Nov. 16, 2002

I pulled off the road, exhausted from a long day of meandering. I found a parking place near a small casita that was available for the night. Grabbing my overnight bag, I headed inside, sat down, looked up, and blinked.

Five giant watermelon slices looked down from above the casita’s fireplace. Four more rested on the mantel. The lower two-fifths of the wall shimmered with bright green paint. Very bright green. A bold red stripe zigzagged above this, surrounded by smaller squiggles in yellow, turquoise, and purple. Tiny pink crosses dotted the lower edge of this border design. All of it ran the length of the wall. Every wall.

My eyes blurred. Chairs with zealous splashes of firehouse red, lime green, and electric blue surrounded a table with equally festive zigs and zags. Watermelon slices adorned each chair seat, and crosses in jazzy colors ran along the backs. Three giant figures in black stripes danced on the wall, two holding knives, one wearing a mask. A fourth boasted yellow tassels on pointed horns.

I followed the vibrant theme as it continued down the hallway. Once inside the bedroom, I took a deep breath and exhaled. There were no dancers on the walls. No zigzags. No watermelons.

I closed the door.

I’d landed in Santa Fe.

The painted decor of this casita was not as scary in the morning. In fact, it was pleasing. The natural light of day seemed to tone down the drama of the colors and lines. Sipping coffee in front of the kiva fireplace, I decided the room was really quite cute. Trading Spaces fans will understand the terminology I’d use to describe it. This is a style I call “Frank was here.”

It was brisk outside, enough so that I walked carefully to avoid patches of ice when I stepped out to take pictures of the first sunlight hitting the casita walls and surrounding trees. The location was ideal for strolling, and I took my time doing so. Eventually I returned to the inn, gathered my belongings, and headed out, the memory of bright colors, zigzags, and watermelon dancing in my head as I went on my way.