Carole Terwilliger Meyers's Blog, page 7

Las Cruces, New Mexico: Stopover--hotel review; restaurant reviews; things to do

Las Cruces, New Mexico: Stopover
--hotel review; restaurant reviews; things to do


Located less than an hour’s drive from El Paso, Las Cruces is known as the City of Crosses and the Gateway to Space.  It is New Mexico’s second-largest city.  This area, along with the neighboring hamlet of Mesilla, is noted for farming pistachios, pecans, chili peppers, and wine grapes (Las Cruces has the oldest vineyards in the U.S.). The central district of Mesilla features entire blocks of homes made of adobe and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

the Organ Mountains as seen from a guest room at Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces
in Las Cruces, New Mexico

Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces   705 S Telshor Blvd., (866) 383-0443, (575) 522-4300.  Pool.  Located amid suburban sprawl, this old Spanish-style resort hotel does provide an attractive, restive pool area as well as a beautiful view of the Organ Mountains.  The beds and linens are comfortable and the organic bath products pleasant.  A portion of the room fee is donated back to local culture and preservation.

pool area at Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces, in Las Cruces, New Mexico
The hotel restaurant, Garduno’s, is right off the lobby along with an exceptional gift shop with an extensive selection of crosses.

crosses on wall in gift shop at Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces, in Las Cruces, New Mexico

Chile Pepper Institute Farm   Daily 8am-5pm, June-Oct.  Part of New Mexico State University, this teaching garden is planted with every kind of pepper you can imagine.  Tours are available.

chile pepper field at Chile Pepper Institute Farm in Las Cruces, New Mexico

orange peppers in chile pepper field at Chile Pepper Institute Farm in Las Cruces, New Mexico

Christmas-bulb-colored peppers in chile pepper field at Chile Pepper Institute Farm
 in Las Cruces, New Mexico

Caliches Frozen Custard   590 S. Valley Dr., (575) 647-5066.  Daily.  The story goes that the word “caliche" is a Spanish term describing a layer of calcium carbonate--or "natural cement"--that forms in the soil of semi-arid regions.  And it is common to hear mid-western frozen custard places refer to their blended frozen custards as "concretes."  Thus the name for this business was born.  Looking like a cross between a fast-food spot and a spiffed-up diner, Caliche's is indeed a renovated burger joint but its fare is cold and sweet.  Usually.  Some items have chiles in the ingredients--like the Green Chile Sundae made with vanilla custard and green chile marmalade (it is quite tasty), though I would love to try the classic hot fudge sundae next time.



exterior of Caliches Frozen Custard in Las Cruces, New Mexico

frozen custard dispenser at Caliches Frozen Custard in Las Cruces, New Mexico

servers at Caliches Frozen Custard in Las Cruces, New Mexico

Rad Retrocade   201 N Main St.  (575) 556-9338.  This unique entertainment venue is inside a humongous two-story building that in 1927 was home to one of the first JC Penney stores in New Mexico.  The venue includes a restaurant and bar, more than 4,000 square feet of gaming space, and a dance floor.  With a cool collection of classic ‘80s games--Tron, Pacman, etc.--this adult-oriented spot is designed to take guests back to a time when pinball machines and arcade games were the rage   The don’t-miss meal is an appetizer of the dramatically-served bottomless bucket of chips along with a burger and icy margarita.  Deep-fried Twinkie bites anyone?

interior of Rad Retrocade in Las Cruces, New Mexico






burger tray at Rad Retrocade in Las Cruces, New Mexico


Things to do in Mesilla, New Mexico.

Things to do in nearby El Paso, Texas.

Things to do in West Texas.

Great ideas for travel adventures in California and the U.S. and around the world.

images ©2020 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Juarez, Mexico: 5 things to do in this border town

5 things to do in Juarez, Mexico

Rich in history and only 5 minutes from downtown El Paso, Juarez is the largest U.S. border city with Mexico.  You can walk across the international pedestrian bridge and into town, where it is easy to find a taxi should you want to go farther in.  The fess is US$3.50/vehicle, and US$.35 cents/over pedestrian bridge.

