Sense of Place by Princeton University Press O’Keeffe at Abiquiu by Harry N. Abrams Remembering Ms. O'Keeffe: Stories from Abiquiu Ghost Ranch and the Faraway Nearby, by Craig Varjabedian A Painter's Kitchen: Recipes from the Kitchen of Georgia O'Keeffe: Recipes from the Kitchen of Georgia O'Keeffe, by Margaret Wood Disclosure This article may include affiliate links through an Amazon Associate program. If you click on a link and buy something through Amazon, we may make a small commission from it, at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. We only recommend items that we’ve personally used and read. ### #abiquiu #discoverabiquiu #walkingtour #georgiaokeeffe #stieglitz #ilovenewmexico #newmexicotrue #okeeffe #bedandbreakfast #newmexico #visitabiquiu #travel #wanderlust #vacationlife #thegrandhacienda #stayabiquiu #ghostranch #newmexicotrue #wanderlust #travelobsessed #ilovenewmexico #AbiquiuAirbnb #Abiquiuvrbo #bookdirect

A foodie myself, one of the questions I get asked most often by guests is, “Where is your favorite place to eat?” Truthfully, it’s also one of the questions I ask most when I’m travelling and visiting a new city. So for those of you asking this question while visiting Abiquiu - this blog is for you! New Mexico is famous for its southwestern cuisine with influences from Native American, Spanish and Mexican cultures. While each group retains its basic identity today in New Mexico, they all complement each other - like a beautiful mosiac. This is especially true with culinary offerings. Important from our indigenous cultures are what are refered to as "The Three Sisters," represented by corn, beans and squash. As you can imagine, a variety of dishes can be prepared from The Three Sisters. Also, get ready for spices, herbs and flavors. We like to put chiles on just about everything (that’s chile with a “e”, not chili with an “I”)....green or red – or a combination of both referred to as “Christmas." You will also likely find piñon, sopapillos, tamales, huevos rancheros and our state cookie, biscochitos. When you are visiting Abiquiu, there is never a shortage of things to do and see. But between your visits to O’Keeffe’s home and studio, and hiking Ghost Ranch, rafting the Rio Chama, and taking a self-guided driving tour, you will need to eat! And drink! So, we’ve gathered all the information for you to cover our local, good eats – including dine-in, dine-outside and carry-out options in Abiquiu. Bodes 21196 US-84 | Website Bodes General Store and Kitchen is an institution in Abiquiu. Its first store - the Grants Mercantile - opened in 1895. In 1919, the Bode family purchased the Mecantile and Bodes General Store was born! You can’t miss Bodes – it hosts the village’s only gas station and has a large pink flamingo statue out front. Gas station, general store and kitchen – you will conveniently find what you need at Bodes. From fresh fruit, to burritos and sandwiches, to wine/beer, to Yeti coolers, art, body lotions and soaps, fishing gear and hats - we recommend all visitors add Bodes, a true general store, to their list of places to visit while exploring Abiquiu. Bodes Kitchen has been producing 'made from scratch' food for over 27 years, serving both locals and tourists. When Covid-19 hit, Bodes closed their kitchen counter service – so you can no longer order off their menu at this time – but they expanded their hot and cold case offerings, and now offer more baked goods. For convenient and good food, just head to the back of the store and select a burrito, or sandwich, or treat from the hot or cold case – and take it “to-go” or enjoy it at one of the tables set up in the back of the store. Each morning when Bodes opens, you will find fresh brewed hot coffee, a large selection of herbal teas, and bakery items. The hot case food menu changes every day, but is all ways anchored by their well-known breakfast burritos and enchiladas (green and red) and roasted chicken. The cold case includes lots of ‘to-go’ salads of all types, ham and turkey sandwiches, soups, and sweets. Hours: Daily: 6:30 am – 7pm OTICE. HOT CASE, COLD CASE, Café Abiquiu & La Terraza Located next to the Georgia O’Keeffe Welcome Center in Abiquiu Inn, Café Abiquiu & La Terraza offers a casual dining experience where you can choose to dine indoors or al fresco on the outdoor patio. The indoor dining room walls are filled with art from local artists, the outdoor patio features a large, wood-burning fireplace. The restaurant offers a menu with lots of variety - there is something for everyone. You'll find New Mexico specialties, such as huevos rancheros, green chile cheeseburgers and green chile chicken enchiladas. For dinner and lunch, choices include everything from tacos to hamburgers to salmon to steak. Delightful desserts and a variety of seasonal and special holiday menus are offered. Select local beers and wines to complement your meal. Hours: Breakfast, Daily: 7:00 AM - 11:00AM Lunch/Dinner Sunday – Thursday: 11:00am - 8:00pm Friday – Saturday: 11:00am - 9:00pm To go orders: 505-685-4378 Café Sierra Negra 20968 US Hwy 84| Website Café Sierra Negra opened in 2020, the brain-child of Abiquiu resident, Melodie Milhoan. Named for the mountain that rises behind the café next to the Rio Chama - Sierra Negra - the mountain derives its name from the black, volcanic, basalt rocks that have rolled down and covered the mountain as the valleys and arroyos formed from erosion. Melodie’s food philosophy is to serve healthy, organic when possible, affordable, tasty food that pleases most everyone. She is a follower of the 80/20 food rule where 20 percent of her menu is made of meat and the rest derived from plants. Local favorites on the menu include Green Chile Stew; Salmon or Cod Fish Tacos on homemade corn tortillas; and Spinach Mushroom Crepes. Fresh baked muffins, cinnamon rolls and cookies as well as carrot cake and brownies are also on the menu. New in 2022 – beer and wine, and carry out sub sandwiches. Enjoy eating indoors in one of the two dining rooms, or outdoors under a canopy. Hours: Tuesday - Saturday, 10:00am to 6:30pm. Fire N Ice 21196 US Highway 84, Abiquiu | Owner Brigid has been in the food business for over twenty years. Brigid runs Fire N Ice with a goal bigger than just serving good food – she also strives to mentor