Sunday in the Campo

Over a year ago I found Hacienda Las Trancas on the web. I don't remember how I found it but I loved the Hacienda and it has been on my list of places to visit. Sunday we finally went. Oh, my it was more than I dreamed it would be.

The Hacienda was originally built in 1567 as a fort to guard silver being transported back to Spain but in the 1700's it became a Hacienda....not a grand estate but a working ranch hacienda. Fortunately during the revolution it wasn't burned but it has had a hard life.

The story of how Kelley and Stephen Wilkinson came to buy the Hacienda is fascinating and it is another one of those amazing internet stories. Kelley found it by googling "Haciendas." Although it was a maze of dirty rooms, she could see the potential. What she has done with the place is just amazing. She has used people from the village for the renovation and as they have peeled away layers of dirt she has found out that the grandparents and great, great.......grandparents have worked in and around the hacienda. Either they know personal stories about the hacienda or they can tell the oral history that has been past on to them from their abuelita. Kelly has given them a free hand in the renovation so the wonderful original Mexican folkart craftsmanship is being continued through the renovation.

What a place to have a family reunion. Plenty of space for the kids to run, swim, horseback riding, soccer, volleyball or plenty of hammocks for a lazy afternoon reading a book. The kitchen staff is amazing. We were there for a brunch. The dining room table must seat 20. We had huge bowls of guacamole and just fried tortilla chips, huge salad, green rice topped with red chiles in a cream sauce, caldo de pollo, fried squash blossoms stuffed with a tiny potato pancake, deviled eggs. And then the dessert, homemade peach ice cream from the peaches grown on the Hacienda. And the Hacienda has a large vegetable garden so most of the vegetables that are served are grown there.

But take a look at some of the pictures I took at Hacienda Las Trancas then I'm sure you will want to visit it in person for yourself. Sorry about the small size photo in this entry. Blogger is having problems today with uploads. As soon as they are up and running again I will add several larger photos to the entry.