We are perfectly happy spending time in our little spot in the desert but there are always places to go and things to do.
This time we are back to Hatch. Our first stop was for breakfast at the Pepper Pot.
This was our first time here but it won't be the last. It opened over 20 years ago and is owned by sisters that came from Mexico. When they first came to the United States they worked in the fields but those of us who have sampled their food are grateful they decided to serve those chiles instead of harvest them.
They serve the real deal chiles with that good heat and bite. We left with tongues tingling and for me a runny nose and watery eyes. It can't get any better than that.
We were here to take in the Hatch Chile Festival. It is a celebration of the chile that is grown in the valley that has earned it the title of Chile Capital of the World.
The Festival is held on Labor Day weekend. The first Festival was in 1971 ( 8 years after I left) and it started out small with just a few growers.
Today it attracts over 30,000 visitors.
The delicious smell of roasting peppers is everywhere. The roasters go non-stop all day. Some vendors will let you taste their chile before buying. They offer Mild, Medium, Hot & X-tra Hot varieties. You can buy it fresh, have it roasted, or choose the frozen varieties shipped directly to your home.
The unique soil conditions along the Rio Grande in the Hatch Valley is the only place in the world where Hatch chiles are grown.
The chile ristras are works of art. They are said to invite good health and good luck. Yes, I came home with one.
Everything is so colorful and festive.
Burlap bags full of green chiles are everywhere. Green Chile is the ruler at the beginning of the season, made into dishes like rellenos, enchiladas and stews.
Bags of red ready to go. When the peppers ripen and turn red they are dried to be made into delicious red chile sauce that flavors a multitude of dishes that will keep us warm all winter.
Chile has been part of the rich culture and heritage New Mexico is famous for. Most farms are family farms.
The main portion of the festival is held at the Hatch Airport. There you can ride rides, sample everything chile and enjoy live music. The Airport is now a functioning airport and some visitors flew in to the festival. When I was in high school it was the place where we went to race to see who had the hottest cars.
Check out the roof on the Hatch Chile Express.......a roof full of drying chiles.
If you want to have a Sparky's green chile cheeseburger during the Festival be prepared for quite a wait.
The line goes clear around the corner. A gentleman is sharing the shade.
The Hatch Valley has many more crops than chiles. Like the pecan orchard here they grow many other crops such as onions, alfalfa, lettuce, cabbage, sweet potatoes, wheat, and cotton When I was a teenager I picked cotton and topped onions. Hard hard work and I was no competition to the migrant workers that really knew how to produce. Now must of it is harvested by machine.
But, that famous Hatch chile is hand harvested. What a fun day spent among everything chile.
We have a front row seat from our spot in the desert for amazing sunsets.
Natures beauty doesn't go unnoticed.
The skies are so dark that we get clear views of the moon and the sparkling stars.
A great reminder of how fortunate we are.