employees who want a career in the food industry or want to own their own business someday. You will find Fire N Ice in the parking lot of Bodes General Store. A food stand of sorts with an outdoor smoker, head up to the window to order, and then enjoy your food at one of the outdoor picnic tables. From smoked brisket, tacos, Mediterranean wraps, breakfast sandwiches, omelets, bagels…to ice cream and cold brew coffee – they have something for everyone. Hours: Monday: 11am – 7pm Tuesday and Wednesday: closed Thursday and Friday: 11 am – 7pm Saturday: 9 am – 5pm Sunday: 9 am – 3pm Frosty Cow 21196 US-84 (behind the Post Office, across the street from Bodes) The Frosty Cow has been a favorite of locals and tourists alike for years. Now in its new location behind the post office, the Frosty Cow has expanded its menu to include ice creams, sundaes, shakes, panini sandwiches, smoothies, and coffees. Fan favorite: Green Chile Cheese panini sandwich - and all ice cream treats! Hours: Winter: Daily: 1pm – 6pm Summer: Daily: 11am – 7pm Ghost Ranch 280 Private Drive 1708 | Website *During this COVID period and until further notice, the Dining Hall and meals are only available to those who are lodging at Ghost Ranch. Ghost Ranch is an amazing 21,000-acre retreat and education center that offers tours, hiking, workshops and classes in the midst of land covered with amazing geological vistas. For those of you taking a workshop at Ghost Ranch, you may gather for meals in their Ranch Dining Hall. The Ranch Hall serves three meals a day for overnight guests, all seved buffet style. A vegetarian entree and some gluten-free items are available. A salad bar is featured at lunch and dinner each day. Enjoy your meal at a long shared table with fellow workshop attendees or travelers, or choose to eat outdoors. Spending time at Ghost Ranch, feeling hungry, but not an overnight guest? Box lunches are usually available in the Trading Post. Los Caminos Bar US Highway 84 (by Mamacita’s Pizzeria) Los Caminos is the only bar in town. Have a seat at a table or pull yourself up the bar, where you will find yourself surrounded by a nice bartender, friendly locals and entertaining conversation. The pool table has seen lots of games, and the air conditioning is welcomed in the summer months. Los Caminos also has a counter where you can purchase packaged goods for carry-out; there is a steady stream of customers lining up for packaged sales. Feel free to bring food in or order pizza from their neighbor, Mamacita’s Pizzeria. Mamacita’s Pizzeria 20814 Highway 84 Not everyone comes to New Mexico for pizza…but…you will find Mamacita’s serving hand-tossed, thin crust, fresh ingredients, NY style pizza right here in Abiquiu, along with salads, burgers, and subs. Order ahead and pick up to carry out or eat at one of the outdoor covered picnic tables. Owner Marta has connections to the area, but moved out here from NY after 9/11 to open the pizzeria – and she has been serving pizza fanatics ever since. A favorite: the Roadrunner, which mixes New York style pizza with New Mexico’s hallmark green chile. Temporary hours during COVID: Friday – Sunday: 12 noon – 8pm (last order at 7:15) Regular Hours: Wednesday – Sunday: 12 noon – 8pm The Grand Hacienda B&B 5 Los Ojos Drive, Youngsville | Website Note: breakfast at The Grand Hacienda is only available to registered guests. If you are looking for lodging that includes what guests describe as “New Mexico’s absolute best breakfast experience”, then you will want to book a few nights at Abiquiu’s new and only luxury bed and breakfast out on Abiquiu Lake – The Grand Hacienda. Guests at The Grand Hacienda will start each morning with specialty coffees – cappuccinos, lattes, espresso made from roasted coffee beans that have double the anti-oxidant levels of most coffees, and are 100% mold and mycotoxin free. Your hosts believe that breakfast IS the most important meal of the day – so every breakfast is a feast, an inspiring ambience around the table. Owners Tom and Carolyn grow their own herbs and many vegetables on site and try to source as much as possible from local farmers and ranchers. Eggs are fresh from a small farm in the village. The gourmet breakfast menu varies each day and usually alternates between sweet and savory. Regardless of the day, the focus is on delicious and healthy breakfasts, featuring what is seasonal and locally grown. Specialties include their version of the NM breakfast burrito with cilantro/lime rice and feijoada; banana bread French toast; seasonal omelets with fresh herbs, root veggies, and goat cheese; amazing guacamole toast with a perfectly poached egg; and more. You can read more about the food, farm-to-table and sustainability here. And for drinks, The Grand Hacienda has a beer and wine liquor license and offer the most extensive wine list in Rio Arriba county, procured from some of the best wine makers around the world. The wine list includes 28 hand-selected varietals from Calfee's personal wine collection. That's it for good eating in Abiquiu! Next time you are looking to go out for a meal, be sure to eat locally and support our local businesses! And, if you are looking for good lodging, check out www.discoverabiquiu.com and www.thegrandhacienda.com for awesome places to sleep...after you've had your fill of good eats! ### #discoverabiquiu #bestrestaurantsinabiquiu #eat #gooodfood #abiquiurestaurants #abiquiu #bodes #abiquiucafe #sierranegra #firenice #frostycow #thegrandhacienda #ghostranch #loscaminos #mamacitaspizzeria #goodfood #wine