crossing from Juarez, Mexico to El Paso, Texas

Downtown

downtown Juarez, Mexico 

1.  Kentucky Club & Grill   629 Ave. Juarez.  Daily 11am-2am.  Founded in 1920, this famous bar is said to be the birthplace of the Margarita.  Nowadays these icy delights run 50 pesos/US$3.  Sitting at the old bar itself, where you can watch the drinks being made, is definitely the way to go, though I was a bit disappointed by the unenthusiastic “I just work here” demeanor of most of the staff.  In spite of that attitude, they make a really good margarita.  The dark interior is filled with interesting items, and a menu of snacks and meals includes popular nachos and hand-cut fries.

exterior of Kentucky Club & Grill in Juarez, Mexico




2.  El Mercado  Agustin Melgar St./Avenida 16 de Septiembre.  This traditional Mexican market operates inside and around a 2-story building.  It serves the locals with produce and prepared food items, but it also holds several cafes and is the perfect place to find a Mexican souvenir.

exterior of El Mercado in Juarez, Mexico

casual restaurant at El Mercado in Juarez, Mexico

churro stand at El Mercado in Juarez, Mexico

3.  La Misión de Nuestra Señora Guadalupe   Av. 16th de Septiembre, 2 blocks west of Av. Juárez.  This is the first mission in the region built by the Franciscans.  Built between 1662 and 1668 by Mexican, Spanish, and Indian labor, this is the oldest surviving church in the area and remains an active chapel today. It is considered a prime example of Indian baroque architecture, influenced by Arab tradition, and is adorned with 18th-century sculptures and oil paintings. Next door is a contemporary cathedral, and behind the mission is a bronze statue of the founder, Fray Garcia of San Francisco.

exterior of La Mision de Nuestra Senora Guadalupe in Juarez, Mexico

interior of La Mision de Nuestra Senora Guadalupe in Juarez, Mexico

4.  Museo de la Revolucion en la Frontera (MUREF)   Avenida 16 de Septiembre/Avenida Juarez, centro historico, (011.52) 656-612-4707.  Tu-Sun 91am-5pm.  Housed in the Old Customs House, this museum features exhibits regarding the Mexican Revolution and Ciudad Juarez.  They tell about the role of the railroad as well as of politician, writers, and revolutionaries.  Exhibits on Pancho Villa are particularly enlightening.

teacher addresses his students outside Museo de la Revolucion en la Frontera in Juarez, Mexico

painting of cows in Museo de la Revolucion en la Frontera in Juarez, Mexico

a taxi ride away from downtown
5.  Big Red X/Monumento a la Mexicaneidad  The mammoth red “X” that can easily be seen from El Paso is a public art piece by noted Mexican monumental steel sculptor Sebastian.  According to artist Sebastian (Enrique Carbajal González), the piece honors mixed-race peoples and re-creates both the Christian cross and an Aztec religious symbol called the Nahui Ollin, (he explains it all in this video.  Begun in 2007 and finished 2012, the controversial piece was commissioned by the city of Juarez and stands 196 feet tall--the equivalent of a 17-story building.  An elevator operates inside.

Big Red X/Monumento a la Mexicaneidad in Juarez, Mexico

Things to do across the border in El Paso, Texas.

Things to do in nearby Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Things to do in West Texas.

Great ideas for travel adventures in California and the U.S. and around the world.

images ©2020 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

El Paso, Texas: Cattleman’s Steakhouse; restaurant review

Cattleman’s Steakhouse   In Fabens, at Indian Cliffs Ranch, 35 minutes east of town.

dining hall at Cattleman's Steakhouse in Fabens, Texas
You know you’re in Texas here.  I attended an event that began with a tractor-pulled covered wagon ride.  As the sun set, it took us out into the desert through the property’s Indian Cliffs  Ranch where we viewed the remnants of filming sites for a variety of movies, including “Resurrection,” “The Border,” and “Courage Under Fire.”  Then, while our meal was being fragrantly prepared, we indulged in margaritas and wandered out to the children’s zoo for encounters with goats and longhorn cattle.  Even rattlesnakes in a snake pit.  Kids are catered to with the Fort Apache playground and Indian Maze.  Though I don’t usually eat a lot of red meat, when I’m in Texas I know better than to say no to a steak, and Cattleman’s does make one of the best I’ve ever encountered (the other one was also in Texas at the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo).   My memorably delicious steak was accompanied by tasty several sides--potato salad and beans--but, surprisingly to me, no baked potato or lettuce salad.


covered-wagon ride at Cattleman's Steakhouse in Fabens, Texas

movie set at Cattleman's Steakhouse in Fabens, Texas

feeding goats at Cattleman's Steakhouse in Fabens, Texas

delicious steak dinner at Cattleman's Steakhouse in Fabens, Texas


More things to do in El Paso.

