Ancient Culture & Upscale Vegan Options

New Mexico has preserved remnants of countless ancient peoples. From the prehistoric Clovis Man to the Anasazi, ancestral Puebloans, the number of historical sites in the area is mind-blowing. One of the Anasazi, the Chaco Culture, inhabited Chaco Canyon in current day New Mexico during the 9th and 13th century. I visited Chaco Canyon Historical Park to check out the ruins of their massive architecture called Great Houses. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site—kind of a big deal.

The Chacoans were master masons. The impressive stonework surrounds a support of timber. So amazing to see these remnants after hundreds of years.

I tried to imagine what these stones had seen so long ago. 

The circular “Kivas” were likely used for meeting and ceremonies.

The Chaco culture’s Great Houses were massive, some containing 500 rooms. They were built with communication lines and with solar and lunar alignment, which I guess is another form of communication on a massive scale.

I was fascinated as heck by the petroglyphs. “Netflix and chill?”

Ok, some food finally. I stayed in Bernalillo, close to a fancy Hyatt Regency Tamaya Resort. And this brings me to a tip for those on the hunt for vegan options… or, in general, better quality food than the usual roadside eateries. You’ll pay a bit more, but you can get some delicious food by experts in the hospitality industry. I checked out two of the restaurants on site after securing easy reservations through OpenTable then basked in the hotels beautiful lodge and exteriors.

Dinner at Corn Maiden was such a welcome addition to a wonderful day one of my New Mexico adventure. I went for the Beet Tartare, vegan without the goat cheese. It was magical perfection. Beets, pistachio, arugula, balsamic reduction. And I went for a hibiscus margarita.

My entrée was so Southwest, a tofu stuffed poblano: Sonoran Red Corn, tofu, mushrooms, black bean hummus micro cilantro, dried corn and Chimayo dust. Tofu filling was a tad bland, but my excitement for a hearty vegetable-packed entrée created with care compensated.

A great end to a very long day one!