mudflap

I recently stayed in Santa Fe over Christmas. I’d never been before and was struck by all the adobe architechture. It really made the place look majical.

I ate some really good meals, but the service was bad. I was told the week between Christmas and New Years is one of the peak times in Santa Fe. Most restaurants were overcrowded and understaffed. It was an epidemic.

That said, I really enjoyed the environs, the art and the people watching!

Probably won’t go back anytime soon, except maybe to visit during the summer and see what it’s like then.

Went to the University of Virginia many (too many to count) years ago. Being in Charlottesville was one of the best aspects of going to school there. I especially loved the fall with the leaves turning color.

The hilly topography was also great because it gave such great views.

If visiting don’t forget to go to Monticello (Jefferson’s home) too!

I’ve visited London many times. If I am visiting other parts of the UK I often start in London and spend a few days shopping or enjoying a nice hotel.

My favorite things to do: book shopping on Charing Cross Lane, seeing plays, visiting out-of-the-way non-touristed places.

I love taking the train out of London to other parts of the UK. I like to watch the transformation from city to country.

I visited downtown Juarez and the “colonias” on the outskirts. The city is much like other boarder towns, scruffy with cement buildings.

The colonias are much worse. While most have power, there’s no indoor plumbing and housing is made up of building scraps. Sewage runs through the dirt streets, kids play unattended.

I went there as part of a mission trip to provide meals to children. They were polite and grateful. Their smiles were captivating, in spite of their poverty.

I left a changed person, more grateful than ever for what I have.

I visited in summer (July) and was surprised at how much you can do. I rode mountain bikes, went rafting and did some light hiking. There were a couple of lakes you could swim in too.

A few die hard snowboarders were taking lifts up to the glacier and enjoying winter sports too.

The atmosphere is definitely upscale. Food and lodging was pricy but good.

I spent 7 years in Houston and frequented the Chuy’s there religiously. When I moved to Austin it was like coming to Chuy’s Mecca. There are so many to visit. There’s even the Hula Hut—Chuy’s tropical sister.

My favorite dish is the Elvis Presley fried chicken. A chicken breast breaded with Lay’s potato chips! Sometimes it’s not on the menu, but you can ask, and sometimes they have it.