Fred Harvey's La Castenada / A Western Road Trip to Las Vegas NM

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The old La Castenada Harvey House

Fred Harvey was credited for establishing both America's first true restaurant chain as well as building some of the most popular hotels during the nation's booming railroad era. The Harvey Hotels gained world fame. Together with the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, Fred Harvey made the railroad trip west a much more comfortable adventure. Harvey partnered himself with the AT& SF Railroad. Trains in the late 1800's lacked refrigeration systems and dining cars, so Harvey built a restaurant every 200 miles along the Santa Fe's tracks. It worked marvelously and attracted additional passengers to the line. What these dining rooms added was a high degree of quality that travelers could count on.

During the railroad era Las Vegas boomed and became one of the largest cities in the American southwest. At the same time it was realized that suitable hotels and hospitality were greatly needed. High quality railroad hotels and dining rooms were quite popular with the traveling public. The Fred Harvey Company as well as the AT& SF were very prominent in Las Vegas New Mexico, about 55 miles east of Santa Fe. The AT& SF also built another magnificent hotel in Las Vegas NM called  Montezuma's Castle. This was a 400 room, 90,000 square foot building that operated beginning in 1886. Prior to that there were two earlier buildings on the site in 1881 and 1885. When the railroad constructed the hotel they were taking advantage of the natural hot springs adjacent to it. This was quite a tourist draw and even today you can relax in one of the outdoor hot water tubs. In it's day it was a nationally popular resort in Las Vegas NM.

Left wing of La Castenada Hotel

La Castenada was built as a 50,000 square foot railroad hotel in 1898. The hotel was considered an absolute jewel in the Fred Harvey chain and was built as a luxury resort reached by passengers from the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad whose tracks ran directly in front. La Castaneda is one of the earliest Harvey Houses to be built in the Mission Revival style. The architects of this grand hotel and resort were Frederick Roehrig and A. Reinsch. The Rawlings Building which is across the street from the hotel and the Las Vegas train station was used during the period to house the Harvey Girls who staffed the La Castenada. The Harvey Girls and their history is a unique part of the Fred Harvey tradition. Harvey Girls were held to extremely high standards and did much for the reputation of the Harvey Houses. When you walk around the depot area today you'll see several turn of the century buildings. The railroad district is about one and one-half miles east of the plaza. La Castaneda was a sister hotel to Albuquerque's Alvarado Hotel, which was unfortunately demolished in 1970.

To add to the quality of food that Fred Harvey was so noted for, the AT& SF Railroad brought in fresh meat to the Harvey Houses with their new refrigerator rail cars. Food could virtually be brought in from anywhere in the country. There was also a dairy facility in Las Vegas that made it possible to consistently offer fresh milk to customers. As many people know, Fred Harvey was able to offer good food portions at reasonable prices and this plus The Fred Harvey Company's well known quality made the Harvey Houses a big hit with the traveling public. When the AT& SF Railroad finally added dining cars to their routes, Fred Harvey was asked to mange these as well.

Right wing of old Harvey House in Las Vegas, NM

Another thing that Fred Harvey was well noted for was his automobile tours of the surrounding area. He established the tours in several locations including from the La Castenada, the La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe and from the El Tovar at the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Visitors to a Harvey House in New Mexico would also be offered authentic Indian products such as jewelry and pottery. Because the railroad and Fred Harvey were at the very forefront of American southwest travel, their names became a real part of the southwest.

Two additional related articles you'll find interesting are Fred Harvey and the AT& SF Civilize the Southwest and the Harvey House in Slaton Texas which today operates as a very unique B & B.

There are many old Harvey Houses spread west of the Mississippi River and into California. Each has had their own destiny. Some have been demolished such as the old Alvarado in Albuquerque which is unfortunate. Others have been turned into museums and in the case of the Slaton Texas, into a B & B. These old structures, although outdated and many in need of drastic restoration, truly do stand as monuments to a time when the railroad was king and western expansion and tourism was growing rapidly.

