Almost-Christmas Tradition

After I moved to Roswell, Chuck and I started looking for things we could experience together. That first December we learned about Christmas on the Pecos in Carlsbad, NM and, after a bit of investigating, we learned that the weekend we planned to go coincided with a new event - the Carlsbad Winter Wine Festival.

Thus was born a new almost-Christmas tradition that occurs on the first weekend in December. It starts at 3:30 on Friday, when we bug out of work just as quick as we can, drive home to change and load the car and head down the road to Carlsbad. Our first stop is the Trinity Hotel, where we check in for the night prior to driving over for Christmas on the Pecos...which will be explained in pictures shortly.

After the adventure on the river we head back to the Trinity for a fabulous dinner. The Trinity is absolutely amazing - and not just because of the fabulous food. The building used to house the bank and the water office where Pat Garrett held office. It was on its way to demolition when the current owners stepped in to purchase and restore this amazing building. The restoration is fabulous - and I love that they have left some of the original brick visible in many of the rooms. The historical accuracy stops at the bathroom door, however, and you enter a world of modern facilities with a shower that is nearly as big as our entire bathroom. The mattress is heavenly, and after an amazing night of sleep we dine on the delicious breakfast fare then relax a while before heading over to the Wine Festival.

This was our 4th year enjoying this tradition, and it is really fun that people at the festival recognize us. In addition to samples of delicious New Mexico wine (did you know that New Mexico was the site of the first vineyards in the US?), there are vendors selling fresh goat cheese, balsamic vinegars, lamb jerky (amazingly tender!), essential oils and all kinds of other items to tempt me to spend my Christmas budget.  But enough talking...here are some pictures of this year's adventure!

This sight welcomes visitors to the Carlsbad River Village. While most rivers in the part of the country are dry most of the time, this part of the Pecos River has been impounded, giving residents and visitors the opportunity to swim, fish, and boat - not to mention walk, run, or picnic along the banks.

The docks are decked out, ready for visitors. We like to book our trip on one of the 12-passenger boats. The first year we were on a larger boat, and those have a canopy that blocked the view of the stars, which are fabulous to watch, too :)

This year the trees and bushes in the River Village were wearing white.

I found this wonderfully ironic, since saguaros don't grow in the Chihuahuan Desert.

 Once we are on board, the boat operator turned on some traditional Christmas music and we started on our trip up-river. Some greetings are rather general. 

And there certainly were a variety of displays! Some were sponsored by local businesses, and some were put up by the residents.

Yes, it is blurry, but imagine how wonderful this looked in person!

Many greetings were definitely Christian and focus on Christmas rather than the holidays in general.

 And then there was Santa trying his hand at some fishing.

Wouldn't that be wonderful!

 These trees were part of a music-interactive display that was very fun to watch...and very difficult to photograph.

 Wrapping up the evening...

 As we cruised back to the dock, we said farewell to another wonderful evening enjoying the beautiful light displays along the Pecos. This year boasted many new displays, and we are looking forward to returning next year to see what Christmas on the Pecos 2015 has in store for us, both display-wise and weather-wise. This year was perfect! We definitely accepted the offer of blankets prior to boarding, and we did get a bit chilly now and again. However, last year (remember that whole Polar Vortex thing?) it was so cold that steam was rising off the water and only 2 others shared our boat. On the way back to the dock I had my hood cinched tight and left a small portal to look out of. While that was an incredible experience, I must say I prefer to enjoy the evening without worrying about losing feeling in my face.

 I wanted to close by giving you this glimpse of the Trinity Hotel's Restaurant. For breakfast we had our favorite table - a table for two on the edge of the loft looking over the main dining room. If you find yourself in the vicinity of Carlsbad, NM - like is you venture that way to take in Carlsbad Caverns, a truly amazing experience - complete your experience by at least stopping by the Trinity for a wine tasting (free in the afternoons), for a cup of coffee, or for a truly amazing meal and a gander at the wonderful job of restoration this family has done.

Remember - life is about the journey.