-

Haunted Hotel, Wine, Boats, and Caves

Do you like haunted hotels? How about wine? If so, you should head to Carlsbad, New Mexico and visit The Trinity hotel. 

We stayed a night in Carlsbad recently on our way to Ruidoso, New Mexico, and it was worth the stop. We learned about a nearby winery, Balzano Family Vineyards. They weren't open for tastings, but when I called, the person who answered the phone sent us to a free (yes, you read that right) wine tasting at The Trinity. So off we went. 

The Wines

I tried three wines, and they were all great. My first was a Pinot Grigio I liked so much that I took a bottle home with me. The 2018 Luna Rossa Pinot Grigio has a slightly floral scent, and was just sweet enough for this dry wine. While I had it in the winter, I bet this one is great on the patio in the summer. It's rated as a 3.8 on Vivino, and I think I gave it a 3.5. 

The second wine I tried was their 2018 Luna Rossa Chardonnay. This was a decent Chardonnay, but a bit too bitter for my palate. This is rated 3.2 on Vivino, and I gave it a 3. 


Finally, I ended with the 2017 Spirits of Seven Rivers Shiraz. I don't think I would have called this one full-bodied, but it had nice hints of blueberry. I didn't see this one on Vivino, but I'd rate it about a 3. 



All of these wines were around $20/bottle at the hotel, but Vivino says they are selling for around $7/bottle. I'd buy any for $7/bottle--they would be great value wines. 

The Haunting

So are you ready for the haunted story? Here is what we were told: The old owner of the hotel was having an affair with a women named Ruby. His wife caught him and (ahem) put an end to that. Ruby has been haunting the hotel ever since. It never felt spooky, but we did see a bottle float across the bar, which was cool. I think it had more to do with moisture and a sloped surface, but you never know. 

Other Fun Stuff

After you've had your wine, there are a few other fun things to do in Carlsbad, particularly during the winter. First, we went on a boat ride for their annual Christmas on the Pecos celebration. We got a cup of hot chocolate and enjoyed a chilly ride down the Pecos River looking at lights. They do provide a blanket, but I'd dress warmly for this one. 


Also, the main attraction in Carlsbad is Carlsbad Caverns, a national park. We spent several hours exploring the Big Room and surrounding areas, and I'm sure we could have spent days in this area.  





Stitching

And finally, I did a little stitching while we were sipping and chatting. I am already getting a start on my 2020 ornaments, so here is my first one I recently finished. 




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

-
Image
January 2020 WIPs I am a new cross stitcher, but already I am starting more cross stitching projects than I can handle. But that's part of the fun, right?  So here are my January WIPs--let's see what kind of progress I can make! Year-Long Stitch Along My biggest project to date is definitely taking on the Linens and Threads 2020 Stitch Along. For those of you who have not heard of it, head over to their 2020 SAL page and check it out. The designers release a piece of the pattern monthly about the first of every month for an entire year. They have done this since 2017, and if you want, the 2017, 2018, and 2019 patterns are already released for you. You can join the 2020 at any point. This year's bonus is that each month's pattern will also have an ornament, which matches one of my stitching goals nicely (see below).  I got a good start on January's pattern because of the holiday break from work. I am stitching on 14 count aida I found in a fabri...
Read more

WIP of the Week

-
Image
My favorite project these days is my Boo Chalkfull by Hands on Design and Priscilla Blain . I'm supposed to be doing a daily theme, working on different projects each day, but I can't seem to put this one down. I struggled in the beginning because this is my first time using hand-dyed floss. Plus, the first two colors I used were white and...well, almost-white. My backs of my pieces are generally neat-ish, but only because it makes it easier to stitch. But this one...well, as you can see, I fought hard for these first few pumpkins! I bought this project as a "kit" from Fat Quarter Shop . I'm using Witchel 14 count chalkboard, and the called for Color Works floss, which includes: My favorite part of this project is stitching the jar. You only use one strand of floss, which gives ot a transparent look. Not only does this look cool, but it is quick and easy to stitch! I am SO close to being done. Maybe...
Read more

A New Start..and Ahead on my SAL's!

-
Image
This might be the only time I'll ever get to write this...but I'm ahead on my cross stitching goals right now! That means that I can do some WIP catch up. And we all know what that means... new projects! WIPs My original goals for the week was to get Row 4 of Sew by Row done. Well, I'm loving this one so much that I decided to keep this one moving along. I'm going to do a new row every week--originally I was going to do a row a month. I just finished up row 5 which are the irons. I even did the backstitching, which I had planned to save for the end. This pattern is just a joy to stitch. It's easy to read, well-chartted. And the pattern just makes sense. I highly recommend this one. It's a good evening-after-work stitch. I'm using Cloud 25 count lugana and the called for DMC floss. I really love this lugana. It is nice and soft, and the holes are easy to see. Then, my big committment for the month was to finish another part to my Spooky Hallow SAL ...
Read more