Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico

The southwestern flavor permeates the Albuquerque (and nearby Santa Fe) area, especially the dwellings, be it hotel, restaurant or local retail shop, from the rustic Pueblo-Spanish style adobe and sweeping architectural drama to the use of blue, yellow and orange and the heavy wooden beams. And it was the repeated use of these wood beams throughout so many of the establishments that we visited that started us on our quest to find out more.

Sunday began with the one-hour drive north from Albuquerque to Santa Fe where we wandered into the beautiful town plaza, a wide expanse of grass criss-crossed by paths and shaded by large trees. Bordered on all sides by streets lined with galleries, stores and restaurants, we were thrilled to find this square - and that's truly what it is - filled with artisans displaying their wares.

There was an overwhelming amount of silver and turquoise jewelry along with handcrafted pottery, paintings and photographs. However, if you are looking for locally-created, handmade works, be sure to ask these local merchants about the origin of their products. As we quickly discovered, many were neither.

After we roamed the plaza as well as some of the higher priced art galleries and shops in the surrounding area, we stopped for a bite to eat at Ore House on the Plaza.

This charming two-story historic building offered the ambience we were looking for and great soft tacos. We ordered beef and pork so we could share, but found that we both like the flavor of the savory pork best. Topped off by a great classic margarita and enhanced by the view to the plaza from the second-story patio, lunch was a relaxing and enjoyable experience. Until my husband noticed the beams and so started our quest.

He asked our waiter about the wood, and when he didn't know, we left it at that. However, not to be undone by our question, we could hear him as he proceeded to survey the other employees in the restaurant until he wound up back at our table, still without an answer. Some speculated it was oak, others suggested eucalyptus. We left full, yet somehow not completely satisfied.

On our way back to Albuquerque, we noticed more and more how the local architecture infused these wooden beams into the terra cotta adobe to give it that traditional southwestern look and feel.

The next day we hit Old Town Albuquerque, a near replica of Santa Fe, with its town plaza and variety of rustic restaurants and shops. We unexpectedly ran into some friends and stopped for drinks, a bite to eat -- just say "Christmas style" to get red AND green chile sauce on your order - and the opportunity to ask more people about the beams.

Afterwards we walked off our meal. There were no artisans on this plaza, but we did find some interesting local shops and purchased a dream catcher and the all-important Route 66 tee-shirt to remember our visit.

Though Route 66 winds through New Mexico on its way from Illinois to California, it seems to hold quite an allure for this area as there is even a Route 66 Hotel and Casino, where we dropped in at one in the morning. However, unlike Las Vegas or Atlantic City, beware these casinos close down at 4 a.m. on weeknights.

Speaking of casinos, we also checked out the Sandia Resort and Casino, a beautifully appointed complex that sits at the foot of the Sandia Mountains and offers a spa, golf and quick access to the Sandia Peak Ski Area where you can grab a breathtaking tram ride. And it was here at the casino that we finally got our wood answer, in an unexpected manner.

My husband decided to ask the security guard as we entered if she knew about the wood beams. She chuckled and said no one had ever asked her that question before, but she would find out and let us know.

Figuring that was the end of it, we sat down at a table, where my husband proceeded to ask the dealer and floor supervisor the same question. They both said it was "vigas," which we later found out means "beam" in Spanish. At the time we thought this was some kind of wood, and so we were content that we finally had our answer. Until a short-time later when the security guard searched us out to tell us what she had discovered.

How she remembered who we were or what we looked like after only a two-minute meeting, let alone being able to find us in a crowd of hundreds, amazed us. But she did. And her answer to our two-day dilemma was that the wood was pine. Others nodded in agreement, the general consensus from employees and guests alike that this was the correct answer.

Though we may not ever be sure, pine seemed like a reasonable response, and we willingly accepted it as the definitive answer. It just may be there are many correct answers depending on the building and the builder.

But for us our quest was complete and just a few days later, so was our vacation. And although we returned home slightly poorer, we were just that much richer from having had this wonderful experience.