This month we sat down with Tom and Carolyn Calfee, co-owners of The Grand Hacienda on Abiquiu Lake, to talk about the bed and breakfast, food and sustainability at The Grand Hacienda. Located in a remote area on Abiquiu Lake in northern New Mexico, one might be surprised to learn about the importance the owners place on authenticity, protecting the land, and local, organic and “real” food. The Grand Hacienda was built over a three year time period as a traditional northern New Mexico hacienda, with a blending of indoor and outdoor living, authentic architecture and details, and spectacular suites – each with private entrances, private outdoor portals (patios) and lake/mountain/red cliff views. Equally as important as the building itself, is the culinary experience that goes along with every stay at The Grand Hacienda. Breakfasts are three-course gourmet experiences, with cappuccinos and lattes made from the healthiest coffee beans. Part of what makes the breakfast experience so incredible is the farm-to-table herbs and vegetables that they grow on site and then incorporate into dishes to add flavor and taste. Discover Abiquiu: You certainly receive incredible reviews about the food you serve at The Grand Hacienda. I mean, they are all five-star! Carolyn: Yes (with a laugh.) Honestly, we expected our reviews to focus on the land, the building, the amenities…the views. We were surprised that so much of what is shared on Instagram are photos of food! But food is an important part of the experience here, so it is only fitting that the topic makes its way into reviews. Some of our guests compare us to the famous Amangiri Resort in Utah, or the Explora hotels. We feel very grateful for all these five star reviews – we have the best guests! Discover Abiquiu: Before you start breakfast, you start with lattes and cappuccinos. Let’s start there. I understand how wonderful it would be to start your morning with a great cup of coffee, but your guests say it’s more than just a great cup of coffee? Tom: First, to be out here in this remote, isolated area, and have the ability to start your day with what we call a “better-than-Starbucks-cup-of-coffee,” is, well, incredible. We give all the credit to the coffee bean. We use the healthiest beans we could find – hand-picked from sustainable farms, certified organic beans, toxin-free, specialty grade, and ethically sourced. The rest is up to the guest – whole milk or almond, local honey, Ceylon cinnamon, chocolate, cane sugar, stevia….. Discover Abiquiu: OK, on to breakfast. You serve a Chef’s menu each day, is that right? Carolyn: Yes, that is correct. We don’t have short-order cooks in our kitchen. Our Chef prepares a daily menu – a three-course gourmet meal, that changes daily and usually alternates between sweet and savory. And our goal is to never repeat a dish for a guest during their stay! Our longest staying guest was here eight nights, and we did push our limits of creativity to never repeat any of the three courses! And sometimes we sneak a "Chef's Treat" into the mix. Needless to say, no one leaves hungry. Discover Abiquiu: Tell us about the farm-to-table offerings. Tom: Farm-to-table is more than a buzz word out here – it is our way of life, it is our existence. The closest organic grocery store is over an hour from us. Out here where our population density is only 7 people per square mile, and stores are a hour away, we must locally resource a lot of our food. We grow all of the herbs we use – and we use a lot of them. We also grow most of our vegetables – watercress, baby kales, green onions, tomatoes, butter crunch lettuce, peppers, chives and more. I probably have 2 dozen cilantro plants and a dozen different pepper plants growing at any one time. We have large outdoor gardens and, in the winter, we grow in our greenhouse. Our eggs are sourced from a local farmer in Abiquiu who lives along the Rio Chama – some days our guests are eating eggs that were received that very morning. Our honey is also locally sourced in Abiquiu. When we purchase food, we start with local farmers and farmer’s markets. Beyond that, we seek sustainably sourced groceries, to make delicious, healthy, organic meals. Discover Abiquiu: Some of your reviews rave about starting breakfast with a first course salad? Tom: Yes! Carolyn makes the best salads and home-made dressings. Using farm-to-table greens, we like to add fruits - pear salads, strawberry kiwi salads, or peach and avocado salads. Discover Abiquiu: How would you describe your food? Carolyn: We rely on our guests to answer that. "Fresh" is definitely an adjective used by many. "Mexican with a French flair," a few have said. Many say "very creative". We definitly have our own style. We both spent our careers in the financial industry and I started going to cooking school and taking cooking classes later in life. So we blend a lot of different styles, flavors and spices. We love to travel - and we always take the best of the culinary experiences we encounter and bring a little bit back here to New Mexico with us. We've had a few guests tell us they have stayed in places all over the world - and The Grand Hacienda gave them the best breakfast they have ever had. Discover Abiquiu: What are some of your specialties? Tom: I define our specialties based on guest feedback – their favorites. For first and second courses, fan favorites include our avocado toast with egg, a strawberry Dutch baby, or our “healthy” banana split made with yogurt instead of ice cream. We spent a lot of time perfecting our avocado toast…and the question always is, ”how do you do that egg?!” For entrees, specialties include the “Tomelette”; our banana bread French toast, made with my grandmother's recipe; our blueberry crepes or our version of the New Mexico breakfast burrito. Our potatoes get rave reviews: getting the crispy outside with the creamy inside--we knew we had a winner right off the bat. And topping with our homemade creme fraiche with a hint of truffle oil and fresh chives from our garden….everyone loves the Hacienda potatoes! Our feijoada is another specialty – layered with star anise, cocoa, and so much more. It is as complex as a fine wine! Also, our hickory smoked ham – which is brought to the table under a cloche filled with smoke – it’s wonderful. Finally, our Sausage Tower of three, different home-made sausages is a fan favorite. We really like to use smoke to flavor food. I first saw something similar--I believe it was mussels--a couple decades ago at Jose Andres' restaurant "The Bazaar" in South Beach. I knew we had to incorporate that here. We are a B&B “experience”. Guests don’t just come here to sleep, or just to eat. They must have experiences during their time here. That makes us uniquely different. We love food and great chefs. So we want our guests to experience food. We were mesmerized by Grant Achatz's work when he first opened Trio in Evanston Illinois, again--a few decades back. We are still working on a dish inspired by his massively creative work. Another food experience in the works. Discover