Ojo! Calcutta!

Destination: Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs, the place to see and be seen since the 16th Century. Kit Carson and the 8000 Navajos he killed or imprisoned can't all be wrong.


The drive north from Santa Fe included a pit stop at the stunning Echo Amphitheatre, a natural rock formation that amplifies amateur yodels, bird calls and unfortunately timed digestion of last night's BBQ burrito dinner.

The traipse up to the mountain is an educational nature walk, with signage indicating the names and description of native foilage. "Look at the juniper almost ready to flower", says the chaperone, brushing the branches out of Sheena's path. "Umm... smells like Sapphire Bombay", she replies. Squinty look entails. "Does everything always have to relate back to a cocktail for you". "Yes". And thus we continued through the Enchanted Gin Forest.

At last, we arrive at the hot springs resort. Naturally occuring mineral springs with Iron, Arsenic, Soda and Lithia springs. Gorgeous 108 degrees in the Iron springs pool. Sheena asks, "Is there a sulpher springs pool"? No. "That's just me", says the chaperone. Damn you God of BBQ Burritos.


Dinner at The Artesian was a treat. Baked brie with fresh raspberry & strawberry reduction, with YES! a Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc. Mains were a lovely filet wrapped in smoky bacon with garlic mash.

Now, Sheena tolerates many many things when dining out. But whatever possessed the chef to think it was a good idea to put the potato into a pool of broth must have been sipping a little too much of the arsenic water. I mean, who in their right mind would make beautiful mashed potatoes sleep in the wet spot?

Holistic health and healing is all about balance. Ojo Caliente is all about purification and purging of toxins. In the nature of all things spa-ness, Sheena now leaves her gentle readers in order to restore good balance to her toxins.





Black Mesa Coyote Red is calling me.....