Things to do across the border in Juarez.

Things to do in nearby Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Things to do in West Texas.

Great ideas for travel adventures in California and the U.S. and around the world.

images ©2020 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

El Paso, Texas: 3 Free things to do in El Paso; things to do

3 Free things to do in El Paso

The westernmost city in Texas, El Paso straddles the Rio Grande on the U.S.-Mexico border.  It is the largest of three cities that form an international metropolitan area--El Paso; Las Cruces, New Mexico; and Juarez, Mexico.  Nearby Fort Bliss is the nation’s second-largest military installation.  With an average 302 sunny days each year, El Paso is one of the sunniest locations in the United States and embraces "Sun City" as a moniker.  It is also why there are so many outdoor activities available.

1.  El Paso Museum of Art   1 Arts Festival Plaza, (915) 532-1707.  Tu-Sat 9am-5pm, Thur 9-9pm, Sun 12-5pm.  The diverse collection here includes contemporary works from southwest U.S. and Mexican artists, as well as American and European classic masterworks (think Botticelli and Van Dyck), Spanish retablos, and Mexican colonial art.  It is best known for the 57-piece Samuel H. Kress collection of 12th- through18th-century European art.  More than 6,000 pieces are in the permanent collection, and the museum hosts many temporary exhibitions such as the WWII show I saw featuring works by local native Tom Lea.

entrance to El Paso Museum of Art in El Paso, Texas

jaguar mural on exterior of El Paso Museum of Art in El Paso, Texas

gigantic open art gallery in El Paso Museum of Art in El Paso, Texas

Virgin of Guadalupe statue at El Paso Museum of Art in El Paso, Texas

Native American painting by Fritz Scholder, a personal favorite,
at the El Paso Museum of Art in Texas

2.  streetcars  The restored vintage streetcars that run here were once part of a fleet used in San Diego in the 1960s.  Now they run two loops through El Paso, stopping at many popular sites.  Do download the free “El Paso Street Car App.”




3.  murals  Many colorful murals are encountered as you walk through the downtown area.  The “El Segundo Barrio Murals” brochure is a helpful assistance to finding many of them.

streetcar mural by the convention center in El Paso, Texas



BOOM! mural by the convention center in El Paso, Texas


Things to do across the border in Juarez.

Things to do in nearby Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Things to do in West Texas.
Great ideas for travel adventures in California and the U.S. and around the world.

images ©2020 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

El Paso, Texas: Three Free things to do in El Paso; things to do

Three Free things to do in El Paso

The westernmost city in Texas, El Paso straddles the Rio Grande on the U.S.-Mexico border.  It is the largest of three cities that form an international metropolitan area--El Paso; Las Cruces, New Mexico; and Juarez, Mexico.  Nearby Fort Bliss is the nation’s second-largest military installation.  With an average 302 sunny days each year, El Paso is one of the sunniest locations in the United States and embraces "Sun City" as a moniker.  It is also why there are so many outdoor activities available.

1.  El Paso Museum of Art   1 Arts Festival Plaza, (915) 532-1707.  Tu-Sat 9am-5pm, Thur 9-9pm, Sun 12-5pm.  The diverse collection here includes contemporary works from southwest U.S. and Mexican artists, as well as American and European classic masterworks (think Botticelli and Van Dyck), Spanish retablos, and Mexican colonial art.  It is best known for the 57-piece Samuel H. Kress collection of 12th- through18th-century European art.  More than 6,000 pieces are in the permanent collection, and the museum hosts many temporary exhibitions such as the WWII show I saw featuring works by local native Tom Lea.

entrance to El Paso Museum of Art in El Paso, Texas

cheetah mural on exterior of El Paso Museum of Art in El Paso, Texas

gigantic open art gallery in El Paso Museum of Art in El Paso, Texas

Virgin of Guadalupe statue at El Paso Museum of Art in El Paso, Texas

Native American painting by Fritz Scholder, a personal favorite,
at the El Paso Museum of Art in Texas

2.  streetcars  The restored vintage streetcars that run here were once part of a fleet used in San Diego in the 1960s.  Now they run two loops through El Paso, stopping at many popular sites.  Do download the free “El Paso Street Car App.”




