Donna Blake Birchell Bücher

Every vine has a story, and nearly four hundred years ago, New Mexico's wine journey began when the first Mission grapes were planted in 1629. Taste this rich legacy, the oldest in the United States, in Donna Blake Birchell's account of the turmoil and triumph that shaped today's burgeoning industry. Despite greedy Spanish monarchs, prim teetotalers and the one-hundred-year flood's gift of root rot and alkaline deposits, New Mexico winemakers continue to harvest the fruits of sun-soaked volcanic soils and clear skies, blending their family stories with the vines and traditions of the Old World. Raise a toast and join Birchell on the trail of New Mexico's enchanted wines as she explores the heritage of more than fifty wineries in four distinct wine-growing regions.

Promises of riches from gold, silver, copper and zinc ores attracted thousands of treasure seekers to the Land of Enchantment. Boomtowns blossomed across the rugged wilderness until the trifecta of the Silver Panic of 1893, World War I and the Great Depression collapsed the economy. Explore the vacant relics of once vibrant communities. Some are well preserved and others are but a whisper of their former selves, but all have a story to tell. From the lessons still scrawled across the chalkboards of the abandoned Cedarvale School to the forgotten talismans of the Turquoise Trail, accompany author Donna Blake Birchell on her trek through the ghost towns of New Mexico.

Born from opportunity and a promotional scheme hatched by founding father Charles B. Eddy, Carlsbad started life as a tent city on a desolate landscape. As the investment money started to flow, the Pecos River was harnessed through the creation of irrigation, which turned the region into a rich, fertile valley. As tuberculosis swept the nation, hundreds of new settlers arrived in Carlsbad for the arid climate. Legendary Locals of Carlsbad celebrates their descendants who forged the community of today. Learn about socialite Cesarine Graves, daredevil and "Mr. Welcome" Frank Kindel, actors Dan Blocker and Bruce Cabot, drag racer Dick Harrell, newscaster Linda Wertheimer, astronaut F. Drew Gaffney, and baseball star Cody Ross, to name but a few. Included also are the tales of the trials and heroism shown and faced by all the veterans of wars that Carlsbad provided, especially the World War II veterans of the Bataan Death March, the Vietnam War, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Volcanic activity and human turmoil forged the complexion of our nation's forty-seventh state, New Mexico. Explore, absorb, and enjoy along with author, Donna Blake Birchell, as she takes you to the little- and well-known attractions of the Land of Enchantment. New Mexico has one of the oldest cultures in the United States, yet many still do not know of her great beauty. Birchell describes civilizations which date thousands of years ago to the present-day modern communities. Every section of the state has its own way of life, traditions, and foods. You will be able to follow the Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail and Wine Trail, and make a bizcochito (the official state cookie) as you explore every landscape ranging from mountains, plains, and deserts to subterranean. In this book, Birchell covers historic ghost towns, geological wonders, extraterrestrial and paranormal encounters, ancient Puebloan ruins, Old West culture, roadside art, fascinating museums, frontier forts, unusual festivals, and recreational activities found throughout this enchanted land.