Abiquiu: Speaking of fine wine, I understand you have quite the wine list! Tom: Of course. I am an avid wine collector. We are the only B&B in the area with a liquor license, so we are able to offer our guests a great selection of wine (and beer). Discover Abiquiu: Do you have a cookbook?! Carolyn: Not yet. It’s on my list. I guess I am going to have to sit down and do one. Seriously, and I am not one to exaggerate, you are about the one hundredth person who has asked us that. We should create one, but we are always trying to up our game and we keep tweaking recipes. Our food that we offer has so seriously evolved over the last couple of years that the earlier version of a cookbook would be obsolete: You would have had to buy another one to keep up! But our breakfast potatoes alone would probably make the first edition of our non-existent cookbook worth it. Discover Abiquiu: Let’s get back to the greenhouse. I love how it is a part of the hacienda – looks like it is part of your house. But I understand there are some very interesting things going on in there. Tom: Yes, we designed the greenhouse that way. We were flipping through architecture books as we were designing The Grand Hacienda, and one of the articles described a picture of a building as being a greenhouse. As we looked closely, we could see that, in fact, it was. So tastefully done. Our greenhouse is at the front of the property, where everyone walks past it to get to the front gate, and is our guest’s first encounter with The Grand Hacienda. So it had to blend in, be nice, functional – and, of course, eco-friendly. Discover Abiquiu: Green and eco-friendly. Tell me more about that. Tom: One challenge in a greenhouse is the heat that is produced in the room – they get very hot and steamy. Having worked in greenhouses a long time ago while I was in college, I knew I wanted a more sustainable approach to manage the temperature control. So I did some research and decided to try a new approach: I brought in two Rheem Hybrid water heaters, which suck the heat out of the air, thereby cooling down the greenhouse while creating air movement. The heat they suck out of the room preheats the boiler water that is used to heat our floors throughout the property. So our greenhouse air is largely heating the water that is heating the floors! To me, that is full circle sustainability. Discover Abiquiu: I LOVE heated floors! Carolyn: We do, too. That was a requirement for us. We have over a mile of pex tubing providing floor heat throughout the property. Discover Abiquiu: Do you need grow lights for your greenhouse? Tom: Yes, we do need grow lights to assist, even in New Mexico where we get a lot of natural sun. We are on-grid here, and we also have 42 solar panels on our roof, and our grow lights are also sustainable. Discover Abiquiu: Water is a precious commodity in the desert – how do you handle water for your gardens and greenhouse? Tom: Great question! Water conservation is extremely important. We have a 600 foot deep well, with a reverse osmosis water system. We also use rain catchment systems to capture the rain from our roof to water our outside gardens, and we use our filtered house water to water inside the greenhouse. We use grey water to water our trees outside along our driveway. So every time a guest takes a shower, they are watering the trees along our driveway. In all, we've planted 35 new trees around our properties. An interesting aspect of our outdoor gardens is we use the rock layering techniques that the native Americans used on this same site 300-800 years ago. Stones to mediate temperature extremes and add mineralization to the plants were genius on their part. Even today, we have examples of farming sites using these techniques. We extend our growing seasons an extra month on each end by doing this. Discover Abiquiu: Where do you get all your plants? Tom: 90% of our plants were started from seeds. We grow the seeds in our greenhouse, and move plants outdoors when they are large enough to make it on their own. We’ve had such great success with our crops that we are now planning to expand our greenhouse. Discover Abiquiu: How do you manage pests? Especially if you are moving plants from indoors to outdoors, and vice versa? Tom: We manage pests organically. For insect control, we use sticky paper, neem oil and lady bugs. We buy lots and lots of lady bugs – they are great for pest control. It’s not unusual for guests to comment to me that they see a lady bug somewhere on my shirt! Discover Abiquiu: Several of your reviews talk about coming to The Grand Hacienda and it not being “just a B&B”. What does this mean? Carolyn: That was always our goal. Honestly, we wanted something different – not your typical “B&B”. We weren’t even sure we should call it a B&B. It IS different. We finally settled on the B&B “Experience”. There are just so many wonderful things going on here - and together it leads to the "experience." The views are spectacular. We’ve had several guests cry, literally, when they walk out on the lakeside portal. The architecture and details are inspiring. The food is a feature. But it’s so much more than that. It truly is a feeling, a release, an experience. People sleep better here - and we believe it is because of the lack of EMF (electronic magnetic fields) in the suites and the "earthing" floors. They are in awe during Stargazing events at night where they can see the Milky Way and the rings around Saturn. People check-in as guests, and leave as friends. You really can’t put it into words. You just have to come and experience it. Discover Abiquiu: Thank you, Carolyn and Tom, for your time and giving us an insight into The Grand Hacienda. For our readers: · To learn more or make a reservation, visit www.TheGrandHacienda.com. · The average nightly rate is $489 and includes a full list of amenities, the Grand breakfast, afternoon treats and The Grand Hacienda experience. · The Grand Hacienda is adults-only (16 years of age and older). Children are welcome when a party rents the entire property (all three suites). · There is no smoking and no pets permitted in the Hacienda. · You can reach Carolyn and Tom at TheGrandHacienda@gmail.com. · And, if you would like a complimentary Discover Abiquiu guide, just visit www.DiscoverAbiquiu.com/contact.

