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One of my best friends and I took our daughters on a trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Terry and her daughter Camie appear on the left, and my daughter Candace and I are on the right. Terry is the friend on whom Tanya in The Mystery House Series is based. My friend Tammy, on whom Sue is based, couldn't make the trip, unfortunately.
The photo above was taken in front of the St. Francis Cathedral in the historical plaza. From there, we walked to the Palace of the Governors, the oldest public building in the United States. Native American artists who had won that day's lottery offered their jewelry, textiles, and art for sale beneath a portico that stretched across the building's facade.
Our cab driver told us that the artifacts sold in front of the Palace of the Governors were guaranteed to be authentically handmade by Native Americans, so that's where we did the bulk of our shopping, though we did buy at a few shops, too, such as the one below inside La Fonda.
We enjoyed the details in the architecture of the buildings along the plaza. Below, my daughter is posing near beautifully painted columns that caught our attention on our way to the New Mexico Museum of Art.
Among my favorite works of art was this polar bear nativity. As soon as I saw it, I thought I had to have it, because a family of Pohler Bears should have a polar bear nativity! However, when Terry asked the owner of the shop for the price, he said it was $3800! What we didn't realize was that it was carved from alabaster and inlaid with turquoise and other precious stones. Isn't it gorgeous?
But my MOST favorite art wasn't found at the plaza. It was at the most bizarre place I've ever visited: Meow Wolf.
Meow Wolf is an immersive art installation created by many artists and including over seventy rooms--many of which are unexpected and only discovered through secret entrances that feel like portals.
You walk into what appears to be a two-story house only to find secret passageways in unexpected places, such as the refrigerator!
The rooms in the house are far from typical!
And they extend even further from what you think of as rooms in a house the further you explore.
The room above is designed with bottle caps, while the one below is made of candy.
At some point, you stumble upon an enormous treehouse surrounded by trees with mysterious eyes.
We also had an amazing spa day at Spa Banya, where I met Kelly, on whom I plan to base a character in my upcoming release, The Shade of Santa Fe, which launches on Halloween 2021.
I've discovered some interesting secrets about this city. If you want to know more about them, you'll have to read the book. You can purchase your copy here.
Btw, if you don't already own The Bookworm Bible--my fifty-page comprehensive guide for book lovers compiled from articles I've written over the years on topics such as "How to Overcome a Reading Slump" and "How to Write Easy Peasy Book Reviews" with free resources such as a printable reading log, review templates, and an online reading journal--grab your free copy here.