Time away from my herd...

I've always had pets and I've always traveled a lot, so I'm used to the challenges of going out of town when you have animals.  That being said, I'm usually leaving just 2 dogs, not the menagerie of animals we now have.  4 horses, 2 rabbits, 4 chickens and 3 dogs to be exact.  

Thankfully my parents are here to take on the extra work and make sure that my animals are just as loved and well-cared for as they are when I'm home.  That certainly makes travel easier, but I still obsess about the details and stress about being away.  Not to mention, I miss them terribly!

This was the longest I had been away from all of the animals and it was a great weekend to realize that I not only need a vacation now and then, but my animals are in good hands and Sadie Acres can run just fine without me for a few days!

I left Friday afternoon and despite trying to wrap up work calls and deal with construction issues I made no less than 5 trips to the barn just to make sure everyone was good and make sure everyone got plenty of attention before I left.   Sadie has been known to give me the cold shoulder when I don't see her for a few days so I made sure to spend extra time with her :)  

The trip was incredible, we stayed at the Hilton Buffalo Thunder just outside of Santa Fe.  It has a great pool, beautiful rooms, incredible dining, casino, golf courses, spa.   We went to Old Town Santa Fe one afternoon, but you could definitely stay at this resort and have a full vacation without ever leaving!

The first time we visited this hotel we had dined at Red Sage, the meal was absolutely delicious and we couldn't wait to go back!  

Despite getting in close to 9pm, that was our first stop after checking in.  We were a bit worried when we saw the menu had changed, but this amazing restaurant did not disappoint!

The highlights of the meal included the "Cream of “elote” Soup"  (Chipotle, Corn, Avocado, Cotija, Vegetable Ash, Cilantro)  AMAZING!! 

The NY Strip was cooked perfectly and was huge, we actually split it and it was more than enough.

Our favorite side was the Mac n’ Cheese (Bechamel, Applewood Smoked Cheddar)...YUM!

Needless to say, the meal was incredible and a perfect way to wrap up the first day of vacation.

With taking care of the animals, working 40+ hours and dealing with construction chaos, I don't have a lot of time for myself.  Saturday reminded me that it's necessary to make time for yourself and for relaxing.  

The morning was spent at the spa getting a manicure, pedicure and haircut.  All things that have definitely been neglected recently!   

The afternoon was spent sipping cocktails at the pool under the cabana and reading a great book!   Soooo relaxing!

We wrapped up the day with another amazing meal, this time at Gabriel's.  They are known for their tableside guacamole and it did not disappoint!   As a matter of fact, we enjoyed it so much, especially on the lovely patio, we went back on Sunday night!  

Come to find out I wasn't the only one eating well over the weekend.  When I checked in on Sunday to find out how everyone was doing, I found out that Schumi had helped himself to an entire loaf of zucchini bread!   

Beagles are known for being "counter surfers" and while my parents were out feeding the horses Schumi surfed his way to the delicious zucchini bread my Aunt had baked for them!  Saran wrap and all!  I felt terrible, but probably not as bad as Schumi.  My Mom said he looked more like a Basset Hound than a Beagle his belly was so huge!  

The rest of the weekend was wonderful, we ate more great food, explored the Old Town Plaza in Santa Fe, had some luck in the casino and were ready to head back home to Sadie Acres!  

Schumi's belly had returned to normal size and Sadie greeted me as if I had seen her that morning, no cold shoulder :)  

Vacations are wonderful and I'm so blessed to have such a wonderful place that I'm always excited to come home to.

Thank you to my parents for holding down the fort and thank you to "Mum" Cathy for an amazing and much needed birthday trip!