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Posts Tagged ‘Las Vegas’

  1. Back

    09.17.2008 by Shannon

    Stuck, already, at the car rental.

    (more…)

    Category Location-Location, Narrative | Tags: , | 1 Comment

  2. New Mexico – Images

    05.07.2008 by Shannon

    The Land of Enchantment: Part 3
    Most of what I like about New Mexico is it’s yawning expanses, and it’s “Old West” feel. It is just such another world from Northern California.

    Especially in Las Vegas, where clearly not much has changed in many years — I like it that way.

    There is some progressive spirit here, though. Apparently there is a least one Obama supporter in this town:

    I was looking at real estate in NM — well, I was interested in a house that my cousin helped build and was recently put on the market. I had dreams of moving to the New Mexican desert, and just… writing. No neighbors but horses. No surroundings but dirt, a cliff-face, a river. Too bad the carpentry wasn’t plumb and the roof lacked sufficient insulation. That kind of stuff can be a real bummer in the winter.

    You can view all NM pictures here. (Mainly of the house I did not buy)

    Last year’s visit to NM pics here.

    Category Location-Location | Tags: , | 1 Comment

  3. New Mexico [Review Edition] II

    05.04.2008 by Shannon

    The Land of Enchantment: Part 2
    If you’re visiting New Mexico, you won’t be able to avoid green chili. Go on, try some. (This, coming from someone who thinks Pace Picante Mild is too spicy.) By day three I’m eating jalapeños whole. Hey — it’s better than menudo.

    ABRAHAM’S TIENDITA (map)
    This is Abraham, and that’s his tiny shop:

    He is located on the main drag a few feet from the central plaza. He’s got prepared burritos, and an enchilada bowl (tortilla pieces, beans, cheese, smothered in chili). His green chili is just green chilis — not even any broth. It is slow stewed and hot. Get a bowl of it to go and eat it right out of the styrofoam with plastic spork at a plaza bench. You won’t be disappointed.

     
    DICK’S (map)
    A deli, bar and restaurant, this is the place for big plates of food, fresh deli sandwiches, or tall glasses of brew. Service and food are pretty dependable; the bar is a center point for the [ahem] “nightlife” of Las Vegas. Go with someone who’s in with local sports, you’ll get better reception. Keep an eye on your wallet, though — and not because the drinks are pricey.

     
    PLAZA HOTEL (map)
    Landmark Grill Restaurant: They have a killer garden burger, but you will be charged 75c for anything “extra” besides lettuce… okay – fine – they charge you only for grilled onions, mushrooms, avocado, and green chili — but shouldn’t a garden burger come with those things? I’m not a meat eater, but the one I was with wasn’t happy with the lack of pink in his “medium rare” steak. The stout, tattooed and mustached piano player in the lobby is what it’s all about.

     
    SEMILLA NATURAL FOODS STORE (map)

    Grass fed beef? Fresh organic produce? Homeopathic & herb remedies… in Las Vegas, New Mexico?! If you thought this was a middle-of-no-where town with only lard enchiladas for dinner, you’re only half right — what a life-saver for a yippie like myself to find a cold kombucha in the refrigerator section of this small but stocked grocery store.

     
    MARIPOSA HERBS (map)
    …no, they don’t sell “oregano.” But they do have a fantastic selection of bulk dried herbs, teas, salves, and anything else your new-age heart desires. Dale, the owner, is helpful and friendly, touts being the first licensed masseuse in northern New Mexico, and also gives a wicked chair or table massage — if you like it so deep you want your scapula’s readjusted, this is the place. Good prices, too: at the time of this post, 1 hr. = $45 

    Advice: don’t get a massage alone after dark. The massage is harmless enough, but getting back to your car in this “kind of Wild Wild West town” can undo everything the massage sought to accomplish, especially if your cousin decides to hide behind a dumpster and scare the bajeezus out of you as you cross the street.

    To be continued…

    Category Location-Location | Tags: ,,, | 1 Comment

  4. New Mexico [Review Edition]

    04.29.2008 by Shannon

    The Land of Enchantment: Part 1

    I wouldn’t say I’m “enchanted” by New Mexico… It’s more of an internal smile, one that grows like silent wintered tree branches anticipating Spring;
    ;grows, as I confront the daily life of a small, poorish American town. A third of the buildings are vacant and a good deal of the vehicles are trucks with no bumper. Any “hello” is met with a “g’morning, Ladies,” usually flavored with a Spanish, Southwestern, or Native American accent (each sentence’s intonation split in half, the second slab falling evenly like a mesa in reverse). A bowl of green chili is 2 bucks and spicy. Everything is dry and dusty, frosty sagebrush futilely trying to hold the peach-colored earth from evaporating into air. The sun feels harsh and thin. The sky is vivid and fat.

    I love it here.

    * * *

    With that bias and poetic introduction, I’m following it with some bias and streamlined reviews and anecdotes. Here goes:

    FLIGHT: ExpressJet Good prices; small cabin; big meal for such a small flight; but don’t expect it to be healthy (vegetarian option: 350-calorie pre-packaged PB&J sandwich with side of carrots… and Milano cookies); not-so-clean bathrooms; friendly staff; be prepared to not be compensated if you are moved to accomodate the seeing eye dog that needs your seat.

    Story anecdote: The plane ride over was joyously uneventful, except for the flight attendant reading over my shoulder in an attempt to decifer what I was writing. When I explained that I was a namer and worked in branding, he enthusiastically told me how the company’s online presence naming architecture was askew (my words) and I confidently slipped him a hand-scrawled note on binder paper fixing the problem, with a business card attached. I told him to please hand it to his CEO.

    * * *

    CAR RENTAL: Hertz Albuquerque 

    Don’t get the insurance (likely you already have it through your own, or your VISA); do get the extra tank of gas if you’re driving long distances (30c cheaper a gallon); do shoot for the free upgrade if you happen to be wearing a low-cut top; don’t if there is a long line, or your cashier’s supervisor  is standing nearby.

    * * *

    HOTEL: El Fidel Hotel (map)

    Las Vegas, New Mexico

    Location is just fine — it’s not *right* near the central plaza, but it is near a bitchin’ breakfast burrito joint (Marianne’s), delish Mexican pastry shop (Talita’s), fantasmic coffee and an even better used bookstore (to the right of the auto body shop). The oldish building and spacious, couched lobby with fireplace (complete with smooth jazz) is worth the stay alone. Free wi-fi; be patient with the hot water.

     

    continued…

     

     

    Category Location-Location | Tags: ,,, | No Comments