SWD Guest Q&A with Mr.D and Amy

Introducing our newest feature, the SWD Guest Q&A!  Each week we will feature a Southwesterner to learn about their passions and favorite places and vacation spots in our region.  This being the first of many, we thought it would be appropriate to Q&A ourselves …

Amy and Jim (Mr.D) Dodson are Co-Founders of Southwest Discovered, a virtual experience online that brings the world renowned beauty, rich history and famed quirkiness of the Southwest to you.  Amy’s background is in the arts and editorial photography.  Jim is an award-winning graphic designer, a composer and adventure seeker.  They have adopted the Southwest as their forever home and live in the Durango, Colorado area. 

SWD: Are you originally from the Southwest?  If not, what brought you to the area?

Amy:
I was born in the South, raised on the East coast and Mid-west, and came to know the Southwest through travels for business and location photo shoots while working in Southern California.  When my husband and I were engaged we immediately thought of Santa Fe to be married, and while I said my vows I knew in the back of my mind that we would move to the Southwest.  This is the most beautiful place in the world.  

Mr.D:
I grew up in the Mojave Desert and have always had a great affection for the desert. There is a unique beauty in the desert, and nothing exemplifies that more than the Southwest. From deep sandstone reds, rich golden soils, white sand dunes, to sage greens with the most spectacular sunsets imaginable, living in the Southwest is a dream come true. There is so much to explore and discover, and I look forward to doing so for the rest of my life with Amy.

 

SWD: Soft Tacos or Crunchy? 

Amy:
There are moments when craving a homemade crunchy taco with shredded beef takes priority over air.  Let’s see if my husband seconds that emotion.

Mr.D:
A soft taco is good in a pinch, but I prefer a homemade crunchy taco with seasoned shredded beef. My wife knows me too well.

 

SWD: What is your favorite adventure or getaway in the Southwest?

Amy:
New.  New is a very big word for us.  Discovering new small towns and cities, artist hubs, restaurants, new roads, scenic sites, and national parks.  We hop in the car and road trip for days.  75% planned itinerary and 25% “Hey, that looks interesting, let’s go there.”

MrD:
Any place in the Southwest that we can discover that is new, though we love our favorite familiar places, like Durango, Santa Fe, Taos, Tucson, Sedona, Flagstaff.  What can I say, we love this area.

 

SWD:  What is your favorite Southwestern National Park?

Amy:
Mesa Verde, Colorado where we can walk through the cliff dwellings in the steps of an ancient civilization.  They also have a very fine restaurant, the Metate Room.   Arches, Utah … there’s a reason most U.S. atlases have Delicate Arch on the cover.  And the Grand Canyon, Arizona because it’s more spectacular and breathtaking each time.  That said, I have many park discoveries yet to make.

Mr.D:
I love Arches in Moab, Utah and can’t wait to visit other parks in Utah to add to my favorites list. I just discovered the Grand Canyon, and WOW, I was speechless because of it’s beauty and grandeur.  I also love national and state parks that have Ancestral Puebloan ruins, like Mesa Verde and Walnut Canyon.

 

SWD: Red or Green (or Christmas)?

Amy:
The best of both worlds, Christmas!

Mr.D:
I like a deep red chile (Amy makes an amazing one) over enchiladas, and a fresh bright green chile is great over a crunchy taco. But best of both worlds, Christmas!

 

SWD: What is the most satisfying aspect of what you do?

Amy:
First and foremost, traveling and working with my Mr.D.  Another wonderful feeling is when someone tells us that they tried a restaurant, went on a hike, took an art class or visited a city we wrote about and they had a fantastic time.  I am also inspired by the people we meet who have a great passion for their own unique Southwestern lifestyles.

Mr.D:
Making new discoveries with Amy. There is so much to explore in the Southwest.  Hidden gems to grand places.  We sometimes split up while traveling.  Amy will explore an art district while I go on an adventurous hike, and then we come back together in the evening to share what we discovered.  It keeps our relationship exciting and never for a lack of conversation.

 

SWD: What is the most challenging aspect of what you do?

Amy:
Editing the photos.  We will sometimes have 1200 images from a weekend trip and it takes the most ridiculously fulfilling amount of time to find images that best represent our experiences.  Time disappears and that’s why I have a timer on my desk to remind me to take breaks.

Mr.D:
Not enough time to see and do it all. I could stop everything I am doing right now, pack up and start exploring, and I would never finish.  The goal, our mission is to see as do as much as possible and be forever tourists.

 

SWD:  Corn or flour tortillas?

Amy:
Corn.  Good flavor, less gluten.

Mr.D:
Corn for me.

 

SWD: Do you cook?  What do you love to make?

Amy:
We cook pretty much every day.  Some favorites are: steaks with a southwestern rub, chipotle hollandaise, a variety of tacos from light shrimp salad to flank steak with sautéed peppers, fresh roasted poblano salsas, pineapple strawberry jalapeno salsa, green chiles filled with mashed potatoes, pork and brie tamales, green chile white enchiladas, and desserts with candied green chiles, and green chile lime frostings.

Mr.D:
I love to cook, especially when I can use my grill.  Steaks are my specialty.  I also like to experiment by taking a recipe and creating a Southwest version of it, or winging it with no recipe.  Making it up as I go.

 

SWD: What do you absolutely refuse to eat?

Amy:
Organ meats, menudo, runny eggs, canned soups, rare meat.

Mr.D:
I will eat just about anything except organ meats.

 

SWD:  This may have just been answered, but … What are your thoughts on menudo (and no, we don’t mean the boy band)?

Amy:
I’ve smelled it and can I just say … no.  No way.

Mr.D:
I’ve tried it, and though a family tradition for many and is loved, uh, no thank you.

 

SWD:  If you hypothetically moved away from the Southwest, what would you ask people to send to you in a care package?  What would you miss the most about the Southwest?

Amy:
With fresh green chiles in my world, all is well.  Also, fresh poblanos, homemade prickly pear jam, blue corn pancake mix, red chile powder.  I would miss Ghost Ranch and Cliff Palace at sunset.  All of the amazing restaurants.  The smell of pinion burning in fireplaces.  Standing on the rim of the Grand Canyon.  Knowing that no matter where I am in the Southwest, a green chile cheeseburger is never far away.  Our enormous blue skies, and how vivid the Milky Way is at night.

Mr.D:
Not a pleasant thought — moving from the Southwest. But if I did, I would need green chiles shipped to me and dried red chile pods so Amy can make her wonderful red chile. I would miss the spectacular beauty of this region. I have never seen anything more diverse and breathtaking than the Southwest. The serene quiet of the desert, and the starlit beauty of the night.  Final answer — we’re never leaving.

 

SWD:  Is there a Southwest destination you’ve been wanting to visit?

Amy:
We’ve recently returned from a road trip through southern New Mexico and a large part of Arizona.  Lately I’ve been asking around about Utah, Bryce and Zion, and I would love to take a photo tour of Monument Valley.

Mr.D:
Southern Utah is high on my list for 2017, as well as Chaco Canyon.

 

SWD:  Do you have a mantra?

Amy:
Nothing is impossible … the word itself says “I’m Possible.”  And to live in the moment, be present.

Mr.D:
To leave it better than I found it.

 

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