Our Favorite Things to Discover In and Around Abiquiu, New Mexico Congratulations – if you are reading this you likely have added a stay in Abiquiu to your New Mexico vacation. We are biased, but we don’t believe any trip to New Mexico is complete without spending time in Abiquiu…and not just a day trip…you will need several days to get to know the history and culture of the area. We are often asked about our “bucket list” list of things to see and do – so in this blog we will share with you our Top Ten favorites. 1. Abiquiu Driving Tour. Start by taking the Driving Tour of Abiquiu. It will give you a sense of the village and an overview of the history and culture in the area. Drive it at your own pace. You can access the self-guided Abiquiu Driving Tour at this link: https://www.thegrandhacienda.com/post/take-a-self-guided-driving-tour-through-abiquiu 2. Ghost Ranch. Now that you have learned about the village and taken in Poshuouinge Ruins and Santa Rosa de Lima from the Abiquiu driving tour, it’s time to explore the rest of Abiquiu. Our next recommendation is to visit Ghost Ranch, which occupies over 22,000 acres of gorgeous landscape in the Piedre Lumbre basin. Georgia O’Keeffe had her summer home here, and many of her paintings were created on this land. You will need a reservation to enter, which you can make online at their website – ghostranch.org. There is much to see here – you can sign up for a tour, a trail ride, or a day pass which gives you access to the property for the hiking trails and museums. Register for one of their many tours (Landscape Tour, Georgia O’Keeffe Tours, Movie Film Locations Tour (including the Oppenheimer set), Paleontology Tour) or just visit their two museums: the Florence Hawley Ellis Museum of Anthropology and the Ruth Hall of Paleontology Museum. Ghost Ranch has some of our favorite hiking trails – Kitchen Mesa, Chimney Rock, and the Box Canyon. You can read about the history of Ghost Ranch in this wonderful book, Ghost Ranch, by Lesley Poling-Kempes. 3. Georgia O’Keeffe Home and Studio Tour. O’Keeffe had two homes in Abiquiu, her summer home at Ghost Ranch and her primary home and studio in the village of Abiquiu. You can tour O’Keeffe’s Home and Studio in Abiquiu with advance reservations – book way in advance because these tours sell out quickly and only run during the spring, summer, and fall seasons. When O’Keeffe purchased the home in 1945 it was in ruins, and for the next four years, she supervised its renovation. She lived in the home from 1949 until 1984. She died in Santa Fe on March 6, 1986, at the age of 98. The O’Keeffe Home and Studio was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998 and is now part of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. The tours start at the O’Keeffe Welcome Center, located at 21120 US-84 in the village of Abiquiu. You can learn more about her homes in Abiquiu through one of my favorite books – Georgia O’Keeffe and Her Houses: Ghost Ranch and Abiquiu. 4. Monastery of Christ in the Desert. This Benedictine monastic community on the Rio Chama in Abiquiu is worth the 13-mile drive down a dirt road. Founded in 1964, the Monastery is located in the beautiful Chama Canyon Wilderness. The drive to the Monastery is one of the most beautiful along the Rio Chama. The monks in this community have the goal of living the contemplative life which St. Benedict, whose Rule is followed, envisioned as a life free from all attachments so that a relationship with God is the central, and even exclusive, relationship. The monastery is a rich part of Abiquiu’s fabric and welcomes guests and visitors from around the world. The Abbey Church was designed by famous Japanese-American designer George Nakashima. Be sure to visit the gift shop and take in vespers. Read our blog interview with Brother David - #thedesertmonk - from the Monastery for more insight. 5. Plaza Blanca – “The White Place”. One of our favorite spots in the area is Plaza Blanca with its amazing geological formations - limestone cliffs, oddly shaped rocks, 60-foot-high obelisks, and spires. The area was made famous by Georgia O’Keeffe who could see the area from her window and painted it numerous times. After the downhill descent, the walk through the area is an easy 1.5-mile stroll – walking through the canyon until the spires are located so close together that you can walk no further. The White Place is striking with the white spires that reach vertically up into the sky, against the blue sky and the surrounding red colors of Abiquiu. Plaza Blanca is located on the property of the Dar-al Islam Education Center and they require advance registration to access the site. Plaza Blanca is both monumental and fragile – care must be taken and visitors should not attempt to climb the rocks. 6. Hiking. There are so many wonderful hiking trails in the Abiquiu area. If you enjoy hiking, you could spend weeks here and explore a new trail every day. Our favorites: hikes at Ghost Ranch, Rim Vista, Red Wash/Copper Canyon, Pedernal, Tsiping, Carson National Forest and Santa Fe National Forest. 7. Abiquiu Lake. Abiquiu Lake is a 5,200-acre glassy, beautiful lake. There is a public beach and boat launch near the Abiquiu dam. The lake is managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. Our favorite part of the lake is down in the Rio Chama Canyon, at the far end of the lake. This is a great lake for kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, boating, fishing, and swimming. There is a River Wave below the dam when water releases allow for it. 8. Rio Chama Rafting. The Rio Chama is a scenic river above Abiquiu Lake and is wonderful for easy rafting trips. The Rio Chama, a major tributary of the Rio Grande, flows through the Chama River Canyon Wilderness - a multi-colored sandstone canyon whose walls rise to 1,500 feet above the river as you travel downstream. Day trips on the lower section are also available which last about 5 hours. The river passes through designated wilderness on the upper stretches; the lower section is lightly developed and very scenic. Several commercial river outfitters are permitted by the BLM to provide trips to the public. All companies meet strict guidelines for equipment safety and guide experience. You may also take your own boat down these rivers. 