Southernmost Adventures (2018 List items #15, #18, Bonus Item #104)

June 09, 2019 by Molly Stafford Mastey

I’ve fallen way behind on my list write ups - I guess I better try to catch up! This one is from March 2018 - Brian and I visited Key West over a year ago (#15 on my 2018 list). Fun fact, Key West is the Southernmost point in the continental US. It was a much needed warm weather getaway.

While in Key West, we took it easy and enjoyed island cocktails, ate our weight in fishies and shrimpies, chilled by the ocean, kayaked through the mangroves, watched the cruise ships roll in and out, and chuckled at the free range chickens and roosters crossing the roads. We even checked the box on a few other items from my 2018 list, including a visit to a butterfly garden (#18), and a visit to the Hemingway House to hang with the Polydactyl cats (bonus #104). All in all, Key West offered us a a relaxing and enjoyable little vacay.

Brian and I are both cat lovers, so it was a lovely day at the Hemingway House, enriching ourselves in a slice of American Literary History, and the polydactyl descendants of Hemingway’s house.

Not only did we frolic amongst the butterflies at the butterfly house,, but we made friends with this fine pair of flouncing flamingos, Rhett and Scarlett.

Knock Out Roses

January 01, 2019 by Molly Stafford Mastey

Last summer, I was lucky enough to travel to my home state of MI for a business trip in Detroit. After the work was complete, I stayed in MI for a few extra days and trekked to the West side of the state to visit family. My step-Dad has a green thumb (and my Dad, too, for that matter), and I love to stroll through my Mom and step-Dad’s garden every time I am home for a visit during the pleasant-weather months. Now that I have a house and a yard of my own, I like to learn from my parents and get gardening inspiration.

My step-Dad saves the labels from the plants in his garden. It was fun to sift through them and learn about the soil, light, pruning, fertilizing and watering preferences of different flowers, plants, bushes and trees.

On this particular trip, I admired the rose bushes. L, my step-dad, explained that the variety of rose planted in their yard is a Knock Out Rose, which is a picturesque, low maintenance, and easy-to-care for breed of rose bush.

I don’t know why they are named Knock Out Roses. Maybe it’s because they are beautiful. Maybe it’s because no matter how much they are “knocked about”, or inadvertently get neglected, they tend to be hearty and resilient. As long as these beautiful buds have plentiful sunshine, they can thrive. I think that signals a lesson we can all learn from this pretty plant. As long was we practice gratitude and focus on the sunshine instead of dwelling in the gloom and gray of life, perhaps that’s all that we need to thrive. And no matter what, we, are resilient!

*Knock out roses from my mom and step-Dad’s garden. Nature is full of life lessons. Stop and smell the roses. And when you get knocked down…remember to look up!*

I Went on a Girls' Trip with my Mom and Sister...And Shit Got Weird

January 01, 2019 by Molly Stafford Mastey

Back in March of 2018 (aka last year?!?), my mom, sister and I took a ladies-only trip to Santa Fe, NM. It was a delayed celebration of Mom’s 70th birthday and E’s 40th birthday (milestone ages were ‘unlocked’ these in 2017), and we had a lovely time. Also, yes, shit got WIERD. I’ll explain later on. But first…here are some of the fun things we did/saw/ate.

Where we stayed: We stayed at The Inn & Spa at Loretto, and if you are planing to visit Santa Fe, I cannot recommend it enough. The staff, services, and facilities were impeccable. About a month before our stay, the hotel snail-mailed me a Santa Fe Guidebook, and a handwritten greeting. How sweet is is that? Also, when we arrived, they upgraded us to a larger room, free of charge, after I realized the room that I had booked was a bit small for the three of us. The hotel desk clerk said it was their gift to us for choosing their hotel for our special weekend. While I’m sure the lower occupancy for staying during the off-season worked in our favor to scoring a luxe room, it was a much appreciated friendly gesture.

*My sister and Mom in front of our hotel. We enjoyed beautiful, blue sky weather all weekend long.*

Where we ate: I am a big lover of Tex-Mex and Southwestern cuisine, and Santa Fe delivered. Our dining wasn’t exclusively Southwestern in nature, however, and each and every restaurant we selected was a culinary treat. Here are some highlights:

La Fonda on the Plaza: This is the hotel just around the corner of where we stayed, with an excellent Southwest restaurant and potent margaritas. Yum!
Luminaria: This is the restaurant hotel where we ate breakfast a few times. It was a bit chilly to enjoy the award-winning patio, but the inside is also charming.
The Living Room: This comfortable little happy hour bar is located in the hotel where we stayed. We had fun reading about the “smoking nun” who “haunts” the hotel — though none of us ordered that beverage!

*We enjoyed the “spirits” at our hotel. OoooeeeeEEeeoooo!*

Coyote Canteen: We enjoyed tex max appetizers and margaritas at this fun, colorful, vibrant rooftop bar. A nice break from our day of sightseeing and shopping.
Terra Cotta Wine Bar: New American style cuisine and a plentiful wine list, we enjoyed this litte gem after spending the afternoon at the Georgia O’Keefe museum.
Mucho Gusto: This little Mexican joint was one of my favorite food stops of our weekend. Guacamole, queso fundido, flautas….get in my belly!

Cultural Experiences: When we weren’t busy stuffing our faces, we had a great time shopping the plaza and checking out the local history. Here’s a little bit of what we were up to:

Little Loretto Chapel and the Legend of the Miracle Staircase: This is the miracle site located right next to our hotel, and the one our hotel is named after. It’s a tourist trap, to be sure, but fun to see, had a mysterious vibe, and was worth the history lesson. No one know who built the spiral staircase, or how it was built (it seems to defy physics!)

*Miracle Loretto Staircase. Don’t get it twisted! (Get it? Twisted like the staircase? Get it?)*

The Plaza: So many jewelry shops and so much beautiful Native American Art for sale in the plaza! Both Mom and E picked up some pieces, while I stuck to admiring it all and taking in the history.

Georgia O'Keeffe Museum: Fun fact about Georgia O’Keeffe. Not only was she a dazzling artist with a deep love of nature, but she was quite a beautiful poet as well. I purchased a book of her art and poetry to commemorate our weekend.

Meow Wolf: Whew…ok. This is where shit got weird. And, since Meow Wolf is #52 on my 2018 List, I am going to give it a paragraph all its own. Read on…

Meow Wolf is a one of a kind experience that's hard to describe. It's a giant, strange, immersive, multisensory-overload, art maze that showcases the collective, cooperative talent of a community of artists, located in Santa Fe, NM. My mom, sister and I spent HOURS exploring this space of weirdness and wonder and still didn't see it all. Here are some snaps that don't do it justice and provide only a fleck of the bigger picture.

*They don’t make these at General Mills…*

*Lots of little nooks and crannies and ways to interact with the art. This wasn’t creepy. And we look cute!*

*This though… a little bit more toward the WTF end of the spectrum.*