As most of you already know, I recently gifted myself a vacation to beautiful Angel Fire, New Mexico. The picture above is the view from the back door of the three-bedroom-two- bath Airbnb house we rented.
At only $90 per night, you’d have to wonder why this amazing place was so cheap. Two reasons. No TV and NO Internet.
Talk about an attitude adjustment. I’d never miss TV, but I felt crippled without the Internet. Needless to say, it took an entire day to decompress and stop worrying about everything I was missing – the wonderful blogs I follow, the constant emails that flood my inbox and everything going on in RRBC and RWISA land. But, after a day I let go and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to disconnect.
And guess what? The world did not stop turning.
My best friend of over thirty years and I drove to my sister’s house in Amarillo and our other traveling partner, Cactus Mike, owner of Cactustown, Texas USA, met us there.
We drove on up from Amarillo and I’ll share a few pictures of paradise.
These are a couple of the unbelievable houses in Angel Fire
The pictures do not do it justice. The peacefulness of being out in nature, looking for rocks to bring back home, or exploring off-road trails is equal to nothing else.
We spent one day exploring Taos, New Mexico, one whole day skiing (although I don’t ski, I enjoyed watching!), we had lunch in Red River and hiked the Jasper Agate trail looking for treasures.
And, I even returned home with a new pair of Tony Lamas to take dancing.
It was a phenomenal get-away in every aspect. The weather could not have been more picture-perfect and the scenery breathtaking.
I’m happy to be back home and back to business with renewed energy and purpose.
I hope you enjoyed taking this mini-journey with me through part of The Enchanted Circle in New Mexico.
Writing and Music 
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Jan, I’m breathless. What stunning views. When I lived in Albuquerque I made it up to Taos once, but it was the middle of summer, and only for a couple of hours. Thanks for sharing this beautiful tour with us. Hugs.
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You are most welcome, Teagan, and thanks for stopping by!
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Great photos and description of your visit to Angel Fire, Jan. I spent several days there some years ago on a writer’s retreat. Like you, I loved peace and natural beauty of our surroundings. Thanks for sharing your adventure there and bringing back fond memories for me.
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What a wonderful place to have a writer’s retreat! I’m glad I could bring back the memories for you. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
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There is nothing quite a restful as totally unplugging. I’m so glad you got to do that, Jan. I think it’s a necessary interlude we all should strive for at least one week a year. Great photos and it looks like you were surrounded with fun and beauty. 🙂
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I couldn’t agree more, Diana! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.
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Great pictures, Jan. I love Angel Fire and Red River. I find the greatest peace there. And I love how our group picture turned out. I was very happy that you and Kay came through and spent a few days. And Mike too although he was only a mere shadow. Didn’t say long enough to say anything more than hi. I was very happy that you got to take this vacation. It’s always good for the soul to decompress. AND…those boots are awesome! I love them. And you.
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Thank you, sister! I enjoyed getting to visit and thank you SO much for taking us to Palo Duro Canyon. It was a wonderful way to begin the journey. Love you!!
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That scenery is absolutely breathtaking.
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Thank you, Tom!
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Fantabulous. My mouth waters. Wow.
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So glad you enjoyed, Let’s Cut the Crap!
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Awesome, Jan! Thanks for sharing your journey… 🙂
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Thank you, Bette!
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That looks like a wonderful trip. These days it’s important to disconnect for a couple of days and just take in the world.
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Yes, I agree. But, oh so hard to do unless it is forced. 🙂
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Amazing, Jan! So delighted that you were able to experience such tranquil beauty with dear family and friends. Thanks so much for sharing your pictures. Such a gift for the soul. 🙂
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It was wonderful, Natalie and I feel rejuvenated!
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Fantastic!! I’m so happy you had this vacation from life-as-normal. Beautiful photos and smiles. 🙂
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Thanks, Gwen. It was wonderful to recharge my batteries.
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Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
I will leave you this evening with a wonderful trip made by Jan Sikes into a world without TV or Internet.. New Mexico.. snow, sunshine, Elk, mountains and fantastic boots for dancing.
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Oh, thank you, Sally. You are so generous with your reblogs! I appreciate you and will hop over to check comments.
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Thank you Jan.. hugs xx
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Happy to hear you had such a good time. Check out your nifty boots…
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Thanks, Annette. Glad you liked my new Tony Lamas. 🙂
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Beautiful travel tale, so full of joy and enthusiasm. I am in no doubt about that you had a good time, the pictures are very talkative.:) like Annika, I was thinking sun and heat when I saw the name Mexico. Oh no, it looks rather Northern and so much snow. I also love the boots. What kind of dance do you do in these?
Miriam
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Hi, Miriam. I love to do the Texas Two-Step when I have a partner. Can’t wait to try out the new boots for sure. Yes, this trip was to Northern New Mexico, near the Colorado border.
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Beautiful pictures and view! What a find! New Mexico is on my list of states to see, beautiful. It’s nice to take a break from the internet, but I never do that willingly:) Great dancing boots. Very glad you had a great time!
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Being born in New Mexico, I can attest to the fact that not all of it is this beautiful. I recommend Northern New Mexico. Santa Fe, Taos, Red River, Angel Fire…you get the idea. I know you’ll enjoy the visit!
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Thank you I will keep that in mind:)
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Wow! What an incredibly beautiful location, Jan. You could clearly see why it was such a rejuvenating experience. As for no Internet I too felt twitchy the last time I had no internet, we’d just moved to our small country town and it took a full month to finally get connection. I went through withdrawal symptoms. But the writing I managed to get done in that month was amazing. I love the boots … need pics of you dancing. Loved this post, Jan.😍
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Lol, Sooz. We’ll see about the dancing pictures. It does require a partner. 🙂 I’d almost welcome a month of no internet just to get some serious writing done. I spend way too much time trying to keep up with everything. Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment.
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😊Your posts are always a pleasure to read, Jan. I dance alone … and my toes are thankful! I’m a klutz with a Capital K.
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It sounds like a fabulous time, Jan, and I actually love the idea of no TV and no internet. When I’m on vacation I very rarely ever look at either. I’d much rather wallow in being away. Those views are breathtaking!
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Thanks, Mae. It took a little adjustment and I’m still playing catch-up but at a slower pace. 🙂
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Sounds like a blast, Jan. Your photos were terrific. I’m glad you had a good time.
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Thanks, John. Glad you enjoyed the photos. It couldn’t be more of a contrast from where you are in Port A.
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I’m sure. 😀
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Thanks, Karen. It isn’t often that we gift ourselves. It felt good.
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You deserve such a vacation. Beautiful photos
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Good for you! Everyone needs a fantastic get-away every once in a while. From looking at the pictures, obviously, you had a blast.
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Thank you, Gracie. It was truly wonderful and my batteries are charged!
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Wow!, breathtaking view from your backdoor! I’m so happy you had a fabulous trip! When you mentioned Nwew Mexico I imagined heat and sun! The dancing boots are terrific … enjoy using them! Pics??
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Thanks, Annika. I’m glad you took the mini-journey with me. Oh, well, now that you mention it, I just might have to come up with some dancing pictures to share. 🙂
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