9. Tsi-p’in-owinge, the Mesa del Pueblo. Visiting Tsi-p'ing involves a long drive over a very rough road to reach the trailhead, and then a moderate two-mile hike to the top of the mesa top to reach the ancient ruins. Tsi-p’in-owinge is pronounced “Sipping” and translates to “Village at Flaking Stone Mountain”. That flaking stone mountain? Of course, the mighty Cerro Pedernal – which means “Flint Mountain” - stands guard beside this ancient pueblo ruin. The ruins sit at the top of the mesa, about 7,400 feet up. This pueblo was the largest and northernmost of all the pueblos of the Classical Period, occupied from 1200 to 1325 AD. There are mounds and mounds of rocks carved into brick shapes that were once used in the walls of 400 rooms, 16 kivas, and a central plaza. As many as 1,000 people lived here and likely lived in the cave dwellings, or cliff dwellings, formed by using niches or caves on the side of the mesa top. Here is a blog on Tsi’ping that you might enjoy. You need a permit to hike to Tsi-p’in-owinge. The permit is free and can be obtained from the Coyote Ranger Station – you can call them at (505) 638-5526 and they will email you the permit. 10. Echo Amphitheater. This is a wonderful place to visit, especially if you have children traveling with you. The natural stone amphitheater in the Carson National Forest was hollowed out of sandstone by ages of erosion and is just down the road from Ghost Ranch. Go there and scream, yell – but just know you will never get the last word in there….. Day Trips: Besides our Top Ten in Abiquiu, we highly recommend these day trips: · Puye Cliff Dwellings: National Historic Landmark and home to the ancestors of today’s Santa Clara Pueblo people. The dwellings represent the largest archeological site in the Southwest managed by the Native people whose ancestors once lived here. Several tour options are available for the cliff and cave dwellings with a Santa Clara Pueblo guide. Purchase your tour tickets at the Puye Cliffs Welcome Center (the Valero Gas Station on Highway 30 and Puye Cliffs Road). · Bandelier National Monument. 12th Century Anasazi cliff dwellings. 33,000 acres of canyon and mesa country. · Bradbury Science Museum: Science museum at the Los Alamos National Lab, home of the Manhattan Project. Many exhibits revealing nuclear defense history. · Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project: A wonderful tour through the Wells Petroglyph Preserve. Over 100,000 examples of rock images are estimated to exist on the mesa in addition to other archaeological features. You can only visit with on a guided tour. Read our blog interview with Katherine Wells, founder of the Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project. Lodging in the Area: The Grand Hacienda Bed and Breakfast – luxury B&B overlooking Abiquiu Lake Reference / Suggested Reading: To learn more, here are links to our favorite books about the area. Discover Abiquiu from A to Z - a great memento! Ghostranch, by Lesley Poling-Kempes Valley of Shining Stone: The Story of Abiquiu by Lesley Poling-Kempes Abiquiu: Geologic History by Kirk Kempter The Witches of Abiquiu, by Malcolm Ebright and Rick Hendricks Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya Georgia O’Keeffe and Her Houses: Ghost Ranch and Abiquiu by Harry N. Abrams Georgia O’Keeffe and New Mexico: A Sense of Place by Princeton University Press O’Keeffe at Abiquiu by Harry N. Abrams Remembering Ms. O'Keeffe: Stories from Abiquiu ​ Ghost Ranch and the Faraway Nearby, by Craig Varjabedian ​ A Painter's Kitchen: Recipes from the Kitchen of Georgia O'Keeffe: Recipes from the Kitchen of Georgia O'Keeffe, by Margaret Wood ​ The Pueblo Revolt: The Secret Rebellion That Drove the Spaniards Out of the Southwest, by David Roberts DISCLOSURE This article may include affiliate links through an Amazon Associate program. If you click on a link and buy something through Amazon, we may make a small commission from it, at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. We only recommend items that we’ve personally used and read. ### #abiquiu #discoverabiquiu #drivingtour #abiquiudrivingtour #ilovenewmexico #newmexicotrue #okeeffe #bedandbreakfast #newmexico #visitabiquiu #landgrant #travel #wanderlust #vacationlife #thegrandhacienda #thecasitadellago #stayabiquiu #pueblodeabiquiu #bosshards #bodes #ghostranch #poshuiuinge #newmexicotrue #wanderlust #travelobsessed #ilovenewmexico #georgiaokeeffe #AbiquiuAirbnb #Abiquiuvrbo #bookdirect #abiquiulakemesa #ghostranch #plazablanca #mesaprieta #petroglyphs #georgiaokeeffe #okeeffe #monasterychristindesert

There is so much to see and do in Abiquiú – don’t short yourself and schedule only a quick day trip. We recommend at least four days in Abiquiú to really experience the history, culture, geography and arts in the area...and many of our guests stay for a week or month. So many people flock to Abiquiú to visit Ghostranch and take the Georgia O’Keeffe Home and Studio Tour. We definitely recommend you do both. But, don’t miss the many other hidden treasures, including spectacular hiking, peaceful kayaking, river rafting, vespers at the Monastery, wandering through The White Place, picking lavender at the Lavender Farm, screaming at Echo Amphitheater, and exploring the small village of Abiquiú and its surrounding areas. In our blog today, we will cover an afternoon driving tour of Abiquiú that you can do on your own. It's time to Discover Abiquiu. HISTORY OF ABIQUIÚ Abiquiú is a small village in northern New Mexico, about 55 miles north of Santa Fe. There is much history and culture in the village, including dinosaurs and cattle wrestlers; Native American Puebloans who claimed this land for generations; and Spanish colonists. And, of course, famous painter Georgia O'Keeffe. The village of Abiquiú was founded in 1754, 22 years before the