Following the Cimarron Cutoff of the Santa Fe Trail we headed toward New Mexico. With it being New Year’s Eve we figured there was only one place that we should aim for—Las Vegas! Las Vegas, New Mexico. We didn’t notice any casinos or bright lights, but the Las Vegas Inn was offering a room and participation in their New Year’s Eve bash for only $29.99. Tempting, but we settled for a six-pack, bourbon, all the backgammon we could play and a free National Forest campground. El Porvenir Campground was where we ended up after a winding drive into the mountains west of Las Vegas. We missed our annual tradition of New Year’s Eve with Erik and other friends, but we made the most of that six-pack, the bourbon and the backgammon. So much so, that like most everyone else, we couldn’t really do too much on January 1st. I guess if your new year starts out like that it’s bound to get better. That’s smart.
We mustered up enough energy to drive to Santa Fe and get some medicinal breakfast. There’s no better place to do that than the Plaza Café right in the heart of Santa Fe Plaza. Like all good breakfast joints, you could pick it out by the line of people waiting outside for a table. After some delicious chicken enchiladas, huevos divorciados and some amazing sopaipillas we felt much better and ready to conquer a walk around town. Another night of cold and snowy camping convinced us to head south towards Albuquerque and warmer weather.
