Cross-Country Skiing at the Enchanted Forest- a yummy option

by Jamie Rhein on

If you love cross-country skiing and you love desserts, not a bad combination since cross-country skiing is a great calorie burner, head to the Enchanted Forest XC Ski and Snowshoe Area near Red River, New Mexico for “Just Desserts” Eat and Ski, February 24. (to get there from the Enchanted Forest website, click on events then click on the Just Deserts link.)Tables laden with homemade desserts from Red River restaurants will be set up at various spots along the trail for skiers to sample. Tequila Lime Pie, Black Forest Cheesecake and Mountain Berry Cream Flan will be among the 18 different options.

If you can’t make it to this event, consider another time. I’ve been cross-country skiing at the Enchanted Forest three times myself-once on a solo weekend vacation and twice with friends. Each time was as good as the next. With trail names like Jabberwocky, Little John and Cheshire Cat, this is perfect place for those who have never cross-country skied before and those who are experts who don’t mind company.

Because the trails cover 33km of the Carson National Forest in northern New Mexico, there are opportunities to take in vistas, tucked away places and loads of mountain scenery. Trails are well marked with their level of difficulty so you don’t go wandering off into treachery if you’re a beginner or waste your time with a ho-hum feeling if you’re looking to try out your technique. If you don’t have your own equipment, rentals are available. Red River is a neat town to enjoy for a night or two. It looks a bit like a tourist town-which it is, but that ensures good places to eat and stay and things to do when the day’s skiing is done. I like Red River because it’s not as crowded or polished as Taos or Santa Fe. There’s a more down-home, casual feel that made me feel comfortable, particularly when I was on my own.

US Airways To Stop Serving Alcohol on New Mexico Flights, For Now

by Willy Volk on

On November 11, Dan Papst had some drinks while aboard a US Airways flight. When he de-planed, he swung by a convenience store and bought beer. Soon after, he was involved in a fatal drunk driving accident, which killed five members of one family as well as Papst, himself. Tests revealed Papst had a BAC four times the state’s legal limit for driving.

After an investigation revealed the airline did not have a liquor license, New Mexico’s Regulation and Licensing Department ordered the airline to stop serving alcohol on flights to or from the state. According to Ed Lopez, superintendent of the Department, the lack of a license means the airline is engaging in bootlegging. The airline has about two weeks to notify state regulators that it has stopped serving alcohol, at which point it may apply for a liquor license. In the meantime, grape juice is the hardest thing US Airways is going to be serving.

MSN’s 10 Places to Get Spooked

by Adrienne Wilson on

BOO! Halloween is now only a week away and it is time for some real trip planning if you have yet to begin. If you’re too embarrassed to go cruise your home digs in costume with a begging bag in hand consider some of these ghostly destinations provided by MSN. Start with a trip down to the legendary Bermuda Triangle known for making many a vessel disappear while sailing the sea span between Miami, Bermuda and San Juan, P.R. If taking to the seas on one of the creepiest nights of the year doesn’t give you goose-pimples try a visit to the city of Salem, Mass., where the famous witch trials took place in 1692. All month long Salem makes the most of its utterly gruesome past by hosting several ghost tours, street fairs and costume balls. In all honesty Salem looks like one of the best places to head too if you’re really wrapped into this stuff. Other stops include Roswell, London’s Ghost Walk and Transylvania of course. Having been to Transylvania before, I say skip the expensive plane ride over and again, head to Salem.

See MSN for the spooky rest.

Dive Santa Rosa, New Mexico’s Blue Hole

by Adrienne Wilson on

One way to beat the heat in Santa Rosa, New Mexico is to take to the waters and explore one of their many natural lakes, but the city’s biggest and most well-known water attraction would have to be the Blue Hole. Having witnessed it myself, I’ll provide you with the non-scuba divers skinny to the Blue Hole. At the time of my arrival they were in the middle of a month-long cleaning project so I didn’t catch anyone splashing in the waters, but I’m told more people flock to the Blue Hole to go beneath than one can imagine. My daring companions who didn’t want to come all the way to the Blue Hole for nothing asked if they could at least dive in once or twice and swim across to get a feel for the Blue Hole’s chilly temperature in the blazing New Mex heat despite the 20 plus people around working hard at finishing their task. At this point I’m waiting to hear a giant booming “NO” from the woman overseeing the cleaning operation, but she tells the boys of our request and surely my pals have their way. The crane operator pulls out the equipment and within a matter of minutes my three amigas are swimming around at the top of the Blue Hole water.

So what really makes the pond worth visiting for real divers? Good question.

For starters the bell-shaped pool is said to be a geological phenomenon. It is 80 feet deep with impressive clarity (visibility 80′ when undisturbed) and a constant water temperature of 64 degrees. Other fast facts for curious divers include; 3,000 galloon flow per minute; water recycles every six hours, 4,600′ above sea level with the bottom equivalent of 100′ of depth in the ocean. There are also two training platforms at 20 and 25 feet. Additional info including directions to the location can be found here.

If you’re anything like myself and completely allergic to scuba equipment and what lies beneath or a family vacationing I suggest sticking to the lake nearby. No clue what the water temperature is, but it’s a whole heck of a lot cooler than standing on the lake shore. I promise – plus there’s a water slide, diving board, and paddle boats.