American colonies severed connections to Great Britain and issued the Declaration of Independence! Abiquiú is thought to be the starting point of the Old Spanish Trail, the 1,200-mile trade route that opened up the west from northern New Mexico with Los Angeles, California. Later, Abiquiu also was a stagecoach stop for travelers. Famous artist Georgia O’Keeffe also lived in the area from 1929 until 1984, and many of her famous paintings depict the colorful vistas and landscape in the area. Her home and studio in Abiquiu is open for tours and nearby Ghost Ranch offers tours of the locations where she painted. Abiquiu is also a popular spot for movies and films, including Cowboys and Aliens, Rattlesnake, Silverado, City Slickers, Wyatt Earp, 3:10 to Yuma, Indian Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, The Lone Ranger, Red Dawn, the TV series Earth 2, and many more. What show wasn't filmed here? Breaking Bad's episode titled, "Abiquiu". You can take a tour of filming locations at Ghost Ranch. Read more about the history of Abiquiu in Lesley Poles-Kempes book, Valley of Shining Stone, The Story of Abiquiu. It's a wonderful book - covers the history, the people and the legends. Readers are given a solid history of the area, as well a good feel for what life was life. ABIQUIÚ PRONUNCIATION Abiquiu (pronounced A-bhi-kyoo, as in A as in Apple, Bi and in Big, and Quiu pronounced like the letter Q) gets its name from the Tewa Puebloan words “pay sha boo-oo”, meaning "timber-end town”, and “abechin”, meaning “the hoot of an owl”. (listen) DRIVING TOUR OF THE VILLAGE OF ABIQUIU This tour is limited to the village and surrounding area. Future blogs will cover other attractions. Poshuouinge Ruins – start your tour at the Ruins. Take Hwy 84 and drive south about 4.1 miles from the village to Poshuouinge (pronounced "poe-shoo-wingay), a large ancestral Tewa Puebloan ruin. You will see a pull off area on your right-hand side with a trail hike leading up to the top of the mesa where you can look out over the ruins. Poshuouinge was built around 1400 on a high mesa, some 150 feet above the Chama River. The site was abandoned around 1500. The ruins left behind give you an idea of life when it was occupied. It is thought that the Puebloan city had about 700 rooms on the ground floor, and many rooms were two or three stories high. There were two main plazas and a large kiva in the center courtyard. There are two springs located about 500 feet to the south of the ruins which are believed to have been the main water sources for the habitation. Santa Rosa de Lima - Head back out to Hwy 84 and travel north, back towards Abiquiú, for about two miles. On your right-hand side, you will see the ruins of Santa Rosa de Lima, an early 18th-century Spanish settlement and the original village of Abiquiú. The first license for the Chapel at Santa Rosa was apparently issued by the Bishop of Durango and Visito General Don Martin de Elisacochea in 1737. The chapel’s patron saint was listed as Santa Rosa de Lima. Still standing are the substantial adobe ruins of the church and mounds where the settlers’ adobe houses once stood. By the 1730s, Spanish settlers were moving into the Chama River valley, and by 1744 at least 20 families were living in the village around Santa Rosa de Lima. The church, on the plaza, was built in 1744, and was in use until the 1930s. Repeated raids by the Utes and Comanche tribes forced residents to abandon the village and retreat up to the mesa where the current village of Abiquiu is located today. The Santa Rosa de Lima site is private property, belonging to the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, but you are welcome to respectfully visit. Bodes - Next, drive into Abiquiú and first stop at Bodes – our general store. It’s a fun store to visit because it is a true general store (and gas station) and has everything from cast iron skillets, to Monk’s Beer, to vegetables, fishing supplies and carry-out food. And, of course, you will find necessities here as well. Village of Abiquiú - .Head across the street from Bodes, up the hill in front of the post office to the current village of Abiquiú. Please respect the privacy of this residential village. The village of Abiquiú served as a one-time military outpost, an Indian agency, and a starting point of exploration, including the Santa Fe Trail to California. Today, many of the families that live in the village have lived here for generations. As mentioned, the village of Abiquiú was formed when the residents of Santa Rosa de Lima retreated up to this mesa for safety against nomadic Indian attacks. The Spanish crown gave a land grant - The Abiquiu Genízaro Land Grant - to the residents. Genízaros, who are of Hispanic and Native American descent, were given the land grant in return for protecting the area against nomadic Indian attacks. Most Genízaros were, or their ancestors had been, kidnapped slaves of Indian tribes sold to the Spaniards. The Genizaros were forced to give up their religion and were Christianized, taught to speak Spanish, and given citizenship by the Spanish Crown. Genizaros gained their freedom by serving as soldiers to defend frontier villages like Abiquiú from Indian raids. By the late 1700s, Genizaros comprised one-third of the population of New Mexico. The Abiquiú Genízaro Land Grant was classified as a reduccióni. Only those who were granted the land through the grant were allowed to reside on the land. The land grant documents also stated that a “doctrinal teacher” would be provided to the community and it specified the construction of a mission church - which became Santo Tomás de Apostle Catholic Church. For an interesting read about the resistance of the Genízaros, check out the book The Witches of Abiquiu, by Malcolm Ebright and Rick Hendricks. The book covers the witchcraft outbreak among the Genízaro Indians between 1756 and 1766. No executions took place. As you drive up the mesa, you will see an ancient adobe ruin in front of you. To your right, stop by Bosshards Gallery – a wonderful mercantile store/gallery