3.  murals  Many colorful murals are encountered as you walk through the downtown area.  The “El Segundo Barrio Murals” brochure is a helpful assistance to finding many of them.

streetcar mural by the convention center in El Paso, Texas


BOOM! mural by the convention center in El Paso, Texas

Things to do across the border in Juarez.

Things to do in nearby Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Things to do in West Texas.
Great ideas for travel adventures in California and the U.S. and around the world.

images ©2020 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

San Francisco, California: things to do

SAN FRANCISCO
Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco 
For plenty of great suggestions about things to do in San Francisco and Northern California, please visit my blog that is devoted to that area, Weekend Adventures Update.  
That blog is a continuation of my out-of-print guidebook--WEEKEND ADVENTURES IN SAN FRANCISCO & NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.  It features travel destinations throughout Northern California and presents them in small, easy-to-digest chunks along with plenty of photos so you get the picture.    Even more great weekend adventures--as well as information about destinations around the world--await you at my BERKELEY AND BEYOND website.


More things to do in San Francisco

Way more things to do in San Francisco.

More ideas for exploring Northern California.

Guest Post: Tour the Statues at West Virginia's State Capitol

Guest Post:  Tour the Statues at West Virginia's State Capitol
by Renate Poreimages ©2019 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

THE CAPITOL
The classical-style West Virginia State Capitol sits on a scenic site facing the Kanawha River.  The building was constructed in three stages between 1924 and 1932, and is one of the most beautiful and impressive buildings in West Virginia.  The architect behind it was Cass Gilbert, who also designed the U.S. Treasury Annex and the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington.  The top of the building is graced by a shining dome of 23.5 carat gold leaf.  At the time of my visit, the dome was wrapped in plastic for repairs.  If you visit, don’t expect to see the dome in all its shining glory until 2021.
Also located on the State Capitol grounds are the History Museum and Governor’s Mansion.  The Great Hall of the History Museum displays hand-made quilts in honor of the state’s tradition of quilting and other folk art.
THE STATUES

#1  A jaunty General Stonewall Jackson stands on the lawn of the West Virginia State Capitol.  Jackson was born in western Virginia and won fame fighting for the Confederacy even though his home would be one of 55 counties seceding from Virginia to join the Union Cause.  Commissioned in 1910 by the Daughters of the Confederacy, the statue was created during the Jim Crow Era when states and localities were passing laws to enforce segregation.  Because of its association with a shameful period in the nation’s history, there have been some calls to remove the statue from its place of honor and relegate it to the State Museum.  So far, however, Stonewall Jackson still stands.



#2  “Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight” is another statue commemorating West Virginia’s Civil War history.  It stands on the south side of the State Capitol and shows a grieving President Lincoln, sleepless because of the pressing burdens of the Civil War.  West Virginia became a state in 1863 because the people of western Virginia identified more with the North than with the slaveholding confederate states of the South.



#3On the west end not far from Stonewall Jackson stands the statue commemorating 32,000 soldiers, sailors, and marines from West Virginia who fought for the Union cause in the Civil War.  Some years ago when the bronze statue was repaired, it was coated with a plastic substance which gives it its orange look. The strange hue was very upsetting to the locals who were used to the seeing their statues in greenish bronze.



#4West Virginia is coal, and coal is West Virginia.  A burly coal miner in a hard hat graces the northwest side of the Capitol.  The base of the statue depicts scenes from the coal-mining era--from the days of pick and shovel to continuous miners.  Today, coal mining is a dying industry and coal miners are working-class heroes from another time.  About 13,000 people continue to be employed in underground or mountain-top-removal mining.



#5The West Virginia Veteran’s Memorial is a two-story oval monument honoring more than 10,000 West Virginians who made the ultimate sacrifice in defending the nation in twentieth-century conflicts.  Composed of four limestone monoliths surrounded by a reflecting pool, the interior walls are faced in polished black granite etched with the names of these men and women.  The Memorial was designed by P. Joseph Mullins, who also sculpted the four figures representing the four major twentieth-century conflicts and the four major branches of military service.  The statue in the photo depicts a sailor from World War II.



#6The “West Virginia’s Female Veteran” statue is also part of the West Virginia Veteran’s Memorial described in #6.   The statue of the woman warrior was the last piece added to the memorial.  It became controversial when the sculptor decided to depict the woman in fatigues.  Female veterans wanted a statue showing a woman in dress uniform.  To accommodate everyone, engraved copper plates around the base of the statue depict women in more formal dress.