View of La Castenada wrap around porch

Today, the old La Castenada Hotel is in the hands of private owners. The hotel today is essentially the way it was originally built. It is closed up except for a small bar that opens in the late afternoon. It's unclear what the future holds for this historic landmark. Passengers traveling on today's Amtrak Southwest Chief which runs daily between Chicago and Los Angeles get a real good glimpse of the former Harvey House hotel as they stop at the train station directly next door. People passing by Las Vegas New Mexico on Interstate 25 can also see the old La Castenada about two blocks off the Interstate along the train tracks.

If your western road trip takes you through this part of New Mexico on the Interstate, I would highly recommend a stop at the Las Vegas railroad district. Visiting Las Vegas New Mexico and the old Fred Harvey La Castenada is a fine addition to your western road trip vacation planner.

(Photos are from author's private collection)


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Phi Mu's Lilly print

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My fraternity, Phi Mu, had our Lilly Pulitzer print revealed today!

The print represents our carnation pink & white colors, quatrefoil symbol and lion mascot, Sir Fidel. Lilly certainly captured Phi Mu to the fullest, including our Greek letters.Tomorrow is our Founder's Day celebration and you can imagine that all of us will be buzzing about our new print!

Rikki Ragland
the preppy debutante

It's SPRING Y'all!

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Spring came in quietly this year. It helps that our winter offered up mild temperatures nearly the entire season. Last year, I purchased a few winter items on clearance with the hope of wearing them this year. It didn't happen, because it was always to warm to wear them!

On the first official day of Spring, it rained, which at least gave me the chance to bring out the wellies and a trench coat...along with a few other items I was waiting to wear:

I just received my preppy debutante silver rose petal ring. Flower rings are HOT this season and are fun to wear.
I paired the ring with this silver dotted bracelet. A friend of mine wore the same combination, so I decided to try them together and really loved the look.
The necklace is actually three separate strands, so I removed two and simply wore the pearls. The neat thing is that you can also wrap a piece around your wrist to create a bracelet, or use two together to make a belt. There are a lot of different looks to be had with this one!

This is one of my favorite handbags that I picked up in Rome years ago. A stone's throw from the Spanish steps, along Via Francesco Crispi, is a little shop specializing in leather and I immediately fell in love with this faux croc bag.

My only regret is that I did not purchase it in multiple colors!
Vineyard Vines' Under the Sea sweaters are light weight and perfect for mild spring temps. This summer, I will pair it with white shorts and matching turquoise flip flops.

It looks as if our spring is quickly turning to summer, because the rest of the week is showing 80-85 degrees! Hello, sunshine.

Rikki Ragland
the preppy debutante

Chicago's Red Dress Party @ the Joffrey

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Chicago consistently has fundraising events nearly every weekend, year-round. From black ties, to theme parties, there is always a reason to venture towards Michigan Ave. for some fun. This time, we headed to Chicago's Red Dress Party, an AIDS benefit, held at the Joffrey Ballet.

photo by Rashied Matthews, Chicago, IL

Actor & Model, Christian Carabias

This event is one where some of the men far out-dressed some of the women in their red dress attire. Hmm, what is he checking out?


His killer Mary-Janes, of course!
Jerry Nunn from Nunn on the Run.com

Rikki Ragland
the preppy debutante

Mother's Day With My Boys

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Mother's Day wouldn't be complete without my special button that I wore all day!

Brunch this year was a total surprise. As we pulled onto Reunion Boulevard in downtown Dallas, I was excited to see that we would be eating Asian cuisine at Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck atop Reunion Tower.


Our little one loved the ride up to the top! It was 50 floors up in a glass elevator, which prompted a very cute happy dance from him.

The view from the restaurant is breathtaking from the 560-foot Tower.
There is not a bad window seat in the house, given the fact that it rotates!


Our tasting menu was a delicious three courses.
. The fun part was keeping a 19-month-old occupied.


It became a little easier once we rotated to Dallas' new Margaret Hunt Hill bridge, which opened only two months ago. Pointing it out to Cameron kept him busy for a little while.


It was a great afternoon with my boys and my little sweet potato topped it off with his wonderful kisses. I hope everyone had a perfect Mother's Day!

Rikki Ragland
the preppy debutante

Coming JUNE 1!

