Scenic Road Trip: Santa Fe to Pagosa Springs

 

ExploreBeyondYourDoor is a spot to

 talk travel, share hiking adventures and 

experiences about places far from home, in the

greater Southwest or right in our own backyards.

 

Our view from the road heading to Pagosa Springs, CO

Oh, how we love the open road. With the summer heat hanging on in Phoenix, I'm reminiscing about our late summer road trip, over the Labor Day holiday, to cool Pagosa Springs. Stéphane and I hit the road to do a quick stop in one of our favorite places, Santa Fe, while on our way to visit family in Colorado.

Our hotel while in Pagosa...the place lives up to its name

We had a friendly visitor on the property!



Stéphane making a new friend 



We stayed for a long weekend and spent quality time with family. We enjoyed the local wildlife, the healing hot springs and the cool mountain air that Pagosa Springs has to offer. We're lucky my family lives in such an amazing place!

 

On the trip home, we headed back the way we came. Along the highway, we found a hidden gem in northern New Mexico. Echo Amphitheater is about 17 miles west of Abiquiú on US84, about four miles up the road from Ghost Ranch. 

 

It's a great stop to stretch your legs and experience this natural wonder. A place that's not only beautiful, but a sacred space that reverberates the voices of today and the native ancestors of our past.

Located in a beautiful area

  

Sandstone cliffs near the amphitheater...wow!

Stéphane walking to the amphitheater

 

 

As the sun set on our Southwest road trip, we enjoyed the view and started planning to head back this way again next year!

Happy Travels,

Christie



 

Love for Texas: Until We Meet Again

ExploreBeyondYourDoor is a spot to

 talk travel, share hiking adventures and 

experiences about places far from home, in the
greater Southwest or right in our own backyards.

 

My heart is aching for the families and communities dealing with the devastating rains from Hurricane Harvey. The loss of life and property is beyond comprehension. 

Watching the recent news coverage, I'm saddened by what I see but also inspired by the level of Good Samaritans - neighbors helping neighbors - rising up to help each other.

Another kind of devastation will be to the environment, landscape and beauty of the area. Only time will tell the full extent of the flooding. One news report said, "some parts of the state will, most likely, never be the same."

This hit me hard, as I've only seen a few areas of Texas. I've never been to Houston. Luckily, in 2014 Stéphane and I, and our good friends from France, completed an epic road trip traveling from southern Arizona all the way across to San Antonio, up to Austin and on to Santa Fe, NM. 

Recent events have inspired me to get out and explore my state and the other great states, like Texas, as we never know what Mother Nature has in store.

For now, I'm sending love to Texas. It seems the spirit of its people may be bruised, but is not broken. Keep the faith, as this too shall pass.

 

Until we meet again,

Christie

 

Me and Stéphane, in 2014, at the Broken Spoke in Austin, TX 

 

What are your Favorite Summer Escapes?



These boots are made for hiking...I'm ready to go!

ExploreBeyondYourDoor is a spot to

 talk travel, share hiking adventures and 

experiences about places far from home, in the
greater Southwest or right in our own backyards.

It's summer in Phoenix, AZ and it's hot. Right now, I'm spending a good amount of time dreaming about being somewhere else. I'm dreaming about putting on my hiking boots, jumping in the car and just driving...somewhere cooler.
 

This summer I've been home more than usual and this might be one of the reasons I'm doing more dreaming than actual hiking or traveling.

 

Luckily, I'll be making my great escape over the next few months to several of my favorite places for hiking and road tripping:

• Sedona, Flagstaff and Jerome, AZ
• Santa Fe, NM
• Pagosa Springs, CO

These are some of my favorite summer escapes and I'll be writing about my favorite spots in the coming months. What are your favorite summer escapes?

 

This summer, have you been able to travel around the beautiful state of Arizona? Or did you visit another part of the U.S. for the first time? Maybe you traveled abroad? Would love to hear about your summer adventures!

My planning is done and my boots are ready and waiting to Explore Beyond My Door. I hope yours are too.

 

Happy Trails,

Christie   

Wanderlust...do you Explore Beyond Your Door?

Welcome to ExploreBeyondYourDoor!

EBYD is a new spot to talk travel and share experiences about places far from home, in the greater Southwest or right in our own backyards.

Travel, exploring new places and learning about other cultures have always been an interest of mine. This wanderlust was amplified a few years back on my 40^th birthday. I decided to have a travel theme with decorations (and cake! thanks to my friend +Therese Inzerillo, see pic below) representing all of the places I wanted to go: Mexico, England, France, Italy, Ireland and Australia. I had decided this was the decade I was going to start traveling and exploring.

At my celebration, I had a fun party favor – a good old fashioned hard copy of the +AAA Travel 2011/12 Worldwide Travel book and Post-it notes. I asked my guests to find their favorite vacation spot in the U.S. and abroad and write a note or travel tip that I could reference. (After reviewing the book, I realized I have a lot of friends with wanderlust too!)

I love this memento, which I refer to regularly to remind me of the event and to dream about future excursions. It also proved useful for my trip to France (more on that later!) Do you have a list of places you want to go or see? Are you working on your travel bucket list? If not, I invite you to create that list, get out and…Explore Beyond Your Door!  

Would love to hear about your hiking excursions, outdoor adventures, cultural explorations and world wide trips you’ve taken…I have a Post-it note ready and waiting for your travel tip to add to my book.  

Happy Travels! 

~ Chris 

Travel-themed birthday cake