#7This statue of Booker T. Washington stands on the north side of the State Capitol.  Booker Taliaferro Washington lived about 10 miles southeast of Charleston in Malden, West Virginia.  He was an educator, author, orator, and advisor to United States presidents.  The last of the black American leaders born into slavery, he became a leading voice against the oppression of former slaves and their descendants during the Jim Crow Era.



#8This bust of Anna Jarvis stands next to the information desk on the main floor of the West Virginia State Capitol.  Jarvis grew up in Grafton, West Virginia, and is credited as the founder of Mother’s Day in the United States.  After the death of her mother, she organized an aggressive campaign to establish a National Mother’s Day, and thanks to her efforts, by 1911 almost every state in the nation was celebrating Mother’s Day.




(Renate Pore migrated from California to West Virginia in the late 1960s.  Although there is no place like California, Renate got hooked on West Virginia--the semi-rural life style, the mountains, the breathtaking spring when all the trees suddenly burst out in bloom and the serene days of fall when the weather is just like California.  Renate felt West Virginia could use her skills and talents and has had a long and satisfying career as a health care activist badgering federal and state  policymakers to do the right thing on health care.  Renate is retired now but working on events to celebrate the Centennial of the 19th Amendment--women's right to vote--and its ratification in West Virginia.  She is a political junkie and looks to California to lead us to a new and better place.  Renate lives in Charleston with her sweet, shaggy, red-haired boy, Ollie.)



More things to do in Charleston, West Virginia.

More ideas for travel adventures in California and the U.S. and around the world.

Guest Post: Tour of the Statues of the West Virginia State Capitol

Guest Post:  Tour of the Statues of the West Virginia State Capitol
by Renate Poreimages ©2019 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

THE CAPITOL
The classical-style West Virginia State Capitol sits on a scenic site facing the Kanawha River.  The building was constructed in three stages between 1924 and 1932, and is one of the most beautiful and impressive buildings in West Virginia.  The architect behind it was Cass Gilbert, who also designed the U.S. Treasury Annex and the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington.  The top of the building is graced by a shining dome of 23.5 carat gold leaf.  At the time of my visit, the dome was wrapped in plastic for repairs.  If you visit, don’t expect to see the dome in all its shining glory until 2021.
Also located on the State Capitol grounds are the History Museum and Governor’s Mansion.  The Great Hall of the History Museum displays hand-made quilts in honor of the state’s tradition of quilting and other folk art.
THE STATUES

#1  A jaunty General Stonewall Jackson stands on the lawn of the West Virginia State Capitol.  Jackson was born in western Virginia and won fame fighting for the Confederacy even though his home would be one of 55 counties seceding from Virginia to join the Union Cause.  Commissioned in 1910 by the Daughters of the Confederacy, the statue was created during the Jim Crow Era when states and localities were passing laws to enforce segregation.  Because of its association with a shameful period in the nation’s history, there have been some calls to remove the statue from its place of honor and relegate it to the State Museum.  So far, however, Stonewall Jackson still stands.



#2  “Abraham Lincoln Walks at Midnight” is another statue commemorating West Virginia’s Civil War history.  It stands on the south side of the State Capitol and shows a grieving President Lincoln, sleepless because of the pressing burdens of the Civil War.  West Virginia became a state in 1863 because the people of western Virginia identified more with the North than with the slaveholding confederate states of the South.



#3On the west end not far from Stonewall Jackson stands the statue commemorating 32,000 soldiers, sailors, and marines from West Virginia who fought for the Union cause in the Civil War.  Some years ago when the bronze statue was repaired, it was coated with a plastic substance which gives it its orange look. The strange hue was very upsetting to the locals who were used to the seeing their statues in greenish bronze.



#4West Virginia is coal, and coal is West Virginia.  A burly coal miner in a hard hat graces the northwest side of the Capitol.  The base of the statue depicts scenes from the coal-mining era--from the days of pick and shovel to continuous miners.  Today, coal mining is a dying industry and coal miners are working-class heroes from another time.  About 13,000 people continue to be employed in underground or mountain-top-removal mining.



#5The West Virginia Veteran’s Memorial is a two-story oval monument honoring more than 10,000 West Virginians who made the ultimate sacrifice in defending the nation in twentieth-century conflicts.  Composed of four limestone monoliths surrounded by a reflecting pool, the interior walls are faced in polished black granite etched with the names of these men and women.  The Memorial was designed by P. Joseph Mullins, who also sculpted the four figures representing the four major twentieth-century conflicts and the four major branches of military service.  The statue in the photo depicts a sailor from World War II.



