Spring Forward

Our longest spring break ever has been one of extreme temperatures and extreme pleasures. From Las Vegas, where we enjoyed sunny 80 degree days, to Taos, where we woke up one morning to find an inch of late season snow on the mesa, it's been a wild ride.

We began the festivities in the Fireside Lounge on the Strip:
and spent one night in a high roller's suite at Mandalay Bay:

We then journeyed east, stopping for the night in Winslow, AZ. We didn't actually stand on the corner there; instead, we sat down in the Turquoise Lounge and sampled crimson margaritas, the house specialty. We danced to the music of South by Southwest at the Sagebrush Inn in Taos, and hiked through slot canyons at Kasha-Katuwe National Monument on the Cochiti Pueblo south of Santa Fe:


We saw magnificent sunsets reflected on Taos Mountain:

and entertained friends at Las Mananitas.

We even had our roof repaired by Santos! (See "Don't Let the Snow Come Down" below for the tale of our roofing woes). We had a delicious dinner of Spanish food and drink, including tapas, sherry, and an incredible orange tart at the home of Jim and Rebecca, our former neighbors who now live in Cerro.

The spring snow that fell on the mesa made our Zen rock garden look a little prettier:

The last part of our vacation included a stop in Sedona, where we wandered among the spectacular red rocks:

At the end of our trip we returned to Las Vegas, where we climbed Exploration Peak in Mountain's Edge to see terrific nighttime views of the Strip:

And now, as I write this at the lovely Las Vegas home of our gracious hosts, Johnny Mysterio and Madame Flamingo,
I'm savoring the final moments of our fabulous spring break--and dreading the return to normal life.