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preppy debutante customers will LOVE this combo! A JUNE customer special includes this Breakfast at Tiffany's combo, created by Alecia Hollis. It includes a large black floppy hat, Happy Go Lucky tote bag & sunglass case for ONLY $60! (regular retail value is $82.) Personalization fees apply, but no additional purchase is necessary.

The set is item number JS0088, and can be ordered, from June 1-June 30, by clicking here and going to "Shop Now."

FOLLOW us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/preppydebutante

Rikki Ragland
the preppy debutante

Photo-a-day Objects become an OOTD

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the outfit

the details

the Instagram Photo-a-day photo for today
the "everything" bangle wouldn't fit over my knuckles...
boo!

I'm still at the Photo-a-day project and I am one month from the half-way point and still have lots of jewelry to shoot. (It helps that I used to make jewelry. And doesn't hurt that I collected a lot of ethnic stuff in the 80s). I spotted the fish top in one of my heaps and thought the bracelets coordinated nicely. Later I tried on the top to see if it still fit - YES! Added other burgundy-toned items and I was ready for work and ready to join the Visible Monday gals.
Go check the Visibles out!  They are a lively bunch and will perk up your day!

I'm Inside the Box - #OOTD

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I'm all in favor of garments made from rectangles. They are very, um, ROOMY! Easy to sew too.
This one is from Mexico so it's called a huipil. I wore it today because the forecast said 86º weather. I was also quite pleased to find another garment that "goes" with my brown/mustard/teal striped scarf.

I'm working on tribal themed prints at work, so I tried shooting a closeup of the pattern on the chest.
Even with the "flip view" feature on my new iPhone, it was really difficult to get a good shot. OK for the blog, not good enough for pattern pirating. I'll have to bring it in tomorrow and scan it.

It's still Monday and you know what that means... The Visibles!
Go look!

SpyGirl on IFB's Links à la Mode

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I am thrilled to be a part of this post!

Art At The Heart

For many of this week's submissions, art was the center theme. From DIY projects to festivals, museum exhibits and dramatic runway sets - there are so many ways that art manifests itself in the world of fashion, not just in the clothes we wear. We create it, it moves us, it changes our mood and makes our world a more beautiful and magical place. I loved reading posts about the Costume Institute's new exhibit, Chanel's crystal runway set - and even how to make a glitzy pair of Mui Mui-inspired sunnies.
Edited by Taylor Davies

LINKS À LA MODE: THE IFB WEEKLY ROUND UP: MAY 17TH

• A Casa da Va: 10 Ways to Achieve Bohemian Bliss


• Beauty x Pose: Colorblock Your Shoes


• Bleu06: Sh*t Guys Should Know About Fashion #7


• Bugwear: Royal Mail issues Great British Fashion stamps collection


• Crystal Eyes: White Out


• Dress Code: High Fashion:


• Fashionista's Diary: Crazy for Crystals


• Finely Made: DIY Glitter Mui Mui Catwalk Noir Sunglasses


• Fly Songbird: Orange Lips Love


• Get Fierce Style: The Freedom In Loving Your Body


• Meredith & Gwyneth, the new yorkie: DIY No Sew Feather Dress


• Pink Pineapple: Internship Essentials


• Pret-a-Porter Palm Beach: festival fashions


• Real Girl Glam: How To Wear A Denim Jacket


• Spy Girl: Blog Essentials: Designing a Memorable Business Card


• The Curatorial: Duchamp, Pop Art & The Rodnik Band - Art As Fashion


• This is a Yes: Frieze Art Fair New York


• Toronto Shopaholic Blog: 3 Fun Uses For A Multi-Tasking Barette


• Tse Parfait: Anthropologie Summer '12 Fashion Show


• Votre Garcon: Schiaparelli & Prada: Impossible Conversations

SPONSOR:
Skirt Sale at Shopbop: DKNY, A.Wang Skirts, Helmut Lang, Minis, Jean skirts, Splendid, Jenni Kayne, AG Skirts, Tibi, Cacharel, ALC, Pencil & Hervé Skirts

PLEASE READ IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE
If you would like to submit your link for next week’s Links à la Mode, please register first, then post your links HERE.