#6The “West Virginia’s Female Veteran” statue is also part of the West Virginia Veteran’s Memorial described in #6.   The statue of the woman warrior was the last piece added to the memorial.  It became controversial when the sculptor decided to depict the woman in fatigues.  Female veterans wanted a statue showing a woman in dress uniform.  To accommodate everyone, engraved copper plates around the base of the statue depict women in more formal dress.



#7This statue of Booker T. Washington stands on the north side of the State Capitol.  Booker Taliaferro Washington lived about 10 miles southeast of Charleston in Malden, West Virginia.  He was an educator, author, orator, and advisor to United States presidents.  The last of the black American leaders born into slavery, he became a leading voice against the oppression of former slaves and their descendants during the Jim Crow Era.



#8This bust of Anna Jarvis stands next to the information desk on the main floor of the West Virginia State Capitol.  Jarvis grew up in Grafton, West Virginia, and is credited as the founder of Mother’s Day in the United States.  After the death of her mother, she organized an aggressive campaign to establish a National Mother’s Day, and thanks to her efforts, by 1911 almost every state in the nation was celebrating Mother’s Day.




(Renate Pore migrated from California to West Virginia in the late 1960s.  Although there is no place like California, Renate got hooked on West Virginia--the semi-rural life style, the mountains, the breathtaking spring when all the trees suddenly burst out in bloom and the serene days of fall when the weather is just like California.  Renate felt West Virginia could use her skills and talents and has had a long and satisfying career as a health care activist badgering federal and state  policymakers to do the right thing on health care.  Renate is retired now but working on events to celebrate the Centennial of the 19th Amendment--women's right to vote--and its ratification in West Virginia.  She is a political junkie and looks to California to lead us to a new and better place.  Renate lives in Charleston with her sweet, shaggy, red-haired boy, Ollie.)



More things to do in Charleston, West Virginia.

More ideas for travel adventures in California and the U.S. and around the world.

Traveling Solo in Hong Kong

Traveling Solo in Hong Kong
Though for the first-time visitor Hong Kong has an anticipatory aura of mystery, of being one big American Chinatown, it is in reality in league with the most sophisticated 20th-century cities. This tiny 29-mile-square island is a crossroads of people and cultures. It is the world’s third-largest port, tightly packed with skyscrapers and glitzy high-end shops, and many residents speak English. It also is reputed to be the most densely populated spot in the world--in the Shamshuipo section of Kowloon people are squeezed in at the rate of 165,000 per kilometer. Read more . . .


Some travel articles to inspire and help you plan spectacular getaways.

article and image c2019 Carole Terwilliger Meyers

Guest Post: Top 5 Things to Do in Lhasa, Tibet

Guest Post:  Top 5 Things to Do in Lhasa, Tibet

guest post by Yolanda O’Bannon and Lobsang Wangdu
images ©2019 Yolanda O’Bannon and Lobsang Wangdu

Lhasa, Tibet is like no other place on earth.  Incredibly, despite more than 60 years of sinicization and systematic repression, Tibet is still powerfully, beautifully Tibetan, and you can still have an unforgettable experience in the Tibetan capital.

But you’re probably wondering:  “How do I see the real Tibet, and not some Disney version of it?”  We’re going to make that easy for you.  If you want to maximize your time with Tibetan people, to rub shoulders with nomads and pilgrims and normal Tibetan folk, just follow our top 5 things to do in Lhasa.

Let’s dive right in . . .


#1 Visit the Jokhang Temple with Nomads 
If you visit only one site in Lhasa, it should be the Jokhang Temple.  Located in the center of the old town of Lhasa, the Jokhang is home to the most sacred statue in the Tibetan world.  The Jowo Rinpoche is an image of the Buddha Shakymanuni when he was 12 years old.

The Jokhang Temple is also at the center of a cluster of ancient temples in Lhasa, and in many ways it represents the spiritual center of Tibetan Buddhism.  Tibetans from all over Tibet make pilgrimages to the Jokhang and crowd its dark, narrow, wildly-colorful chapels and hallways.

Don’t miss the upper floors and the roof, from where you can sometimes see monk debates.  And be sure to walk the kora just outside the Jokhang, a passageway lined with prayer wheels where you can join local Tibetans in the soothing and companionable hum of prayers.  More on koras below . . .