that feels more like a museum. Bosshard travels the world and brings treasures back to the mercantile: antiques, paintings, sculptures of animals, tables and furniture, drums, tapestries, and other treasures from the far corners of the world. Past Bosshards you will find Santo Tomas the Apostle Catholic Church. The church was completed in 1773, although the first sacramental records are dated earlier, from 1754. Fray Félix Joseph Ordoñez y Machado became the first priest for Santo Tomás de Apostle Catholic Church. In October of 1867, the church burned down and was rebuilt. In the 1930’s the villagers decided a new church as needed and the church you see today was built in 1935. Santa Fe architect, John Gaw Meem, was hired to design the new church. Building the new church was a community effort, and community members donated money, time and effort. It is said that the viga timbers were floated down the Rio Chama and dragged up to the village. Adobe bricks were made by hand. Latillas were hand-peeled. But the new build wasn't without conflict and problems. Architect Meem positioned the door to the church facing east, which was the custom for most Christian churches was that one should turn eastward to pray. This was the church architecture John Gaw Meem followed. But the old Abiquiu church had always faced south and the Abiquiu residents insisted that the new church also face south. Architect Meem and the Archdiocese officials insisted that the church face the easterly direction, and work stopped. There are legends as to what happened next, but locals tore up the unfinished foundation and, after repairs were made, the doors faced south. John Gaw Meem gave up on the project and did not attend the opening ceremonies. Across the street from the church, you will see Abiquiú’s wonderful Library - the El Pueblo de Abiquiu Library and Cultural Center. There is a nice mosaic on the sidewalk in front of the library. The history of books in the area dates back to the Spanish colonists who brought books with them from Spain. Georgia O'Keeffe was a book lover - she had more than 3,000 titles between her two homes at Abiquiu and Ghost Ranch. Continue driving around the small circle of the village and you will pass Georgia O’Keeffe’s Home and Studio. You can only access this property with a tour, but you can see her home from the roadside, over the wall. Schedule a tour by visiting the O’Keeffe Welcome Center in the village, or purchase tour tickets online at www.okeeffemuseum.org. To read more about O’Keeffe’s homes in Abiquiu, here is a link to a wonderful book by Harry Abrams, Georgia O’Keeffe and Her Houses: Ghost Ranch and Abiquiu. What I love most about this book are the pictures - photographs of her homes, photograph of O'Keeffe in her homes, her paintings and the vistas she looked at every day. Penitente Morado - past the wall in the village and up the hill in the back is the Penitente Morado. Penitente is a Spanish word meaning “one who does penance”, and morado is the Spanish word for “adobe”. The morado was built in the 1700’s with straw and mud. A large bell hangs at one end, three crosses stand in the dirt. The morado is a Penitente chapel and meeting house. Please respect this sacred place and do not take photographs. RESTAURANTS There are several restaurants in the area if you want to stop for lunch or dinner, including the Abiquiú Café, Sierra Negra, Bodes, Ghost Ranch, The Frosty Cow, Fire N Ice, and Mamacitas Pizza. LODGING If you are looking for a place to stay, you will find several options in the area. To get away from the crowds and O’Keeffe busses, make a reservation outside of the village on Abiquiu Lake. The Grand Hacienda Inn is Abiquiu's most luxurious lodging choice and includes a gourmet breakfast and afternoon dessert. With the lake in front of you, red cliffs as a backdrop, and Cerro Pedernal standing guard behind you, there is no better place to stay. The owners also own a lakefront lot so you can enjoy the rocky beach area for fishing, swimming or kayaking. You will always save money by booking direct (using the links below), rather than booking through a third party such as AirBNB, VRBO, or Booking.com. · The Grand Hacienda Bed and Breakfast MEMENTO OF YOUR TRIP Take home your copy of Discover Abiquiu from A to Z - available online or locally at The Grand Hacienda, Abiquiu Inn, Nest, Cafe Sierra Negra, and the Dome. SUGGESTED READING LIST To learn more, here are links to our favorite books about the area. Discover Abiquiu From A to Z by Carolyn Calfee Ghostranch, by Lesley Poling-Kempes Valley of Shining Stone: The Story of Abiquiu by Lesley Poling-Kempes Abiquiu: Geologic History by Kirk Kempter The Witches of Abiquiu, by Malcolm Ebright and Rick Hendricks Bless Me, Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya Georgia O’Keeffe and Her Houses: Ghost Ranch and Abiquiu by Harry N. Abrams Georgia O’Keeffe and New Mexico: A Sense of Place by Princeton University Press O’Keeffe at Abiquiu by Harry N. Abrams Remembering Ms. O'Keeffe: Stories from Abiquiu ​ Ghost Ranch and the Faraway Nearby, by Craig Varjabedian ​ A Painter's Kitchen: Recipes from the Kitchen of Georgia O'Keeffe: Recipes from the Kitchen of Georgia O'Keeffe, by Margaret Wood ​ The Pueblo Revolt: The Secret Rebellion That Drove the Spaniards Out of the Southwest, by David Roberts DISCLOSURE This article may include affiliate links through an Amazon Associate program. If you click on a link and buy something through Amazon, we may make a small commission from it, at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. We only recommend items that we’ve personally used and read. ### #abiquiu #discoverabiquiu #walkingtour #abiquiuwalkingtour #ilovenewmexico #newmexicotrue #okeeffe #bedandbreakfast #newmexico #visitabiquiu #landgrant #travel #wanderlust #vacationlife #thegrandhacienda #thecasitadellago #stayabiquiu #pueblodeabiquiu #bosshards #bodes #ghostranch #poshuiuinge #newmexicotrue #wanderlust #travelobsessed #ilovenewmexico #georgiaokeeffe #AbiquiuAirbnb #Abiquiuvrbo #bookdirect #discoverabiquiufromatoz