Our spring trip this year was to Santa Fe, New Mexico. We flew into Albuquerque and rented a car taking the scenic drive to Santa Fe. We used Santa Fe as our hub to take day trips to explore the region. New Mexico has such a wonderful cultural mix with the prominence of the native Pueblo people, the Spanish explorers, and American settlers who made their way west and stayed in this beautifully rugged area. New Mexico really has a distinct vibe all to itself. The writer/artist colonies that were a draw to the likes of the incomparable Georgia O’Keefe and so many others in the early 20th century and the scientific community who made this place home during the World War II era have certainly left their indelible marks on this “Land of Enchantment”.
Chris has roots here as his father’s family settled in the northeastern part of the state, before it was a state during the time of Spanish colonial rule. So the food culture is in his blood, from the hatch chilies, to the blue corn enchiladas, Christmas sauce, pork pozole, and sopapillas this trip was a food exploration extravaganza! It was all so good, we could not get enough. Our Hotel was in the Railway Yard area of town which has its share of up-and-coming foodie experiences close by and one of the best was the farmer’s market just a block away. We sampled lots of items, found local chili powder for us and piñon nuts for to take home to Aunt Lorna.
So the impetus for our trip to New Mexico was because Chris and I were watching a show on the Travel Channel, (of course) about a wealthy art dealer, Forrest Fenn, who in his early 80’s dying of cancer decided that he would hide about $2 million in gold nuggets, gems stones and pre-Colombian archeological treasures in a bronze chest from the 1500’s somewhere in the Rocky Mountains within a day’s drive of his home in Santa Fe a few years back. To-date his cancer went into remission and no one has yet found the treasure. He claimed to do this so that others could enjoy the mountains that he loved so much and to pay forward the adventures and riches he gained discovering and promoting the southwest art scene he is so credited for advancing. He will not tell anyone where it is hidden, not even his wife. I love a good puzzle, so I ordered his book “The Thrill of the Chase” to read more about his story and escapades, not planning to actually go there at first. The book has a poem with clues where to find the treasure and so I was taken trying to see if I could uncover the mystery to the clues. Being an amateur rock hound and cartophile, I thought that this would be a fun adventure for us to take. I mean we climbed to the top of Machu Picchu last year, so hunting for a treasure in the foothills of the Southern Rockies going where only an 80 year old man could go by himself could not be that challenging on our middle aged, heavy set selves, right? Fresh air and outdoor activity would be good for us. Chris agreed and we set course for Santa Fe. If nothing else we’d get to relax at the spa in our hotel and enjoy some day hikes to explore the amazing wilderness areas north of the town. The journey to hunt for treasure was a fun bonus to our trip.
I had spent about a month in my spare time deciphering the clues, researching, and pre-planning our hikes on Google Earth so that I knew what land features to look for once we were in New Mexico. I felt that I knew exactly where to find Forrest Fenn’s treasure. It was exciting to set out in search of it with the possibility of finding it. Silly to some degree, sure, but even if we did not find it the scenery was just gorgeous, which really was the point of his book. Over the course of several days we covered a lot of land, driving up to the Taos Pueblo to the north, we hiked in Bandelier National Forest, and went through Los Alamos and entered a volcanic crater to the west. We explored Indian cliff dwellings, little towns along the Rio Grande, and after a day of hitting the trails we took time to relax in the natural hot springs near our trek.
My theory on where Forrest Fenn hid his treasure was validated. As Chris and I approached a certain waterfall where I was convinced it must be near, there was another man slightly younger than us searching the area with a metal detector and shovel. He was looking left of the waterfall, but below it. Looking left was a clue in the poem. However, I was sure that the treasure was hidden above this waterfall following a clue I read in Forrest’s book. We continued on the trail to find a path that would lead us to the top of the waterfall. Unfortunately we ran out of time on the trail to continue that day. As we set out to do, an adventure was had. So we were not disappointed. We relaxed, ate delicious food, we sensed a cultural immersion through the people, and we explored a lovely part of our country while hiking to some very stunning vistas. I can still taste the experience of biting into a warm sopapilla with that soft crunch and sweetness from a drizzle of honey, yum! Forrest’s treasure is still out there, so maybe we will have to plan another journey to New Mexico again soon.