Jokhang Roof in Lhasa, Tibet

Jowo Shakyamuni Statue at Jokhang in Lhasa, Tibet

#2 Rub Shoulders with Local Tibetans on the Koras
Tibetans habitually create prayer paths around holy spots (known as koras), and since Lhasa is chock full of holy sites, there are endless koras you can participate in.  Tibetans believe we develop spiritual merit by circumambulating a holy spot, particularly if you do so with a strong motivation of generating spiritual wisdom and compassion.  Here are some of the most popular ones;

The Barkhor
The Barkhor is the prayer path that circles the Jokhang Temple complex and is a hugely popular place in Lhasa for Tibetans to gather and do a lap or two at any time of the day.  There are endless market stalls bordering the Barkhor.  Though in recent years, the smaller, older carts and stalls have disappeared, you can still find many Tibetan vendors here, selling just about anything you could want--from prayer scarves to Tibetan clothing to statues to socks.  You can come back multiple times a day and never be bored on the Barkhor.

Bonus tip: The correct way to circle a kora is clockwise, unless you are a Bon practitioner, in which case you circle counter-clockwise.  You’ll note the great majority of Tibetans are Tibetan Buddhist and circle clockwise.

Barkhor Kora in Lhasa, Tibet

Potang Shakor
Another major kora site is around the Potala Palace.  Like the Barkhor, the Potang shakor (the kora around the Potala) is full at any time of day with local Tibetans doing their prayers, catching up with friends, or stopping by on their way to somewhere else.

When you circle the Potang shakor, you flow past the interesting back of the Potala palace, with stupha sites, a small lake and park, and the lovely little Lukhang Temple situated in the lake.

Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet

#3 Join Tibetan Pilgrims at the Drepung Monastery
Lhasa is home to many major monasteries, and you can spend days exploring any of them, but if we had to pick one not to miss, we’d go with Drepung.  It is the largest of Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, and at one time held upward of 10,000 monks, though today it is a shadow of its former self, with less than 500 monks.

Don’t miss the holiest statue at Drepung, the 50-foot-tall image of the Maitreya Buddha.  Follow the Tibetans as they flow through the chapels, and you are welcome to join the line if you come across a monk offering holy water.

If you have time, walk the kora around the whole temple complex, more like a hike, with great views over the city and beautiful little colorful clusters of prayer flags and rocks engraved with prayers like “om mani padme” hung along the way.  After, you can take the approximately 15-minute walk down the hill to Nechung Monastery, home of the Nechung Oracle.  It is fascinating, if a bit on the creepy, dark side.


#4 View the Private Quarters of the Dalai Lama’s at the Potala Palace
The spectacularly beautiful Potala Palace sits high above the center of Lhasa.  Its massive, but elegant, lines will be etched in your mind forever after you leave Lhasa.  Formerly home to generations of Dalai Lamas and huge, vibrant communities of monks, it is now a sad, empty shell--a lifeless museum.

And yet, it is precious to Tibetans because it was, most recently, the home of the 14th Dalai Lama before he was forced to flee Tibet in 1959.  Along with streams of other tourists and local Tibetans and pilgrims, you can still see His Holiness’ private quarters at the top of the Palace.  Everyone huffs up the endless, steep stairs and ladders to reach those higher floors.

Tip:  Don’t do this on your first day--give yourself time to acclimatize to Lhasa’s altitude.


#5  Sip a Cuppa with Old Tibetan Ladies at Local Tea Shops
Lhasa folk love their tea--Tibetan butter tea (po cha) and sweet milk tea (cha ngarmo)—and they love to sit and have a cuppa in a tea shop.  If you wander the narrow streets around the Barkhor, you will come upon plenty of little tea and noodle shops.  To pop in and take a load off with some local old ladies and school kids is as real as it gets.


If you do just these five things while you’re in Lhasa, we promise it will be an experience you will never forget.

Are you ready to travel to Lhasa?


authors Yolanda O’Bannon and Lobsang Wangdu(Authors Yolanda O’Bannon and Lobsang Wangdu are Tibet travel experts that help make Tibet travel more simple, safe, and ethical via their website, YoWangdu Experience Tibet .  At the website, visit the informative page “How to Visit Tibet: An Insider’s Guide” for practical guidance for your own trip.)


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